Continuing our series on regenerative organic gardening (see previous articles here and here), today we’re exploring how to construct a garden.
Start by choosing an area for your garden. Cover it with several sheets of paper or newspaper, and spray the paper with water. Some gardeners also suggest covering the paper with a layer of cardboard. This kills the grass and weeds beneath, preventing them from invading your garden.
Photo is a snippet from the Back to Eden documentary.
Next, cover the area with a few inches (3” - 4”) of fine compost (composted wood chips, manure, table scraps, etc.). This is the soil your plants will grow in.
Finish by covering the soil with a few inches of wood chips (mulch). This covers your garden, preventing weeds from taking hold and helping the soil retain moisture. The wood chips will continue to compost, adding nutrients to your soil. You can also add a dusting of manure on top.
Photo is a snippet from the Back to Eden documentary.
By using rich soil, mulch covering, and only organic fertilizer, your garden will become resistant to weeds, pests, and drought.
- When weeding is necessary, it’s easy to pull the weed and its entire root system out of the ground.
- Pests are less of a problem because the hearty plants have more robust defenses.
- Drought is easier to overcome as the soil retains moisture and requires far less water.
Note that, using this method, you never have to till the soil. Instead, you build your garden right on top of the existing ground.
From one growing season to the next, the mulch you used as a cover will compost into nutrient-rich soil. When preparing for the next growing season, you simply add more of the soil you made in your compost bins and more mulch as a covering.
It's that simple! And as we've discussed, you can create your own soil for free!
Start small, even just some herbs in a simple flower box in a kitchen window. You'll be astonished at how much better homegrown produce tastes.
In the next article, we’re diving into sustainability.