I talked about garden mulch last week, namely tree chips for mulch and how they needed to be composted , well Newspaper for Mulch is great as a first layer to lay under more open mulch (bark etc) which can be inclined to allow weed seed to germinate and grow through it. The heavier Mulches like tree bark can have a lot of tannins in them which acidifies the soil if applied directly to it, for a permanent ornamental garden this may not matter so much but in a vegetable or flower garden it can slow the growth of your plants.
By placing a layer of newspaper down first this creates a barrier that stops the weed seed from germinating and absorbs any tannins that may be in the Mulch.
The newspaper is loved by worms and will increase their population in a very short time, this adds valuable worm castings to the soil as the newspaper is consumed.
The newspaper is free once your have read it and the more you put on the better the result, if you have to pay for your mulch then add a thick layer of newspaper first to make the mulch go further.
Once laid out wet it thoroughly to keep it in place and this starts the composting and soil improvement process straight away.
Be Happy,
Barry.
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