Hay Garden
If you want a quick garden but your soil is poor or the drainage isn't good, try a Hay Garden. This is a great way to start a garden because you can create a hay garden right on top of the lawn. It will act like Super Smother Mulch, suffocating any plants growing under it, so ask your parents where you are allowed to place it first.
For each garden size, you'll need whole bales of hay:
- 8 ft × 8 ft (2.4 m × 2.4 m) = 8 bales (2 center, 6 edge)
- 8 ft × 10 ft (2.4 m × 3.0 m) = 10 bales (3 center, 7 edge)
- 8 ft × 12 ft (2.4 m × 3.6 m) = 12 bales (4 center, 8 edge)
- 8 ft × 14 ft (2.4 m × 4.2 m) = 14 bales (5 center, 9 edge)
- 8 ft × 16 ft (2.4 m × 4.8 m) = 16 bales (6 center, 10 edge)
- Mark 24 inches (61 cm) in from the edge of the garden all the way around.
- Remove 6 inches (15 cm) of soil from the center of the garden and pile it to one side or redistribute it if you are going to use new topsoil in your garden.
- If the soil needs conditioning, this would be a good opportunity to treat it.
- Place the center hay bales side by side in the hole. Cut the twine that binds them.
- Surround the center bales with the remaining bales, pushed tightly together to make a barrier around the whole garden. Do not cut the bale twine.
- Return the soil you removed or add your new topsoil on top of the center bales. Fill it up level with the top edge of the barrier bales.
- You may want to add some organic fertilizer to the soil or to your plants as the season progresses.
- Hay has lots of moisture chambers for the plants to use.
- Harden your seedlings and plant them the same way you would for a regular garden and water them well.
- Discarded soil from your garden can be used elsewhere in the yard if it's good earth.
- Ask your parents first if they have other plans for it if you aren't putting it on your hay garden.
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