Plain shredded paper is a safe and budget-friendly material when used correctly. Apply in thin layers and top with natural mulch to prevent matting. Shredded paper can also be used in your compost bin ...

You recommended using newspaper as mulch in a recent column. I thought that in the past, gardening experts recommended that newspaper not be used because of the heavy metals in the ink. Have the ...

Many years ago early in my agriculture/gardening career, I discovered a book written by a woman who developed a novel way of gardening. Ruth Stout’s gardening technique involved applying layers of ...

A reader wonders whether there's use in the garden for his shredded paper. Another is puzzled by the poor performance of all his root crops. CS: It sounds like your shredded paper is office paper ...

Do you utilize mulch in the garden? If you do, that’s great! If you don’t, you should consider adding mulch to the garden, as there are many benefits. Benefits of mulch include preserving moisture, ...

Using shredded paper as garden mulch has pros and cons, depending on how you use it. Plain shredded paper is a safe and budget-friendly material when used correctly. Apply in thin layers and top with ...

Q: I heard you can put newspaper down over the ground to control weeds and then top it with wood mulch. Is that a good idea? A: Sure is. Newspaper is wood, too - just in skinny form! In new beds, I ...