Planning the Garden

For awhile I'd planned to garden in our side yard this year. However, it's just too big of a project at this point. There are very large rocks and deep roots and dead stumps that are too big for me to tackle on my own. Not to mention that it doesn't get enough sun.

However, the 8x8 garden I started last year is just too small. Everything got overcrowded.



On the left is the old garden. Underneath the deck is where I'm going to extend it. The deck is so high that it doesn't interfere with sunlight much at all. Instead of a raised bed this year, which costs a ton of cash (to truck in a few yards of dirt, for lumber, etc) I'm just going to do a regular garden and I'll find some way to edge it (maybe with the fencing I already have). I have to get the soil tested, but since I'll be spreading out last year's dirt plus some compost and old potting soil, it should be relatively decent.

But, I thought to myself, tilling this soil might be hard. Then I had an idea. Wherever the chickens are, they strip the ground bare and create holes. Which is exactly what I wanted to happen. So I used some 3 foot poultry fencing and ran it around the deck, stuck the chickens in, et voila! Instant tilling. I let them run around in there while I'm home and around.



So it looks like it will be about 10'x24' altogether. I'll be running a path down the middle to split the garden into two long, thin parcels. The issue I had last year was with rookie planning, I couldn't get into the middle of the garden to pick the green beans.

The tomato, pepper, okra, lettuce, and pumpkin seedlings are in a windowsill already. I want to have so much food I'm ding dong ditching it at the neighbors' houses.