lasagna gardening and straw bale raised garden beds + sheet composting

[leila]

NO DIG GARDENS
http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.co...le-garden.html

straw bale gardens
http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.co...gardening.html

lasagna garden sheet mulch

http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.co...gardening.html

http://www.instructables.com/id/Grow...5/SHEET-MULCH/

spiral gardens


http://www.gardeningtipsnideas.com/2...rb_spiral.html

been thinking about this a lot lately - STRAW BALE GARDENS

and no dig gardens in general, raised bed gardens with a lot of mulch/compost/straw/cardboard.
this idea is really good one, using bales of straw as both the bottom and the edges of your raised beds, then filling in the center with more compost/mulch then adding only a small amount of topsoil for the very top.

the edges, made by straw bales, could have holes cut into them for more plants, as well as being innoculated with mushroom mycellium.
this composting raised bed would eventually biodegrade and produce a hill of excellent growing soil...as does wood that can be used for raised garden bed edges.

since i started sheet mulching, and making raised beds with lots of cardboard, compost and straw, i am totally convinced this is the best way to garden.
variations are lasagna gardening, simpler sheet mulch with compost layering, these straw bales gardens, and vertical gardens like spiral gardens.

the straw bale idea would work very well as a bottom for a SPIRAL GARDEN.
use them to form the core of a garden in a tall spiral....



http://www.gardeningtipsnideas.com/2...rb_spiral.html

a blend of these ideas - cardboard layers, compost, and straw bales and loose straw with vertical and spiral garden designs would give the maxium yields in very small spaces.

using mostly mulch/straw/finished or unfinished compost as the medium and adding soil as you can....with only a small percent of dirt being added - either bag dirt or screend soil that sits on the top layer and is where the plants start off. as they work their way down with the roots, the straw/mulch/compost has become excellent soil while being weed free and fluffly not compacted..

this method makes it easier for beginners. it feeds the plants for years before you plant them, and takes much less time to tend, produces higher yields and better results for MUCH less effort.

it avoids alot of problem and mistakes that happen just by its design....
the compost/mulch has water regulating qualities and yields higher amounts in small spaces (especially vertical gardens- mounds and hills- different levels), warms the soil, and encourages beneficial organisms.

as well as continually supressing weeds with layers of cardboard and waste paper
so dont weed - throw more sh!t on it!
on top of cardboard which will hold back weeds for a year or longer.

another huge advantage is that (especially with the bottom being made of straw bales it can be built very tall and with levels) it raises the garden bed to a nice height, where one can tend and harvest the plants without having to stoop over and saves from back strain.




THE STRAW BALE GARDEN
is being said to be new but i have known about it for a long time.
though there are some variations on how to do it....

the original method i read of using this was for winter gardening, and partly because of the warmth produced by the straw, it could be used to make a box around plants that you wanted to keep all winter in a harsh cold climate. and storing your food right in the garden where it was planted.

after placing the bales around the plants in a circle or whatever other shape you would pack dry loose straw around the plants, and you would then cover them completely making a blanket of straw. this could preserve the harvest through the winter, they would be fresh when you went and picked them in the middle of winter.

you can also make a hotbed this way, by preparing a bed like this in the middle of winter by the earliest spring you could plant in this bed as it would be considerably warmer in the garden bed and let you plant a lot earlier.
it does depend on how old your straw or compost is, your climate a lot of factors.
ideally you start preparing this bed a couple of months before using it...as in certain climates it would be too hot to plant in until a couple of months later....


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ALL of these methods become better and better over time. this bed would be feeding the plants and keeping a nice warmth, for the entire year and would just get better and have more nutrients as time went on.

now this method has been getting some notice, but in a different context.... either a raised bed made entirely of straw using the bales as edging and bottom and filling in the middle with compost and soil.... or planting directly into bales by cutting holes in them and then placing a small amount of dirt with the seedlings.

Straw bale garden bed and poor mans raised beds.
http://backwoodscottage.blogspot.com...poor-mans.html

[leila]

a repost, on sheet mulching, lasagna gardening

since i started doing this method the results of my gardening improved. i learned about it mostly thru trying to grow food without good soil, but even if you have ok soil this method still has advantages.
i swear this is THE WAY.

it can be done in many ways, the simplest version is just a large piece of cardboard under some bag dirt
with added grass clippings, leaves and unfinished (under the whole thing) compost or finished compost (for top layers) and soil with mulch (grass clippings, straw, leaves, cocofiber, etc) for the very top.

so just cause i love sheet mulching so much:
http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/...heet-mulching/

Honestly you can do any topsy-turvy way you like with whatever organic material is at hand. It will eventually all rot and provide a great home for your plants.
Obviously there are tried and true materials and the order they are layered, that speed up the process. It does help of course to alternate layers of carbon (brown, drier material) with nitrogen (green, living material) which provides a balanced state of aeration and moisture.
What it really rots down to is that lasagna gardening is just like other no-dig methods, whether done by gardeners, or in the wild...
Layers of whatever nature happens to whirl around in the environment then drop on the ground, covered with something from a passing animal.Then some leaves fluttering down, a dead branch or two, and soon the worms and crawlies find a home there.
A few seeds decide to set up home and grow, and so the cycle continues.


