permaculture

[Paula Stillman <SECPJS@grpwise.latrobe.edu.au>]

Hi growers:
Some months ago I wrote asking if anyone had experience with using
shredded office paper in the garden.   The replies were divided.   So I
have used it in several ways and thought you might like to know the
results.   It has not been very successful in the compost, neither an open
stack nor the enclosed bins.   Perhaps I made the layer too thick.   Next
time I might attempt mixing it with the straw or grass layer.   What I found
with my first efforts was that it packed down into a thick impermeable
layer and did not get broken down at the same rate, or even stopped the
breaking down of the layers above.
However, it has been quite successful as a weed suppressent and was
particularly successful under the strawberry plants.   The slugs and
snails seemed to be deterred to some extent.
The next experiement will be to use it instead of straw to build up around
potatoes.
Those of you living in the country probably find this all quite irrelevant,
but as I'm an urbanite and work in an office also, I'm surrounded by the
stuff and hate to see a free source of compostable material going to
waste!
Keep happy folks.    Paula