Huachuca Experiment

[Webstral]

Today, I finally moved some of the concrete slabs in my back yard and started planting. I gave up on trying the full method in my favorite source book and just did a “poor man’s” version. Instead of completely turning over the soil in a 5x20 bed, I turned over the soil in a 6x6 exposed area. Instead of digging out a first 12” layer, then softening a lower 12” layer with a D-handled garden fork (?) designed for this purpose, I only went 12” deep and shifted all the soil across the surface of the plot. I did not have any compost, so I didn’t add any. I didn’t companion plant. The only thing I put into the ground was sunflower seeds. I may add some crimson clover, which will be good ground cover and add nitrogen. This is similar to what many of the survivors in SAMAD will be doing during their first planting. Proper tools will be short, as will be instructors. Thank God for literacy. It will be interesting to see how this all works out.

If I can make the time, I’ll expose another patch of soil and plant corn, beans, and pumpkins. A neighbor planted her own potatoes for Thanksgiving and reported that they were excellent. One advantage I have over many of the folks trying to grow their own food in SAMAD is that I’m starting with good soil. Weeds used to grow prolifically in my back yard. The soil is brown and relatively loose. In many parts of SAMAD, the new gardeners will have to loosen the soil by watering it intensively, then waiting two days before trying to start turning it over and breaking it up.