RECLAIMING THE DESERT

In that last week was Earth Week there were some good shows on PBS showing the man made desertification of vast areas of the world. Best I could figure folks clear cut the trees destroying the shade and falling biomass the trees provided to renourish the soil leading to the natural soil cycle being disrupted. With nothing to hold and replenish the topsoil it eroded and blew away.

The bottom line is the importance of the soil. The more that I study Organic methods and Permaculture it seems to always lead back to the same thing. The SOIL. Feed the soil and protect it and the plants will grow to feed you. Neglect the health of your soil and the micro organisms it contains at your peril.

On a macro scale of the same principal in my own backyard I have areas that have turned into almost pure sand. I figure that its time that start to reclaim some of the useless areas and repair the damage .



First step was to make an addition to my crop circle area over into a pretty much dead area of sand and weeds.

I took some 4x4 x8 posts and painted them with concrete stain that had been sitting for awhile in my shed.

I cut two short pieces with my old skill saw and add some corner support in the form of some spare shelf brackets screwed in. Instant raised bed.

Next was the cure involving removing the weeds and adding the Magic ingredients to start healing the soil. That magic ingredient is compost. The compost will enable the sand to retain moisture and give it some structure.The micro organisms in the compost will start to heal the soil.

The compost was mixed almost a foot deep and mixed well with the sand.

I was immediately rewarded from my digging and mixing effort.

I found my long lost wire nippers. Buried under the sand there they were . I mean how cool is that! I have been looking for these damn things since 1983.

I mean the soil gave them back in return for giving it some nourishment. I mean sometimes there are omens and they can mean something. What I have no idea.

Ok where was I ? Oh yeah. Time for the next ingredient Mulch. The soil in the new bed was then covered with a couple inches worth of eucalyptus mulch. The Mulch will keep the soil from drying out and protect it from the sun. It will also break down over time and add its own compost to enrich the soil.

That's the organic one two punch. Compost and mulch. It's kinda like baking a cake. Add the ingredients and let her cook!

This small raised bed is the perfect answer to an area that was of little use even to raise weeds before.

Finding my lost wire nippers and the perfect solution to my micro desertification of my soil all in the same day could only mean one thing.

That's right. Time to plant some Summer Squash to celebrate good times!

These Summer Crookneck seeds were free as part of a catalog promotion.

What could possibly look better popping up out of the new raised bed garden than these guys.

So as the inaugural crop in this bed I direct sowed the Squash seed . I found a empty plastic bottle in the trash and used it to create some temporary plant spacers to hold back the mulch until the Squash sprouts. Worked out pretty good . I just rescued the plastic bottle , Turned it on it's side , and cut it into slices. Each slice was like a donut that will serve to hold back the mulch until the seedlings are big enough.

So there it is ! A reclaimated sand pit into an raised soil hospital. I'll take that with a side of Squash thanks.

And if you look closely that's another small slice of former dead grass and weeds that will not have to be mowed this summer.

Anyway that's my Earth Week contribution from the sand pit.

--Sanddune--