Page 15 - Off Grid East Cost Spring 2017

it will be placed and then using string to measure out the bed. The garden bed does not have to be square or rectangle and this is a subject we will explore in more depth in a future article. For now, here are the eight steps to a no-till garden:
Eight steps to a no-till garden
Step One: Water the bed.
Step Two: Lay down cardboard to cover the space (yes cardboard) and make sure
it overlaps so that no grass is showing and none can grow through. Step Three: Water the cardboard.
Step Four: Cover the cardboard in compost; water
Step Five: Add another layer of cardboard; water
Step Six: Add a mix of soil, compost, and water. Step Seven: Plant.
Step Eight: Mulch.
Mulch adding tips
About the Author
Bob Ewing is a permaculture specialist
and applies his knowledge of design and development to a variety of areas ranging from food security to adult literacy. He
has designed gardens for individuals, schools and community and
is an active volunteer
Adding mulch to your garden beds is an effective way to conserve water, reduce weeding and enhance your garden’s fertility. Here are some tips:
• Mulch should be spread on top of the soil around the plants and along pathways. You can use wood chips, leaves from deciduous trees and shrubs, lawn clippings and sawdust as mulch around perennial plants.
• For your vegetable garden use nitrogen-rich green materials, for example, lawn in his community. He
clippings and other green garden trimmings.
• To mulch your lawn, leave the grass clippings in place after mowing as this add nutrients and reduces water loss.
• Annuals, perennials and vegetable seedlings can benefit from mulch which you move aside at planting time and then pull back around the plant as it grows.
• Do not put mulch too close to tree trunks. Spread the mulch out to the drip line (the outer perimeter of the tree’s branches).
is President of the Campbellton Food Buying Club, the Campbellton Farmers Market, the Restigouche Community Inclusion Network, and the Campbellton Rotary Club.
• Do not put mulch near the base of heat-loving vegetables and flowers (mulches cool the soil).
• Remove mulch or turn it under in the Spring as slugs and snails will see it as an ideal place to lay eggs.
Gardeners small and large can help with climate change
Carbon is a major contributor to climate change. By nourishing our plants and soil naturally, we can all play a part in reducing how much of it gets released into the atmosphere. Imagine if every gardener, large and small, from all across the globe became carbon farmers. What kind of a difference could we make?
Happy growing!
off the grid
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