CREATING GARDEN BEDS

MEET ANDREW BOUCHER

Building a farm was something I never thought I would be doing. I've been an artist and programmer most of my life and lived a very indoor life.

In 2020 was given the opportunity of a lifetime to revitalize a dormant farm and decided to take on the challenge. I dove into learning everything I could from anywhere I could about farm life.

Ultimately, my family and I decided we wanted to pursue farming practices that brought life back to the land. We utilize a no-till garden method, rotational grazing, as well as regenerative agriculture practices. Follow along with us as we create this year’s garden!

Learn the first steps in preparing your garden for planting. In this episode we cover soil preperation and inital garden setup.

WATER DRAINAGE

The first thing we need to address is the drainage system in the garden. My garden is not graded to prevent standing water; so, trenches need to be dug to direct water out of the garden.

When draining your garden, it is important to have the water drain out slowly to prevent removing any valuable topsoil from your garden. A minimum of four primary drain trenches will keep water moving out of the garden all season.

You can utilize the water draining from the garden for another area where you may need it. In my case, I am directing the water to the trees I recently planted right outside my garden. Doing so will allow the trees to absorb any excess water that may accumulate and further prevent standing water.

Andrew Boucher walks us through his tried and true methods to create and prepare beds, as well as prevent weeds in the garden.

SOIL TESTING

Soil testing is an important and often overlooked step in prepping your garden for planting. Soil testing should be done at the start of the season before putting any plants in the ground.

Getting your soil tested is a simple process; kits are available in many garden centers and home improvement stores. After collecting your sample, simply follow the instructions on your at-home soil testing kit or take it to a local facility for testing.

I am using the local university for a more in-depth analysis. The university will be able to suggest any beneficial additives to ensure optimal growth and production this season.

LIFT AND CREATE BEDS

Once the walkways are in place we can start preparing the beds. The soil in our garden has been dormant and needs an initial tilling to loosen the dirt. After the initial tilling, we will be utilizing a no-till method. If you want to avoid the initial tilling, place a layer of cardboard and layer the soil/compost mixture directly on top.

LAYING WEED BARRIER

Now that the walkways and beds have been created, it's time to lay the weed barrier. Laying a weed barrier can save your hours of work and backache. We are using a fabric weed barrier and rolling it across each bed. To keep the fabric in place, use landscaping stakes every 5-10 feet. If you get a lot of wind or find the landscape stakes are not sufficient, like we have, using bricks to supplement the stakes is a good idea.

MAPPING ROWS

Planning the garden ensures you will get the most out of the space you have, whether that be a large area or a small raised garden bed. In my case, I have gone with 30-inch rows and 18-inch walkways which is standard for most market gardens.

The wide rows will allow for interplanting while the walkways will provide plenty of space for walking. To map the rows and walk ways simply measure out the spacing and mark each row with a stake.

After staking all rows, tie string to the corresponding stake on either end. Doing so will allow you to easily identify the areas of your garden and make the next steps; tilling and laying weed barrier easier.

Every season will bring new challenges but seeing the fruits of your labor makes it all worth it.

MEET ANDREW BOUCHER

Building a farm was something I never thought I would be doing. I've been an artist and programmer most of my life and lived a very indoor life. In 2020 was given the opportunity of a lifetime to revitalize a dormant farm and decided to take on the challenge. I dove into learning everything I could from anywhere I could about farm life. Ultimately, my family and I decided we wanted to pursue farming practices that brought life back to the land. We utilize a no-till garden method, rotational grazing, as well as regenerative agriculture practices. Follow along with us as we create this year’s garden!

CREATING GARDEN BEDS

MEET ANDREW BOUCHER

Building a farm was something I never thought I would be doing. I've been an artist and programmer most of my life and lived a very indoor life.

In 2020 was given the opportunity of a lifetime to revitalize a dormant farm and decided to take on the challenge. I dove into learning everything I could from anywhere I could about farm life.

Ultimately, my family and I decided we wanted to pursue farming practices that brought life back to the land. We utilize a no-till garden method, rotational grazing, as well as regenerative agriculture practices. Follow along with us as we create this year’s garden!

Learn the first steps in preparing your garden for planting. In this episode we cover soil preperation and inital garden setup.

WATER DRAINAGE

The first thing we need to address is the drainage system in the garden. My garden is not graded to prevent standing water; so, trenches need to be dug to direct water out of the garden.

When draining your garden, it is important to have the water drain out slowly to prevent removing any valuable topsoil from your garden. A minimum of four primary drain trenches will keep water moving out of the garden all season.

You can utilize the water draining from the garden for another area where you may need it. In my case, I am directing the water to the trees I recently planted right outside my garden. Doing so will allow the trees to absorb any excess water that may accumulate and further prevent standing water.

Andrew Boucher walks us through his tried and true methods to create and prepare beds, as well as prevent weeds in the garden.

SOIL TESTING

Soil testing is an important and often overlooked step in prepping your garden for planting. Soil testing should be done at the start of the season before putting any plants in the ground.

Getting your soil tested is a simple process; kits are available in many garden centers and home improvement stores. After collecting your sample, simply follow the instructions on your at-home soil testing kit or take it to a local facility for testing.

I am using the local university for a more in-depth analysis. The university will be able to suggest any beneficial additives to ensure optimal growth and production this season.

LIFT AND CREATE BEDS

Once the walkways are in place we can start preparing the beds. The soil in our garden has been dormant and needs an initial tilling to loosen the dirt. After the initial tilling, we will be utilizing a no-till method. If you want to avoid the initial tilling, place a layer of cardboard and layer the soil/compost mixture directly on top.

LAYING WEED BARRIER

Now that the walkways and beds have been created, it's time to lay the weed barrier. Laying a weed barrier can save your hours of work and backache. We are using a fabric weed barrier and rolling it across each bed. To keep the fabric in place, use landscaping stakes every 5-10 feet. If you get a lot of wind or find the landscape stakes are not sufficient, like we have, using bricks to supplement the stakes is a good idea.

MAPPING ROWS

Planning the garden ensures you will get the most out of the space you have, whether that be a large area or a small raised garden bed. In my case, I have gone with 30-inch rows and 18-inch walkways which is standard for most market gardens.

The wide rows will allow for interplanting while the walkways will provide plenty of space for walking. To map the rows and walk ways simply measure out the spacing and mark each row with a stake.

After staking all rows, tie string to the corresponding stake on either end. Doing so will allow you to easily identify the areas of your garden and make the next steps; tilling and laying weed barrier easier.

Every season will bring new challenges but seeing the fruits of your labor makes it all worth it.

MEET ANDREW BOUCHER

Building a farm was something I never thought I would be doing. I've been an artist and programmer most of my life and lived a very indoor life. In 2020 was given the opportunity of a lifetime to revitalize a dormant farm and decided to take on the challenge. I dove into learning everything I could from anywhere I could about farm life. Ultimately, my family and I decided we wanted to pursue farming practices that brought life back to the land. We utilize a no-till garden method, rotational grazing, as well as regenerative agriculture practices. Follow along with us as we create this year’s garden!