Cardboard vs. Newspaper

Mulching is a great way to help keep moisture in our sandy Southern soil during hot seasons (ok, ok, all year long). It also reduces the number of weeds in your garden where the compete with your plants for water and nutrients. In that vein, we've been trying both cardboard and newspaper in our garden as mulch.

So far, the cardboard totally wins. It's thicker, so weeds can't break through it. It's also heavier, which helps keep it in place while competing with our constant coastal winds. [Even so, we still have rocks placed on top of each sheet of cardboard to help hold it down.] Cardboard is also nice because it is more or less a uniformed brown color, so you can use it in the front yard as well. Because cardboard goes down in large slabs and stays most intact, it is easier than newspaper to deal with when you change out crops between seasons. You have the options of either removing the cardboard (and re-laying it after you've planted your next batch of seeds) or turning it under into the soil to compost.

If you're going to use newspaper though, make sure you use whole sections at a time, so that it is plenty thick. A thin one- or two-ply distribution of newspaper mulch actually just makes my weeds happier. "Thank you," they say, reaching heavenward, "for helping us grow by shielding us from the harsh Southern sun." I don't like my weeds being thankful.

One caution about using any mulch: I've found that having the cardboard down makes me subconsciously think it's ok to step on my garden bed. You'll compact the soil, regardless of whether or not you can see the soil. Be careful!

Mulching

Mulching your flowerbeds or gardens is an excellent way to combat some of Florida's gardening challenges. Thick mulching blocks out the sun, deterring weed growth. It also helps keep moisture down in the soil, which is important on hot summer days.

I've been experimenting with mulching lately, with the added twist of combining it with recycling and reuse. Half of my (backyard) vegetable garden is now covered with newsprint (actually crossword puzzles, which adds a bit of whimsy to the aesthetic); the other half supports a thick blanket of cardboard. It's now a competition to see which does better at keeping weeds, pests, and diseases at bay.

Newsprint -
Pros: Easy to shape and handle.
Cons: Flies away when faced with the quick coastal winds, even when I wet the paper and anchor it with stones.

Cardboard -
Pros: Thicker, which will probably be more successful at keeping weeds down. Also, because it is so thick, you will likely need only one layer. Most importantly, it is difficult to recycle cardboard in many suburban municipalities (including this one), so using it as mulch provides a much needed, easy outlet for its reuse.
Cons: Difficult to cut and shape.