I am not sure there are "no" poisonous snakes there, but I am sure they would be rare, but be careful what you pick up.

They are a part of a healthy eco-system in my opinion. It also doesn't hurt that they burrow either.

Lyn, that's what's so wonderful about the whole thing... the worms till the leaves into the garden for us!

DH has been asking me if the garden is dry enough to till up and I've been debating the whole thing -- last year I couldn't till it up because the previous fall had been so rainy and wet and the spring was again rainy and wet, and I was really pleased with the results. But I thought I might till this year, if it was dry enough... which it actually is, but I just don't see any reason to do so.

Seedfork said:I am not sure there are "no" poisonous snakes there, but I am sure they would be rare, but be careful what you pick up.

Unless someone brings some in (Snakes on a Plane ?? ), no, there really aren't; lower Michigan has Massasauga rattlers, but not in the UP. On the other hand, I don't normally pick them up, I just admire them doing their own thing!

Hey Lyn. I am all for using leaves as mulch. We are surrounded by oaks and pines. I just meant if you don't have the time/opportunity to shred them, they work just fine as is. "and the worms think so too"

Absolutely right -- those worms both shred and till for us!! (we definitely owe them! -- thanks, worms...)

Weedwhacker said:Absolutely right -- those worms both shred and till for us!! (we definitely owe them! -- thanks, worms...)

True. I had to have a no till garden because the gardening area was really subsoil in a slope that was created by glacier moraine. It consisted of very tightly compressed rocks, not much bigger than a large marble, with a few smaller than my fist with clay and silt between the rocks. I couldn't dig in it with a pick much less a shovel. There was no organic material in the soil and no worms. It did have perfect drainage and still does because I have not disturbed the structure of the soil with tilling.

The first year after I cleared away the decorative rocks and weed barrier, that area didn't even grow weeds ...

I had read Ruth Stout's book about no-till gardening years ago and decided that's the way to go. Now, I can dig in any of the beds I've created with a trowel. I didn't mulch the areas between the beds and they still consist of tightly compressed rocks. Fine by me. I can walk on them even after a heavy rain and not worry about compressing the soil.

After reading about the soil food web, I probably would never be tempted to till the garden. I put everything on top and let nature do the work.

Smiles,
Lyn