Back to eden end of season thoughts

[Chic Rustler]

So the season is over for us. After 2 seasons of back to eden style gardening im ready to wiegh in my opinions.

1. Its not the end all, best ever option.

2. Weeds are suppressed considerably, but i still find a few.

3. Bermuda grass sux!

4. Pile all the manure in the world on top of the chips. Its not going to fertilize the plants. It only speeds decomposition and builds humus.

5. You need to fertilize. Nitrogen doesnt appear on its own.

6. Raised beds full of compost provided higher yields for us.

7. Seed sprouting is tough. For some reason seeds dont like to sprout even with the chips pulled back.

8. Seeds sprout later too. Because of the cooler soil under the mulch compared to raised beds.

9. Water retention increased!!

10. Soil building is a process....a long one!


11. Ants love woodchips. Better get ready for a fight



I dont think its the end all in gardening. In fact some of the negatives ojt wiegh the positives. Working around all the woodchips sux! But its much more cost effective than other methods and i dont need a tiller.


Pest damage has been high this year. Not sure if it had anything to do with the woodchips or not. Not sure if it was better than it could have been without the woodchips or not.

 

[tortoise]

I appreciate the update. I've been too worried to put chips on my garden yet. I have them in a big pile next to the garden. Main concern is if there might be black walnut in the wood chips.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Interesting observations!

 

[Mini Horses]

We all know mulch helps retain moisture...can help alter/maintain soil temps, summer & winter. Hay/straw can have issues if chemicals were on the fields. Chips can have issues with type of woods. We are always having to worry about the what ifs. But...gardening is good.

It's costly but, pine shavings/bedding works if you are careful as some plants don't like the PH levels. Tilers can destroy worms, chicken poop can burn plants, etc., but, it sure helps keep weeds down! If you have a large plot, can sure save your crops. I don't think there's a cure all, just what works for YOU. Often it's a combo of things and different for different plants, different areas, different gardeners.

Just keep on keeping on!

I am going to disc and till in 2019. What happens, happens. At this point, a crop with less chemicals is my goal. My ground is good, in general -- not perfect but, productive. I have ample manures, will have a little commercial on hand "in case". Will just wait and see. Winter will eventually get to all of us & we can plan, scour the seed porn and begin seedlings -- for yet ANOTHER garden "experience" An always changing experience!

 

[baymule]

Don't forget the cardboard! Under the chips, I lay down cardboard to smother out the weeds. As you can see in my fall clean up picture on my 2018 garden thread, I didn't have enough cardboard. LOL LOL LOL

 

[wyoDreamer]

My neighbor gets all the woodchips from the electric company whenever they are in the area doing tree trimming work. They let them stand in a pile for a year or so before using them as mulch in all their garden beds. Their experience the first year, where they used the chips right away was a lesson they will never forget. According to them, the chips were infected with stinkhorn mushroom spores and the smell made them dig out all the mulch and spread it on the far side of the field.

@Chic Rustler Are you going to try some variation on Back -to-Eden gardening next year? or try something different?

 

[Chic Rustler]

Don't forget the cardboard! Under the chips, I lay down cardboard to smother out the weeds. As you can see in my fall clean up picture on my 2018 garden thread, I didn't have enough cardboard. LOL LOL LOL

We so too. And they arr thick boxes from water heaters and central heat and air units (i get the from work)

Still gotta fight the grass . Its one of those things that gets easier over time i think

 

[Chic Rustler]

My neighbor gets all the woodchips from the electric company whenever they are in the area doing tree trimming work. They let them stand in a pile for a year or so before using them as mulch in all their garden beds. Their experience the first year, where they used the chips right away was a lesson they will never forget. According to them, the chips were infected with stinkhorn mushroom spores and the smell made them dig out all the mulch and spread it on the far side of the field.

@Chic Rustler Are you going to try some variation on Back -to-Eden gardening next year? or try something different?

In my orchard its pure bte all the way. But in my garden im toying with the idea of tilling it and planting cover crops this winter and then tilling them in before remulching again. We have 4 inches (not exaggerating) of good black stuff under the chips in the garden. Id like it to be deeper.


But idk. I may be lazy and just pile on another foot of woodchips, spread a bucket of urea over it and let it sit all winter.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Ive been breaking the "rules" in my garden the whole time anyhow.
Our best results for seed germination are when i rake back the chios and hoe it up really good before sowing. Then after the plants get established i remulch with woodchips and rabbit manure.

Ive also been trench composting in the garden as well. But stuff that people wouldnt usually bury there. Slaughter waste, giant fish, sometimes whole chickens if we have a loss. So that kinda breaks the no dig rule too.

 

[baymule]

But that adds to the fertility of your garden, it's your garden, so why not?