I mostly used a rototiller for my gardening... but it doesn't get as deep as double digging. A neighbor was asking me what I was doing, so I told him. While taking a break I looked up on the computer about double digging, and read about "The myth of double digging". That was the end of double digging for me. I finished double digging the bed I was working on.
I used 6 in sections of pressure treated (pt) 4x4. 2 sides had a 3/4 in deep slot slightly wider than 1/2 in. The other 2 sides had 3/8 in. deep by 1 and 1/2 in wide slot. I cut some 2x4 pt into slats, about 12 in. long, to fit in those wide slots on the 4x4. 4 blocks had the deep narrow slots on adjacent corners. the others were opposite.
in the wide cuts I put the slats, nailed and glued. Now all I had to do was drive them into place. A 6 foot piece of cedar board (used for fencing) would fit into the slots. Voila! A 6 in. deep raised bed with no tilling or digging.
I tried the newspaper method but will not do that again. Corn planted on the paper did not grow well at all. I have pictures to show but don't know if I can post them here.
I planted sugar snap peas between the rows of corn, all seeds went right to the soil. I also planted the rest of that bed with sugar snap peas, scattering and just pushing the seed into the mulch. This was not as good, as the bacteria that are decomposing the grass, can't tell the difference between a seed wanting to grow and mulch needing compost. If the roots of the peas didn't get to the soil in time, the seed rotted. if the roots got to the soil, the bacterial decomposing was stopped. Seeds will be planted directly on the soil from now on.
The double dug bed now has the cedar border. What occurred to me is, If I wanted to move my garden, all I have to do is pick up the pieces and put them down in another place. But I don't know why I would, its in the best place for a garden in the back yard.
Hope this helps and oh almost forgot the best part.
I planted squash in the double dug bed. Its not the double digging that is important... but that I drip watered each plant with its own 1-gallon milk jug.
I put a small (wire brad sized ) hole in the bottom, opposite the handle. This way I could pick it up to clean out the hole and put the hole where it needed to be, that is, close to the roots.
We had some serious heat waves as we usually do in NW Oregon. But my squash plants did not even notice it. They stayed upright like good plants should all through the heat. The jugs were very easy to fill with a garden hose.
I mostly used a rototiller for my gardening... but it doesn't get as deep as double digging. A neighbor was asking me what I was doing, so I told him. While taking a break I looked up on the computer about double digging, and read about "The myth of double digging". That was the end of double digging for me. I finished double digging the bed I was working on.
I used 6 in sections of pressure treated (pt) 4x4. 2 sides had a 3/4 in deep slot slightly wider than 1/2 in. The other 2 sides had 3/8 in. deep by 1 and 1/2 in wide slot. I cut some 2x4 pt into slats, about 12 in. long, to fit in those wide slots on the 4x4. 4 blocks had the deep narrow slots on adjacent corners. the others were opposite.
in the wide cuts I put the slats, nailed and glued. Now all I had to do was drive them into place. A 6 foot piece of cedar board (used for fencing) would fit into the slots. Voila! A 6 in. deep raised bed with no tilling or digging.
I tried the newspaper method but will not do that again. Corn planted on the paper did not grow well at all. I have pictures to show but don't know if I can post them here.
I planted sugar snap peas between the rows of corn, all seeds went right to the soil. I also planted the rest of that bed with sugar snap peas, scattering and just pushing the seed into the mulch. This was not as good, as the bacteria that are decomposing the grass, can't tell the difference between a seed wanting to grow and mulch needing compost. If the roots of the peas didn't get to the soil in time, the seed rotted. if the roots got to the soil, the bacterial decomposing was stopped. Seeds will be planted directly on the soil from now on.
The double dug bed now has the cedar border. What occurred to me is, If I wanted to move my garden, all I have to do is pick up the pieces and put them down in another place. But I don't know why I would, its in the best place for a garden in the back yard.
Hope this helps and oh almost forgot the best part.
I planted squash in the double dug bed. Its not the double digging that is important... but that I drip watered each plant with its own 1-gallon milk jug.
I put a small (wire brad sized ) hole in the bottom, opposite the handle. This way I could pick it up to clean out the hole and put the hole where it needed to be, that is, close to the roots.
We had some serious heat waves as we usually do in NW Oregon. But my squash plants did not even notice it. They stayed upright like good plants should all through the heat. The jugs were very easy to fill with a garden hose.