1st No Till Attempt

[Misfit]

Hey All... thanks for sharing the valuable information that you do!!!

This year after moving to MD from NC, I got a late start on my garden in May. After reviewing many threads, decided to give no till a try. Laid out the area with wet cardboard (over grass), added organic compost on top, and mulched heavily with leaf matter to finish it off.

So far I'm actually quite surprised with the good results. Radishes, and bush beans have been plentiful. Cherokee Purple and Mr. Stripey (20 & 50 toms) are going to have great yield.

The last few years in NC my gardens really suffered because of weather, and other issues. So I was skeptical on maybe getting another below average harvest starting a new garden. But I'm a believer in this new method (to me) and thankful!

-Jimmy

[rags57078]

Looks real good

[Tracydr]

Looks really nice. I just moved to N.C., too.

[Tania]

Jimmy,

Your bed is looking awesome, and it looks like tomato plants are so happy!

I am glad you found no-till method working for you.
We have been no till for almost 10 years, and it works awesome in our garden.

Mulching is another great technique that helps tremendously.

All the best with the harvest!

Tatiana

[creister]

Nice looking bed. I've been no till for 9 years. I am sold. I see you didn't use borders. My borders are in need of replacement. I am thinking of going no border. What are your thoughts about no borders on your beds.

[Misfit]

Thanks Everyone!!!

Made a couple of grilled cheese and tom sandwiches (w/ CP) tonight, quite awesome.

I don't have borders yet. Started it on the cheap 3 months ago; thinking about brick. Also, thinking about reclaiming some deadfall from the local area woods.

:::edit::: Ha, reread and realized I didn't answer your question. No borders, have worked so far. No grasses or weeds creeping into the bed. But keep in mind this plot is heavily mulched, and only 3 months old.

[Misfit]

So I did border the plot with downed timber, sawed to make it fit. Toms are out and brassicas are in.

Today I noticed what looked like flying ants all over the wood (couple of hundred). I've seen them flying out of the ground before, this past week.

Could they be termites, and should I be worried?

-Jimmy

[Salsacharley]

If they're termites you should knock em out quick....you have to protect your house!

http://www.orkin.com/termites/flying-termites/

[BigVanVader]

Good to hear its working out for you. I will also be using no-till starting this year. We just bought a new place so I have to start over, but double digging 3/4 of an acre is a scary thought. Lovely beds and thanks for easing my concerns a bit

[Misfit]

After researching online, and checking pictures; they are ants after all. Seems as though a few methods of getting rid of them are mild soap spray, or artificial sweetener.

BigVV I'd recommend giving it a shot. It was easy to start up and low cost. Or a raised bed might be another idea that would work for you.

I'll update with some other pics later.

-Jimmy

[Redbaron]

Love your new bed misfit.

[Misfit]

...and lesson learned, plant a winter cover crop to keep all my chopped leaves from blowing away. I may try covering with straw, in the mean time.

Every time the wind blows, it brings to mind the Dust Bowl of the 30's.

Seriously though, it's a small plot; but it's my small plot

-Jimmy

[kath]

Originally Posted by Misfit

...and lesson learned, plant a winter cover crop to keep all my chopped leaves from blowing away. I may try covering with straw, in the mean time.

Every time the wind blows, it brings to mind the Dust Bowl of the 30's.

Seriously though, it's a small plot; but it's my small plot

-Jimmy

Straw can blow, too- I use it to cover strawberries for the winter. Found that a strip of lightweight row cover or something similar, weighted down with bricks, rocks, etc. keeps the straw in place despite winter winds and should work for leaves, too.

kath

[b54red]

My only problem with trying no till is tree roots. I would love to use this method as I am unable to physically do the hard work necessary to remove the massive invasion of feeder roots from nearby trees every year that invade my garden beds. I tried no till and ended up with almost no crops after two years. My beds started to look like peat they were so full of masses of tiny roots from the trees that nothing could grow because of the competition for nutrients. They are so bad that even after having them dug out with a shovel every spring and fall by the end of each season the plants nearer the invading tree roots cannot sustain a healthy plant no matter how much I fertilize. Even the earthworms leave that area for the most part and I can only assume it is because there is nothing left for them to feed on when the roots get so thick. I am now forced to plant all the longer lasting and my favorite varieties in the center of the garden as far from the tree roots sources as possible in order to have a great crop and even they suffer by the end of a long season due to the roots. The trees with the worst offending roots are pecan trees followed by oak trees in my neighbors yards. I had no idea that feeder roots from trees would travel so far to get food.

I am waiting for my youngest son to finish digging out the roots and sorting them out of the soil so I can get my tomato beds ready for planting. So far he has only gotten about half of the beds dug out. They can't be tilled until the roots are thinned out since they wrap the tines so badly that you can only till about 3 or 4 feet before the tines are hopelessly bogged down by the roots. I have bushels and bushels of roots that have to be removed every year. All of these trees were planted by my neighbors after my garden was started 35 years ago and the roots weren't a major problem til about 15 years ago when they invaded the beds nearest to them. I hate to say this but I wish my neighbors pecan trees would just die so gardening could be more fun with less shade and tree roots to deal with.

Bill

[ScottinAtlanta]

Originally Posted by b54red

My only problem with trying no till is tree roots. I would love to use this method as I am unable to physically do the hard work necessary to remove the massive invasion of feeder roots from nearby trees every year that invade my garden beds. I tried no till and ended up with almost no crops after two years. My beds started to look like peat they were so full of masses of tiny roots from the trees that nothing could grow because of the competition for nutrients. They are so bad that even after having them dug out with a shovel every spring and fall by the end of each season the plants nearer the invading tree roots cannot sustain a healthy plant no matter how much I fertilize. Even the earthworms leave that area for the most part and I can only assume it is because there is nothing left for them to feed on when the roots get so thick. I am now forced to plant all the longer lasting and my favorite varieties in the center of the garden as far from the tree roots sources as possible in order to have a great crop and even they suffer by the end of a long season due to the roots. The trees with the worst offending roots are pecan trees followed by oak trees in my neighbors yards. I had no idea that feeder roots from trees would travel so far to get food.

I am waiting for my youngest son to finish digging out the roots and sorting them out of the soil so I can get my tomato beds ready for planting. So far he has only gotten about half of the beds dug out. They can't be tilled until the roots are thinned out since they wrap the tines so badly that you can only till about 3 or 4 feet before the tines are hopelessly bogged down by the roots. I have bushels and bushels of roots that have to be removed every year. All of these trees were planted by my neighbors after my garden was started 35 years ago and the roots weren't a major problem til about 15 years ago when they invaded the beds nearest to them. I hate to say this but I wish my neighbors pecan trees would just die so gardening could be more fun with less shade and tree roots to deal with.

Bill

Same for me, Bill, except it is wisteria roots that sneak underground for 50 feet, then pop up under the beds. Thick yellow masses of roots appear in my raised beds every year. I must till and than actually hack the roots with an ax to clear the beds.