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Old 09-06-2006, 01:07 PM posted to rec.gardens
JoeSpareBedroom
 
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Default No Till growing tomatos


"George.com" wrote in message
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"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
"George.com" wrote in message
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A question here for no till gardeners, what steps do you take growing
tomatos (from seedlings to final harvest).

Thanks for any info.



What do you mean by "no till"? Not turning the soil over each season with

a
rototiller?


no dig, not digging the soil or very minimal tillage, using mulches and
green cover crops.



Major digging is only needed when preparing a new area that's got deeply
rooted grass or other vegetation. Once the area's cleared of that stuff the
first season, periodic weeding and shallow cultivation should eliminate the
need for further soil disturbance. Cultivation, in my case, consists of
using a goose-neck weeder tool which skims about 2-4 inches below the
surface. This severs the roots of weeds, and also fluffs up the soil, which
is supposed to assist in moisture retention. When mowing, I bag some grass
and sprinkle a 3-4 inch layer around all garden plants. This turns brown
pretty quickly in hot weather, and does a great job of keeping the soil
moist and weeds at a minimum.

Other than this, I don't do anything special. If you can be more specific
with your questions, I can be of more assistance.