The Good Life – March-April 2024

from the previous season, but in doing so do a
disservice to the overwintering pollinators. Leave
any flowers, veggies and even weed debris until
the daytime temperatures start to hit 50 degrees.
At that point, pollinating insects will have vacated
their winter homes.
Weeds are always a struggle, and most gardeners
exacerbate the problem by tilling the soil before
planting. While the scent of freshly worked earth
is lovely, and to many people the sight of black
soil is very appealing, working the ground invites
weeds to set up shop. Nature abhors exposed soil,
and tilling moves seed to the top of the soil profile.
Cool season weeds will explode.
Instead of tilling, try no-till gardening this year. I
use 3 mil woven weed barrier fabric, moving the
panels each spring to rotate crops. Newspaper
and cardboard also will work, with the added
benefit that they will decompose into the soil.
With a garden nearly a half-acre in size, we
simply don’t have enough time in the day to spend
weeding. The weed barrier keeps weed pressure
to a minimum as well as conserving moisture
on hot days. Another benefit of no-till is that the
complexity of the soil structure remains. The
complex web of ecology in the soil is disrupted by
tillage and requires additional inputs to the soil to
replace what is lost.
Hit the Ground Running!
Once it’s go time, it’s easy to get into the soil when
you have planned the vegetables’ locations, have
the seed ready to go and have your tools ready.
Proper preparation makes it easier to make your
garden grow! •
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