Biointensive Gardening 3 - Composting

The third component of this exposee on bio-intensive growing, here's an example of how to help "grow soil" by composting. The general formula is (1) a layer of kitchen scraps or "green", live yard waste like weeds or grasses, (2) A thin layer of soil and (3) a layer of "brown" or mature vegetation, like straw, dead leaves, etc.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• garden
• compost
• organic
• permaculture
• raven
• john
• jeavons
• biointensive

[prieten52]

I started my own vegetable garden this year. One of the frustrations (a minor one) was my compost pile. No matter how many times I tried, I couldn't get it to be cube shaped. It always ended up looking like a miniature Mt. Fuji! Several times I disassembled the compost pile and put it together again, but always with the same result. When I put stuff on the edges, they would roll off. I am a little restricted in the space I have for my pile, so spreading things out isn't an option.

[ravenseen]

@prieten52 ... hi p...congratulations on starting a vegetable garden! Yay! That is so great. And as for your compost pile, it sounds like a good frustration to have! haha. Do you have access to a bale of hay? The hay works well as filler. You could also try a little containing strategy like using chicken wire or something like that. Hmmn... i wish you luck with your experiments...

[ShushLorraine]

Was Salt Spring Seed Co formed after the founders learned of bio-intensive gardening from J. Jeavons, or was it a seed company first and then decided this was the best way to garden?

[ravenseen]

No... salt spring seeds is the work of Dan Jason, sharing Jeavon's method is my own offering and affinity...

[ShushLorraine]

So, when you say, "mature vegetation", do you mean dead and dried as opposed to green and freshly dug?

[ravenseen]

that's right.

[ShushLorraine]

Thank you for both answers. I'm just now seeing them.

[ravenseen]

this gardening is happening in conjuction with salt spring seed company and the folks at the salt spring centre for yoga...

[tjpayne09]

do you do all this gardening at your family farm, or a farm community?