I do not think it will be wrong at all to label this method as the ‘lazy’ method. I personally have previously tried other methods, such as diy garden and the diy garden. I am always open to trying different things, therefore I have commited myself to try build my own diy instant sheet mulch garden, this summer.

It looks pretty simple, since there is no tilling required. The hardest part will probably be searching for the different materials around our homestead. If you do not have access to large amounts of organic materials, such as hay you can always ask a neighbour or even purchase some from a local farmer.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• straw
• hay
• leaves
• wood chips
• manure
• compost
• food scraps
• cardboard
• newspaper
• grass clippings
• lime (optional)
• rock dust (optional)
• kelp meal (optional)

I will skip the soil amendment layer, that is the lime, rock dust or kelp meal. The first layer will be the cardboard or newspaper layer, that is supposed to help control the weeds. We can then layer the various organic materials starting with the hay or straw, not forgetting to water each layer.

It is recommended that each layer is about 12 to 18 inches thick, as over time the organic materials will decompose and the layers will shrink. The last layer that you actually grow your stuff in, is compost, this should be at 2 inches deep. The grass clippings, leaves and wood chips will eventually be applied as mulch.

You can follow step by step instructions on the Homestead Honey blog, here…

DIY Instant Sheet Mulch Garden

You can watch the video below on sheet mulching gardening…

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