In Organic Gardening magazine November 2000, John Yeoman wrote about paper economy - using newspaper and left-over wallpaper paste...
Waterproof dustbin/old sink.... add water and wallpaper paste (dilution to light paste).... Next layer newpaper (tabloid size) in that paste some 8 or more pages thick. Leave overnight. Squeeze excess paste from the paper but keep the paper flat (say against the side of the container) and voila! The 8 paper thick sheets can then be overlapped with other sheets to make a mulch (hope for 48 hours of dry weather, or cover with plastic) and press the edges into the soil. The paper mache thing moulds itself to the ground, and according to John Yeoman, doesn't need bricks to hold it down.
John says that it will suppress couch grass, other weeds for several months, prevent slugs and snails creeping over the top (especially if a sprinking of sharp sand is applied while the mulch is still wet). Holes can be made for sowing/transplanting...
Multi, a lot of wallpaper pastes have an anti fungiside mixed in with it. Will this make a difference??
what about the chemicals used in the printing process? should we be concerned about them leaking onto the soil?
The inks, should be fine.
Worried about wallpaper paste - flour and water then
I just lay it down with grass clippings over the top to keep it in place. Works for me, and the whole lot will break down eventually.
As for the inks &c. the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales carried out a study -in summary :
QuoteA comparative analysis of potentially toxic elements in Paper Mill Sludge (PMS) with normal soil levels indicate a chemically benign nature for recycled papers and cardboards.
More at
http://www.cat.org.uk/information/catinfo.tmpl?command=search&db=catinfo.db&eqSKUdatarq=19990606120000&eqCURRENTdatarq=0 (http://www.cat.org.uk/information/catinfo.tmpl?command=search&db=catinfo.db&eqSKUdatarq=19990606120000&eqCURRENTdatarq=0)
especially Appendix 3.
Jeremy
This is interesting,
If you just put the newspaper into water and when wet lay it out to dry it would have the same effect.
you know if you spill water on it it sticks together?
As for killing couch grass the roots will still be in the ground your just excluding the light to stop the green growth. Would be ideal for annual weeds between rows even a strawberry bed?