No till gardening

[longwinters]

I was reading about this tonight.  Unless you had lots of materials on hand I think it would be a bit expensive to build enough beds to raise any amount of food.  Look to be big compost piles...but it does seem to work.
 
Long

[keith44]

The methods I have seen all have high price tags, and create micro environments for plant growth.  Some have had success with these methods, but equal results are reported with heavy layers of mulch.  In heavy clay soils (which are nutrient rich and hold water very well) plowing or deep tilling and the use of mulch does very well, and gives the roots of the plants a good purchase to stand up to winds.

Just my take on it.

[Cornbelt]

 I tried some no till bush beans a couple years ago. I used a post hole digger. About the time the beans were all blossomed out and developing beans, my brother cut the pasture and there went the experiment. I guess it did make hay.

[burntmuch]

Im trying a version of it this year. I have sand, Not sandy soil, but pure sand. Cant hardly get grass to grow on it. Im building 4X8 raised beds, Im filling tthem with top soil, composted hog manure & bedding from the chicken coop. Im hoping to have 6 this year, then another 6 next year, With walkways between, Kinda pricey starting out ,but Im hoping for better results with less watering. Next year I should be able to just loosen the soil with a pitchfork or broadfork. Thats the plan anyways 

[Drilling Man]

Im trying a version of it this year. I have sand, Not sandy soil, but pure sand. Cant hardly get grass to grow on it. Im building 4X8 raised beds, Im filling tthem with top soil, composted hog manure & bedding from the chicken coop. Im hoping to have 6 this year, then another 6 next year, With walkways between, Kinda pricey starting out ,but Im hoping for better results with less watering. Next year I should be able to just loosen the soil with a pitchfork or broadfork. Thats the plan anyways

  I'm betting it's going to work out very good for you...  With the sand under, you will have good drainage too, so your beds should grow veggies very good.
 
  My dad use to say:  "In sand, it has to rain, rain one day, and rain chit the next day".  lol  Your raised beds will fix that.
 
  DM

[longwinters]

I've gone to all raise beds.  It does cost some to buy the lumber, peat moss, etc to build up the soil, but after that it is quite easy.
 
Long

[Drilling Man]

  My raised beds don't have any sides at all, just piled up soil/compost to raise them...
 

 
  It's no different than any other raised garden, i just don't have any sides on it, and it's longer...  Covering everything but the veggies with grass/hay mulch keeps the the weeds out and the grass at bay.  I run the mower right up to the edge...  The mulch alows me to pick nice clean fruit and walk/kneel in a nice dry/clean garden.
 
  I guess i'm too lazy to keep the grass trimmed away from any sides the beds would have.  lol
 
  DM

[longwinters]

DM,
 
How do you work up the soil without it spreading out? 
 
Long

[Empty Quiver]

I have no till gardened. I used nearly the exact same methods as a commercial farm. I initially leveled the ground. come spring when the weeds got a bit of size, 3/4" maybe I would spray with 2,4-D and Round-up tank mix wait about a day and plant the beans and other seeds. After planting the seeds I would come back over the top with Prowl, er, Preen I mean. A week or so after the burn down I would put out the sets of tomatoes, peppers, cabbage etc.  It would not take long to figure out what did not like the Prowl and I quit planting that stuff.


Come fall I would mow everything off spread fertilizer and wait till spring to do it again.

[Empty Quiver]

Well I just looked at where you are located. I see one potential problem of no-tilling for you.


It takes a fair amount of time for the ground to warm up compared to normal tillage. Raised beds might be enough to compensate, just something to keep in mind. You would see the most problems with spinach say, because it reacts to day length not temperature as far as bolting goes. I know eggplant needs heat to grow and that would be a problem as well.

[Drilling Man]

DM,
 
How do you work up the soil without it spreading out? 
 
Long

  I till it right in place, trying to stay away from the edge...  Then each spring, where needed,  i move it back away from the grass 6 to 12 inches so i can mow right up to the line.
 
  DM