05/12/2025
Last year we started using a no till mulching method in the garden called the Back to Eden method. We saved all the paper feed bags from the chickens last spring/summer and in October, laid them out in the garden and then shoveled three 5ft piles of mulch (dropped off free from a local tree service) on top. The mulch was 4-6 inches deep across the garden. It sat all fall and winter breaking down.
By April, the marshmallow, sage, and thyme started peeking through. Now in mid May, the strawberries are here and the herbs keep getting bigger. To plant, we move back the mulch and plant directly in the soil, then cover lightly with mulch again.
Benefits of this method are moisture retention, w**d suppression (there are still some, but they’re far easier to manage), and rather than tilling the soil, each year we add mulch to continue feeding and building it making it better and better each year.
