This guest post is brought to us by the legend, Bob Dahm. Many of my Midwest garden friends will know him as “Organic Bob,” which is how I knew him when we first met about 5 years ago.

He has guided our family on our own home lawn re-seeding (with tougher native grasses) and bee lawn areas with great success. This is because he sees our yards and gardens as integral parts of the natural world, not separate from them.

Take it away, Bob –

Why Turf Should Be Replaced

The acreage of lawn in the US is equal to the size of Texas! 63,000 square miles of turf that requires fertilizer, mowing, pesticides and water. In fact, more thank half of our drinkable water is used to irrigate grass. Pesticides, fungicides and herbicides are typically applied at a greater rate than agricultural fields.

These statistics are from Pesticide Action Network and they are one reason many people are looking for alternatives to the traditional Kentucky bluegrass lawn. Most of our grass species in our lawns originated in Europe and Asia. Kentucky bluegrass is from northern Asia! These species evolved in climates like England, where they don’t have our temperature extremes and get twice the rainfall as we do in our climate. Our native plants evolved to thrive in our climate and are much better equipped to care for our pollinators.

Read more on Creating a Wildlife Habitat in your Yard + Garden

Pollinator habitat loss is of very real concern as pollinator populations are at an all time low. A nice, manicured lawn is as a desert to a pollinator. No food, no water, no habitat and long distances between pockets of appropriate habitat are threatening many species of important insects, birds and other pollinating species.

The Rusty Patch Bumblebee (RPB) is one of these species that struggle with habitat loss and decline. In fact, the RPB is on the Endangered Species List because their populations are so low. This designation has called attention to the plight of all pollinators and resulted in the RPB being named the MN State Pollinator, which created a call to action to protect our insect friends.

Turf Alternatives Evolution

The University of MN Bee Lab answered the call by creating the concept of a bee lawn, because many tiny bees and other pollinators could not cross the vast distances to meet up with others of their kind. This lack of connection isolates populations until they lose genetic diversity or simply die off because their habitat is eliminated or contaminated with lawn and landscape chemicals.

The bee lawn introduces flowers into the seas of lawn grass, so that pollinators can move across the landscape. It modestly expanded the food and habitat and made measurable differences in pollinator populations. It also ushered in a new awareness of the serious issue of pollinator decline.

Along with that new awareness came more conservation activity. The MN State Legislature set aside significant funds to educate the public about solutions to pollinator decline and grants to enact these in the ground changes. The program was called “Lawns To Legumes” and over several years, it educated thousands of people in turf alternatives and the benefit of native plants. The grant program enabled hundreds of homeowners to install native plant gardens and alternative turf lawns. Sadly, the program has been defunded, but Lawns To Legumes inspired many more people to install gardens and bee lawns. That trend is continuing despite the funding setback.

One of the ways that momentum is being carried forward is in the explosion of different kinds of bee lawns and pollinator lawns. Twin City Seed, the foremost supplier of bee lawn seed was receiving pushback on the Dutch white clover in the original bee lawn. Conservation groups and supporting scientists discovered research that Dutch white clover was a place where domesticated honeybees interacted with wild bees and transferred diseases to which the native bees had no natural resistance. This was seen as a further stressor on an already troubled group of insects. Twin City Seed came out with bee lawn mixes that included native species and no Dutch white clover.  Now there are many different types of bee and pollinator lawns.

Turf Alternative Options

Alternative turf can mean many things. Some include the typical species of grass in our lawns, while others use native grasses and sedges, (a grass-like plant) and straight up native plant gardens all the way to mini meadows and prairies. The goals are the same for all. Increase habitat for pollinators and reduce the amount of conventional turf grass lawns, that burn up energy and water and contaminate the environment with toxic maintenance chemicals. The amount of change can be small or large, depending on the type of alternative selected.

Bee Lawns

Can be created simply by overseeding and existing lawn with bee lawn seed mix. One and done and you have created a lunch counter for traveling bees. You can also remove you existing lawn and start over by seeding your bee lawn from scratch. This is more work but is a good option if the existing lawn is a weedy mess.

No Mow Lawns

Are a blend of fine fescue grasses that are often found in existing lawns, especially in the shade. In fact, the blends of grass seed that are sold as “shade grass” are made up of these species. The No Mow part comes when the lawn isn’t mowed. The grass grows to about 6” long and lays over in beautiful swirls reminiscent of waves on water. This is the base grass for bee lawns which makes up about 92% of the bee lawn mix. No mow grass can be mowed like a regular lawn, but if left alone, it requires very little water or fertilizer. This is a popular option for steep slopes or out of the way parts of the lawn.

Tall Fescue

Is also growing in popularity for an alternative turf. Like fine fescue, it requires less fertilizer and water than Kentucky bluegrass, mainly because its roots grow up to 30” deep! Kentucky bluegrass roots only make it to about 8”. Tall fescue has runners on its roots and this feature enables it to grow back after heavy traffic or wild child stampedes. It is often used in sports fields for this reason. It can be overseeded into an existing lawn to toughen it up and make it lower maintenance.

All Native Grass Lawns

Usually consist of buffalo or blue grama grass or both together. These are native species that evolved to flourish in our climate. Because they have evolved in our climate, they are much lower maintenance. The amount of rainfall we receive is just the right amount for them to thrive, once established.

These native grasses don’t need to be mowed, watered or fertilized. This really decreases the carbon foot print of the lawn. In fact, because they have such deep root systems, they will sequester more CO2 from the air and store the carbon in the soil. These deep root systems are why native plants are so low maintenance.

All Native Pollinator Lawns

Use the same grasses, buffalo and blue grama, along with low growing native flowering plants. Blue eyed grass, violets, pussytoes, and many other flowers offer great benefit to pollinators.

Mini Meadows

Are small areas where the lawn has been removed and replaced by seeding native plants. You can also transplant starter plants into this seeded area, either before or after seeding. The best time of year to seed many native plants is when the landscape is dormant, usually November or later. Native seeds need soil temperatures to be below freezing for a number of weeks before they can germinate. Not all of the seeds will germinate in the first or second years. Some may never germinate successfully and may require re-seeding or starter plants. These kinds of meadows are dynamic and maintenance is important while getting them established.

Maintenance will consist of supplementing water when needed and weed control. The best method for weed control is to mow the area a few times per year for the first 2 years. The deep roots of native plants enable them to survive mowing, while weeds cannot tolerate the cutting. There is a saying in native plant circles; “The first year they sleep. The second year they creep. The third year they leap”! Natives spend 2 years growing roots to incredible depths and volume. This supporting infrastructure is key to the success of the plants and provides an incredible advantage over weeds. It’s a bit of up front work to get a mini meadow and can be frustrating but stay courageous. It will become a personal prairie before you know it.

