RE: Questions about Fall Clean

**"Alliums" g*@green-logic.com**

Hi, Folks!

You probably don't need to both plow in the fall and till in the Spring --
I'd pick one time/year and save some cash.

What we do is have everyone clean out their inorganics (stakes, tomato
cages) once the first frost hits and then actively encourage folks to sheet
or pit compost over the winter, cover their plots with leaves/leftover
Halloween straw bales, etc. then we till in the Spring.  

Only a small percentage does fall through winter crops, but they are our
best gardeners and we feel it's important both to accommodate them and to
encourage the other gardeners to feed their soil over the winter by adding
whatever organic matter they can get their hands on.  Those who don't take
that seriously at first tend to pick it up later when they realize that
those that DO add the leaves/manure/organic whatnots have MUCH better soil
than they do. And better soil always means better crops with less work! 

We also have a perennial area where folks can have herbs/roses/whatever so
that no one loses plants in the Spring till.

I've heard a lot of positive things about no-till, but I've found it
extremely difficult to implement in a community garden.  Tilling once a year
seems to be a good balance between the need to have a neat appearance for
the public and keeping one's soil in good shape with lots of organic matter.

Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden and Labyrinth

A mission of 
St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA  19460

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