This is a cross-section of what our ground looks like.......notice that I did not say "dirt" or "soil" as that would lead one to believe that there was actual dirt or soil in that ground:
So this is what Paul used to dig those trenches:
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| Ripper teeth as big as my 5-year old.... all to plant some stinking 'taters. |
Yes. I know. It could have been done by hand. And actually, I did dig holes last year to put squash seeds in. With a rock bar. Don't know what a rock bar is? Imagine a six foot, forty pound steel spear that you use to (try to) break a hole through the ground. I saw MamaPea's recent blog post showing off her raised beds containing what I can only describe as heavenly, soft, beautiful, glorious soil and I wept all over my keyboard.
My plan is to have at least one row planted with sweet potato slips, one of summer squash, one of bush beans and three of winter squash / pumpkins. I'll put the slips / seeds into the trenches, cover them with what little dirt there is after picking rocks out, then cover it with compost and rotted hay. Hopefully this new garden area will be amended year after year with whatever other organic biomass we can find around here and should support some sort of vegetable and fruit plants. One day. Hopefully before I'm dead.
How'd you like to join the Blog-A-Day and post every day in June? These folks are, wanna join? Just comment here if you want to be included in our insane ramblings and I'll link you in!
The Midlife Farmwife
The Small Hold
e-i-e-i-omg!
A Homegrown Journal
Pioneer Woman at Heart
Tiny Gardener
Happy Hollow Homestead
Hidden Haven Homestead Too
Our Wee Farm
Whew! At first I thought Paul used your 5 y/o to dig trenches! :) I am so with you on the more-rock-than-dirt thing. It is not a coincidence that there are two gravel pits on my road.
ReplyDeleteHa! I was just thinking about quitting blogging for the Summer. I guess I needed to be challenged. I'm in :)))))
ReplyDeleteLove the illustration of your garden. Maybe Paul could build you some raised beds. I love mine :))))
We have pretty much the same situation around here with the rocks...I own (and am always using!) the rock bar....wishing I had the power equipment!!
ReplyDeleteAnd we're using your challenge to leap back into blogging....so count us in!
Carolyn, I think Kelly is right. Paul needs to build you raised gardens. Then you can truck load real black soil in and be done with it. :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm voting for the raised beds, too. Many of us are challenged with rocky ground but I think your piece of land takes the cake. One of the reasons we started with raised beds was because the whole area where my garden is was a graveled parking lot. Not much else we could do but go with the raised beds. Have you given them serious thought?
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