Frogleg wrote:
On Fri, 14 May 2004 02:18:17 GMT, Mark & Shauna wrote:


http://www.farm-garden.com/primers/2...-gardening.htm

Mark & Shauna wrote:


Here is a good link for you to read. It was 6th on the list from
Google under "no till gardening".


I think what puts my back up is someone asking a simple question
(about tilling in this case) and immediately having someone jump on
him saying "no, no -- you can't do that -- that's awful -- do it *my*
way." In all fairness, your first answering post wasn't quite in that
category, but there *are* some like that in the thread. And I haven't
been as kind as I might.

The reference you cite is a mildly partisan one, though with some
interesting information. However, quoting one of *its* references, "In
Nature, the earth is not tilled, and fertilizers (dead plants and
animals, fallen leaves, etc.) begin as mulches on the soil's surface."
In nature -- excuse me, Nature -- food crops are not cultivated except
by accident.

I'm sure there are benefits to this method, as there are to many
others. However, few regimens are suitable in all areas and all
situations. Theoretical and anecdotal evidence of benefits
notwithstanding, one supposes that if no-till had no downside,
industrial and family farming would be revolutionized, which is
clearly not the case. Farmers and gardeners are practical people. They
see that some methods aid them in their goals, and others don't.

The invention of the plow may have been a disaster for the maintenance
of the "soil horizon" and soil "crumb structure," but it allowed the
cultivation of food for an ever-expanding population.

This is why I said no-till will probably never be a large scale
commercial solution, however if you look into commercial farming they
are moving as close to it as possible while still maintaining mechanized
production to keep the yields up. The subsoil industry is cranking for
instance.

The simple fact is what has been stated over and over, that there IS no
perfect solution. I cant believe that after a few million years of
evolution this cant be "unsaid" but it seems in almost every
conversation it must be repeated over and over.

I feel, on a large commercial scale, there is a happy medium between the
two practices with a lean towards machinery and away from mulching, but
as you move towards the small scale and then down to home food plots,
the happy medium can become heavily leaning towards no-till. But,
especially in the US, schedules, free time, laziness, and so on mean
that turning the key on the tiller will always be the choice over
anything that involves manual labor.

Personally on our small farm we lean towards no till for selfish
reasons, less and easier weeding, better soils, constant amendment, and
so on. With tillage you normally add less to your soils and some of what
you add is lost due to the practice. However like I also said, in our
large plots we "take the hit" and use tilling in the interest of speed
and production but it is crystal clear in practice which is best but we
dont have access to large quantities of slave labor to implement no-till
on the whole.

Mark