Planting Through Newspaper

[Bigmallly]

How difficult is it to plant through wet newspaper?...Should I use a dibber, stanley knife or bulb planter?........Was thinking of covering the beds in wet newspaper, planting through it then adding a covering of well rotted chippings/ leaves...Just toying with the idea for the first time...Owt to reduce weeding...Thanks as always for your advice.

[sowitgrowit]

I'm planting through cardboard (example: broad beans here) as a weed-control experiment this year. Once it's wet (not a problem recently, eh?) it's easy peasy, if a little ugly - a dibber or bulb planter would work. I just punched a hole with a trowel.

A stanley might get clogged up with wet mud, I imagine.

[Two_Sheds]

I don't make holes in the newspaper, I do it the other way round: plant my plant, then mulch around it with wet newspapers.
Spuds and beans do well with that technique, it keeps a lot of moisture in the soil (watering is done into upturned bottles or sunken buckets).

This picture is of a weed-killing mulch. It sits like that all winter, and is removed (if there's anything left to remove) when I come to plant something.

[veggiechicken]

Here's a wacky idea for you as set out in The Lazy Kitchen Gardener: Amazon.co.uk: John Yeoman: Books I like this book as its quirky and irreverent!
He advocates making Glop - soaking newspapers and some wallpaper paste, laying the paper over the bed and letting it harden into a sort of papier mache shell. Then you cut through it to plant. More here -
Organic gardening tips
Could work just fine on your squarish foot bed

[sowitgrowit]

He advocates making Glop - soaking newspapers and some wallpaper paste, laying the paper over the bed and letting it harden into a sort of papier mache shell. Then you cut through it to plant. More here

Blimey! Never heard of that idea before. The site you linked to is fascinating. Bookmarked for future reference! Might try this on a smallish patch with a flour/water mix.

[BUFFS]

dont forget to put something down to kill off last years bumper crop of slugs under the wet newspaper as they will love those conditions.....

[alldigging]

Does all wallpaper have fungicide in? Does it matter?

[vikkib]

I don't make holes in the newspaper, I do it the other way round: plant my plant, then mulch around it with wet newspapers.
Spuds and beans do well with that technique, it keeps a lot of moisture in the soil (watering is done into upturned bottles or sunken buckets).

This picture is of a weed-killing mulch. It sits like that all winter, and is removed (if there's anything left to remove) when I come to plant something.

I've got sacks and sacks of shredded paper from my Mum's work and I'm wondering whether I could dampen it down nicely with plenty of water and stick that down around and in between the spuds?

Wondering if, once it dries out a bit, bits will just start getting blown around and annoying my plot neighbours!

I'm gradually sticking it in the compost and it's great for getting the fire going on the plot but I've still got so much left I need more inspiration for uses!

[vikkib]

Does all wallpaper have fungicide in? Does it matter?

Most of it does but the blog suggests swapping wallpaper paste for flour and water instead if that is of concern...

... hmmmm, maybe that would help prevent my shredded stuff from flying away!

[horticultural_hobbit]

I tend to poke through it with a dibber or bulb planter if its been down a while. Have also done the Aunty two sheds mulch around too.

[greenishfing]

Our site is a windy site, on a slope. One of my exceedingly lazy neighbours "bright" ideas last year was to put newspaper and cardboard down . Our allotment is downhill and downwind of his and after his flying cardboard flattened my baby brassicas in their seed bed and there was newspaper and cardboard among all my pumpkin/squashes I am sure you can imagine where I suggested he put it in future. So if you are using this please weigh it down with something heavy.

[veggiechicken]

I've got sacks and sacks of shredded paper from my Mum's work and I'm wondering whether I could dampen it down nicely with plenty of water and stick that down around and in between the spuds?

Can you bury it in your bean trench - to hold moisture?

[Bigmallly]

Our site is a windy site, on a slope. One of my exceedingly lazy neighbours "bright" ideas last year was to put newspaper and cardboard down . Our allotment is downhill and downwind of his and after his flying cardboard flattened my baby brassicas in their seed bed and there was newspaper and cardboard among all my pumpkin/squashes I am sure you can imagine where I suggested he put it in future. So if you are using this please weigh it down with something heavy.

That was a concern of mine which is why I was going to cover it with well rotted chippings & leaves. My plan was to lay the wet paper at the time of planting out........

[kathyd]

How difficult is it to plant through wet newspaper?...Should I use a dibber, stanley knife or bulb planter?........Was thinking of covering the beds in wet newspaper, planting through it then adding a covering of well rotted chippings/ leaves...Just toying with the idea for the first time...Owt to reduce weeding...Thanks as always for your advice.

I did what TS does around my peas and beans last year - laid the paper after planting the plants. The paper went sort of hard and rigid after soaking and drying out a few times, but this seemed to help it stay in place, and I have to say it was probably some of the best mulch I used.

[Bigmallly]

I bow to all of your superior knowledges............however I am reluctant to just leave the paper on the surface as the plot is quite open. The last thing I want is HM on my case.......she ain't getting her hands on my plot........