At Bunny and the Bee Farm, we have become completely obsessed with studying the benefits of ground/soil covering for our crops around the farm. We have specifically been learning about the Back To Eden method, which was created by Paul Gautschi. 

There was a movie/documentary made about Paul’s foray into farming. He started out with little success in the arid climate of California, and took to the Bible and to nature to find solutions for his problems. The solution he arrived at was soil covering. His observations found that from natural wood growth forests, to the driest tundra, and even in your front yard, that a well maintained soil is always covered. Whether that soil is covered by grasses, dead leaves, or wood matter,  it is always covered by something. A covered soil can maintain moisture levels, regulate pH, and so much more.

Gautschi tried covering his soil with everything from wood chips, to manure, straw, and even rocks. He states that wood chips are the ultimate soil covering. Their ability to regulate moisture, pH, weed growth, nutrition, and to create well aerated soil is unmatched in the soil-covering game. A good, thick layer of wood chips (according to Back to Eden) is a great starting place for your garden, and mixing in good compost and manure is the best starting place. 

Wood chips are the ultimate solution for organic farmers seeing as they can mitigate most of the issues that face organic farming today. With proper compost and manure, the chips can lock in nutrients that are super important for soil health. They help with irrigation, minimize time spent weed pulling, and create healthy plants that can fight off pests.

How to start preparing today:

We believe that the sooner you cover your soil, the better it will be for your garden. If it is already too late in the growing season for you to have covered soil with partial decomposition of your covering, there are steps you can take to be prepared for next year. 

1. Clear your proposed gardening area of any and all grass, weeds, or shrubbery
2. Clear the area of any large rocks or stones that would inhibit plant growth

3. The best time to get your covering down is now. You want to put down a very thick layer of covering over the entirety of the area, (more than 6 inches). Your first season will not be the best year for your soil and covering, but every year after your first will be an improvement in the health of your soil. 

4. It is also incredibly important to not forget about compost and manure integration into your covering and especially when you plant in the soil. Building the bacteria into your soil is the first step to creating a healthy garden, and the best way to do that is with natural fertilizer and compost.

No matter where you are in your gardening journey, getting started with soil covering is sure to improve your life as a gardener. We would encourage you to get started as soon as you can!