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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Mulching and Tillage
  • Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 10:20:28 -0600


Mulching and Tillage
By Stacy Hall
http://www.oeffa.org/tips.php?sjt=mulch

Don't like to hoe weeds? Is it a pain to keep the tiller running? Could you
do without it's noise and fumes? Most people answer with a resounding "Yes"
to these questions. But how can we control weeds and maintain a loose
friable seedbeds to plant in the spring? This would be hard to do by
ourselves, but luckily, we have very powerful, hardworking allies:
Earthworms and trees.

Worms can accomplish the truly miraculous feats of soil loosening and
fertility building if they have a hospitable environment. Like every
creature, earthworms need plenty of food( like rotting leaves or other
organic material, the proper temperature( in their case, cool), and enough
water. Like you, they hate rototillers. If you were a worm, you would flee
the vibrating machine slashing through your home, drying it out and
disturbing your food supply. Gardens that are regularly tilled or plowed
have very few worms, leaving it to the gardener to loosen the soil and
apply fertilizer through laborious, inefficient methods.

Consider how to attract and increase earthworm populations when you control
weeds. Conserving soil moisture and coolness suits them, as well as the
plants you want to protect from weeds. Mulching with leaves is a pleasant
chore which begins with a walk in the shade, carrying an old tarp or sheet,
and a rake. It takes a thick layer of mulch to control weeds. If weeds grow
through your mulch, you did not apply enough. This method is not less work
than weeding, you are simply performing different tasks.

Rather than plowing in the fall, protect your valuable soil and worms from
winter rains and cold by simply pulling out dead plants and applying
compost and or mulch. This will attract many worms as the mulch decomposes.
They also prefer warmer mulched soil to the surrounding cold soil.

If you don't have access to hay or other machine made mulch, leaves are
plentiful. If you are concerned that they may be too acidic, sprinkle a
little lime on them when you apply them to the garden. Check around for a
farmer who might have some big round bales of hay left over. Hay is a cheap
source of organic material. Use lots of hay, piling it on will suppress
weed seed growth.

In the spring, pull the mulch away to set plants. To sow seeds, simply
sprinkle a heavy line of soil or compost on top of the mulch and plant the
seeds in it. The seedling's roots will grow down to the rotten material and
worm casings. Keep piling mulch on as the plant grows for soil building.

For more information about this method, check your local library for a copy
of Ruth Stout's classic, How to have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back.
-------------

The Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association (OEFFA) was formed in 1979 and
is a membership-based, grassroots organization, dedicated to promoting and
supporting sustainable, ecological, and healthful food systems.
----------------


paul tradingpost@lobo.net

Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.
--Henry David Thoreau






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