I have decided to make the garden a bit bigger this Fall by starting sheet mulching over the lawn:
http://www.agroforestry.net/pubs/Sheet_Mulching.htmlfirst a sprinkling of lime to reduce acidity of the soil, cover the area with cardboard, wet the cardboard well, cover with compost and kitchen scraps. That's what I did today - tomorrow I'll cover the area with sea soil
http://www.seasoil.com/ and leaf mulch, then on the weekend I'm heading to the beach to get some seaweed. Over the Winter we'll pile our kitchen scraps and any vegetation from the garden.
Sheet mulching reduces the need for rototilling in the Spring, which destroys the integrity of the soil and pollutes the air.
I'm really looking forward to the extra space to plant shelling beans, quinoa, and some other crops needing room. I'm looking at getting seeds from Salt Spring Seed company, as I've head great success with their Kidney bean seeds.
http://www.saltspringseeds.com/
While digging out the compost, I remembered to save a big bucket full of the black gold for when I plant the garlic - garlic likes a handful of compost for good measure. I also was very happy to see a healthy group of red wriggler worms in the bin! they went onto the new garden-to-be, too. I hope they like their new home.
I have decided to make the garden a bit bigger this Fall by starting sheet mulching over the lawn: http://www.agroforestry.net/pubs/Sheet_Mulching.htmlfirst a sprinkling of lime to reduce acidity of the soil, cover the area with cardboard, wet the cardboard well, cover with compost and kitchen scraps. That's what I did today - tomorrow I'll cover the area with sea soil http://www.seasoil.com/ and leaf mulch, then on the weekend I'm heading to the beach to get some seaweed. Over the Winter we'll pile our kitchen scraps and any vegetation from the garden.
Sheet mulching reduces the need for rototilling in the Spring, which destroys the integrity of the soil and pollutes the air.
I'm really looking forward to the extra space to plant shelling beans, quinoa, and some other crops needing room. I'm looking at getting seeds from Salt Spring Seed company, as I've head great success with their Kidney bean seeds.http://www.saltspringseeds.com/
While digging out the compost, I remembered to save a big bucket full of the black gold for when I plant the garlic - garlic likes a handful of compost for good measure. I also was very happy to see a healthy group of red wriggler worms in the bin! they went onto the new garden-to-be, too. I hope they like their new home.
Wow, such a simple and efficient way to start a plot ! Plus, that sea soil seems an excellent product. Rather expensive, I imagine. Are you doing bags or bulk ?
ReplyDeleteAh, the benefits of living close to the sea, free seaweed ! Lucky. What a nutrient rich plot you are concocting, there. Fab !
ps. Just so you know, many of your links have an extra 'http//' in them and do not link properly. :)
Ambitious project! We did the sheet mulching thing with thick layers of newspapers (soaked with a hose after we laid them down...) followed by layers of compost, vermiculite, peat moss, etc. over the top. It's a great system! Can't wait to see the photos of what you grow in the new bed...
ReplyDeleteI am using bulk sea soil, which I have access to from a wholesaler ( a friend in the gardening business)
ReplyDeleteand thank you for noticing the double http's :-) I think it has been remedied.
happy gardening!