Hello fellow gardeners,
Here is my attempt for a small vegetable patch.
Clay soil in a region in France where the soil is rich and a lot of cultures do well.
I wanted it to be circular, draw a sketch and, obviously failed it.
So here is my patch at the moment :
- I hoed a 60m square in january, the patch was a previously a middow
- I scythe to get grass for cover
- No-Till, Ruth Stout method (except I use grass instead of hay.)
- No-Water (except the first week I transplant or sow.)
- Potatoes were put on top of the ground, I added a handful of compost and covered it with grass.
- Zuchinis are beautiful.
- I tried the milpa association (corn, squash, beans) Beans climb on corns and squashs cover the ground.
- I also have some flowers to attract bugs and ladybird.
- Eggplants are a bit late to show.
- Strawberries and beets did very well.
- Pak Choy cabbages are amazing.
And I repeat but no watering (60 litres for the whole garden)
For a first attempt I really am happy with how it goes. Scything is a noble exercice to acquire harmony between the tool, the mind and the body.
Fantastic! I love the “milpa” method you reference (I’ve always heard it referred to as the three sisters method). Maybe add some onions in future? Chives, green onions and garlic all make for excellent companion plants for some of the stuff you’re growing. And I always make space for herbs, especially perennials.
Thanks for the suggestion. It was really hard this year to plan a garden without seeing to big for a first timer.
But yeah, onions would be nice.
Honestly, it looks like you had some amazing success, so take pride in that. I’ve only been gardening for a few years now, and there’s been a lot of trial and error. Bien joué!
Awesome! I’m trying a very small (~6 sq. m) no-till bed this year. I do really like the idea of manually scything your own grass for mulching, will have to give it a try.
Scything is great. Previously I had a tractor mower and one day, after several hickups, repairs, it brokes and I had enough.
I invested in a a good scythe (wood adjustable handle, and a blade from one of the last edge-tool maker in Europe). 2000m² takes quite some time but I let the field to be much taller than I used to do with a mower. In 2023 I only scythed one time (I am starting the second round just now). I also have a small manual mower (helicoid/spiral blade) wich I also use just in my yard.
And for a bonus: no gasoline, no smell, no sound !!!
Cool! I’m trying Three Sisters for the first time this year, in a relatively small bed. Luckily its been warm so far here so the corn is loving life 😁
It really amazed me how corns are growing even if I do not water them. The experiment will be renewed next year in a larger bed.
