Throw away the rototiller???

Reading through Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman I came across a small section that caught my attention. This is because I have never thought of it and consequently been doing the wrong thing since I was knee high to a grasshopper.

Garden Soil Structure (page 38-40 for those who want to read it)
 Basically, he states that he doesn't "spend hours with spade and fork laboriously trenching and fluffing the the earth...But isn't it necessary to turn and fluff the soil to keep it loose and friable? (in case you also don't know what this means, I looked it up and it means easily crumbled')...Soil compaction studies have shown that disturbing the natural soil with a spade and fork is not beneficial. Undisturbed, the natural soil structure that characterizes the work of microorganisms, earthworms, and other soil inhabitants actually has more air spaces than disturbed soil. Applying compost to the surface of the soil aids the natural process. The surface organic matter is slowly incorporated into the topsoil by the actions of the earthworms and their coworkers...the subsoil is less fertile than the topsoil bust serves as a continuous source of raw material for soil building...Nature's system of soil layers is very successful and it is best to leave them as they are. In fact, not only should the topsoil be on top and the subsoil below, but it's also best not to mix them within themselves."

So, in essence, leave it alone and it will do best. I have always rototilled my garden every spring thinking I was helping. However, I will try this out and see if the ground does better left to its own devices. If you were to read the preceding and later parts, he does say that you weed, remove old plant parts for composting and add new compost lightly turning the top layer. Also he recommends aerating with a broad fork, but not turning the soil and mixing the layers. So, for all you lazy people looking for a reason to never cultivate the dirt and let nature do its business, it isn't quite that simple. It is also not as complex as I have made it with my additions and mixing and what not. I guess I'll have more time to spend reading good books!

More pictures from the weekend...

I always take a lot more pictures that I post, so here is a short video of a few more from this last weekend...