With lasagna gardening — as with all no-dig methods, using newspaper or cardboard, or your old school reports if you want to, suppresses any greenery underneath and decomposes well. Equally important, earthworms love paper and stampede towards it, nicely aerating the soil.
http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.co...gardening.html
=============================================

Sheet mulching combines soil improvement, weed removal, and long-term mulching in one fell swoop. This technique, also known as lasagna gardening, can build remarkable soils in just a few years.
There are several key components. First, a weed barrier like cardboard is laid down to smother weeds. the cardboard decomposes after the weeds have all died and turned into compost.

The second ingredient is to add compost, or build a layered compost pile that will enrich your new garden bed.
The third step is to add a thick layer of mulch on top, to keep new weeds from getting established.
I have had great results with sheet mulching, although sometimes the first year is a bit rough on delicate species, until the raw materials break down.
You can use sheet mulching to turn lawns or weedy waste areas into gardens in just a few hours, or even to build soil from scratch inside built frames for raised beds.


Sheet mulch can range from just a few inches thick to 2 feet or more, depending on how bad your soil is and how much raw material you have available (it will cook down and settle quite a bit). For more information see Patricia Lanza’s Lasagna Gardening, or Edible Forest Gardens.
Nine Simple Steps to Sheet Mulching

1. Mow or cut your lawn, weeds, or other vegetation right down to the ground.
2. Plant any crops that will require a large planting hole (including woody plants, perennials in large pots, and large transplants).
3. Add soil amendments.
4. Water the whole area thoroughly. You are going to be putting a layer of cardboard or newspaper over it, and rain and irrigation won’t soak through very well until that weed barrier breaks down. Water also helps the decomposition process get going.
5. If you have compost materials that may contain weed seeds (like fresh manure, leaves, or hay), spread them in layers on the ground. Put a dry, carbonaceous layer of hay or shredded leaves below any manure layer. Avoid thick layers, and make sure to get a good carbon-to-nitrogen ratio just as if you were building a compost pile (see Start with the Soil or other gardening books for details). Water this layer well.
6. Lay down a weed barrier. I prefer to use large sheets of cardboard from appliance stores, because these last longer and are quicker to lie down. You can use layers of wet newspaper too. Make sure to have a 4- to 6-inch overlap where sheets meet so buried weeds can’t find a route to the surface. If you have already planted crops, or have other preexisting plants, don’t mulch over them. Cut holes in the cardboard to make some breathing space for each plant.
7. Now you can add your weed-free organic materials. I like to keep it simple, and just add a nice layer of compost. You can also do some sheet composting here, alternating layers of nitrogen-rich materials like fresh grass clippings with carbonaceous materials like weed-free straw.
8. Now you add your final top mulch layer, at least 3 inches thick. Water the whole bed thoroughly once again. Your sheet mulch bed is complete.
9. You can plant right into your bed if you like. To plant tubers or potted plants, just pull back the top layers until you get to the weed barrier. Cut an X in the cardboard or newspaper. If you are transplanting a large plant, peel back the corners of the X. Throw a double handful of compost in the planting hole and then put in the plant. Pull the layers and top mulch back around the plant, water well, and you’re all set. Planting seeds is easy too. Just pull back the top mulch to the compost layer and plant your seeds. You may want to cut through the weed barrier below first, depending on weed pressure below the barrier. If you are planting seeds, be sure to water regularly, as compost on top of cardboard can dry out quickly.

================================================== ==============================
another link
http://www.instructables.com/id/Grow...5/SHEET-MULCH/

On a nice day soon after you have collected your cardboard, your many many bags of yard waste and a good amount of "raw compost" (uncomposted compost). Start laying out your beds, garden hose is a good way to delineate the shapes of your beds, or use rocks, sticks, chalk lines, etc.

LAYER 1:
hack down any weeds and leave them there, use a garden fork to make some holes in the ground but dont dig it up (that disrupts the soils structure)
LAYER 2:
water well and toss down a bunch of the raw compost, don't worry that it is un-rotted, it will be by the time any roots get to it, this makes a great place for worms and beneficial microbes to thrive
LAYER 3:
now cardboard, make sure the edges overlap at least 4 inches, or one inch stacks of news paper. This block weeds from coming up. Water the cardboard till its soggy
LAYER 4:
cover with green grass clippings, not to many like a good half inch.
LAYER 5: 9" to 12" of bulk organic material, like leaves, pine needles (no too many of these as they are pretty acidic) seedless straw, spoiled hay, clippings. The best is to layer all kinds of things. Toss in a few handfuls of finished compost if you can get some, this will ensure that there are beneficial microbes in there to begin the composting in place process. Water very thoroughly.
LAYER 6:
2 inches of garden soil mixed with some finished compost. This is so you have something to plant seeds/seedlings in.
LAYER 7:
Mulch: Nut shells, woodchips.
this traps the moisture in the whole business.

