Semi Erect Blackberries

I applied the compost fertilizer to the blackberries today.

Double dug beds

I have about 110 feet of three foot wide raised beds, all double dug, composted and ready for the spring.This is where I grew my corn.I located some Griselle Grey French Shallots, and a Garlic called Red Janice. I intend to plant them in this area  this week.
Griselle Grey Shallots

Double Digging my raised beds with compost.

I have started preparing my raised beds for next spring. I might yet try to plant some mustard greens. This is where my corn was grown. I found out that in about three hours I can double dig a twenty by 3 foot raised bed. I dig a trench and then fill it  pretty much to the top with compost. Then you move over about twelve inches and dig a new trench and throw the dirt on top of the compost. So the whole bed is sort of floating on twelve inches of compost. At the bottom of the trench, before you add the compost, you take a potato fork and push it all the way. Then rock it back and forth to break up the subsoil. I also had to use a mattock/hoe. The subsoil is almost pure clay, and hasn't been broken up in several thousand years. The French Market gardeners who invented the intensive gardening system used to use horse manure and bedding. They would fill the trench and tromp it down every time they would work there beds. The horse manure heats up, providing bottom heat, and allowing the gardener to start his garden earlier in the spring and continue into early winter. They also used wooden frame sides and windows on top to have miniature green houses. This way in their intensive French gardening system they could have high plant populations and maximum production . In the 17 and 1800's near Paris they had a highly developed production system.

Turnips- Purple Top

I planted these July 30th. They are in a double dug bed with lots of compost. I think I am going to have some really nice Purple TopTurnips. They are about as big as a quarter. They will really grow the next five or six weeks. They love sunny days and cool nights.They are much easier to grow in the fall and taste much better too. They are at there best in November.To eat them we peel the skin off with a knife, slice, and sprinkle a little salt. They are a delicious snack.

Start a new trench and move the soil over the top of the compost.

Start a second trench and throw the soil on top of the compost. After the bed is dug in this manner, I dig several inches of compost into the first 12 inches of soil. Fluff it up with a potato fork, rake it and plant it.

Filling the trench with compost.

Fortunately, I have access to large amounts of compost. You can fill the trench with any organic material, such as : Wood chips, untreated wood pieces,manure,saw dust or perhaps leaves.