From: lwlutz@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Lowell W Lutz)
Subject: Re: Newspaper as mulch 
Keywords: newspaper mulch
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 92 10:31:20 EST

In article <1992Nov3.125241.15126@walter.cray.com> gwv@eastrg2.cray.com (George Vandenberghe) writes:
>       How safe and ecologically responsible is it to use newspapers
>as vegetable garden mulch?   Here in Washington DC  they decompose fast
>in warm humid summer weather, adding organic matter to the soil but maybe
>something else as well.  Newsprint contains "some" lead.  Does this
>mean lead will eventually build up to harmful levels in the soil.  Are there
>other dangerous substances in newsprint?

Subsequently Mark Turner replies:
MT>We have been using newspapers as mulch for several years and haven't been
MT>concerned about chemical contamination (i.e. lead) from the ink.  I have
MT>heard that colored inks may cause more of a problem them black, which is
MT>mostly carbon-based.
MT>
MT>Our technique is to lay two or three layers of newspaper around the young
MT>plants in the spring, after they start to grow, but before the weeds get
MT>too far along.  Then cover the papers with a thick layer of grass
MT>clippings to hold them down, make it look better, and provide additional
MT>organic material that breaks down along with the papers.  The paper
MT>primarily provides a barrier against weed infiltration while the top layer
MT>of grass (or whatever you've got) helps keep temperatures moderated and
MT>adds the organic matter.

Subsequently Gene Spears replies:
GS>I may be wrong about this, but I was under the impression that most 
GS>newspapers nowadays used soy-based inks that did NOT contain lead.  
GS>
GS>Trying another way to use newspapers, as well.  We had saved bags of old 
GS>papers (no good recycling place around here), so, after leaf fall this 
GS>season, I covered the garden bed with newspapers, then piled our leaves atop 
GS>the papers.  Hoping the leaves will trap moisture and provide a good 
GS>environment for worms, fungi, bacteria, etc. to break-down the papers by 
GS>next spring.  At this time, I'll till leaves and paper under, add some 
GS>sodium nitrate to avoid nitrogen deficiency, and see what happens.

Well, this year I used newspaper around the transplants in 1/3 of my garden
I used a thick layer (10-12 pages) of newsprint only (no glossy). Color has
no lead either so use them all. Weight them down somehow (I used rocks) and
douse them with a high nitrogen liquid fertilizer. NO WEEDS! And even now I
could till them in partially decomposed, but I am covering the gardens with
our last lawn mowing catchings of leaves and grass mixture and then I'll do
it in the spring. (1/3 I used coffee grounds to mulch, but remember they're
acidic. 1/3 I weeded. This was my first full-blown vegetable garden but I'm
going to mulch it all next year!)

Two things to remember about newspaper as mulch: 1 - it is not very pretty,
so a layer of grass clippings or chopped leaves would make it look nicer. &
2 - overlap them in such a way as to allow water to get under them, if it's
on a slope, lay them starting at the top, so the water'll run down & under.
Water will soak through but very slowly and we don't want our gardens to be
thirsty.