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Five Steps to Creating a No-Till Vegetable Garden

The author’s no-till garden in early spring after compost and straw have been applied. (Image by Jessie Keith)

To till or not to till? Why ask this question? Tilling does good things for the soil. It increases needed aeration and porosity, allows the easy incorporation of organic amendments, and it makes all the little green weeds at the top of the soil go away. But it also has its disadvantages. Tilling draws dormant weed seeds from the soil’s subterranean seed bank to the surface, which can mean more weeds. It encourages soil erosion and disrupts all manner of beneficial creatures and microbes underground, which support healthy soils and plant roots. In time, the no-till approach can save time, money, and greatly reduce weeds. These are the reasons it is trending.

Soil Quality Determines the No-Till Approach

If you have good garden soil, starting a no-till garden is simple. Those with poorer soils need to do a bit more work.

There is more than one way to establish a no-till garden. And one’s approach is often related to soil quality and topography. Those with good garden soil can opt to simply clear weeds from the ground, add thick compost and fast-to-degrade mulches for vegetable gardening (straw, leaf mulch, etc.), fertilize, and start planting. Others with poorer clay (or sandy) soils, like me, need to feed the soil for the beforehand. It’s ironic, but my successful no-till garden needed to start with, well, tilling, in addition to double digging, and amendment. Lifting or berming the soil is also important, especially if your garden’s topography is low.

Creating a No-Till Garden

Ample soil amendments and mulches will enrich your no-till garden and keep it weed-free.

For me, creating a good no-till garden started with a big investment. I dug deep, enriched my beds to the hilt, and lifted and bermed my planting areas. For excellent no-till bed longevity, I started by lifting and aerating the soil as deeply as possible.

Materials

  • Tiller
  • Amendments, such as peat, compost, and castings (add at least a 1:4 ratio of amendments to ground-soil)
  • Hard rake and shovel
  • Straw
  • Mycorrhizae
  • Fertilizer
  • Tarp
  • Wheelbarrow (for moving mulches and amendments)
Till in amendments to at least a 1:4 ratio of amendments to ground-soil until well-combined, and airy.

Here are the five steps that I took to establish my no-till garden.

  1. Till deeply: Creating good garden soil is all about adding air pockets, loft, and good fertility to encourage drainage and deep rooting. If you have heavy soil, you cannot accomplish this without initial tilling and amendment with lots of organic matter. Till on a day when the soil has enough moisture to sink a shovel into but is also a bit dry. I recommend double or triple tilling the new garden area to break up the soil as much as possible.
  2. Double dig: Extra deep digging is time-intensive and should be reserved for areas where you plan to plant deep-rooting vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, and other root crops. Move the lofty tilled topsoil onto a tarp beside the bed and dig another few inches deeper and break up the soil further. (Click here to read more about double digging.)
  3. Amend all of your backfill: Amendments rich in organic matter and microbes are essential for the longterm health of your garden. Shovel lots of organic matter, like Black Gold compost, earthworm castings, peat moss, and even composted manure and mushroom soil, into your backfill, and till it in. I also recommend adding a granular vegetable fertilizer and an endomycorrhizal inoculant, which can be purchased in powder form. Beneficial mycorrhizal fungi help plants grow better by allowing them to more efficiently access water and nutrients.
  4. Define pathways, fill, and berm: If you have a large or relatively large garden space, it’s nice to establish paths for easy garden access and harvest. Most gardeners choose a row or block design. I always like my pathways to stand a bit lower than my beds, so I berm up fill in the bed areas using a hard rake. This gives beds an even deeper pad of lofty soil and ensures that they will not be walked upon.
  5. Cover: As a final step, I cover my walkways with black & white newspaper or non-waxed corrugated cardboard and cover the paper with a thick layer of seed-free grass clippings, straw, or even leaf mulch or pine straw. You can even plant nitrogen-fixing clover in the walkways. Then I add a thick layer of compost to the beds to detur weeds, and fresh straw to the pathways to stop weeds and keep them from getting muddy after rain.

Each year, I clean up and refresh the walkways, and add fresh compost as a mulch in lieu of tilling. Invest in your no-till garden like this in the beginning, and you will be wowed by the results.

Raising Beds to New Heights

Other garden types, such as raised beds, do not require tilling either.

There are other no-till options for vegetable gardening, but I prefer the freedom of a large garden bed with tidy straw walkways. Traditional raised beds, hugelkultur, strawbale gardening, even container gardening don’t require tilling. Here are articles about each gardening type, if you want to learn more.

Raised Beds: Respecting the Law of Return

Hugelkultur Layered Vegetable Gardens

Do You Have Tips for Straw Bale Gardening?

Succeed with Container Vegetable Gardening

Invest in your no-till garden from the beginning, and it will reward you in the future. Support it with fresh mulch, feed it well, and watch your harvests explode!

Double dig areas for root vegetables, and add a layer of protective compost over beds each year.

Should You Start by Tilling a No-Till Vegetable Garden?

Here’s a shot of my no-till garden three years after its creation.

