Veggies in paradise - Part 1: In the beginning

As promised in my article "I hate you, you're different and bad," I am discussing the first part of how to follow unspoilt nature, in growing vegetables.

Plants not only live in harmony with its environment, but also has an active connection with the animals, living in the same area. Observing the processes of transformation found in nature, a simple formula can be discovered.

If this interaction can be copied in your garden, you create a positive microcosm. The plants then act as friendly neighbours, protecting and nourishing each other.

If we have to copy nature, we will see no bare, unused patches in a vegetative colony. We also do not observe any magic tricks, in order to turn the soil. What is below, stay below.

Nature just constantly nuturing from the top, adding leaves and dead organic matter, layer upon layer. If an open space exist, next to the lily, no hard and barren footpath will be found.

I agree, that in the microcosm we want to create, there are no vast spaces to do exactly as nature does. We also do not want a patch in the garden, that appear to be unattended. Thus we toil, and mulch the soil around and around, digging in manure and all kinds of stuff, to speed up the process.

I've got good news. Stop breaking your back. Start a small de-composing pit, in a hidden area, or a container. More about that later. Lightly break the soil where you intend to plant your garden, and sow spinach, lots of it.

As the spinach grows, you may hoe in between the plants to rid the small weeds. The network of roots form a binding factor in the soil, so do not fiddle too much around them. A firm root system will deter the growth of unwanted weeds.

When they are young plants, about hand height, cut the spinach down at ground level. Only cut where you want to sow your rows of "planned" vegetables. Leave the cut leaves on top of the soil to decompose naturally.

Let the other plants in between those rows be, to continue growing. They will provide protection for your new seedlings. The shade they provide, will keep the soil around the new babies moist, as the drying effect of the sun is diminished.

Do not remove the roots of the cut down plants. Spinach roots are soft and decompose very quickly, leaving valuable nutrients in the soil for future use.

The decaying leaves will very soon provide nourishment for soil organisms. So why spinach? It is fast growing, short lived, and with its saponin and mucine content, quick fertilising.

Organic matter will soon attract earthworms, your first friendly fauna. As soon as you have started this process in your garden, it is never allowed again to turn the soil over. You will destroy this delicate balance by putting inactive soil on top of the active soil.

After cutting down you spinach rows, it must be left alone to decompose for a day or two. By now the soil is "ventilated" by the roots of the cut spinach, as well as the new earthworms attracted to the area.

Lightly rake this areas, and then you generously sow mustard seeds in those areas. Gently rake them in, and leave the mustard to grow in situ. The seeds are not planted, but strewn , to fall where they want.

Although the plants at a young age, are very tender, the roots go down deep. This root network will also prevent weeds from taking a demanding position in your Eden space.

The leaves of this young plants can be used in salads and soups, whilst growing.

As soon as the mustard plants are plus minus 4-5 cm high, your garden is ready for the actual planting of diverse vegetables. This planning and application will be discussed in the next issue of my articles. There I will explain the next step.

Mustard is a quick growing herb, and creates a miniature forest. This prevent the soil from drying out. It can tolerate cold weather as well, and only gets nipped at approximately -7 degrees Celsius.

The scruffy leaves will not do kindly to a snails soft bodies, and will deter them from entering.

A very interesting fact is, although mustard is classified as a Cruciferae, it inhibits nematodes in other plants. This is believed to be due to some of the hormones excreted by the mustard roots.

Positive effects blamed on mustard is "disinfecting" and regenerating the soil.

It is wise to sow mustard just before the cold and snow of winter comes. Very few vegetables can be cultivated, or left in the soil, in such extremes.

A green cover of mustard, even if frozen, will give advantage in the new season. The substances left in the soil, will give a head start in the preparation of the new spring garden.

The main reason we want a composting site, is to obtain humus rich content to add in our garden. It takes years in the forest, to create this substance. We only speed up the process. We still want to plant the garden in our lifetime, and reap the benefit of tasting Eden's joy. Not true?

We can apply animal manure in the compost bin, rather than directly in the soil. Chemicals released from strong manure may kill the earthworms and burn some delicate roots of young plants.

A humus rich garden is a very uncomfortable place for snails to be in. You see my mentioning the snails often. They are the main culprits in destroying seedlings as they germinate and start growing. We definitely do not want snails, as the seeds are going to be sown directly into the prepared soil.

There are numerous ways in which you can make your compost. The main idea is to get proper organic material to decompose to valuable, usable food for the plants.

There are, however, some things to avoid. The biggest mistake you can make is to dare put wormwood in the fertiliser.The end result will be no crop.

Wormwood is destructive, and can damage the soil to such an extend, it will take a long time for the soil to recover.

Woody bits and side shoots of wild roses contain lignin, which inhibits plant growth. These bulk materials must be used on a different composting area, and can be used on plants that naturally grows in the woods, as well as strawberries.

All the bits and scraps from the kitchen, as well as newspaper and cardboard boxes decompose well for garden use. Cut-lings from the lawnmower and prunings of soft leaves and branches can also be added.

Remember I told you about the spinach being a good decomposting agent. As you will have a lot if those in between your beds, occasional cuttings can be added. Spinach is amazing, the more you take from it, the more it will produce during its lifetime. Just do not damage the roots.

Hard twigs and cuttings are not advisable. Shred them first as they will require a lot of time to de-compose.

Plant material like Elder is your best defense against moles. If you have it, add it to the heap. Plants that discourage pests and supply extra potash, are Wild Tansy, woodland fern leaves, Yarrow, Horsetail and Brier (Rosa). All of these can be added to your compost, if available.

The compost must be kept humid. Occasional watering on the organics will speed the process. If you have an old tarpaulin or sheet of plastic covering, use it to cover the heap, keeping moisture and heat in.

If not, the process will take a bit longer. Keep in mind, that fresh cuttings from the lawn will have the same isolation effects.

In your natural way of creating a paradise garden, sheet composting, between the beds, is preferred. Your ready made compost will be well utilised in potted plants.

Sheet composting will also be discussed in the upcoming articles.

There are a variety of ideas of the perfect method for composting. Perhaps I will write an article on another day about the different opinions and findings.

However, here we are going to copy nature, and as I said, sheet composting will be the preferred method of application.

Photos courtesy from fotosearch.com

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