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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Double-dug?

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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Double-dug?
  • Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:48:25 -0500

Jeff wrote:
Just curious, can someone give me an explanation or a how to on double digging a plot for biointensive plantings?

The essence of it is that you invest a lot of effort and materials up front, inverting the soil, fragmenting the crumb structure, with associated temporary disruption of soil life and soil structure, oxidation of organic matter and release of co2 through exposure of humus to air. You remove much of the soil in the bed, add organic matter and mineral based soil amendments to it, homogenize these materials then return the amended, enriched soil mix to the bed. This is done in increments of one (typical short (42" to 48") English D-handled) digging spade blade width wide and one spade blade length deep for the width of the bed (38-50" wide depending on the gardener's height).

After this process is completed you need never again turn your soil,
except to a depth no greater than is necessary to control newly emerging weeds, break crust and create a fine, loose seedbed. You now have biointensive no-till, permanent raised beds.

This technology has been around for centuries and it works.
There is a very big net gain for soil, its inhabitants and the environment.

See John Jeavons books, Alan Chadwick's literature and lectures (links on my website) and Aquatias' "Intensive Culture of Vegetables, French System".

Double digging is as essential and indispensible to gardening anywhere in the world, where the climate does not mandate other methods, as grain is to bread.

I'll work up a complete description of the method with variations next.




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