In the simplest terms, “no-till” means not inverting the soil layers, because this disturbance can harm the soil, especially when done excessively. However, it’s not always clear how to avoid tillage when transitioning between crops, and this is often the main question that experienced farmers have when they start to explore no-till. Fortunately, there are a number of proven practices to choose from, which are easy to implement with a little experience and forethought. Table 1 summarizes the most common practices and systems used in no-till bed flips, which we’ll discuss in more detail throughout this publication.
Table 1. Some Common No-Till Systems and Practices
| Deep compost mulching | A layer of compost is spread several inches deep over a semi-permanent bed system to suppress weeds, and provide both a planting medium and fertility. |
| Deep mulching | Brown material, such as straw, hay, and/or leaves are layered over a semi-permanent raised bed to suppress weeds and retain moisture. |
| Lasagna mulching | A mix of straw and compost are layered to create both a mulch and self-feeding planting surface. |
| Shallow till method | Thick, 1–2 inch applications of compost are worked into the top 2–3 inches of soil, creating a fine, plantable tilth on the surface, but leaving the root zone undisturbed. |
| Cover crops | Tall cover crops are grown to a mature stage before they’re pressed to the ground to act as a mulch. Non-chemical termination is done either with crimping machinery, tarps, or cold weather. |
| Hybrid systems | Combinations of no-till systems are very common. A grower may use cover crops for mulching long-season transplanted crops such as tomatoes, and deep compost mulching for directly seeded crops. |
| Broadforking | This tool can break up deep compaction without heavy disturbance of soil aggregates. It’s used by many no-till producers and is largely considered an acceptable tool for improving soil health with minimal disturbance. |
| Intercropping (or interplanting) | When two crops are planted in the same area at the same time. These crops typically belong to different crop families but can be the same family in certain situations. |
| Relay cropping | When a new crop is planted into a bed with an existing crop before it has been harvested. |
| Tarping | Large, opaque tarps are often used to control weeds and kill cover crops. By cutting off sunlight to the soil, seeds will germinate but then die. Existing plants will eventually die from the heat and |
| Tilther | A tool that acts like a small tiller to lightly work the surface of the soil down to no more than 3 inches. It creates a plantable bed surface and works in amendments. It is often run with a power drill. |
No matter how you transition to a new crop, you must terminate the previous crop during this period so that it doesn’t become a weed. Exactly how you do so depends on the crop (see Table 2).
Certainly, if you’re removing a crop entirely from the soil during harvest, such as beets, carrots, or potatoes, then the transition to the next crop is fairly straightforward. You harvest the crop, pull out any weeds, amend the soil as needed, and then plant the next crop immediately.
But for a lot of crops it’s not so simple. For example, some crops leave behind a lot of residue you have to deal with, such as sweet corn or okra. Other crops will stubbornly continue to grow from their roots even after you’ve cut them close to the ground, such as kale or chicory. In order to maintain healthy, living soil in a no-till system, you’ll need to develop strategies for specific crop transitions based on the habits of the preceding crops. For more, see the section, “Removing Crop Residue Without Tillage.”
Amending the soil is another area where reduced tillage systems get complicated. How do you amend a soil without working in your amendments? There are technical and equipment-based answers to this question, as well as some philosophical ones. To that point, you may ask if there is ever a place for any amount of disturbance when transitioning from crop to crop. In fact, a small amount of disturbance, say to create a nice tilth in the top 2–3 inches of soil, can be efficient for you and easy on the soil’s health, which we’ll discuss in more detail in the section “Amending the Soil Without Tillage.”
Table 2.Crop Termination Method
| Cut at soil surface to terminate | Cut slightly below surface to terminate | Terminated by harvest (the root mass is removed) |
| Arugula Baby greens Borage Cilantro Corn Cosmos Cucumbers Dill Eggplant Lettuce Mache Marigolds Melons Nasturtiums Okra Peas Peppers Pumpkins and winter squash Summer squash Sunflowers Tithonia Tomatoes Watermelon Zinnias | Basil Bok choy Beans Broccoli Cabbage Celery Chicory Collards Fennel Kale Mustard Parsley Rutabaga Spinach Swiss chard | Beets Carrots (cut missed plants below the surface to terminate) Garlic Kohlrabi Leeks Onions Potatoes Radishes Sweet potatoes |
