Why we prepare our ground in advance of planting
When planting trees and shrubs into grassland or fields previously used for agriculture, I prefer to prepare the area at least six months ahead of planting - 12 months is even better. We often prepare the planting zones in early spring for late Autumn planting. I call this "advance planting preparation" or APP for short.
Advance Planting Preparation - (APP)
The benefits for APP include the following:
- It's generally acknowledged that early succession plants such as grass and forb prefer bacterial dominated soils whereas trees and shrubs prefer fungal. By preparing soils in advance of planting you can alter soil conditions to that which trees and shrubs are more accustomed to. A great way of shifting the soil ecology from bacterial to fungal is to deep mulch the planting zone with high carbon material such as wood chip (preferably ramial wood chip) or with straw at least 6-12 months before planting out. If you live in urban areas, ramial wood chip should be very easy to get hold of from your local tree surgeon (often free of charge). In rural areas straw should be available and spoiled straw that has been exposed to the rain during winter is often freely available as it cannot be used for animal bedding.

Wood chip - The smaller diameter the source wood is, and the more green material in the chip, the faster it will decompose. Chip from small diameter source wood is called ramial wood chip and is the best material to use for mulch in APP. Photo credit David Domoney.
- Grass can compete vigorously with trees and shrubs for nutrients and water. The application of heavy mulches reduces or in some cases eliminates the existing vegetation without the need of heavy digging work or the use of tractors and machinery. The vegetation that is suppressed by the mulch decomposes along with the mulch and adds to the fertility of the soil and improves soil structure.
- You can reduce the expense of time preparing compost or the cost of purchasing it by using fresh manure or other fresh organic matter layered as sheet mulch. Doing so 6-12 months ahead of planting allows enough time for the material to decompose in situ to levels that are not harmful to plants.
- Mulch provides good habitat for a range of invertebrates many of which are beneficial in our garden ecosystems. Slugs and snails will also shelter in the mulch and this often attracts slow worms, toads, frogs and lizards that feed on them under the safety of the cover. Ground beetles and a range of spiders will also make home in the mulch and perhaps the most beneficial of all the soil dwelling organisms, earthworms, will settle and multiply under the mulch slowly bringing the material down into the soil, providing micro drainage, improving structure and creating some of the best plant fertiliser around - vermi-compost.
- When using green manures you do not find the above benefits, but green manure can improve the soil fertility, relieve compaction, improve the soil structure providing better drainage and water retention, suppress weeds and attract beneficial insects and pest predators.

- For large areas you often need to apply large quantities of mulch and manures which means importing from offsite. If you can tap into local waste streams (as mentioned above) this is fine but in some places it can be expensive to purchase and transport these materials.
- Plants that grow via rhizomes and runners such as brambles and couch grass may grow through or around the sheet mulches and green manure cover. This can be overcome by removing these plants before mulching, or spot weeding as they reappear. If the area is dominated by pernicious weeds, it's probably best to take the time to remove them before mulching or sowing.
- On heavy clay (especially compacted clay) applying mulch to the surface is not very effective as it is not easily naturally incorporated into the clay. Furthermore the clay layer can form a barrier or "pan" that prohibits plant root growth and water percolation. In such cases it's necessary to incorporate the organic matter into the soil via double digging or deep ploughing the area, adding the organic matter and then rotary tilling. The initial work is intensive but it is a one off investment in time and energy, and following this by applying organic matter/mulch to the surface will work (so long as the area is not compacted again).
- On all compacted soils it's worth breaking the compaction and relieving any hardpan that may be present before adding mulch.
- In most situations it's necessary to prepare a seed bed when using green manures and this often entails ploughing and tilling the area for large areas or digging over and raking for small areas.
- Always apply a mulch following periods of heavy rain or water the area well beforehand to ensure the soil is well hydrated. This will activate the microbiology in the soil that play a critical role in nutrient cycling.
The Goal of this Trial
Our goal for this study is to establish APP methods that are inexpensive, time efficient and that will provide the optimal conditions for the incoming plants.