Prairies

Are similar to Mini Meadows, just larger. The existing vegetation is usually killed with herbicide and then seeded. Another method involves seeding into the existing vegetation and mowing it for 2 years and stopping at the third year, much like the Mini Meadow methods. There is an organic herbicide that is effective in killing vegetation without the toxic chemicals. This product can be used to kill grass before any kind of planting.

Pollinator Gardens

Are small native gardens that are used to re-purpose areas of lawns where it is difficult to get good lawn growth. Areas in this category are deep shade, hot patches, slopes, low wet places, shady and sunny boulevards, and unused sections of lawns. Some soils, like clay or sand can be challenging for turf grass, too.

There are native plant communities that will thrive in all of these conditions. There are many pre-designed gardens through organizations like Wild Ones, Metro Blooms and native plant nurseries.

All of the above alternatives to turf will reduce lawn space, especially the weedy parts. They will also create food and habitat for the hundreds of species of pollinators that are teetering on the edge of catastrophe. One small garden or a patch of flowering lawn can make a significant difference for pollinators and the environment, especially if we build a grassroots movement of people who care about pollinators.

Reach out to Bob for guidance on pursuing a sustainable haven for pollinators and shrinking the size of that lawn that is so difficult to maintain.

Contact Bob for your consultation!

Resources

Metro Blooms
Grants, educational resources, pre-designed gardens and more! https://metroblooms.org/

Alt Lawns of Richfield and Bloomington
A Facebook group that is very active locally with lots of expertise.

Wild Ones
A nationwide conservation group with local chapters. Lots of great people and resources.
https://wildones.org/chapters/minnesota/

That is a LOT of great info on making our lawns work for all of us in nature. I love that there are so many turf alternatives that fit different needs. Thanks, Bob!

What takeaways can you use from this info?

Keep Digging In,
Michelle

The post Turf Alternatives: From the Organic Professional appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Growing under the cover of a low tunnel is the answer to jump start your spring vegetable garden. Most of the veggies shown here were started under a DIY low tunnel.

These temporary structures are basically ‘low to the ground’ greenhouses, hence the ‘low’ tunnel. The simple, arched structures are efficient at trapping passive solar heat and holding it in the soil. In Minnesota we often get snow into April, so the reinforced arches are key to keeping plants happy during spring storms.

Inexpensive and easy to build, low tunnels can be popped up anywhere, so they’re perfect for small space gardens. They also work well with crop rotation, as you can move where you’re growing your earliest crops each season.

Learn about Succession Planting – replanting more crops into the same place, something you can also accomplish when you start earlier.

Of course, you’ll also need to start with the right seeds. Many plants will start germinating at temperatures around 40–45F. For more information on my favorite crops to start early in the season, check out my Substack article on Starting Seeds Earlier.

Low tunnels extend the growing season both in the spring and fall. They can be put up again in the fall to keep cold hardy crops in the garden longer.

You can easily remove all the plastic on planting day once the soil has warmed up, giving you easy access to the soil for better planting.

Soil Temps

Let’s talk about the difference between air and soil temperatures. It is soil temperature that you need to pay attention to for germinating the earliest plants. Luckily for seedlings and plant roots, soil temperatures are way more consistent than air temperatures.

Having a dedicated soil thermometer to track soil temps will help you keep a handle on things. I actually have a few soil thermometers so I can keep them in the soil (which gives more accurate readings) in different places. This helps me track my soil temperatures in different garden beds.

Even after a spring snowfall, the sun can still warm the soil under the clear plastic!

Growing Under Cover

Covering right on the surface of the soil will help hold in a little heat, but bringing that covering up off the ground so the sun’s rays get trapped inside helps even more. Angling the plastic towards the sun or having it arched will allow in the most heat. The thickness of the plastic (called poly in these applications) makes a difference as well. The thicker the poly, the better insulation value it has, but it might reduce the percentage of light coming through.

Building a DIY Low Tunnel

First: Gather Materials

Remember to use what you have on hand and only buy what you need.

• 18”-24” sections of ¼” Rebar or any solid ¼” stake (I use 6 in my 4X8 beds)
• 8-10’ sticks of ½” PVC (I use 4 in my 4X8 beds) $3/piece
• 3-6 millimeter thick plastic sheeting usually called Poly (I use roughly 10’ X 16’ sheets for my 4X8 beds) (10’x100’ 4 mil poly $31)
• Large Binder clips or PVC Clamps
• Scrap wood or logs to secure plastic snug to ground
• Hammer
• Twine or zip ties

Next: Instructions

1. Start by finding the dimensions of what you want to cover, and pound in ¼” rebar every two to three feet along the perimeter, angling it into the bed just slightly. You’ll want it to stick out a few inches above the ground.
2. Then slide the ½” PVC over the rebar, arching from one side of the bed to the other. If you want a little lower tunnel, you can usually bury the PVC into the ground a bit, or cut off a few feet to make extra low depending on what your needs are.
3. Secure an extra piece of PVC (or a bamboo stake, etc.) along the length of the top to stabilize the low tunnel and help keep it from collapsing after heavy snow. Tie with twine or secure with zip ties.
4. Cover with 3-6-ml poly; I usually use 4 mil. Rolls of plastic typically come in 8-10’ wide rolls. The width of your bed and how tall you want the tunnel will determine how wide your poly needs to be. For our 4’ wide beds, the 10’ wide works great as we make our low tunnels pretty tall.
5. You can use binder clips or specialized PVC clamps to keep plastic in place along the top of the arched PVC. You can also dig the poly into the soil or use anything handy like scarp lumber or landscape bricks to hold it down along the bottom.

*This structure does bring plastic into your garden, but it can be reused for many seasons to come. We’ve been using the same materials for six years now. Also, it completely removes the plastic you would be using if you bought the produce in a store instead of growing it at home—not to mention the carbon cost of shipping the produce, etc…

Using a DIY Low Tunnel Throughout the Season

The basic structure can be used throughout the season to support insect netting (like below) and shade cloth as needed. I find myself popping these up in different formations all the time.

You will have to watch temperatures closely, especially on sunny days, as low tunnels are quite effective at collecting and trapping the sun’s heat. I’ve had air temps jump to over 100F by mid-morning even with outside temps in the 30s F. So, remember to vent these structures as needed. Opening one or both ends is very effective at quickly reducing temps.

**And if you don’t have time/interest in building a low tunnel, try turning a clear plastic tote upside down. They work wonders for warming a little space for planting early lettuces or peas!

Cheers to growing more food in the same space, and getting in an earlier succession and harvests just by growing under a DIY low tunnel!

