| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - May 02 2011 : 09:14:40 AM
I just came in to take a break. I am pooped! I started my first row of no til garden. It is alot of work. I think I'd rather til. When I had the pigs out back in the barn, they rooted up a bunch of really good dirt. So I hauled 2 huge wagons full of that. I have been saving up cardboard boxes and my mom's been giving me all their news papers.
I laid down a layer of cardboard and soaked it really good. Then put the dirt down in a not so thick layer. Then plant the seeds and cover with more dirt. Then ya just start layering on mulch after the plants start coming up. I went to my friend's last week and she has started her garden this way. And she has some really nice looking plants already. Cabbage and broc over a foot tall and wide and really close together. Mulched really thick.
So now I have to start gathering mulch. I have a friend up on the mountain that has a huge pile of mulch he won't be using. And another friend down here who has some. I am mowing with the bagger and also have lots of old hay and straw in the barn. I can also get old round hay bales for free.
SO I am excited to get this started. I may just take the money we were going to spend on fixing the tiller and get more soil. I can see the whole garden done this way. In my mind. But it sure will take alot of hard work to get it this way. I hope to be losing some weight too!
Is anyone else doing this? How are you going about it? And do you like it? Also if so, would you please share some pictures? I would love to see yours.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| 12 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| rebekahj |
Posted - May 09 2011 : 1:32:49 PM
There is not much better than seeing your first sprouts coming up from your garden. My daughter is twelve and doesn't understand how I can just stand there and stare at all of my seedlings. It just makes me happy I tell her!
Urban-Farmgirl Sister #2173
http://chicken-merry.blogspot.com/
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| kristin sherrill |
Posted - May 09 2011 : 1:06:19 PM
I saw beets coming up this morning!! I went ahead and mulched them real good and watered them again. I am so excited to see them. I was a little worried. Not if I could see some squash and zuc. I just planted the corn Sat. so I know it will take a few more days. I have been mulcing the beans too. I am pooped. I had to take a nap awhile ago. It's hot too. But at least some things are coming up.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| rebekahj |
Posted - May 09 2011 : 09:37:20 AM
I just read an article in Urban Farm Magazine about no till gardening (also called lasagne gardening). I have a better understanding of it now and what a great concept. I am so excited to hear how it goes for you Kristen!
Urban-Farmgirl Sister #2173
http://chicken-merry.blogspot.com/
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| kristin sherrill |
Posted - May 07 2011 : 5:21:01 PM
I will take pictures tomorrow. I have been working alot out there today. I just got 3 really old, like 3 years old, round bales delivered today. It won't even roll out. I have to use my rake.
I did about a half row, about 50', of Silver Queen corn just now. I laid down card board and I had been saving all my feed sacks. So some of those went down too. Then soaked them real good. Then I put a thick layer of hay then seeds then some of the good composted dirt I found out back. Then another good soaking. I hope this works because this is alot of work.
Thursday I did about 30' of beets. But I just laid down newspaper and dirt then seeds then more dirt. Then I have been soaking it morning and evening, trying to keep it wet. I will put a layer of mulch over that Monday.
I also mulched half my beans so far. I sure wish I had some help with all this. I am pooped.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| rebekahj |
Posted - May 03 2011 : 4:31:07 PM
Kris... Please post pics along the way if you can. I am interested in seeing watching the process.
Claudia... I lost your email address while "cleaning up" my email box. I ma happy to see you on here. I hope you are well.
Urban-Farmgirl Sister #2173
http://chicken-merry.blogspot.com/
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| kristin sherrill |
Posted - May 02 2011 : 1:15:25 PM
I use old hay. There are people around here that keep round hay bales outside and after a few years will just give them away. I also have some from last year out there. I had heard about that so that's why I use old hay. And the straw-hay that's in the goat barn with all the poop and dirt that the chickens scratch up. It's been in there awhile and I'll use that too. I hould compost it but the chickens do a great job for me.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| KathyC |
Posted - May 02 2011 : 11:45:12 AM
Kris,
I have heard that you should not use hay as mulch. It still has the seed heads and you will be planting this in the garden. After a while you'll have a nice stand of grass.
