Welcome  to  the  *irst  issue  of  “Quick!  Plant  Something!”Keep  an  eye  out  for  “Easter  Egg  Links”  throughout  this  issue  as  well  as  links  to  our  products  page.    

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Together,  we  can  save  the  world,  one  garden  at  a  time.

Quick!  Plant  Something!  Issue  1:    Raised  Beds  Copyright  (c)  2012  by  Kathy  Voth  and  Leah  Ashley  Esser,  Zombie  Victory  Gardens,  LLCAll  rights  reserved.    

This  document  is  protected  under  the  copyright  laws  of  the  United  States  and  other  countries.    This  publication  is  for  home  use  only  and  all  other  rights  are  expressly  reserved  by  the  copyright  owner.  

NO LIGHTS....

NO PHONE....

NO FACEBOOK....

NO INTERNET....

CITIES AND TOWNS HAVE GONE DARK.

BUT IN AT LEAST ONE, WELL-FORTIFIED HOUSEHOLD, TWO SURVIVORS ARE COUNTING THEIR BLESSINGS.

Hey, Kathy Sue..what’s for

breakfast?Hey, Les. The usual - ramen or tomato soup. I am so SICK of

Tomato Soup from a can!

THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE HAS TAKEN ITS TOLL.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND ANNOYING PEOPLE TOO, HAVE DISAPPEARED, ONLY TO BE FOUND AGAIN,

ROAMING THE STREETS LOOKING FOR BRAINS.

I used to just love tomatœs off the vine...

You know, I had this friend before all this happened. Janet, could do ANYTHING with t#ls. She hated tomatœs. But then she started gardening. She even grew tomatœs.

Aster she ate her first, real-live, vine-ripened tomato - not like those fake onesat the grocery store - she found out she loved tomatœs.

I wonder what happened to Janet?

I hope she’s not one of those undead things hanging out on the other side of the fence!

Strawberries...I used to just love fresh strawberries! And Gr%nbeans! But not together!

Kathy Sue, It’s time we started doing something more than just surviving!

Check out this b#k I’ve b%n reading.

This guy, Mel Bartholomew,writes all about how to grow f#d in raised beds.

I’ve got a bunch of other b#ks t#.

You are absolutely right, Les!

What this apocalypse n%ds is a little farming!

Quick! Let’s plant something!

Well, here’s what we’ve got to work with. L#ks like

we’ll have the 6 to 8 hours of sun we n%d.

THWACK!ZzzzT!ZzzzT!

There!That should k%p ‘em out!

SURVIVAL TIP: KEEP YOUR DRILL BATTERIES CHARGED AND READY FOR QUICK REPAIRS.

And it’s close to the house for quick access, and safety. If we make it

compact, it will be a lot less work.

And I can set up a watering system of some kind. Hey -

there’s an arm reaching thru’ the fence. We better take care of that.

I’ll get the machete. You get the drill and a board for repairs.

But I hate digging! How are we going to get the soil we n%d to fill the beds?

We’re not going to dig! We’re going to make our own soil from the best stuff out there.That’s the joy of raised beds!

STAY TUNED FOR:OUR ISSUE ON TURNINGDECOMPOSING THINGS INTO ENERGY. BROUGHT TO YOU BY ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE POWER (ZAP!)

THE INGREDIENTS FOR GOOD SOIL

1/3 1/3 1/3

THIS IS “MEL’S MIX.” IT IS LIGHT, SO A PLANT’S ROOTS CAN GROW EASILY AND IT’S EASY TO WEED, IS RICH IN NUTRIENTS, AND MANAGES MOISTURE WELL.

Soil Math Recipe (How Much Should We Get?)

Figure out the square footage of your bed (length x width).Divide that in half to get the number of cubic feet necessary for 6 inch deep soil.Di vid e THAT number by 3 for quantity of each ingredient.

So...

4x4 foot bed = 16 sq. feetHalf of that is 8, so we need 8 cubic feet per bed.8 divided by 3 = almost 2 and 2/3 cubic feet per ingredient. Round up to 3 each. It’s easier.

1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet.

You might need to know this if you’re getting things in bulk.

SURVIVAL TIP:PAY ATTENTION IN SCHOOL. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT MIGHT COME IN HANDY.

How about if we call it a day so we can get an early start on shopping in the morning? Yeah. Besides, it’s harder to

s% the creatures at night, so we might as well go inside.Hey, I saved a can of Sirloin Burger soup. How about dinner?

Thanks for the sirloin, Les. S% you in the morning!

