Re: No-till gardening
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Re: No-till gardening
- From: r*@sonnet.com (Rebecca Lance)
- Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1999 19:09:40 -0800
>
>Rebecca, did you keep the chips you piled on top of the soil moist? (it being
>very dry in the foothills except in winter).
>
No, I did not. The foothills are indeed Very dry! For those unfamiliar
with our climate, we recieve all of our rain in the months between November
and April, and only about 25 inches a year. In the summer the soil turns
to red cement.
I am sure that if I kept these areas moist, the earthworms would do their
work even quicker. As it is, they can work only in the winter months. I am
amazed at how much they can accomplish in this small amount of time.
The woodchips I use are those created by tree companies when they prune or
remove trees and branches. The debris is chipped up, and then dumped. Most
tree services will deposit a truck full on your property if you request it.
It saves them from having to pay to dump in a landfill where the chips will
sit and ferment with 50 year old hot dogs.
Rebecca Lance
Sonora CA
Sunset Zone 7-8
