[Tommy RyanParticipant]

I have wondered too if I should consider broadforking. I did notice a bed that had sweet potatoes the previous year perform better than a neighboring bed. This made me wonder if I could get better results with my beds that are only in their second season (or if that was just a coincidence).

I am resisting adding yet another variable to control. As I observe my soil, it does not seem that compact and that the earth worms and vole/moles are creating some decent aeration of the soil (I know, voles/moles not a great thing to have in the garden, but they seem to have minimal to no damage so far).

For the American gardener/farmers (and other locations like Sweden where Richard Perkins does small scale farming with nodig principals), it does seem to be a common practice. Although, I have not seen any controlled trials (that I am aware of). Will be interesting to see if anyone has done extensive trials. I know Charles compares to dug beds, but I am not sure if that is broadforking or double digging the beds.

[Tommy RyanParticipant]

Charles, I have made it a practice to always leave the roots in the soil when pulling out plants that are ready to be composted. I will try to twist some of them out for convenience as you mentioned.

On this topic, are there any plants were you would not recommend leaving the roots behind? I was thinking that minimal soil disturbance and leaving roots to rot and feed the soil would be the way to go for all plants in the garden.

[Tommy RyanParticipant]

Here is the photo. Posting this separately because I think it was blocking my ability to post the previous response.

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[Tommy RyanParticipant]

Hi Charles, I thought I would come back and give you an update on the compost bin system. I went with 5′ x 5′ bins for 6 bins and then at the end it has a 10′ x 5′ area that I will be using for a garden tool shed. The overall compost structure is completed (except for the tool shed). I went with fence pickets (front is cedar and the other sides are pine) for the walls. These fence pickets are sliding in an aluminum u-channel to allow to easily slide up and remove.

Here are two Instagram posts that highlight the compost bin:

[Tommy RyanParticipant]

Ok. I plan to do this without earthing up (hilling) this year. Maybe I will run an experiment between two rows. We will see. If I do the experiment, I will report back.

[Tommy RyanParticipant]

Thanks Charles. That will help with my garden planning. I always wondered about this and was not sure about experiences where peppers were hotter than expected when planted near hotter varieties. One year I planted a scotch bonnet (habanero) next to a jalapeño and I thought it was the hottest jalapeño I ever grew (so it “planted a seed” in my mind that cross pollination could effect the taste of the fruit). Good to get that cleared up.

[Tommy RyanParticipant]

Thanks Charles! I was thinking that was so. I did go through the forum and noticed a similar topic on squash, but did see some discussion on the impact of cross pollination on corn. Is corn the only crop that needs distance between varieties?

[Tommy RyanParticipant]

Thanks Rhys for the additional feedback on the roof. Charles, I will be sure to take a picture when done. Looking forward to seeing you one day on your home turf or mine. For now, here is a picture of a part of the garden under the snow we just received 2 days ago. A 7 inch snow in Georgia in early December is quite rare. Cheers!

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[Tommy RyanParticipant]

Thanks Charles for the details. The simplicity is the attraction to the structure. With the height of the roof for cover, I like the fact you can work the compost under cover and walk in and out like it was a potting shed to store some tools that can be outside under cover.

In terms of size, I just moved into a new house that I bought explicitly for the land to vegetable and flower garden (6 acres with some woods and ~ 1.5-2 acres flat open spaces). I currently have a 50′ x 120′ initial plot I am starting no dig. I also have 8 flower garden beds throughout the 6 acre property, so I believe I should go with the 1.5m/5ft square.

Thanks again for the quick feedback. Hope to make it out your way some day for a class. I watch your events page to see if you ever make it to the southeastern US, since I am in Georgia.

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