When it comes to deciding what to plant, it’s easy to skip straight to the table. In other words, it makes sense to grow what you like to eat, right?
Well, of course it does, but getting a healthy harvest is all about creating useful plant communities that share resources effectively instead of competing against one another.
Our pre-configured templates make sure that your harvest is supported by plants of different root depths, that require different nutrients and repel or attract insects according to the needs of the other plants around.
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When most of the critters and fungi that live in healthy soil are exposed to sunlight through activities like tilling or pulling weeds, they are killed by the UV light. While this might not seem like a problem, it takes time for soil life communities to heal, so each time the soil is disturbed that timer is reset.
Won’t the roots that I’m leaving in the ground cause problems for my new plants?
As a matter of fact, as the old roots start to dissolve and return their nutrients to the soil, they’ll leave passageways that absorb water more efficiently and keep soil texture fluffy and loose.
What about weeds or root vegetables?
Ok, so there are some exceptions. Sometimes you have to dig something out or pull something out, but the best practice is just to disturb the soil as little as possible.
What else should I know about soil health?
Boy oh boy – what isn’t there to know!? The good news is, we’ve done most of the homework for you. Your raised bed will only require a “refill” of compost and pine straw each season in order to keep the top layer mulched, moist, and fertile. We provide this service too, with rates based on the square footage of your garden.
If you want to know even more about this gardening philosophy, you can read about it here.