What is Tilling?

What is tilling, and why is this term such a hot topic in gardening? The term tilling refers to mechanically and aggressively cultivating the soil. This practice can be done using a tiller or other mechanical equipment to break up the soil particles or mix in amendments. While the practice of tilling over a long period of time has shown to have negative effects on soil, there are times when tilling is appropriate for the backyard gardener. This blog will explore the benefits of limited tilling practices to get gardens up and growing.

What is tilling for the backyard gardener?

Tilling for the backyard gardener is not likely to mean using a large tractor and tiller like we used to get our farm started. It likely means you are using a small, walk-behind tiller that allows you to break up the soil in the ground when you are building a new garden space in soil that has never been grown in before. When starting a garden, tilling is a way to quickly and efficiently break up hard soil and mix in amendments. Many times, especially in climates like Zones 9 and 10, tilling is essential to get the level of soil cultivation you need to start a new garden. Because it will break up soil and mix in compost, manure, and fertilizer at a much more efficient rate and more thoroughly than you can do by hand, we recommend tilling when you first start an in-ground garden.

Depending on the quality of the soil you first start with, you may only need to till the first time you start your garden, and from there, you can use other cultivation techniques that are less aggressive. See our blog, A Rap on Soil, for information about forking, double digging, and other cultivation methods.

When considering tilling in your in-ground garden, here are some reasons to choose this more aggressive technique:

• If you are starting on virgin soil that is poor quality, compact, and devoid of organic matter
• If you are physically unable to aggressively dig, fork and cultivate the soil otherwise
• If you need to add a large quantity of organic matter (usually the case in Zones 9/10)
• If you are looking to get your soil jumpstarted the first year, tilling provides a shortcut to good soil

Understand that tilling is not a practice we recommend repeatedly doing to your soil. You should only have to till a few times during the first few years of gardening. After thoroughly incorporating manure, compost, and fertilizer, your soil should mature on its own, as the microbiology of the soil works wonders under your feet. Like good wine, the soil will improve in time if you provide the microorganisms in your soil with an environment to thrive. That means making sure your soil is hydrated (microorganisms need moisture to survive, just like us!), adding worm castings, worm tea, and compost tea.

What is tilling, and how can it have a damaging effect on soil?

Tilling has a very negative connotation with most organic gardeners. That’s because if overused or misused, tilling can have disastrous effects on soil health. Over-tilling can break up organic matter into extremely small pieces that cannot hold moisture, making the soil more drought-prone. Over-tilling can also kill off the very important soil microbiology we strive to create as organic gardeners. As with many things in our lives, moderation is key! Tilling at the beginning of your gardening journey can help you get soil that will grow plants happily and put you on a path to beautiful soil in the years to come.

For example, on our farm, we had to till the first three seasons because there was no other way to thoroughly incorporate compost into the soil to help rejuvenate the microbiology and hold moisture. Once we did that, we moved away from tilling and now use only minimally evasive techniques to replenish the amendments we lose each season.

It is very important to remember that soil is an extremely complex organism that still surprises scientists and farmers. There is no “one-size” that fits all recipe for good soil. That depends on your location, soil composition, and so much more. When weighing out your options for creating healthy soil, the most important question is, “Will this practice lead to a microbiologically rich soil?” If the answer is yes, you are likely choosing a method that will give you beautiful soil over time.