To till or not to till?

The growing season has finally arrived, the spring bulbs are in full bloom and gardening is underway!
 
It’s garden prep time. You may have already put some seeds in the ground but because it’s been so wet, I’ve wanted to let the soil dry a little more before prepping it for planting. Working with wet soil is no fun and not recommended; it’s bad for the soil structure and for the gardener! Especially with our clay soils, everything becomes a mucky mess.
 
As many of you know, soil is the foundation of your garden. We must learn to become growers of soil in addition to growers of food. Taking care of our soil means healthy plants that are less susceptible to pests and disease. One question that frequently comes up in my workshops is, ‘should I till my garden?’ Indeed, that’s what you always think you’re supposed to do, right? Till the garden, plant your crop. Farmers have been doing it for ages. Aren’t we supposed to take a garden fork or a rototiller and get in there, break up the soil and churn stuff around?
 
In my short video today, I talk about why tilling your garden every season isn’t a good idea and what I do instead. So click on the video below to find out more.
 
Then, I would love to hear from you. What garden prep methods do you use? What have you found works best to help with soil fertility and structure? Leave your thoughts or questions in the comments below!