BOX GARDENING

Box gardening is non-back-breaking gardening and is ideal for a limited area such as flats or small house yards. Heres how: 1. Start with any foam fruit/ egetable box from the fruiterer or su!ermarket. "ny container will do if you cant get any foam boxes. #he main thing is to make drainage holes in the bottom first. $. %lace &cm of news!a!er or cardboard in the bottom of the box. '. (ill the box with lucerne hay or seaweed. #he hay will break down )uickly to form ery good soil whereas the seaweed takes much longer. *. S!rinkle on a little blood and bone + or other organic fertiliser + and a little dolomite. &. ,ext add a layer of $-'cms of com!ost or good garden soil. .. %lant/ ,B 0ou can feed your cro!s with weak li)uid fertiliser such as seaweed extract 1eg 2axicro!3 ,utrisol etc4 or li)uid manure. NO-DIG GARDENING 5ontrary to what gardening books ha e told us for years it is not necessary to dig the ground at all to create a garden. 6n fact digging can disturb the structure and life of the soil and it will take its li ing organisms some time to get it right again. #here are se eral methods of !re!aring garden beds that do not in ol e digging7but you still ha e to work a bit/ 8sing these methods you will not only ha e a garden going ery )uickly but also one that im!ro es the soil as you go. 6t is also !ossible to use some of these methods to build a garden on concrete or ery stony ground. "s it is true that there is nothing new under the sun3 we can be certain that someone somewhere has been using methods similar to these for many years but it was !robably a Sydney gardener3 9sther :eans3 who first made no-dig gardening more widely known. Her books on the sub;ect are a ailable through good book sho!s. " summary of her method follows. ESTHER DEANS METHOD OF NO-DIG GARDENING #his method can be used on thick turf of the most ram!ant kind such as couch or kikuyu. 0ou will need a bale or two of lucerne hay and a bale or two of straw. How many de!ends on the si<e of garden you intend to make. =ne bale of hay would make a garden about 1>??mm long and .??mm wide. 1. 5hoose a sunny and reasonably le el site and outline the garden-to be with bricks3 boards3 slee!ers or any other suitable material you may ha e. #his border kee!s the material used in making the garden in !lace. #he border should be at least $??mm 1ideally '??mm4 high. $. 5o er the turf with a thick layer of news!a!ers a!!roximately 1cm thick. #his discourages the growth of grass and weeds u! into the garden. '. @ay !ads of lucerne hay o er the news!a!er. #his e entually rots down and creates food for the !lants abo e and for the worms below/ *. S!rinkle a generous dusting of organic fertiliser 1eg !oultry manure3 cow manure3 blood and bone etc4 o er the !ads of hay. &. 5o er the hay with about $?cms of loose straw. .. "gain3 s!rinkle this layer with manure or organic fertiliser. A. %lace a 1?cm layer of com!ost or good soil on to! of this where you are going to !lant your seeds or seedlings. >. Bo ahead and !lant. Cater well and regularly and you will ha e bountiful har est.

5ross section of a no-dig garden THE ERN HARDES METHOD #his method is also good for areas of com!letely untouched grass or lawn. 1. :efine the garden area 1about 1$?cm wide4 and make your borders with bricks or boards as outlined already. (lattened roof guttering makes a good border. $. 5o er the outlined area with cardboard and wet it thoroughly. 9sther :eans does not like cardboard but 6 find it hel!s to smother grass and holds moisture. ,ext lay down a thick layer of news!a!ers making sure to o erla! the sheets generously so the weeds wont be able to find their way through. '. 5o er the news!a!ers with lucerne hay+or any hay that you may ha e a ailable+to a de!th of about 1&?mm. *. S!rinkle a generous layer of organic fertiliser or animal manure o er the hay. &. ,ow co er the hay with a dee! layer of com!ost or good soil and !lant your seeds or seedlings into it. Cater well. ,B #hese hay/straw gardens tend to need more water than con entional gardens. REVIVING AN OLD GARDEN #hese same techni)ues can be used to re i e an old or worn-out garden. 1. @ay news!a!ers thickly o er the soil and wet it. $. S!rinkle it with a generous layer of some organic fertiliser. '. %lace !ads of lucerne or some other hay on the news!a!er then another s!rinkling of fertiliser. *. S!read com!ost or good soil o er the hay and you are ready to !lant.