Double Diggin

The circle garden continues to grow.  Vinnie and Melissa here doin the good work.  The three of us de-grassed the two dark beds in one day.  By the time we were done with the 2nd ring, the method had been perfected.  As the circle grows so does our conciousness.           

The method is a combination of removing chunks of grass, and then double digging.  Double digging is a tecnique promoted by John Jeavons in the book How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine.  It is part of the biointensive system in which crops are planted closely together into raised beds and high yields are achieved on a small piece of land.  The French gardeners have been on to this for centuries, but Americans didn't catch on until the 70's.  The rings will be the biointensive raised beds that Jeavons writes about, and many worldwide practice.  The raised beds provide a fluffy medium in which the plants can easily spread their roots.  Beds are never walked on or compacted.  They drain and hold moisture better than flat, compacted ground.  They are dug deeply so that roots can grow deep into the soil, and therefore more plants can be crammed into a smaller space.  Beds are double dug by removing the first layer of soil, or topsoil, loosening the subsoil, and then returning the topsoil.  You are left with soil that has been worked to a depth of 2 to 3 feet, as opposed to the one foot that normal digging achieves. During sometime in the grass removing process it dawned on me...... while the chunks of sod were removed it would be easy to loosen the next layer... double digging.  Here is the process...

Strips are cut with the spade and removed onto the top of the bed..

The remaining topsoil is also removed.  You can see the contrast between the dark subsoil, and lighter subsoil.  The subsoil is compacted and hard, and it's this we want to break up

... no mercy on the subsoil



i'm doing a complete texturizing double dig, so shredded leaves, and a sprinkling of organic fertilizer are mixed in with the subsoil, keeping it loose.  The leaves will break down over time providing nutrients to plants, and fertility to the soil.  After subsoil and leaves are all mixed up, the topsoil we shoveled out is added back, and the rest is shaken off the grass roots.  

Just when you think you are done, think again.  Move over and start again.  It takes 5 to 10 minutes to do a 2 foot strip.  Once the whole bed is done we will mix compost and fertilizer into the top few inches of soil.  This method is very time and labor intensive, but it provides a very high quality space for plants to grow.  Making life easy on plants pays back in abundant harvests.  Take care of the earth and it will take care of you.   

   

Some creatures enjoying the unseasonably nice weather and pleasant garden vibes...