WSU Making a Difference

Just a slight twist on an old riddle; what is black and white and read all over… and very useful in the garden? Yep, it’s newspaper.

When you are done reading your Mason County Journal, instead of tossing or recycling it, save it to use in your garden. With the exception of the glossy inserts, using newspaper is environmentally sound. The inks used are no longer toxic and the paper pulp is processed without harmful chemicals. Not only safe, it can save you time and money.

Seedling Pots – Soon it will be time to start plants from seed and rather than purchasing starter pots, make some out of newspaper. You can fold and make pots with the help of an online tutorial. Just go to your favorite web browser and do a search for “newspaper origami seedling pots”. Your search will turn up a number of videos for you to watch. This is a fun activity to do with kids to get them engaged with recycling and gardening.

Weed Suppression ‐ Shredded newspapers or whole sheets may be used as mulch in the home garden. When using newspaper sheets, place a layer of two or three sheets between plant rows in the garden. Water the sheets so they stick to one another and to the soil surface, then place a layer of mulch over the newspaper.

Container Gardens – Cut newspaper into the circle or shape of the top of your flower pot to slow the loss of moisture. The newspaper will suppress weeds but still allow air and water to pass through. Another tip is to line the bottom and sides of terra cotta pots with a few sheets of newspaper. After planting, cover any visible paper with mulch. This will help a porous pot hold more moisture.

Trap Insects and Pests – Use a wetted section of newspaper to trap slugs, earwigs and other nocturnal pests in the garden. Just place it out at dusk and it becomes a pest motel. Pick it up in the morning and toss it along with any visitors it may have attracted.

Composting – Newspaper can provide the needed carbon for your compost pile. If your compost pile has a bit of an odor, it is a sign that it needs more carbon. Rip up sections of the newspaper and add it to the pile. Give it a toss and the smell will be gone. In the summer you can lay the newspaper on untreated grass and run it over with the lawn mower. The mixture of grass and paper will be a perfect mix of nitrogen and carbon for your compost.

Tool Cleaner – To get double duty out of the newspaper, keep sheets of it around to clean the dirt and debris off of tools. To finish off the cleaning and ward off rust, dip the tools into a bucket of sand mixed with oil. Then reuse the paper in your compost pile, container or garden bed.

Newspapers do more than contain the news you need to know. They provide a frugal and environmentally sound resource for the garden. If you have a gardening question, stop by or call the Extension Office and talk to one of our Master Gardener volunteers, on Mondays from noon until 3:00 or submit it at any time via email or our website. We can be reached at (360) 427‐9670 ext. 687. Our email address is [email protected] and our website is http://extension.wsu.edu/mason/master‐gardener/master‐gardener/

Jeannine Polaski is the Mason County Master Gardener Program Coordinator. She can be reached at [email protected]

For more information regarding the Mason County WSU Extension office call 360‐427‐9670 Ext. 680, or visit our website at http://mason.wsu.edu

Cooperating agencies: Washington State University U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Washington counties. Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.