Dig In,
Michelle

The post DIY Low Tunnel appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

If you love growing beautiful medicine that also attracts the pollinators, then let me introduce you to Aronia Berry, aka Chokeberry. Actually, you may have already met Aronia Berry while walking in the woods or edges of prairies in the Midwest of America.

Officially named Aronia melanocarpa, this cold hardy North American native woody shrub is worth adding to your landscape for its adaptability, form, fall color, and, of course, its fruits!

Aronia Berry: Knowing + Growing

The aronia berry tends to stay around 8 feet tall (depending on variety) and is much less picky about soil as it has deeper roots than the elderberry. They are hardy to -40F or USDA Zone 3. They also don’t have any pest issues and are disease resistant.

I’ve been successfully growing the common Viking variety for five years now in Zone 4. We’re growing and harvesting berries from my front yard from 2 mature bushes. We get about 4 pounds of fruit total. This amount is more than enough to keep us in Aronia Berry immunity syrup heaven, and extras for smoothies too.  We would likely get more of a harvest if I amend the sandy soil. Maybe someday, ha! They produce beautiful clusters of the deepest dark purple (pretty much black) berries—which is where the anthocyanin comes in…

Powerful Plant Chemistry

Anthocyanin gives the dark superfruits their super powers. The purple-black berries of both Aronia and Elderberries pretty much blow away other commonly revered superfoods with their antioxidant levels.

Antioxidant levels in food are measured by Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC). ORAC measures the overall antioxidant power of a food or supplement. USDA research shows Aronia Berries have one of the highest antioxidant content of any fruits, according to the Aronia Berry Services of Northeast Iowa.

There’s quite the list of berries that grow in our Zone 4 Midwest region: Aronia Berry, Elderberry, Wild Blueberry, Blackberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, and Cherry. Each of these contains elevated levels of antioxidants. Our local food system is providing for us, keeping us from needing to fly food halfway across the world to boost our immunity and up our antioxidants. Thank you, Mother Nature!

Comparing Berries

Both Aronia and Elderberry grow to between 6 and 10 feet tall. They will produce better in full sun, but they don’t mind a little afternoon shade. Elderberries prefer it wetter than Aronia. Aronia are self-fertile while Elderberry require another variety for pollination.  Both will start producing more fruit about 2–3 years after planting.

Raw elderberries (the berries, leaves, bark, and roots) contain both lectin and cyanide, which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, so ALWAYS cook elderberries before consuming! Aronia berries may be eaten raw, or frozen and added to smoothies.

I love a good blueberry, but they do require a specific pH, so test your soil before planting, as changing soil pH is a very difficult task! Chokecherry  (Prunus Virginiana) grows more like a tree up to 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide and produces smaller berries (like pin cherries) but are adored by birds and humans alike.

How to Use Your Aronia Berries

Aronia berries are the driest berries I’ve ever worked with, so they do lend themselves to dehydrating and adding to trail mix.

I really enjoy using frozen aronia berries in place of blueberries in my morning smoothies. I think the dairy (or oat/almond milk) really balances out the tart berries nicely. Adding greens and other fruits helps too.

I’ve also baked with them, making scones and muffins. Although I compensated for the astringent berries with a sweeter than normal dough, they still weren’t my family’s favorite.

But for our family, we mostly use these in the immunity boosting aronia syrup recipe below. I especially love being able to add our home-grown ginger into this recipe.

And YES- You can absolutely use a combination of elderberries and aronia berries in this recipe.

Aronia Berry Syrup Recipe

• 3 Cups aronia berries (fresh or frozen)
• ½ Cup filtered water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1-2 tsp cloves
• 1-2 inches of ginger, sliced or grated
• 1 cup + Honey (Raw + local if possible)

Simmer with lid on in a non-reactive pan for 15–20 minutes, adding water as needed to keep from scorching.

Cool, remove cinnamon stick, and strain. I place the cooked pulp into a (very stained) jelly bag and squeeze out every last drop of juice by hand. You may want to wear rubber/latex gloves to avoid staining your hands a very dark purple (the stain wears off in a day or two). 

Pour into a clean glass jar.

Mix in honey to taste (I find we use less honey in aronia berry syrup than elderberry syrup).

Stores in refrigerator for 1 month. I prefer to make a small batch every month or so rather than a bigger batch that might spoil.

Dark Blue Deep Dive

If you’re interested in adding more of these antioxidant-rich plants to your landscape and diet, check out Honeyberry USA for a wide selection of high anthocyanin fruiting shrubs. Or consider connecting with the Blue Fruit Farm for a delivery of Minnesota-grown berries, syrups, jams, and jellies in the Twin Cities. They also sell elderberry canes for those interested in growing out their own stock.

If you’re looking for the finished product at your local farmer’s market, check out the fine ladies with Sailor Mercy.

Have I tempted you to grow more of your own medicine?

Let me know what you think!

Dig In,

Michelle

The post The Amazing Aronia Berry appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Start with the Best Broccoli

Broccoli is one of our family’s favorite garden veggies to grow. So much so that my boys will even go patrol for cabbage worms, the little green guys that can ravage this plant if left to their own munching.

I also love that when we eat broccoli, we’re eating the immature flower buds! I used to tell my boys they were eating broccoli bouquets, and I like to think that helped them grow in their love for this powerhouse veggie.

I’ve had good luck growing Bellstar, Emerald Crown, and Green Magic varieties of broccoli in our zone 4 gardens (all from Johnny’s Seeds).

Harvesting Tip** Soak your broccoli florets in salty water (1 Tbsp in a bowl of water) for a few minutes so any creepy crawlies float to the top!

Because it is a family favorite veggie, we grow a lot of broccoli and usually have some frozen to use during the winter months. And while we love many veggies from green beans to corn simply heated and eaten as side dishes straight from the freezer, I find broccoli needs a little extra love once frozen.

Soup is the perfect spin!

In addition to the blanched and frozen broccoli from the garden, I’m also saving broccoli stems all season to use in this broccoli soup. To make the best use of them, peel the ‘skin’ from the tender part of the stems closer to the buds. Toss the woody part (further down the stem) into the compost. These add great bulk and flavor to soups. And by peeling, you’ll get rid of the most gas-inducing part of the broccoli!

My secret ingredient in so many pureed soups is a little cream cheese. It adds such a depth of flavor and pairs well with broccoli.

You can keep it really simple, and even skip the pureeing, if you like it chunky. If leaving this kind of soup chunky, make sure to not overcook the vegetables. You can also add up to half cauliflower if preferred. See, super-flexible soups really are the best!

