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first no-till experimental garden
(i.ibb.co)
Hello fellow gardeners,
Here is my attempt for a small vegetable patch.
Clay soil in a region in France where the soil is rich and a lot of cultures do well.
I wanted it to be circular, draw a sketch and, obviously failed it.
So here is my patch at the moment :
- I hoed a 60m square in january, the patch was a previously a middow
- I scythe to get grass for cover
- No-Till, Ruth Stout method (except I use grass instead of hay.)
- No-Water (except the first week I transplant or sow.)
- Potatoes were put on top of the ground, I added a handful of compost and covered it with grass.
- Zuchinis are beautiful.
- I tried the milpa association (corn, squash, beans) Beans climb on corns and squashs cover the ground.
- I also have some flowers to attract bugs and ladybird.
- Eggplants are a bit late to show.
- Strawberries and beets did very well.
- Pak Choy cabbages are amazing.
And I repeat but no watering (60 litres for the whole garden)
For a first attempt I really am happy with how it goes. Scything is a noble exercice to acquire harmony between the tool, the mind and the body.
Awesome! I'm trying a very small (~6 sq. m) no-till bed this year. I do really like the idea of manually scything your own grass for mulching, will have to give it a try.
Scything is great. Previously I had a tractor mower and one day, after several hickups, repairs, it brokes and I had enough.
I invested in a a good scythe (wood adjustable handle, and a blade from one of the last edge-tool maker in Europe). 2000m² takes quite some time but I let the field to be much taller than I used to do with a mower. In 2023 I only scythed one time (I am starting the second round just now). I also have a small manual mower (helicoid/spiral blade) wich I also use just in my yard.
And for a bonus: no gasoline, no smell, no sound !!!!