Look what I got for $20............

TerraCayda · #1

20250108_142941.jpg

An office nearby was closing/moving, and they posted two paper shredders on Facebook. I contemplated between the crosscut (12 sheets) or microcut (18 sheets), but I went for the microcut to shred cardboard for the compost. I kept a ton of moving boxes in the shed, hoping to use them in the yard. I don't have trees that shed broad leaves, no wood chipper, so shredded cardboard sounded right for the "brown" part to be mixed with the very little kitchen scrap in the compost bin. I'm testing straw mulch for herbicide with peas. If the straw fails, I can just mix shredded cardboard with soil to retain water

.

I'm pretty impressed by this shredder. Glad I went for the 18 sheets. Not sure how long this thing will keep working, but it was $20!

MissS · #2

That was a nice find.

I have used plenty of cardboard in my gardens and the worms and ground bugs love it. While I have never gone to lengths to shred it, it does a great job at holding moisture and suppressing weeds. I use in on my garden paths and then also in my garden beds. I will just cut a hole in it and place my starts in the hold and then cover the cardboard with a light mulch to prevent the cardboard from blowing around.

Let us know how it works for you.

zeuspaul · #3

It should be fine as a mulch. However if digging it in it will rob some nitrogen. Add some extra nitrogen to compensate.

TerraCayda · #4

We have monsoons with scary powerful winds in the summer. So if I use this for mulch, it'll have to be beneath the surface. Keeping my fingers crossed to use straw for mulching.
I wish I had more greens to toss in the compost bin! My kitchen scrap is very little (dawg eats watermelon rind, cuc tops, or just about anything), and the yard has nothing but gravel at the new house

. I'm testing the bale of straw and horse manure for herbicide.

zeuspaul wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 12:53 pm It should be fine as a mulch. However if digging it in it will rob some nitrogen. Add some extra nitrogen to compensate.

TerraCayda · #5

I sort of cut up cardboard last year, maybe 4x4, hoping it'll hold moisture. Those pieces are still very much intact and dry

. Holes for starts is a good idea! I can bury the soaker hose and soil/mulch/bricks on top to hold down the cardboard.

MissS wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 8:57 am That was a nice find.

I have used plenty of cardboard in my gardens and the worms and ground bugs love it. While I have never gone to lengths to shred it, it does a great job at holding moisture and suppressing weeds. I use in on my garden paths and then also in my garden beds. I will just cut a hole in it and place my starts in the hold and then cover the cardboard with a light mulch to prevent the cardboard from blowing around.

Let us know how it works for you.

GoDawgs · #6

You can really bulk up your brown element for composting now! Great find! There's lots of cardboard out there free for the asking and hauling off.

Local groceries usually get shipments in once a week. Check with your local grocery manager and ask about getting cardboard boxes from them after shelves are stocked. That's where I get mine for covering the watermelon bed and covering the ground under wooden pallets that I sit pots on. The manager is glad to get rid of them. You need to specify what you can use though. The boxes that holds the frozen stuff are the best as they're more thick. The boxes that packs of toilet paper, paper towels etc are thinner but larger. The boxes that are a waste of time are the small ones, like those holding small stuff like tomato paste, sardines, etc.

One other source is the local liquor store. They also usually get weekly deliveries and are glad to get rid of their empty liquor boxes and beer flats.