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Organic Gardening

Rosin paper for weed control?

14 years ago

I bought a roll of paper mulch at Lowes to try this year in my veg garden. It ended up being a little pricier than I thought it would be. After I rolled it out, it looked a lot like rosin paper(used under wood flooring and much cheaper).

Does anyone know what's in rosin paper? Would it be safe to use near edible plants? I did a few searches with no luck.

Featured Answer

Michael Paparella

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I was researching this too and found this wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_rosin_paper

Quote - "Rosin paper may have a polyurethane coating to improve moisture resistance and tearing. It is not acid free particularly containing abietic acid"

Don't use it in your vegetable garden!

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Comments (9)

hatchjon
14 years ago
I think this stuff is safe. On the material data sheet for this product the warning for INGESTION is:

INGESTION: This product has a low degree of toxicity. If symptoms of gastrointestinal irritation develop, seek medical attention.

This entry makes it seem benign.

Here is a link that might be useful: MDS
Kimmsr
14 years ago
It simply astounds me that with all the free paper available someone would pay for some paper to use in the garden. Rosin paper is made from recycled fiber for use as roofing or flooring underlayment and should not have anything that would adversly affect your soil except maybe the red dye that was used to evenly color those fibers.
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Just wet the newspaper down as you apply it with a watering can or hose. I usually layer several full unopened sections thick, in overlapping layers. On top of the newspaper put a thick layer of your favourite organic mulch. I like layers of used coffee grounds, leaves, and compost. The idea here is to completely cover the paper and provide a growing environment for the roots that keeps moisture through the dry spells. If you do it this way, and resist the temptation to cut holes in the newspaper when planting (add some soil to the hole but leave the paper intact), you'll have zero weeds coming up from below. Now you just have to worry about the ones that grow from the top, and they'll come out easy from the mulch. Cheers, Kyle
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I often do that with the newspapers--& when you say a few layers, think really thick, like a whole section--then I put grass clippings over them for a mulch. By next year it will have broken down & improved your soil. Good luck. BTW, the easiest way to get the newspapers down is to put the dry papers into a garden cart or wheelbarrow & fill the thing with water. You want the papers to be wet when you put them down.
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You put down newspaper or cardboard to cover any "weeds" currently growing in soil and help extend the amount of mulch you have. Now, that newspaper or cardbaord will not prevent new "weeds" from germinating in the mulch, but those new "weeds" will be much easier to remove because the roots have little to hang onto unlike those growing in soil. If just a mulch was used to control "weeds" that mulch would need to be thick enough to keep the "weeds" from getting any access to sunlight and that is usually 4 to 6 inches deep. One or two inches will not do that. Maybe fresh manure would get hot enough, if the manure was piled deep enough, to kill any "weeds" growing where it is put down, but it is not something that I would rely on. The best thing to do with any manure is compost it to limit the loss of valuable nutrients from that manure and to kill off as many potential disease pathogens as possible before putting it on your soil, especially where food crops might be grown.
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Adding soil over the newspaper defeats the purpose and seeds in the soil, or soon to find it, will sprout and be very happy. I use 3 sheets of newspaper covered with 2" - 3" of cooked chopped hay. It totally stops weeds immediately. You have results that first year. Each year, I add another layer. Last year's layer becomes a healthy compost. I hear that you might place a thin layer of soil just before placing a new layer. This is far superior to any weed fabric as beneficial insects and worms can get through it and are nourished by it. After months of collecting a lot of newspaper, during the cold winter evenings over hot chocolate, I set a stack to one side of the table, all spread out and sorted. Then I staple three sheets to three more with about a 1" over lap. Starting rolling the stapled sheets and continue stapling more to make a long and rolled up sheet. This will make setting it out on the ground very easy. Do not use any glossy sheets (evil chemicals) but newsprint with color pics are acceptable as the ink is soy based. Hay can be expensive so, save your leaves, chop them with a lawn mower, save them for the spring in a large barrel. Leave them dry in the barrel and, in the spring, use that instead of hay.
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
14 years ago
The above MSDS sheet is only useful when one regards the NORMAL USE of rosin paper. Using it as a mulch in the veggie garden is anything but normal.

I can't find anything on the ingredients of rosin paper or how it would be expected to behave when exposed to constant moisture. Anybody else have any luck?
swanz
14 years ago
I think Rosin paper was repells water and humidity and the garden stuff is supposed to allow moisture to enter.
mrhouse
8 years ago
yes, you should be fine with this kind of paper
Ben Mccargo
3 years ago
Appreciate the in depth skinny. Found a used roll in shed, thought it might. Rosin but scared me. Glad I checked.
Reviewer d
11 months ago
last modified: 11 months ago
Red Rosin paper has ALUM in it, which contains ALUMINUM. Aluminum toxicity in plants is very well documented. Don't put Red Rosin paper in your garden or yard unless you want to kill everything that is under it, and everything that is may use the water contaminated by the paper. It may also affect living things and insects in the soil . Why use building materials in your garden?
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 months ago
" Red Rosin paper has ALUM in it, which contains ALUMINUM. Aluminum toxicity in plants is very well documented. Don't put Red Rosin paper in your garden or yard unless you want to kill everything that is under it, and everything that is may use the water contaminated by the paper "

Well, that's more than a bit overstated!! ALUM does not directly translate to ALUMINUM - there are alums that contain other chemical compounds, specifically potassium alum, which is used extensively as a mordant or fixative with dyeing and is referred to as papermaker's alum. This is the alum used with red rosin paper.

btw, aluminum toxicity with plants is very case sensitive. Some plants are sensitive and will react adversely and others are unaffected. But the paper will not "kill everything under it". In fact, there is so little alum/aluminum involved that it is not a serious concern...or any concern at all. FWIW. aluminum sulfate is a common soil amendment.........

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