|
fiber vs Newspaper
Why should newspaper be better than fiber under mulch. Another thing is
newspaper better with stone on it too? |
fiber vs Newspaper
On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 23:48:21 -0500, "Romy Beeck"
wrote: Why should newspaper be better than fiber under mulch. Another thing is newspaper better with stone on it too? After a few years the plastic fiber stuff breaks into pieces that become a scattered mess. Newspaper breaks down much better. From a recycle standpoint, newspaper is the select choice. No matter what you use, seeds will eventually germinate. |
fiber vs Newspaper
Phisherman wrote:
Romy Beeck wrote: Why should newspaper be better than fiber under mulch. Another thing is newspaper better with stone on it too? After a few years the plastic fiber stuff breaks into pieces that become a scattered mess. Newspaper breaks down much better. From a recycle standpoint, newspaper is the select choice. No matter what you use, seeds will eventually germinate. Try this. Hold a piece of typical landscaping fabric up to the sun, and look at it. You can see some light coming through. Not a lot, but you know the sun is up there. Now hold 8 layers of newspaper up. You can't see any light coming through. Water will take a little longer to penetrate the newspaper than the fabric, but while it's penetrating, it's soaking through, so you can place either over the root zone of trees or shrubs. But it's that lack of light that will keep most seeds from germinating. Also, if the layers of mulch on top of the sheets is thin, thin black landscape fabric will contribute to a warming of the soil. 8-layers of mostly white newspaper (a typical page has much less than 20% coverage with ink) will provide more thermal insulation as well, which reduces the number of seeds that would germinate even if there was light, while the landscape fabric will warm the soil sooner in the spring, and keep it warmer into the fall. (Of course if you put enough mulch on top, this difference is less pronounced. While there can be *some* germination under 8-layers of newspaper, there will be *less* germination than under typical landscape fabric when used under the same conditions. -- Warren H. ========== Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife. Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants to go outside now. Blatant Plug: Books for the Pacific Northwest gardener: http://www.holzemville.com/mall/nwgardener/index.html |
fiber vs Newspaper
On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 16:54:41 GMT, "Warren" wrote:
snip While there can be *some* germination under 8-layers of newspaper, there will be *less* germination than under typical landscape fabric when used under the same conditions. Hello, You had some interesting points but I wonder about one of them. I start my garden seeds in a plastic box, with a lid, on the top of my fridge in the kitchen. They all start growing just fine. Actually a little faster than I'd like. Sprouts are grown out of the sun. They are placed in the sun before eaten to let the plant product chlorophyll and give them some color. I was under the impression seeds didn't need sunlight to germate. Steve My real email address is dealsgalore[A-T]earthlink.net www.cheap-land.com |
fiber vs Newspaper
I was under the impression seeds didn't need sunlight to germate.
Steve Some seeds do need light* to germinate: begonia, columbine,snapdragon, petunia, impatiens, sweet alyssum are some of them * (not necessarily direct SUN light) Emilie NorCal |
fiber vs Newspaper
On 22 Jul 2004 02:35:53 GMT, (MLEBLANCA) wrote:
I was under the impression seeds didn't need sunlight to germate. Steve Some seeds do need light* to germinate: begonia, columbine,snapdragon, petunia, impatiens, sweet alyssum are some of them * (not necessarily direct SUN light) Emilie NorCal Thank you very much. Now if any of my seeds don't germinate, I'll know why. ;-) Steve My real email address is dealsgalore[A-T]earthlink.net www.cheap-land.com |
fiber vs Newspaper
On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 16:54:41 GMT, "Warren" wrote:
snip While there can be *some* germination under 8-layers of newspaper, there will be *less* germination than under typical landscape fabric when used under the same conditions. Hello, You had some interesting points but I wonder about one of them. I start my garden seeds in a plastic box, with a lid, on the top of my fridge in the kitchen. They all start growing just fine. Actually a little faster than I'd like. Sprouts are grown out of the sun. They are placed in the sun before eaten to let the plant product chlorophyll and give them some color. I was under the impression seeds didn't need sunlight to germate. Steve My real email address is dealsgalore[A-T]earthlink.net www.cheap-land.com |
fiber vs Newspaper
Phisherman wrote:
Romy Beeck wrote: Why should newspaper be better than fiber under mulch. Another thing is newspaper better with stone on it too? After a few years the plastic fiber stuff breaks into pieces that become a scattered mess. Newspaper breaks down much better. From a recycle standpoint, newspaper is the select choice. No matter what you use, seeds will eventually germinate. Try this. Hold a piece of typical landscaping fabric up to the sun, and look at it. You can see some light coming through. Not a lot, but you know the sun is up there. Now hold 8 layers of newspaper up. You can't see any light coming through. Water will take a little longer to penetrate the newspaper than the fabric, but while it's penetrating, it's soaking through, so you can place either over the root zone of trees or shrubs. But it's that lack of light that will keep most seeds from germinating. Also, if the layers of mulch on top of the sheets is thin, thin black landscape fabric will contribute to a warming of the soil. 8-layers of mostly white newspaper (a typical page has much less than 20% coverage with ink) will provide more thermal insulation as well, which reduces the number of seeds that would germinate even if there was light, while the landscape fabric will warm the soil sooner in the spring, and keep it warmer into the fall. (Of course if you put enough mulch on top, this difference is less pronounced. While there can be *some* germination under 8-layers of newspaper, there will be *less* germination than under typical landscape fabric when used under the same conditions. -- Warren H. ========== Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife. Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants to go outside now. Blatant Plug: Books for the Pacific Northwest gardener: http://www.holzemville.com/mall/nwgardener/index.html |
fiber vs Newspaper
On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 16:54:41 GMT, "Warren" wrote:
snip While there can be *some* germination under 8-layers of newspaper, there will be *less* germination than under typical landscape fabric when used under the same conditions. Hello, You had some interesting points but I wonder about one of them. I start my garden seeds in a plastic box, with a lid, on the top of my fridge in the kitchen. They all start growing just fine. Actually a little faster than I'd like. Sprouts are grown out of the sun. They are placed in the sun before eaten to let the plant product chlorophyll and give them some color. I was under the impression seeds didn't need sunlight to germate. Steve My real email address is dealsgalore[A-T]earthlink.net www.cheap-land.com |
fiber vs Newspaper
On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 23:48:21 -0500, "Romy Beeck"
wrote: Why should newspaper be better than fiber under mulch. Another thing is newspaper better with stone on it too? After a few years the plastic fiber stuff breaks into pieces that become a scattered mess. Newspaper breaks down much better. From a recycle standpoint, newspaper is the select choice. No matter what you use, seeds will eventually germinate. |
fiber vs Newspaper
I was under the impression seeds didn't need sunlight to germate.
Steve Some seeds do need light* to germinate: begonia, columbine,snapdragon, petunia, impatiens, sweet alyssum are some of them * (not necessarily direct SUN light) Emilie NorCal |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 05:06 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
GardenBanter