Garden Maintenance

[Victor]

Once a garden is established, I would imagine that periodically you would re-till it, re-mulch it and re-fertilize it. Can someone share any light on this? Or does this vary depending on what you're growing? I'm working on a rose garden and I'm trying to get an idea about this for future maintenance.

Thanks

[Green-Moo]

There is a school of thought who believe you should never till your garden. Look up the 'no-dig method'.

Sheet composting is where you spread your compost on the surface of the soil and wait for nature to mix it naturally.

[SageMother]

There is a school of thought who believe you should never till your garden. Look up the 'no-dig method'.

Sheet composting is where you spread your compost on the surface of the soil and wait for nature to mix it naturally.

This sounds like the better method. It not only saves time and effort, but you also don't risk damaging the roots of your favorite plants.

[Serenity]

I don't know anything about the no-till method but we till ours every year after planting season to rough it up. We like it to be ready for any nitrogen rich snow that might fall in winter. Then we do it again just before the growing season.

[tater03]

We do the same thing. We always have tilled it every spring. I have never heard of the no till method either till now.

[SageMother]

I don't know anything about the no-till method but we till ours every year after planting season to rough it up. We like it to be ready for any nitrogen rich snow that might fall in winter. Then we do it again just before the growing season.

Are you turning under existing plants that have gone dormant?

I guess there are many ways to take care of a garden.

[Sam Reeves]

We till ours every season. Although we are trying to use more mulch and less chemicals.

[mtrent]

I don't know anything about the no-till method but we till ours every year after planting season to rough it up. We like it to be ready for any nitrogen rich snow that might fall in winter. Then we do it again just before the growing season.

For years my grandparents always re-tilled theirs with great success.

[Rose White]

I turn over my vegetable garden soil in the fall to add new organic growth to the soil and some more peat moss. Then, in the spring it is soft as butter to dig in for new plantings. My roses, bulbs and perennials I leave alone, though. I am definitely into no-maintenance and low-maintenance gardening!

Rose White, author
"Easy Gardens A to Z"