no black plastic needed. leaves, compost, mulch do the job just fine thank you very much, and do not leach toxic chemicals into the soil. PVC, in particular, leaches dioxin, which has been linked to all sorts of reproductive and auto-immune disorders... It doesn't take that much, especially not if you have maple or oak leaves available in the fall. Nothing grows through a two foot deep layer of leaves, nothing. and they break down over the winter into the nicest black humus. then the worms come and mix it into the soil. nothing could be easier.
If you have rock hard clay what you need to do is to first wet the ground. Then fork in some gypsum not potting mix. (It will work but is an expensive way of doing things). If you can be bothered to dig it, you could get somone in wth a rotary hoe aka cultivator to break up the ground for you. Once this is done don't walk on the ground that is used for grow in. Therefore do not make your beds too wide. Ever thought about bio-dynamic growing?
you really have no clue how to garden here where I live, that's okay, you don't live here. I do. What the soil here needs is organic matter, compost, leaf mulch, and worms. That's all it needs. Once the pile has been sitting all winter, and the worms have come and done their thing, you can dig in it with your bare hands. Rotary tillers only expose weed seeds to the light of day, where they germinate and take over. I'd much rather not have to dig, and not have my garden overrun with weeds. One maple tree makes enough leaves in the fall to completely cover our entire yard (about one acre). The three maple trees in our yard makes enough leaves to smother out any weeds and produce enough very rich compost for any suburban garden and then some to share with the neighbors if they want it. Google "lasagna composting" and you will find ridiculous amounts of information on this subject. It really really works, and it works well, and it does not involve hours of backbreaking labor, sweat, or power tools (which themselves are harmful to the environment, loud, and obnoxious).
I've become interested in no-till, no-dig, or conservation tillage methods over the last few months. No till sounds great for a home garden. Conservation tillage may be necessary for larger scale farming. As for the garden though, I'm not sure how one could come up with lots of mulch from one's own land. I'd prefer not to purchase much in bags or have it shipped to me, therefore consuming fuel and other resources. I believe that fallen leaves, and hay from one's own property may work, but I've got lots to learn. So far, I like the idea of planting a cover crop, then cutting it only at its base and letting it fall over as a mulch. Than planting into the soil beneath the fallen cover crop.
I really like your perspective about doing things the way that nature does and letting nature be your guide, as you have stated. That is great. I feel the same way. Great post!
