{"id":90700,"date":"2021-09-24T07:00:54","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T11:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/?p=90700"},"modified":"2021-09-22T12:19:00","modified_gmt":"2021-09-22T16:19:00","slug":"tips-for-starting-first-year-garden-beds-part-three-zipper-beds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hobbyfarms.com\/tips-for-starting-first-year-garden-beds-part-three-zipper-beds\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips For Starting First-Year Garden Beds (Part Three)"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the past few installments of this column, we’ve looked at how to build a first-year garden. We talked about linking “tricks” to maximize efficiency and growing success. We discussed how to lay out Permabeds, as well as proper tillage techniques. And we looked at how to prepare and irrigate our Permabeds.<\/p>\n

Now we’re ready to get to work in our beds as we ready them for their first year of productivity.<\/p>\n

Using Zipper Beds in Your First-Year Garden<\/b><\/h2>\n

Next, we’ll tackle two birds with one stone.\u00a0 <\/span>We’ll prepare good garden soil by thoroughly removing aggressive weeds through pre-weeding techniques. And we’ll ensure we have a good weed management strategy for our first year of growing.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

We did this using a zipper bed model and selecting proper crops for a first-year garden.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Zipper Beds? This model represents a strategy for managing garden weeds using two pieces of weed barrier. These are lined up from the middle of one bed top to the middle of the next bed top.\u00a0 <\/span>You then can plant between the two weed barriers<\/a> that line up on any given bed top. This allows you a productive, weed-free growing space.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

You can cover the entire garden surface and still efficiently plant by choosing to grow single-row crops like melons, zucchini, squash, tomatoes and corn, which need the space.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Not only do zipper bed exclude weeds that occur annually, but they also fry out lasting perennial weeds\u2014such as grasses, thistles and burdock\u2014that persist in the first year of gardening. Nearly every grower makes the mistake of planting two or three row crops in their first-year garden in year one. New can\u2019t easily grow carrots, lettuce or peas because they simply have too many weed seeds and perennial weeds.<\/p>\n

It takes time to prepare garden soil and remove all the weeds. But with zipper beds and proper crop selection, you are actually able to grow a garden in year one while also frying out those first-year weeds.<\/p>\n

\n

Read more: Establish permanence to avoid re-thinking your garden every year.<\/a><\/em><\/b><\/p>\n

\n

Apply a Top Mulch<\/b><\/h2>\n

The space along the zippered edge in the bed top needs some extra mulching. So we used old hay.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

This holds the zipper down against wind. (Row bags work, too.) But it also further blocks out any light from reaching weeds that want to take advantage of this narrow row of opportunity.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

We simply applied a 12-inch line of hay mulch to each bed top.<\/p>\n

Plant Your Guild<\/b><\/h2>\n

This garden will be planted next year in the four sisters planting method<\/a>: corn, climbing beans, squash and sunflowers.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

We’ll transplant plants into each zipper bed every 12 inches in the following arrangement<\/p>\n