October 26, 2013

raised garden bed and sheet mulch

We built this raised garden bed with free wood from Craigslist!  I wanted a raised bed so that we could plant  more frequently harvested garden veggies like lettuce closer to the house and so we could easily put season extending hoops with a clear plastic sheet creating mini greenhouses in the spring and fall.

AND.  We filled the raised bed with sheet mulch - cardboard, manure, and wood chips (all of which we can source for free).  The layers should decompose over the winter and worms and other bugs should churn it up so that by the spring we have an excellent soil to plant in.  Here's a step by step:

Lay down a thin layer of manure.
2013.10_sheet mulch 001


Be sure to water each layer as you go.
2013.10_sheet mulch 002


Layout the cardboard.  Cover any exposed seams with newspaper.
2013.10_sheet mulch 003


Add some more manure. 2013.10_sheet mulch 005


Add a whole lot of wood chips. 2013.10_sheet mulch 006


We covered the top with leaves just because. 2013.10_sheet mulch 008