The Lazy Gardener's Way
Forum Archives
Lisa A
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Apr-15-2005 at 10:27am
I love learning new ways to cut corners in the garden. My aim is to someday be able to laze guiltlessly in my hammock, so the more time- and energy-saving methods I can employ, the better.
I've created new garden beds without removing the old sod. I've helped a friend create a new veggie bed using the lasagna method. Intrigued? You should be. No-till (Sheet mulching) has served gardeners well for years and there's no reason why you can't prosper from others' experiences. More and more, the concept of no tilling is gaining ground. You can read more about these two methods at the above link and here, Back away from the tiller.
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Apr-15-2005 at 3:21pm
Great articles, Lisa. Thanks. I was just contemplating adding to my front bed in this method. Good to know the amounts of each material again.
Jeanne
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Apr-15-2005 at 3:58pm
This may be a stupid question but how does double-digging not destroy the soil structure? I can understand that rototilling does rip the soil up and turn it over etc. but isn't that basically what you are doing with double-digging? Dig up 2ft of soil, pile it on a tarp, dig another 2ft and then return it to the hole. How does that not destroy the soil structure? Jeanne
sparklemama
Location: Western Washington
Posted: Apr-17-2005 at 3:17pm
that is a very good question jeanne. i am interested in hearing the response to that. i have wonder myself why double digging was considered good and tilling is considered so bad since the soil is being disturbed in a similar manner.
EmilyK
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posted: Apr-17-2005 at 7:38pm
Hey, I'm no expert at this, but I've read that the main difference between digging and rototilling is that rototilling results in a very even line of demarcation between the fluffy, tilled soil on top and the compacted (undisturbed) soil underneath (because the tines revolve at a very controlled depth). This situation is conducive to the formation of an impenetrable crust between the two layers of very different character.
Working the soil by hand yields a more irregular interface between the fluffed soil and the undisturbed soil below and promotes better flow of nutrients and water between the two zones.
EmilyK -- Port Orchard, WA
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Apr-18-2005 at 8:35am
That sounds like a good reason. Thanks, Emily. I suppose beyond 4ft doesn't matter to most plants as most of the roots are closer to the surface?
Jeanne
EmilyK
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posted: Apr-18-2005 at 9:17am
Jeanne,
OMG...2 feet laterally...not deep. What would I do if I could get someone to cultivate my garden to a depth of 4 feet???
EmilyK -- Port Orchard, WA
sparklemama
Location: Western Washington
Posted: Apr-18-2005 at 9:37am
lol..no kidding Em...wouldn't that be great..i can't even get my son to go more then 2 feet double digging. I do see now the difference caused by using a tiller versus hand tools. It seems so much easier to use the tiller, giving hands and back a much needed rest this time of year. But it is not worth it. I will just have to keep the boys out there..lol. I guess its time to bake more cookies to bribe them with.
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Apr-18-2005 at 1:28pm
You must bake alot of cookies, then, sparklemama! LOL. I don't double dig. I just keep laying on the compost and manure. I do turn over the cover crop in my veggie garden, but probably not down to 2ft. I figure Mother Nature doesn't double dig so I won't either!
Jeanne
Red Hare
Location: Oregon coast
Posted: Apr-19-2005 at 10:06am
I'm lazier yet - I let the earthworms do the digging. Where was I reading that someone was complaining about having too many worms in their yard? Horticulture magazine! They were digging up this fellow's lawn, leaving mounds of castings all over the place - the horror of it all!
Susie
Location: Washington, Southwestern
Posted: Apr-20-2005 at 9:15pm
Hmmm, after reading the articles in last Thursday's Oregonian about sheet mulching, and backing away from the tiller, I told my husband what a wonderful set of articles they were and how they reflected the very latest ideas on organic gardening. Then I got to the end of the book I was re-reading 'The Best of Organic Gardening.' (1996)
The last few articles in the book are by the mulch lady herself, Ruth Stout, written in the 1950's. "Throw Away Your Spade and Hoe" and "To Heck with Plowing!" are just a few of the headlines in her articles. 50 years ago this lady was doing Lasagne/sheet mulching. We've come a long way, baby.
I'm with Red Hare, leave the digging to the earthworms, they're much better equiped for that than us humans.
Fern
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posted: Apr-21-2005 at 10:05am
A phrase I've heard lately for a style of gardening is "benign neglect", and that certainly fits me. Too many plants and so little time! I think double digging would be worth it if you had really bad soil or for intensive vegatable gardening but is too hard for most of us. For a new bed under a hemlock tree with big roots at the surface [it was a struggling lawn] I did the sheet method and it worked great. I also try and leave most leaves where they fall or throw them under a near by shrub to do sheet composting. The problem with mulch and vegetable gareding I've had is too many slugs.
Fern
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Apr-25-2005 at 9:00pm
Fern I am with you on that neglect thing. Wish I weren't. But I will soon be getting one day off during the week and my goal is to spend at least a couple of hours every week out there. Ok so lets see if it happens.
But anyhow I am not capable of double digging, even when I worked in my gardens more I could not double dig. It is a great concept but lets be honest how many of us can get out there and dig a whole garden in the first place much less double dig it. I am renting a tiller soon btw! I have tried both ways and well I will use the tiller for the first start and then mulch heavier to stop weeds.
~BakingBarb
HarleyLady
Location: Willamette Valley
Posted: Apr-25-2005 at 9:33pm
Ken Druse addresses this topic of "benign neglect" in one of my favorite books: The Natural Garden. It's well written and photos are fabulous. However, I do find it hard to believe that gardens this gorgeous, even though natural, don't take an incredible amount of work.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton