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Re: rototilling
Please give a chronology of the places throughout the world wherein you have
personally implemented these strategies of yours. I am very interested in
the documentation of practical experience among the 90% whom I seek to
serve.
Thanks,
Jim Kennard
www.foodforeveryone.org
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lee Reich, PhD" <springtown@netstep.net>
To: <Gardenwriters@topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 07, 2002 9:31 AM
Subject: Re: [GWL]: rototilling
> Briefly, nowhere in my book do I suggest herbicides as a substitute for
tillage. It is feasible to abandon tillage by
> planting in permanent beds to avoid soil compaction, which is one thing
tillage cures. Permanent bed planting (and
> non-tillage) are, obviously, not my invention, but something that has been
practiced successfully in various parts of the
> world for centuries.
>
> Excerpting, again, from my book, here is what I do recommend:
>
> "You cannot, of course, just banish the word rototill, dig, and plow from
your vocabulary, throw some mulch on the ground,
> and carry on with your gardening as before. These practices, for maximum
benefit, need to be integrated into a WEEDLESS
> GARDENING system. The bare bones of WEEDLESS GARDENING, elaborated upon in
coming chapters, includes four components.
> .MINIMIZE SOIL DISRUPTION to preserve the soil's natural layering. Soil
should not be turned over by hand, by rototiller, or
> by plow. Even when setting transplants, shrubs, and trees in the ground,
take care not to disrupt the natural layering of the
> soil any more than necessary.
> . PROTECT THE SOIL SURFACE with some sort of covering to temper the
effects of hot sun and raindrops on the surface and to
> smother small weed seedlings. What to use depends on availability of
various materials, your style of garden, and the kinds
> of plants you grow. In some situations, living plants might offer the
needed protection.
> . AVOID SOIL COMPACTION by keeping off planted areas with feet,
wheelbarrows, garden carts, and tractors. This is done by
> designating separate areas for plants and areas for traffic. The design of
trafficked areas-paths usually-varies with the
> design of the garden and the kind of traffic expected.
> . USE DRIP IRRIGATION. Watering is not always needed, but when it is
required regularly, drip is the way to go. Drip
> irrigation quenches plants' thirst at a rate close to their actual needs.
It pinpoints the water where it's needed instead of
> wastefully wetting paths and weeds in unplanted areas."
>
> All of this, with the exception of the optional drip irrigation, is
feasible throughout the world and socioeconomic strata.
>
> Lee Reich, PhD
>
>
> Jim Kennard wrote:
>
> > May I address the issues of Tilling v.s. non-tilling and the use of
> > Mycorrhizal on behalf of 90% of the world's population, who do not have
the
> > luxuries we here in America enjoy?
> >
> > In many parts of the world the only practical way to get rid of weeds is
to
> > cultivate the ground - whether with plow, harrow, tiller, shovel, or
> > whatever. Herbicides are out of the question due to their cost, and
hoe-ing
> > or weeding by hand are not effective. And for the same financial
reasons
> > commercially purchased Mycorrhizal is also not a realistic possibility
for
> > them.
> >
> > We have gone into many villages where the native people were barely
> > subsisting on a single vegetable, such as sweet potato, that took them
> > almost 2 years to grow, and where the weeds were ubiquitous and the
children
> > nearly starving.
> >
> > In just 6 to 12 weeks, using good basic cultural practices such as
proper
> > cultivation of the soil, preparation of planting beds, feeding natural
> > mineral nutrients to the plants, proper watering, and weeding the
people
> > were enjoying a wide assortment of healthy vegetables the likes of which
> > they had never even seen before.
> >
> > And in doing so we have introduced health and prosperity to thousands of
> > families who were despairing of even having food to eat. In bringing
this
> > to your attention I'm not asking for plaudits, only understanding of
what I
> > consider to be the larger and more important issues - of life and death
that
> > are happening all around us!
> >
> > I would plead with those of you who are educating the wealthy 10% to
tell
> > them the plight of the other 90%! And then encourage your readers to
help
> > others learn and obtain a healthy living standard in the most practical
way
> > possible. And what is that? Go and Teach and Show them the way! Our
> > projects, for example, are for a minimum of three months - full time,
with 2
> > hours a day in the class and 4+ hours in the garden, and our students
finish
> > with a practical working knowledge of vegetable production, from
seedling
> > production to selling their produce, and their income is increased
manifold.
