Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 7, 1991 TAG: 9104080353
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN ARBOGAST
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: What you've probably heard actually is minimum-till gardening, or conservation tillage, which is the method that farmers use. This minimum-till method may be good for home gardens in Western Virginia because it calls for working the soil in the fall, which is drier than spring.
The old method, in which gardeners rototill several times a year, may be bad for the soil. Too much tilling can destroy some of the natural structure of the soil and create a hard layer just beneath the reach of the tiller. By keeping the soil constantly covered, the minimum-till method reduces potential for erosion.
It also adds organic matter annually. The process for this minimum-till program starts in September. At that time, prepare the garden soil for planting fall/winter cover crop seed by tilling under crop remains and organic mulch material from the summer. Pull out any diseased plants first, and cut up big plant parts to make tilling easier.
Then plant an appropriate cover crop. A combination of two pounds of winter rye seed mixed with three-fourths pound of hairy vetch seed sown per 1,000 square feet works well. Rye germinates quickly and will be the mulch for the next spring's planting. Hairy vetch is a legume, which replenishes nitrogen in the soil. This process is enhanced if the vetch seed is treated prior to planting with an inoculant, which is available at some seed stores. This must be done in early fall because the hairy vetch seed will not germinate in cold soil.
About a week before planting in the spring, use a scythe or string trimmer to cut the cover crop to a few inches. Rake the cut cover crop growth to the side and save it for mulch. Then, use a lawn mower on a high setting to trim the stems that remain. Mow the area again before planting.
Dig a hole for each transplant large enough to accommodate root spread. Pull weeds and cover crop roots in the surrounding area. Water in the transplants with a water-soluble fertilizer. Mulch the area between the vegetables with clippings reserved from the week before, leaving 6 to 8 inches of space around the base of each plant to allow the soil to warm. Row crop vegetables can be seeded by using a hoe or pick to make a furrow through the cover crop remains. In that case, liquid fertilizer can be applied after the seedlings are a couple of inches tall.
During the summer, additional organic mulch may be needed for proper weed control, especially close to the vegetables. Grass clippings not treated with herbicides or leaves saved from the fall are excellent. If any weeds appear, pull them by hand. If possible, do not vigorously hoe weeds. That can mix soil into the mulch layer.
Repeat this process in the fall. It may be a good idea to try minimum-till gardening with small plots. The increase in organic matter should allow the soil to retain more moisture, but it does not mean that the garden won't need to be watered during droughts. Also, vegetable plants may develop deeper roots with this method.
Got a question about your plants, lawn, garden, or insects? Write to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010.
Gardener's checklist
Jobs for second week in April:
Don't be in a hurry to remove the foliage of spring flowering bulbs. The leaves manufacture the food for the bulbs, which is stored in the bulb for next year's bloom. If the foliage is removed prematurely, the bulb may not flower next spring.
For more compact pyracantha bushes, pinch back the new growth now. This will avoid the risk of losing the crop of berries by pruning after flowering.
When pruning forsythia, do not shear as you would a hedge. Thin out the oldest branches as close to the ground as possible. Then, prune the excessively long branches. This should be done immediately after blooming.
by CNB