Page 11 - Living Aloha Magazine March/April 2017 Issue

you are not able to prepare your garden beds in time, and the window of
opportunity passes to use those starts. Vegetables are mostly short cycle
crops and their quality quickly diminishes in the pots. They can get root-
bound, go to flower and seed, or lose their vigor. For these reasons, prepare
garden beds prior to purchasing baby veggie plants.

Unless you are one of the few people that have the time, knowledge, and
physical capabilities to jump right in with an extensive garden area, the
best strategy is to think big and act small. Thinking big means considering we Deliver
all of the long-term visions for the home and land, and acting small means
being honest about how much of your life resources will be dedicated to fresh,
the garden in the immediate future. Creating something manageable will
support discovering what works for you, and will inspire you to continue to
grow food for years to come! local

The goal in starting a garden is create beds that are level so
that soil nutrients do not wash away. In addition having beds mixeD
that are slightly raised will prevent the garden from getting
flooded when it rains a lot within a short period of time. fruit &
Planting the edges of the garden with a soil stabilizing plant such as comfrey
or lemongrass, or stabilize it with a hard material such as wood or concrete veggie
blocks, will prevent erosion and minimize weed pressure from creeping
grasses that can walk into the garden.

Borders can serve to provide weed management, wind protection, nutrient boxes
cycling, organic matter for compost or mulch, erosion control, beauty, and
definition. An ideal garden would include a variety of edges that combine to to your
offer all of these benefits. home or office

Here are three strategies for turning a lawn into a garden: quick build, on maui.
rototilling, and slow approach.

Quick BuiLD CALL TODAY FOR A DELIVERY!
808-664-1129
Once the soil is tested, a design is created, and materials are
acquired, this implementation can be executed in as little as IslandFreshDelivery.com
one week.
• Take a soil sample of the garden area, and have it tested.

• Mow or weed eat as needed to bring down the grass level.
• Place brown cardboard on the lawn.
• Build raised beds with hardscape borders, such as wood and concrete
blocks. Or consider using a plant-based edge, such as comfrey and
lemongrass.
• Fill raised beds with a minimum of six-inches of compost over the
cardboard.
• Add organic fertilizer based on your soil test, and biologically activated
materials, such as compost and worm castings.
• Aerate the bed with a garden fork, leaving the cardboard layer intact.
• Prepare the watering system.
• Plant edges if not using a hardscape edge, such as wood.

MARCH–APRIL 2017 | Living Aloha FEATURES 11