"Al Dykes" wrote in message
I've seen references to spreading a couple pages of old
newspaper out as ground cover for weed control. I have my doubts
about how rain water seeps thru the paper. Is it fast enough ?

That depends on where you live and the climate you have. Where I live we
are now into the third year of a drought, newpaper controls the weeds in my
paths quite brilliantly. I lay down wads of newspaper which I wet by
dunking in a plastic bucket full of water. I lay these directly on top of
grass or weeds then spread sawdust or wood shaving on top.

The newpaper is long lasting and I seldom bother to look under it. When I
have looked under it, the soil is moist but probably from the runoff of
water underground from surrounding vegetable beds.

If I punched holes with a pitchfork it seems to me that
the paper would shred and blow away.

Why would punching holes int he paper do anything except make holes.
Surely you wouldn't lay the newpaper without planning to lay something over
the top of it to stop it blowing away anyway??????????

Punching holes will not by itself cause the paper to do anything except sit
there with holes in it. Wind causes paper to blow away and that will happen
if it is hole punched or not hole punched and it will certainly happen if no
mulch is applied. If you mulch the paper then it won't blow away or shred
until the mulch itself is either moved, rots or is blown away. Your muclh
on top of the paper is almost as important as the barrier you plan to create
with the newpaper. All the newspaper has to do is to exclude light for long
enough for the weeds or weed seeds below to give up the ghost.