Sunday 10 April 2016

Pathway compost?

It's still pretty brown here...  early Spring is downright ugly 'round these parts and it pains me every year.  I'm accustomed to the coast where things simply get greener in Spring (never going brown at all over Winter).  Ah well, it is what it is.

I've got some reconciling to do this Spring.   I chose NOT to seed a winter cover crop in Autumn because I thought we'd be moving right away BUT that decision is biting me in the rear end now.  At least I mulched the garden (which mostly decomposed over Winter).    Having a protective cover crop of winter rye in place would have been mighty fine but I can't go back in time so I'm dealing with what I've got. 

Yesterday was the first solid day of garden work I've put in in 2016.  I picked up plant matter (mostly tomato vines) that didn't fully decompose in the annual intensive beds as well as begun digging the pathways out.  We let the hens in here in Autumn and they succeeded in scratching things about (although too badly) all the while manuring nicely for me.  

The swale/pathways were 18" deep in wood chips last year and it's all decomposed now. 
 I can't BELIEVE how lovely the resulting compost is (especially when deciduous chips are used as the nitrogen component is high enough to induce quick rotting). Wood chip swales are intensive earthworm FARMS of the highest order and I've been DELIGHTED at each sweet smelling earthy shovelful I deposit onto the growing beds.   I remember digging down into the swale last summer and being astounded at the population of earthworms.  They love the rich organic matter (food) and the moisture (swales are designed to hold and distribute water).  




This is truly a great system - simply shovel the pathway compost onto the growing beds each Spring and refill the pathways with fresh wood chips.  Repeat next year.  The compost is created in situ by the earthworms and the shovelling is easy work because the compost is humous-y and light (for the win!).  

I'll finish this up today and seed the area to green manure crops of peas and buckwheat (it's what I have on hand).  I can't plant this garden for 6 weeks anyway (when our last frost date is) so I'll have time to get a quick green manure crop in then chop it back/work it in in 4 weeks.  This will boost fertility and keep that first flush of weeds at bay.   Weeds love disturbance and that's just what I have been doing by shovelling the pathway compost up onto the beds...





10 comments:

  1. What a great way to compost for the next year. Learn something new every day. Thanks for sharing

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    1. You're welcome :) It's always trial and error for me but this worked quite well.

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    2. Wishing I did not put rock down now between my raised beds. This may have worked here too. I will try it where I plan to grow a couple larger trees and bushes. Would be great for fresh mulching under them as well maybe.

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    3. Rocks can be useful, too. They retain a lot of heat and radiate it out during cooler nights....

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  2. That is super smart! Maybe I should try this in between my raised beds - if I could just shovel the pathway compost into them each spring, that would be amazing! Hope you get some good news about your move soon, that must be so hard waiting...waiting...
    -Jaime

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    1. Well, thank you but I can't take credit because I certainly didn't go into it thinking the result would be this great. I knew I'd have to top up my pathways this year but wasn't aware of how effective the earthworms would be at fully covering wood chips into compost in such a short time.

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  3. Never heard of this system before and I must say it is very intelligent - impressed

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    1. Intelligent would mean I'd have intentionally planned it to be this awesome (which I didn't) ;) I'm happy to reap the benefits but feel like that label is not one I deserve XO Thanks anyway, Phil :)

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