First, mark out the area you want to convert to a garden.

Use only the recyclable portions of the newspaper and not any of the shiny sections. Soak the newspapers in water-this helps them stay in place-and lay them on the ground, overlapping the edges approximately 3 inches [1]. Use at least 5-10 layers of paper in order to prevent any light reaching the plants. For particularly tough vegetation you may need as many as 30 layers.

Next cover the wet newspapers with a 6-10 inch layer of leaves [2] and water them so they won’t blow away. In addition you could provide some added weight to the leaves, such as light fencing or evergreen boughs from a recent pruning job. The leaves keep the newspapers from looking too unsightly and also aid in the decomposition process.

In the late spring, till [3] the area turning under the decomposed paper and leaves.