PREPARATION FOR ORGANIC HERB AND VEGETABLE GARDENING

Vegetable and herb gardening has gained momentum in the last few years, partly due to the availability of many new and old varieties.  At Marvin’s Organic Garden’s, we have established a bed preparation method that will assure you bountiful harvests of your favorite herbs and veggies.  If creating a new bed area in your lawn, simply lay 5-8 layers of wet newspaper directly on top of your lawn area to be converted to bed space.  This will smother unwanted weeds and grass at the soil surface, and prevent you from the arduous process of sod removal.  Your bed size will largely depend on the quantity of plantings desired, but a 10’ by 10’ bed area works well for the average home gardener.  Now that your presoaked newspaper has been laid, you are ready to lay a one-foot base of topsoil a top the designated newspaper area.  This base will raise your bed grade so that your plantings have better air space and drainage capacity.  Next, lay a one and a half foot layer of finished compost on top of your topsoil base.  Compost is the secret ingredient in the bed making process.  Some benefits to compost include:

1. provide a carbon and energy source for soil microorganisms and plants
2. reduced soil erosion
3. improves the soils ability to store and transmit air and water
4. stores and supplies plant nutrients and minerals
5. loosens soil structure, making it not only easier to work in, but also more suitable for root growth
6. buffers and protects plants from contaminates
7. reduces soil compaction

The next step your vegetable and herb preparation process is to choose an appropriate mulch.  Although many mulch choices may be appropriate, you might try “Living Mulches”.  Groundcovers crops such as strawberries, peppermint and spearmint are aggressive groundcovers that will smother most weed types.  Simply plant crops such as these two feet off center across entire planting area.  Rogue out 12” area of groundcover where vegetable or herb is to be planted, and keep groundcover away from desired crop until it has grown higher than the “Green Mulch”.  Other cover crops include white clover and hairy vetch.  At Marvin’s Organic Gardens we use a combination of groundcovers and composted mulches such as wood mulch, leaf debris and pine needles.  My personal favorite is pine needle mulch because it allows for great air and water penetration at soil level.  Pine needle mulch can also be used to insulate cold season crops by applying a 3”-4” layer a top crops.  At this application rate, plenty of light can penetrate the mulch while still providing insulation.

The above method for bed preparation is as simple as it seems.  The only step you must take is to plant your vegetables and herbs and enjoy bountiful harvests.  Yearly maintenance includes a 3” topdressing of desired mulch, and biyearly 1” topdressing of compost to replenish nutrients absorbed by your crops.  Remember, compost makes it happen.  Happy Gardening!