Hi,

I recently moved from San Jose to Merced and faced a similar "problem." I wanted to build raised beds over lawn using the lasagna garden method. But since time was short, rather than waiting for the usual lasagna garden ingredients to breakdown into compost, I figured I could save time by just starting out with straight compost (which, I should add, is somewhat controversial here). I laid wet cardboard over the lawn, built my raised beds, and filled them with 100% green-waste compost from the Merced County landfill. I ended up going through some anxious moments regarding the quality of the compost (see my thread a few pages back on "soil test results"), but was eventually satisfied that everything was AOK and went ahead with
transplanting things into the compost. So far so good!

I paid $10/cu yd for the compost (plus labor costs for someone to go pick it up for me and put it into the beds), but I understand that it's free in some areas. I had an organic amendment analysis done by a lab (it's not considered soil, so they don't do a standard soil test), and was comfortable with using the compost for veggies after talking with the lab.

I've got quite a few raised beds going now, at minimal cost and in a short time frame. Time will tell how it all works out. If you decide to go this route, I'd recommend a soil test or an organic amendment test on the county compost to make sure you're comfortable in using it.

I consider this first year of gardens a bit experimental, so can't totally recommend it or not. I was digging out (in our clay soil) around some sprinkler heads today in preparation for replacing them with drip irrigation fittings. I came across a number of worms, so I'm hopeful that by now, I've got worms starting to chomp on the cardboard beneath my raised beds and preparing the way for the roots of my transplants to venture down into the depths beneath the compost. (Most of my raised beds are just 6" high but I have a few at 2' deep).

FWIW!

well, if it's year to year thing, get bartholowmews book on square foot gardening and see what you think. that way it won't take up so much space and you can save some wildflowers.

I'd hesitate to invest anything but labor into a plot that may only last a year. The exception would be rental for a roto-tiller and some organic fertilizers. Even a modest garden can consume a huge quantity of mulch so, unless you are independently wealthy, forget about paying anything for compost or mulch to cover so large an area. In fact, in fact, let the amount of mulch you can expect to get be your guide in determining the size of a realistic gardening area.

Likewise, think about the costs and labor to build a large number of beds using the square-foot guy's methods.

I'd rent a rototiller, till a plot, loosen the soil below with a fork as well as possible without turning it, rake the soil into the layout of rasied beds and plant. Lay in as much (free) mulching material as you can get your hands on, augment the mulch with (free) cardoard and mulch like crazy. I would double-dig some of the beds where I planned to grow carrots and other root crops.

This is the plan of attack for my first garden since moving here too Maine this winter, though I plan to make this more than a one year project. Previous gardens consisted of double-dug raised beds per "How To Grow More Vegetables" by John Jeavons and I will eventually double dig the entire new garden using the bio-intensive method, but I need to get a garden up and growing right off. That's while I'll kill off the layer of sod with a rorotiller, loosen the soil below by rocking a fork back and forth in it and start doube-digging the beds as I find time.

I can't afford to pay more to grow the veggies than I can buy them for by paying 10 bucks a yard for anything.

By the way, can you get water to the garden? The amount of water could be a consideration to the size of the plot you choose to garden.

Wayne

I am envious if your 1/2 acre plot. I agree with most of what Wayne says. Keep it simple and avoid a lot of expense and stay away from the lasagna foolishness. Compost your organic wastes instead. A compost pile will work faster than spreading it out in beds.

You may not be able to get the whole plot ready for this year so aim for half the plot. Raised beds without building frames is a good way to go. Steve Solomon gives a good description of this method.

Here is a link that might be useful: Steve Solomon

g'day l,

grab plenty of newspaper even cardboard and do raised garden beds look at how we did a hay bale garden we use mushroom compost, you build the garden and plant in it as quick as you want.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: len's garden page

A half acre is way too much space to jump into late unless you rent a tiller and basically grow row crops using organic fertilizers. Not such a bad thing to do if you love fresh sweet corn, an ideal crop for long rows. Maybe you could even interplant blocks with the wildflowers, thus preserving your pollinators and other critters. Other easy things include bush beans, summer squash, tomatoes, peppers.

Staying small has advantages, too, especially if water must be brought in. If you let it, a half acre can just about kill you. Just joking, but it's taking on a lot when it's hot and you have lots of stuff to pick, weed, water, and plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: my website