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  • From: carolyn anderson <cschampagne@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Question about getting started
  • Date: Sun, 5 May 2013 18:30:15 -0400

oh, cool! I never would have thought of that. Thanks so much, Lawrence!

Carolyn


On Sun, May 5, 2013 at 3:57 PM, Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>wrote:

> On Sun, May 5, 2013 at 2:54 PM, carolyn anderson <cschampagne@gmail.com
> >wrote:
>
> > Hi all,
> >
> > Does anyone have any suggestions for getting started in a community
> garden
> > plot that is covered in unidentified BIG weeds and old, seeded grass?
> > Should I put the pulled weeds back down, then cover with 4" of mulch and
> > then cover that with a weed cloth and just plant over them, or get rid of
> > them, or what? Would no-till work here?
> >
> > Mulch is provided, weeds are plentiful, soil is ok once it's unlocked but
> > hard as a rock right now. I'm in Northern VA where the soil tends
> towards
> > clay, but this plot has been cultivated in the past so is not too bad.
> I'm
> > well aware that I'm late to the game, having just discovered this
> community
> > garden last week. Can I still use permaculture practices in this
> > situation? I'll only be here through the summer before moving to more
> > permanent digs.
> >
>
> Bring in the mulch. If it is not composted then compost it before applying
> to the garden
> then dig it in and mix it with the soil. Alternative: prepare your garden's
> raised beds or rows then mulch with the materials supplied.
> Take the weeds, grass, brown mystery weeds and place then in mini-windrows
> between your raised beds or rows. You can put more mulch on top of them.
> Later as any seeds in the now composted weeds germinate, dislodge and bury
> them. When there are no more weed sprouts then mix the compost with the
> soil in your raised beds. Put the next batch of pulled weeds in piles
> between your beds, apply more mulch repeat the process. Soil, nutrient rich
> water, macro and micro nutrients leaching or washing out of your beds will
> saturate the compost between them, enriching it so you can return
> everything to your garden soil. This is a much better way of recycling weed
> biomass and the nutrients it contains than composting it in a separate pile
> away from the garden, unless, of course, the leachate flows into other
> garden beds, planted swales or bermed zones.
>
> LL
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--
Carolyn




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