no till

by Doug
(Lexington, SC)

Doug,
What is your opinion regarding the no-till method of gardening? I'm more inclined to use this due to destruction of the microorganisms and worm colony. I sewed rye and hairy vetch for a cover crop this year and may just roll it down.

Doug says that he likes this system and uses it extensively. Every garden I have is eventually heavily mulched and I don't even own a working tiller now. If the rye and vetch are perennial where you live - then you're going to have to control them with more than a rolling. If they're not, then mowing is better than rolling. Rolling compacts the soil (which is why we don't roll lawns any more either). Mowing the plants down does what you want to do with no problem on the soil.