Making Raised Beds Questions! Newspaper to keep weeds out?

9 years ago

Hi,
So this upcoming year, will be my first year trying veggies. I mean I've tried cucumber and mini pumpkins this year but that was basically it due to no real room to do anything else besides a few pots that failed miserably!!
Fortunately, this Fall we will be putting in a few raised beds to do veggies. So far I have done the first one and filled it up! I mixed in some coffee grounds and egg shells and will use this bed for Tomatoes and Peppers next year!
As I began the second one, I read in a book I was reading in Tractor Supply, that laying down a layer of newspaper at the base before filling, will help keep weeds out the first year....So I did just that and put a thin layer of newspaper and started filling. My question is, is it all safe?? Would love to hear from people who did it and how it worked also and peoples opinions.

Also, the dirt is a mix of sand also I believe (I wasn't with so I have to go with what my parents told me they ordered), and I will be mixing in eggshells, coffee grounds, etc and perhaps compost in Spring? I also remember Burpee's brand of Garden Soil and I thought it worked well when I used it a couple years ago, do you think it would also help to mix it in with the soil I got?

Sorry, if everything seems wishy washy or newbie questions but this upcoming year will be my first year doing veggies and I wanna make it my focus for next years gardens! Plus, my grandmother was known for having a wonderful farm of vegetables and fruit so I don't wanna disappoint her!! :)Thanks
~Michael

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Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
you dont mention how deep .. but if its anything over a few inches.. the paper isnt really useful.. except a good way to get rid of it ...

many weed seeds need sunlight to germinate... and if you cover them with inches of soil.. job done ..

and if you are talking about running invasives.. a few sheets of paper arent going to stop those...

perhaps you are confusing such.. with using paper/cardboard/etc.. when laying down mulch ... and then the paper can have some impact on blocking out the sun under such ...

no real waste on your part.. just giving you some theory.. to up your learning curve ... and if otehrs argue about it.. you learn even more ... lol ...

if i was space limited.. i would never waste space on any kind of gourd.. aka pumpkin ... heck.. some of these things run 20 to 30 feet in a season... how big are these beds you are building .... choose wisely ....

i wish you luck

ken
heavenlyfarm
Original Author
9 years ago
I can't really say how deep but definetely more then a few inches! My guess is 8-10 inches or more. The book I had, showed pictures of it but I did figure it wouldn't really be that effective if maybe for the first year.(new seeds flying in from all over the world)I pulled all the weeds and their roots before covering with the newspaper. The least it can do is decay and add something to the soil right? I just tend to worry too much about chemicals getting into what I'm eating lol. If I didn't use mulch on my flower beds tho...I don't think I could keep up my fight against weeds LOL

Three beds are/will be I think 12 feet by 6 feet. Two beds are/will be 9 feet by 5 feet. (My dad is building them so I don't say a word and let him do the dimensions lol) I have not really begun planning anything out officially but I would like to do tomatoes, peppers, an eggplant or two, corn, carrots and onions. God willing, I will have a total of 5 beds to work with.
As far as room, we have almost an acre of crappy hills (i hate them. a slight slope would have been great but not these) with some flatter land. We had strawberry patches all over the backyard but we made a new bed for them in the front of the house which freed up the room for these raised beds! I wanna try pumpkin and watermelon but those will be on the back hill which we don't have much on besides some apple trees and rose of sharons :)
~michael
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theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
9 years ago
You put newspaper or cardboard down several sheets thick on top of the grass/weeds to smother and prevent it from growing so you won't have to dig it out. Then you fill the raised beds. If you removed the grass/weeds before filling the beds then there was really no reason to use the newspaper underneath the soil. And you're right, the newspaper is only temporary. It will be composted fairly quickly leaving nothing behind.

As Ken said, using newspaper/cardboard on top of the soil and covering it with mulch is often used to prevent weeds and is much more effective during the growing season.

Adding raw organic matter in the form of coffee grounds and egg shells and whatnot to new beds is a good idea but don't expect them to provide your plants with many nutrients in the first year. It usually takes at least a year before new beds mature and the organic matter can become useful to plants. So I'd plan on fertilizing with an organic fertilizer (or a fert of your choice) next year. Even if it's not necessary, and it most likely will be especially with heavy feeders like tomatoes and corn, it's good to be prepared.

Rodney
emerogork
9 years ago
Have you ever read that book on the $64 tomato? (:

I put down 2" x 6" x 10' planks to make the frame. I placed a grid of wire mesh (old aluminum gutter guards, screen, etc) and stapled it to the frame then turned it over directly onto the lawn. The wire mesh prevents any burrowing critter from attacking the plants from below.

Of course, this will prevent any roto-killing but then I never do it as it destroys the soil structure on which plants depend.

I filled it with a mix of compost and soil with total disregard to amounts. I used only soil and fiber from my own yard. Be aware, all soil had weeds and they can take 2, - 4 years to germinate so you will never be rid of them.

That winter, I took my collection of saved double page sections of newspaper, stapled them 4 sheets at a time end to end and rolled them up. (no glossy paper.)

In the spring, roll it out and cover it with 3" - 4" cooked hay. Cooking kills the seeds. It totally stopped all weeds for the entire year except where they could find a hole. The next spring, I rolled out another 4 ply of newspaper and added more hay. After the second year, the first layer is gone so don't worry about build up over the years.

After three years, I finally had the soil tested. There were no recommendations for adjustments or amendments.

Does any of that help?

Making Raised Beds Questions! Newspaper to keep weeds out?

Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

heavenlyfarm
Original Author

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theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)

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Making Raised Beds Questions! Newspaper to keep weeds out?

Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

heavenlyfarmOriginal Author

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theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)

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heavenlyfarm
Original Author