I’m a gardening pro – my easy method to banish weeds won’t cost you a cent, because it uses trash
AN EXPERT has shared his eco-friendly solution to uninvited guests in your garden.
Weeds are an inevitable disturbance any time of year, especially during spring and summer.
According to gardening pro William Mitchell, you can save money by using yesterday’s paper to remove them.
“There are plenty of rumors circulating the internet about newspapers helping to prevent the growth of weeds in your garden,” he tells Express.
“The truth is, this is correct. Newspapers can be used as a cheap and effective way to stop weed growth.”
What makes them especially efficient is the paper’s high porosity, which allows plenty of water to flow through it to the soil.
Mitchell, who works at Sutton Manor Nursery, recommends adding an additional layer of mulch to help increase the soil’s moisture.
Newspaper also blocks light, making it difficult for weeds to break through.
He says: “You simply lay the newspaper on the desired area making sure all edges overlap and do not leave any gaps. Then, water the newspaper to help it stay down.”
And because the material is biodegradable, people needn’t worry about it harming the environment, or other plants.
However, because newspaper decomposes fast, Mitchell warns that it will need to be replaced after a few weeks.
If you don’t have newspaper, boiling water left over from pasta or rice will also kill weeds.
Just be sure to only use on paving weeds, as it can kill the plants you actually want to keep.
Aside from newspaper and boiling water, the next best solution is pulling the weeds up by hand.
Mitchell says: “While it is a very tedious task, constantly weeding your garden is actually extremely effective.”