Based on what we have available at our site we decided to try the following five methods:
1. Inverted Sod and Mulch - A layer of inverted sod placed on existing vegetation and topped with mulch
2. Green Manure - Ploughing - Tilling - Sowing (Clover - Sainfoin)
3. Fork over and Sheet Mulch - Forking over applying card layer topping with fresh manure and covering with mulch
4. Sheet Mulch - Applying card layer to exisiting vegetation topping with fresh manure and covering with straw mulch
5. Straw Mulch - Applying a layer of straw mulch to existing vegetation
Before we go on to profile each of these methods, here's an overview of the garden we are working on and a description of the trial.
Overview of the Trial Garden
Location: Bulgaria, Shipka
Area: 350 m2
Climate: Temperate
Köppen Climate Classification - Dfc borderline Cfb
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5b
Latitude: 42°
Elevation: 571 m
Average Annual Rainfall: 598 mm
Prevailing Wind: NW & NE
Garden Name: Ataraxia- Perennial Polyculture Trial Beds

In April 2017 we began the development of our trial garden - Ataraxia. In this garden we grow a range of fruit trees and shrubs mixed with habitat for wildlife and support species to reduce pests and disease, and we are attempting to support the crop production by growing support plants that provide nutrition to the crops such as nitrogen fixing plants, mineral repositors and biomass plants. (See here for planting schemes)
We combine the plants and habitat together in polycultures and experiment with these polycultures in order to discover best practices that can produce nutritious affordable food while enhancing biodiversity.
Overview of The Trial

Advance Planting Preparation Trials 6 Beds - 25m long x 1.5m wide |
||
Bed | Advance Planting Preparation (APP) Methods | Planting Schemes |
Bed A | 1. Inverted Sod and Mulch - (Soil-Straw) | Biomass Bed 1 - Nitrogen Fixing Trees + Control |
Bed B | 2. Green Manure - (Plough - Till-Sow) | Perennial Polyculture 1 |
Bed C | 5. Straw Mulch (Straw) | Biomass Bed 2 - Herbaceous Perennials |
Bed D | 3. Fork over and Sheet Mulch - (Card-Manure-Straw) | Perennial Polyculture 2 |
Bed E | 5. Straw Mulch (Straw) | Biomass Bed 3 - Nitrogen Fixing Trees |
Bed F | 4. Sheet Mulch - (Card-Manure-Straw) | Perennial Polyculture 3 |

So let's look at the five different methods we tested to prepare the ground for planting our perennial polycultures.
Our five methods for advance planting preparations
1. Inverted Sod - Bed A

2. Green Manure - Bed B
Method two removes the existing vegetation and replaces it with plants that can improve the soil for the incoming plants. For example, on sites with low fertility soils, nitrogen fixing green manures are great way to lift Nitrogen (N) to appropriate levels. The green manures can also add significant quantities of organic matter to the soil, improving structure and drainage and serving the needs of beneficial insects.
To boost the organic matter content of the soils, the green manure should be cut at regular intervals and plowed into the soil or covered with a straw mulch before planting occurs. In such cases the green manure used should be a fast growing annual cover. An alternative is to sow a perennial cover, cut back at regular intervals (once established) and plant the crops directly into the living mulch.
We sowed the following seeds onto the prepared bed on the 18th May.
Trifolium repens - White Clover 200g - Perennial
Tagetes patula 100g - Annual
Onobrychis viciifolia - Sainfoin 100g - Perennial
During dry periods irrigation may be necessary.
The use of cover crops to prepare beds for perennial polycultures is something we'll be experimenting with more in the future.
3. Fork over and Sheet Mulch

4. Sheet Mulch- Cardboard layer, manure layer , straw layer
5. Straw Bales
What and Why we Record
Our goal for this study is to establish APP methods that are inexpensive, time efficient and that will provide the optimal conditions for the incoming plants.
