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The Goal is to grow your own food. The Goal is to relax in the Garden. The Goal is to enjoy how it looks. Get creative. Annuals are okay It is fun to have silly flowers. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN AHEAD Understand your site Lifestyle Needs What food has value for you Reality Cycles of crops.
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Annuals are okay It is fun to have silly flowers
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN AHEAD • Understand your site • Lifestyle • Needs • What food has value for you • Reality • Cycles of crops
Understand your site • Do a site Map • Learn what your soil is and what has been applied to the soil • Chemical applications ie: roundup, Preen, Crossbow • Know where animals interact and use the yard • Dogs • Cats • Squirrels • Chickens
SITE ANALYSIS • Sun /shade • Wind • Soil • Hardscapes • Trees • Neighbor ‘s trees • Flow: access points • To harvest
Do a soils test • Learn what type of soil you are dealing with • What it needs to be feed • Calcium/lime GENERAL RULES #1 COMPOST, COMPOST, COMPOST #2 ORGANIC FERTILIZER
KEY STEPS TO GOOD SOIL PREP • AMEND SOILS WITH CLEAN COMPOST • GOOD SOIL INTERGRATION • SHEET MULCHING for Bed preparation = Less labor
Bed Prep with Lasagna Gardening • Here are the layers • Ground layer • Cut pieces 3”-8” long lay on top • Then apply a straw layer 2”-3” thick • Soil or compost 1” thick • Repeat step 2-4 one more time • Then apply coffee bean bags, weed fabric or straw to protect the soil. • Or plant winter crops right on it. • Notes: • If applying winter crop sprinkle the seed as even as possible on top of soil and layer straw as the erosion control • If planting starts plant right into the layers. • DONOT put blackberry cuttings or Ivy in Lasagna gardening.
Lifestyle and Needs • Do you travel a lot • Do you entertain alot • Do you need an irrigation system • Do you need a garden coach/ assistant • Lawn space • Patio or Deck • Animal corridors
What food has value to you& the reality of growing it • What foods do you eat a lot of • How long does it take for that edible to get to harvest • Do you have space for all the food you want to grow • Make a list of what you want to grow and seeding
MULCH,MULCH,MULCH • MULCH • MULCH • MULCH • MULCH • MULCH
KNOW THY PEST • Is it a weed • Is it a slug • Is it a bug • Is it a worm • Is it a pathogen/disease
HAIRY BITTERCRESS/ WINTERCRESS • Annual weed • Flowers in the winter with seed heads at the same time, YIKES • Does have a tap root • Edible • Hand weed • Sheet mulch
Annie Bamberger annieb@desantislandscapes.com 503-639-0151