Magic Mulch Removal Challenge May 2025

Bearden UMC Community Garden - mulch removal continues.

After the first three mountains of mulch were picked up, we received an offer from Jason to remove the rest of the mulch. Weather and other delays prevented the removal of an additional pile. At the end of May 2024, Jason started working on our mulch and was able give away many piles. 






After many months pasted, we got our our landscaping crew to remove the remaining pile in the center of the playground. On Saturday, August 9, 2025 the remaining mulch was removed. 




The playground still had a light layer of mulch. With the help of volunteers, we were able rake up the remaining mulch and put it under the shade structure. 


The next steps for Sheet Composting (Lasagne Gardening) to convert the soil.
1. Request wood chip drop (free) for base layer in playground and use for paths between beds for vegetables and flower.
2. Clean and lay cardboard. 
3. Obtain and spread manure layer. 
4. Obtain and spread compost layer.
5. Obtain donations of grass clipping for the next layer.
6. Obtain donations of leaves for the top layer. 









 


Location: 4407 Knoxville City Greenways, Knoxville, TN 37919, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chipdrop 8/19/25

Image
 Bearden United Methodist Church Community Garden - 1st Wood Chip Drop.  8/19/25 this afternoon, we received our first chipdrop, which is a free service offered by local arborists. This load of chips will be a great base layer for the garden and a lovely material for garden paths. After a year of being walked on, the chips break down into lovely compost.  We will be ordering more chips from Davey's Expert Tree Service. On Saturday, our garden friends lay out cardboard and spread these chips. 
Read more

in the Beginning April 2025

Image
 Bearden United Methodist Church Community Garden History.  In 2024, Amelia Baker came up with the idea to start a community garden in an unused children's play ground with lawn and rubber mulch play areas. The Trustees approved the community garden project.  Amelia received an offer for her dream job and left BUMC in Summer 2024.  Leigh Cheek learn about the project and decided to pursue it along with becoming a Knox County Master Gardener. In January 2025, the Trustees approved the Community Garden Project. The project was delayed until after Easter and the Easter Egg Hunt for little kids in the playground. Below are pictures of the playground to the west of the sanctuary in March 2025. The biggest step to convert the soil to usable garden was the removal of the rubber mulch, known as Magic Mulch. The mulch was almost a foot deep in locations through out the playground.  Aaron Harper volunteered to help with the removal of the Magic Mulch and used his tracker ...
Read more

Mulch and cardboard 8/19/25

Image
 Bearden United Methodist Church Community Garden - mulch and cardboard. This morning, 8/19/25, Chase and I finished raking up most of the mulch. We put barriers by the shade shelter to keep the mulch out of the garden. We moved cardboard out in the garden to be ready for Saturday morning, when we start laying cardboard and spreading manure. 
Read more