Minimum Till Gardening
This is the third article in a
monthly series looking at ways of
saving and enhancing our gar
den soils. Tilling your garden
correctly preserves the soil and
its fertility, enhances the absorp
tion of rainfall, and protects
local streams from run-off sedi
ment.
Gardeners often ask: Do I
plow or till my garden soil in the
spring or fall? Working soil in
the fall is far better than spring
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plowing. Why? Fall plowing
allows earlier spring planting.
As a result large amounts of
organic matter are turned under
in a complete decomposition in
the spring.
But, fall plowing is not rec
ommended for hillside or steep
garden plots. Soil left exposed
all winter, is subject to erosion
when spring rains come.
Minimum-till gardening is rec
ommended for these areas.
Minimum-till gardening uses a
winter cover crop to prevent soil
erosion. Till in the fall to pre
pare the soil for seeding the
cover crop. In the spring, turn
the cover crop under as a green
manure crop.
Spring plowing is also recom
mended for sandy soils and
those where only shallow tilling
is practiced. Generally, all gar
dens require light tilling and
cultivation in the spring to kill
weeds and smooth the soil for
planting.
As an alternative to standard
plowing and tilling procedures,
minimum-till gardening known
as conservation tillage, is ideal
when transplanting tomatoes
into the vegetable garden. Here
are the steps you want to follow;
Step 1. In the fall, prepare
the soil for cover crop seeding.
Tilling under all summer crop
wastes. Remove tomato vines
and/or com stalks to make till
ing easier.
Step 2. Plant a cover crop
that combines winter rye and
hairy vetch (2 lbs. of winter rye
grain and 3/4 lb. of haiiy vetch
per 1000 square feet). The rye
provides a mulching surface for
spring planting. Hairy vetch, a
legume, contributes beneficial
nitrogen to the soil. The vetch
seed must be coated with
Rhizobium inoculant prior to
seeding to insure nodulation
with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Step 3. In the spring, use a
scythe or string-line trimmer to
reduce the height of the crop
cover. Rake off the extra grass
and put to the side of the plant
ing row. Use a lawn mower to
finish trimming the cover.
Step 4. A week later, mow the
area again. Now the area is
ready for planting. Dig a wide
hole for each plant, large enough
to accommodate for root spread.
Pull weeds in the surrounding
area including any cover crop
roots. Water in the plants or use
a water-soluble fertilizer accord
ing to the directions on the label.
If available, put a quart of com
post in the planting hole. Mulch
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the entire area between plants
with the clippings that were
removed the previous week.
Leave 6 to 8 inches of space
around the base of plants to
allow the soil to warm up quick
ly-
Step 5. Additional mulch hay
may be needed for proper weed
control. Use grass clippings or
shredded leaves saved from the
previous fall. If weeds appear,
pull them by hand If hoeing is
needed, try to keep the blade
from disturbing the transplants.
Step 6. Repeat the process
the following fall. You may want
to experiment with small plots
rather than your entire garden.
To learn more about mini
mum till gardening, ask for
USDA publication #FB-229
titled: Sustainable Production of »
Fresh-Market Tomatoes with
Organic Mulches by Aref A.
Abdul-Baki.
Any questions concerning
this article can be directed to
Tom Becker at (717)840-7408.
Information for this article
was provided by Diane Relf
extension specialist in consumer
horticulture at Virginia Coop
erative Extension.
Horse School
A third farm has joined Grazing Acres ana
KA Equestrian Center in running a series of
Schooling Horse Shows this season.
Meadow Stables of Unionville is the third
sponsoring stable for the series, now named
the Triangle Series.
Grazing Acres is located in New London
and KA Equestrian is located in Cochranville,
so series participants can "travel the
Triangle" for the nine scheduled shows.
The series begins on Sunday, May 10, at
Grazing Acres with Pam Tawes of Chester
Springs as judge, runs through the summer,
and concludes on November 1 at Fox Meadow.
A year-end banquet will be held following
the November 1 show to present season high
point awards.
In addition to series-end awards,
Championship and Reserve Champion rib
bons will be awarded in each division at each
show.
New for this season is a three-class
Leadline division, open to riders of any age,
and a Baby Green division for horses and
ponies in their first year of showing. The
"money” classes are also being expanded, with
cash prizes offered in Pleasure, Low Hunter,
and Hunter.
Western classes, which can be difficult to
find locally, will continue to be held, and
Western riders are also encouraged to show in
the Pleasure, Leadline, and equitation divi
sions.
Call for information Grazing Acres
(610)255-5009; KA Equestrian (610)869-0746;
Fox Meadow (610)444-8805.
Expands