Step by step instructions for 5 layers to build good, fertile soil.

We posted several photos of these raised beds when we built them about six weeks ago. Can’t believe that I am just now filling them! But we have had so many projects going on here at the farm, this has really been my first opportunity.

The beds measure 12 foot X 3 foot X 19 inches high. By the way, I am 5 feet 3 inches tall, and I am loving the 3 foot width!

Bella got off the school bus today ready to plant. We started our plants from heirloom seeds back in January, and they have been happy under a grow light on my kitchen counter until now.

I made the mistake of starting squash, cantaloupe, kale, and cucumbers too, but they overran the kitchen, and I had to discard everything except the tomatoes and peppers. But at least I know that the seeds that I saved are viable. The cantaloupe were seeds saved 4 years ago from the most delicious melon I have ever tasted–and they germinated in 3 days!

As a matter of fact, I have never had seeds germinate so quickly! The kale was literally up the next day! We saved those seed too! Has anyone else noticed that seeds purchased from seed catalogues or farm supplies are NOT germinating?

I started the seeds in toilet paper rolls in regular potting soil. You can also make little planting pots with newspapers by wrapping around a can or bottle. There are some good tutorials online. I have never had good luck with seed starting mix. It is too fine and dry, and my seeds have not germinated well.

I placed the containers in a gallon zip lock bag under the grow light. It made a little mini greenhouse. The moisture collected in the bag and gave the seeds a nice damp environment to start out. As soon as the seeds germinated, I took them out of the bag and put them directly under the grow light. This will help keep them from damping-off. When the humidity is too high, the soil too wet or too cold, the stems of seedlings may rot off at or just below the soil line.

It is also a good idea to place the light as close to the seedlings as you can without actually touching them. This will help them develop a nice stout stem and avoid the spindly stem many people see when starting plants inside. You will need to cut the light off at night.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  This means, if you click on a link on my blog and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  THANK YOU for helping me start a college fund for Bella!  Here is a link to a GROW BULB like the one I use. It is a “full spectrum” bulb. I had an old light similar to THIS ONE. The bulb simply screws in.

Several years ago, I ordered 5 or 6 of the grow lights that clip on the table surface. I found them way too small and ineffective. Just put every single one in the recycle bin last week!

5 Layers with step by step instructions:

• Step 1: CARDBOARD LAYER— The topsoil was removed when I seated the beds and leveled them, so we had bare dirt on the bottom to work with. I knew that I would not have weeds come up from this deep, but I decided to line half of the bed bottoms with cardboard and leave half with bare dirt just to see if I could tell a difference.

• Step 2: DECOMPOSING LIMBS AND STICKS–We are fortunate enough to have a tractor with a front end loader. Since there are roads and trails all over the farm, and we have quite a bit of forested area, it was easy for us to gather a bucketful of rotting limbs quickly.

• Step 3: SAWMILL SHAVINGS–We have a family sawmill on the farm, and my husband brought down a bucketful of old sawmill shavings to fill in gaps between the decomposing limbs. The shavings are 4 years old, and have already gone through a heat. I would not recommend adding fresh shavings. In some areas, you can request that the road crews unload chips on your property from where they have cleaned along roadsides and power lines. You could also use leaves or other organic filler.

• Step 4: Adding back the TOP SOIL that I removed when I seated the beds and leveled them. I piled the soil at the ends of the bed. We have had quite a bit of rain, and the soil is still moist and easy to work with. I used a hoe and a square nosed shovel to loosen it and break up any small clods. The back of the hoe works best for breaking up the clods. I threw any grass roots aside.

• Step 5: TOP SOIL AND MANURE from around barn and COTTON GIN TRASH: My husband took the box blade on the tractor and raked up a lot of the soil and aged manure from around the barn into a big pile and scooped it up with the front end loader. He brought a separate pile of the cotton gin trash. I used the square nosed shovel and added it to the raised bed on top of the first layer of top soil. (On the next bed, I plan to have him dump it straight into the box with the front end loader. It took me ALL day to do this with the shovel. Don’t know what I was thinking!)

For those of you who may not be familiar with cotton gin trash (left), it is the dirt, sticks, stems, and leaves–basically everything from the gin that is not lint fiber or seeds–just ground up and pulverized plant matter that has been piled up at the gin in huge piles.

Cotton gin trash composts itself over time. The older it is, the better it is. When it is still in the composting process, it is so hot that it will smoke when you start digging it out. Most gins will give this to you free if you will haul it. I added about one shovel of cotton gin trash to three shovels of topsoil and mixed it in with a 4-pronged garden cultivator.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  This means, if you click on a link on my blog and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  THANK YOU for helping me start a college fund for Bella! I love my 4-pronged cultivator! Here is a link to a similar one. 4-PRONGED CULTIVATOR  

TOOLS that I used–left to right: square nosed shovel, hoe, garden rake, and 4-pronged garden cultivator. (The cats weren’t a bit of help!)

The finished bed–one down and 5 to go!

Bella got off the school bus today eager to plant! She planted a Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato that we started back in January from seeds that we saved last summer.

The Cherokee Purple is an heirloom tomato. Unlike hybrids, it will come back true from seeds that you save. I always use heirloom varieties.

It is the end of March, and still a little early to plant tomatoes here in Mississippi. The temperature is forecasted to drop in the 40s tonight, so we decided to cut the bottom out of a milk jug and cover the tender plant. We have been setting the tomatoes and peppers out in the sun every day for about 10 days to harden off, so they should be fine.

This is one of the seedlings I put out in March! It is the first of July now.

This is one of our Cherokee purple tomatoes. My ring is there for size! They are gnarly and ugly, but ohhhhh so good! And yes. I just discovered I have an infestation of some kind of little brown worms! Sighhhhh. Resorted to Sevin dust powder after picking off at least 35 of the little buggers! I hate chemicals, but refuse to lose this plant! My grandmother used Sevin dust on everything in the garden back in the 60s and 70s. None of us have ever suffered ill effects from it.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  This means, if you click on a link on my blog and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  THANK YOU for helping me start a college fund for Bella!  If you want to grow CHEROKEE PURPLE tomatoes, here is a link to seeds. They are an heirloom variety. You can save the seeds and the plant will come back true to the parent plant. I always save my seeds!

Quart fruit jars also make good covers.

Bella wanted to plant something else, so we decided to plant a red bell pepper in the opposite end of the bed.

Planting the Middle

We started at the red bell pepper end and used the fork to make shallow rows going crosswise of the bed from side to side. The rows were 1 foot apart, and we alternated the following salad greens: kale, lettuce, spinach, beets (for green tops, and Swiss chard. We were able to get two rows of each. Can’t wait to see them peek out of the soil!

I also purchased a lavender plant from our local farm supply today. I always mix flowers in with my vegetables in the garden. The flowers attract pollinators. Plus, there is nothing I love more than a flower!

Other flowers that we plan to add: Lilliput zinnias, marigolds (around tomatoes to repel tomato worms), coneflowers…and maybe a few other perennials.

Be sure to check back frequently to watch our progress!

Oh! I know you are going to ask how much it cost to fill this bed. I spent absolutely nothing! Just the gas to run to the gin to get the load of cotton gin trash.

It is so important to choose your land carefully if you are just starting your homesteading journey. Pick an area that already has good top soil, plenty of water, and I prefer a mild climate. A little forest land is also a plus.

Happy farming from Cozy Kitchen Wood Stove!