Chopped Newspaper for Weed Control in Nursery Crops

Abstract

Abstract Chopped newspaper was evaluated as a weed control mulch for nursery row crops. Newspaper mulch at 2.3 and 3.6 kg/m2 [4.2 lb/yd2 (≈ 10 cm or 4 in depth) and 6.3 lb/yd2 (≈ 15 cm or 6 in depth), resp.] suppressed weed germination for two seasons without a negative effect on Daphne burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’, Physostegia virginiana, and Salix caprea. Gaillardia grandiflora had less growth when mulched with newspaper during one experiment, but not in another. The authors observed that wetting the newspaper mulch after application followed by compression with a lawn roller pressed the paper into a mat which resisted blowing and weathering. Further reduction in blowing of paper mulch was achieved by applying a tackifier after rolling. Bark mulch at 19.4 dm3/m2 (988 in3/yd2 ≈ 10 cm or 4 in depth) resulted in weed suppression comparable to either of the two rates of newspaper mulch and better than bark at 9.7 dm3/m2 (494 in3/yd2 ≈ 5 cm or 2 in depth). All mulch treatments moderated maximum soil temperatures on July 5, 1993 at 7.5 cm (3 in) depth by more than 10C (18F) when non-mulched soil increased to 36C (96.8F). The rate or type of mulch applied resulted in similar summer soil temperatures at 2.5 and 7.5 cm (1 and 3 in) soil depth.