- Time to Implement - How long it takes to implement each method
- Time to Manage - How long it takes to manage each method up to the point of planting i.e. mowing, weeding, irrigation.
- Materials Needed - Materials required for each method
- Cost of Each Method - How much each method costs to implement
- Soil Mineral Analysis - Annual samples are taken and sent NAAS of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. These samples are compared to base sample taken before work began in Autumn 2016
- Soil Physical Analysis - Annual soil tests are carried out on each bed. The analysis includes a series of nine simple tests that are designed to provide an indication of soil health based on observable physical properties of the soil. You can find instructions on how to carry out this test here. These tests are compared to a base sample we took before the trail began. Higher marks on the test indicate improved soil conditions.
The Results - Record of Inputs
Time to Implement
Time to Implement | ||||
Bed | Advance Planting Preparation (APP) Methods | Total Time | Notes | |
Bed A | 1. Inverted Sod Mulch - (Soil-Straw) |
75 mins |
Times do not include bringing materials to the site
All times excluding the green manure trial are based on 2 people carrying out the task |
|
Bed B | 2. Green Manure - (Plough - Till-Sow) | 60 mins | ||
Bed C | 5. Straw Mulch (Straw) | 30 mins | ||
Bed D | 3. Fork over and Sheet Mulch - (Card-Manure-Straw) | 140 mins | ||
Bed E | 5. Straw Mulch (Straw) | 30 mins | ||
Bed F | 4. Sheet Mulch - (Card-Manure-Straw) | 95 mins |
Time to Manage
Time to Manage (12 months before planting) | ||||
Bed | Advance Planting Preparation (APP) Methods | Total Time | Management | Notes |
Bed A | 1. Inverted Sod and Mulch - (Soil-Straw) | 296 minutes | Weeding |
Different people carried out the weeding tasks at different paces. This data is not very useful
|
Bed B | 2. Green Manure - (Plough - Till-Sow) | 110 minutes | Cutting back | |
Bed C | 5. Straw Mulch (Straw) | 260 minutes | Weeding | |
Bed D | 3. Fork over and Sheet Mulch - (Card-Manure-Straw) | 298 minutes | Weeding | |
Bed E | 5. Straw Mulch (Straw) | 165 minutes | Weeding | |
Bed F | 4. Sheet Mulch - (Card-Manure-Straw) | 167.5 minutes | Weeding |
Cost Analysis
Cost of each Method | |||||
Bed | Advance Planting Preparation (APP) Methods | Materials | Costs | Notes | |
Bed A | 1. Inverted Sod and Mulch - (Soil-Straw) | 15 Straw Bales 1.875m3 of sod of top soil |
15 BGN |
Top soil/sods 0BGN
1 Bale costs 1BGN 750L Manure costs 25 BGN Cardboard costs 0 BGN Hiring tractor and driver 50BGN Labour is not included |
|
Bed B | 2. Green Manure - (Plough - Till-Sow) | Trifolium repens - White Clover 200g - Perennial Tagetes patula 100 g - Annual Onobrychis viciifolia - Sainfoin 100g - Perennial Mouldboard Plough Rotary Till - Hire |
55 BGN | ||
Bed C | 5. Straw Mulch (Straw) | 25 Straw Bales | 25 BGN | ||
Bed D | 3. Fork over and Sheet Mulch - (Card-Manure-Straw) | 15 Straw Bales 750 L Manure 30m2 Card |
40 BGN | ||
Bed E | 5. Straw Mulch (Straw) | 25 Straw Bales | 25BGN | ||
Bed F | 4. Sheet Mulch - (Card-Manure-Straw) | 15 Straw Bales 750L Manure 30m2 Card |
40 BGN |
The Results - Soil Analysis
Soil Mineral Analysis
Soil Analysis - Ataraxia | |||||
Results of Base Analysis taken in Autumn 2016 | |||||
