From the page: The newspaper still has plenty of stories to tell
Idea 6
Lined planters and fertilizing
Layers of dry paper at the bottom and between layers of compost is an old urban-garden technique, used by those with little space who wanted living soil. Newspaper acts as the "brown" material in a compost bin: it is rich in carbon, balances moist scraps and helps the pot retain water better.
What you need
- Newspaper sheets torn into strips
- A pot or planter box
- Soil and organic compost (or kitchen scraps, if you are composting)
- Scissors
- Water
How to make it
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1
Tear the newspaper into 2 to 3 cm strips — tearing (rather than cutting) exposes the fibers and speeds up decomposition.
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2
Line the bottom of the pot with a layer of crumpled or folded paper: it holds soil and moisture without fully blocking the drainage hole.
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3
If you are building a layered garden bed, alternate paper strips with plant scraps — always one "brown" (carbon) layer for each "green" (nitrogen) one, preventing bad smells.
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4
Moisten each paper layer before covering it with soil — dry paper is slow to break down and steals water from the substrate.
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5
Cover everything with about 5 cm of fertilized soil and plant as usual.
Finishing touches
use black ink only, as colored ink contains heavy metals; in pots with mature plants, newspaper strips as surface cover ("mulch") also keep weeds away and reduce watering.
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