03/17/2026
What if I told you that tilling your soil is actually doing more harm than good?
NO-TILL GARDENING
Here's a scary story to tell around the campfire this summer: Almost half of the world’s fertile soil has disappeared in the last 50 years.
Good God 😳
While the answer to this environmental issue does not lie solely in the average backyard garden, every small effort helps so today we are going to discuss why lazy gardening is the key to healthier soil.
Tilling soil loosens and removes plant matter covering the soil. Bare, exposed soil is more likely to be eroded by wind and water.
No-till gardening is gaining popularity among backyard gardeners but it's not a new concept. Mother Nature has been doing it from the beginning of time! No-till gardening can save you time and effort while boosting the health of your soil.
As I get older and more rickety, I am experimenting with different techniques that will allow me to garden well into my 90s. That's another 50 years so I need to be as easy on my beautiful aging body as possible. When we first moved to this property, we brought in 75 yards of quality soil to amend the sandy soil that was here. And then I spread it by hand to create a plot roughly 150 feet by 50 feet. And then I needed knee surgery.
So, with a plot the size of ours the less digging and turning we need to do, the better. Think about the forest. In the forest, leaves fall, plants die, tree branches decompose, layers and layers of rich organic matter pile on and break down and life just continues on richer for the nutrients this natural matter provides. So why are we so obsessed with clean and perfect gardens? Why do we rake our leaves and throw them to the curb? Do you have any idea how valuable leaf mold is? You're literally throwing out garden gold. At the very least drop it off at my house. I'll gladly use it!
When we dig and over till we are disrupting the natural concentration of bacteria, earthworms and fungi in the soil. Rich humic carbon is released as a gas and, if nothing else, you could hurt your back or blow out your knee. All that digging will also aggravate your severely arthritic hands. Just me? Fine. But seriously, why do you want to work so hard? When you practice no-till gardening, soil organisms can thrive undisturbed allowing for a more natural balance between soil pests and their predators. When in doubt, look to the forest. Mother Nature knows what she's doing.
When amending your soil year to year, add about 4-6 inches of compost or well-rotted manure, then add a 2 inch layer of mulch (woodchips, leaf mold, grass, hay, sawdust, straw). Do not mix the two layers. When you go to plant your seedlings, push aside the woodchips (or whatever natural mulch you have chosen) to plant into the compost/manure/soil beneath. The purpose of the top layer of mulch is to slow down evaporation of water and feed the soil below as the mulch breaks down (which is why you want to use a natural mulch with no dyes or sprays). Mulch will also protect soil from erosion, help with soil moisture and suppress w**ds. As the mulch breaks down, it will improve soil structure without the need to dig. In no-till gardening, mulching replaces digging. Over time the w**ds in a no-till garden are greatly reduced. Because you’re not digging, w**d seeds in the soil below need never come to the surface to germinate and mulches weaken w**ds by smothering them.
So when you feel the urge to start turning and digging, ask yourself, "What would Mother Nature do?" and then just do that.
