this post was submitted on 13 Jun 2023
8 points (100.0% liked)

Gardening

891 readers
1 users here now

A place for gardening and plant pics

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I tried it this year but I really bungled it.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Redarm_Vanin 2 points 2 years ago

I have no idea what I'm doing but we started a no till garden last year. We put down cardboard and then got a chip drop to spread mulch on top (~6 in) and let it sit. We got a ton of rain over winter and then started planting for the first time this March. Nothing else was added except some kitchen scraps and yard clippings for compost.

So far it's been really hit or miss. Radishes, lettuce and cabbage went wild, onions didn't do so well except for some small green onions.

We have tomatoes, cucumber, and watermelon all going strong right now but tomatillos and peppers have all failed to sprout or quickly died. We also have some dill, cilantro and borage that got a slow start but are thriving now.

I don't feel qualified to give advice but everything I read said this is a really slow process. It takes years to really cultivate healthy soil with good microbes from nothing starting out. We had a setback because earwigs absolutely love the rotting mulch and they made their home in some of our cabbage, but it's all beneficial in the long run, so the plan is to take what we can get and keep learning.