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Post by gardendmpls on Nov 12, 2017 9:45:56 GMT -5
The only thing I till is a new bed. In the winter, I cover the beds with hay after clearing off the year's debris. In early spring, I top it with compost, mostly made from the chicken coop cleanouts. After planting, I add more hay for mulch. If that breaks down in spots, more is tossed on.
I see that some till to "incorporate compost". The nutrients from compost move down through the soil either by the soil organisms or dissolved in water. All plants have roots near the surface as well as farther down. In nature, this makes a lot of sense, as soil is rarely tilled in a big way, except by gophers and such here and there. Worms will pull leaves and other organic debris a little below the surface, but most of their mixing is in the form of their worm poop.
Since I have gone "no till" I have been getting much better yields. We do have a nice sandy loam soil here, so I can't speak for clay soils or arid ones.
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Post by lisaann on Dec 17, 2017 12:35:37 GMT -5
soil compaction was not longer something that happened.
The pounding rain compacts soil. You don't need to stomp on it to compact it. Pounding rain does it for you.
Mulching helps with that issue.
Guess how much rain I already had this year?
desertwoman,gianna,brownrexx,datgirl,meatburner,gardendmpls,
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Post by desertwoman on Dec 17, 2017 12:43:59 GMT -5
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Post by lisaann on Dec 17, 2017 12:49:05 GMT -5
I'll reveal the answer Tuesday night. That will give ya all a chance to guess!
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Post by gardendmpls on Dec 19, 2017 16:28:05 GMT -5
~38"??
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Post by meatburner on Dec 20, 2017 0:59:41 GMT -5
lisaan, it's Tuesday night.
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Post by James on Dec 20, 2017 12:13:32 GMT -5
No till Gardening? Is there such a thing? If you are going to plant some tomato starts, you gotta get out a trowel and dig a hole for them. That's tilling. If you are going to plant a row of beans you gotta get a hoe and dig a furrow to put the seeds in. That's tilling. Then between the rows where you did not till the weeds come up thicker than grass on the lawn. What you going to do with them? Pull them and the roots jerk up clods, That is tilling. Take the hoe to them and dig them out? That is tilling. If you don't remove the weeds, your preferred plants won't do much. So...... I suggest if you don't want to till, you find a new hobby!
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Post by desertwoman on Dec 20, 2017 18:17:06 GMT -5
Well! That's an interesting point of view! I guess it's all a matter of degrees, eh?
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Post by Mumsey on Dec 20, 2017 18:46:36 GMT -5
That's a fancy get-up! I just look at NOAA.
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Post by desertwoman on Dec 20, 2017 18:49:14 GMT -5
Were you having a drought this year lisaann,?
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Post by gardendmpls on Dec 21, 2017 6:27:44 GMT -5
Depends on your definition. Tilling is a form of soil prep. Cultivating is something else. So is planting, but of course there is some crossover.
"Tilling is actually a form of deep cultivation that is necessary when preparing a new garden bed or when adding large amounts of organic material. Tilling will cultivate the soil 8-10 inches deep, perhaps even more if you are creating a new garden bed in an area where the soil is very poor."
"Cultivating is a very old gardening principal and like many old things, is quite simple. Breaking up and loosening the soil in the garden."
"Cultivating as a practice is really two things: removing weeds from the garden and loosening the soil to optimize the retention and penetration of air, water and nutrients." (Mantis site)
As for planting beans, I don't dig a furrow. Just put them on the surface and poke them in with my finger.
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Post by tendingmygarden on Jan 4, 2018 0:12:55 GMT -5
desertwoman ,Desert woman, you’re right, this thread seemed to take on a life of it’s own. Always interesting to hear how others view things. Interesting too that moving a trowel full of dirt back 2 or 3 inches to plant a tomato plant is considering tilling. And to think that for 39 years I thought I was “no-till”. I appreciated the words Kimm found to better explain that mycorrhizal fungi are any fungi that form a beneficial relationship with plants. Theresa
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Post by gardendmpls on Jan 4, 2018 14:37:20 GMT -5
The way I see it, moving a few inches of soil back is cultivating, not tilling. Tilling is deeper and spread out over a larger area.
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Post by gardendmpls on Jan 4, 2018 14:42:00 GMT -5
Basic guide for the confused: moving a few inches of soil back to shove in a plant or seed is planting. Moving a few inches to get rid of unwanted plants is weeding. Getting out the shovel or the big machine to turn over all the dirt in the garden bed is called tilling.
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Post by desertwoman on Jan 4, 2018 14:42:52 GMT -5
:-[
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