Also fresh pine sawdust works well with chicken manure in the compost pile, they even each other out.
Kathy |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - May 02 2011 : 10:29:34 AM
They would be great around tomatoes and blueberries, I would think. But I have heard that you need to let them sit a year before using them. After that I would use them for down the rows on the paths. I used to stop and ask the tree cutting guys to dump a load of mulch in the corner of my yard. It's really good stuff. Also have to watch out for poison ivy.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| buffypuff |
Posted - May 02 2011 : 10:25:35 AM
Kristin, I have pine wood chips from several tall trees we had cut down close to the house. Didn't want them to fall on the house. I've been afraid to use that, as I thought it would be too acidic for my plants. What do you think?
Buffypuff/ Claudia ~ Farmgirl & Sister #870 ~
"It compliments God to ask great things of Him." ~ St. Theresa of Avila
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| kristin sherrill |
Posted - May 02 2011 : 10:17:09 AM
Nini, that's so weird that you have so much planted and coming up already way up there. Good for you. You must have started way early and had good dry weather. The thing about no til is you don't have to worry if it's too wet. Ya just plant and mulch. And you can get so much more planted too. Beause ya don't have to get a tiller down between the rows. I would love to see your garden. I bet it's pretty already.
Claudia, I am going to use sawdust shavings between the rows. There is a pallet shop in town that sells it for $10 a truckload. I sure wish I had a dump truck. Or a front end loader. I am so sick of weeds. That's why I need to do this. They just end up taking over the garden. And I am too lazy to weed.
I mowed 2 baggers full. It's hot out there. And looks like rain. We are supposed to have some storms again. I pray they are not like what we had last week. My poor little grand yesterday was looking out the window at the clouds rolling by. I could see her shaking. I know she will be scared when it thunders anymore. All those poor little kids in the schools last week that went through the tornadoes. They will always be a little afraid when it gets cloudy.
Have fun in the gardens!
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| buffypuff |
Posted - May 02 2011 : 10:00:31 AM
Me too Kristin. I have placed newspapers with mulch between the rows to keep down the weeds, but not as you have done. I also am interested in how it turns out. We are going to have a short gardening season this year. It was announced that we had the 2nd coldest April in recorded history for our area. Yeah!! Could have told them that. Need to sew some coats for my plants, as I thought it was the breeze that was causing them to move a bit, as I take them out daily to harden off, but I was wrong...they are shivering and I'm sure they will turn me in for vegetable abuse. Ha!
Buffypuff/ Claudia ~ Farmgirl & Sister #870 ~
"It compliments God to ask great things of Him." ~ St. Theresa of Avila
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| Ninibini |
Posted - May 02 2011 : 09:42:04 AM
Oh my gosh, Kris - your first line made me laugh! I've hand-tilled my garden beds three times already this spring to prepare the soil (including a small, new one), using manure, mushroom compost, homemade compost, peat moss, etc. I have aching muscles all over my body that I didn't even know existed!!! LOL! I'm thinking your no-till garden might have been a lot better! LOL! Then again, I'm starting to see my shape come back a little bit... Guess it's just six in one, half dozen in the other, right? I tried no-till for our potatoes last year, but it didn't work very well, so this year, crazy me - I'm going all out! We've got carrots, onions, garlic, three lettuces, beets, spinach, strawberries, peas, turnips, rutabagas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, three kinds of tomatoes and three kinds of peppers coming up already.. SO exciting!!! I'm prepping the potatoes this week, and then next weekend am going to add two types of melons, cucumbers, corn, beans, and four types of squash! I want to do pumpkins, but the DH is driving me crazy about it - he says it's a waste of garden space... Yeah... that is until I make him pumpkin muffins, breads and pie! Then we'll see how crazy I was! LOL!
Good luck with your no-till venture! I can't wait to see pictures and hear how everything turns out!
Hugs -
Nini
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
Farmgirl Sister #1974 |
