“The organic growing system that has resulted from Paul Gautschi’s incredible experiences has garnered the interest of visitors from around the world. However, never until now have Paul’s methods been documented and shared like this!”
This is the best gardening video I’ve ever seen. It’s a gold mine of information that saves hundreds of hours of hard work in the garden. Here’s a brief summary of key points from the video. The whole system is very simple – it’s all about cover. Keep the ground covered with mulch and nature will do the rest. Grass clippings, leaves, straw and other mulches will all work, but Paul’s favorite is wood chips, especially those about two years old and partially broken down. The lowest cost wood chips come directly from the source – tree trimming companies who grind up branches and leaves. You want a range of sizes of shredded materials, not all big chunks. It’s important not to till the wood chips into the soil. Just spread the material out on the surface so it doesn’t tie up the nitrogen in the soil. Little or no fertilizer is needed if the mulch is spread on the surface. Another benefit of shredded wood chip mulch is reduced need for irrigation. According to Paul, this system can cut irrigation by 90-95%. Plants are naturally healthy and strong because the mulch encourages good kinds of insects such as worms and lady bugs and so no chemicals are needed to control weeds and pests.
Watch the video (free at link below) and you’ll see the similarity between natural building and Permaculture gardening – both work with nature rather than against nature.
– no tilling
– weeds are removed by raking or a light pull
– no fertilizing (once the soil is built up adequately)
– no pesticides or herbicides needed
– little to no irrigation except possibly during the sprouting stage
– fewer wood chips needed as time goes by
– larger and larger crops over the years
– produce is moister, tastier and more nutritious
– no need for raised beds
– no need to rotate crops
– natural pH balance
– root crops can often winter in the ground and be harvested when needed
– replenishes the soil naturally for the next generation
Source: Back to Eden
I recently watched the movie Back to Eden about farming with mulch, it was really interesting to see it can be easy to have a backyard garden :)
Organic veggies for nearly free, that’s awesome.
You can watch the entire movie here (at least for now )
http://backtoedenfilm.com/
The movie is a little preachy, it might make atheists irate, but if you can look past that they show you how to grow food easily.
He says he only gets about 12 inches of rain per year (if I recall) and the mulch keeps the moisture.
He even uses chicken [manure] to make top soil :)
I plan to do likewise when I am able :)
This video flipped my thinking about mulch. Mulch isn’t something you add later as an afterthought. It’s actually one of the most important steps in gardening.