There are garden conditions that are often taken for granted, and not everyone has a good definition. One of them is tilling. Once you understand what it is and the advantages and disadvantages, you can decide whether you should include it in your garden list.
What Is Soil Tilling?
Tilling is defined as turning over, followed by soil cracking. The depth of the acre depends on what you have selected to the acre. You can order an earthquake machine, but this is not difficult. For people with small gardens, tilling equipment may be a little expensive.
Tilling is needed if you plan to mix the amendments in the soil. It is useful even if you have compact land that needs to be broken down. Tilling will help to remove unwanted weeds from the soil.
If you plan to turn a lawn into a flowerbed, growers will help change the soil. It mixes the organic matter in your lawn with the soil. The result is a seed ready. In this way, manual farming ensures that your plants can grow naturally and economically.
Types of Soil Tillage
Let us consider three main types of tillage before examining the tilling problems. Depending on the level of soil pollution and the extent of loss, soil farming options are possible based on the three main types of soil tillage.
Conventional Tillage
In conventional tiling, the soil is loosened by turning. It is done manually with a hoe or mechanically with a plow or disc. It makes the soil eroded by wind or rain. In places where simple tools such as hoes are used, the soil is prepared before tilling with the “slash and burn” method.
Conservation Tillage
In general, this method tries to reduce surface disturbance to prevent soil erosion and enrichment. It can be achieved by leaving residues from the previous harvest in the field before and after the next harvest.
No-till
There is (or very little) disturbance of the soil. In this case, the mechanical seeding machine is also designed and controlled so that the soil is not disordered. Soil cover is maintained to prevent soil erosion, loss of moisture, etc.
Positive Impact on Soil Tilling
Before you start the next sowing season, here are some reasons to consider tilling as your usual seasonal project.
Warming the spring soil
Among the many benefits of tilling, the soil is faster in the spring when tilled. It means a jump to start the growing season. Tillage increases the air in the soil and stimulates the activity of aerobic bacteria. It allows organic matter to degrade faster, releasing heat in the form of energy.
Amends soil in the fall
During autumn, you can also add organic matter, such as vegetables that die during the season. They will gradually form soil, thereby increasing nutrients and soil. Fertilizers, leaf wastes, grass wastes, and other organic additives are potent sources of nitrogen and carbon, both of which are essential for good plant growth and soil composition.
Aeration
Rigidly soiled soil can dry out the garden, not to mention plant growth. However, tiling can reduce soil from such conditions by adding exhausted air from pedestrian traffic, wheelbarrows, and other heavy tools to encourage growth. An aerated soil also allows water, oxygen, and other nutrients to reach the plant’s roots and efficiently because light and airy soil are essential for a productive garden.
Weed prevention
Weeds and insects can be very problematic and hinder or even inhibit plants’ growth in your garden. The reversal of the soil twice a year is excellent protection against weeds and other insects against invasion and damage to plants. Tilling also helps to break the roots of weeds and other homes of insects, preventing the pests from entering your garden.
Balance
If you choose to till your garden with colorful flowers or fruits and vegetables, you can make your plants bloom with the right soil balance. The addition of fertilizers and other organic matter to the soil during cultivation allows the soil to be enriched with ingredients that may be lacking to create a suitable environment for plant growth.
Adverse Effects of Soil Tillage
Soil Erosion
When tilling, the soil breaks down into smaller particles.
The wind blows a bit with the particles. Here, heavy rains also remove sediments such as the topsoil from lower elevations. In these cases, nutrients are washed or swept away. They are easily separated from the roots. So you need more fertilizer to get a continuous yield.
Reduce the number of soil organisms
Soil organisms are essential for the degradation of organic matter. Your activities are essential to improve the soil. Naturally, the tilling moves and exposes soil organisms to the air and direct sunlight. Soils with soft soil organisms suffer from a low decomposition rate, reducing the number of soil nutrients.
Loss of nitrogen
When organic matter decomposes, these microorganisms release nitrogen, an essential nutrient for plant growth. During tilling, nitrogen stored in the soil is released and releasing microorganisms. Therefore, they need more fertilizer to compensate for their losses. It increases production costs.
Soil compaction
After constant tillage and various influences, the soil formed silt just below the tilling depth. This massive plate prevents soil drainage and root formation. Also, compaction of the soil prevented root growth and reduced the plants’ ability to absorb nutrients and water. Without adequate and timely rainfall and adequate fertilizer, this reduces yield. Reduce floral aeration during the rainy season. Also, the compaction of soil can lead to nitrogen and potassium deficiency.
Additional production costs
Tilling rent is an additional production cost.
It is expensive. Consider fuel costs and machine maintenance. If it is manual, this is labor cost. In all these cases, additional fertilizer is additional in other costs.
Harm to the environment
As mentioned, the soil is exposed to water and wind erosion during intensive soil preparation. Chemical residues build up in the soil after prolonged use. If the soils are washed away or flowing into streams, rivers, and ponds, they will contaminate the water. Therefore, fish and wildlife are also at risk if soil particles are washed away and sprayed into the water.
Not sustainable with current climate change
Tillage is not a sustainable agricultural practice. Tilling makes it ineffective for food production after a specific time. We also know that there is no evidence of increased productivity.
To ensure long-term food production, we must undertake to conserve agriculture.
Summing Up
Tillage is needed if amendments are mixed with the soil. It is also useful if you have very little soil that needs to be broken down or some other soil type that needs to be broken into smaller pieces. It also removes weeds and unwanted roots from the soil. If you want to transform a part of your lawn into a flower bed, the tilling transforms the lawn by mixing organic matter into the grass with soil to form a bed ready for planting.