Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] How do you start?

livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Liz <liz@allslash.org>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] How do you start?
  • Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:06:52 -0400

At 11:54 AM 4/4/2008, you wrote:

I know why double digging isn't no till, but why isn't lasagna?

I would certainly have said lasagna gardening was no till. But most people think of it as practical only on a small scale, not for market gardening. I'm not sure why that would be true, because all it takes to grow more plants is to have more beds.

I guess I'm having trouble with the concept of "walk out there, put in
irrigation system, put in plants, cover with mulch. Wait for things to
grow." I know when you look at it, it's not that much different than
regular gardening, but is that really all it is? With fine tuning
according to location and plant needs of course.

It's different from regular gardening in one very fundamental way. You build up the soil with amendments, compost, cover crops, etc., instead of pouring fertilizer on it. Paul gave you the simplified version :) A lot of work is involved in creating the beds and doing the initial soil improvement, but the important part is that once you've done that (and it doesn't all have to be done at once), it doesn't have to be repeated year after year after year. Your raised beds stay in place, so the soil you added compost and mulch to stays where you put it, getting better and healthier with each season. Your water also stays where you put it, so you don't have to irrigate half an acre just to make sure you get sufficient water on the vegetables. And the irrigation system goes in last, on top of everything else, making that part of it easier too--nothing to bury.


It sounds entirely too simple. *laugh* Of course the reason I want to
go no-till is my continuing lack of energy even though I don't think my
doctor officially classifies me a fibromyalgic any more. No till just
seems to require so much less physical strength and drudgery than
regular gardening.

Raised beds are great for anyone with a handicap or disability, even if that is just no energy (or like me, sufficient energy but almost no time at home). You can do one bed this spring, another one later in the summer for a fall planting, and so on. I think Paul mentioned that they don't have to be framed, but I've found it easier to contain the beds if they have definite boundaries.

Liz in SW VA
http://life-as-a-spectator-sport.com




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page