As many of you have noticed, there has been a lot of changes behind N building where the greenhouse is being built. As we moved into the last phase of greenhouse construction, we also finished the beds going in next to the greenhouse. These beds are going to be used for growing annual crops to be donated to the food bank on campus.
Currently, we are planning several polyculture techniques for these beds. Including the 3 sisters Native American planting guild. This involves planting corn, pole beans, and squash together in the same space. The corn provides a natural stock for the beans to grow on, the beans fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil and reinforce the corn (to protect the stalks from breaking in heavy wind), and the large squash leaves shade and cool the soil, reducing the amount of watering the plants require. These 3 plants also have different root depths so there is minimal competition for nutrients and they don’t complete for sunlight. This is an example of polyculture principles, where we mimic natural symbioses in nature while using plants that benefit humans.
The bed closer to the greenhouse (on the left in the picture) uses hugelkultur design principles in the back third of the bed. With this design method, we bury large pieces of wood at the base of the bed. Wood, especially decaying wood, has a high water holding capacity, meaning that more water gets held in the root zone of the plants, rather than draining deeper into the soil horizons. We planted potatoes this year over the hugelkultur, since they are a thirsty plant and don’t mind wet feet.
Stay tuned for more updates on these beds, or contact radsustainability@evergreen.edu if you want to get involved with the community beds!
UPDATE 7/31:
The beds are glorious! They have filled with Sunchokes, Quinoa, Lambs Quarters, and a variety of other annuals. I think that a huge part of the success of this garden was the fact that most of the soil comprising these beds was mushroom compost. Soil that rich and fluffy is bound to grow some delicious crops!
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