Nitrogen mg/kg | Phosphorous - Potassium mg/100g | ||||
November 2016 | pH (KCI) | N03N | NH4N | P205 | K20 |
5.74 | 6.33 | 3.77 | 10.3 | 17 | |
The nutrient content of the soil is adequate if the following quantities are contained in 100 g of soil: | |||||
P2O5 11–25 mg/100g |
phosphate | ||||
K2O 11–32 mg/100g |
potassium | ||||
Results of Analysis taken Sping 2018 | |||||
Bed A - APP 1. Inverted Sod and Mulch | |||||
Nitrogen mg/kg | Phosphorous - Potassium mg/100g | ||||
March 2018 | pH (KCI) | N03N | NH4N | P205 | K20 |
6.17 | 2.18 | 9.66 | 14.2 | 32.6 | |
Bed B - APP 2. Green Manure | |||||
Nitrogen mg/kg | Phosphorous - Potassium mg/100g | ||||
March 2018 | pH (KCI) | N03N | NH4N | P205 | K20 |
6.54 | 46.7 | 5.9 | 13.2 | 20.2 | |
Bed C and E - APP 5. Straw Mulch | |||||
Nitrogen mg/kg | Phosphorous - Potassium mg/100g | ||||
March 2018 | pH (KCI) | N03N | NH4N | P205 | K20 |
5.95 | 7.95 | 7.34 | 10.8 | 36.3 | |
Bed D - APP 3. Dig over and Sheet Mulch | |||||
Nitrogen mg/kg | Phosphorous - Potassium mg/100g | ||||
March 2018 | pH (KCI) | N03N | NH4N | P205 | K20 |
6.83 | 34.6 | 6.82 | 68.9 | 120 | |
Bed F - APP 4. Sheet Mulch | |||||
Nitrogen mg/kg | Phosphorous - Potassium mg/100g | ||||
March 2018 | pH (KCI) | N03N | NH4N | P205 | K20 |
6.56 | 28.9 | 4.88 | 39.4 | 107 |
Soil Physical Analysis
Soil Physical Analysis - Ataraxia | ||||||
2017 - Base Test | ||||||
TEST | RESULT | TEST SCORES 1 - 9 | ||||
POOR 1 --------- 2 --------- 3 | FAIR 4 --------- 5 -------- 6 | GOOD 7 ---------- 8 --------- 9 | Av | |||
1.GROUND COVER | Less than 50% ground cover [ground plants or mulch | 50% to 75% ground cover [ground plant or mulch] | more than 75% ground cover [ground plant or mulch] | 8 | ||
2.PENETROMETER | Wire probe will not penetrate | Wire probe penetrates with difficulty to less than 20 cm | Wire probe easily penetrates to 20 zm | 1 | ||
3.INFILTRATION | More than 7 minutes | 3 to 7 minutes | Less than 3 minutes | 2 | ||
4. DIVERSITY OF MACROLIFE | Fewer than two types of soil animals | Two to five types of soil animals | More than five types of soil animals | 7 | ||
5. ROOT DEVELOPMENT | Few fine roots only found near the surface | Some fine roots mostly near the surface | Many fine roots throughout | 5 | ||
6. SOIL STRUCTURE | Mostly in clods or with a surface crust, few crumbs | Some clods but also many 10mm crumbs | Friable, readily breaks into 10mm crumbs | 8 | ||
7. AGGREGATE STABILITY | Aggregate broke apart in less than one minute | Aggregate remained intact after one minute | Aggregate remained intact after swirling | |||
10cm depth | 9 | |||||
20 cm depth | 4 | |||||
8. EARTHWORMS | 1 | |||||
45 | ||||||
2018 - APP Trials | ||||||
Bed A - APP 1. Inverted Sod and Mulch - (Soil-Straw) | ||||||
TEST | RESULT | TEST SCORES 1 - 9 | ||||
POOR 1 --------- 2 --------- 3 | FAIR 4 --------- 5 -------- 6 | GOOD 7 ---------- 8 --------- 9 | 1 | 2 | Av | |
1.GROUND COVER | Less than 50% ground cover [ground plants or mulch | 50% to 75% ground cover [ground plant or mulch] | more than 75% ground cover [ground plant or mulch] | 9 | 9 | 9 |
2.PENETROMETER | Wire probe will not penetrate | Wire probe penetrates with difficulty to less than 20 cm | Wire probe easily penetrates to 20 zm | 5 | 6 | 5.5 |
