IthacaJeff 151 #1 Posted January 15, 2012 This may be a blasphemous topic here, given all the gardening attachments we have, but has anyone here got onto the no-till method of gardening/farming? This is where weeds are kept down by piling on more mulch -- straw, newsprint, manure, whatever -- year after year. Plants are put in through "holes" in the mulch. I've got a tiller, a single bottom plow, a disc, a cultivator. I like using them, but no-till farming promises to build the soil, increase yield, and more. Thoughts? Experiences? Jeff Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaineDad 85 #2 Posted January 15, 2012 Jeff: I have six 4x12 raised garden beds where I practice no-till gardening and I must admit, I have much better results in those beds than I do with the ground gardens. There are almost no weeds and the soil is so much darker and full of worms. I sold my tiller and will be adding another 6 raised beds this spring. Tilling, cultivating, and plowing is fun, but for the home garden I am now sold on this method. I nearly doubled my output last year and it's just going to get better with each year. My two cents... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #3 Posted January 15, 2012 micah thats very interesting to hear as i want a garden this spring and i never thought of a raised garden.I will have to read more about it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sorekiwi 761 #4 Posted January 15, 2012 micah thats very interesting to hear as i want a garden this spring and i never thought of a raised garden.I will have to read more about it. If you havent already checked out Micahs website, you should do so. A lot of interesting reading there. http://www.gardentractorgardening.com/ The other one I like is Farmer Riks: http://www.endtimesreport.com/garden_tractor_gardening.html As to the original question in this post, I am not yet a good enough gardener to comment, anaother couple of years with a traditional garden and I might try the raised beds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #5 Posted January 15, 2012 micah thats very interesting to hear as i want a garden this spring and i never thought of a raised garden.I will have to read more about it. If you havent already checked out Micahs website, you should do so. A lot of interesting reading there. yes your right i should just drive down to his house and see it for real. http://www.gardentractorgardening.com/ The other one I like is Farmer Riks: http://www.endtimesr..._gardening.html As to the original question in this post, I am not yet a good enough gardener to comment, anaother couple of years with a traditional garden and I might try the raised beds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaineDad 85 #6 Posted January 15, 2012 micah thats very interesting to hear as i want a garden this spring and i never thought of a raised garden.I will have to read more about it. Rex - You should come over this spring and see the process in person. I have not updated my web site in a while :( Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tim 97 #7 Posted January 16, 2012 i guess what we do is something in between we till the garden, plant, and then put our grass clippings down to keep the weeds down. this also aid in keeping the moisture in the soil. in the fall we put the fallen leaves in and then till those in. we have never fertilized. Our soil is jet black. i think the reason the raised beds work so well is that the soil gets warm faster in the spring. The only down side to what we do is the plants get larger normal i don't think we get more yield just larger plants i think it is the nitrogen released as the grass breaks down Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Operator 7 #8 Posted January 16, 2012 We put leaves in ours too, But not Walnut! Bad bad bad. Question, why "raise" the bed? you can still compost in between rows and under plants on the level. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #9 Posted January 16, 2012 Micah i did see the website that sorekiwi gave me but i am more of a hands on type of guy that would like to drive the 3 miles down the rd to see for myself. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaineDad 85 #10 Posted January 16, 2012 Anytime - I love to share my gardening enthusiasm! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IthacaJeff 151 #11 Posted January 17, 2012 Okay guys, now I'm super interested. Micah, the question was asked about why raise the bed. Why not just mulch at ground level? And what did you fill the beds with after making the frames? Did you bring in mulch or dig up soil? Jeff Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duff 206 #12 Posted February 4, 2012 Bump! Waiting for Micah's reply, too! This is getting interesting! Duff :thumbs: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DoctorHfuhruhurr 132 #13 Posted February 4, 2012 One of the benefits of a raised bed is that it's easier on your back and knees to maintain. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaineDad 85 #14 Posted February 4, 2012 Okay guys, now I'm super interested. Micah, the question was asked about why raise the bed. Why not just mulch at ground level? And what did you fill the beds with after making the frames? Did you bring in mulch or dig up soil? Jeff Jeff: Quote from my web site... " What I also like about these raised beds is how I control the soil and conditions. I layered the soil materials; first with hot fresh horse manure, second with 2 year old composted cow manure, and finally with fresh finished compost. I could actually feel the heat coming off these beds with my hands! Since no feet or tractor tires will ever touch the soil, it will never get compacted and stay very porous which will help retain moisture even through the hottest dry spells. I built a total of 6 4' x 12' raised beds out of 2" x 12" hemlock, filled with a lot of resin to help slow the rotting process. By the way, never use pressure treated wood as the chemicals will leach into the ground and ultimately into your food." And yes they are much easier on my back and knees. I have had 9 knee surgeries and I like anything that's easy on my knees Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheel Horse Kid 104 #15 Posted February 4, 2012 For myself, I try to till my garden in the spring before planting and in the fall after harvest. I guess I feel that it is good to rotate the soil/nutrients and plus it makes it eaiser to plant. It also helps the soil be able to better absorb the rain fall. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
6wheeler 586 #16 Posted February 4, 2012 Micah, I used to have raised beds when I lived in town. I will agree it was alot easier on my knees. When we moved out here I saw the chance to do my mini-farmer gig and started making bigger gardens. The raised bed plan just didn't fit this. But, your info for them is top notch. Back to the topic. I plow my gardens in the spring. I do it as late as I possibly dare so I can bury most of the weed seeds too deep to grow. It works surprisingly well. I have never tried the no-till method. However, 2 years ago I decided to move one of the gardens to a sunnier spot. It was the garden I had planted potatoes in the year before. The plan was to just keep mowing the old garden and then work it up the following spring. When I went to mow it the first time, I noticed several potato plants had come up. I thought I had picked them pretty well but, I guess not. I took care of them, not really expecting any real yield. Surprise! I got alot of spuds out of there. Now that is about as no till as you can get. I am going to try no-till on a garden I am putting in for the first time this year. I think I will plant some of my Heirloom sweet corn in there. Thanks for the idea Jeff. Pat Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IthacaJeff 151 #17 Posted February 4, 2012 I'm going to be trying some no-till this spring, but not over the entire garden. No-till requires a great deal of mulch and organic material, and we just don't have that much around that is cost effective, and ever since my truck rusted up to the point of no return, I've not got a good way to get material to the house. (I should let my truck compost in the middle of the garden!) Most websites say lay down some layers of newspaper or cardboard, cover with layers of green and brown (e.g,. grass, manure, leaves, wood chips, mulch, kitchen compost). I can get some manure free when I get access to a tailer, but it is pretty fresh. Same with woodchips but they need to be loaded by hand. I don't bag my grass, so that is out. We have no trees out our property. Our garden it 55 x 85', so it takes a lot of shovelfulls of manure and chips! Periodically moldy hay or mulch straw comes up cheap, so I grab it when I can. If I could figure out a way to hack down the 4 acres of goldenrod and ragweed stems around the house and get it composed on the garden, I would. Anyone have any ideas here? Jeff Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
6wheeler 586 #18 Posted February 4, 2012 Sounds like you kinda have the same problem as me Jeff. With my cluckers and a close neighbor with a tractor and manure spreader I get all the horse manure I can handle. But with all the cockleburrs and ragweed and goldenrods growing around me, it is a never ending fight. My biggest problem in my gardens is the pigweed and lambsquarters. I am going to try something new this year. Planting rye grass between the rows. I am pretty sure my row crop tractor project won't be ready. That way I can mow between the rows. Then I will just plow it in as green manure. Just a thought. Pat Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
can whlvr 991 #19 Posted February 5, 2012 most of my flower beds are no till,they are mulched with bark so its not feasable to till,even by hand,but the earth worms are supposed to do that job for me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IthacaJeff 151 #20 Posted February 5, 2012 Don, right, the worms are supposed to do the trick! Jeff Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
