Re: [gardeners] Pinetree
drusus@golden.net (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 30 Jan 1998 14:43:12 -0500
snip>
>I've never had much luck with no-till gardening here, I think it may be to
>wet. We average 65 inches of rainfall per annum and some times we get 6 or
>8 inches all at once. We experimented with no-till a number of years ago
>and got bumper crops of snails, slugs, pill bugs, earwigs, and lots of mold
>and mildew. Even on an average sunny day we will have 96% humidity. We do
>mulch in the summer but not deeply. I'm solarizing the new patch along the
>fence with polyethylene film weighted with brick bats and then will turn
>under the dead grass and weeds. Still contemplating getting a Mantis tiller
>as I have trouble using a shovel anymore.
>
>George
Tilling does a better and quicker job unless you are working in a very
small space and can't use a tiller. I bought a very small shovel from Lee
Valley (carbon steel which I prefer) and it works pretty well, not like
digging up lots with a big shovel. I have trouble shoveling these days
also. Isn't it cheaper to hire someone with a *big* tiller which can go
deeply and do a proper job than buying a feather weight mantis? A good
deep till with lots of mulch/whatever lasts a long time.
Lucinda