> >
> > How can we sleep smugly in our beds and bicker over trivia while most of
the
> > world is starving? Please look at the charitable Food For Everyone
> > Foundation's website at www.foodforeveryone.org and see if you can do
> > something to make a difference for good in the world.
> >
> > Sorry for the lecture, but thanks for "listening"
> >
> > Jim Kennard, President
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Lee Reich, PhD" <springtown@netstep.net>
> > To: <Gardenwriters@topica.com>
> > Sent: Saturday, April 06, 2002 5:08 AM
> > Subject: Re: [GWL]: rototilling
> >
> > > On Lon Rombough's suggestion, rather than keep writing back about
tilling
> > and non-tilling, I've instead excerpted a short
> > > part of my book, WEEDLESS GARDENING, where I talk about benefits of
> > leaving soil undisturbed. For background, the WEEDLESS
> > > GARDENING I talk about is not only the title of the book but also the
four
> > part system for taking care of the soil. The book
> > > is available for only $9, but if I feel the need more words from this
book
> > will ply the electronic thoroughfares. What I have
> > > done in WEEDLESS GARDENING is to try and translate some soil science
into
> > something practical, readable, and backed up by my
> > > own thirty years of getting my fingers into the dirt... whoops, soil.
> > >
> > > Lee Reich, PhD
> > >
> > >
> > > THE BENEFITS
> > > The most obvious appeal of WEEDLESS GARDENING is dispensing with the
> > annual ritual of turning over soil. No more wrestling a
> > > rototiller up and down garden rows. No more making arrangements for
> > someone to plow. Gone are the repeated thuds of your
> > > garden spade coming up against rocks in rocky soil. Forget about
needing
> > that "iron back, with a hinge in it," suggested as
> > > the ideal anatomy for a gardener by Charles Dudley Warner in My Summer
in
> > a Garden (1870).
> > > Dispensing with digging also means being able to get plants and seeds
> > into the ground sooner. One reason for digging in
> > > spring is to kill existing vegetation, be it weeds, a deliberately
planted
> > "cover crop," or, for a new garden, lawn grass.
> > > That digging is followed by a burst of biological activity in the soil
as
> > bacteria and fungi, fueled by a shot of air, gobble
> > > up chopped up roots, stems, and leaves. It's too much commotion for
seeds
> > and small plants, so planting must be delayed for a
> > > couple of weeks until microbial activity settles down. Another run
over
> > the ground is sometimes needed to break up the soil
> > > and plants even more, causing a delay of another week or two.
> > > Not having to dig the soil in spring also means not having to delay
> > planting because of wet soil. Digging a wet clay soil
> > > transforms it into a compact material better suited for sculpture than
> > plant growth. The frustration is twofold; planting is
> > > delayed until the soil is dry enough to dig, and after planting, you
must
> > wait for rain to get seeds and plants growing. Skip
> > > the digging and all that's needed in spring is to drop seeds or nestle
> > plants into the ground.
> > > Leaving soil undisturbed in spring even helps plants quench their
thirst
> > later in the season. Earthworms, roots of various
> > > dimensions, even the action of freezing and thawing all work together
to
> > create interconnecting large and small pores within
> > > which air and water move and new roots grow. Gravity quickly empties
large
> > channels of excess water, drawing air in, yet
> > > small pores of capillary dimensions cling to water against the pull of
> > gravity. As long as these pores stay intact, water can
> > > move within them down, sideways, even up, to replace water that nearby
> > roots drink in.
> > > Another benefit of not turning the soil is to keep organic materials
on
> > the surface. There, they can provide soft landing
> > > for raindrops, allowing moisture to soak in rather than run off and
water
> > your lawn or your neighbor's garden. Organic
> > > materials at the soil's surface also temper the effects of winter cold
and
> > the sun's heat, and slow water evaporation. If you
> > > mix organic materials into the soil or bury them down deep, they
cannot do
> > their job of protecting the soil surface.
> > > Not tilling also avoids creating a so-called plowpan, or hardened
layer
> > within the soil that impedes drainage. Plowpans form
> > > when rototillers or plows are used at the same depth season after
season,
> > causing soil compaction just beneath the depth of
> > > tillage. Perhaps the greatest benefit of leaving the soil undisturbed
is
> > that it preserves soil organic matter, including
> > > humus, the touchstone of any great garden soil. Digging, rototilling,
or
> > plowing puts such a shot of oxygen into the soil
> > > that microbial activity is stimulated to the point of too rapidly
burning
> > up organic matter. It literally disappears into
> > > thin air, most of it becoming carbon dioxide and water vapor.
