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["Jeanne Driese" <jeanne13 AT earthlink.net>]

Lynda,
Forgot to add that I have never done the double digging!  Gene is right about 
all the tech info, but I found way more info to use than to discard.  Besides 
I was teaching folks who had no idea that soil was alive and really more 
important than the plants when it comes to having a garden that feeds you 
well.
Guess it is going to depend on what it is you are looking for!
Like James I tend toward mulch and trying not to disturb the soil.
Jeanne
tnhillwoman
North East TN zone 6
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com 
  To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org 
  Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 2:04 PM
  Subject: Re: [Homestead] Has Anyone Read




  > Jeavon's book "How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible 
  > On 
  > Less Land Than You Can Imagine"?
  > 

  That was my Bible for many gardening years.  While still an unabashed 
admirer 
  of Jeavons, I have come to realize that his "method" was ideally suited for 
  southering California and is less suited elsewhere.

  After double-digging for a number of years, I came across a book "Better 
  Vegetables the Chinese Way" (Peter Chan) which closely approximates 
Jeavon's 
  method sans the double digging.   

  My conclusion has been that in certain soils, double digging is worth while 
  *once*.  With its roots literally in Jeavon's method, my way of gardening 
now 
  is to do a modification of single digging (with a spade) and mulching 
almost to 
  the point of the no-tillers.  Thus Jeavons' 20"-24" of growing depth is 
  achieved partially from digging and mostly by the accumulation of organic 
material.

  One of Jeavon's best contributions is teaching that physical sides on 
growing 
  beds are unnecessary at best and a detrement at worst.  The sides of beds 
in 
  practice do not erode.

  I was much a fan and practicioner of his very close spacing, but as time 
has 
  gone by, I have gravitated away from that in favor of more open spacing for 
  most things.

  However, if space were the primary concern, I'd revert to it.   </HTML>
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