I started 3 years ago with a keyhole garden, then read about the "Ruth Stout Method" which is basically a combination of No Dig/No Till and Back to Eden methods, using hay or straw as the mulching material. I disassembled my keyhole garden and used the composted material and soil in it as the basis for my new garden. I covered the entire garden area with corrugated cardboard and additional rotting hay while putting it to bed for the winter. Last spring, we started building the raised beds using 2x4 cedar decking on edge for 3'x8' beds and wire cattle panels for arches and trellises, then adding bags of soil mix to the raised beds and a little bit of Vegetable and Tomato Food and some Acidifier to the soil at the bases of the arches and trellises. Once I planted seeds and seedlings, I laid out soaker hoses and attached them to battery-operated timers for all the beds, then improvised hoops and covered everything with insect barrier netting to protect the plants from the evil grasshoppers. The garden this past summer performed wonderfully. All vine-growth plants were trained onto trellises, arches and fences, including melons and sweet potatoes, which kept them off the ground and out of the walkways. I was having trouble finding old hay for free last spring since the local ranchers were feeding everything they could find to the cattle at the end of last winter so I went ahead and bought a few bales of Bermuda hay at Tractor Supply. At $11 a bale, it is actually fairly economical since it goes a long way. I only used 2 bales and have 1 more that I have been using to mulch for this winter. This winter, I will add another layer of cedar 2x4s to increase the height of the raised beds by 3 1/2" and in the spring I will add my own compost and some more purchased soil mix. I am also planning to install a drip irrigation system since the PVC supply line for the hoses froze and cracked last fall. Besides, I have gotten 2 seasons out of most of the soaker hoses and they are starting to disintegrate from wear & tear, calcium build-up and UV exposure. Time to switch to a more robust, permanent system. Using the timers is a great labor saver, though. The plants get the water they need, whether I am in the garden or not. The garden is approximately 32' x 64'. Last week, we installed freeze-proof hydrants and buried "Pex" water lines for the gardens and the chicken/Guinea house. There is another garden nearby at 32' x32' but it needs some major work done to it before I can get anything to grow in it. Scraping off the scrub and mesquite trees brought lots of weed seeds to the surface, mostly of noxious weeds and Johnson grass. I am currently planning to build some elevated beds in it using 55 gal drums in wooden stands. It is sloped so needs a bunch of terra-forming done first and possibly a retaining wall. I am still waiting for the new tractor to come off the cargo ship from South Korea. Eventually, the plans call for building a greenhouse in the complex.
My overall impression is that covering the entire garden with hay for the winter makes it much easier and more pleasant to work in for the spring and summer. It keeps the ground from getting muddy and helps to keep the soil moist so the dust is kept to a minimum. One problem with covering cardboard with hay was the fact that footing became slippery and dangerous. Straw is almost impossible to find around here and the hay has a tendency to want to grow grass but as long as you pull it up as it sprouts, it isn't too bad.
I started 3 years ago with a keyhole garden, then read about the "Ruth Stout Method" which is basically a combination of No Dig/No Till and Back to Eden methods, using hay or straw as the mulching material. I disassembled my keyhole garden and used the composted material and soil in it as the basis for my new garden. I covered the entire garden area with corrugated cardboard and additional rotting hay while putting it to bed for the winter. Last spring, we started building the raised beds using 2x4 cedar decking on edge for 3'x8' beds and wire cattle panels for arches and trellises, then adding bags of soil mix to the raised beds and a little bit of Vegetable and Tomato Food and some Acidifier to the soil at the bases of the arches and trellises. Once I planted seeds and seedlings, I laid out soaker hoses and attached them to battery-operated timers for all the beds, then improvised hoops and covered everything with insect barrier netting to protect the plants from the evil grasshoppers. The garden this past summer performed wonderfully. All vine-growth plants were trained onto trellises, arches and fences, including melons and sweet potatoes, which kept them off the ground and out of the walkways. I was having trouble finding old hay for free last spring since the local ranchers were feeding everything they could find to the cattle at the end of last winter so I went ahead and bought a few bales of Bermuda hay at Tractor Supply. At $11 a bale, it is actually fairly economical since it goes a long way. I only used 2 bales and have 1 more that I have been using to mulch for this winter. This winter, I will add another layer of cedar 2x4s to increase the height of the raised beds by 3 1/2" and in the spring I will add my own compost and some more purchased soil mix. I am also planning to install a drip irrigation system since the PVC supply line for the hoses froze and cracked last fall. Besides, I have gotten 2 seasons out of most of the soaker hoses and they are starting to disintegrate from wear & tear, calcium build-up and UV exposure. Time to switch to a more robust, permanent system. Using the timers is a great labor saver, though. The plants get the water they need, whether I am in the garden or not. The garden is approximately 32' x 64'. Last week, we installed freeze-proof hydrants and buried "Pex" water lines for the gardens and the chicken/Guinea house. There is another garden nearby at 32' x32' but it needs some major work done to it before I can get anything to grow in it. Scraping off the scrub and mesquite trees brought lots of weed seeds to the surface, mostly of noxious weeds and Johnson grass. I am currently planning to build some elevated beds in it using 55 gal drums in wooden stands. It is sloped so needs a bunch of terra-forming done first and possibly a retaining wall. I am still waiting for the new tractor to come off the cargo ship from South Korea. Eventually, the plans call for building a greenhouse in the complex.
My overall impression is that covering the entire garden with hay for the winter makes it much easier and more pleasant to work in for the spring and summer. It keeps the ground from getting muddy and helps to keep the soil moist so the dust is kept to a minimum. One problem with covering cardboard with hay was the fact that footing became slippery and dangerous. Straw is almost impossible to find around here and the hay has a tendency to want to grow grass but as long as you pull it up as it sprouts, it isn't too bad.