EDGING: rocks, bricks, broken concrete, wood, bottles, old tires cut in half for a scalloped edge. Tin cans driven into the ground a few inches. this will keep weeds out and your bed materials from spreading.

You can begin planting right away but it will be even better if you can do it a few months ahead of time.





http://www.instructables.com/id/Grow...5/SHEET-MULCH/

[rabana]

now i really want a bale garden. here it could only be alfalfa hay-- even better but about $5 a bale.

[makwaiskwew]

http://essmextension.tamu.edu/pinestraw/baling.html

This could be handy for many Rabana...xxoo

[rabana]

very cool. this is desert tho and we're in a drought. birds are wreaking havoc in gardens because they've come into town from all over to get at the green stuff. there's nothing to make into bale at the best of times.

anyway the alfalfa bales are trucked in from about 80 miles away. very little food is grown here-- thats why i'm promoting community gardens.

[leila]

i want one too!

yeah seriously think i am going to make a bale spiral garden beside the raised bed...but gotta save some money up for the bales.
i would need 8 bales to do it, though i could make it smaller if i just got 4-6
well i will see what happens but been thinking about it for weeks now....and especially love the spiral garden shape.

theres lots of straw bales here, about 5 $
...maybe if i find the right place they would sell them super cheap.

wish i had thought of this when i built my raised bed...because it becomes obvious that the issue is where can i get enough stuff to fill up a big tall one...the raised bed i built is an ok height, better than on the ground, but you still gotta bend down
...and eventually i gave up on filling it all the way...after several truckloads of recycled dirt. now its shrunk down some so theres a few feet of space between the top of the bed and the dirt....

course i am lucky enough to live in a place i can manifest free recycled dirt, and abundant amounts of it. it becomes a matter of time and ga$ to find it and go pick them up...but yeah theres places here to get free truckloads of used bag dirt for free. =) and some for cheap.

sometimes its easier...this one place right down the street just opened up free dumping and free picking up of truckloads of dirt....cause this farm that used to offer it as a 5-10 dollar service went out of business so they let it be open for a while. (might not last unfortunately, so was pushing myself to keep going back =))

you gotta screen it, and process out the roots and stuff....which adds some nice stuff to my compost...
i found a pile that had almost pure coconut fiber! i cant see why someone would grow in it like that...but i mixed between all the piles and its really really nice now that i screened out most of it and mixed it up.

i just got four truckloads, could keep going and getting more but time and ga$ money are an issue and i am still processing the last truckload...i just sheet mulched everything (with some unfinished compost and lots of grass clippings and TONS of cardboard)
and then put most of it down on the yarden, good timing too since theres not many plants going on in winter.

but totally i want to build a straw bale spiral garden with lots of rocks and concrete or brick edging.....if i get it done i will post some pics for you all =)

[leila]

http://essmextension.tamu.edu/pinestraw/baling.html

This could be handy for many Rabana...xxoo

very cool...i was just thinking about that the other day. wondering how they are made...theres probably machines as well huh?
...but thats way cooler...

[rabana]

farms often have bales of spoiled hay laying around somewhere that have gotten wet.

[rabana]

how long does a bale garden last? totally useful even if it falls apart i guess...

[leila]

thats an excellent idea. for sure i could ask anyway...if they have some lesser quality ones they would sell for cheaper...
actually that would work out even better...because i want them to be partially weathered....

thats basically one of the issues with this gardening...or what you have to pay attention to...is they were weathered or dried.... and how old the bales are that you are using, and how warm that then makes the bales in your climate.

in a certain climate you would want them to be well weathered, and dried old loose straw and bales would be good too for fresh layers.
and it is good to set them up in advance, preparing by the little at a time way, and let them settle a bit before planting.

to use this as a way to keep a harvest in the garden, by setting up your bales around the plants and preserving them through the winter, is an excellent one because you could then build on top of those bales in place the next spring, and be able to plant a little earlier with the warming action of the straw bale decomposing.
and then build on layers and add height and levels to the beds for the following years.

right now would be an excellent time to get bales for a spring garden for people in a cold climate that are in the end of winter.
the bales would be from last fall...having weathered a little...and be ready to plant for a HOTBED garden in a month or two..