3.INFILTRATION | More than 7 minutes | 3 to 7 minutes | Less than 3 minutes | 8 | 9 | 8.5 |
4. DIVERSITY OF MACROLIFE | Fewer than two types of soil animals | Two to five types of soil animals | More than five types of soil animals | 1 | 1 | 1 |
5. ROOT DEVELOPMENT | Few fine roots only found near the surface | Some fine roots mostly near the surface | Many fine roots throughout | 6 | 6 | 6 |
6. SOIL STRUCTURE | Mostly in clods or with a surface crust, few crumbs | Some clods but also many 10mm crumbs | Friable, readily breaks into 10mm crumbs | 9 | 9 | 9 |
7. AGGREGATE STABILITY | Aggregate broke apart in less than one minute | Aggregate remained intact after one minute | Aggregate remained intact after swirling | |||
10cm depth | 8 | 7 | 7.5 | |||
20 cm depth | 7 | 7 | 7 | |||
8. EARTHWORMS | 4 | 6 | 5 | |||
58.5 | ||||||
Bed B - APP 2. Green Manure - (Plough - Till-Sow) | ||||||
TEST | RESULT | TEST SCORES 1 - 9 | ||||
POOR 1 --------- 2 --------- 3 | FAIR 4 --------- 5 -------- 6 | GOOD 7 ---------- 8 --------- 9 | 1 | 2 | Av | |
1.GROUND COVER | Less than 50% ground cover [ground plants or mulch | 50% to 75% ground cover [ground plant or mulch] | more than 75% ground cover [ground plant or mulch] | 9 | 9 | 9 |
2.PENETROMETER | Wire probe will not penetrate | Wire probe penetrates with difficulty to less than 20 cm | Wire probe easily penetrates to 20 zm | 5 | 5 | 5 |
3.INFILTRATION | More than 7 minutes | 3 to 7 minutes | Less than 3 minutes | 4 | 7 | 5.5 |
4. DIVERSITY OF MACROLIFE | Fewer than two types of soil animals | Two to five types of soil animals | More than five types of soil animals | 2 | 3 | 2.5 |
5. ROOT DEVELOPMENT | Few fine roots only found near the surface | Some fine roots mostly near the surface | Many fine roots throughout | 7 | 9 | 8 |
6. SOIL STRUCTURE | Mostly in clods or with a surface crust, few crumbs | Some clods but also many 10mm crumbs | Friable, readily breaks into 10mm crumbs | 9 | 8 | 8.5 |
7. AGGREGATE STABILITY | Aggregate broke apart in less than one minute | Aggregate remained intact after one minute | Aggregate remained intact after swirling | |||
10cm depth | 9 | 4 | 6.5 | |||
20 cm depth | 6 | 2 | 4 | |||
8. EARTHWORMS | 1 | 6 | 3.5 | |||
52.5 | ||||||
Bed C and E - APP 5. Straw Mulch (Straw) | ||||||
TEST | RESULT | TEST SCORES 1 - 9 | ||||
POOR 1 --------- 2 --------- 3 | FAIR 4 --------- 5 -------- 6 | GOOD 7 ---------- 8 --------- 9 | 1 | 2 | Av | |
1.GROUND COVER | Less than 50% ground cover [ground plants or mulch | 50% to 75% ground cover [ground plant or mulch] | more than 75% ground cover [ground plant or mulch] | 9 | 9 | 9 |
2.PENETROMETER | Wire probe will not penetrate | Wire probe penetrates with difficulty to less than 20 cm | Wire probe easily penetrates to 20 zm | 5 | 5 | 5 |
3.INFILTRATION | More than 7 minutes | 3 to 7 minutes | Less than 3 minutes | 5 | 5 | 5 |
4. DIVERSITY OF MACROLIFE | Fewer than two types of soil animals | Two to five types of soil animals | More than five types of soil animals | 1 | 1 | 1 |
5. ROOT DEVELOPMENT | Few fine roots only found near the surface | Some fine roots mostly near the surface | Many fine roots throughout | 3 | 5 | 4 |
6. SOIL STRUCTURE | Mostly in clods or with a surface crust, few crumbs | Some clods but also many 10mm crumbs | Friable, readily breaks into 10mm crumbs | 7 | 7 | 7 |