I’ve added the white beans and/or potatoes as a way to thicken this soup without adding gluten, and I like the flavor better too. Leave out the cream/cheese if you want to keep it dairy free or vegan.

Healthy Broccoli Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1-2 yellow/white carrots (optional)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1-2 cups shredded zucchini (optional but great thickener)
• 2-3 Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped
• 4-5 cups broccoli stems and florets (frozen is fine)
• 6 cups chicken (or veggie) stock
• ½ cup white beans (optional)
• 1 cup milk, or ½ cup of half and half, or ¼ cup of cream cheese
• Salt + pepper to taste
• Olive oil to sauté

Our family’s favorite garnishes for this healthy broccoli soup recipe are roasted chickpeas, pea shoots, green onion—and of course always served with toasted bread.

Directions:

• Chop veggies into desired sizes, considering if you’ll be pureeing.
• Sauté onions for a few minutes, then add garlic, thyme, and celery.
• A few minutes later add the shredded zucchini, potatoes, and stock. If you have lots of good broccoli stems, add those in now as well. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Then add in broccoli florets and cook for another 5-10. Or if pureeing, add florets at same time, cooking for 10-15 minutes total.
• You can puree some stock with the white beans to thicken, or add milk, half and half, or cream cheese while pureeing as well.

Have fun garnishing! We love to sprinkle microgreens on top of our soups. And make sure that bread is extra toasty!

Last Words on This Healthy Broccoli Soup Recipe

For more Very Veggie Soup Recipes, check out my RECIPE page. I’m also perfecting a “Broccoli Leaf Soup” recipe—check out this deeply flavorful and nutrient packed recipe!

This healthy broccoli soup recipe makes excellent leftovers and keeps in the fridge for a few days.

Dig In,

Michelle

The post Best Healthy Broccoli Soup Recipe appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Who doesn’t love a good two for one? I’m here to show you that you can have your squash and eat the seeds too! So many of us skip over roasting pumpkin seeds and squash seeds because we’ve had a bad experience. Maybe you did it once and they were, well, stringy, chewy, like eating straw… and just not very good at all.

Well, that probably comes down to two main problems:

• The wrong seed
• The wrong preparation

So let’s get you back on track to using all of that pumpkin/squash/gourd! And if you’re into squash like I am, check out my Pumpkin Spice cake recipe, and my Winter Squash Lasagna recipe too!

Botany Moment

If you’re interested in the difference between pumpkins, gourds, and squash, it gets a little confusing… A squash is in the Cucurbita genus, and also, by the way, technically a fruit. Pumpkins are one type of a squash. Gourd refers to a different branch of the same family. Summer squash (like zucchini and yellow squash) have soft skins and are warm weather crops, compared to the long storage possibilities of the winter squash varieties. What does this mean to you? …not much unless you create a new variety of squash, but it is good plant trivia!

Winter squash typically produce lots seeds and any of these can be collected and eaten. I stay away from saving any Cucurbita seeds to plant as they are notorious for getting cross pollinated, so eating them makes even more sense!

Check out my blog post on ways to ecologically deal with the aftermath of your pumpkins/gourds/squash)

Eco Smart is Sexy!

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds: The Secret Is in the Seed

The best seeds are going to be those that are slightly immature to just mature. Many of our carving pumpkins are brought home very ripe, as we want that large, deep orange variety for our classic carving, right? Great for Halloween, but not so much for eating the seeds.

Look at the seeds once you slice into your squash; this seems obvious, but taking a minute to observe now can save you lots of frustration later!

*If the seeds have started sprouting inside the pumpkin (it happens!), you’ll do best to toss them to your chickens or compost pile.

*If the seeds are firm and plump, you’re in for a real treat!

*If the seeds are hollow feeling and small, you can pull one apart to see if there’s any ‘meat’ inside. If they are thin and empty, you’ll just be trying to eat the fibrous pod and that’s just as bad as eating a huge over-ripe pumpkin seed!

Now that we know how to pick the best seeds for roasting…

Let’s Get Cooking!

RECIPE for Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

• Squash Seeds
• Oil (EVOO)
• Salt/Seasoning

Prep Seeds

Start by scooping out those perfectly plump seeds and rinse them of the goop + gunk in a colander until mostly clean. Tip: Use a serrated grapefruit spoon or a heavy duty ice cream scoop to help with the scraping!

Soak in water (I set my colander in a bowl of water) where it is easier to pull away the stringy squash pulp. Drain and repeat a few times.

Secret #2 is in the simmer!

Then you’re going to place those mostly clean seeds in a pot of salted water and simmer for at least 10 minutes. I go heavy on the salt here: a full tablespoon of salt per 2 cups of water.

This step makes a HUGE difference and is my secret to delicious, crave-worthy roasted seeds!

100% Worth the Simmer

Rinse again in the colander, then pat dry.

Season Seeds

You’ll need to add some oil to the seeds to help them crisp up, and so you can get some seasoning to stick. You can either combine the seeds and oil in a bowl and toss, or add them to the pan and toss. I estimate about a tablespoon of oil per sheet pan full, so not much. And while I love my sea salt for lots of recipes, I actually really like popcorn salt for roasted seeds because of how fine it is and how it sticks to the seeds!

You can go savory or sweet here. I prefer savory as there are so many delicious options. A few of my favorites:

• Curry
• Onion + Garlic
• Chili
• Smoky Paprika
• Turmeric + Garlic
• Dill with S&P
• Aminos (Soy sauce) + Garlic

The spices listed would be in powdered form. And if you want to just roast with salt and oil and add other spices after, that works too!

Roast Seeds

Spread out in a single layer on a sheet pan (I prefer not using parchment for this recipe as I think they get crispier without it). Preheat oven to 350–375F and roast for 5–15 minutes. The top rack helps in my oven. *Each oven is different, so watch carefully!

Start checking after 5 minutes. The smaller the seed, the faster they’ll pop. Wait until you hear the popping and smell popcorn when you open the over door. This was a revelation to me. Yes, corn and squash seeds are very different botanically, but they’re both seeds that I’m “roasting” so it is not too weird that they smell the same!

You must let them cool a few minutes or you will burn your mouth!

Eat the Seeds

These are best eaten while still warm out of the oven, so if you can, wait until you can enjoy them. Cleaned, uncooked seeds can hang in the fridge for a few days before roasting.

*They can be reheated and crisped up with a quick toss in a skillet.

Hope this gets you to try roasting your pumpkin and squash seeds again this fall!

