Fr ot ~ GARDENING A QUICK GUIDE i FY a aah) ASPIRING GARDENERE sms emmanomssneram FP 7 What's Sretuded: MATERIALS LIST PLANNING YOUR SPACE CHOOSING YOUR METHOD LAYERS OF NO-TILL CONSTRUCT THE BEDS TIMELINE WHAT TO EXPECT IN YEAR 1MATERIALS LST + Cardboard (my favorite) or newspaper or some kind of barrier to suppress future weeds and kill any existing weeds. Avoid cardboard with inks or dyes. + High quality organic compost (optional depending on the method) Make sure to source a good product. Check with local friends and Facebook groups to get recommendations from trustworthy sources. Good compost Is SO Important! Herbicide residue In organic compost Is really common and can have a devastating Impact on your garden + Mulching material: choose which mulching materials Is best for YOUR space. Choose something that Is accessible to where you live and cost friendly. We get free wood chips and use wasted hay from our goats, both are free and readily available. That's It! It can be very cost friendly and easier to set up than tilled spaces, which require a lot of manual labor PLANING YOUR SPACE + Get outside and walk the space! You want to find a spot that Is... Sunny (full sun for 8+ hours a day Is very Important Relatively flat Close to your home, this will make planting, maintenance, and harvest much easier Safe from pests or wildlife that would disturb your plants (may need to consider a deer fence or other fencing for critters large and small)PLARNING YOUR SPACE CONT. es AP * Sketch It out. Some things to consider when planning the layout © Inground beds have more flexibility with size since you can walk Into the growing space and do not have to reach across It A © For raised beds, do not make them any wider than 4 ft. 3 ft. wide Is my personal favorite, they are much easier to reach across for planting and weeding. © Make walkways wide enough for a wheelbarrow. 30 Inches is adequate for this! + Consider how you will Incorporate vertical growing. This is Important for crops like pole beans, cucumbers, squash, and other climbing plants. It also adds height and beauty to the space. © One great option for Inexpensive trellising is using cattle panels that you can purchase from a local country store. We use 18° cattle panels as arched trellises in our garden. You can also use what you have right In your backyard. | created a bean teepee using large sticks in my backyard and some twine. GHOOSINGOURM En GD Check out the pros and cons for the 4 methods below to decide which options make sense for you in your garden. There are other options beyond this list and you can mix and match! Hugelkultur Back to Eden Ruth Stout No-Dig PROS CONS PROS CONS PROS CONS PROS CONS Va_seswnsan Noctill gardening Is all about adding layers to the soil. Over time this builds the soil and loosens the soil without tilling it up, which can have short and long term negative Impacts. Take a look at the visual below to gain an. understanding of what these layers can look like In a garden space (there can be a lot of variation, Is just one example. ZA MULCHINGMATERIAL _ Sram alo ee oe Cea cee aR UNI) IMPOST arewincues roroTHER CARDBOARD/THICK LAYER OF NEWSPAPER Sa) a| 7 « CONSTRUCT ThE BEDS hy 1 Trim or mow down any grasses and weeds 2 Mark out corners with posts * Orange reflective rods work great for this! Or tomato stakes + Measure with a tape measurer the desired width and length of your beds + Use twine or string between the posts to visualize the edges of your beds > Lay down weed barrier * Cardboard, contractor paper, corrugated cardboard, or a thick layer of newspaper & Lay down compost (if part of the method you are using) 5 Cover with mulch layers (depending on method) + Ifusing Hugelkultur, the process will look quite different. Check out this blog post for more information on constructing Hugelkultur beds.DEAL TELE Fall/winter is the perfect time to get started, but you can begin at any time of the year! The timeline for planting will look different for each method, and is discussed on the next page Fall on Winter LAYER CARDBOARD & MATERIALS Winter early START SEEDS & PLAN GARDEN REMOVE Sweets TA \VE COME THROUGH MULCH PLANT IN THE GROUND5 TRELRE FOR PLANTS There is a lot of variation in how long it will take for your soil to "be ready" for planting. If your soil isn't ready as quickly as you like, you can always add compost when planting seeds or seedlings in the garden. NO-DIG Can be planted immediately, prepare in early spring No-dig can be planted right away, but focus on planting shallow rooted crops first while the cardboard or other weed barrier begins to break down. RUTH STOUT Best to plant in 3-4 months after preparing, prepare in fall/winter Unless you added compost, a ruth stout bed needs to sit for a few months for the weeds/grass to die and the weed barrier to break down. The exception is if you are planting tubers like potatoes or bulbs like daffodils or tulips. HUGELKULTUR Can be planted immediately, prepare in early spring Hugelkultur can be planted right away. In year 1 focus on shallow rooted or trailing crops, although | had excellent success with squash in my first year Hugelkultur garden bed BACK TO EDEN Best to plant in 3-4 months after preparing, prepare in fall/winter Unless you added a thick layer of compost (8-12"), a back to eden bed needs to sit for a few months for the weeds/grass to die and the weed barrier to break down. Remember no-till s not a quick fix, but a long term solution for soil health, weed reduction, water retention, and soil fertility. It can take time to turn grass into abundant gardens, and the journey is a valuable learning opportunity. More on what to expect in year 1 on the next pagewear TecpEcr nea (1) A lot of trial and error! It takes time to see what works, itis not about immediate success, + You may see stunted growth in your first year and pale/yellow leaves. This is often because the soil lacks oxygenation and just needs time to loosen as you build the organic matter. Over time roots from your plants and worms will help loosen the soil while protecting the soil structure and life. You can avoid some of this by adding compost when planting! + Some weed pressure. Stubborn weeds with deep tap roots, or invasive weeds, may take time to remove fully. Be patient and dig them out when you see them. Avoid just pulling them by the leaves and instead dig them out to get the whole tap root so they don't return. += Compact soil. If you are turning grass into a garden the soil is likely going to be compact. Grass has shallow roots and because of how often we mow it, it tends to create poor quality soil that lacks aeration. This is common in the beginning and improves with time. + Keep going! Boy am | glad we kept going. By the end of year 1, | was really happy with how things went. It wasn't until year 2 that | even realized how unimpressive year 1 really was. Our second year no-till was phenomenal. It was just amazing to watch the garden thrive with very little maintenance, no weeding, no watering, left to do its own thing, Bing Pets RESOUR GES EA SEED STARTING COMPLETE LIST OF HEIRLOOM SEED COMPANIES FOOD FOREST AND ORCHARD PLANTING GUIDE S TIPS FOR SUCCESS STARTING A GARDEN COMPARING NO-TILL GARDENING METHODS Want more? Follow along to hear updates about the Grass to Gardens Course! An opportunity to dive in deeper to this material