by laying out the bales in whatever shape, a huge cardboard layer underneath (this should be a thick layer overlapped and requires enormous amount of cardboard, old newspaper) and then filling in the lasagna layers with more alternating cardboard, straw, compost, grass clippings a few bags of dirt on top would be an excellent early spring garden bed

[leila]

how long does a bale garden last? totally useful even if it falls apart i guess...

yeah totally, even the spoiled old bales are good. and the fresh bales are good too.

but thats what youd have to think about, if they are fresh they will stay a lot warmer for months and months...after a few months it wouldnt be so drastic...then they would be warming but not cooking like fresh raw compost.

once they are old they are good for anywhere in your layers

[leila]

yeah eventually it all turns into excellent soil that requires little fertilizer.
i think it would take 5- longer years for the straw to be dissolved? a guess
but then it would be a mound of soil

actually you have created it, but it is mixed with the soil underneath too (earthworms <3 cardboard)
...this takes years though before its mixed up and it shrinks a LOT.
so you have to keep on adding and adding, everytime that you can add an inch or more, with new layers of cardboard and mulch/finished compost/fresh or dried or old straw.

....i think it takes quite a few years for it to all break down...and in that time you have added several more layers at least.

[makwaiskwew]

The last straw....giggles...this kind of fits here

http://www.cog.ca/

[leila]

bumps for inspiration.

still visioning a spiral straw bale garden.

i even know where i want to put it, and have put down a thin layer of plastic with recycled bag soil on top.
i have to start with the plastic, mostly because of the bberries are insane with their global domination plans =)

sometimes people start with really odd stuff on the very bottom layer, to stop the native "weeds" and plants from coming up through the bottom...i've heard of people using old rugs, stuff from demolished houses, like old linoleum or whatever, plywood thats no longer useful for reuse...whatever is on hand.

i've layered the plastic bags the recycled soil came in on the bottom, they have some holes in them so i cant reuse them for garbage bags or whatever....but with enough layers it will make a pretty good weed barrier. and some extra plastic sheets that are just laying around, some stuff that we got for free for moving around the mounds of soil. then i threw down some of the recycled dirt on top... so now the area is ready for me to start putting down cardboard and the straw bales...then start filling it all up with recycled dirt and edge it up with something.....

[evergreen]

ty lei

[leila]

yw

in your climate you would probably want a drip line.....this method does have water regulating properties....but in a dry climate would need a LOT of water. a drip line...or a design where you create hills and mounds and have an automatic slow trickle of water going down hill would be best =)

[leila]

or rather than needing more water...it would just require frequent watering...so lightly having it watered slowly.....the straw and mulch would then regulate the water well....

but yeah it would probably still use the same amount of water....and more efficiently....with either a slow drip line
or the method of making hills, with some small trenches dug throughout. when you had a water hose on from above on very low, it would slide downhill watering everything as it went downhill

but i dont think it would take more water, just more frequent watering

[Indigo Dog]

I wanna be Ruth when I grow up-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3MYh1zfrnE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKQoQiqhPXI

[leila]

thats cool, i like her philosophy =)

but i do want someone to go over there and build her a very tall raised bed! =)
she could still do her simple thing on top, watching her bend over even a bit was giving me sympathetic back pain.

but totally...i like her way simplified version.

"i only do what i want to do unless i have to, and i dont have to !"
=)
agreed.

this is by far the easiest method to grow food, you can even set up a garden to be basically taking care of itself with almost no work at all for months at a time, you dont have to fuss with it all the time for sure. like she said, just plant and then harvest =) you can spend as little or as much time as you want tinkering about with the plants as they go...its good to at least check on them every couple of days...but all your work is in setting it up so that it basically takes care of itself, doesnt need weeding or fussing with it too much...

so thats one of the best things about this method, it can dispell the myth that growing food is hard, and takes alot of time.
people seem to think it takes a huge amount of time to grow food, and a huge amount of space...because of the ways (incorrect weird backwards inefficient ways) that food is grown and processed by agrobiz

part of it is making friends with the weeds too...just let them grow. or put a piece of cardboard and some bag dirt/straw where they are starting to pop up...cause that means they have worked their way through the bottom cardboard in that spot.

but you do need a TON of straw. and helps to add lots of compost/cardboard/manure/recycled dirt/bag dirt and keep adding and throwing things on top as you go. the straw bales can be useful at any point, you can break them apart, or use them as is.

adding the cardboard and paper to the bottom and top, throwing unfinished compost in some of the bottom layers.....and making hills and mounds definitely improves her method.

using various levels and heights produces higher yields in small spaces, and regulates water, as well as helping prevent the back strain.

but the key is the tons and tons of straw and mulch, especially on the top in between the plants. thats what keeps it all warm and moist, and smothers the weeds.....

really theres a bazillion ways to do this, and its not all that complicated as some peoples methods....and everyone basically figures out their own ways as they go, it becomes very simple once you get it and do it =)