“When creating no-till garden beds, do you think it’s best to till once and never again, or just use a never till method?” Question from Anthony of Bentonville, Arkansas

Answer: There are lots of benefits to going no-till with vegetable beds, especially when it comes to weed and weed seed control and the encouragement of soil beneficials. For me, creating a good no-till garden started with a big investment. I dug deep, enriched my beds to the hilt, and lifted and bermed my planting areas. (Lifting soil is especially important if your garden’s topography is low.)

Here’s my five-step method for starting a no-till garden.

  1. Till deeply: Creating a good vegetable bed is all about adding lofty tilth and good fertility for extra drainage and deep rooting. In my opinion, you cannot accomplish this without initial tilling. For excellent no-till bed longevity, you have to start by lifting and aerating your soil as deeply as possible.
  2. Double dig: Move the lofty tilled topsoil aside and double dig areas that you plan to plant. This is easier if your beds are on the smaller end, but at bare minimum, double dig the areas where you plan to grow root crops. (Click here to read more about double digging.)
  3. Amend all of your backfill: Amendments rich in organic matter and microbes are essential for the longterm health of your garden. Work as much good stuff, like Black Gold compost, earthworm castings, peat moss, and even composted manure, into your backfill as possible and till it in.
  4. Define pathways, fill, and berm: If you have a large or relatively large garden space, it’s nice to establish paths for easy garden access and harvest. Most gardeners choose a row or block design. I always like my pathways to stand a bit lower than my beds to encourage deep rooting, so I berm up fill in the bed areas.
  5. Cover: As a final step, I cover my walkways with black & white newspaper or non-waxed corrugated cardboard and cover the paper with a thick layer of seed-free grass clippings, straw, or even pine straw. You can even plant nitrogen-fixing clover in the walkways. Then I add a thick layer of compost along the top of the beds to detur weeds.

Each year, I clean up and refresh the walkways and add fresh compost as a mulch. Invest in your no-till garden like this in the beginning, and you will be wowed by the results.

Happy gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

 

BLACK GOLD® Garden Amendment Guide

Black Gold® amendments cover everything from basic coir, to premium peat moss, compost, and earthworm castings.  Each has an important application in your garden and landscape planning. For product basics and best uses, follow this simple guide.

BLACK GOLD® Just Coir

BG_JSTCOIR-2cu-FRONTFew natural amendments hold water and air as well as coir. It is recommended as an amendment where extra organic matter and increased water holding capacity are needed. Apply it as a broadcast amendment in raised beds or add it to containers or small beds on a plant-by-plant basis.

OMRI® Listed BLACK GOLD® Coir is derived from coconut husks and a sustainable byproduct of the coconut industry. Unlike peat moss, it breaks down more slowly and maintains a more neutral pH (5.5 to 6.8) than peat (3.5-4.5). Our premium coir is fine and highly processed. It is a popular media for professional hydroponic growers, but it also does wonders as an additive to container plantings and small garden beds. Evenly work it into the soil for best results and consider adding a layer to the top of container plantings for added water retention. (Just be sure to water thoroughly to fully soak pots at each watering!)

Coir should be added to plantings in spring, but it can also be incorporated into fall containers. Gardeners living in drier regions, such as the American Southwest, should definitely add coir to their plantings to reduce the need to water. 

BLACK GOLD® Garden Compost Blend

BG-GRDNCMPST-BLND_1cu-FRONTFew amendments enrich plantings as well as compost. It is the best broadcast amendment to add to all of your raised and in-ground garden beds in spring. BLACK GOLD® Garden Compost Blend contains a quality mix of compost, bark, and Canadian sphagnum peat moss to improve the texture, water-holding capacity, and overall quality of your garden soil. Even better, it is OMRI® Listed for organic gardening.

Compost can be applied and tilled into the soil or used as attractive mulch for vegetable and flower beds. To calculate how much compost (or other broadcast amendments) to apply in cubic yards over a defined area, we recommend the following formula.

Amendment Application Formula for Beds

For square or rectangular beds, multiply the bed’s length by its width to get square footage (L *W= ft2). If you wish to lay mulch 2-inches deep, then have a look at the table below to get the corresponding square footage covered by 1 cubic yard of compost, mulch, or peat moss. Then divide the square footage in the table that matches the 2-inch depth.

For example: If you had a 12-foot x 24-foot bed that required 2 inches of peat moss for tillage, calculate 12 feet x 24 feet = 288 square feet, then from the chart, you can determine that 288 ft2/162 ft = 1.78 cubic yards of mulch. 

Square Feet to Cubic Yards Conversion Table

1 cubic yard of an amendment or mulch will cover the following square footage to each depth.

Depth of Amendment

Square Footage Covered

1”

324 ft2

2”

162 ft2

3”

108 ft2

4”

81 ft2

To calculate the square footage of other bed shapes, please click here for an excellent reference. You can also click here to view a handy mulch/amendment calculator.

