Rototilling vs. No-Till Vegetable Gardens

摘要

Many gardeners use rototillers to control weeds, aerate soil and turn under spent crops. Others have switched to a no-till garden, using mulches and cover crops to fight weeds, retain moisture and enhance fertility. Good garden soil should be loose and airy. A shovelful should have the following makeup: 45 to 47 percent soil, 25 percent water, 25 percent air and 3 to 5 percent organic matter. Moist, spongy forest soils naturally have this profile. Soil microbes, fungi, bacteria and other organisms are "fed" by falling leaves, rotting logs and decaying insects and other animals. Microbes break down larger components into molecular compounds that release nutrients into soil. Organic fertilizers that are added to soil are not readily taken up by plants.