Resting a garden plot

JRinPA · March 29, 2021

Someone at the comm garden has a plot worked for close to 10 years. It has been getting lower yields than wanted of late and they are going to rest it this year and open a new plot.

The old plot has had mushroom soil, and probably not much else, added for that time. It was getting tilled often. I think that plot also has canadian thistle rather out of control.

What is the best way to renew this plot? Starting now. I think it was ignored since last July due to covid. It may be used again by same gardener next year, or possibly rested two years I suppose.

What should be done to it? Cover crops? Lasagna gardening? Amendments? Tilling? I think it was tilled at least once a year if not twice, but the tiller doesn't go that deep. A little old front tine thing, may be an mtd. I've rarely used it.

There's a wood chip path adjacent to that plot. The paths get cardboard laid down, wood chips on top (late May/early June), and the thistle blows right through that in a month and needs to be dug twice a summer. I don't see that getting changed. I don't have trouble with thistle in my plots because I have raised rows, and use a collinear hoe on my walking paths and just shave all the weeds with that. Except the thistle, I dig that out. But for everyone that rototills, it just shoots right back up off the tap root in a few weeks.

So anyway, ideas needed to rehab a long time garden plot that has canadian thistle, has seen a lot of mushroom soil, and is said to be underperforming of late. Thanks all.

March 29, 2021	#1
JRinPA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SE PA Posts: 965	Resting a garden plot Someone at the comm garden has a plot worked for close to 10 years. It has been getting lower yields than wanted of late and they are going to rest it this year and open a new plot. The old plot has had mushroom soil, and probably not much else, added for that time. It was getting tilled often. I think that plot also has canadian thistle rather out of control. What is the best way to renew this plot? Starting now. I think it was ignored since last July due to covid. It may be used again by same gardener next year, or possibly rested two years I suppose. What should be done to it? Cover crops? Lasagna gardening? Amendments? Tilling? I think it was tilled at least once a year if not twice, but the tiller doesn't go that deep. A little old front tine thing, may be an mtd. I've rarely used it. There's a wood chip path adjacent to that plot. The paths get cardboard laid down, wood chips on top (late May/early June), and the thistle blows right through that in a month and needs to be dug twice a summer. I don't see that getting changed. I don't have trouble with thistle in my plots because I have raised rows, and use a collinear hoe on my walking paths and just shave all the weeds with that. Except the thistle, I dig that out. But for everyone that rototills, it just shoots right back up off the tap root in a few weeks. So anyway, ideas needed to rehab a long time garden plot that has canadian thistle, has seen a lot of mushroom soil, and is said to be underperforming of late. Thanks all.