Dig In,

Michelle

The post Roasting Pumpkin Seeds + Squash Seeds appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

I never met a zucchini I didn’t like. I’ll grill them, relish them, pickle them and freeze them all season long. But at least once (or twice) a summer I’ll bake up a storm with them too. And over the years I’ve tried and loved many versions of zucchini breads and desserts- but I think I’ve settled on this as my favorite. Adding some fresh whipped cream and sour cherry sauce doesn’t hurt either…

I really do love zucchini, check out my previous articles Zucchini Relish + “A Zillion Ways to Zucchini”

Eat What You Grow

Cucurbit What?
All squash and zucchini are in the Cucurbit family (along with cucumbers, melons, gourds etc.) All zucchini are squash, but not all squash are zucchini…

Regardless, I’ve tested this recipe with all yellow summer squash, all green zucchini and even all very large patty pan. I might actually prefer the patty pan! Whatever kind you use, be sure to scoop out any large seeds and that ‘spongy’ area that forms when zucchini get away from us…

Dress it up or down
I have made this recipe in large and small loaf pans, as a double decker round birthday cake, and as muffins. So there are a few different timings- but really this recipe does well being baked in all these ways. For a fancy cake, I love raspberry, cherry or un-sweetened strawberries on top of whipped cream- maybe with a decadent chocolate cream cheese frosting layer in between, I mean you’ll already have the unsweetened cocoa on hand, just saying

Kinds of chocolate – I prefer dark chocolate but my kids prefer the milk chocolate version. I love the way the melted dark chocolate deepens the color, and the flavor of this dessert. I have yet to try a semi-sweet version- but if you do, let me know! I’ve also tried to make this with more cocoa  powder and no melted chocolate, and it just isn’t the same…

There is magic in the mixer!
I got the idea for blending part of the zucchini from another sauce recipe that uses zucchini- and it really works for this- also adding an extra silkiness. Plus, you’ll have to use a blender to thoroughly mix in the melted chocolate chips- but don’t worry, since you have to melt the coconut oil anyway, it is just one streamlined step.

GF Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ C all purpose gluten free flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF Flour)
• ¼ C natural cocoa powder (lots of options on Amazon and at your local co-op)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 C organic granulated sugar
• 2 C grated zucchini/squash, some water squeezed out
• 1/3 C coconut oil
• 1 C chocolate chips – divided in half (your choice, semi-sweet or dark)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  

DIRECTIONS

Shred Zucchini. Grease and powder your pans.

Mix dry ingredients together, making sure all the cocoa powder is well incorporated. Mix in 1 ½ cups of shredded zucchini so the dry ingredients coat the shreds.

Melt the coconut oil and ½ cup of chocolate chips and add to a blender base (like a ninja or nutria bullet). Add the eggs, vanilla, and the last ½ cup of zucchini and blend together well.

*You can skip the melt and blend step and add directly to the dry ingredients but it comes out smoother when blended.

Add wet ingredients and the rest chocolate chips (unless you want to save a few for the top) to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Spread into pan of choice (listed below).
Bake on center rack until that toothpick comes out clean: 
25 minutes- cupcakes
30 minutes for 5 small 3″x5″ loaf pans
35 minutes for 1 deep or 2 thin 9” rounds
50 minutes for 2 large 5″x9″loaf pans.

Leave pans for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.

These don’t last long around our home, but I’d say to transfer this to the refrigerator after a day or two, since it is so dense and moist.

Dig In,

Michelle

The post Decadent GF Chocolate Zucchini Cake appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

There are few crops as funky, dependable, and well loved as garlic. For good reasons too! Garlic, and the other bulbs in the Allium family (like onions and shallots), add the base flavor to meals the world over. They’re easy to grow, easy to store, and easy to cook with.

Humans have been cultivating garlic for over 7,000 years! In that time, we’ve selected variations in flavor, size, growth habits to come up with roughly 700 current varieties.

This article will help you grow your own garlic too!

I presented a companion class
Grow Great Garlic via the
Minnesota State Horticultural Society,
available in their Webinar Shop for $8

Michelle

Why Grow Your Own Garlic?

We’ve already mentioned flavor, but did you know that over 80% of grocery store garlic comes from China? The food miles associated with garlic are astronomical, not to mention the loss of flavor, nutrition, and not knowing how it was grown.

Besides better flavor and food miles, garlic also makes a wonderful companion plant in the vegetable garden. By adding garlic bulbs (or any Allium, really) to your garden, you can deter pests like mice, moles, voles, and even rabbits!

Garlic is also fun to grow because of its slightly off kilter planting cycle. In the north we plant in the late fall when everything else has already died back. Just being able to dig into the soil at this time of year is a treat! It is also one of the first annuals to pop up in the vegetable garden, coming soon after its cousin, the chive.

Hard or Soft?

Garlic comes in two main varieties, hard and soft neck. The names refer to their differences in shooting up a central flower stalk, that dries hard—or soft, leaving the tops of the plant—you guessed it, hard or soft! Hard neck varieties are in general better suited to the north, and in general soft neck are best grown in the south. However, there are decent soft neck varieties that we can grow in the north too. Inchelium Red tops the lists. 

Growing Basics

Garlic appreciates rich soil and lots of sun, at least 10 hours per day. This season I had planted along a fence line and the back edge didn’t get as much sun as the front and there was a direct correlation to how far forward (and how much sun they got) and the size of the mature bulbs!

Garlic does not like it wet, so make sure the soil is well draining. Like anything else you grow, starting with good ‘seed stock’ makes a huge difference, so choose the largest healthiest looking bulbs for planting.

Plant Garlic in the Fall

The timing of planting matters. In Zone 4b, I plant after the first hard frost, and later is actually better when we’re up north… as having new roots and shoots growing too far out and being hit by a freeze can stunt them the following year.

Planting four to six weeks prior to when the ground freezes is common practice. For me, this timing is usually the end of October.

Add some compost to your 4–6” deep holes (or trench). Break individual cloves apart as you plant, leaving the papery covering intact. Plant around 4” deep, pointy side up. Space bulbs 6–9” apart in rows or a grid. Cover with soil. Then cover with 4–6” of straw or leaf mulch on top.

One of my secrets is using spent chicken coop straw to cover my garlic beds. I clean out the coop and use the poopy chicken straw to both insulate and fertilize my garlic. This works because of the long time (7+ months for us) between laying down the bedding and harvest time.

It is recommended to let chicken bedding compost at least 6 months, which is why this is the only place in the garlic I use spent chicken bedding. Plus, this way I don’t have to turn it in my compost pile, another win-win!

Covering the whole bed with some chicken wire, or anything that can keep curious squirrels from digging up the bulbs is a good plan too.

If you don’t do some kind of compost in the fall planting, you’ll want to add some nitrogen early in the spring once you see shoots emerge. You can either add a nitrogen heavy fertilizer or just a little straight blood meal.

