Do not let the old papers go to waste and re-use them efficiently with the help of these 21 Unbelievable Things You Can Do With Newspapers in the Garden ideas!
Check out the list of household items that you can use in the garden here
Unbelievable Things You Can Do With Newspapers in Garden
1. Newspaper Pots to Start Seed
You can make DIY newspaper pots to start seeds. Make small-sized containers to start seedlings, and it could be a fun activity to make your children participate too!
These are also biodegradable and work best for seedlings that don’t transplant well.
2. Soak Up Excess Water and Moisture
Gardening and water spilled here and there go hand in hand, and newspapers are an effective option to soak up the excess water and moisture in no time! You can also use them on your patio and balcony.
3. Newspaper for Container Gardens
Gardeners can cut the newspapers into a circular pattern and use them as pots. The extra added layers can very well provide protection against weed and allow oxygen and water to pass through.
Do make sure that you are using a thick layer. It works best for propagating cuttings.
4. Start the Worm Bins with Newspaper
Use shredded newspapers to make suitable bedding for a compost bin for worms. Mix enough water with the newspaper so that it becomes damp, similar to a wrung-out sponge.
The worms will be more than happy to feed on the newspaper with food scraps.
5. Helps to Kill Weeds in Garden
Lay a thick pile of newspapers in the garden, over the weeds, to get rid of them. It will cut down the air and light source, eliminating the weeds in no time. You may have to replace it with a fresh layer if the old one gets wet and crumpled.
6. Use Newspaper in the Compost Bin
Cut down the smell in the compost bin with the help of shredded newspapers. They also work as a good carbon-rich ingredient that enriches the compost for the plants.
7. Save your Plants from Cold Drafts
If you are not able to find anything to shield your plants with, then a thick layer of newspaper is a good temporary solution. It will help to insulate while offering an extra degree of protection on colder nights.
8. Use it as Padding
If you have a garden table, then use old newspapers as lining under the table cloth. This way, you don’t have to spend a lot to get linings for the table, and it will also protect it from spills and other damage.
9. Use Newspaper to Store Veggies
Sheets of newspapers can be used to layer up and store freshly harvested veggies. Vegetables last longer when their skin does not touch each other.
10. Store Tender Bulbs in Newspaper
Use layers of newspaper to wrap frost-tender bulbs such as Gladioli and Dahlias for winters. It will keep them safe till you plant the bulbs.
11. Utilize Newspaper to Trap Bugs
Section of dampened newspaper proves to be an attractive place for nocturnal bugs like pillbugs, slugs, and earwigs to stay hidden.
Place damp papers around your garden after the sun goes down, and then collect them in the morning with the trapped pests.
12. Barbecue Cleaner
All you have to do is to soak some newspapers in water and lay them on the barbeque grill. Leave it there for an hour and then wipe it clean. You can also use newspapers to absorb excess oil.
13. Keep Garden Tools Clean with Newspaper
Do not allow the rusted garden tools to shorten their lifespan. Use newspapers to clean the debris and dirt ahdered on the tools.
Wrap the tools in newspaper to soak up all the moisture and prevent rust formation.
14. Fire Starter
Planning a bonfire in your garden? Well, newspapers are one of the best options to start a fire in no time!
15. Use it for Mulching
Layer newspaper on the ground and cover them with a thin layer of pine needles, hay, and wood chips to make organic mulch for the plants.
16. Garden Shoe Deodoriser
Make balls of old newspapers and stuff them into your garden boots after a hard day of work. Leave them there, and they will be free from odor and moisture. You can do this with all kinds of shoes.
17. Your Garden’s Vacation Caretakers
Newspapers keep the soil temperature and moisture intact. Put a layer of newspaper on the topsoil and add mulch from above. This will not only suppress the weed but also keep the soil temperature and moisture stable for sometime.
18. Stuff a Scarecrow
If you want to make a scarecrow as a fun project for your kids, then stuff the insides with a newspaper. It is a cheap filler!
19. Newspapers to Ripen Fruits
Climacteric fruits such as bananas, apples, kiwi fruit, figs, pears, mangoes, tomatoes releases a gaseous plant hormone, ethylene, which helps in the ripening of the fruits.
When fruits are wrapped in newspapers, this gas is trapped inside, and the fruits react with the hormone better, thus riping faster.
20. Line Up the Garden Litter Box
Line up the insides of the garden litter box with newspapers. It will soak all the excess moisture and will keep the bad smell at bay.
21. Clean the Glasses
If you have glass vases, windows, or glass water features in your garden, then keep them squeaky clean using newspapers. Just spray a little water and rub them with newspaper to get rid of all marks.
