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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Raised Beds
  • Date: Sun, 3 May 2009 08:30:22 EDT



> >I know we've discussed before, but your beds are just strategically
> place piles of well developed organic soil, then?
>

Essentially that is correct. What more there is to it is this: The soil
in the garden is not homogeneous, and especially it was not in the beginning.
So I planted the vegetables in the better parts and heaped up every tiny
bit of organic material I could get on the poorer parts. When a crop of
weeds came up, it was not viewed as something interfering with the garden,
but
rather the opportunity for more organic matreial. So the 'fallow' beds were
heaped with weeds and sod and the dirt clinging to them, leaves, sawdust,.
pond muck, creek sand, old hay, grass clippings, shredded corn stalks,
kitchen waste, bean hulls, cow manure, rabbit manure, chicken manure, goat
manure,
donkey manure, horse manure, and all the coop/stall/hutch litter involved.
In some places in the garden this has been going on now for 20 years.

Sometimes these 'in situ' heaps become shoulder high and look like scraggly
haystacks. (they too lack sides and I have never yet had one fall over or
scatter),

In time the fact that the organic material has been rotting right there in
that spot transforms the soil underneath. The hard clay turns brown and
begins to crumble, even my hostile blue clay. I find that in the beginning
it
does a great deal of good to mix the top 10" to 12" in order to mix sand and
organic material with the clay, but after a certain number of years, this
becomes moot. In most cases in the garden at present, when the beds are
cultivated or reshaped, the spade and rake don't even go down to the level of
the path anymore.

So, yes, my method is litterally 'dirt simple' in that it is just a
glorified heap of dirt. But I don't think it can be achieved by hauling in
dirt or
compost and piling it on a spot.

James




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