No-Till Gardening - The Fall Method
By Sherrie Ottinger (The Tennessee Dirtgirl)
Why do I say do this method in the fall? Because it will put your garden space out of commission for at least 6 months. It’ll take that long for the thicker cardboard to break down and be assimilated. Begin by mowing the grass very short, on the area you’re going to use. I like to have a garden hose close by, to wet the cardboard down as I work it, so the wind doesn’t pick it up. Lay cardboard, newspaper (and I use all my household waste paper), thickly and shingled, over the entire area. Throw handfuls of the compost you’ll be using, to hold the paper products in place, as you go. It’ll save chasing it! Once the area is covered, top it with 4”-6” of composted manure, good topsoil/garden soil, then a very thick layer of OLD hay, or straw. Throughout the fall and winter, you can continue to add whatever organic matter you can come up with, such as shredded leaves, pine needles, grass clippings. AS with the method from yesterday, this will be your pattern from now on, adding layer upon layer of rotting stuff. This feeds the life under the soil, which feeds you!
The Tennessee Dirtgirl
