How to Make Shredded Newspaper & Grass Seed Mix
Mixing grass seed with shredded newspaper and other ingredients can really help grass seed thrive long-term. A wet mixture like this is sometimes called hydroseed, and you can mix in not only seed and the paper, which serves as a kind of mulch, but also fertilizer and nutrients to help the seed grow. The increased stickiness of the mixture also makes it much easier to spread on slopes or uneven ground than dry grass seed alone.
Shred the paper you want to use. This can be old newspapers, old office papers or anything else that is not glossy or colored. Be sure it is shredded up finely and there are no stickers, staples or anything non-organic in the paper mix.
Mix 3 cups of water with 2 cups of flour in a large bowl, forming a thick liquid. Pour this into the bucket.
- Mixing grass seed with shredded newspaper and other ingredients can really help grass seed thrive long-term.
- A wet mixture like this is sometimes called hydroseed, and you can mix in not only seed and the paper, which serves as a kind of mulch, but also fertilizer and nutrients to help the seed grow.
Add the shredded paper to the bucket and stir, coating the paper with the flour-water mixture and creating a sticky mass of wet paper shreds.
Add 1 tablespoon of organic fertilizer—this can be wet or dry—and 1 tablespoon of grass seed. Mix well, so that the seed ends up spread across the area evenly when you apply the mixture.
Apply the mixture to the area you want to seed in a layer about a half-inch thick. If this amount is not sufficient to cover the area you need, multiply the amounts proportionally, or repeat the process several times if that is more convenient for you.
Tip
You can add another tablespoon of seed if you have plenty and want to be sure of lush sprouting in small areas. These amounts are meant for large areas of grass seeding. You also can add more or different types of fertilizer if desired, depending on your local soil and growing season.
References
Tips
- You can add another tablespoon of seed if you have plenty and want to be sure of lush sprouting in small areas. These amounts are meant for large areas of grass seeding. You also can add more or different types of fertilizer if desired, depending on your local soil and growing season.
Writer Bio
Kim Hoyum is a Michigan-based freelance writer. She has been a proofreader, writer, reporter and editor at monthly, weekly and daily publications for five years. She has a Bachelor of Science in writing and minor in journalism from Northern Michigan University.