Sheet mulching for gardens is a technique which has been described by many people, with as many variations. It is my favourite technique as it gets you going immediately, without the back-breaking workof digging the soil for beds. You can stafi on almost any type of soil, except for those leached-out, rock-hard soils looking and feelin-e very much like concrete. With these, you build boxes ui off the ground and cart in earth and compost n.raterials to fill them.庭园的面状覆盖技术许多人已经描述过了，有许多种类。这是我喜爱的技术，因为它立竿见影，无需人们费力开掘土壤来做种植床。你几乎可以在任何一种类型的土壤上开始种植，但淋溶土和坚硬得看起来非常像混凝土的土壤除外。对这些土壤，你要在地面上修造种植箱， 并用土和天然肥料来将其填充。
Sheet mulching suppresses all weeds: ivy,onion and spear tultch, kiku,vu and buffalo grass. docks. dandeiions, oxalis, onion weed and even blackberries. The important thing is to fill up the area with plants, according to the prior plantingplan you have workedoutonpaper, and to totally cover the area with mulch. For that reason, start with an area of about 4 square meffes, and branch out as time and materials permit. Your first attempt should be very close to the house, preferably starting from a foun-dation or path which is itself weed-free. Thus, you are protected from an invasion of weeds from the rear.面状覆盖压制所有杂草，如常春藤、洋葱、矛状茅草、狼尾草、水牛草、酸模、蒲公英、酢浆草、野韭菜，甚至黑莓。重要的是根据预先订好的种植规划，用植物填满区域，将整个地表完全覆盖。因此，先从大约4平方米的面积开始，等时间和材料允许时再扩张。你的第一个尝试的区域应该非常接近房子，最好是从本身无杂草的房基或道路开始。这样，可以免遭杂草从后方入侵。
First, plant any large trees or shrubs. It is easier to plant these now than to dig through rhe mulch layer at a later date. Next, sprinkle the area with a bucket of dolomite (and gypsum. if the ground is particularly clayey), and chicken manure or blood and bone (to add nitrogen ro start the process of reducing the carbon in the following layers). A bucket or two of compost scraps can also be scattered. for the riorms. If you have a source of weed-seedi' ha1' or like material, place this also over the area.首先，种植大型的乔木或灌木。现在就种植这些比以后挖开覆盖料层再种植要更容易些。其次，在这个种植区域洒一桶白云石（如果土质特别粘，加石膏）和鸡粪或者血骨肥，以增加氮肥并开始下层减碳的过程；也可撒下一两桶天然肥料碎块，以利于蚯蚓活动。如果你有带杂草种子的干草或类似材料，也可放置在这个区域。Don't bother to dig. level. or ueed. Now，proceed to tile and overlap the area with sheet mulch material. This can be cardboard, wallboard, newspaper, old carpet (non-s)'nthetic), underfelt and anything that u ill eventually break down and provide nuLrients for p I ants. Cover the area completely, leaving no holes for weeds to poke through. If you have a valuabie tree or shrub in the way, tear paper halfu av across and pull it around the stem. Serve another. at right-angles to the first. Go on, leaving onll,valuable plants with their stems and leaves poking out.不必费心地开掘、平整地或者除草。现在，在这个区域铺上面状覆盖材料，如硬纸板、墙板、报纸、非化纤的老地毯、地毯垫毡，以及那些最终会被分解并能为植物提供养分的材料。
