Don't throw it out — here's how your old newspaper can stop weeds growing in your yard

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Read all about this weed suppressant

Stack of old newspapers on a forest floor
(Image credit: Getty Images)

No matter what you do in your yard to prevent them, those ugly weeds have a habit of rearing their heads as soon as you turn your back. Even if my backyard was filled to the brim with planting, I know they’d still creep in at the mere hint of a chance to torment me.

However, there’s a weed hack which won’t cost you a dime, as long as you rely on a morning newspaper to read your news. For those of you who turn to your phones for the latest updates, aluminum and glass won't have the same effect.

And she describes using newspaper as a “simple, cheap and perfectly safe solution” to get rid of weeds.

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How to use newspaper as a weed suppressant

However, before you start, discard any newspaper pages with glossy pages. They will take longer to break down than uncoated newspaper and the inks may cause harm.

1. Soak your newspapers thoroughly with water to prevent them from blowing away.

2. Overlap your layers about six inches, ensuring there’s no gaps for weeds to sneak through. Use about 6-8 sheets at a time. The thicker the layer of newspaper, the better weed control you’ll get.

3. Give the layers of newspaper another soaking.

4. Cover up the newspapers with leaves, grass clippings, or bark, as it disguises the newspapers, helps keep them in place, and acts as a mulch.

Grampa's Weeder
Grampa's Weeder: at Amazon

This weeding tool isn't cheap, but it saves you from having to bend down to dig up weeds from your yard. And it worked very well in our testing. The 4-claw design can get rid of weeds easily on soft soil.

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How does newspaper work to stop weeds?

A gloved hand removing a weed from the soil

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Bennett compares using newspaper to laying down black landscape fabric, but unlike the fabric, used newspaper won’t cost you a dime.

“Newspaper won’t let the sunlight shine through to the weeds waiting to emerge,” she says. Unlike plastic barriers, which can overheat, newspaper still allows air and water to seep through.

The newspaper also helps retain soil moisture, reducing evaporation (a must-have during high temperatures), and it helps manage the soil’s temperature, keeping it cooler in summer and warmer in winter, while adding organic matter as it decomposes.

And she adds, apart from suppressing weeds, “Newspapers also encourage earthworm activity, which will eventually break down the material, turning your present soil into better soil.”

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Camilla Sharman
Camilla Sharman
Staff Writer, Homes

Camilla is the Homes Staff Writer and covers everything to do with homes and gardens. She has a wealth of editorial experience, mounting over 30 years, and covers news and features, tests products for reviews and compiles buying guides. 


Her work has appeared in business and consumer titles, including Ideal Home, Real Homes, House Beautiful, Homebuilding & Renovation, and Kitchen & Bathroom Business. She’s even appeared on the cover of Your Home, writing about her own house renovation.


Although she’s obsessed with decorating her home, she also enjoys baking and trying out the latest kitchen appliances. But when she’s not inside, you’ll find her pottering about in her yard, tending to her vegetable patch or taking in her prized hydrangeas.

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