Ready to plant

We had some wonderful, warm days during the month of January; getting outside in the warm sunshine was an energizing experience. 

I used those days to prepare my vegetable gardens for planting.  There has been a great deal of information on no-till farming and gardening published in recent years that has fascinated me.  Although I have never tilled my gardens (Bob won't even rent one for me because he is afraid of what might happen if I had something in my possession with that many moving parts) I always turn them with a shovel to loosen the soil.

The argument behind the "no till" movement is that soil is a complicated ecosystem that we literally chop to pieces when we till it.  God designed a simpler, safer means of replenishing the soil through the natural cycle of plant life.  The dead roots and foliage of the plants serve to fertilize, aerate, and protect the soil for the next growing season.  This process is aided by the organisms that flourish in the soil (which are butchered when we till).

Since this all makes sense to me, I have decided not to even turn my vegetable garden this year.  With the exception of diseased plant material, I left all the previous year's plant material in the ground over the winter.  During our warm January days, I spread a layer of composted horse manure, and added a 3 inch layer of mulch (those leaves from my neighbors) over the beds.  This will all rest for a few weeks until I begin planting the early spring garden.  It was certainly easier than turning with a shovel.  

How much horse compost does it take to add a 2" layer to my veggie beds, you ask?  I don't have a truck so I use a collection of 3-5 gallon buckets that fit neatly into the trunk of my Camry.  It took four trips to haul 52 buckets of compost.  It's a good thing that I had a little help this year.