Put Your Root Down

A Practical Guide to Guerilla Gardening

Planting gardens in the city is an act of resistance. Resistance to the mono-cropping corporate farmers who want us all to buy the same crops from the same stores, and resistance to the governments that keep these businesses flourishing, as well as resistance to the privatization of public space.

Guerilla gardening is not just an act of resistance, though. It is also a practical act, making city-living more affordable, food more accessible and our diets healthier. It also has the potential to foster stronger communities and a deeper connection to our urban environments.

Picking a Spot

Growing food requires land... Look all around you: it's everywhere! Freeway embankments, parking lots, golf courses, rooftops, empty lots, median and curb strips, the vertical walls of city buildings. The flower beds infront of downtown offices could be growing vegetables and fruit in the heart of the corporate landscape... Once you start looking for land to reclaim, the possibilities are endless.

Look for land that is regularly watered and easily accessible. Find spots that are safe from mowers and pesticides, and that will get plenty of sunlight. Good places to check out include median strips, parks, parking lot islands and strips along streets.

Making Seed Balls

  1. Take one part dry seed mix, including a varitey of seed types. In picking your seeds, consider what is native to your area, especially if planting your seed balls anywhere even remotely wild, as non-natives will upest the natural ecosystem.
  2. Add three parts dry, living compost. Use biodynamic compost if possible, as soil fauna will not be present in anything that has been sterilized. Mix the seeds and compost until it is well blended.
  3. Add five parts powdered red clay, which is rich in all the essential nutrients. Mix everything together until it is a fine powder.
  4. Add two parts water, a little at a time, mixing until it is the consistency of cookie dough.
  5. Roll into balls that are approximately 1/2" in diameter. This will give you balls with 10-50 seeds each.
  6. Place seed balls on a tarp and leave to dry for at least 24 hours.
  7. Sow the seed balls at a density of at least one seed ball per square foot of land.

Basic Planting Method

  1. Break up concrete, asphalt or soil.
  2. Dig a hole bigger than the size of the tree or plant that you are planting. (A pitchfork typically works better than a shovel for loosening soil).
  3. Rough up the edges of the hole.
  4. Take root ball out of its pot or bag. Carfefully spread out the roots so that they will hold the soil on windy days.
  5. Put root mass in the hole, 1" below the crown (where the trunk meets the roots).
  6. Add a little compost, if you have it.
  7. Cover roots with soil. Press down the soil to push out excess air, creating a shallow basin.
  8. Fill the basin with mulch (straw, wood chips, dry leaves, etc), covering the base but being careful not to have mulch up against the trunk, as this can lead to crown rot.
  9. Mark your planting so that it is easy to find again.
  10. Return to water your planting as needed. Until the planting is well-established, you should check it every other day.
  11. Collect and share the harvest.

The Hugel Bed Technique

This is a method for making concrete and poor soil suitable for plantings.

  1. Lay logs or branches on top of concrete or dirt where you wish to plant.
  2. Place brush or wood chips on top of the logs or branches.
  3. Spread leaves or other fine organic material on top of the brush or wood chips.
  4. Cover with at least two inches of soil or compost.
  5. Plant seeds, seedlings, seed balls, rhizomes, etc.
  6. Water well, and return to water as needed.

Over time, the roots will break up the concrete, the branches will decompose, and the pile will settle.

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—adapted by Susan Sarratt from materials distributed at the "Guerilla Gardening Against Agribusiness as Usual" action held in Sacramento, CA, during June, 2003