The Long-term Effects of Tillage

Many farmers, gardeners and homesteaders avoid monoculture and harsh synthetic chemicals. However, many people committed to sustainable agriculture unknowingly till the soil in ways that inhibit long-term soil improvement.

Tillage of soil releases a flush of nutrients, which can give an impressive initial boost to crop growth. But this surge of available nutrients results mostly from the death of large numbers of soil organisms, whose biomass decomposes rapidly into the soil. These nutrients tend to be in soluble and volatile forms, and if not taken up immediately by plant roots, are leached to groundwater or outgassed to the atmosphere. In the meantime, life cycles of many soil species are disrupted — fungal threads are broken, and earthworm burrows are destroyed — and it can be some time before their populations recover. If the next tillage occurs before they have done so, we have started a cycle which degrades the health and diversity of the soil food web.

One of the worst effects of excess tillage is the loss of carbon bound in the soil in the form of humus. Oxygen is necessary to soil life, which is a major reason we work to improve aeration in soil through creation of looser, more open “pore structure.” Excessive exposure of the soil to oxygen, however, as occurs in heavy tillage, leads to oxidation of the carbon content and its loss to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO_²). Not only is fertility — which is so dependent on humus content — impaired, but high-tillage agriculture is a major, and growing, cause of accumulation of CO_², a  greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere.

The amounts of carbon involved are not trivial: Every 1 percent increase of carbon sequestered in a garden’s soil is estimated to be equivalent to the weight of all the carbon in the atmosphere above that garden, right out to the vacuum of space. By reducing tillage while adding all the organic matter we can, we reverse CO_² emission: Carbon is bound up in soil in the form of humus. The solution to climate change begins in your back yard.

Healthy, wealthy and wise

Growing your own food is like printing your own money. ~ Ron Finley

Isn't that a great way to look at gardening?  I derive joy from knowing how my food is produced but for me the joy of watching plants grow and mature is satisfaction in itself.  There is a connection with the earth that happens every time your hands and feet become one with soil.  Does anyone else feel that or am I crazy?

2014

I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring.  Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth?  ~Edward Giobbi

It has been too long since I posted anything and for that I apologize.  Winter was long and cold but the good news is that having snow cover for so many months was actually good.  There have been studies that show the microbes are busy under snow cover.  If you are interested in reading what they have found here is one link. http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/microbes-busy-under-snow-ecologists-1.366160

It is good to be able to get out in the garden again.  I love having a no-till garden because as soon as the ground thaws, the seeds go in.  No waiting until the ground dries to till, just part the soil/compost and stick the seeds in.  I do have row covers on two rows to help warm the soil. 

I planted peas two weeks ago and they have sprouted but have not emerged from the soil.  I also have kale and Chinese cabbage in the soil that were started inside.  I directly sowed a leaf lettuce mix and spinach and that is starting to sprout.  I set onion bulbs out earlier this week and they are starting to root. Today I planted carrots, red beets, more lettuce and some old onion seed. I also planted a variety of green beans that tolerates cold soil under my row cover.  This was just for fun to see what will happen.  

My eggplant, peppers and tomatoes are ready to transplant to bigger pots. This is the best time of year.

Dr. Elaine Ingham from Rodale Institute

I had the pleasure of attending Dr. Elaine Ingham's soil biology classes at Rodale Institute last spring.  If you have the time to listen, this is an interview that she did on Sunday.  The interview was the first half hour of the show, it is approx. 30 minutes long.

http://www.kgnu.org/tributaries/5/12/2013

The point that she kept emphasizing during the classes is that our soils contain everything that a plant needs to grow.  We don't need to be adding any extra minerals, etc. to our soil for plant growth.  The microbes will mine every mineral that a plant needs and give it to the plant in the exact quantities that the plant needs. We need the microbes not the additives but chemical companies want us to be dependent on their products.  Without the soil microbes present in our soil, we are dependent on their products.  We don't have to be.

Simple Tips for Better Garden Soil

Here is a great article from Mother Earth News to help with making great soil to grow great plants.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Better-Garden-Soil.aspx#axzz2RenwehnJ

The advantage of using vermicompost and vermicompost tea is the diversity of microorganisms that are present in it consistently.  The worms bins develop a balanced community of the necessary organisms that can be added to your soil food web to help it become all that it should be.

Gardener's Day at Zwingli Church

Just a reminder that I will be at the Gardener's Day at Zwingli Church in Souderton on Sat., April 27.  Here is the link -

http://www.zwingli.org/gday.php

April in the Garden

The weather is still on the cool side.  We had 33 degrees this morning.  I have still been using the row covers on cold nights but I will leave it off if the temp. stays in the upper 40s. 










I am anxiously waiting to cut some fresh lettuce.
This was Bibb lettuce that I started in Jan. and
transplanted in the garden in March.  I have one
short section that I planted in black plastic to
help warm up the soil.  I hope that I will be able to enjoy some fresh lettuce this week.  I have been spraying the garden with compost tea every 2 weeks.  I didn't start spraying last year until June.  I want to see if there will be any difference.  The lettuce is beautiful and filling out nicely.












Spinach

Swiss chard

Onions




Broccoli with carrots from last fall

Here are some other crops that are in the garden



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