well don't you amend your soil around this time of the year? I normally turn the soil to kill off the weeds, aerate the soil and to mix in the fertilizers.

sigh, I knew I was forgetting something! Totally have baby brain right now.

You don't have to. I just remove the weeds from the surface, work in a bit of compost in the first couple of inches and then plant and mulch. Works fine for me. :O)

Tiffy, forgive me but isn't that the same same amount of work or possibly more work? The way I do turning is simply to spread the compost and fertilizers, use my pitfork to break the soil or shovel and so things done quickly in one activity. by breaking the soil, I'm killing off the emergent weeds anyway so no need for picking them out. Then seed or plant.

It probably won't be an issue this year because of the warm spring we're having, but in a cold spring (like last year) not turning your soil means you may have too-cold soil for your heat-loving plants (like tomatoes and peppers). I didn't touch my raised beds last year (except for the carrot bed) and the cool-season veggies did fine but the warm season ones suffered.

In general, I like to till as little as possible because it leaves the microherd functioning normally. Turning the soil is like opening the damper on a fireplace-- the organisms go nuts with the sudden introduction of warm air. It takes a few weeks for things to settle down.

If you're incorporating compost or other organic matter, remember that the natural place for this to be is the top six or inches of soil. The decomposition happens near the surface, and the nutrients move downward with rain and the activity of the microherd, including worms.

I also find that tilling or digging just brings new weed seeds to the surface. So if you're going to till, make sure you do it early enough so the first "crop" of weeds has time to germinate and get pulled or knocked down before you plant.

A good alternative to digging or turning is to use a garden broadfork or "U-bar fork". A broadfork loosens and aerates the soil without inverting or disrupting the natural soil layers. It's fast, and it won't kill your back. You can Google for details.

With my raised beds I can't use a broadfork easily, so I use a normal garden fork. Sometimes I can't resist the urge to dig so I use a trowel to do small areas just slightly larger than the transplants. Except for the carrots. That bed gets turned and raked to a fine tilth.

Some parts of my garden gets rototilled every year. Some raised beds get turned over with the shovel.
I read recently, that a good way to kill any over wintering insects in the garden is to till it. It was in reference to squash beetles.
But if I am working on a new part of the garden it will definately get turned over for atleast the first 3 years. This helps get rid of the bind weed and the wire grass.
Now last year, I laid down a big pile of apple mulch from the cider mill, it is getting turned over and I mixed some wood ash with it. For any doubting thomases' I have done this before and it works fine.
But all that being said, if you don't feel like turning over the soil don't mulch well instead.

I always til my beds and work in compost and peat moss. We have lots of clay .

:)

Nes! Gaaaak! Don't chop up the bindweed! Every little piece you cut will become a new plant and grow a thousand tentacles!

I am resigned to being a BAG-- Bindweed-Afflicted-Gardener. It'll take at least ten years of "keeping at it" before I can let down my guard.

ahh... all the more reason I use a pitchfork when turning soil. It loosens the soil and then I pull out the weeds entirely.

I lightly till around my perennials, and try not to disturb too many volunteers that I recognize. I rake in a bit of rotted sheep manure and topsoil, then cover with mulch. The worms seem to take care of distributing the new soil.
I'll just clear a space in the mulch and add in my annuals as I please.
Works for me.

Hey Bev,
Don't worry, the bindweed hasn't even started to grow here yet. That is why I turn over the soil as soon as it can be worked. it buries it. Chickweed is more of a problem for me than bindweed.

Chickweed! LUXURY! I LONG for chickweed...

Hey, I crushed my first Japanese Beetle today. Can you believe it? It came up inside the greenhouse.