Land Preparation Digging beds

Digging or plowing. Depends on the crop but lets focus on the average high value vegetable crops.

We should plow the field when first setting up our area if it's big enough. We should double dig (french intensive method) the beds by hand to establish permanent beds, while incorporating our soil amendments. The good news is that after the initial bed preparation we never have to plow or till again.

According to Keith Mikkelson's book "Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics"pg. 224, he converted his clay soil by following this formula:

New Soil Preparation

1. Clear grass and weeds for compost
2. Plow or spade down to subsoil (1st dig)
3. Spade in rice hull and charcoal (double dig)
4. Spade in Compost, bokashi etc.
5. Spade in all other Ammendments
6. Aerate with Broad Fork
7. Water in
8. Mulch
9. Water in
10. Place irrigation lines
11. Water in until soil's moist top to bottom

First Year Amendments: 2-4 times: Per 1m x 9m bed (3ftx30ft)Pail 20L

- 12-15 pails Compost (4-5 tons/hectare)
- 10 pails Rice Hull
- 1 pail Vermicompost
- 2 pails Bokashi
- 2 pails Ash
- 10L Bat Guano
- 10-20L Lime

Use the amendments that are available in your area.