I’ve got a fun Growing Great Garlic Video over on my YouTube Channel if you want to see planting, garlic scapes, harvesting and making garlic powder all in one video!

Michelle

Spring Has Sprung

Garlic is one of the first plants to get growing in the spring vegetable garden, it follows other alliums like chives and our Minnesota native ramps (more on foraging those HERE).

You garlic bed will appreciate being kept relatively weed free all season. But if you leave all or the majority of your mulch in place all season, you’ll be ahead of the weeding game! And, as long as it is well mulched, you don’t really need to water during the spring either.

Garlic Scapes!

Garlic scapes are of the best parts of growing garlic at home! Hard neck varieties will send up a central flower stalk, but if you catch them before the straighten out and flower, they are delicious! These will be ready to harvest in mid to late June, depending on the year.

I love garlic scapes so much I’ve got a full
Article on Garlic Scapes
with a recipe for garlic scape pesto too, YUM!

Michelle

Summer Is for Harvesting Garlic

Garlic Harvesting

Finally around the end of July (again, in Zone 4b) is when garlic is typically ready to harvest. A general rule of thumb is to wait until the lowest three leaves (which correlates to the three outermost wrappers on the garlic bulbs) have browned and dried. This is a good indicator as long as you haven’t hade an exceptionally wet or dry year. The idea is that as they mature, they start dying back (just like onion tops brown and flop over too). I always dig a ‘tribute’ bulb early on to check in and see how they’re doing.

Try to harvest when the weather has been dry for a bit. You can dig down to harvest, or if the soil is loose enough, just pull up and pop them out.

Curing Garlic for Long-Term Storage

If you grew enough to store long term, you’ll want to cure them as well. Curing garlic is simply leaving it a dark dry place so the wrappers, or outer leaves can dry and become that papery skin we’re familiar with. Keeping them in a single layer and not touching so they can dry evenly will help the process. I leave them in a covered shed on a wire shelf. Fortunately, no critters like to nibble these; in fact, they keep their distance!

If you use fresh garlic right after you harvest, you’ll notice the thicker skins and may not quite know where the garlic bulb starts and the skins (wrappers) end. You can absolutely use the garlic like this. Just try to make sure you get down to the bulb as the skins are tough and not tasty!

Being able to see the papery skins separate easily from the bulb is also a good indicator of when your garlic has fully cured. If the papery wrappers are easier to peel (at least with hard neck garlic) and it’s been at least 10 days in dry weather, or up to 20 in damp conditions, you can finish prepping your garlic for storage.

Sorting Bulbs

After the garlic is cured you’ll want to clean it so you can store it inside. This is simply brushing off any remaining dirt, snipping the leaf stalk off, and snipping the roots off. I tend to leave an inch or two of the stalk on the top as I find it is easier to break apart the bulb with this ‘handle’.

While you’re cleaning is the time to decide which bulbs to eat first, store, and save for seed. The smallest, or any bulbs with slightly damaged cloves are the ones you’ll want to put in the ‘eat first’ pile.

Next, set the biggest bulbs aside and then decide how many you want to save for planting again in a few months. The best to keep for long-term storage are good-sized bulbs that are fully wrapped in the papery skins.

Fall Is for Planting

(see above) and…

Storing Garlic

Store in a cool, dark place with relatively low humidity. The length of time your garlic will keep depends on many variables—from size of bulb, curing and storage surroundings—but hard neck will keep for up to 9 months before sprouting.

What to Do with Garlic in the Winter

Come winter you’ll want to check any remaining bulbs closely for green spouts peeking out. You can further preserve by peeling bulbs and freezing. I freeze whole cloves—easy to slice super thin for meals as I need. Some people prefer to mince and freeze.

Dehydrating Garlic

I love dehydrating garlic and making homegrown garlic powder! This is one of those full circle moments—being able to use garlic I grew in a form that seems so ‘grocery store’ and that will keep for another 6–9 months is one of my favorite things! Thinly slice on a mandolin, lay out on dehydrator trays and dehydrate until crispy, then pulverize. I used my old Nutri Bullet and it turns out perfect. So much more flavor than anything you can buy!

I hope this has inspired you to start growing your own garlic, or try some new varieties. You never know when we’ll need to be ready for that vampire apocalypse…

Dig Into Garlic,

Michelle

The post Growing Great Garlic appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

On Our Suburban Homestead

I love how our chickens help keep us in tune with nature’s cycles. If you’ve been interested in starting a backyard flock of your own, or want to learn where you can buy local farm fresh eggs, I’ve got you covered. This is a family favorite for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Especially when the boys go and collect the eggs then crack them right into the mixing bowl!

Fresh (or Frozen) from the Backyard

This is also a great recipe to incorporate typical garden fresh veggies, or those patiently waiting in the freezer… I’ve added frozen asparagus, beet greens, kale, spinach, chard, zucchini and peppers to this recipe. If frozen you can just chop and mix in leafy greens, but if fresh you’ll need to at least wilt them. Another reason this is a family favorite, I can make it different every time we have it.

A quick word on Eggs in general. They are a solid source of protein, and extremely ecologically friendly as well. But not all eggs are created equally. The more outdoor foraging a hen can do for a varied diet, the healthy she – and her eggs will be! Typically, a pasture-raised egg contains twice as much omega-3, three times as much vitamin D, four times the vitamin E and seven times the beta-carotene then hens fed on traditional feed.

We’re happy they have lots of space and greens to scratch at all summer long. We also work hard on collecting garden ‘forage’ for our hens to keep them happy over our long winters. During our hens’ winter ‘slow down’ (chickens naturally slow down laying when there is less light) we buy from local farmers that do their best to keep happy hens too!

Strata or Frittata

Since this recipe technically straddles the strata / frittata boundaries I’ll go over both definitions. The Frittata was born in Italy, and means simple ‘Fried’. So this dish is traditionally baked on the stove top, the whole thing flipped once. Basically a very thick, non-folded omelette with all the fixings.

A Strata is American and baked, with some kind of bread (*but we’re skipping the bread so we can also skip the ‘let stand in the refrigerator overnight step), though potatoes can be added as well. An egg casserole (or hot dish for my Midwestern friends) containing protein, starch and veggies.

A Frittata is usually served with a starch, a strata served with fruit or salad. I have found adding potatoes in place of bread fits our family (and my staying away from gluten) much better. But this recipe is easy to play with and can be suited to your family’s tastes.

