Update on Leeks! Success!

I have an update from my post three weeks ago! Of the ten cuttings that I replanted, three have rooted and grown green tops! Maybe not the best growth ratio by some standards, but I'll take it. After all, they've already provided one meal - any further growth is a bonus.

I'm experimenting wildly with the wood chip gardening method practiced and promoted by Paul Gautschi in his "Back to Eden" film. (You can watch this documentary for free online. Or if you prefer to read about it, Growing Food God's Way is a free book through Amazon's KindleUnlimited that further expounds on Gautschi's approach and inspiration.)

Jose's Tree Service in Fort Worth brought me load after load of wood chips. It's been a fair amount of work to distribute and spread them, but I'm pleased with the results up to this point. (I've also been absconding with lawn bags full of leaves from my neighbors, using these as more compost and mulch material.)

I've layered wood chips all over my raised garden beds (and even several containers) to a minimum depth of 4-inches. On a larger space I'm developing, I've covered swaths of land in sheets of wood chips up to 12 inches deep. The wood chips maintain an even moisture and temperature level that is quite impressive, regardless of consistent precipitation. As much as I dread the high heat of summer, I'm looking forward to evaluating how the wood chips measure up to lore. I have rain barrels and soaker hoses, but my hope is that I won't have to rely on them this season as in seasons past.

As best as I understand it, here's the wood chip method in short. The wood chips are not for planting IN, as you would plant in soil. You part the chips to place seeds/plants in the soil beneath. The woodchips stay in place around the plants you want to grow, but not covering them. The idea is that the chips provide a cover for the soil that eliminates (or drastically reduces) weeds, maintains moisture and temperature in spite of drought or deluge, and protects/encourages microbial activity. I'm still a bit unclear about the need for fertilizer inputs... plenty of sources insist that fertilizers aren't necessary. I've spread additional chicken bedding on some areas. I plan to spread coffee grounds on others. But most areas I will leave alone and compare results.