Preparing the Produce Garden for 2016

We are very keen to have the Produce Garden ready to plant right after May 23 in 2016 (Victoria Day). To that goal, here's what we need to accomplish this fall:

• raise the remaining beds by lowering their surrounding paths
• add existing compost on top of beds
• add aged manure on top of all beds
• add shredded leaves on top of all beds
• add leaves into all paths 

We have found a source of manure. We will contact Riel House neighbours regarding their leaves. We will scrounge whatever leaves we can find from our neighbours and in our neighbourhoods. 

In the fall of 2014, we added one hundred bags of leaves into the Produce Garden. In the spring of 2015, we raised Beds 1 to 16 and mulched them with grass cuttings and thatch that Parks Canada had vacuumed off the property.  Also, we no longer walk in the growing areas, only in the paths.

The soil is better than in prior years, and look at the worms! Double click, then drill down into the photograph.


What we have learned over the last year, is that as soon as you throw something on the ground, things want to live underneath it. Worms, bugs, bacteria, fungus. Water collects underneath and helps to keep the soil moist. And what we throw on the ground we call mulch. 

Here are two pictures from fall 2013 when we thought that neat was good. Notice how grey and dry the soil is. I was about to turn over the soil in this area and had difficulty getting the garden fork into the ground.

2013: Grey Dry Hard

Kids - do not try this at home!

Digging is bad for soil structure. Do not dig! Do not rototill! Please read Teaming with Microbes by Lowenfels & Lewis.

Digging of Remainder of Beds

We will raise the remaining beds in the Produce Garden. We started last spring (actually April 29) to dig out the paths surrounding each bed by lowering the path - and so raising the bed. Each bed takes approximately 1 1/2 hours to move soil from the path into the bed, and then place mulch in the lowered path.

Beds 17, 19 and 20 raised and paths mulched

We still have Beds 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 to prepare. We may leave Beds 18, 26 and 28 until next spring because they contain sunflowers with their seeds that we would like to employ to attract birds (and their fertilizing poop!) over the winter. Regardless, that is nine beds at 1.5 hours per bed equals almost five volunteer days (three hours per day).

As in the previous post Leaf Mulch, Soil, Future Mulch, we are using Beds 29 and 30 as a storage area.