I am about to plant in sheet mulched beds I built last fall. I plan on adding a deep layer of leaves on top of the beds we built up last fall, which have lost size over the winter, then a layer of manure, and I'm considering adding a layer of roots organics potting soil to top them off and planting seeds directly into the soil. I would estimate spending $40-60 to cover four raised beds in a roughly 15" by 30" space. Has anyone tried top dressing mulch beds with potting soil and planting seeds directly. Does anyone have any suggestions for vegetables that grow well, or not so well in mulch beds. Right now I'm growing Broccoli, Kale, and Beets indoors in containers to plant and I was thinking of planting some greens, and carrots as well. I've thought of building up some of the beds different from others to see how leaving the mulch exposed and planting directly into compost works. I'm also wondering what to do with the paths in the bed, right now they're covered with cardboard and a layer of straw. It would be nice to grow a ground cover into the paths but probably not this season. I'm also planning on growing some cover crops in a smaller bed to the North of the mulched bed, that gets a fair amount of shade from a large pine tree. I've been considering planting rye and hairy vetch soon and adding buckwheat when the weather warms. I've been looking at Seeds of Change and Turtle Tree for seed. Does anyone have any suggestions for planting cover crops in small beds, for weed suppression and improving soil quality? Another option would be planting shade tolerant veggies in the bed, but the soil is somewhat compacted. Thanks for any suggestions anyone has. Kevin Blue, Bozeman MT, Zone 4
