Back to Eden Gardening and Hugelkulture and other non-conventional garden methods

[1cock2hens]

My Juneberry plants are loaded with blossoms. 

my Juneberry trees are already covered in little pink berries! / I have well over a dozen Juneberry trees but I don't really expect to get any... The road I live on is called songbird for a reason lol/ my blackberries are very big and green some already getting reddish! And my white strawberries are doing great, I have had a small handful every day this week

 

[chickengr]

how long does it take for pine shredding with chicken manure (50/50) to decompose?

 

[lazy gardener]

how long does it take for pine shredding with chicken manure (50/50) to decompose?

Do you mean pine shavings? Or do you mean pine chips: whole pine trees that have been run through a chipper? Either way, it takes a very long time due to the high carbon content of the wood fiber. Either way, it's best to use that stuff on top of the soil as a mulch, instead of planning to till it in.

 

[chickengr]

Do you mean pine shavings? Or do you mean pine chips: whole pine trees that have been run through a chipper? Either way, it takes a very long time due to the high carbon content of the wood fiber. Either way, it's best to use that stuff on top of the soil as a mulch, instead of planning to till it in.

I use pine shavings from the local wood working company. I slightly tilled it with a dead soil a few months ago and I dont see it any more when I pick up some weeds for my chickens. even a thin layer I put on top has gone. but it contained more than half manure, maybe around 70%.

 

[lazy gardener]

Keep us informed on how that site produces. Good to hear.

 

[chickadoodles]

following again.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I haven't read through the entire thread yet but this thread was just recommended to me so I figured I'd subscribe. I do plan on reading the whole thread when I have the time. But anyway, I'm still new to gardening and I'm starting a vegetable garden this year so I guess I'm kind of still looking at all the different methods. There are way more than I ever thought and honestly it's kind of intimidating. :/ most of them seem pretty easy though? But getting started is kind of the hardest part for me and plus, maybe it's too late to start most of these? Aren't they supposed to be done in the fall so they're ready for spring planting? So perhaps this year I just start with regular raised beds to learn then do this next year or in the fall? Or is it better to just start doing this stuff from the beginning? Is there any one particular method that's easier or best for someone like me who's somewhat lazy/easily intimidated/tends to lose interest or quit? I'll try not to do the latter but I've never really been able to grow anything. Anyway, sorry for rambling/taking over the thread and kinda just thinking out loud here. If you'd rather, I did just start a thread asking about raised beds. Alsp, can stuff grow in those?

 

[lazy gardener]

Kelsey, lets hear a bit about your particular setting: How much sun? What do you want to grow? What is the soil like? I'd suggest that you start very small, perhaps with a 4 x 8 bed, with just a few veggies there, and expand from there next year. If you don't want to dig up the sod, till the ground, and do all of that prep work, I'd suggest that you look into Lasagna Gardening. You can lay out your bed right on top of the grass (put down some cardboard or news paper first. Layer your materials over that cardboard, and plant right in the resulting bed. You can put a wood border around it, or simply leave it as a pile and let it cook for the summer while it produces some wonderful veggies for you. Or you might consider hay bale or straw bale gardening. Do a google search on any of these styles and you'll get plenty of "how to" information.

 

[260906]

I'm still new to gardening and I'm starting a vegetable garden this year so I guess I'm kind of still looking at all the different methods...Is there any one particular method that's easier or best for someone like me who's somewhat lazy/easily intimidated/tends to lose interest or quit?

My recommendation for long-term success is to keep things small and try the method that will be easiest for you to do. You can grow a surprising amount of food in a couple of small raised beds or several big pots. Some people lay a large bags of potting soil where they eventually want to have a raised bed. Poke a few drainage holes in the back side and cut an X in the top where you want to put your plant. At the end of this season, pull out the plastic bag, and you have a small raised bed started.

If you have easy access to woodchips & leaves (like I do), go for the Back to Eden method. If not, try a different method with the resources available near you. Over the last 4 years I've used wood chips & have enjoyed having to rarely pull weeds or water. The only problem I've had with the BTE method is chips getting into the planting holes if I'm not careful enough -- then I have to add nitrogen or the plants get pale. Also, Bermuda grass LOVES the mulch. I buried vinyl siding around my garden (about 40 X 40 feet) to solve that problem. I painted Roundup on the remaining grass in the garden (rather than spraying it everywhere), & once I got it out, it hasn't been a problem again.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thank you both for the info/help.

So I can do the lasagna thing now and/or plant stuff in it before it breaks down? If so that's great to hear because I was under the impression it had to be done in the fall and break down over the winter.

As for the property, I'm terrible at describing stuff but basically we have almost 3 acres but only like half of that is the yard and then the rest is wooded and connects to neighbors woods.

A large part of the yard is full sun all day but then there's also parts, mostly the driveway, that are mostly shade all day. Then there's parts that are a little shaded and sun. So yeah. And then some spots turn to shade in the afternoon while other spots, mostly on the far end of the yard, stay sunny till very late. The spot where I want to put them I think turns to shade late in the afternoon.

I can take pictures of the yard or at least just the potential garden sites if need be but right now it's 4:30 and shaded so hard to tell where the sun is during the day.

Should I track that or something?

And well, I kind of went crazy with the vegetables.... bought way too many seeds this year and last year.

I have already started peppers and tomatoes and I just recently bought more tomato varieties and some melons but I think it's too late to start more tomatoes?

I also want to grow squash, melon, maybe pumpkin, etc.

And cucumbers.

Eventually broccoli and kale but that's fall right?

And also have herbs started.

And yes I have seeds for all of those. I told you I went crazy.. s

Maybe I should just start small and grow the peppers and tomatoes? Will the seeds keep for next year?

And besides, my brother and his girlfriend are starting a garden too.

And I think I could get wood chips if needed probably free but we also have access to an unlimited amount of pine needles and leaves lol