Thriving Gardens Course –  undergoes another season of soil remediation for 2026

In 2025 VGN’s Thriving Gardens Course  teaching garden located at the Ethan Allen Homestead needed to undergo extensive soil fertility testing and diagnosis due to concerns over low fertility. After analyzing the results of our work (for an overview of the soil remediation work we did in 2025 continue reading below) we decided that the garden would benefit from a second year of soil remediation via an extensive cover crop rotation plan. We hope to use this year to focus solely on nourishing and revitalizing the soils biological population and soil structure.  If you are interested in following along on our soil remediation journey follow us on Instagram for seasonal updates.

AND don’t fret! There are many ways to get involved in a garden this year filled with opportunities for hands on learning. You are welcome to join one of our collective gardens and/or attend any of our public workshops. 

If you have any questions, concerns, or curiosities about this decision, reach out to angela@vtgardens.org

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2025

Over the course of the 2025 season we performed the following steps to help us analyze what was going on and determine a fertility management plan for future years:

• Consulted with Becky Maden of UVM extension who came to the garden, walked us through her observations, and followed up with suggestions such as taking a nitrate test and using cover crop to build up nutrients and soil microbial life. 
• Took a uvm soil test and nitrate test and analyzed the results with Becky. The consensus was that we would need to apply a significantly greater amount of nitrogen in the spring in addition to a low phosphorus fertilizer. 
• In April we welcomed groups of volunteers to help us mulch pathways and cover-crop beds in the productive half the garden with a peas/oats blend. Once the peas and oats were harvested we cut and dropped the cover crop on the bend to decompose, adding nutrients and encouraging biological life into the soil. We also planted a couple rounds of buckwheat in June  which we cut and dropped onto the beds after each round. 
• In June we began three bed management trials plus a control. Each trial included two 4’ x 20’ beds and was prepared the same way as the control. A variety of crops such as tomatoes, kale, onions, and lettuce was planted in each bed to give us an idea of how the methods affect different plant families. The three trials are listed below:
  • Nitrogen- applied nitrogen to the amount suggested by Becky. 
  • Sheet mulch- prepared the bed with layers of straw, cardboard, and comfrey leaves. 
  • Deep till – used a rototiller rented from Home Depot and made a pass over the bed.
  • Control- based on how we had been preparing beds over the past few years we weeded, broadforked, applied fertilizer and straw mulch to cover.
• In September 16th we hosted a free, public workshop titled, Revitalize Challenging Soils via Cover Crop & Bed Prep Techniques. Twelve people registered and nine people showed up. Those who showed up were excited about the project and eager to learn more about small scale cover cropping and news tools like the broadfork and new techniques like hand broadcasting seeds.

After analyzing the results we developed a management plan moving forward which involves a deep till every three years and a yearly application of nitrogen at the higher rate. We also decided that after conducting these trials, the garden would benefit from a second year of soil remediation (without any trials work)  via an extensive cover crop rotation.