Till or not to till?

[crudos]

Decided to till the small plot I'm working with this season. Been reading alots of stuff about whether yearly tilling is needed and how it can disrupt the soil's ecosystem. I did till this year, mainly due to the fact that I have no history with what was planted before. Also it was in pretty run-down shape with lots of junk and debris and weeds all over the place Still need to get fencing up. The wooden structure is my heavy duty, composting bin made from pallets, posts, and zip ties. I may move it next year to another location, but this is convenient for the time being.

So do you till every year?

[WhiteWolfReloaded]

Absolutely. One of the biggest arguments made for the no-till method is increased soil health. Here's the problem with that. While you might be "building health" you're also decreasing the chance for seeds to start sooner with healthier root development as well as allowing the soil to stay cooler. Meaning it will take longer to germinate. Another part of that argument is nutrition. If you are regularly adding in compost you're not missing much by comparison. In fact you're probably doing better. Last, but not least, weeds. Tilling will reduce your dependence on herbicides. The only way I would not til is if it's a raised bed, but that's another conversation.

[JohnyMac]

Interesting discussion.

What I and the farmer across from the cabin do (Not necessarily the right thing)is:

Raised beds: Shovel and turn the soil while working winters compost waste into the soil. Break up clods.
New Field: Plow than disk. Walk the field and pick up rocks bigger than a fist
Previously plowed field: During the winter let pigs root around for a month or so. Add chicken manure. Roto-tille it then walk the field and pick up rocks bigger than a fist

[crudos]

Thanks for the views gents. We'll see how the plot does this season. Haven't had a chance to garden in years, so getting my hands back into the dirt is certainly a nice change. The property I'm on has been pretty neglected over the years, so I've been busting a nut to try and get things back into a usable state. I've already conceded that it's not a quick-fix, and will take a couple years to get the land back and blooming again.

[Kentactic]

Id say tille every year. Im no horticulturist, but in turf management you airate every year. The ideal soil is made up of i believe 50% air in terms of volume. The last 50% is broken down into sand, silt, clay and organic matter. Again dont quote me on specifics but id say tille if you can.

[thatGirl]

More important than tilling is crop rotation, regardless of whether you're gardening by the foot or by the acre.  Not sure how to dissuade the locusts, but I'll do my damnedest to avoid blight. 

Enjoy it, there's nothing more pure and rewarding than digging in the dirt and eating the fruits of your labor  [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co 

[Jeremy Knauff]

I've heard the arguments against tilling, but to me, it seems like it would churn plant material into the soil which becomes nutrients for the new plants. Plus, if you're adding compost while doing so, I don't see the harm.

[WhiteWolfReloaded]

I've heard the arguments against tilling, but to me, it seems like it would churn plant material into the soil which becomes nutrients for the new plants. Plus, if you're adding compost while doing so, I don't see the harm.

There is a bonus to not doing it, but if it were me I'd give the land a rest about every 6-7 years for one year. This is more so for larger areas than say a 1 acre lot. A local farmer down the road from me has grown every year for decades and has some of the best produce around year after year. He has a about 2 acres and does use crop rotation. Though I do believe he's started using some GMO seeds. I've been meaning to go for a walk to inspect 

[JohnyMac]

The farmers near where I live plant rye in the cord field after the corn has been harvested. Then till the rye into the ground once the field is no longer frozen. I thought it was for erosion but it might be for other purposes. I will look into and get back to you folks.