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

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] How do you start?
  • Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:52:06 -0600


Lasagna can become no-till; any growing plot can become no-till. It just
takes time for it to decompose and settle to turn into healthy, plantable
soil, months at least. I don't do it because I have too much, 48 beds last
count and more coming, and don't have time to wait. I make healthy soil fast
the hard way.

What is "walk out there, put in irrigation system, put in plants, cover with
mulch. Wait for things to grow"? Is that what no-till sounds like? Maybe if
you already have great soil with no weeds, no grass, & nice and level with no
low, wet areas. You CAN start like that anyway, but what will grow your first
season may be problematic. Perhaps grain will grow fine to start off with, or
legumes. Ken Hargescheimer has experience to bear on this. But most of our
modern vegetables need deep, loose soil, and it may take seasons to develop
with just mulch slowly decomposing on the soil surface. Now if you have a
year to wait you can go ahead and mulch and irrigate and see what your soil
looks like a year from now.

I gave my beds a fast start with natural amendments dug in (aged manure,
alfalfa meal, rock dusts, etc.), then mulched and kept moist. After that they
get an annual top dressing of compost, then hay mulch on top. Once organic
matter levels are raised the annual top dressing should replenish the beds
sufficiently without annual digging or cultivation. Of course we all have to
adapt to different conditions. Our soil is so low in organic matter that it
would take ages if I didn't start by digging in amendments (think sagebrush
and blowing dust). And last season at our new location, we were able to make
the beds from scratch and grow enough immediately to supply two farmers
markets most of the season, including carrots. Whole plagues of insects of
all kinds but no sprays and no loss of produce. And no N-P-K and all heirloom
varieties. Yes, that took work the first year, but hopefully it's a lot
easier to get started in decent soil with average rainfall.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 4/4/2008 at 10:54 AM Pumpkin Lady wrote:

>Tradingpost wrote:
>> Well, you already found Ruth Stout which is no-till, and lasagna
>>gardening and double digging which are not no-till.
>
>I know why double digging isn't no till, but why isn't lasagna?
>
>> Any questions, toss 'em out. We're here.
>
>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 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.
>
>Happy growing,
>Morgan
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