Raised Bed Progress. 11.13.2021

Today I topped off the first raised bed with a layer of tree leaves. During the winter, earthworms should pull some of those underground and start their composting. I thought about buying a soil inoculum, since the topsoil was processed by the recycler and probably devoid of much life. Instead, I've added my own compost, and added a top layer of soil from my existing garden bed. That should give it life. Also, I collected mushrooms of various sorts and added those on top of the soil, prior to the leaf layer. To an organic gardener, soil is a living community of microorganisms. Whenever I happen to see an earthworm, usually a result of digging, I re-home them in the new raised bed. Earthworms are nature's tiny farmers. They tunnel through the soil, aerating it. Their mucous binds soil particles together. Their castings make minerals available to plant roots. They till organic matter from leaves and roots, into the soil. Meanwhile, the other raised bed is about 20% built now. Not bad. Rain is expected tomorrow.