An Update on The Back to Eden Garden Experiment

In earlier posts we chronicled a new gardening method we are embarking on called Back to Eden.  It attempts to recreate what happens in the forest.  No one tills the ground in the forest.  No one waters the plants in the forest.  No one weeds the forest.  Sounds easy, doesn't it?  That's what we're looking for.  We try to grow most of the food we eat, but we are looking for an easier way to do things.

At 53 years old, I still feel energetic and have a great desire to be outdoors gardening.  However, I find that I don't quite have the energy level that I used too!  Then, with my job I get in late which means my gardening is primarily done on Saturdays and a brief window on Sunday afternoon.  The shortened winter days means I don't have time for turning over dirt in the garden with a shovel or hoeing.  I certainly don't have time for intensive weeding.

Just a few months into the Back to Eden Gardening Method, I want to tell you what is going on.  First, a layer of wood chips about four inches deep has been spread across the entire garden.  I ran strings to produce a straight line and then raked back the mulch until the soil was exposed.  I planted the fall crop.  As the plants grow, I gently move wood chips around the plants.  Below you can see a row of spinach in the middle:

Although November was a pretty dry month, I haven't watered the garden other than immediately after planted to encourage germination.  Keeping the soil covered has preserved soil moisture and discouraged weed growth.  In speaking about weeds, we've found that weeds still grow through the four inch layer of mulch.  However, not as much AND, the weeds are much easier to pull out!  The mulch keeps the soil underneath from being compacted.  When you pull the few weeds that come up, many times you are able to pull them out from the roots.  Tricia and I go down rows and quickly pull weeds.  I cannot tell you how much easier weeding is now!

In the photo below, you can see our garlic has all sprouted and is pushing its way upward through the soil.

Before weeds begin to compete with the plant for nutrients and space, I've pulled 3-4 inches of mulch around the plant.  I'll keep this mulch here for most of the winter and then will scrape it back a bit in the spring.  In a couple weeks, I'll feed the garlic with some fish emulsion.

I've never had a tiller and would turn the soil over with a shovel and then hoe up rows.  That is a thing of the past!  Putting in the fall garden was easier than it ever was.  By this time in previous years, Saturday mornings were spent weeding the garden, tossing the weeds over the fence to the chickens, goats, and cows.  There's really not many weeds to toss to them now.  (The animals are not sold on the Back to Eden Gardening Method!)  Watering is virtually non-existent now.  So far, so good.

Now, gardening is always a learning experience, and I would be negligent to announce that this is a success before harvesting anything, but so far, I like the reduction in hard work.  Instead of keeping my head down working in the garden, I can now look up while in the garden in the cool of the evening and enjoy the absolute breath-taking beauty of God's creation!

We will report back with additional updates.