Homestead Strata Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Coconut oil to coat baking dish
• 1/2-1 lb cooked breakfast meat of choice (sausage, ham, bacon…)
• 1-2 Potatoes Peeled, diced and cooked
• 2+ Cups chopped veggies (see above for my favorites)
• ½-1 Onion diced (leeks and shallots work too)
• 10 eggs
• 1 tsp each S+P
• ½ tsp paprika or cayenne
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp celery salt if have
• 1 Tbsp parsley
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 Cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere depending on veggies)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Prepare potatoes – I either use an already cooked/baked potato or microwave the dices in water for a few minutes to start the cooking process.
• Fully cook sausage or bacon if adding.
• Sauté the onions in the fat, wilt the kale or greens, or sauté firmer veggies in the pan too.
• Mix the eggs and the rest of the ingredients, then pour mixture into pie pan over potatoes.
• Chop/crumble sausage or bacon when cool.
• Grease bottom of pan (9″ pie, up to a 9″X12″, or a cast iron skillet) with coconut oil (I really like how eggs and potatoes bake with this oil!) Place potatoes in bottom of pie pan, lightly salt the potatoes.

Bake for 50 minutes to a full hour, checking the center is set by inserting a knife. Let sit and cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
*****

This is true comfort food, with a hint of spring added in…

We love this with dill pickled carrots, lots of microgreens on top or a light + lemony salad on the side.

*Leftovers the next day are always better. So if you want to, you could make this a day ahead and reheat for an easy brunch option as there’s no pastry crust to get soggy.

Dig In,
Michelle

The post Homestead Strata Recipe: Gluten Free appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

What everyone can agree on is that spending time in Nature is good for our bodies and our minds.

From gardens and nature play areas to bird watching, maple sugaring and preschool- Tamarack Nature Center (TNC) is a true gem for the Twin Cities nature lover. There are roughly five miles of trails meandering through the 320 acres of widely varied landscapes. You can walk through old growth maple stands, skirt a swamp, round a lake and parade through lots of prairie.

There is also one of the Twin Cities’ largest and most engaging nature play areas, “Discovery Hollow” including a natural waterscape, a log and stick play area, hobbit house and a huge climbing wall with built in caves and sand pit.

Nature Center vs. Park

Nature centers differ from county parks in a few ways. Their main purpose is to preserve or protect natural landscapes and provide habitat for the wildlife that have always called it home.

People use nature centers differently than parks as well. While people gather at parks for the baseball fields or playgrounds, people come to nature centers to hike or birdwatch.

At TNC, the staff care for frogs, snakes, turtles and even owls, and share these animals as part of the programming. The visitor center also has nature displays and classrooms for both adults and preschoolers.

I am lucky enough to live close enough to this nature center to have it become an integral part of our lives. Both my kids have gone through the Nature Preschool here, we’ve had birthday parties here, attended their ‘drop in’ sessions, hiked the trails more times than I can count, even had family photos taken here.

White Bear Lake Winter Farmers Markets

Going on 5 seasons now, I’ve also worked with the staff to hold the White Bear Lake Winter Farmers Markets here! This has been a great way to bring the community together over local food, something I’m very passionate about!

Growing with the Community

Tamarack first opened it’s ‘doors’ with a trailer on the land circa 1978. The main building was built in 1989 with additions for classrooms, parking, outdoor play and gardens taking place throughout the years. The space has grown with alongside the community’s interest in nature. And the community is a big part of keeping it running. In a typical year the nature center sees around 150 volunteers who give over 6,500 hours of time. And that high level of community involvement shows in the grounds and gardens.

Digging Into the Garden

Tamarack’s Teaching Garden is one of a kind. With a whimsical hardscape design and plenty of changes in crops and uses each year the gardens as a whole integrate native perennial plantings to bring in the pollinators with a wide array of annual vegetable crops, herbs and a small orchard. Centered around a flower spiral both raised and in-ground beds radiate outward, drawing you in.

There’s been some sort of garden on site since 1999, but the current garden with fencing (this is a nature center with LOTS of deer pressure) was added in 2011. The Garden Building was added then as well, which later got a major overhaul to make it even more functional.

Planting in annual vegetables, many started from seed each year takes a lot of hands in the dirt!  As Marcie Oltman, Director of TNC explained, “Ramsey County Parks and Rec partnered with Minnesota/Iowa Conservation Corps soon after the garden was constructed. The level of involvement changes every year, but usually a crew of four Conservation Corps workers are on site roughly 20 hours per week throughout the growing season”. That’s a whole lot of garden love and makes these gardens flourish. 

Growing For Good

The garden is a Teaching Garden and Demonstration Garden which means they focus on growing a wide variety of crops in hopes of spurring interest, sparking joy and collecting a good harvest. Making those planting decisions is Amy Jo, the Garden Manager.

I asked Amy Jo all about how she decides how to plant all this space. There is a lot that goes into the process, in some ways its a lot like your home garden, just many times the size. But overall there are so many other people to take into consideration.

Amy Jo’s Guides to Deciding
What to Grow:

•  Garden maps of previous years to do crop rotations
  
• Talking with summer camp teachers about what the want to see growing
  
• Consult the Conservation Corp volunteers
  
• Try at least one a new crop each season (this year they grew artichokes)
  
• When there’s a garden fail (maybe pumpkins did poorly) she researches to decide if that plant should be taken out of rotation for the next season
  
• Reacting to wildlife- if they get greedy with one crop, deciding if that gets planted again, or try a new approach like straw bale gardens.
  And sometimes its just random 

Teaching + Demonstration Garden

Amy Jo works to plant a wide variety of produce that will have different harvest times. But also larger amounts of good produces like bush beans that will be useful in teaching programs plus be wonderful for the food shelf donations.

The garden is also a demonstration garden meaning that it is for the public to enjoy the beauty of the plantings and to see how different produce grows. Amy Jo explains, “So that is why there is ‘a little bit of this and that’ in the garden. We try to incorporate a good deal of signage for the public and program participants like the summer campers to learn from”.

This extensive garden is also for the local wildlife, hopefully mostly just pollinators. Amy Jo says, “I put in lots of flowers not only for people’s enjoyment but for the pollinators”.

The gardens donate to the White Bear Area Food Shelf to the tune of 1,000+ pounds of fresh, locally grown organic produce a year.

this # varies each year

Get Involved

I volunteered a few Wednesdays this summer and it was so fun to be in another garden, working alongside other gardeners. The garden volunteer time is led by Amy Jo, and often includes other locals, some Ramsey County Master Gardeners and a naturalist or two. The garden is massive, and there’s always something to do- from planting seedlings, the never-ending weeding (which is a lot more fun done in groups) and of course harvesting! The gardening days are

Get involved with some of the many different volunteer opportunities; from caring for the center’s animals (like native turtles, frogs and snakes), removing buckthorn, tending the garden or the beehives and so much more. You can check their volunteer page for opportunities – they’ve got both in person options, and other socially distanced ways to help.

