How to Plant Flowers Using Weed-Control Paper

Installing Paper

• Garden soil requires preparation before you lay the paper. Add compost, fertilizers and other soil amendments to the soil and till them into the top six inches of the ground. Although fertilizer requirements depend on your soil and the types of flowers, applying a two-inch layer of compost and 1 pound of 5-10-5 fertilizer per 50 square feet is usually sufficient for most annuals. Water the soil until it's evenly moist after amending, then lay the paper on top of the soil. Press on the paper lightly so it's in full contact with the soil. Overlap the edges of the paper by three to six inches so weeds can't invade between the seams.

Planting

• Heavy weed paper doesn't tear easily, but you can further prevent rips by laying it in sections if you are planting a large bed. Lay and plant a section before moving on to the next to minimize walking and kneeling on the paper. Arrange the potted transplants on top of the paper, spacing them appropriately for their expected mature size. Generally, place taller plants near the rear or center of the bed, and shorter plants around the outer perimeter. For each plant, cut an X-shaped slit in the paper and fold the edges of the slit under. You can then plant the flowers through the hole created in the paper, planting at the same depth at which they were growing in their nursery pots.

Top Mulch

• A thin layer of a top mulch serves two main purposes: It helps protect the paper from breaking down prematurely, and it improves the appearance of the bed. A top mulch also provides a layer of insulation that helps maintain soil warmth when you plant early in the season. Shredded bark and pine straw supply an organic option that degrades slower than the paper, but you can still till these mulches into the soil at the end of the year. Apply a thin, one-inch layer of the top mulch, or just enough to camouflage the paper.

Care Tips

• Flowers growing in a paper mulched bed require the same care as those in other garden beds. Provide most annual flowers with one to two inches of water weekly, or enough to keep the top six inches of soil moist. If you fertilize throughout the growing season, use a soluble fertilizer instead of granules. Granules can't permeate the paper to get into the soil, while soluble fertilizers in water can soak through. Till the paper and top mulch into the top eight to 10 inches of soil in fall after the flowers die. The remaining mulch will finish decomposing over winter so you can reapply it and replant in spring.