On paper

Usually, we buy three newspapers a week: the Mail & Guardian on Friday, the local Daily Dispatch on Saturday, and the Sunday Times on, well, Sunday. The rest of the time, we read the news online.

Butternut plant, courtesy of the worm farm, sprawls over newspaper

Still, the newspapers quickly accumulate into big heaps. Recycling points seem to be somewhat scarce in East London, and until very recently, there were none out here on the east coast. 

We would cart stuff to a recycling point in town and, often, find that it had: a) been moved somewhere else; or b) was no longer functional. We are delighted with the neat and nifty recycling station that’s just been installed at the little supermarket up the road.

Meanwhile, we stumbled on a few ideas that keep yesterday’s news alive. Note that we use actual newspaper and not all that shiny paper that adverts are printed on.

1: Worm food

Strawberry and borage with a paper lining

V uses newspapers, as well as paper like egg boxes, to line his earthworm farms – he has two farms now – and layers it between the vegetable and fruit cuttings. The busy worm workers turn it all into a kind of black gold that makes stuff grow like mad. 

It also spews out a few surprises, like butternut seedlings that grow vigorously.

2: Soil enricher

I’ve been using newspaper to line holes for new plants in this sandy, coastal soil. It seems to help retain water and food around the roots. Also, as it breaks down, it enriches the soil.

First, I shred the paper: my sense is that this would be important for drainage, and it would also help it to break down quicker. Then I add any compost or manure that is handy and a bit more of the original soil (don’t want to burn those new roots) before placing the plant in its new home. I top it all with a mulch of dried grass clippings, leaves or half-ready compost. 

3: Weed killer

It all gets covered in mulch. The broccoli don't mind

Newspaper is my best friend when it comes to clearing biggish areas of weeds. I’m also quite a lazy gardener and this saves a lot of hard work.

I pull out and chop off whatever I can, dampen the soil, and lay down thick layers of newspaper, dampening that too. Then I toss mulch or compost over the top to stop the wind from blowing the paper away.

The earthworms quickly start eating the paper (result: better soil) and the weeds are smothered, more or less. If I want to plant something before the paper is all broken down (it takes a few months), I tear holes into the paper, which then doubles as mulch.

I am eyeing two patches of grass that would be so much nicer as beds of plants, perhaps with some pathways – lawn is just too much work. Newspaper could be the answer.