Vegetable Growing

[edcrain]

No Dig Garden

First sketch a plan of your proposed garden,you will need at least three sections if possible.

Make them approximately 4ft.wide. using timber,bricks, pavers or specially designed edging at least 8" high,

make your borders(one at atime if you wish) fill with compost, straw,or stable manure(with straw etc.)

And a good sprinkling of Lime and Blood and Bone,at least one week before planting.

(stable manure mixed with wood shavings should be left for at least six weeks).

You do not dig this(except to recover underground crops such as potatoes)

just add more material after harvest is finished. Rotate crops to avoid build up of disease.

Copyright © 2000 - 2012 All Rights Reserved Ed Crain.

NOTE:- Kimmy will be posting more of these from my site with my permission.

[Songster]

Thanks ED! This seems like it could be a good idea! I have a couple questions though.... Do the borders need to be of a specific height? How deep do you pile the compost, soil, and manure (4", 6", 8"?) And if you are just applying manure etc. on top of the ground inside the borders, what keep the existing plants currently occupying the area (grass, weeds, etc.) from just popping through (but even healthier than before)? And would you mind sharing your site so I can browse through it?

Edited June 15, 2012 by Songster

[edcrain]

Thanks ED! This seems like it could be a good idea! I have a couple questions though.... Do the borders need to be of a specific height? How deep do you pile the compost, soil, and manure (4", 6", 8"?) And if you are just applying manure etc. on top of the ground inside the borders, what keep the existing plants currently occupying the area (grass, weeds, etc.) from just popping through (but even healthier than before)? And would you mind sharing your site so I can browse through it?

If You think this may be a problem line with several layers of newspaper first.It will break down into the garden.

or if You really want to be sure cover with clear plastic, sealed down with soil or wood.

it will kill everything with the heat.

As for depth, it also depends on the root system of what You are growing.

ie. if the roots are shallow less depth will be needed.

Remember the material will break down and have less depth, unless You keep adding.

http://www.edcrain.net/index6.html

[Bluecat]

How do you get started if your garden plot is already full of thistles, goldenrod and couch grass?

The end of our allotment has been covered for several years with heavy black 'weed deterrent' cloth - but the soil is still full of couch grass roots just waiting their chance.

[Kingfisher]

Leave the landscaping fabric in place. It will allow water to drain while still preventing the weeds from growing through. In the case of a small, raised plant bed it's probably preferable to the plastic sheeting suggested. Since plastic isn't breathable and can also potentially cause overheating problems it would be better suited if you were trying to prevent all plant growth, such as installing a stone walkway. Either way you'll still need to tend the plot to address wind/critter deposited seeds. You can't prevent weeds without destroying the environment for the plants you do want, but this can help stop any existing root systems from growing through the garden.

[edcrain]

Leave the landscaping fabric in place. It will allow water to drain while still preventing the weeds from growing through. In the case of a small, raised plant bed it's probably preferable to the plastic sheeting suggested. Since plastic isn't breathable and can also potentially cause overheating problems it would be better suited if you were trying to prevent all plant growth, such as installing a stone walkway. Either way you'll still need to tend the plot to address wind/critter deposited seeds. You can't prevent weeds without destroying the environment for the plants you do want, but this can help stop any existing root systems from growing through the garden.

The plastic is to be removed before making the garden,

Sorry I mwasnt clear on that.

[Kingfisher]

The plastic is to be removed before making the garden,

Sorry I mwasnt clear on that.

Ya, plastic will kill whatever is under it but it can also create major problems for anything trying to grow on top of it. Ordinarily I wouldn't build on top of fabric either, it's great for isolating plants in a bed but not so much where the whole space will be utilized. (Incidentally, mulch is frequently just a cosmetic application to hide the fabric and I really hate those "pretty" dyed and/or chemically treated bark chips... we're too often obsessed with what looks good rather than what does good.) Ideally you'd want to till out the weed roots to allow the garden to grow deeper instead of trying to spread out (I started a couple new plots this year and had to do 'em three or four times before they stopped trying to grow.. not an easy job), but for a no-dig garden you may find aggressive, established plants pushing through faster than the veggies can take over. The additional layer of soil/compost may well serve the same purpose and prevent the weeds from dominating without it, but you won't have as much trouble with drainage, heating or mold growth with landscape fabric as with an impermeable membrane and if it's already there because of a previous problem I'd just leave it in place. It'll eventually decompose and if the crops are struggling too much you can either rip it up the next time so they can access more resources or plant fewer/expand the bed to reduce the competition. Plastic sheeting I would definitely take up though.

[Youch]

No Dig Garden

First sketch a plan of your proposed garden,you will need at least three sections if possible.

Make them approximately 4ft.wide. using timber,bricks, pavers or specially designed edging at least 8" high,

make your borders(one at atime if you wish) fill with compost, straw,or stable manure(with straw etc.)

And a good sprinkling of Lime and Blood and Bone,at least one week before planting.

(stable manure mixed with wood shavings should be left for at least six weeks).

You do not dig this(except to recover underground crops such as potatoes)

just add more material after harvest is finished. Rotate crops to avoid build up of disease.

Copyright © 2000 - 2012 All Rights Reserved Ed Crain.

NOTE:- Kimmy will be posting more of these from my site with my permission.

Excellent. I am not so fortunate to have "lime, blood and bone" but I do always provide a fish 6" under every plant. This year, however, in the Pacific North West, we've not yet had the sun and warmth to facilitate much of a crop of much of anything......oh well, comes with the territory from time to time...

[Kimmy]

Thank you so much, Ed!

(I haven't posted anything yet because I'm still clearing out my mom's basement (*sob*) but I had a peek at some of the information and am excited to start a garden with the little man. I'm thinking we'll go a little easy our first run and do some garlic and greens.)

[Dorian Gray]

A friend of mine sent me this a while ago and swears by it for areas with little good soil and where digging isnt ok.

https://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/store/strawbales.php

[Rev. Dreed]

thus far we have harveste green beans, tomato's onions, and squash this season. i plant about a half acre garden each year.

[Songster]

A friend of mine sent me this a while ago and swears by it for areas with little good soil and where digging isnt ok.

https://www.nicholsg.../strawbales.php

I love this idea!!

I liked the no dig garden 'cause I'm basically lazy, this way I wouldn't have to bend, squat, and crawl either! I'm definately going to give this a shot next year.