A new way to garden

By Brandie Majeau

            Kim Ross, a master gardener, shared her wisdom and passion for no-till gardening to a full house crowd at Newbrook Public Library on the evening of April 19^th.  In honor of Earth Day the Friends of Newbrook Library thought the community would greatly benefit from hearing about the process that Ross took in creating a gardening space that requires very little maintenance, and almost no weeding.  As the world struggles to adapt to climate change often our gardens are not. Ross embarked on a personal journey to find a solution to a sustainable garden that would produce healthy vegetables and a healthy soil ecosystem.

            As a fifth-generation farmer currently gardening an area of 26 000 square feet, Ross admitted that the workload of her garden was becoming too much for her to handle.  Her entire summers were filled with the endless tasks of weeding such a large space.  A familiar problem to many gardeners, by the time you finish weeding your garden it is time to start again.  Vegetables were being overrun and often times she would lose produce because they would be overripe by the time she got to them.  In an effort to find answers she enrolled herself in a course in gardening at the University of Saskatchewan, Gardening Fundamentals: Soil.  As she began to dig deeper into the science behind gardening, she found herself questioning why agriculture uses the concept of no-till, but it is not a common practice of horticulture.  Maintaining stubble on a field will reduce erosion, hold in moisture and can inhibit the growth of weeds.

            This is now the 5^th season of her no-till gardening.  As she began her experiment, Ross admits she was hesitant.  Her concerns were that it was going to look messy, if it didn’t work she was going to have a massive cleanup to put it back to what it was, and jokingly she mentioned, “my dad was constantly telling me this would not work.”  Ross chose a 4 square foot patch of her garden and used it as a trial and what she discovered convinced her to convert her entire gardening space into a no-till garden.  It took her six weeks to till her soil one last time, create rows of raised dirt beds and low walking paths between them, then cover the entire area with a minimum of 6 inches of straw.  She has not been disappointed with her choice.

            The straw/mulch acts as a barrier to prevent the growth of weeds.  It holds in moisture that might otherwise evaporate. It prevents erosion due to wind and elements.  As the straw decomposes, nutrients are added to the soil.  Spaces between the bits of mulch create a habitat for beneficial insects which will in turn draw in other vital insects and even birds.  The mulch also dramatically increases microorganisms that increases the health of the soil.  As the seasons progressed, every spring topping up the straw or mulch layer, Ross was amazed to see the soil change and her garden thrive.  Seeds and plants are sown into the raised bed rows with the mulch pulled back only enough to allow the light to germinate their growth.  In the fall, plants are removed but the roots are allowed to remain in the soil to decompose, replenishing the earth, and leaving pores in the soil from where they had grown.  Soil that had previously been compact and like a dry powder became dark and rich and crumbled like moist chocolate cake.        

            The initial process was time-consuming, but Ross said the return has been worth every hour she spent creating it.  Since the development of her no-till garden, she has found her produce is healthier and larger.  Vegetables like cabbages and cauliflower are harvested weighing 12 lbs or more.  She has had to reduce the number of peas she grows because they have produced so much more.  Vegetables are cleaner because there is no soil splashing, potatoes and carrots pull cleanly from the loose damp soil.  Kim Ross stated she will never go back to any other method of gardening.  She stated with a smile that she has even made a believer out of her dad.  To further explore the techniques and outcomes of her gardening you can find her on Facebook @Rossdale Farms – No Till Gardening.