News Articles

Does anyone have experience with sheet mulching (like 10-12” thick) over areas with Bermuda grass nearby? I’ve been solarizing it in two year cycles. Each year, I start solarizing other sections directly adjacent to whatever I started solarizing the year before. This has been the only way I’ve seen success with eradicating it and getting other things established in the meantime. I’m curious if anyone has experience with sheet mulching over areas where Bermuda grass used to be and is still relatively nearby. I just hate to go to the work and expense if the Bermuda will just laugh in its face like it does most other efforts to shade it out that aren’t strictly black plastic. I’m hoping there is life on the other side of this. I know I’ll never be rid of it, but I’m hoping I can find a place where it’s manageable and not my entire lawn 😬

https://preview.redd.it/p4qp2eiv0fee1.png?width=2540&format=png&auto=webp&s=ab0ed37114ef4e2a333a5d1225b07b8e370449a5

Hi all,

I moved onto 2.4 acres in the Twin Cities metro area last year and would love any input on how to lay out my space. Some notes:

• Map is oriented with N on top
• For scale, fruit trees you see here are taking up 15-20ft each
• I’m pretty certain the area I have marked here is the best spot for the veg garden given sun, access to water, proximity to compost, ease of deer proofing, etc.
• In addition to the chicken coop (for layers) I eventually want to do broilers, meat rabbits and maybe graze a sheep or two if my city will allow it
• The green spaces denote the tree line on the edges of my property. These are *not* my property lines—those extend maybe 20 ft into the tree line on every side.
• The northern tree line is entirely pine of some kind
• The other tree lines are a mixture of tress I have yet to identify (having an arborist out ASAP)
• The River Birch is not there but I’d love to plant one or several. Assuming the low area would be good because they are a river tree.
  • Speaking of the low area, not sure what else to say about it…at the north edge of the veg garden the yard dips 4-5 down.
• There are some large trees in a few spots across the open space, but most appear to be dead (arborist will confirm) so I am assuming they will have to come down, which will provide ample sun across the yard.
• What you see here is not necessarily where I want to put the fruit trees, I just wanted to get them on the map. Although I am wondering if something like this would be ideal to create layers—very tall pines furthest north, then semi-dwarf fruit trees, then bushes, and so on down the line descending toward the south for maximum sun.
• However, while I of course want all of this to grow well, I also want to maximize beauty and wildness. So a straight line doesn’t necessarily do that.
• And of course I also want room to roam and play for my 3 young kids. I want to have my cake and eat it too, I mean who doesn’t? lol

Here’s a quick list of everything I’d love to plant over the next five years (not all on the map currently, and no I’m not certain it will all work well in my climate):

• Apple
• Plum
• Cherry
• Pear
• Peach
• Paw-paw
• Grapes
• Hazelnut
• Chestnut
• Almond
• Pecan
• Chicago Hardy Fig
• Blueberry
• Strawberry
• Raspberry
• Blackberry
• Goumi
• Mulberry
• Elderberry
• Rhubarb
• Comfrey
• Chives
• Grapes
• Asparagus
• Sunchokes
• Leadplant (N fixer)
• Baptisia (N fixer)
• Loads of other natives

Thanks so much for any input! FYI I made this using the permapeople garden planner…it isn’t perfect but it’s getting the job done.