Starting My Vegetable Garden With As Little Work As Possible

[French jurist]

I grow each year many plants (zapallos, tomatoes, zucchini, rapsberry, basil, etc.) but I want to have my own huerta this year.

Problem is I won't have much time to spend on it (4 or 5 hours max per week for a size of 4x10 meters) so I found this technic:
Buying 20 bales of alfalfa (wheat would have been cheaper but well) and before mowing the lawn, I cover it with those dried herbs in order to create a mix: will create a layer of 4x10 meters = the cut grass will provide the nitrogen, while the dried herbs will prevent the layer from rotting.

(future vegetable garden is between the bales + the lawn about to be mowed). Has anyone tried this?

I'll be having seeds of melons from France (much smaller than here, orange colour, better taste) also.
4 kind of salads already are sprouting.

 

[Matiasba]

I am curious frenchie, where in Pilar do you live?

 

[French jurist]

Altura de Del Viso, ruta 8 quasi ruta 26

 

[ghost]

Yes it is a mulching system and works very well. You should get two full rotations easy. The soil in AR is pretty spectacular for veggie gardens. So, if, at the end of the season, you can rent or borrow a good rototiller you can till all of the mulch back into the soil, cover the garden with fresh straw and you are go to go for next season. A little cow manure tilled in at seasons end is great if can find some from non feed lot cows that weren't pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. [or chickens]
Good luck with those heirloom tomatoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lucha54]

I need some mulch.. should maybe just collect dry leaves in the park? I Don't want to pay for paja ...

 

[ghost]

I need some mulch.. should maybe just collect dry leaves in the park? I Don't want to pay for paja ...

Most of the leaves you will collect are pretty acidic. Lawn clippings are better. Go the race track in San Isidro, fill up a few plastic garbage bags. Take em home on the train. Don't worry, no pregnant woman will want your seat.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

I need some mulch.. should maybe just collect dry leaves in the park? I Don't want to pay for paja ...

No, no seas pajero/a.

 

[lucha54]

LOLOL thanks for the tip ajo and ghost. Do you know if they are already dried out at the race track or if I will have to dry them myself? Why can't there just be a big source of free dry grass clippings somewhere... geez there's a lot missing in this city.

 

[PhilipDT]

I have a massive load of compost cooking, more than I'll need it should be excellent quality mulch in a month. If you want some, send me a pm and come with a trash bag.

 

[lucha54]

Hi Philip, I have compost as well but i'm looking more for dry material (taking a huerta class and this is what they told me). Do you have dry material in excess?