No-Till Flower Bed Preparation Using Cardboard and Mulch

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lovenfresh

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No-Till Flower Bed Preparation using cardboard and compost

I’ve been getting a lot of messages about no-till flower farming bed preparation. For ease of quick reference, I’m outlining below the cardboard/compost mulch system for no-till flower farming bed preparation that I used in the 2020 growing season. I will continue to tweak the no-till flower farming bed preparation and other systems at my farm this season, but this will give you a good start. Generally I love this cardboard/mulch system and it’s been great for most crops. However, there have been some hard lessons learned along the way. I have a very detailed blog post written last summer about those critical lessons. Be sure to read it too so you can skip some of the trial and error at your farm! And give the No-Till Flowers Podcast a listen for more valuable know-how!

Steps to No-Till Flower Bed Preparation Using Cardboard and Compost

1) Cover crop (a mix of rye, vetch, triticale, and clover) that was sown in late fall and grew vigorously when the weather warmed in the spring was maintained with bi-weekly high-deck mowing until a given bed was ready to bring into production, at which point, the cover crop was “scalped” with a mulching push mower.

2) Four foot wide woven black landscape fabric was put over the freshly mown bed and pinned in place with landscape staples. The fabric remained on the bed for about 10 days to weaken the cover crop.

3) A single layer of 36″ wide corrugated cardboard was placed on top of the bed. The cardboard was sourced in rolls from a packing supply company, which made it very easy to place on beds.

4) A 2-3″ layer of well-aged compost was spread on top of the cardboard the full length and width of the bed.

5) Five lines of drip tape are placed on top of the compost. Lines are spaced 6″ apart and double as a guide for planting transplants in a straight line.

6) Transplant into the bed, spacing plants 4” to 6” apart, depending on the crop. We found that a long screwdriver was actually the best tool to pierce the cardboard easily and wiggle a little hole open for the transplants. Root balls must have immediate access to the native soil below the cardboard.

7) Water in the transplants well with a solution of KNF inputs, kelp, molasses, and fish emulsion. Make sure to keep them irrigated regularly with the drip lines for the first two or more weeks while their root systems are expanding into the soil.



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