Where’s the Salt?

Just in from a great day in the garden. Not my own garden, but the early stages of a community garden training project in Kinsale. The aim is to learn all the tricks for preparing the soil and getting ready for planting and gardening organically now. Then by spring, when we’ll be busy keeping up with nature’s awakenings, all the knowledge we’ll need will be 2nd nature.

That’s the plan.

The Hubby and I had already decided to double our veggie patch for next year. After today’s
class, I’ve got plans for an even larger veggie area, as well as at least one new flower / herb garden. Hours of back breaking digging was the main thing holding us back till now. It’s great and invigorating and all that, but I’m a bit too lazy to want to spend every weekend toiling away at our rather stoney soil. Today we learned about the (joy of joys!) no dig garden.

How to do it?

• Create a raised bed, on any surface, (grass, concrete, whatever you’ve got to work with), We made ours with beautiful long cuts of larch wood, but you can use anything - railway sleepers, slate, even wine bottles.
• Don’t bother digging at all. Just cover your surface with a thick layer of newspaper and water well before adding a layer of manure, a layer of seaweed, one of compost and so on.
• If you leave over winter, the worms will do all the digging and mix the earth well for you. (Obviously if you’re layering on top of concrete, you’ll have to add a few worms yourself first)
• By planting time in spring, you should have beautiful soil, perfect for producing masses of fruit and veggies all summer long.

Hmmm … hours of back breaking, blistering work with a spade, or fun with the family collecting seaweed from the beach followed by trips to the farm for manure? Maybe I’m becoming a clichéed ex-pat Dubliner living the country life, but next Saturday, I think you’ll find me on the beach!!