One cubic yard of mulch covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 162 square feet at 2 inches deep, or 108 square feet at 3 inches deep.

Weeds grow in a ph of 7 or more

They grow super fast and suicide to seed.

Weeds take up a specific kind of nitrogen, nitrates.

Where as most vegetables would take up a different kind of nitrogen, ammonia which is mostly present in untreated soils.

If you had fungal networks or even microbes they would release acids making it not possible for the weeds to take over and you can save a fortune not spraying for weeds, better for the bees and environment, and having cleaner food for the consumer.

Getting a bio complete inoculator can save you from spending a fortune battling weeds and produce lots more than you imagined with a nutrient dense yield

This post was edited by eMptyBox on Mar 8 2023 06:48am

Planted rye grass to increase photosynthesis and microbial activity in the root zone, so when my spring crop gets planted it immediately attaches to the existing hyphae systems

Bump per request

Thanks for sharing your knowledge & your experience in gardening.

Topic tracked & i'll add more pictures soon.



Here is my vegetable mound.


I am currently growing pumpkins (Cucurbita Maxima) in my vegetable mound, dwarf butter beans "major" notably for the nitrogen they bring to the soil through their symbioses with their roots & bacteria in the soil, they transform nitrogen from the air and returns it to the soil, nitrogen which pumpkins are fond of.

Marigolds in a planter, which I will add to the mound a little later to prevent proliferation of nematodes with their roots.

The roots of marigolds secrete a substance, thiophene, which prevents the growth of larvae.

Currently my vegetable garden is an equilateral triangle of 2 meters across, and I will enlarge it within more or less 3 weeks.



I added a good mulch for several weeks but I have to add more, it consists of hedge trimming, dead leaves, green leaves and twigs mainly.

The soil is currently warm with the summer weather and I am watering very regularly at the moment, a little every day because of the current climate in northern France.

The soil is rich in earthworm, spiders, woodlice, slugs and snails, and above all I imagine that there are a lot of bacteria given the heat and humidity in the ground.

Mulch is a way of stimulating the reproduction of these insects and bacteria by keeping the soil cool and moist without excess water and without total drying out, it is protected from the harsh rays of the sun in summer & protected from the cold in winter.



I think I will make the pumpkins climb on a cane and/or bamboo structure that I will make when they grow up.

I grew them very close on purpose with the idea of ​​making them climb because the floor space will be insufficient.

I will also add herbs and others flowers to the vegetable mound later.



The vegetable mound 4 days ago :


Yesterday :


This post was edited by Neili on Jun 14 2023 02:41pm

Today :




New mulch of bay laurel's leaves and twigs cuts added (on top of the old one who was only a few weeks old) :

Good job, I like the set up. Adding in more freshness every other week will help out a lot with the heat and keep life 🙌

Cool potters, never seen those look like they're great air pruners.

I would add a herb like basil to the mix, you can squeeze it in or around the pumpkin patch :]

keep me posted any signs of anything we can check it all out and keep things thriving is the goal ✨️

Thank you,


yes these pots are quite efficient but the soil mix dries out faster so you have to water more often.

Thanks to their technology with their aerated structure and the dimensions of the pot, in my opinion this generates a more developed root network (i opened a pot few years ago - they are removable - with a pumpkin), the roots do not go around in circles as in a classic pot, the roots are cut by the air.

These pots are called "air pots" and can be bought on some online growshops.



Adding aromatic herbs was in my plans, including basil whose seeds I have already bought, and other aromatic plants, chives, parsley, coriander, chamomile, chervil, and also other flowers, nasturtiums.

Thank you for the good advice because basil will adapt perfectly with this type of rich and moist soil.



Today

2 Rhubarbs and 15 Pumpkins in the vegetable mound :






Overview :



This post was edited by Neili on Jun 17 2023 10:41am

Rhubarbs :





Pumpkin - Cucurbita Maxima :





Dwarf butter Beans "Major" & Pumpkins in pots :

The Marigolds repotted from the planter to individual pots in order to make them join the vegetable mound :