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Vegetable Gardening

Ever use shredded office paper for weed control?

15 years ago

I've got access to a cross-cut shredder; wondering if (because it's already shredded so small) it can be used as weed control? I know office paper doesn't like to decompose quickly in the compost pile, but wondering if shreds would be an ok alternative?

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Comments (11)

leira
15 years ago
One time I had reason to burn a small strip of laser printer paper. It burned in fancy bright colors, and didn't smell all that great.

That experience has led me to not be particularly comfortable with using that sort of paper in the garden.
mmqchdygg
Original Author
15 years ago
ewwwwww
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Never thought to use it under composting materials - although it certainly invites worms. Most of what I've shredded is added to the worm bins. We have a lot of citrus peels to dispose of, and it is a great way to do so. It also helps to get rid of falling fruit - from wind falls, etc., so that it doesn't have to go into the garbage. I did use the glossy stuff - but decided it takes longer to decay - and worms prefer the rougher kind of paper, without too much color. (OK - so some of us prefer steak-too). Thank you for comments. I'll continue to monitor the paper in the growing veggie boxes, to see if it is feasible to continue or not. Perhaps the hay would work better - that is a thought for the future. Bejay
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I can see some of the thinking that goes with the card-board people, even though most is not real card-board but kimmsr has a point about what that can do to soil. I trying to put anything in the garden that did not come from a garden or farm. I use small bails, which in the mid-west with a little search can easily be bought for two buck each. I never use loose straw or hay, except that which is left over after slicing the bail into squares about one to three inches thick depending on size of area or number of bales I have. This will control weeds as well as card-board and recyle much better. If the few weeds that pop up between the slices is a problem that one may have lazy streak that is getting a bit too large while at the same time a little wheat, oats or what ever is easily controlled most of the time. I even used unthreshed rye bails and either cut or left the growing rye go for a look see. I guess if one thinks dealing with card-board is easier have at it but it just seems odd as it is harder on the soil than the weeds.
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.. The office paper will be absorbed pretty fast so use a lot. Plan on frequent turning. Really frequent turning if I understand things correctly. If I understand things correctly, cow manure is wet and will smother. Layers of office paper will not change this. Although office paper is a good source of carbons to feed your nitrogen heavy pile with lots of cow manure. I have not worked with cow manure but would expect a bunch of wet splats and there fore you want sticks and leaves and stuff that add texture so you get air pockets and things. Cow manure is wet and super nitrogen so you want to add a lot of browns and turn as frequently as possible. Grass is high nitrogen so adding grass to cow manure is like putting out fire with gasoline. I could see compost in 3 months if: - Your pile or bin assembled all at once. - Is kept moist -Has a good mix of nitrogens (cow manure is a lot nitrogen) with carbons ( dry brown stuff like leaves, cardboard, sticks or, paper). - That the mix is a bit rough and not just a big pile of cow sludge. - Is turned at least once a week. I kind of expect cow manure to require more turning than most. - You're OK with half decomposed sticks in the mix. (I'm cool with that. I just spread some of just that.) Sticks take a while to break down but are great at setting up air pockets and adding texture. I have to speculate without looking at the ingredients and the conditions. I think the very very very best you can expect is three months. I think you should plan on 5 months under good circumstances. You may want to plan your spring on the basis that you will NOT make compost in time and that it will be applied at the end of the growing season. to sense worth ..
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Hi Mike I'm not sure if your definition of value would be the same as others. Having said that, I am not sure if there are any nutrients in most papers that are worthwhile. Some might attribute value to it in the fact that they do not have to seek out an alternative "brown". Others might claim some value in not having to dispose of it by other means. I have thrown some newspapers through the leaf shredder just to see what would happen. Note to self: don't ever do this on a windy day again! I have composted cereal boxes, papers and paper products just to see if I could. In the big picture, it really made no visible difference to the compost but it was fun to try. Lloyd
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cassieinmass
15 years ago
WOW! I would have never known that one!!
midnightgardener
15 years ago
Paper with multi colored inks are not good for the garden or the compost pile as the inks are full of chemicals.

Here is a link that might be useful: Win Free Garden Stuff
clumsygrdner
15 years ago
Office paper can have whiteneners and chemicals meant to allow inks to stick evenly and consistently. Inks on the papers also are more chemical based. I don't recommend it. The paper put on your garden should be grayish or brownish and the ink should be soy-based.
opal52
15 years ago
Shredded paper can be a mess unless you keep it covered with another mulch like pine straw or pine bark fines. It blows all over the place when it dries out unless covered. Since we live inside city limits, this is unacceptable. May be different other places.
thefarmguy
15 years ago
hmmm yes it is not the kind of paper to put in the garden,,,but wonder if it could have some use as animal litter, say in the hen house or pig pen, the manure could break it down...but yes the animals would probably try to eat it, and just end up with semi toxic composted paper/manure. guess it just has to be made into paper again.
mauirose
15 years ago
i use it in my worm bin, black ink only, and it seems to be OK
diggerdee zone 6 CT
15 years ago
Well, I've used it as mulch in my garden.

I have a pile of kid's school papers, office papers, and old mail that I shred. I'd say most of the ink is black. I use it as a layer in my lasagna beds, (I've got about 10 bags ready to go as soon as the weather cooperates), in my compost pile, and I've used it as mulch too.

If you wet it down, it won't blow away. As a matter of fact, it's not going anywhere! It can actually get a bit stiff and matted, so I keep it away from the crown of plants for this reason.

A downside for me is that it is very bright in the sun! It really hurts my eyes, even with sunglasses. So often, since I've used the paper as a last-resort mulch, as I get grass clippings I will spread them over the paper. At the end of the season I either plant my cover crop in it or just cover with shredded leaves for the winter.

Dee
diggerdee zone 6 CT
15 years ago
Mary, I was just thinking about my answer, and I don't think I've ever actually used the shredded paper as mulch in a vegetable bed. I don't think I ever consciously made a decision not to, but it just happened to work out that the shredded paper went into a flower bed.

However, I rotate my beds every year, so vegetables have been planted in a raised bed where the previous year's paper mulch has been incorporated into the soil.

Just wanted to clarify in case it makes a difference to you.

:)
Dee
Macmex
15 years ago
I use it in my vegetable garden with no noticeable problems. Once wetted down the shredded paper kind of melds together. It's not going anywhere! It works quite well. As mentioned above, it is great for worm bins. We've raised red worms on it for more than a decade and never seen any adverse affects.

George

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