Tilling–the Controversy
Tilling has been considered a must for every garden. It loosens and aerates the soil, readying it for planting. Right? Maybe not. Unless you’re starting with compacted, heavy clay soil {in which case tilling is an efficient way to loosen and aerate soil while mixing in compost}, tilling is actually hurting your garden in several ways:
- Soil Compaction: Tilling destroys all of the natural air spaces in soil formed by all the good microorganisms and worms. Tilling fluffs up the dirt initially, but over the growing season, the soil will compact and will result in hard, compressed dirt.
- Tiller Pan: The action of the tiller tines compacts the soil at the maximum depth the tines can reach. This is called tiller pan, and makes a compacted subsoil layer that is difficult for plant roots, worms, and water to enter.
- Inversion: The soil home of all those good bacteria and microorganisms is moved all around, and these friendlies suddenly find themselves living in conditions that might be too wet, too dry, too warm, etc. to thrive. Any worms that survived the tilling will be driven away.
- Weeds: Tilling churns the soil, bring old (but viable) weeds seeds to the surface. This will result in more weeds in your garden. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Amending your soil doesn’t have to be a difficult, time-consuming garden task. By adding a layer of compost to your garden beds, you will nourish your plants well, and reap the rewards with a bountiful harvest! Happy Planting!
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This post was originally published May 1, 2014
Image courtesy of Toa55 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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