Soil Softening . .It worked!

So this year I dove into the deep end of the soil food web and living soils. I've been gardening for ten yrs and indoor for seven. I recently got offered free land to grow on and so we are having a market garden. I was worried when I couldn't easily broadfork the beds. I did follow the normal protocol. I got some fresh mushroom compost and spread that out then followed with some rabbit poos. Then straw or hay over the top. It worked well for killing most of the grasses underneath (mostly fescues and brome). They are turning into quite a nice sponge. I can now easily get a shovel into it and it holds water really nicely at the surface area.
I was really suprised at how well it worked. There were nice chunks of fungus under that hay. I want to use JMS but as I live in the Mid-West we still haven't hit 80 yet.
Has anyone else done this?

I think I may start mid summer to prepare some more earthen beds for next season.

I have leftover corrugated roofing panels and i lay those out...one month later everything is dead, worms and bugs moved in, ground is soft and ready. Sort of same thing but much easier and cheaper.

mudballs said:

I have leftover corrugated roofing panels and i lay those out...one month later everything is dead, worms and bugs moved in, ground is soft and ready. Sort of same thing but much easier and cheaper.

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very nice