Mulching your Garden with Newspaper and Cocoa

[tucsonpersonified]

I would mulch her garden and eat her fruit!!

[ccs2828lily]

your awesome girl keep growin !!!! :)

[yashamill]

Patti... better avoid using newspaper, the chemicals from the paint and the chemicals used in the paper manufacturing itself are "bad news". To create a layer that will prevent the weeds from growing "might be" useful, but one can use natural material instead. The mulch from dry grass or other plants is great, but the newspaper... I would never do it.

Just a thought. Keep up the good work.

[hunkydaboyz]

are you single ??? and what are you doing saturday night ??

[tuckersturkeyfarm]

I have read that dogs and cats are eating cocoa mulch and getting sick or even dying from it. if you have pets, don't use it

[InitiateZ]

cocoa mulch is poisonous to pets.........check it out.....some garden centers won't sell it anymore

[binashraf]

can you still water them properly with that newspaper on the soil?

[jhawkridge]

@gunsmithgirl - we were on the same wavelength!

[jhawkridge]

Cocoa is toxic to dogs, better to use some of the other materials suggested here. Straw keeps moisture in and weeds down, and is renewable and local almost everywhere. Also the light color reflects sunlight up to the plants to give a little extra exposure. It also breaks down and adds organic matter to your soil and can be tilled into the soil before the next planting season.

[gunsmithgirl]

Patty, Cocoa is poisonous to dogs there were several dogs who died last summer and even involved a lawsuit with home depot over dog eating cocoa mulch. Please include a warning in your videos when using it.

[juniornutshell]

so much more pleasant than those sinus clogged dweebs in cargo shorts that present these videos.

[Dule71]

your very pretty and informative, thanks for the ideas and taking time to show people ur videos.

[telemarker77]

cedar is a good cheap mulch depending on where you live, coco shells come a long way to the USA/Europe and are quite expensive. use what is cheap and organic near you. maybe it is cheap steer manure, horse manure, redwood chips (north ca), cedar chips (the south), grass. the best mulch is organic and free. Who reads newspapers, all lies. i do shred my brown cardboard for mulch but I compost it.

[btigtime2]

Here do I get Coco Shells... I have been using spainish ceder thinking it smelled good.... but I can only think how good coco shells must smell...

[aphilbeck8]

I use Carboard Boxes and the put fresh bails of straw down. I have an acre vegetable garden and its WEED FREE!

[kokonutbaby1]

Hi Patti, try using a shredder for all your papers and collect them for your garden mulching..I keep mine bagged up and its useful to get my fire started in my fireplace too faster than kindling. Anyway, a handful of shredded paper is easier than sitting there shredding by hand.

[MatuArt]

Soy Cocola!

[Betty42560]

The ink in most newspapers (even the colored ink) is now a soy based ink and safe. You can phone your local paper to double check. What you need to watch for is the "shiny" paper. The inks used in that process can and do often contain heavy metals which are the problem.

[dogpup23]

wouldnt the ink from the news paper go into the dirt in the garden?

[rtbo12]

Newspaper ink is non toxic...from the sources that I've read. I've never herard anyone say anything different and I've used this method for the last three years with great effect.

[EbolaV1rus]

Great video! Newspaper is a magnet for worms, they just love it. The more worms you have the better the soil! I don't really see a dog going in there and eating the cocoa shells, dogs prefer meat to eat. If a dog went and ate those shells I would be more concerned about the care the dog was receiving as far as a proper diet/getting enough food. Also in order for a dog to be poisoned by chocolate, they have to consume a HUGE amount of it. Chocolate, which this is not. It's simply the shells.

[whereismymind87]

yeah, and it kills dogs. fuck you.

[yogashmoga]

I, too, LOVE the smell and results of cocoa shells...but I have trouble keeping my four-year-old boxer from eating them!! those and my unripe romas :(

[Storguido]

Mm, sounds just like my kind of gardening! Since I live in Sweden I'm pretty certain I can't buy cocoa shells here :( A long time chocoholic I take care to buy fair trade chocolate, but are there any fair trade shells available?

[lossunbearable]

I've been told that once wet, cocoa mulch takes on a sewage smell... what is your experience?

[GardenGirltv]

Not at all. After a few weeks it starts to decompose and loses its chocolate smell.

[wgseagal]

We can call her The Beautiful garden girl lol

[SinfonianBarelytone]

Never seen cocoa shells for sale. Better check the nursery. I like the newspaper idea also, but with SFG I don't actually have that much space between my plants. Also, not using native soil keeps the weeds down to those that blow in. And daily waterings and tours allow me to spot them when the're not much bigger than grains of rice. Easy to pull. I pull about 2 a week I'd say. Great idea though. Love your videos, keep them coming!

[bekibooo]

You always have one of a kind ideas! Can't go wrong with your advice. Very inspirational :) Good Luck.

[LucieLettuce]

Just remember not to use cocoashells if animals can access your garden because the theobromine in cocoa shells will kill your dog if swallowed. The dogs are attracted to the smell. It will also poison cats.

I like the newspaper idea.

[GardenGirltv]

I have never had a problem with dogs, cats or livestock eating the cocoa. But keep your eyes on it.

[wgseagal]

i wonder does the ink on newspaper seep into soil and is it affecting the plants does anyone know the answer too that question

[GardenGirltv]

Probably, but my understanding is the black inks are fine, the color is a problem.

[wgseagal]

Thank you

[vudumojo]

what a sweetie

[DaniellaNicoleK]

I am so glad to see more videos being posted! Great tips - I can't wait to try them out. Thanks, GardenGirl - You rock!

[HTCSWEOD]

F a n t a b u l o u s.... I think I can smell the shells!