Boxes and Paper for Mulch

[Teeder]

At my business, we receive alot of boxes. I've thought about tearing them down and putting them around my trees for mulch. Also, I've been saving shredder paper for this. Anyone doing this? Do you see any potential issues? I don't keep or shred anything with lots of ink, BTW.
Thanks

 

[TheGroveEstate]

At my business, we receive alot of boxes. I've thought about tearing them down and putting them around my trees for mulch. Also, I've been saving shredder paper for this. Anyone doing this? Do you see any potential issues? I don't keep or shred anything with lots of ink, BTW.
Thanks

I used cardboard sheets under my mulch at my old house which already had established plants. It worked really well at suppressing weed growth from the soil. It slowly breaks down overtime. Avoid leaving any packaging tape as that’s not good for the earth. I’m not sure how it would do on new plantings or for seedlings…I think it has its place in the landscape/garden. Sometimes it can be more of a hassle than it’s worth.

 

[OakSeeds]

It will suppress the growth of weeds and other plants; however like most things, it has its limitations. Here from the naysayers.
The Use of newspaper and cardboard as mulch .....
https://s3.wp.wsu.edu › 2015/03 › newspaper-mulch
Another from those who see greater limitations from cardboard; the termite issue is interesting ... if carpenter ants were a problem, I'd probably not use it.

https://gardenprofessors.com/why-i-dont-like-cardboard-mulch/​

Positive view with tips about using cardboard .... https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=5160

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I frequently use cardboard around young fruit trees and I haven't noticed any issues with it. It usually only lasts a year or two at the most, but that's better than nothing. Just make sure the tree trunks are protected with aluminum screen since I could see rodents hiding under the cardboard.

 

[Telemark]

I use both. Most of the shredded paper goes into a compost bin with lawn clippings and other yard and garden waste. I use the Berkeley method for compost, and it's ready in a few weeks. The compost is great for vegeta les as well as trees/shrubs.

The cardboard I put around the tree with wood chips on top. I usually sprinkle lime and fertilizer once or twice a year around my trees and shrubs, because my soil is poor quality.

I use all this stuff because it's free, and it's environmentally friendly. So far it works very well, but it does require a fair bit of work. I pull tape and staples from the cardboard, and I don't use glossy paper. I do most of the work in the winter, so it's actually fine for me to have something to do. I grab a beer and put on a podcast and cut up cardboard or shred paper for an hour or so.

 

[bigboreblr]

Used it on my spruce trees last year. The crows would gang up on my trees. One would life the cardboard, the other pick the bugs out. Ended up pulling what was left of the cardboard out.

IF you use it, make sure you have it covered well with mulch. Definitely a good weed prep for fall planting. Cover a spot with cardbard and the weeds die.