Re: [Grass-Fed-Eggs] Digest for grass-fed-eggs@googlegroups.com - 1 Message in 1 Topic

[jim adams]

Hi Agnes .. what we do is put 2 to 4 inches of hay-as-it-comes-off-the-bale on the cardboard.  Complete cover, no spaces, etc.  Then we water it with a sprinkler.  The hay and cardboard hold the moisture in and the light out. 

It's just adding a lot of organic matter to the soil in specific ways which enhances the decomposer ecosystem And then, by the 2nd or 3rd year, there is a worm population in the garden, converting compost, cardboard and hay into organic soil in which any self-respecting vegetable would wiggle its roots in delight.

On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 12:56 AM, <grass-f...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

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• Digest for grass-f...@googlegroups.com - 3 Messages in 2 Topics [1 Update]

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"Agnes Gibson" <agnes...@hughes.net> May 24 11:50AM -0600  

Great idea. How do you keep the cardboard from blowing off? Seems like
that small amount of hay wouldn't be enough to keep it down until it "melts"
into the ground.
 

 
For weed control, we have used old carpet cut into strips the width of the
space between rows. And it too helps hold moisture in the ground. But then
we roll the carpet after each garden season.
 

 
Agnes
 

 

 
_____
 
From: grass-f...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:grass-f...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Kelly Phillipson
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 6:45 PM
To: grass-f...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Grass-Fed-Eggs] Digest for grass-f...@googlegroups.com - 3
Messages in 2 Topics
 

 
Jim, thank you so much for this; you must have an amazing garden!! It
sounds like such a wonderful way to cultivate such rich soil (ours is very
dry and grainy)! Fortunately we still have some large boxes from our move,
so I can't wait to do this - working on coop now, and next project is garden
:) I had this idea for some reason that the chickens would weed for me ~
but I won't let them touch the garden until I'm done!
Kelly
 

 
jim adams <thetravel...@gmail.com> Apr 27 11:51PM -0400
 
hey kelly .. on worms, we create an environment, and they will come --
regardless of what it is now.

We lay down a thin layer (1/4 inch more or less) of compost or horse
manure, or similar stuff and cover it with cardboard. We use only brown
(not colored) cardboard with all the tape, staples and labels taken off. We
prefer large pieces, like from a washing machine or refrigerator, or large
furniture. We then cover it with a 3 or 4 " layer of hay or straw. We
prefer to let it sit for a month or so, but it's ok to plant right away.
We cut a 3 - 4 inch hole in the mulch to put in tomatoes or squash, etc,
and we will cut a 2 - 3" line for a row of beans, carrots, etc.

The first year in our last place, we did this on a layer of fresh mowed
sparse grass that had a 1 - 1/2" layer of red clay over sedimentary gravel
that we couldn't get a trowel into tho we could drive metal fence posts
into it. 9 years later, we had 4 to 5 " of beautiful dark brown, crumbly
soil. We don't have a cultivator or tractor, so that is all we did. Our
first weeds grew from weed seeds in the hay and they were easy to pull out
in late May and early June. Earth worms were all over the underside of the
cardboard by mid June in the first year of this kind of gardening. We also
never had to use a hoe or rake. We do have to do weed removal, but it is
less than all the other ways of intense cultivation that i've been a part
of in years gone by ... as a kid, mother planted a large garden and i have
other than fond memories of being a teen age hoer.

Anyhow, we collect cardboard all year, and repeat this process every year.
Which is to say .. we add a lot of organic matter and this is what builds
the soil. We also prevent light from reaching the soil, since this where
deep rooted weeds will grow. And rain soaks thru the hay and cardboard and
is slower to evaporate than it does from bare soil ... so we have to water
less. And by the end of the growing season, earthworms have eaten most of
the organic matter we put down. One square bale will cover about 4' x 8',
and a refrigerator box will take a bale and a half to cover it.

Have fun, and don't let your chickens run thru the garden until you are
finished raising your crops. Then let your chickens in and let them play
thru

enjoy ... jim n'shana




 
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[Kelly Phillipson]

Jim, we are getting ready to do this hopefully next week!  So just to double-check - you cut a line in the cardboard and then poke the seeds down, then they will know where the opening is (by following the sun)?  I'm just worried they will grow the wrong way and smother like the weeds.  Also, how do you do zucchini and other veg that need mounds?  Just soften the cardboard first?  My husband also read that you can use plain cardboard boxes (fill with soil) as planters, so I think my herbs will go in a couple of those.
Thanks!
Kelly