G’night. I might head out early because I’ve got a lot to load. I’ll take the truck. You take the Prius.

THE GENTLE SOUNDS OF ZOMBIES WAKE LES AT DAWN. HE TAKES CARE OF HIS MORNING CHORE, CLEANING THE FENCE LINE OF CREATURES, AND THEN WRITES A QUICK NOTE.

GRRR...ARGH...

Undead blessing of the day - I get todrive heavy machinery now. And if I dent the truck, I can get a new one!

SURVIVAL TIP: WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER THE UNDEAD IN THE STREETS, PUTTING YOUR VEHICLE IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE PREVENTS SLIPPING.

Kathy Sue,

Headed out early to get compost,

peat moss and vermiculite. Putting

you in charge of what to put it in.

See you back at the ranch this

afternoon.

Les

...AND TAKES CARE OF A FEW OF THE UNDEAD ALONG THE WAY.

AFTER A HEARTY BREAKFAST OF RAMEN COOKED IN TOMATO SOUP AND MOTIVATED BY DREAMS OF FRESH FOOD, KATHY SUE HEADS OUT TO PICK UP VICTORY GARDEN SUPPLIES, A FEW SURPRISES FOR LES....

Victory Garden Supplies

Hardware StorePots 2x8sDrill & Batteries ScrewsTape measure weed matnails hammer (pink if possible)wheelbarrow Shovel

Craft Storecute fabric beadssewing machine threadmagic markers blinds for plant markersstring pinsapron pattern scissors

Bookstoreanything on gardeningsewing booksjewelry making book/magazinejournal

Undead blessing of the day - I always get the best parking space!

KS Notes for

building

successful raised

beds from Mel’s

All New Square

Foot Gardening.

No wider than 4 ft.Mel says the avg. person can reach 2 ft, so our 4 ft. beds mean we can reach everything in them without having to step in them.Most plants only need 6 inches of soil so I can save time and material by only filling beds 6 inches deep.

Leave aisles wide enough to move the wheelbarrow through easily. Good for harvesting & for bringing in soil materials

6 to 8 hours of sunshine!(But Leafy Greens and herbs like some shade.)

Cover the ground

under your beds with

weed mat to keep

weeds and grass

from invading.Put the garden near

the house for its

safety and yours. It

makes it easier to

water and harvest...

...REMEMBER - we don’t want dead things in the garden!

Nice job on the beds!What are you doing in the house?

I’M MAKING US PRETTY AND USEFUL STUFF!! WANNA SEE?

You were gone a long time and I found work aprons! I decorated them t#!...

... They have pockets for holding s%ds and t#ls! They can even hold our machetes...

Since we’re growing Victory Gardens, I made you an OFFICIAL Zombie Apocalypse Farmer Badge!...

... AND I made myself earrings! I’m sick of everything being dark and depressing... we’re still alive and I think life should always be beautiful!

I’m going back outside to make soil...

... I am not wearing an apron...

Now we n%d to mix all these things together and get them in the beds. Any thoughts on how to make that easy?

My old friend Janet mixed her own soil for her beds... She started out mixing on a tarp but then figured out a more efficient way....

WhatWould JanetDo?

Our wheelbarrow is a great place to mix the soil ingredients, and our shovel is the “measuring cup.” We put the same number of shovels-full of each ingredient into the wheelbarrow.

Each ingredient has a different weight, but we’re mixing for volume, so it’s only the size of your shovel full that matters.

We stir the ingredients up and then push the wheelbarrow to our beds. Rake it smooth and TA DA! We’re done!

SPECIAL PEAT MOSS NOTE:It has a lot of moisture in it, and early in the spring it can actually freeze into a block. So, first set bags in the sun to warm. Then,just before opening a bag, sit on it and bounce up and down to break it up. That way it’s easier to shovel.

Well done! Now we just n%d to get some s%ds and plants

I don’t know, Les, but I don’t think we have nearly enough beds for all the things I want to plant...

Well, I know we can put a lot of stuff in one square f#t with this method. So, let’s go plan it out before you work yourself to death.

WhatWould JanetDo?

Maybe so...and instead of more beds, there are lots of things I could plant in. Then we could use the patio and other small spots all over our yard for growing things t#! Like the stuff I remember at Janet’s place...

Plastic Pots and food containers

Empty pop bottles in wire hangers

Storage tubs and kiddie pools

Empty chicken feed sacks, canvas shopping bags, hanging tomato and pepper bags from the dollar store.

