Photo by Brian Goddard

With cooler days headed our way, it’s time to prepare your lawn and garden. With the right steps, you’ll reap the rewards of eye-catching flowers, healthy grass and bountiful garden goodies by October.
 
Building healthy soil is one of the biggest challenges for fall. Healthy soil requires a balanced mix of the following: dirt, which contains minerals from broken-down rock; organic materials like leaves, sticks and mulch; air, so your soil isn’t too compacted; living organisms like worms and microorganisms; and, of course, water.

One of the most cost-effective ways to build the soil in your garden – and add oodles of organic material to it – is through a process called sheet mulching. It takes a little work up front, but it’s well worth the effort. Sheet mulching not only builds soil, it adds a thick layer of mulch to help retain water. If you are starting a garden from scratch, sheet mulching gives you a jumpstart on building your garden beds. And even if you’ve been gardening for years, this method boosts your bounty because you build your garden right on top of your existing soil – no digging required.
 
Sheet mulching is simple. Start by selecting an area for your garden and clear away any weeds or grass. Never build a garden on Bermuda grass, as it will reclaim the space very quickly. Next, buy potting soil, composted manure and some kind of lightweight, dried organic material, such as leaves or hay. The hay and manure make up the bulk of the mulching material, while the potting soil allows you to plant seeds right away.

This time of year, the simplest choice for organic bulk material is alfalfa hay, which can be found by the bale at most feed stores, such as Western Ranchman, a family owned and operated store in Phoenix that’s been in business since 1966. (If you’re adventuresome, you can buy chickens here as well.) Also, keep an eye out for neighbors raking and bagging leaves; chances are, they won’t mind you taking those cumbersome sacks off their hands.
Open the bales of hay or bags of leaves and fluff them in the area where you are planting your garden. Then, create a layer of organic material about six inches deep before adding a thin layer of manure. The manure will speed up the process of breaking down the hay and adding valuable nutrients to your garden.

Repeat the process, alternating organic material with manure, until you build sheet-mulched beds about 2-feet thick. The sheet mulch will break down into garden mulch during the next 6 months. This process can be repeated on an annual schedule until you are happy with the amount of growing soil you’ve developed. If you are using this process on a bed that has shrubs or trees, leave at least six inches between the mulch and the trunks of the plants.
Now comes the fun part – planting. Pick a place in your sheet-mulched garden, hollow out a bowl-sized area and fill it with some of your potting soil or compost. You can plant your seeds directly into this soil bowl; they will flourish since this process provides breathing room for the roots as well as water retention. As the mulched area ages and falls, the plants will move down with the mulch and do just fine.

Now that the hard part is done, just what can you plant in the fall? A plethora of digestible delights can be planted from seed during Phoenix’s late summer heat, as long as they get daily water. In September, consider planting root crops, such as beets, radishes, parsnips and carrots; hardier greens, such as arugula, chard, kale and collards; snow and snap peas; broccoli, cabbage, bok choy and Brussels sprouts; and fava, garbanzo and lentil beans.

Don’t forget herbs, which include basil, sage, thyme, oregano and fennel. Edible flowers such as nasturtiums and violas are interesting picks as well. Plant them now and you’ll have a nice zip for your salad by Christmas.

Photos by Brian Goddard