Mulch an important tool in any garden.(Daily Press)

Forget using newspaper to line the bottom of your birdcage. Instead, use papers to mulch your garden.

Put down four or five layers of newsprint around your plants and watch weeds bite the dust.

To keep the paper from flying through your garden during March winds, anchor it down with a few shovels of soil or a thin layer of hardwood mulch.

Newspaper mulch works in vegetable and flower gardens. Avoid the slick, glossy pages of any paper product because inks could contain heavy metals, according to extension services.

Mulch _ newspaper or shredded bark _ is an important tool in any garden. In addition to deterring weeds, it conserves moisture, protects roots from fluctuations in soil …