Planting time in Abundance...

The first double dug bed of 2009 is now planted - much earlier than last year. It contains red and white organic potato seed. Mars onion sets, red and green romaine lettuce seed, Daikon radishes, garlic transplants, and the flags are reserving spots for snap beans - later in the season.

The basic companion planting spacing tool was the 18" equilateral triangle used by Jeavon's - with modifications for the bed arc.

Bed preparation was a bit unique - 12" of soil (A horizon) was removed, a 10" fork was used to aereate the B horizon, belly rubbed thatch layer was place (upside down) on top of the aereated B horizon and watered thoroughly. This was covered with the next few inches from the top of the A horizon (most rooted zone) and the final layer made up of the well mixed remaining excavated soil.

One remarkable difference in soil temperatures was observed - soil in an undug bed was measured at a temperature of 52.9 F - the double-dug bed was 64.8 F at the same depth - about 5". After planting and a thorough watering with well water about 6PM, the soil temperature was measured to be 59 F at about 5".