Spring is the best time to liberally apply compost to gardens, but if you also plan to do significant fall planting, reapply in autumn. Organic matter breaks down over the course of the season and needs to be replenished. If you plan any winter or cold-frame gardening, apply compost as both an amendment and protective mulch.

BLACK GOLD® Earthworm Castings Blend 0.8-0.0-0.0

BG_EARTHWORM_8QT-FRONTRich in nitrogen and soil microbes, BLACK GOLD® Earthworm Castings Blend 0.8-0.0-0.0 is a combination of pure earthworm castings and Canadian sphagnum peat moss. It is OMRI® Listed, making it a choice amendment for organic gardening. Apply it to vegetable gardens and landscape beds needing added organic matter and a boost of natural nitrogen.

In spring, add it to garden beds—working it deep into the soil. Later in the season, add it to plantings as an enriching mulch, or top dressing. It can also be added to container plantings as supplemental mulch.

Mix a cup into a gallon of water to make enriching “castings tea” to add to potted or garden plants during the growing season. This is most recommended for foliage plants needing added nitrogen.

BLACK GOLD® Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss and Peat Moss Plus

BGPeatMoss2.2cu Front-WEBPeat moss is naturally organic and one of nature’s most effective soil amendments. It quickly adds loads of organic matter, which increases soil water retention and aeration, and its acid pH (3.5-4.5) will lower the pH of alkaline soils. This makes it the perfect amendment for clay-rich and alkaline soils. Acid-loving plants, such as blueberries, rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias, also grow best in garden soil amended with peat moss.

Apply peat to the soil in spring and till it in well. Peat moss is naturally dry, so we recommend opening bags and lightly wetting the contents before tilling. This will reduce airborne peat and ensure it incorporates well into your soil.  If you have loamy soil that is more friable, consider turning the peat into the soil by hand. Much of the peat will break down in a season, so if you plan to plant new perennials and woody plants in the fall, be sure to add additional peat at planting time.

Compressed bales of BLACK GOLD® Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss go far—with our largest bales covering as much as 3.8 cubic feet. BLACK GOLD® Peat Moss Plus is just offered in smaller bags; the easy-to-wet formula is recommended for indoor and outdoor container gardening. Both are OMRI® Listed for organic gardening.

BLACK GOLD® Perlite and Vermiculite

BG_PERLITE_8QT-FRONTTwo of the most important basic mineral additives to potting mix blends are perlite and vermiculite. Both are essential potting mix components. They can also be used on their own for leaf- and stem-cutting propagation or at-home hydroponic growing.

Perlite is a porous, lightweight, expanded volcanic rock that improves the drainage of any growing mix. It is also an essential mineral for hydroponics. It holds water well and retains nutrients, but it also dries quickly and keeps roots well aerated.

Vermiculite is a spongy, absorbent mineral derived from mica. Its properties are similar to perlite, but its spongy structure holds more water and retains more nutrients. Vermiculite is also more delicate and will lose its structure and effectiveness faster than perlite.

BG_VERMICULITE_8QT-FRONTBoth BLACK GOLD® Perlite and Vermiculite can be added to Peat Moss Plus, Just Coir, Garden Compost Blend, and Earthworm Castings Blend to formulate mix-your-own potting mixes. Here are several mix recipes to try:

Seedling Mix

Mix 2 parts Peat Moss Plus to 1 part Vermiculite and 1 part Perlite for a fine mix for seed starting and seedling culture.

Water-Holding Potting Mix

Mix 2 parts Garden Compost Blend, 1 part Just Coir, 1 part Vermiculite for an organic-rich potting mix that holds water well.

Well-Drained Potting Mix

Mix 1 part Peat Moss Plus, 1 part Garden Compost Blend, 1 part Vermiculite, and 1 part Perlite for a fast-draining mix that also holds water and nutrients.

Potting Mix for Foliage Plants

Mix 2 parts Earthworm Castings Blend 0.8-0.0-0.0, 1 part Peat Moss Plus, 1 part Perlite for a nitrogen-rich potting mix that holds water and nutrients while also providing good drainage.

We use only the finest ingredients in all of our amendments, so gardeners can be confident when choosing these and other BLACK GOLD® Products.

Feed Your Soil Microbes

till
Till amendments in deeply to increase the depths of the organic layer where most of the microbes reside.

“The soil is not, as many suppose, a dead, inert substance.  It is very much alive and dynamic.  It teems with bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, molds, yeasts, protozoa, algae and other minute organisms.  This microbial population of the soil is concentrated mainly in the upper four or five inches where the bulk of the organic matter, their food, is to be found.” -J.I. Rodale, Pay Dirt, 1945

Continue reading “Feed Your Soil Microbes”

Black Gold Soil Conditioner Gift Idea

Hydrangea Limelight
If you have a garden friend on your list that is needing a gift, think about Hydrangea ‘Limelight’.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, this particular garden gift idea has proven to be an easy to grow and spectacular blooming plant and your garden friend will thank you next summer. In my garden, I mix Black Gold Garden Compost Blend into the soil when planting.