Don’t Dig
Leave your soil alone this spring. Please. And this means letting that rototiller collect cobwebs. Or better yet – give it away. Why you might ask?
Well, rather than making a comfortable growing space, tilling or deep digging to turn over the soil actually destroys the soil structure. All you need to do is copy nature’s cycle and add compost to the surface. Nature – the life in the soil and the plant roots – will take care of all the work for us. Who wants more work to do?
In his recent book “No Dig: Nurture Your Soil to Grow Better Vegetables with Low Effort,” Charles Dowding puts it this way: “Simple is best, and taking easier approaches that work well is clever rather than lazy.”
I’m good with that. There are plenty of other tasks in the garden that a lot of physical exertion. Not having to turn my soil is a great relief.
Kate Jerome, Garden to Kitchen Consultant