> > > It's not that these microbes should starve. After all, plant foods
are
> > released and a healthy microbial population is
> > > supported only as organic matter is gobbled up. Problems arise though
when
> > organic matter is burned too fast, which happens
> > > when soils are tilled. In untilled soils topped with organic
materials,
> > the materials are consumed at a rate that doesn't
> > > outstrip the rate at which they are replenished.
> > >
> > > DO PLANTS LIKE IT?
> > > All the information offered so far has sung the praises of WEEDLESS
> > GARDENING for you, me, and the soil, but what about the
> > > plants? How do delphiniums, rose bushes, and bean and tomato plants
feel
> > about growing in soil that is never turned over or
> > > stirred up, yet is perpetually blanketed with compost, wood chips, or
some
> > other organic mulch? The answer is-they like it.
> > > After all, an undisturbed soil blanketed with organic mulch becomes
> > increasingly rich in humus, one byproduct of the
> > > decomposition of organic matter. Humus is not a single compound but a
> > witch's brew of stuff beneficial to plants. It is to
> > > plants what a vitamin rich salad is to you and me-not a concentrated
food,
> > but one offering a wide spectrum of nutrients and
> > > other good things. (In addition to nutrients coming from the humus
itself,
> > it also contains substances that help nutrients
> > > already in the soil become more accessible to plants.) Humus is also
> > serves as the bulk in a plant's "diet," fluffing up soil
> > > with air and at the same time holding water like a sponge. Humus even
> > helps plants fight off pests with protective compounds
> > > and by supporting friendly microorganisms that fend off pathogens.
> > >
> > > JEFF LOWENFELS wrote:
> > >
> > > > re rototilling vs. not:
> > > >
> > > > I surely hope that no one is suggestion you can't get a great garden
if
> > you
> > > > rototill or if you use fertilizers. That is not the point. Obviously
we
> > all
> > > > have had personal experiences and know that you can have great
gardens
> > doing
> > > > both. And I think we would all agree that putting organics into the
soil
> > is
> > > > the only way to go as it helps build nice healthy soils. And I think
we
> > can
> > > > all agree that the organic matter you put into a garden when you
> > rototill
> > > > is, after all, only as good as the microbes, bacteria, shredders and
> > others
> > > > who decay it into humus.
> > > >
> > > > Where a "Scientific Gardener" would depart is in the value of
keeping
> > the
> > > > miles and miles of fungi in the average garden
> > > > intact and not reducing the populations of bacteria, nematodes,
> > protozoa,
> > > > worms, microarthopods, microarthopods etc in the soil which is an
> > obvious
> > > > result when you rototill. If you are like many gardeners and you run
> > over
> > > > your garden beds two or three times to get is all uniform and clean,
> > then
> > > > you actually kill off much of it.
> > > >
> > > > And, I suppose, a really Scientific Gardener would work out the math
and
> > > > conclude that each year, despite the addition of organics into the
soil,
> > > > there is a net carbon loss. Sooner or later the game is over like it
is
> > in
> > > > many parts of the world and like it is getting to be in many parts
of
> > the US
> > > > Then you HAVE to use fertilizers and the only organics in the soil
are
> > those
> > > > added each year IF there is any soilfoodweb left to decay them.
> > > >
> > > > As for big gardens, surely Ruth Stout is an example. If you must
have
> > nice
> > > > neat rows, simply pulling a board through the soil or a v plow would
be
> > > > better than rototilling. "Drill" gardening is another answer. You
make a
> > > > hole for the plant and only disturb a tiny fraction of the garden.
It is
> > so
> > > > much less work and for big farms, there are mechanical planters that
use
> > > > this principle.
> > > >
> > > > Why would one want to go through all the work to rototill? I guess
I
> > have
> > > > to ask, then, why do YOU roto till? I am not trying to be cute here.
> > You
> > > > surely don't have to. Many of us have gardens which prove that. Why
do
> > you?
> > > >
> > > > Cheers,
> > > >
> > > > Jeff L
> > > >
> > > > ______________________________________________
> > > > PLANT A ROW FOR THE HUNGRY: Through PAR, over 3 million pounds of
food
> > have
> > > > been donated by home gardeners like you to feed the hungry. Ask me
how
> > you
> > > > can join the effort.
> > > >
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