7. AGGREGATE STABILITY | Aggregate broke apart in less than one minute | Aggregate remained intact after one minute | Aggregate remained intact after swirling | |||
10cm depth | 7 | 6 | 6.5 | |||
20 cm depth | 8 | 4 | 6 | |||
8. EARTHWORMS | 8 | 9 | 8.5 | |||
52 | ||||||
Bed D - APP 3. Dig over and Sheet Mulch - (Card-Manure-Straw) | ||||||
TEST | RESULT | TEST SCORES 1 - 9 | ||||
POOR 1 --------- 2 --------- 3 | FAIR 4 --------- 5 -------- 6 | GOOD 7 ---------- 8 --------- 9 | 1 | 2 | Av | |
1.GROUND COVER | Less than 50% ground cover [ground plants or mulch | 50% to 75% ground cover [ground plant or mulch] | more than 75% ground cover [ground plant or mulch] | 9 | 9 | 9 |
2.PENETROMETER | Wire probe will not penetrate | Wire probe penetrates with difficulty to less than 20 cm | Wire probe easily penetrates to 20 zm | 4 | 4 | 4 |
3.INFILTRATION | More than 7 minutes | 3 to 7 minutes | Less than 3 minutes | 9 | 9 | 9 |
4. DIVERSITY OF MACROLIFE | Fewer than two types of soil animals | Two to five types of soil animals | More than five types of soil animals | 2 | 3 | 2.5 |
5. ROOT DEVELOPMENT | Few fine roots only found near the surface | Some fine roots mostly near the surface | Many fine roots throughout | 3 | 5 | 4 |
6. SOIL STRUCTURE | Mostly in clods or with a surface crust, few crumbs | Some clods but also many 10mm crumbs | Friable, readily breaks into 10mm crumbs | 5 | 8 | 6.5 |
7. AGGREGATE STABILITY | Aggregate broke apart in less than one minute | Aggregate remained intact after one minute | Aggregate remained intact after swirling | |||
10cm depth | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||
20 cm depth | 5 | 7 | 6 | |||
8. EARTHWORMS | 7 | 9 | 8 | |||
55 | ||||||
Bed F - APP 4. Sheet Mulch - (Card-Manure-Straw) | ||||||
TEST | RESULT | TEST SCORES 1 - 9 | ||||
POOR 1 --------- 2 --------- 3 | FAIR 4 --------- 5 -------- 6 | GOOD 7 ---------- 8 --------- 9 | 1 | 2 | Av | |
1.GROUND COVER | Less than 50% ground cover [ground plants or mulch | 50% to 75% ground cover [ground plant or mulch] | more than 75% ground cover [ground plant or mulch] | 9 | 9 | 9 |
2.PENETROMETER | Wire probe will not penetrate | Wire probe penetrates with difficulty to less than 20 cm | Wire probe easily penetrates to 20 zm | 4 | 5 | 4.5 |
3.INFILTRATION | More than 7 minutes | 3 to 7 minutes | Less than 3 minutes | 8 | 8 | 8 |
4. DIVERSITY OF MACROLIFE | Fewer than two types of soil animals | Two to five types of soil animals | More than five types of soil animals | 4 | 2 | 3 |
5. ROOT DEVELOPMENT | Few fine roots only found near the surface | Some fine roots mostly near the surface | Many fine roots throughout | 6 | 6 | 6 |
6. SOIL STRUCTURE | Mostly in clods or with a surface crust, few crumbs | Some clods but also many 10mm crumbs | Friable, readily breaks into 10mm crumbs | 8 | 9 | 8.5 |
7. AGGREGATE STABILITY | Aggregate broke apart in less than one minute | Aggregate remained intact after one minute | Aggregate remained intact after swirling | |||
10cm depth | 9 | 9 | 9 | |||
20 cm depth | 4 | 9 | 6.5 | |||
8. EARTHWORMS | 9 | 8 | 8.5 | |||
63 |
Summary of Results
Time to Implement - No surprise in that APP method 5 Straw Mulch was the fastest to implement and that APP method 3 Fork over and Sheet Mulch took the longest.