STAY TUNED FOR:OUR NEXT ISSUE“QUICK! PLANT TOMATOES!”AND LES WEARING AN APRON!

UH-OH! LES! DUCK!

EWWW! I got it on me. I think the solar shower should be warm. I’m going to go wash this off!

SNICKER!SNACK!

Glad you like it! Hey, when you’re done, maybe we can think of something useful to do with all these body parts that are piling up.

Thanks for picking up this shower shelter, Les. It’s so much better than the hose!

TAKE YOUR FREE TEAR OUT INSTRUCTIONS WITH YOU AS YOU START YOUR OWN ZOMBIE VICTORY GARDEN!

ZAF CORPS HOE!

Quick!    Get  your  raised  bed  going!(Our  job  is  to  make  it  simple.    Your  job  is  to  take  a  leap  of  faith  and  try.)

BRAINS  REQUIRED  (Dif]iculty):                                                                            BODIES  REQUIRED:

1.   Your  Frame    Beds  should  never  be  wider  than  4  feet.    This  is  because  the  average  person  can  only  reach  2  feet.    With  a  4  foot  wide  bed  you  can  reach  your  whole  garden  without  ever  stepping  on  the  soil.    Stepping  in  your  bed  compacts  the  soil  (making  weeding  more  dif]icult)  and  is  dangerous  to  small  growing  things.    Take  a  tip  from  the  masters  and  keep  it  4  feet  wide.  We  prefer  our  beds  to  be  4X4  or  4X6,  but  the  length  is  up  to  you!  If  you’re  planning  on  putting  a  bed  next  to  a  fence  or  house,  just  build  it  2  ft  wide  since  you  can  only  reach  in  from  one  direction.  

If  you’re  extra  thrifty  and  imaginative,  consider  recycled  wood.    Some  towns  have  recycling  centers  where  folks  drop  off  wood  of  all  kinds  that  you  can  repurpose  into  beds.  Make  sure  you  ]ind  untreated  wood  as  treated  wood  can  leach  chemicals  into  your  soil.  Beds  you  build  out  of  recycled  materials  may  not  be  give  you  exact  square  foot  dimensions,  but  that’s  ]ine.    You  just  make  some  minor  adjustments  when  you’re  planting.    (And  we’ll  tell  you  how  when  the  time  comes.)  

If  you’re  not  up  for  fabricating  your  own  bed,  you  can  always  use  a  pre-­‐fab  design.  Beds  kits  can  be  found  at  most  home  improvement  stores.  Pallet  collars  also  work  well  (although  they’re  not  in  even  square  foot  dimensions-­‐  it’s  okay,  don’t  worry!).

2.   Place  Your  Beds   Make  sure  you  put  your  beds  where  they’ll  get  6  to  8  

hours  of  sun  each  day.    The  nearer  your  beds  are  to  your  house,  the  easier  it  will  be  to  water  and  harvest.    When  you  place  your  beds,  make  sure  you  leave  aisles  so  that  you  can  push  your  wheelbarrow  and  lawnmower  between  them.    

How  to  build  a  4x4  bed  frame

a. Get  two  2x8x8ft  boards.    b. Cut  in  half.    (Most  home  improvement  stores  will  do  this  for  you.)

c. Mark  your  ends  with  crayons  or  markers  (]igure  1)

d. Lay  out  boards.    Blue  sides  cover  red  ends.  (]igure  2)

e. Join,  using  3”  wood  screws,  2  per  joint  to  create  a  stable,  square  bed.  (Your  1/2  person  can  help  by  holding  parts  in  place.)

Figure  1

Figure  2

Here’s  an  example  of  what  you  might  ]ind  at  a  recycling  center.

  Give  a  little  thought  to  what  you’ll  grow  in  your  beds.  Put  tall  things,  and  things  that  climb,  like  pole  beans,  peas,  tomatoes  and  squash,  where  they  won’t  shade  other  veggies  you’re  growing  in  the  same  bed.

3.   Add  Weed  Mat  Weed  mat  keeps  your  good  soil  in  the  frame  and  the  weeds  from  coming  up  through  the  bottom.    Don’t  use  black  plastic  as  your  weed  mat.    It  deteriorates,  and  it’s  made  from  oil.    We  have  better  uses  for  oil.    Buy  real  (cloth-­‐like)  weed  mat.    It’s  worth  the  investment  because  you  don’t  want  to  have  to  start  over.

