to till or not to till???

[bohica]

Just my observation:
Years ago, the no till method was in full swing, and although I whole heartedly agree with the theories. One very successful grower in the competitive gardening world argued this method and lived by it. Now 6 years later even he realizes that in the past two years the biggest fruit were grown from the areas that were amended (as all the areas were) and tilled. We can still still till and not destroy the soil structure 10 inches down, most times, the average consumer tiller only gets to a depth of 6-8 inches.
I add Mycorrhiza every season to try to rebuild the colonies of roots and fungal strands that we are breaking up when tilling, along with other organic matter, the worms will come back.
I look at it as respecting the soil, we may break it up a bit, but most of us are doing what we can to replenish the soil and balance it the best we can and limiting the amount of chemicals that we dump into it.
Just my opinion.
Tom

[amideutch]

Behind my home there is a field that a farmer plants every year either with grain or rape. After harvest he tills in what is left over and replants the following spring. And that soil still hasn't changed one bit in the last 10 years. Hard as a brick when dry and like glue when wet. Ami