要完全覆盖这个区域，不要留下任何孔隙以防被杂草捅开。如果你种植了珍贵的树或灌木，可将纸撕开一半，绕着茎并拉直它，再铺一张，与前一张成直角，继续下去，只给珍贵的植物留下空间使它们的枝和叶片可伸出。Water this layer well; it will starr the processes going. Then apply a7.5cm iayerof either (or mixed) horse-stable straw; poultry manure in sawdust; leaf mould orraked leaves; SeagÍass or seaweed.好好浇灌该层，它将是整个过程的开始。然后铺上7.5厘米厚的在马棚使用过的秸秆、带家禽肥料的锯木屑、树叶土堆或收集好的叶片、 海草或海藻，或是上述各种物质的混合物。All of these contain essential elements, and hold water well. Follow these with dry, weedseed-free material on top, of at least 15cm of pine or casuarina needles; rice husks; nut shells; cocoa bean husks; leaf mould o,'raked leaves; seagrass; dry straw (not hay); bark, chips, or sawdust or any of these mixed.所有这些都包含了植物生长的必需元素，并且持水性好。接下来，将干燥无杂草籽的材料盖在上面，至少铺上15厘米厚的杉木或木麻黄的针叶、稻壳、坚果壳、可可豆的荚、树叶土或收集的叶片、海草、干燥秸秆（不是干草）、树皮、木块、锯木屑或者它们的混合物。Water until fairly well soaked. Now, take large seeds (beans, peas), tubers (potato, sunroot), small plants (herbs, tomato, celery, lettuce, cabbage) and small potted plants. Set them out as follows:一直浇水直到彻底浸透。现在你可以将大粒种子[如菜豆、豌豆]，块茎植物[马铃薯、洋姜]，幼苗[草本香料蔬菜番茄、芹菜莴苣、圆白菜和小的盆栽苗等取来，采用如下方法种植：
With yourhand, burrowdown a small hole to the base of the loose top mulch. Punch or slit a hole in the paper, carpet, etc. with an old axe or knife. Place a double handful of earth in this hoie, and push in the seed or tuber, or plant the small seedling in it. For seeds and tubers, pull the mulch back over. For seedlings, hold the leaves softly in one hínd, and bring the mulch up to the base of the plant.用手从覆盖物的宽松顶面抠一个小吼眼一直到基底。用旧斧头或剪刀在纸板或地毯上面劈开或剪一个洞。放两把土在这个洞内，并且将种子或块茎、小苗放进洞里。如果放进洞的是种子和块茎，仅仅需要把覆盖物重新盖上；如果放进洞的是幼苗，要一只手轻轻抓住叶片，将覆盖物盖到植物的根部。If you must use small seed, do it this way: Pull back the mulch in a row; lay down a line of sand, or fine soil, and sow small seeds of radish, carrot, etc. Water, and cover with a naÍTow board for a few days, or until the seeds have sprouted (or sprout them first on damp paper). Then remove the board and draw mulch up as the tops grow.如果你必须使用小种子，就这样做：将覆盖物成排扒开；撒入一排沙子或者优质土壤，然后撒上萝卜、胡萝卜等种子。浇水后盖上狭窄的纸板，重复数天，直到种子发芽（或让它们首先在潮湿的纸上发芽）。随着幼苗的生长，逐渐移除纸板并盖回覆盖物。
Root crops do not do well in the first year, as the soil below is still compacted and there may be too much manure. Plant daikon radish, whose 30-60 cm root will begin to break up the compacted ground. Plant most root crops in the second year (or dig a separate bed for them), when it is only necessary to pull back the loose top mulch to reveal a layer of fine dark soil.块根作物在第一年不会长得很好，因为下面的土壤仍然是压实的，并且有太多肥料。种植大白萝卜时，待根长到30-60厘米就开始顶破压实的土壤。将大多数块根作物放在第二年种植（或为它们单独掘一张种植床），那时只要把宽松顶面的覆盖物扒开点就能露出优质的暗色土壤。
By the end of the first summer, the soil is revolutionised, and will contain hundreds of worrns and soil bacteria. Just add a little top mulch to keep levels up, usually a mix of chips, bark, pine needles, and hay. Scatter some lime or blood and bone.在第一个夏天结束的时候，土壤已经发生了根本性的变化，其中包含了数以百计的蚯蚓和土壤细菌。只需在土壤上加一点点表面覆盖物， 通常是木片、树皮、杉木针和干草的混合物来保持覆盖物水平，再撒一些石灰或血骨肥。Annual plants need occasional fresh mulch after harvesu their outer leaves are "tucked under" the mulch layer, as are all your food wastes from the kitchen. Worms are so active that the leaves and peelings disappear overnight. Leather boots take a little longer, old jeans a week or so, and dead ducks a few days。收获了一年生植物以后，有时需要添加新鲜的覆盖物；它们的外叶和厨余一起被“塞进"覆盖层之下。由于蚯蚓很活跃，叶片和果皮一夜就消失了。皮靴腐烂需要的时间要长些，老牛仔裤要一周，死鸭子要几天才能分解。
