Patrice Robert

Merci Heidi

Indeed, i inted to plant to the top of the layer mulch. I will mostly growing cucumber, melon (Oka) corn, pumpkin, peas, green bean, tomatos, zuchini and spagheti squach.

The trailer would be my next priority.

A friend of mine will bring me some strw bales and some manure coming from the familly horse and chikens. I will trow in some dead leaf and i have plentyfull of pine needles on the ground.

Il be posting some photos de mon jardin

Patrice

Good afternoon Linda an thank's for posting.

Indeed, my soil is full of clay. When the soil is dry, it's light grey in color. By rolling the soil between my fingers, it stick and keep it's rolled shape.

When i loose the soil with the broadfork, the soil is heavy to lift, but moist and fresh. There is still some snow on shaded parts of my land. But the earth is workable.

Lasagna garden was my "Plan B". I just think it's now "Plan A"

I have an abundant source of cardboard at my local reno center recycle bin.

A friend of mine will ask is dad if i can go to his barn and pick horse and chiken manure and he will be able to give me some strawbales for top mulch.

As for the sand and black earth, i can ask the former house owner where i'm living for bulk, because is in the landscaping business.

But, when you say, thick cardboard layer, what is the minimum thickness (in inches). Also, i don't have acces to compost. Can i put leaves and pine needles instead?

So much to do and not much time left to do it.

Thank's again!

Patrice.

Also, should i continue to dig some holes in the ground prior to lasagna, or should i leave the ground unsdisturbed?

Guess i'l have to use the broadfork just to dig small holes and then, sheet mulching.

Thannk's

Good afternoon everyone.

After much reading, time for me to go to the field.

I was preparing the soil with my broadfork, when after two hours of work, i cannot feel my arms anymore. It's a very tough job.

I take some pictures to show you where my garden will be and some pics from the soil.

The soil is coverd with grass, and it's seem to be made from clay. Plenty of earthworms and, i supossed, full of micro-organism. It's mostly spruce and fir and pine we have on the land and some aspen.

I really don't want to till or plough the land, so thats why i'm asking for advice.

Should i use sheet mulching? Because the soil look's good to me. It's just that it is difficult to use the broadfork.

Here's some pic's:





Thank you everyone. As for my raised bed, i will do at least one or two. I wish to try as many soil preparation as possible.

First off all, thank you everyone.

The place i live used to be an old pasture. We have a gentle slope facing true south and the house was built in 1983 using solar passive technique. The house and the land always receive plenty of sunligth.

The border around the land is full of mature of different evergreen (pine, fir...) and at the back of the house, stand a hill so that when the wind blow, it kinda pass over the house and the land.

We a have a small river at the end of the slopy terrain. It freeze solid each winter. The house stand above 40 feet high, so we is never flodded.

As for wild flowers, we have: Hieracium pilosella, Hieracium aurantiacum, Vicia cracca, Asclepias syriaca, Erythronium americanum subsp. americanum, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium hybridum L., Trifolium repens L., Erigeron annuus, Taraxacum officinale, and in the wodded lot Clematis virginiana. I have also noted that wild raspberry bush grows on our land as wild small strawberry.

At first, i was tempeted by sowing lots of clovers, lupin, lucerne, rye, buckweat, sunflower, flax and jerusalem artichokes. Following M. Holzer instruction, i would have waited 1 or 2 years and then planated some fruit trees and start a garden.

I was also thinking about making raised bed using old trees.

As for where i live Heidi, i'm in, La Mauricie region in a small village called, Lac-aux-Sables (Sand's lake). Our growing zone is 3b. It's alway humid, both in summer and winter. We have deer, raccons, and sometimes, foxes.

Once again, thank's for all of your comments. I'll try to post some pics of where i live.

Patrice

Hi everyone.

I discover permaculture last november while reading on a french blog.

Since then, i have read this site and read the latest book from Sepp Holzer.

But, for a reason, i don't know how to begin my adventure with permaculture.

To help you, i live in Quebec, Canada. I have a place of about 175 000 s. feet of land. It mostly clay and acid soil. Lots of spruce, tamarack, balsam fir, eastern white-cedar, pine, evergreen grows on the land. We have some trembling aspen and yellow birch.

I would like to lant some green manure. At this point, everythings ok. But, where i get lost, is when it come to plant vegetable. Should i till the land or just throw the veggie seeds i would like to sow?

Feel free to ask me more information.

Thank you!

Patrice