I think I would need a high moisture level, a longer warm season and mild winters to have good success with getting a thick wood chip mulch to break down. I think here it would just sit there on top of the ground. It is too dry in summer and too cold in winter for much natural composting to occur on the surface of the soil. I am careful to weed the garden well all season so no seeds are in the garden. Every fall I put leaves, compost,peat, manure on the top of my garden after removing the plants. Sprinkle on a pail of blood meal and just leave it sit there under the snow all winter. In spring I till it once to prepare for planting, it is a heavy clay loam and the weight of the heavy snow cover compacts the soil. I could dig individual holes for transplants using a no till method here but how do you plant seeds like carrots? The majority of my "real" garden is seeded rows of beets, carrots etc. ( I call this garden my real garden because it is in the ground, native prairie black loam soil as opposed to my raised beds in my yard which contain little actual soil and are comprised mainly of compost, peat etc, more like potting soil then real soil)
Karen
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