Gardening
To Till or not to Till That is the springtime question
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about the author Jan Phipps is a University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener. She farms, gardens, writes and podcasts near Chrisman.
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h, spring, when the air turns blue with emissions from two-cycle tiller engines that are only used once a year – or from the gardener’s verbal emissions when he can’t get it started. Had Hamlet been a gardener, his famous query would have been about spring soil preparation. Mechanical tillage produces a nice growing medium if you start everything from seed. It also helps when incorporating large amounts of organic matter for soil improvement. Besides, it looks nice. Unfortunately, there are many disadvantages. Intense tilling destroys soil structure
and any beneficial earthworms in its path. Hard rain followed by sun will turn the powdery soil into a hard crust that germinating plants can’t break through. Now, your perfect growing medium has to be kept moist 24/7. Another problem is having to wait for the soil to be dry enough to work. In Illinois, that means missing out on the cool-season vegetables such as peas that can be planted in damp, cold earth. Possibly the biggest problem with mechanical tillage is the weed issue. Seeds from annual weeds are brought to the surface getting needed light for Illinois Farm Bureau