mobafett
635
12
5
Trying to get no till going. Is it ok to take a metal rake and go across the top to spread the dirt around, then use garden soil to fill in uneven areas? Does taking a rake the top couple inches completely contradict "no till"?
CabooseDM
'no till/dig' gardening is great especially as I get older. HOWEVER it does also rely on you not walking all over the bed and compacting the soil. Looking at the bed you have, it would look like you will need to walk across the bed to get to the fence side. If you make the beds 3' wide with access all the way around it maybe easier to maintain no dig. In answer to your question, yes raking the top is allowed. TBH everything is allowed, do as much as you want. glhf
DutchBoeremeisie
1.) It's your garden, you can do what you want. 2) If you want to just even it out, even it out. Don't get too hung up on labels. Some people will say this is a sin against no-tilling, others will say it's fine. Regardless, whatever you are trying to do will make it easier for you to continue using the no-tilling method, or garden in the way you want, then do them.
Nomestoo
Is this going to be a vegetable garden? Best to get rid of the weeds first. Either dig it over and leave it for a day and do that every day for a week or get some black plastic, I use builder's plastic, and cover it and leave for the sun to solarise the weeds and seeds which takes a few weeks if it is really sunny. Vegetable gardens really benefit from lots of compost which makes good soil then mulch. Once you are set up then do your no till for your on going garden.
req4adream99
How good is the soil that’s already there? If it’s meh, I’d get some good compost and work that in - I’d spread it and then turn the top 1-2in (just a spade / shovel depth) and then level it. No til really isn’t gonna come into the equation until after you’ve already had plants in it - so this growing season. After the season, leave the stalks (you can cut some of them down but don’t disturb the soil by actually removing them). Then next year you just plant again with the old plant stalks still
req4adream99
In the ground. You may not be able to call this first grow season no til - but unless you’re trying to sell (and I hope that’s not the case - that plot is small for that) no one needs to know.
sometimesarobot
I've argued about what 'no till' means with someone. Pretty sure it means no tilling 6+ inches. You still have to dig holes, work in amendments, etc.
sometimesarobot
Also if your dirt is shit then work at it until it's not, THEN no till. I have like.. 90% clay soil (and areas where it's probably bedrock about 4 inches down)
Would have to till at least ONCE to get all that worked up. Spirit of the term, not word of the term. The point of no till is not disturbing soil biota or whatever, I think. But of it sucks to begin with, you WANT to disturb it