Volunteer Spotlight

Maple Volunteer Training

Saturday, February 5^th 
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
11:45 to 1:00: Evaporator Training

FREE!Pre-registration required.

Attend this training to learn all about the maple season at Tamarack and how you can contribute as a volunteer. We utilize volunteers in sap collecting, evaporating, canning and programming. This is a great volunteer opportunity for individuals, couples and families!

TO REGISTER email volunteertamarack@co.ramsey.mn.us

Connect with Nature

For me, gardening and plants are the way I best connect with Nature. But TNC understands that for some it’s animals, bird watching or working together with others in the woods… Whether a family hike or snowshoe, volunteering or a visit to the Winter Farmers Market (hint, hint), or just hanging out on the climbing wall… make sure you visit Tamarack Nature Center each season. Your body and mind will thank you. Who knows, you might even end up in a deeper relationship with nature.

Dig into Nature Centers,

Michelle

The post Tamarack Nature Center and Teaching Gardens appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Making garden beds this way works with nature’s existing cycles, creating healthy soil, less weeding and happier plants!

This process does NOT need to be created inside a box, just easier to keep layers tidy, I’ve success both in and out of boxes!

Build It and They Will Come!

The idea of setting up a garden bed like this is to let nature do the work for you. You’ll be helping nature create good soil by composting in place- and that requires things for the soil organisms to eat. By giving a diverse group of soil life things to feast on you can create a very active and healthy soil to plant into.

Building Better Soil

Soil biodiversity creates a more resilient garden. I like to equate good soil organisms with good gut health. We’ve likely all heard of pre- and pro- biotics; the helpers of digestion (and so much more). Soil organisms help break things down and make them available to plants in a similar fashion.

Everything from worms and beetles we can see, to bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes and actinomycetes (though I sure couldn’t tell you what those looked like!) have a specific job to do- and many work in relationship with vegetable plant roots to feed them. There is a whole world of info about the soil food web out there, and I suggest watching THIS by Dr. Elaine Ingham if you want to dig a little deeper.

BUT… the beauty of this process is that it works without you knowing soil biology! By layering the raw materials listed below the good guys will set up shop breaking down matter AND making it available to your plants in a few short months.

Helpful Garden Terms

No Dig Gardening: Leaving the soil as undisturbed as possible.

Sheet Composting VS Sheet Mulching:  Sheet Mulching is where you overlap cardboard and place mulch directly over it (like I did for my front yard garden). Sheet composting is another term for Lasagna gardening.

Hügelkultur: Using wood and other organic matter to warm and drive faster decomposition. (I think of this as Lasagna Gardening on steroids.)

the more you know

When to Build

You can start building a garden this way anytime, but Fall is a great time. You’ll have lots of yard waste to add to the boxes, plus letting the bed sit overwinter will give the layers time to decompose and release some of the nutrients to help feed plants next spring. In northern climates, like us in Minnesota, the freeze thaw cycle also helps break things down over winter.

The process can take up to six months- another reason why Fall is a great time to get started. And yes, it will continue to decompose over winter even in Minnesota. Remember this is a cold (or slow) compost process, not a hot one.

Remember to Practice No Dig Garden Clean Up Techniques every fall as well. Cut healthy, annual plants back at the soil level to leave roots in the ground. This will help feed soil life over winter.

Step by Step Bed Construction:

Choose a location for your new garden (veggies do best in full sun) then decide the dimensions and start laying down the layers!

• Mow: Mow grass as short as possible where you will be creating the garden bed. This step can also help define the edges and curves as garden beds should be easy to mow around!

• Fork: Using a small tined pitchfork or broad fork if you have one, gently push into the soil to create air holes and ‘space’. This invites worms and the larger organisms towards the surface.

• Compost: Lay a thin layer of compost under the cardboard to entice soil life up into the area.

• Cardboard: Lay solid cardboard (free of color printing or tape!) over space, making sure to overlap liberally. Overlapping too little can cause weeds to find light and sneak up. Collecting large sheets of cardboard from appliances, and friends that have recently moved can be a big help!

• Layer: Now we start adding all that organic matter which can be broken down into two main groups; carbon or nitrogen suppliers. Layering these invites decomposers to the garden party!

Layer By Layer

To me this is the fun part, finally getting to add the layers. Organic matter high in carbon is often referred to as “browns” and matter high in Nitrogen as “greens”. Thinking of Browns as drier and Greens as wetter helps keep them straight in my head. Sticking to around 2″ per layer helps the process along.

*This really is like composting in place- but without turning the soil ourselves we’re inviting the soil life to turn it for us, so thinner layers are key to success.*

More information on composting HERE!

Carbon Sources

Carbon rich materials include cardboard, newspaper, wood chips, sawdust and dry leaves (another reason to do sheet composting in the fall—you can put all those falling leaves to good use). It’s best to start with a nitrogen layer touching the cardboard to help break it down enough for the soil organisms to bust through.

Nitrogen Sources

Nitrogen rich materials include already composted horse or cow manure, fresh grass clippings, deadheaded flowers, fruit/vegetable scraps, used coffee grounds, and green leaves as well as alfalfa pellets and cottonseed meal.

I also use spent chicken bedding from our backyard flock and consider it a ‘pre-blended’ mix of carbon (straw) and chicken droppings (nitrogen).

Keep the ratio of carbon to nitrogen roughly 70/30 – 50/50. This is a forgiving process, and will eventually create compost regardless of exact proportions.

*The smaller the pieces you add to the layers, the faster it will decompose.*

Unlike traditional composting, during which weed seeds and disease organisms are killed as the pile heats up, this is a cold composting process and will not kill diseases or seeds.

Garden debris that contains weed seeds or diseased materials should be skipped when making a lasagna garden.

Ask me how I know

I’ve created very healthy soil in my new beds and increased my organic matter from 2.8% to 9.8% in two years with No Dig Gardening! Between 4-6% is considered adequate for most veggies. If you’re interested in doing a soil test the U of MN does their basic version for $17, that and lots more info on soil in my article HERE.

I’ve built my fair share of garden beds over the years, and really love the way no till garden beds produce and thrive! It’s also pretty amazing how with a little planning these beds use up yard ‘waste’ and cost virtually nothing!

For loads of great videos on how this can look in a garden check out the OG No Dig guru; Charles Dowding.

If you’re looking to expand your gardens for next season- think about starting now. Make it easy on yourself by layering on the goodness and letting nature do the work.

Dig In!
Michelle

The post No Dig Gardening + Hügelkultur: Layer a Lasagna Garden appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.