An inexpensive (basically free) way to control weeds in your vegetable garden is to make use of all that leftover newspaper you have laying around your house.

Using newspaper as mulch in the garden is easy and quite effective at controlling those pesky weeds that love to pop up and steal the nutrients from your unguarded vegetable plants.

How to Use Newspaper as Mulch in the Garden

1. When using newspaper as mulch in the garden be sure to use several layers, three to four sheets should do the trick nicely.

2. Place the sheets of newspaper, flatly down, at least two inches away from the stems of your plants to prevent them from rotting which can occur when the stem is kept constantly wet.

3. Be sure to cover all areas of your garden.

4. Soak the entire newspaper-lined area with water from your hose.

At this point you can add a top layer of mulch, such as day-old, seedless, grass clippings, (also free) straw, or store-bought mulch. I don’t recommend using bark chips as mulch in your vegetable garden as the rough texture can damage your delicate plants.

Why it Works

Most weed seeds need sunlight to germinate. The newspaper keeps the sunlight away while also helping to preserve the moisture in the soil that your vegetable plants, and seedlings, need so desperately - especially on those hot, summer days when evaporation happens so quickly.

Why Newspaper isn’t the Best Mulch for your Vegetable Garden

1. Although using newspaper as mulch in the garden is the least expensive way to go, it isn’t the best way to go because newspaper has no nutrients to add to your garden. This can be made up for by way of fertilizing the soil prior to covering it with the newspaper and then using a liquid fertilizer, like Miracle Grow brand, during the growing season.

2. Newspaper, when used alone, is also not very attractive and this is why I don’t recommend you using it as a landscaping mulch around your flowers or shrubbery unless you are going to cover it with a more beautifying top layer.

What is the Best method of Weed Control?

I have found that using a fabric-based liner with a top layer of mulch to be the most effective at stopping weeds in my garden. The fabric holds up well for several years but can be costly. For the frugal gardener, newspaper will work fine.

You might also be interested in taking a look at this book.
The Frugal Gardener

Photo appears courtesy of Saltwell and was found through a creative commons search for commercial usage.