Climate Justice

The Steps: 
 
Each layer should be thoroughly soaked with water before moving on to the next step.
 

1. First we cut down all the weeds in the bed and laid them down flat on the soil. Rather than toss these away, they become nutrients. Be sure to cut them at the soil level rather than pull up the roots. Pulling the roots disturbs the soil health. Leaving the roots in place also means that they will break down in the soil and add nutrients.
2. Next we laid sheets of packing paper all over the beds and then covered them with sheets of cardboard. This smothers the weeds. Be sure to remove all tape from the boxes and don’t use any that have glossy color images or print. You can use newspaper instead of packing paper. 
3. Next comes the green (nitrogen) layer. We used tomato plant cuttings and grass clippings from our yards. Be sure not to use anything that has been sprayed with a weed killer. We also sprinkled in aged chicken manure (don’t use fresh manure—the layers will get too hot) and some homemade compost.
4. Then comes the brown (carbon) layer. We used a thick layer of leaves. A basic rule is to make the brown layer 3Xs as thick as the green layer. Leaves are great to use because leaf mold is rich in the kind of bacteria and fungi that builds healthy soil. 
5. You can repeat these layers multiple times depending on how much material and room you have. We repeated the layers twice and then covered it all over with a layer of straw to help keep in the moisture.
6. We then covered the two beds with tarps. We will remove those tarps in about 2 weeks so that winter rains and snow can help moisten the beds. 

 
These beds will sit over the winter and compost in place. In the spring, we will have incredibly fertile soil ready for planting. 
 
Thank you so much to everyone who donated materials!