This article is the second in my "getting started" series, where the intent is to provide a crash course in how to design a very simple gardening space that employs some basic permaculture principles.
Hi Greg! Recently found your articles/podcast and I'm feeling really inspired to start gardening this year. I contacted a local horse stable and they have aged manure that I can use. They say I can get it in the spring once their field is dry enough to drive over. If it's aged, could I put it in my garden this spring and plant in it right away? I'm finding conflicting information when googling as to how long the horse manure should be aged before it's safe to plant into. And to confirm, I would do newspaper/cardboard on my lawn, followed by the manure, followed my more newspaper, then wood chips? And I would simply move over some wood chips and cut into the newspaper and plant directly into the manure?
I've added aged horse manure in spring many times - its totally fine. Not sure what you are asking with the second question. Are you asking about smothering a lawn to start a garden?
Yes, sorry, that is what I meant. I would like to smother the lawn to start the garden. Our soil is very poor, it's all clay and rocks. Is that the correct order in which I would layer my materials and how I would go about planting into it in the spring?
Hi Greg! Recently found your articles/podcast and I'm feeling really inspired to start gardening this year. I contacted a local horse stable and they have aged manure that I can use. They say I can get it in the spring once their field is dry enough to drive over. If it's aged, could I put it in my garden this spring and plant in it right away? I'm finding conflicting information when googling as to how long the horse manure should be aged before it's safe to plant into. And to confirm, I would do newspaper/cardboard on my lawn, followed by the manure, followed my more newspaper, then wood chips? And I would simply move over some wood chips and cut into the newspaper and plant directly into the manure?
Thank you!
Josée
I've added aged horse manure in spring many times - its totally fine. Not sure what you are asking with the second question. Are you asking about smothering a lawn to start a garden?
Yes, sorry, that is what I meant. I would like to smother the lawn to start the garden. Our soil is very poor, it's all clay and rocks. Is that the correct order in which I would layer my materials and how I would go about planting into it in the spring?