Help  your  weed  mat  be  successful.    Cut  it  larger  than  your  pallet  or  frame  so  that  weeds  and  grass  can’t  sneak  in  up  the  sides.    Feel  free  to  staple  it  to  the  frame,  but  you  don’t  have  to.  

This  is  a  bed  of  edamame  with  each  row  planted  about  a  week  apart  for  a  continuous  harvest  through  the  summer.    The  gardener  started  on  the  north  end  of  the  bed  so  older  rows  wouldn’t  shade  the  newer  ones.

This  gardener  placed  trellises  at  the  north  end  of  all  her  4x6  foot  beds,  and  then  planted  her  vining  and  tall  veggies  there.    Shorter  plants  grow  in  the  other  parts  of  the  bed.    Because  her  beds  were  longer  than  they  were  wide,  she  had  to  leave  aisles  between  each  bed  so  that  she  would  still  be  able  to  reach  in.

This  gardener  planted  tall  tomatoes  on  the  north  side  of  these  two  rows  of  pallet  collar  beds  and  shorter  vegetables  (cabbage  and  peppers)  on  the  south  sides.    The  aisle  between  the  beds  gives  enough  room  so  shade  is  not  a  problem.    

4.   Mix  your  soilThis  is  what  your  plants  will  be  eating  so  that  they  can  feed  you.    Don’t  skimp  here!    A  bit  of  an  investment  now  will  pay  off  for  years  and  years!    

If  you’re  thinking  of  buying  topsoil,  think  of  this-­‐    It’s  no  better  than  whatever  you  have  right  now.    Most  gardeners  spend  8  to  10  years  getting  their  soil  just  right  so  that  they  can  have  excellent  harvests.    By  mixing  your  own,  you  skip  that  8  to  10  years.    There’s  something  to  be  said  for  this  kind  of  “instant  grati]ication.”  Plus,  topsoil  is  very  heavy...  it’s  hard  on  the  plants  trying  to  grow  through  it  and  hard  on  your  back  when  you’re  trying  to  get  it  into  your  bed.

Use  Mel’s  Mix  from  the  “All  New  Square  Foot  Gardening”  Book:    1/3  peat  moss,  1/3  vermiculite  and  1/3  bio-­‐compost.    It’s  GREAT!    For  every  new  planting  you  do  in  a  square  foot,  add  two  handfuls  of  bio-­‐compost  to  keep  nutrients  up.

These  items  sell  in  cubic  feet.  To  ]igure  out  how  much  you’ll  need:Take  the  square  footage  of  your  bed  (length  times  width)  and  divide  by  2.    That’s  the  cubic  feet  you  will  need  for  a  6  inch  deep  garden.    Divide  that  number  by  3  to  ]ind  out  how  much  of  each  ingredient  you  need.  

If  you’re  buying  in  large  quantities,  you’ll  probably  buy  bio-­‐compost  by  the  yard.    There  are  27  cubic  feet  to  a  yard.

We’ve  found  it  easy  to  mix  by  shovel  full  from  the  bags  into  a  wheelbarrow  and  then  driving  the  wheelbarrow  over  to  our  beds.  Remember,  we’re  mixing  soil  parts  by  volume  (not  weight).  

5.   Fill  your  raised  bed.    It  only  needs  to  be  ]illed  to  6”  deep.    Yes,  this  is  hard  to  believe,  but  non-­‐root  veggies  don’t  need  deeper  soil  than  that.    I  also  successfully  grew  carrots  in  only  6”  of  soil.    They  were  just  a  little  shorter.  Adding  more  soil  than  this  just  wastes  time  and  money,  so  keep  it  simple,  make  you’re  life  easier  and  just  do  6  inches!  

6.   Mark  off  your  squaresIt’s  easier  to  see  where  you’re  planting  each  item  if  you  can  see  the  square  itself.    Mel  recommends  lath,  but  I’ve  found  that’s  only  necessary  if  you’re  an  engineer  like  him.    For  the  rest  of  us  string  and  nails  is  just  ]ine.

You’ll  need  6  nails,  a  hammer  and  some  string.    Starting  on  the  long  sides  of  the  box,  pound  a  nail  in  every  foot.    Don’t  pound  it  all  the  way  in  because  you  want  to  be  able  to  tie  your  string  to  it.    When  you  have  your  nails  pounded  in  on  each  side,  tie  the  string  to  one  nail,  stretch  it  across  to  the  other  side,  and  tie  it  off.    Then  do  the  same  on  the  short  sides  of  the  box.  Our  example  box  is  a  2’  X  3’  bed.  

Done!    You’re  ready  to  plant!

Nail

String