To till or not to till, that is the question. When you’re creating a new garden bed or getting your garden beds ready for next spring that is. There are arguments both for and against tilling, but before we address those, let’s first explain to those who might not know, what tilling is.
Tilling is the act of loosening and turning over the uppermost layers of soil in a garden bed using a pitchfork, rototiller, or similar tool. The theory behind tilling is that it gets rid of weeds and makes it easier to add and incorporate soil amendments like fertilizer and compost to the garden bed. Tilling can contribute to soil compaction and erosion.
In the land of no-till gardening, once the bed is established it remains undisturbed. Any soil amendments including mulch and compost are added on top of the soil and left there for the earthworms and other organisms to do their thing. Before employing the no-till method however, it is important to create a good soil structure by properly preparing the bed. This means removing roots, large rocks, and loosening the soil to a depth of about 16 to 24 inches before adding in soil amendments.
My brother, organic gardener extraordinaire, swears by no-till gardening. In his experience no tilling equals fewer weeds. I like it because it means less work. How about you?