Hi terrene, that's exactly right. I had the bobcat remove the sod and get rid of it. Then I had him dig out 18 inches of soil and level it so I could install my weed mat. He then put the soil and 2 pickup truck loads of cured horse, and cow manure mixed with straw. I then covered the entire garden with the 3mil clear plastic to bake the soil or solarize it as some people call it. So it baked from the 2nd week of June until I installed the irrigation Monday of this week. The reason the plots are covered at this time is to keep them dry until I have gathered the rest of my materials that I will need to build my rows in the plots for planting. It will be much easier to mix the loom and stuff in when the soil thats there is dry. Once I have done that I will moisten the plots and do my planting. LOL I hope that answered your original question, I tend to be long winded sometimes. I will talk to you soon. Mark/Patmark

Sheet composting (also referred to as "composting in place") is when you put your compostables directly on the garden, a little here, a little there in small amounts. Some people sprinkle a little dirt or leaves over it, if looking at it is bothersome although in the heat of summer, small bits of kitchen scraps become unrecognizable very quickly. The smaller the pieces, the more quickly they will break down. If you are more organized than I am, you can put everything in a blender and pour it here one day, there the next. It looks like your plot is big enough to absorb the amount of organic material generated by a family. If you have a large load some days, you can dig a little trench and bury it under an inch or 2 of soil. The soil covering will prevent odors discourage flies from becoming interested in it. The cool thing about composting is that you can do it however it fits into your lifestyle and yard. I find this to be an easy way to do composting without dedicating space to a pile or bin. There's also no lugging of finished compost later. That free manure sounds great. Kudos to you for using it. Good friend to have!

Hi! I'm northeast of Wichita. I'm very encouraged to hear you are doing outdoor worms in our climate. I want to eventually get that going, but was hesitant at first because you know how extreme things can sometimes get here in winter and summer! I guess, if the worms have access to the ground, it can buffer the temp swings? Nice to hear from you, Michelle

LOL...........what a face! I couldn't help but laugh as I scrolled down and saw Bailey's face appear. Such a cute couple!!