Okay, so we're diving deep into getting this garden dialed in, and man, it’s been a learning curve, especially dealing with these crazy Arkansas spring temperature swings. One minute it's 80 degrees, the next it’s a frost – caught me off guard. Lost a bunch of starts, watermelons, squash, peas, cucumbers, all of them. Lesson learned: tunnels are a MUST until the real spring has arrived, especially down here.
I’m really focusing on getting the soil right. We're moving away from just dirt and trying to build a living ecosystem. For those of you unfamiliar with "Back to Eden" gardening, it's all about using wood chips as a primary component to build the soil. We're not just dumping dry chips from the store either. We're using "hot chips" - a mix of fresh wood chips with a bunch of leaf material mixed in. When this stuff gets wet, it starts to heat up, releasing thermal energy. We’re putting these hot chip walkways between our planting rows so they warm up the soil, which helps in the early spring.
What's really cool is this technique mimics what you'd find in a forest floor, with all the organic matter breaking down and enriching the soil. Wood chips are a cornerstone of natural soil building, and historically, this isn't new. Consider the practice of coppicing in ancient woodlands. People would cut trees, but leave the root system, encouraging new growth and providing a constant source of wood for fuel and other purposes. The waste material, the smaller branches, would often be left to decay enriching the soil. This method is an old way, working with nature's processes instead of against them. It ties into what we are doing, using the wood chips for soil health, not just mulch.
(affiliate links)
299 Days: The Preparation: https://amzn.to/4bwMXy4
Tree Hugger: https://amzn.to/4dCIoV0
Speaking of soil health, I’m also experimenting with a secret mineral mix. We're using a blend of things like ida grow, agroman, and a bit of gypsum. I didn’t use gypsum in the mix for all of the strawberries, and I did notice a difference in the ones that were treated. Some of these minerals are hard to get, so we’re experimenting with them sparingly. The idea is to really "beef up" the soil with these hard-to-find nutrients and biology. This harkens back to a time before large-scale fertilizer production. Farmers of old relied on mineral-rich amendments, natural deposits of things like limestone or bone meal. They didn't have synthetic NPK numbers, but understood that plants needed more than just the basic elements.
The wood chips also act like a sponge holding a massive amount of moisture in the ground. I’m thinking this is going to cut down on our irrigation drastically. The plan is that over the next couple of years, these walkways will break down and become rich, dark soil, and we can flip the rows or till it all under.
Now, I know a lot of people might be hesitant to showcase their gardens, especially if you are in a position of needing to rely on that food. It’s a big risk. We see all the time, particularly in history, how the desperate will take from those who have. That’s exactly why we need to be prepared. This location is a learning facility, not our end-game place. The property is being used as a template, a place where we can learn and test out techniques, create content, but still be able to pack up the whole operation on a moment's notice.
We have big plans for this place, moving away from grass, partitioning the area for livestock, rotational grazing, and an orchard. We're trying to make it as resilient as possible. We're aiming for long-term food storage through canning, drying, and all of the other things that help you preserve food, as well as growing food that will be readily consumed by a larger group of people.
Also, we had some issues with potato bugs, so keep an eye out for those. Diatomaceous earth is the old-school solution to that particular pest. They’re a pain, but you gotta stay on top of it, or they will decimate the whole crop.
Finally, I wanted to mention the chickens. They are still doing great with their new setup on our "chicken tractor". We moved the coop off of the ground, and the birds had zero idea what was happening. It is very entertaining, but more importantly, it works. It's a system that allows them to access new ground, fertilizing the land as they go. We’ve been moving it daily, but I am going to try and put some poultry netting up and only move it once a week, which will save time.
It’s all a process, but I'm excited about the progress we're making. We're not just growing food; we're building soil, a community, and a more resilient future. I can't wait to share more of this stuff with you guys.
Rumble version -
I’m really focusing on getting the soil right. We're moving away from just dirt and trying to build a living ecosystem. For those of you unfamiliar with "Back to Eden" gardening, it's all about using wood chips as a primary component to build the soil. We're not just dumping dry chips from the store either. We're using "hot chips" - a mix of fresh wood chips with a bunch of leaf material mixed in. When this stuff gets wet, it starts to heat up, releasing thermal energy. We’re putting these hot chip walkways between our planting rows so they warm up the soil, which helps in the early spring.
What's really cool is this technique mimics what you'd find in a forest floor, with all the organic matter breaking down and enriching the soil. Wood chips are a cornerstone of natural soil building, and historically, this isn't new. Consider the practice of coppicing in ancient woodlands. People would cut trees, but leave the root system, encouraging new growth and providing a constant source of wood for fuel and other purposes. The waste material, the smaller branches, would often be left to decay enriching the soil. This method is an old way, working with nature's processes instead of against them. It ties into what we are doing, using the wood chips for soil health, not just mulch.
(affiliate links)
299 Days: The Preparation: https://amzn.to/4bwMXy4
Tree Hugger: https://amzn.to/4dCIoV0
Speaking of soil health, I’m also experimenting with a secret mineral mix. We're using a blend of things like ida grow, agroman, and a bit of gypsum. I didn’t use gypsum in the mix for all of the strawberries, and I did notice a difference in the ones that were treated. Some of these minerals are hard to get, so we’re experimenting with them sparingly. The idea is to really "beef up" the soil with these hard-to-find nutrients and biology. This harkens back to a time before large-scale fertilizer production. Farmers of old relied on mineral-rich amendments, natural deposits of things like limestone or bone meal. They didn't have synthetic NPK numbers, but understood that plants needed more than just the basic elements.
The wood chips also act like a sponge holding a massive amount of moisture in the ground. I’m thinking this is going to cut down on our irrigation drastically. The plan is that over the next couple of years, these walkways will break down and become rich, dark soil, and we can flip the rows or till it all under.
Now, I know a lot of people might be hesitant to showcase their gardens, especially if you are in a position of needing to rely on that food. It’s a big risk. We see all the time, particularly in history, how the desperate will take from those who have. That’s exactly why we need to be prepared. This location is a learning facility, not our end-game place. The property is being used as a template, a place where we can learn and test out techniques, create content, but still be able to pack up the whole operation on a moment's notice.
We have big plans for this place, moving away from grass, partitioning the area for livestock, rotational grazing, and an orchard. We're trying to make it as resilient as possible. We're aiming for long-term food storage through canning, drying, and all of the other things that help you preserve food, as well as growing food that will be readily consumed by a larger group of people.
Also, we had some issues with potato bugs, so keep an eye out for those. Diatomaceous earth is the old-school solution to that particular pest. They’re a pain, but you gotta stay on top of it, or they will decimate the whole crop.
Finally, I wanted to mention the chickens. They are still doing great with their new setup on our "chicken tractor". We moved the coop off of the ground, and the birds had zero idea what was happening. It is very entertaining, but more importantly, it works. It's a system that allows them to access new ground, fertilizing the land as they go. We’ve been moving it daily, but I am going to try and put some poultry netting up and only move it once a week, which will save time.
It’s all a process, but I'm excited about the progress we're making. We're not just growing food; we're building soil, a community, and a more resilient future. I can't wait to share more of this stuff with you guys.
Rumble version -
