I've found that if you make a nice light fluffy raised bed, keep your big
feet out of it and mulch with compost and/or shredded leaves, the soil never
compacts, the worms do quite a bit of natural tilling and all is well in the
world.
---Mike McG
----- Original Message -----
From: "ROBERT HARTMAN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 4:55 PM
Subject: [cg] Re: tilling
I agree that tilling is generally bad for the soil in many cases. Perpetual
cropping certainly is. However, the flood-plain annuals that we like to
grow for food require us to simulate annual alluvial deposits with higher
concentrations of N and faster microbial turnover than stable climax
grasslands.
For practical purposes that means some form of tillage.
It would be really nice if we could just cut a line, stuff the opening
with compost, and plant into it, rather than turning soil over. However,
the most practical thing is probably to go back to the system of crop
rotation where every few years a plot is allowed to lie fallow and
rebalance its population of native microorganisms.
All the best,
Robert Hartman
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"We are stardust. We are golden." --Joni Mitchell
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______________________________________________________
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services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out
how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org
To post an e-mail to the list: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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