shoelessryan

Have you seen this site? Click on garden at the top and she shows the progress of her Ruth Stout garden over a period of 5 years:

http://www.fieldstoneorganicfarm.com/default.htm

The snow finally melted this week and I went out to check out the garden. The first thing I saw was a GIANT earthworm! I also think the bunnies made a nest in the leaf mulch. There's a suspicious looking hole. When it dries out a little I plan on going out and spreading out the chopped up leaves a little more. We just dumped them in there last fall and didn't really spread them out. I'll also get some straw/hay delivered a little later in the spring and put that on top of the leaves. I've been throwing kitchen scraps in there for the past few weeks. I'll try to keep them in the planting areas because I'll be walking around out there in my barefeet when it warms up.

Do you push the mulch away and plant the plants in the soil underneath or do you plunk them in the mulch? It sound like she plunks them in the mulch but that seems a little crazy for me esp. for the first few years until the soil is really friable. In the fall (before I heard of the Stout system) I put most of the leaves from our yard in the garden (I chopped them up first) so I guess I got a little bit of a head start. I am going to get some hay when the snow melts- do you know if it matters if I get 1st 2nd or 3rd cutting hay? I would assume 3rd would be fine, but I don't know a lot about hay!

Thanks! That's good to know. I had a good time reading her book, she's a hoot! How long have you been doing no till? Any pointers?

Thanks! I actually did start some tomatoes and they have come up beautifully! They are about 2" tall and sporting some brand new true leaves. I also threw out some lettuce seeds outside and set out some potted herbs. We have had some just gorgeous weather though we have some cooler, rainier days ahead but nothing that should do any damage. I put some pepper and eggplant seeds in some pots but haven't seen any green yet. I am going to wait a couple of weeks before I start my cukes and squash and maybe some melons. My big challenge is finding places for all the things I want to grow!

How 'bout you? Got anything going?

thanks shoelessryan - I just picked up a gardening version of the Farmers' Almanac and there is some really good info in there! Freakishly accurate on the long term weather forecast too. My mom swears by it for gardening and animal husbandry so I plan on taking your advice along with my mom's and give the Old Farmers' Almanac a whirl - I can use all the help I can get!! Thanks for thinking of me

we could if you would like. i can also trade you some veggies if you want.

Please don't accuse me of thinking the word might get out

A member of my garden club uses this method and shared her info on building the beds. Looks like a lot less work than what I've been doing and seems to be really productive. I'm anxious to see how it works for my fall garden.

Thanks for your messages. Sorry it's so long between my messages. Once school begins this fall, I'll have more frequent access to internet.

We were very behind on mowing recently. The grass clippings were so heavy I couldn't resist blowing some up into piles with the mower and loading them on to my raised bed garden. I'm growing watermelons for the first time, and they are looking GREAT. I made little beds for the melons out of thick clippings to help keep the weeds off the melons (they have, of course, quickly outgrown my little garden and are climbing across the yard).