Photo by David Dewitt, learn more about what to do with old coffee beans at thecozycoffee.com

Spring has sprung. The inner gardener in each of us is looking for an outlet. I am happy to suggest that it is possible, even for apartment dwellers and those who work throughout the daylight hours, to satisfy this quest to grow plants. In an ideal situation, people could work outdoors under a beautiful blue canvas of sky. There would be an area of land that you worked and produced with, a partnership between human and earth. For those without a spot of land, the need to produce from the earth can be met with container and tower gardens. The adventuresome can delve into aquaponics.

For what purpose are you getting dirt in your nails? Are you wanting to improve the nutritional quality of the food that you and your family eat? Are you needing to grow an unusual vegetable or fruit that you crave? Are you looking to beautify your dwelling or integrate it into the environment where it is built? Are you trying to put your piece of the earth in balance?

Whatever your reason for growing plants, the plant you grow is reflective of the soil from which it grows. The question is, are you planting in a healthy soil? Can you recognize healthy soil? Does it need fixing? Plants can grow and produce in a nutritionally poor soil. It can pay off to invest some initial time and effort to improve the growth conditions of the plant, which directly affects the results—flowers and fruit.

The Grow Network provided some webinars for those interested in food production. Tom Bartels from Durango, Colorado, focuses on “using natural systems to increase nutritional density per square foot while reducing labor.” Wow. Ideal. How? It is achieved by minimally working the soil while honoring the natural law of return. What happens below ground is the key to success. Gardening pulls most from the top 8 inches of soil but should have access to feet below the topsoil. Is your soil aerated or compacted? Soil is alive, and the roots of a plant have relationships with the bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes and microarthropods in the soil structure. Oxygen is needed within the soil.

Bartels’ first technique uses a broadfork and double digging. The broadfork is used to aerate the soil. It respects the structure of the soil. The 10-to-16-inch tines are pushed into the soil by standing on it and the handle is rocked a third of the way to the ground. That is it. No dirt flipping; no bringing weed seeds to the surface. Double digging moves the top 4-to-8 inches of soil. Standing on a ¾-inch-thick piece of plywood as a deck, the topsoil removed is placed on top of the previous section. Compost and green mulch is placed into the area removed. The dig from the next section will cap the newly added compost mulch with its topsoil.

After the garden had been improved for several seasons, Bartels showed usage with a garden spade and garden fork, I would guess because the soil needed less improving. Compost was always added to the new digs. Finally, the least disturbance and less work was accomplished after several years of concentrated soil improvements. The soil must have over 10 percent organic matter to qualify and must have use of cover crops. It is a no-till method where compost gets added to decomposing cover crops and the productive crops gets planted within the compost and decaying plants. It is a soil food web, sponsored by composting, supplied by human efforts, honoring the natural law of return, regenerative gardening. See more at growfoodwell.com.

Ah, the power of returns . . .

I continue along with webinars and looking for high returns with a little investment. For one, I take, “Worm Composting in Trenches for Massive Garden Productivity,” given by Canadian Bentley Christie of Red Worm Composting blog fame. This is not your expected vermicomposting hurrah. I respect gardeners who have vermicomposting bins. It is a commitment and I just know that it is not for me. I will be bored feeding worms in a bin. In fact, I expect to fail, so I continue with my kitchen scraps and nature’s gifts going into my compost piles. However, outside, in trenches, hmm . . . there’s possibly a quick benefit that could be derived and maintained with minimum effort. I signed up to see if I could tap into that elusive black gold from worms.

I won’t share the crazy story of how Christie got started. In order to maintain this method you will need a good, continual source of compostables. They can be obtained from schools, restaurants, halls, caterers, living facilities or cafeterias. You would make a commitment to take their compostables. Could be a win/win.

Start relatively small. The basics are the same as a vermicomposting bin. Dig a hole next to the area where vegetables or plants will grow. The trench should not be walked on. It should be about 3 feet deep, 1-to-3 feet wide and about 6 feet long, with room for expansion on at least one end. Does it need to be lined? If the soil is exceptionally sandy (drains fast) or has moles, yes, line with a pond liner. Stay away from poly-weave plastic tarps. Create a false bottom. Woody debris and brush works. (Think hugelkultur base.) Add absorbent materials like cardboard, paper waste, straw and hay.

Then you need to set up the active zone, which is a balance of bedding and food. Use compostable kitchen scraps, grass clippings, aged horse manure (never on top) and green compost. Stay away from chicken manure, as its salt and ammonia content is lethal for composting worms. You could add rotted hardwood chips; this helps with aeration. Comfrey is a favorite green compost because of its high nitrogen content. Water each layer as it goes into the trench. There will be a lot of settling, so layer it higher than the growing row it abuts.

The trench can get hot. For worms, the ideal temperature is 58–86° F. You can add existing vermicomposting worms (Eisenia fetida/E. andrei) on top of the pile. They are a mild worm and do more composting faster than the earthworm. You will need to protect worms from heat, cold and dryness. Cover is necessary; use straw, hay and/or green manure. Once the freeze comes, cover with a tarp.

This is a hungry system. It needs to be expanded either by adding more on top or expanding on the sides. Tomatoes, leafy greens, squash and corn are great vegetables to plant next to a first-season trench. Plants will remove moisture from the trench. The trench may need watering as well as your plants. Find more at redwormcomposting.com.

Upcoming Events at the UT Extension Ag Center
The facility at 315 John R. Rice Blvd. is a great resource for gardeners and farmers.

Adventures in Agriculture
Saturday, April 13
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
FREE
Exhibits, games and a trolley ride. Demonstration on proper crepe myrtle pruning, soil testing, small animals, food safety and 4H activities. Fun for the whole family.

Organic Home Vegetable Gardening
April 18 at 6 p.m., Community Center
Free class by Extension agent Mitchell Mote and Rachel Painter
Class covers how to do organic vegetable gardening, building garden soil, vegetable species selection, plant nutrition and garden pest control. Register by calling 615-898-7710.

Last expected frost date
April 20

Tennessee Master Horse Program
April 30–May 21
Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6–9 p.m.
$150 family cost
For information and registration, call 615-898-7710

Master Food Volunteer Training Program
Fridays, May 3, 10, 17 and 24
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
The goal is to expand Extension education towards safe food handling, nutrition, food prep and food preservation. The program includes 30 hours of training followed by 30 hours of volunteering. $120. Register by calling 615-898-7710.

Growing Vegetables
Saturday, May 4
starts at 9 a.m.
upstairs boardroom of the Linebaugh Library
Free class by Master Gardeners on soil prep, sun and water needs, garden structures, typical and “wow” vegetables. Register by calling 615-893-4131.

Opening Day of Rutherford County Farmers Market
Friday, May 10
7 a.m. to noon
Lane Agri-Park Community Center
Free class at 9 a.m. Producer-only market

Master Gardener Plant Swap
Saturday, May 11
9 a.m. to noon
Lane Agri-Park Community Center
Bring your extra vegetable plants, flowering plants, bulbs, corms, trees or houseplants. 1 plant = 1 swap. Plants need to be labeled with plant name and growth habits. No small seedlings, seeds or invasive plants.