Converting to a no-till garden

The idea of gardening without rototilling or turning the soil may seem like an impossible idea.  Our garden is proof that it not only is possible, it actually makes gardening enjoyable.  Less weeds, less watering, planting in less than ideal weather conditions are only a few of the benefits of a no-till garden.

The key to a no-till garden is mulching. Mulch keeps the soil moist and cooler. It prevents water from evaporating from the soil and a hard crust forming on the top layer.  Mulch keeps weed seeds from seeing the light of day and germinating.  Most importantly, it adds organic matter to the soil that provides the habitat necessary for microorganisms.

Start this spring with a portion of your garden.  Begin by marking where the planting beds and the walking paths will be.  Determine how far you can comfortable reach from the walking aisle.  That should be half the width of the planting bed (rows are generally between 32-40" wide).  The width of the walking path should allow for a wheelbarrow, wagon, cart, etc. to be used.  If the ground is full of weeds, use newspaper as a barrier.  Place approx. 6 sheets thick of newspaper covering the entire planting bed.  Wet the paper thoroughly.  Next cover the paper with compost.  Make sure the compost is completely decomposed.  It should have an earthy smell and be the color of 70% cocoa.  If it smells, don't use it.  Allow it to finish decomposing.  If you don't have access to quality compost, you may use decomposed manure, straw, shredded leaves or a combination of all three.  Do not use wood chips or bark mulch in the planting bed.  It would be ideal to do this in the fall but if it is done in the spring, allow a few weeks for the microbes to start working.  When you plant, just push the mulch aside, plant and pull the mulch back over the soil.

If you have been gardening without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, you should have a decent microbe population.  A good test is to dig a 1'x1'x1' hole in the soil in the spring.  If the soil is healthy, you should find about 75 worms in the soil from the hole.  I know that sounds that a crazy number but our soil does have that many worms in the spring.

If you are just transitioning to a chemical free garden, you will need to work at restoring the microbes.  Good compost, especially vermicompost will accelerate the life building. 

Happy gardening!