Deep Bedding

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It is time to get some garden beds in the ground. We want to turn a weedy sodded area into our garden. Deep bedding, John Seymour style, seems like the perfect technique. First thing we did was delineate the beds and the gardens boundary.

We used our broad fork to peel up the sod flopping it over on the adjacent sod.

Lifting the sod with a broadfork worked very nicely
Lifting the sod with a broadfork worked very nicely

The loose soil from below the sod is then spaded onto a partial piece of wood sheeting, in this case particle board.

Sub soil is removed and placed on a board set near the bed.
Sub soil is removed and placed on a board set near the bed.

Soiled straw is put in the bottom of the new deep bed. This will help start the decaying processes.

The deep bed is re-filled first with poultry bedding (soiled straw).
The deep bed is re-filled first with poultry bedding (soiled straw).

Next the sod is replaced into the deep bed upside down, grass down. We wont see that weedy sod again.

The sod goes back in the deep bed upside down on top of the soiled straw
The sod goes back in the deep bed upside down on top of the soiled straw

A layer of Organic fish compost is added. Because we just moved here this “Olympic Mountain” compost was our best option. From now on we hope to only use our own compost.

Top Quality locally sourced Organic fish compost is layered in next.
Top Quality locally sourced Organic fish compost is layered in next.

The reserved loose soil is placed on top of the sod roots and compost. This should end up looking like a raised bed. Deep bedding in this matter creates a long lasting fertile, deep garden bed.

The reserved loose soil is then placed on top of the new deep bed
The reserved loose soil is then placed on top of the new deep bed

More fish compost will be hoed into this bed once it is complete. This was about one-fifth of one row. We have 14 rows planned each 4ft by 20ft.

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