In the first year, you need to water fairly frequently, as the layer of fungal hyphae and plants at the base of the mulch are slow to develop. As in normal gardening, all newly-planted seedlings need water initially.在第一年里，你需要常常去浇灌，因为在覆盖物基部的真菌菌丝和植物长得很慢。就像一般的园林一样，所有新种的幼苗初期都需要浇灌。There is no need to rotate plants in this system, or to rest the ground. Potatoes are simply placed on top of the old mulch, and remulched. There is no need to leave room to hoe or dig either, so plants may be stacked much more closely, and preferably in mixed beds rather than in strict rows.这个系统没有轮作或让土地休闲的必要。马铃薯可简单地种植在旧的覆盖物顶部，并且被重新覆盖。无需为锄地或开挖土地留出空间，因此植物可以种得更密集，该区域更适合做成混合植物床而不是成行的植物床。By frequent and random replanting, the garden u'ill start to assume the healthy appearance of a mixed herbal pasture. This diversity of plants act as hosts for a range of insects, frogs, and birds and is a major factor in successful pest control。由于频繁和随意的移植，菜园开始呈现出一个混合的草本牧场的健康面貌。多样性的植物为昆虫、青蛙和鸟提供栖息地，这是成功控制虫害的一个主要途径。
Some strong weeds may force through' Push the weed down in the mulch, put damp paperon its head, cover with saq'dust. If 10% of the kikuyu or twitch comes up' sheet with paper and cover with mulch. All eventually die out under this treatment, leaving the area clear of weeds; only ,vour plants have their heads in the air' Another ploy is to dig up dock roots, bury kitchen scraps there, and re-mulch.一些顽强的杂草也许会强行侵入。将这些杂草塞到覆盖物下面，盖上潮湿的纸，再放上锯木屑即可。如果整片地有10%的地方长了狼尾草或茅草，将其用纸盖住并压以覆盖物。在这种处理之下它们最终都会灭绝，使当地无杂草；只剩下你栽种植物探出来的“脑袋"。另一种策略是将杂草的根挖出，填上厨余，再加覆盖物。Never bury sawdust or woodchips; just put them on top where atmospheric nitrogen breaks down the wood. Worms add sufficient manure to supply the base manure. Keep the mulch loose, don't let it mat, and thus mix lawn clippings or sawdust with stiff dry material like chips or pine needles, bark, etc.永远不要埋住锯木屑或木片，应该将其放在上层让大气中的氮来分解它们。蚯蚓为基肥增添了充足的肥料。为保持覆盖物疏松，不让它们成席状，故先将草坪割下来的草或锯木屑与木片或松针、树皮等硬的、干燥的材料混合成覆盖料。
References1.Introductíon to PpnvrAcrJLTIJR——Bill Mollison2.The Instant Garden——Bill Mollison3.Conacher, J., Pests, Predators & Pesticides (some alternatives to synthetic pesticides), Organic Growers Association W.A., 19804.Dean, Ester , Ester Dean Gardening Book ( growing without diggíng), Harper & Row, 195.French, Jackie, Organic Control of Common Weeds, Aird Books, 19896.French, Jackie, The Organic Garden Doctor, Angus & Robertson, 19887.Johns, Leslie & Violet Stevenson, Fruitfor the Home and Carden, Angus & Robertson,1979. (Out of print; try the library).8.Francis, Robyn, Ma ndal a G ar de ns B o o kl et (w ith video), 1990, Mandala Gardens, PO Box 185, Lismore Heights, NSW 2480.9.Kourik, Robert, Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally, Metamorphic Press, 1986. (PO Box 1841, Santa Rosa, cA95402, USA)
