Davej wrote:

I have a heavy clay soil and have been rototilling ever since I was a
kid, but now I wonder how that fits in with modern "no-till" ideas. I
did create a small trial plot where I applied a huge amount of mulch,
and it creates a dilemma, because you still get the weeds but you also
have a lot of earthworms that rototilling would chop up. It is not
practical to hand work large areas with a fork unless that is all you
ever want to do in your life, so I wonder what practical methods are
used? Thanks.

like many gardening answers the area where you
live and the weather conditions make a difference.
mulching clay too soon in the spring in a cool
climate will keep the soil cold longer. some
plants like that, others don't. worms are fine
with cool and wet, etc.

the best results in the clay here have come
from working in well rotted wood chips or
shredded bark. depth varies depending upon
what will be planted in that space next. i
also bury other organic materials too as they
become available and if a garden is in between
plantings or done for the season. all hand
dug with a spade and the clumps are not broken
apart much other than if i am planting small
seeds and need a fine tilth seed bed. larger
seeds that need an inch or more of cover do
ok in a more clumpy seed bed.

the last time i tilled an area was three years
ago, it was hard and dry and i wanted to level
the area. not too many worms if any in that
as it was too dry, they all went deeper. after
leveling i reseeded with alfalfa and birdsfoot
trefoil and use that as a green manure source
for gardens and the worm farm.

i find i have much less hand work to do if i
plant cover crops which help keep the weed
count down and keep the soil active. bare dirt
is something i don't like to see any longer in
a garden for long. with so many peas and beans
that i like it is easy to fill a space quickly
or buckwheat will take a bare spot and turn it
green in a few weeks time. nice wide leaves
and the bees love the flowers. turn that
under or chop it and plant right into the
stubble. the alfafa and birdsfoot trefoil
will seed areas to cover, but until it gets
established weeding is needed. oh well, the
weeds are good worm food too.

that last sentence has changed much of my
attitude about weeding. i used to hate it.
now i get out with a nice comfy pillow to sit
on and listen to the birds and windchimes and
can think about whatever. problem weeds or
roots i'll dry out well before recycling.
most weeds won't survive being uprooted if
dried out on the surface, so i leave them
in place if it is a sunny day. if it will
be raining i'll keep them aside and dry
them later. they feed worms either way,
outside or for the worm farm inside. i also
pile weeds around the rhubarb. not many
manage to regrow after being smothered by
rhubarb. and if they do, i get 'em again
eventually.


songbird