The Land, The Plot, The Bed and The Plan A four part series on land development-Part 3 The Bed

The Land, The Plot, The Bed and The Plan
A four part series on land development

In July of 2017, I took out a long term lease on a piece of land which needs some prudent management. It has been in my family for over 60 years, during which little care was taken into account for the long term development.

I have already started some work on restoration, reclamation and development of access ways, gardens, grazing areas and hydrologics.

This is a four part blog on the development plan and techniques I am using for the improvement of the property.

Some parts will be dry and technical, but a basic understanding of the process for is necessary a person to apply or modify such techniques on their own property.

link to part 1 of 4
https://steemit.com/permaculture/@torquewrench1969/the-land-the-plot-the-bed-and-the-plan-a-four-part-series-on-land-development

Link to Part 2 of 4
https://steemit.com/gardening/@torquewrench1969/the-land-the-plot-the-bed-and-the-plan-a-four-part-series-on-land-development-part-2-the-plot

The Bed:

Caution: This will be an extremely long post.

Warning: This type of bed is not necessarily needed or appropriate for all environments, soils, personal goals, production goals or beauty.

When I go to make a planting bed, I try to think of the soil as a sponge. The climate in my area makes conservation and management of water a priority of utmost importance.

Many of the soils I work have also been depleted of organic matter (which holds water) and it needs to be replenished for the long term success of the land.

I use a BCS tractor with a rotary plow for making my beds, though it could be done by hand in some soils and massive manpower would be needed.

The structure of the bed maximizes water retention and soil nutrition, whilst allowing the roots of the plant room to grow.

When completed, these beds only need to be reformed every other year, reducing long term manpower.
Here are the videos on how I build my beds (2 videos total run time approximately 24 min):

Part 1

Part 2

Once you have determined the orientation of your bed, you will use the rotary plow to dig a trench:

FIRST PASS

SECOND PASS

THIRD PASS

At this point, broadfork the bottom of the trench every 12-16 inches. This will help aerate the soil and allow for deeper infiltration of water, bacteria and fungi.

Fill the trench with bio mass.

This biomass will increase the water holding capacity, while adding food for soil microbes, bacteria, microarthropods, fungi and many other soil fauna.

Bury the trench back in:

FIFTH PASS

SIXTH PASS

SEVENTH PASS

EIGHTH PASS

NINTH PASS

TENTH PASS

Repeat these steps until you have the quantity of beds you need.

Topdress the beds with compost:

COMPOST

Mulch areas between beds:

DONE

If making beds beds for immediate use (less than two weeks from planting), harrow and plant the beds.

If making beds for later use (over two weeks), cover beds with cellulose, plastic or silage tarps. This will allow weed seeds to germinate then die due to lack of sun.

As much of the land I work is fairly compacted, I generally have to use 10-12 passes with the BCS tractor to produce a respectable bed. Some soils will only require four passes and others may require much more.
Please feel free to ask questions!

End of Part 3

Note: All proceeds from this blog go to land restoration and agricultural development!!