permaculture

[Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>]

Jeavon's book entered my gardening library 31 years ago. Ruth Stout's 
mulch books were my first. I did them both....a lot.... and now for the 
last 20 years I don't double dig, or even dig, if I can avoid it. I'm 
starting another home garden on a new site with very heavy clay (the 
kind you can roll into a pencil....very quickly...it wants to be a 
wetland or pond). At the age of 53, having previously personally bodily 
moved thousands and thousands of tons of rock, soil, mulch, gravel, 
compost, and more, I am electing to not dig once again. No need to work 
hard to produce the amount I have time to attend to. I rely heavily on 
perennials. I harvest my lawn and shrubbery and trees for mulch and 
glean the neighborhood for additional input. Salads are easy and so many 
things (like perennials) are next to effortless to grow. I could double 
dig. I still have the stamina and even, occasionally, time to do 
it....but I'm not likely to do so.  If I were trying to set some kind of 
local record for production, I might aerate the soil a little more. But 
I don't grow mostly annual vegetables (which prefer bacterially 
dominated soils...perens prefer fungal domination...kinky, eh?). I end 
up challenging most of my annuals to tolerate  higher levels of fungal 
soil since I have so many perennials. I save seed and find that open 
pollinated types can "learn" to thrive in many soil types as long as 
there is enough decomposing litter (and sometimes minerals) for them. 
With mulch I find that "pests" like voles, moles, etc, do an excellent 
job of "multiple digging", then the worms, millipedes, and pillbugs do 
their jobs of converting carbon, so I don't have to compost. Turns 
several problems into a solution. I'm quite fond of hugelkultur, too 
(which can also can yield a lovely compost for seedling mix).

Keith

Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote:

> Charles de Matas wrote:
>  
>
> >   Any idea why the indifference to double digging?  I am giving it a try, 
> > to help with my compacted soil.  I double dug a small area some months ago 
> > and am now waiting for some rain to plant in it.  It may not necessarily be 
> > more labour intensive than non-digging methods. It can be done on a small 
> > scale in zone 1 near the house.  If it produces more yield per sq. m. and 
> > reduces need for water it may actually save labour (at least that's the 
> > theory).
> >    
>
> Double digging a garden plot may be the best way to improve soil without using
> any power equipment. 

--
Keith Johnson
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 5516
Bloomington, IN 47408
(812) 335-0383
http://www.permacultureactivist.net
also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting


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