A book review of "Step by step organic gardening"

Found this book (Amazon link) at the thrift store. The author, Ogden, was a writer for Organic Gardening. I like it quite a bit. Some take away points:

1. prefers long straight rows, laid out with string, and no paths
2. sheet composts with fresh manure in the Fall with a even layer that can be plowed under in the Spring
3. eschews tillers because they kill worms - instead breaks up clods with a potato hook
4. and uses the potato hook to hoe weeds - after 2 or 3 passes, plants are well established

As I said, I liked it quite a bit. I do like having paths though. He says you are just wasting hard earned fertile garden area. And that's true. But I like walking in the garden and it makes it easy to harvest. Besides I put my paths to use. After creating the paths (spade the plot, toss the soil of the path up on the bed, then till), I put down manure, leaves, then straw. This is an active compost heap which roots will seek out. Believe me when I tell you, by crushing the straw under your feet you will have accelerated its decomposition. Also my paths:

• improve drainage by raising the bed a little extra due to the soil of the path being tossed up on it
• proving a draining channel for heavy rains
• are a source of water holding humus as the leaves and straw break down.
  

I think his tiller observation is spot on. I've often mused that the tiller is really grinding worm bodies into the soil which is the nutrient spurt in the beginning of the season.

But my goal is to have enough organic material in the beds so that they do not even require annual tilling.

The sheet composting idea is one I've already practice. I would take it to the next step though. Any seed bed that is idle should be either growing a green manure crop or have rotted manure and mulch tilled in for conditioning. Fresh manure is not recommended for an active seed bed. It's hot (PH wise) and not at all balanced for plants.

My point is that you simple cannot waste time in building good soil. Especially is this true in Fall. By preparing the plots in Fall, you are ready for Spring. You won't be moaning that you are wasting precious days waiting for the soil to dry before tilling. You raised beds will be ready to accepts transplants at exactly the right time.

So I would recommend the book for any beginner. It gives you a "system" and should work. Remember my other post, adopt a system, plug yourself into it, and evolve it for productivity and efficiency.