Sheet Mulching Now For Planting Next Spring

[Lance]

Greetings:

This is my first post so instead of directly responding to numerous queries on other threads I'll do a run down on how to turn a lawn or any area with soil beneath it, into a garden without digging.

1. Pick your area, I would keep it as close to your front door as possible.

2. Save your and your families urine for a week.

3. Collect enough cardboard to cover the area with a decent overlap.

4. Collect enough compostable matter such as mulching hay/alfalfa, fallen leaves, grass clippings etc. Nothing too woody though.

5. Chop down the area you are going to garden with a weed whacker or scythe if you are into old tools.

6. Spread the urine over the newly chopped area, lay down the cardboard then apply the compostable material. Make sure the cardboard is completely covered or it will wick moisture out via any exposed corner.

Keep adding anything you can find that will break down in a few months, and if you are not too squeamish...keep pouring on the urine. In a few months after the snow melts or the rains come or whatever...you will have created a few inches of fine tilth.

Sheet mulching is also called 'lasagna gardening' and was popularized out of the Permaculture community by a book of that name.

if you have NO soil, it doesn't matter. You can grow enough food for yourself in other ways. The most exciting system I have heard of lately can be found here, but you have to buy the book. There is a PDF of an interview though which kind of gets a little into it.

http://www.gardeningrevolution.com/index.html

[VinnieCooper]

Lance Mate your onto somthing with that man I've been looking for somthing to do with my Urine... aside from drink it.

Jokes

[Carol]

Aloha Lance,

I really like your thead and saw you had several theads with great tips. If you would be kind enough to put the information into one thread, I'd like to stick it up at the top.

Mahalo,

Makani

[Lance]

Originally Posted by Carol

Aloha Lance,

I really like your thead and saw you had several theads with great tips. If you would be kind enough to put the information into one thread, I'd like to stick it up at the top.

Mahalo,

Makani

Do I just search for all the posts I've done or something? Call it Lance's permaculture tip of the day maybe? I dunno, I'm pretty much useless, can't figure out how to shrink my photo for my avatar (me actually) and besides being the slowest typer I know...am 'puter illiterate! But if all it takes is to search and gather...I can do that. But I've a few more ideas in me for sure, and I'll keep adding them in one spot.

[Mizar]

Nice Post Lance;
Mizar has used male urine placed outside ( collected inside first) for many years to repel bears, raccoons and coyotes from the Abodes of Mizar. As well ground crew members are advised to prepare their perimeter in the same way when overnighting outside in a soft sided tent or tent trailer.
The cardboard ( acid) works nicely with the urine ( basic) and goes right down into the soil, as well the cardboard kills weeds by preventing light getting to the week seeds, newspaper works as well.
M