I use newspaper and/or cardboard as the base for any new beds I make... Layer it thick, wet it down, add whatever soil amendments, etc, else on top of it. Created an 8x16 raised bed that way in summer 2008 -- took 3 years for the crabgrass to start coming up through the sides of it.

I'm a HUGE fan of newspapers/cardboard as a weedblock.

Does anyone know if newspaper with colored ink on it is ok to use?

The colored ink is fine, but I wouldn't use the "glossy" sheets.

Glossy sheets don't work well and I believe it is not the garden friendly ink used for glossy printed material. : )
I'll have to check on that.

fiwit said:I use newspaper and/or cardboard as the base for any new beds I make... Layer it thick, wet it down, add whatever soil amendments, etc, else on top of it. Created an 8x16 raised bed that way in summer 2008 -- took 3 years for the crabgrass to start coming up through the sides of it.

I'm a HUGE fan of newspapers/cardboard as a weedblock.

That's what I have been doing!

I love the fact that it helps retain moisture in the ground, plus discouraging weeds. I have also noticed that it helps improve my clay soil.

Hmm, I need to put a newspaper/cardboard donation box at the end of our road then...

We don't get the newspaper, so I go to the recycle box and get them. : )

I use it mainly for pathways where I don't want weeds coming up. Has to be replaced by more from time to time.

It sure kept the weeds from coming up around our tomatoes this last summer. Saved a lot of time weeding.

We haven't gotten the daily newspaper here in a long time, so I use the Boone County paper that comes once a week and cardboard from boxes. When the next good weather day comes (who knows when that will be, with the weather we've been having ), I'm going to try and get some things done outside and that will be one of the projects.

Gotta try and remember to save the county paper instead of tossing it.

Tie a string around your finger Marilyn.

We've been raining and flooding here. Won't be working outside anytime soon.
Sand bags are up and that is all we can do for now.

Yikes, Lynn, I hope you stay high and dry!
Marilyn, it's supposed to get up into the 50's tomorrow. I'm trying to figure out how I'm gonna get down this icy hill to get to work at 7:30 am though...

These hills very rarely get really icy...but it does happen on occasion. Whole different ball game going up and down hills with ice there, not like ice on level places!

Call in Renee. I'm such a chicken when it comes to icy roads that are downhill.

I thought for sure that since I was finally able to pry the door open, that it was warming up and thawing out, esp. since I put salt down.
I had to call and get someone else to cover my morning shift, and I'll take the afternoon shift when it thaws out. Thank goodness a tree was there to keep me from rolling off the hill into the woods.



Oooopsie!

We've been inside all day today, because of the freezing rain and icy conditions. All I did was go outside to put some birdseed on the ground, since the feeders were iced up. Supposed to get to 50 (hopefully) on Sunday. We were only in the mid 20's for the high today, which is well below average.

Did you say Renée that you were out on the roads today?

Oh, no! My driveway goes downhill. Once when we had a bad ice storm, we stayed home without power for days. I knew for sure if I tried to drive down the driveway, I'd end up sliding down, then across the road, and to where the ground goes downward to the dry creekbed.

Um...didn't quite make it out of the driveway...

Renee, is that your car?
Oh please don't go out.

No ice here, just rain. We have the sand bags down, and they'll stay down until all danger of flooding is over. We have another big rain front coming in Tue.