by Harold Schrock | Jul 1, 2022 | 2022, 07 July, Articles & Stories, Gardening, Nature-Friendly Gardening, Plants & Fungi, Study Guide
Photo © Dreamstime.com. Is our title an oxymoron? It appears to be a contradiction. Actually, to grow and maintain health, soil needs tillage. It just doesn’t need to be done with steel, iron, or aluminum. Healthy soil needs lots of pore space; at least fifty percent...
by Harold Schrock | Jun 6, 2022 | 2022, 06 June Readers' Issue, Articles & Stories, Gardening, Nature-Friendly Gardening, Plants & Fungi, Study Guide
Photo © Dogwood Ridge. Plastic sheeting is a valuable tool for managing garden beds without tillage. There are two different types that we can use depending on the need. One type is clear plastic that is used in a process called solarization. The other type is black...
by Harold Schrock | May 1, 2022 | 2022, 05 May Story Contest, Articles & Stories, Gardening, Nature-Friendly Gardening, Plants & Fungi, Study Guide
Photo © Dreamstime.com. How high should a raised bed be? I find 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) to be a very practical height for growing most crops. With less than six inches, you may start losing some of the benefits of drainage. Also, lower beds require that you bend over...
by Harold Schrock | Apr 7, 2022 | 2022, 04 April, Articles & Stories, Nature-Friendly Gardening, Plants & Fungi, Study Guide
Photo © Dreamstime.com. One of the best ways to reduce tillage and increase our enjoyment of gardening is to construct permanent beds. When we stop tilling, it is important to avoid compaction as much as possible. On a garden-sized scale, this means separating the...
by Harold Schrock | Mar 4, 2022 | 2022, 03 March, Articles & Stories, Gardening, Nature-Friendly Gardening, Plants & Fungi, Study Guide
Photo © Dreamstime.com. I realize that having a garden without tilling might sound strange. My earliest memories of gardening include plowing, disking, and tilling. For many years I never knew there was any other way of preparing a garden. It was/is a system of garden...
by Harold Schrock | Feb 9, 2022 | 2022, 02 February, Answer Key, Articles & Stories, Gardening, Nature-Friendly Gardening, Plants & Fungi, Study Guide
by Harold Schrock | Dec 20, 2021 | 2021, 12 December, Articles & Stories, Gardening, Nature-Friendly Gardening, Plants & Fungi, Study Guide
Photo © Dreamstime.com. When are the two best times to plant a fruit tree? The best time was ten years ago! The second best time is this spring or fall, depending on your climate.If you want to enjoy the tastiest tree-ripened fruit, you probably have to grow it...
by Harold Schrock | Oct 22, 2021 | 2021, 10 October Bonus Reader's Issue, Articles & Stories, Gardening, Nature-Friendly Gardening, Plants & Fungi, Study Guide
Photo © Olga Volodina/Dreamstime.com I am a strong proponent of extending the growing season whenever possible, and utilizing row covers, tunnels, and greenhouses to keep up the flow of fresh foods to our tables. However, most of us live far enough north that we...
by Harold Schrock | Sep 6, 2021 | 2021, 09 September, Articles & Stories, Gardening, Nature-Friendly Gardening, Plants & Fungi, Study Guide
One of the blessings most North American gardeners enjoy is the cyclical nature of the pastime. While I have written about the joy of season extension and greenhouse production, having a season of rest makes the garden that much more appealing as spring approaches....
