Why do we do what we do? When did the idea of pulverizing the ground became the accepted way of farming? The answer brings us all the way back to 1700 and Jethro Tull (not the band, even though they took their name from the Jethro Tull I will tell you about.)
Jethro Tull and his contemporaries believed that matter was composed of four elements— earth, air, fire, and water—and Tull extrapolated that plants assimilated nutrients by combining the elements. Jethro Tull believed that plants had tiny mouths on their roots which ate the foods in the soil. He thought plants absorbed and digested fine particles of earth, then discharged waste into the atmosphere. He called roots the stomach and intestines of plants; their leaves were lungs, and sap was blood. He did not think water formed any part of the food for plants.
Tull had seen firsthand the importance of cultivation when he had visited the vineyards of France and Italy. The loosened soil permitted air and moisture to reach the roots of growing plants. Apparently, Tull thought that perhaps loose soil fit better in the plants' mouths. Manures, Tull thought, helped feed plants because they assisted with the breakdown of earth particles. But he also thought manures affected the taste and composition of food and promoted weed growth. He advocated instead pulverizing the soil, planting with drills, and thorough tilling during the growing period to promote production.
Up to that point in history, fields were sown by broadcasting seeds over the ground. Both the seeds and the weeds grew. It was almost impossible to control weeds in a field where seeds were scattered so freely. Tull started experimenting with sowing in rows and could hoe weeds without disturbing the crop. Production rose dramatically and his methods were gradually adopted.
The same methods that brought about a significant rise in yields also unleashed it's own set of problems such as erosion and an ever increasing dependence on fossil fuels to produce crops. Just as Jethro Tull revolutionized agriculture in 1700, scientists are now understanding more completely how plants grow and the role bacteria, fungi, nematodes, arthropods, etc. have in a healthy soil.
Back to the original question, to till or not to till? The consensus from soil scientists is that tilling can be done to break up sod. You get one chance to use a rototiller. After that, your garden should be laid out in planting areas and walking areas. Make sure that you can reach the entire bed or row from the walking area. To keep weeds in check and moisture in the soil, mulch. I have come to realize that no matter how beautiful we think pulverized ground looks, it is only a superficial beauty. My picture of a beautiful garden now includes finding worms as I plant.
I think that I need a good epitaph for my rototiller -
And I will give you rest.
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