Time to Manage - APP method 2 Green Manure took the least amount of time to manage and APP method 3 Fork over and Sheet Mulch took the longest amount of time to manage. Although it's safe to say that APP method 2 Green Manure does in fact take the least amount of time to manage for the other beds the data is not useful as the weeding was carried out by different people at a different pace. If we did this again it would be better to recording individual times and take an average. It is worth noting however that adding a layer of card below the straw mulch is as effective at suppressing weeds as doubling up on straw without a card layer.
Personally I prefer to allow weeds to establish and use them as a resoure. All the time weeds are growing in your beds they are transforming sunlight, water, oxygen and carbon dioxide into biomass, biomass that can be used to feed the soil and create fertility. I consider the weeds support plants and only feel it necessary to remove them when they may cause competitive stress to the productive plants. The point of weeding in this trial was to compare how well each method checked weed growth and it seems very clear to me that none of the methods are suitable. The time it takes to weed the beds is very high making this restrictive for large scale operations. In order to heavily reduce weed growth an alternative option is to use heavy duty landscapers mat which allows water and gasses to enter the soil whilst restricting weed growth (plant seed that blows in with the wind will still establish). I'd say growing weeds for support and devising better tools for chop and drop is the way forward for perennial polyculture.
Another thing to mention here is that in the sheet mulched beds we actually introduced some pernicious weeds with the manure, specifically Cynodon dactylon Bermuda Grass, which spreads to form a mat and is difficult to remove. Composting the manure in a hot compost pile can kill these weed seeds but is very time intensive and perhaps placing the card over the manure rather than under the manure may slow them but i'm sure the seeds will germinate after the card has decomposed. We're trying out a method where we cover the beds with greenhouse plastic during a hot summers week. We'll see whether this will destroy the roots of the plants too.
Cost of Each Method - The least expensive was APP method 1 Inverted Sod and Mulch – this is the case as long as you have the top soil on site. The most expensive was APP method 2 Green Manure.
Based on the results of the soil analysis we can get an idea which method provided the optimal conditions for the incoming plants.
Soil Physical Analysis - Ataraxia | ||
Rank | Sample | Score |
1 | Bed F - APP 4. Sheet Mulch | 63 |
2 | Bed A - APP 1. Inverted Sod and Mulch | 58.5 |
3 | Bed D - APP 3. Dig over and Sheet Mulch | 55 |
4 | Bed B - APP 2. Green Manure | 52.5 |
5 | Bed C and E - APP 5. Straw Mulch | 52 |
Base Test | 45 |
- Purchases seeds or plants from our nursery. You can find a variety of plants or seeds from our BioNursery here and start building your own productive bio-diverse gardens.
- Join us on one of our upcoming Courses and enjoy an educational adventure in rural Bulgaria where you'll be learning how to create regenerative landscapes and polycultures producing food and other resources while enhancing biodiversity.
- You can also donate directly to our Polyculture Project. See here for the interesting rewards you will receive for your donation.
This article originally appeared on the Balkan Ecology Project's blog here: http://balkanecologyproject.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-results-trial-looking-at-5-ways-to.html
Useful links
More from the Balkan Ecology Project:
Are polycultures the future of food?
Soil temperature and seed germination