Nice hoe Gary,little pricey,would you say its lifetime quality? I will always pay more for quality,cheaper long term IMO.

Small yard is my drawback,could never grow enough to feed us,good on you having all that space,awesome!!!

Water is buku expensive here,mulching may be a really good answer for us,I mulch before season....a season worth of mulch from one chips application ....I like the concept,my soil is like talcum powder.

Actually I used to get free chips at dump,they decided to sell em to a company.Where water used to pool it was now dry while raining,and I did see soil improving under the chips.When I first moved here and we didnt garden,now that we are gardening I know the utility of the chip method,cant wait to get back into it.

I'll do lots of pics as this progresses.

I got about 70 lbs maters from 80 sq feet this year, 4x20,next year we will double it.This was preseason mulching,dug in with chicken poo.My learning curve on that was its easy to go overboard on poo and be a nitrogen,green leafy overgrowth at fruit expense,or even burn up the baby toms.Got the right amt figured out now. With the chip compost the fertilizing aspect will balance itself,so his do.

Example,I have 3 dogwoods,1 is in the compost pile.Its green and leafy now and grew notably this year,the other 2 grew little and leafs are dying and falling now.

Do you know If I can grow maters over potatoes? Or would they shade em out? Been playing with potatoes,havent got it down yet.The woodchip method requires no hilling,as potato grows it doesnt get 'pushed' to surface from firm dirt below,it just kind of displaces the chips laterally and doesnt rise much at all.

Learning to grow in a shady treed area,in a short season/winter freezing area,has been a multi year challenge.