Making Soil

This is how I start garden beds using leaves, kitchen scraps, spent flowers, weeds or whatever organic material you have on hand. Leaves are abundant around here because of all the trees in the neighborhood so they make up the majority of my contents. The object is to replicate how nature replenishs the forest. Nothing is wasted.

My inspiration is from "Lasagna Gardening" by Patricia Lanza

Disclaimer: I am not being paid to endorse any products/books or procedures mentioned in this video. All products and or books mentioned were purchased by me. The opinions set forth are from personal experience.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• soil
• sheet
• compost
• lasagna
• gardening
• no
• till
• sustainability

[JDRgoddess]

i like the idea of a cynder block raised garden. wonderful idea! :D

[msfullroller]

@JDRgoddess Thanks! Gotta give credit for the inspiration to "Path to Freedom" a couple in California. I think they still have a channel on here and a website.

[buckstarchaser]

I've always wanted to try using cinder blocks for borders. How do you like those? Do they fall down at all?

For ants and bugs I use chickens. Cornish X Rock chickens seem to not know to stop eating when they're full so they work better for me than the buff orfingtons I tried before them. They are also the biggest chickens I've ever seen. Since you're so close to your neighbor I wouldn't get a rooster but chickens will certainly put a dent in fire ant populations.

[msfullroller]

@buckstarchaser I really like them and no, they don't fall down at all. Take a look at my latest garden update vids and you'll see I have the beds two blocks high and still no mortar or anything is used to keep them together. Thanks for the info on ant & bug control. Are these the same cornish hens you buy in the store? They seem so tiny.

[buckstarchaser]

@msfullroller Cornish game hens are the same breed as the full sized chickens you see next to them. Basically the full-sized chickens are roosters and the Cornish game hens are females that are culled at an earlier age. They will never grow as fast as the roosters and are not as suitable for egg laying as a dedicated egg breed so they are marketed as some kind of delicacy, ha ha. All chickens of this breed will eat nonstop and grow large if given enough time though.

[msfullroller]

@buckstarchaser Wow, thank you so much for FYI! I have always wondered what the real deal was. It figures. lol

[powerspade]

Theres not need to add a chemical activator, Pee on the compost heap that will turn the compost into farm yard manure (compost)

[bmwwade]

very interesting!

[msfullroller]

Ants...lord yes! I don't have a solution for them either other than stir around the soil every so often. And that just keeps them from making a hill in your garden bed since I guess they don't like to be disturbed. lol but they will still be around and they do serve an ecological function. Ya just don't want 'em in your beds since they seem to like to bite. lol

[gypsydragongal]

I like that you mention to use natural things that are around the yard & food waste. This is one of the few videos I've found on the subject that doesn't use animal waste which is great. I don't want to have to buy, find or have the neighbors smell that. Anyways, thanks for posting. Do you have any problems with ants? Here in the s/w the ants seem to find everything.