Sometimes, it's better to take the easy route. Jenn (@sunshinefarmny) from Sunshine Farm shared with TikTok how giving up tilling their soil transformed their garden from "a weedy mess" to an abundant garden.
The scoop
Years prior, Jenn had tried to start a garden the conventional way.
@sunshinefarmny My No-Till Story. To learn how I did this, sign up for the email list over at the link in my bio. 🌱 #gardentips #gardeningtips #gardentok #notillgardening #notill #permaculture #permaculturegarden #gardeningtok ♬ original sound - Sunshine Farm
"We rented a sod cutter and tirelessly worked through that heavy soil, rocks, and the roots, trying to loosen up our compact soil," they said. The garden grew into a weedy mess, and the soil became extremely hard and nutrient-deficient, affecting crop yields.
Tilling the soil — breaking it up and turning it over — can bring weed seeds to the surface, causing an abundance of weed growth. Breaking up the soil structure also makes the soil vulnerable to erosion and disrupts important microorganisms and fungi from nutrient cycling, leading to nutrient loss.
For their next garden, Jenn tried no-till permaculture — a gardening method that aims to establish a self-sustaining soil ecosystem that promotes plant growth through healthy, nutrient-dense soil.
Instead of tilling, Jenn laid some cardboard over the grass and piled over leftover organic matter (or compost) from their farm. Here, you can either wait for the cardboard to break down or poke holes in the cardboard to plant your crops.
"I hardly ever weed. I don't water the in-ground garden, and we have so much abundance," Jenn said.
How it's working
Starting a garden and growing your own food is no easy feat. While gardening has been found to improve your mental health, weekly physical activity, and fiber intake, maintaining a garden patch requires time and maintenance.
No-till gardening can save you time while cultivating a healthy and robust soil environment fit for producing high-quality, nutritious vegetables.
Leaving the soil structure undisturbed allows it to retain carbon captured and stored from the environment, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. This reduces the amount of harmful heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere responsible for rising global temperatures and subsequent extreme weather conditions.
What people are saying
Many had never heard of no-till gardening but were intrigued by this hack.
"What is no till gardening?" One commenter asked. Another user replied, "No digging in order to farm, way easier."
"#sold instant follow," a third user commented.
|
What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Not enough time ⏳ 
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
