Tilling Your Garden - Should It Be Tilled?...Or Not Be Tilled?
by John Yazo
There are pros and cons on the proper way that garden soil should be tilled, turned or not be turned at all. You see garden every year that are tilled, year after year being tilled. I can't say that I have ever seen a garden fail because of being tilled. I do believe that over working your soil isn't helping you after you till it the one time needed to get your crops planted. It only dries out the soil and slows the life of the living organisms in the soil. It doesn't add any benefit to the soil as you would get by mulching and not having to weed. The key to any organic garden is the soil structure and mulching.
With a good soil structure and mulching the weeding and the care time on the garden is minimal. I have garden all different ways, tilling, turning soil with a spade. It totally amazed me on the time I save to get a higher quality crop with higher yields with no - till organic gardening.
I prefer no - till gardening because all my rows are hilled, mounds and raised beds with the areas between them left natural.I would have to rebuild all the rows every year if I didn't do a no - till garden.
I have nothing against tilling or the turning of garden soil but I know one thing. I would never do it again now that I went to the no - till method. I really feel by my experience that a no-till garden produces a healthier, higher quality and a bigger crop yield.
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