The Truth About Back to Eden Gardening... Let Us Clear A Few Things Up

Composted wood chips that have been screened are very different to fresh arborist wood chips.

1. Arborist Wood Chips: Raw wood chips from tree trimming waste that has not had time to decompose. 
2. Composted Wood Chips: Wood chips from tree trimming waste that have had at least six months to decompose.
3. Composted Wood Chips that have been Screened:  Wood chips from tree trimming waste that has been composted for at least six months and then screened to remove large wood chips that have not decomposed. 

Paul Gautchi composts his vegetable garden with composted chicken manure.

Paul feeds his chickens the green waste that comes out of the garden. In the fall, he uses a screen and wheel barrel to sift through the soil in his chicken run. Then he applies about 1/2 inch to 1 inch of the composted chicken manure onto his garden.

Paul mentions that in 1979, he first added straw and sheep manure to his orchard but then switched. He added 12 inches of fresh arborist wood chips to his orchard to compost in place without tilling and the waste from his woodstove. He does not add chicken manure or other fertilizers to his orchard.

The documentary shows the results of a no-till wood chip mulched orchard after 30 years. When you start a Back to Eden garden and/or orchard you won't see similar results after one season. It will take some time to see results.

1. Cover your garden with wood chips. Fresh arborist wood chips are the cheapest (free) but need time to decompose before they are ready to plant in.
2. Add the wood chips in the Fall. In the Spring, pull back the coarse wood chips and plant in the soil and/or compost beneath.
3. Do not till the wood chips into your soil. It is high in carbon and will tie up the nitrogen.
4. Be patient. Every year, you will build more soil by adding organic matter, creating more nutrient-rich food for your plants.

1. Apply at least 3-4 sheets of newspaper.
2. Apply at least 3-4 inches of organic compost.
3. Apply at least 3-4 inches of wood chips as a mulch on your garden.
4. Apply a dusting of composted animal manure as a natural fertilizer on top of your garden as needed throughout the growing season.
5. Do not add chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides.
6. Ensure your vegetable garden and orchard are always mulched.