Simple rules

I am watching the garden come to life- weeks early this year. It has reminded me of simple rules to get everything going.

1.cover every bit of ground. that means no more rows or bare spaces. use cover crops. use mulches. use the leaves in the fall. and watch the earthworm population explode
2. stop tilling., use those cover crops, deep mulch, lasagna gardening ( layers of newspaper, compost, straw, etc to cover deeply). Broadfork when needed.
3.no more blocks of veggies. interplant, polyculture, weave plants in and out...and then just throw the extra herb seed around everywhere. pull them for the compost pile if they get in the way.
4. deep raised beds or hods work better than having an entire area bare. pile it up- put newspaper or mulch down in your paths. or- clover, add some nitrogen while you make nice footpaths!
5. fruit trees love extras under them too. and flowers and comfrey are prettier than bark mulch,.chop up what you can several times a season and lay it on to help build the mulching ( natural) under the trees.Berries, currents, horseradish, can go in the spaces between the trees. and clover is better than grass.


from my facebook, yesterday...

the garden soil is FANTASTIC this year.Black for 6 inches down( started with a nasty mix of clay and builders dregs)...finding earthworms, as I broadfork, a foot down...we always leave leaves on the beds in the fall, plant turnips or the like to help hold soil (they are rotted now) add lime,and extra fireplace ashes- twice a year is best- and I did move the guinea hen pen all over the place this winter.the troughs for the potatoes-also look good. that area was polycultured for 2 years...was clay before that.. I am finding major soil building has happened in the last year (well, it only took- 6 years!).We add as much goat manure and compost as we have (all manure for pumpkins and all compost for potatoes)..and if I get busy we can add some chicken manure. and a light coating of Espoma Plant tone..just in case anything is missing ( we have in years past used mixed minerals rock phosphate and greensand)

all turned beds have peas or green beans( yeah I know- but it's hot outside) holding soil for later plants and adding nitrogen!

i guess soil is like plants- first they sleep then they creep then they leap...I'm kinda excited! besides having 6 weeks head start...and enough dry days for sun...the more we pack in the better the plants will hold even if the summer is very very hot.