Back to Eden Video

How our method of gardening changed

The way I gardened changed dramatically after watching the following video. My husband & I brought in wood chips, delivered free by a tree service. We spread them out wherever we had plants, ornamental or vegetables. 

For several years we continued with this course but eventually we realized that the wood chips were best used for our fruit trees and some of our perennials, But the main thing we learned was that having a "cover" on the ground greatly benefitted our "yarden". 

Another Change

More specifically, we found that a soft cover, such a straw, was better for our annual vegetables and flowers. It broke down much faster than wood chips, feeding the soil and populating our it with worms and micro-organisms. Chips took years to break down but straw broke down within the season and enriched to soil so much faster. 

A Recommendation

My suggestion is that if you decide to garden as described in the video, consider other mulches as well. 

Paul Gautschi talks about the forest floor and the rich soil underneath it. But if you think about it, the forest floor isn't really covered in wood chips, It's covered with leaves mostly that fall from the trees. there is some wood but it's usually large pieces of wood that fall from the trees, such as twigs, branches and even limbs that take a considerable amount of time to break down. 

Please also watch the second video that gets into the relationship that soil and plants have with other mulches as well. The film offers facts about what kind of micro-life (biology) dominates wood chips and what kind of micro-life (biology)  dominates softer mulches such as straw and which is best for our annual plants. 

 

Happy gardening, folks!