"George.com" wrote in message
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"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
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"George.com" wrote in message
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"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
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"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.

Yup, sounds no diggish to me. How do 'you' grow tomatos using a no dig
system. What steps do you take through the growing season from seed to
final
harvest. Thanks.

rob

None of the steps are any different, except for one, which depends on your
soil: If you're dealing with "bad soil", which can mean many things, you may
want to prepare a hole a few sizes larger than the seedling's root ball, and
add potting soil. I've done this a few times when the soil's contained lots
of clay and I wanted to plant immediately, rather than waiting for soil
improvements to do their job, which can take months or longer.

Regardless of whether you till or not, a tool like this is a must. I also
have a hand version:
http://www.gardeners.com/Swan-Neck-H...ing.34-526.cpd