A productive organic garden with few tools is completely possible for your backyard. This is so different from the usual rototilled garden! Or if you are especially dedicated digging down in your soil 12 inches. This is is demanding physical labor that keeps many people from keeping an organic garden of their own. Before I changed my gardens to high performance systems I couldn’t put in all the work required to keep up a low performance garden systems. I wished that I had a garden with few tools. Instead in the spring I would have to bribe my husband to rototill my garden space. So, how did I create a garden with few tools? Watch the latest in the 12 High Performance Garden Characteristics Series to find out!

How to Garden with Few Tools

It’s time to say goodbye to your rototiller. You deserve the best organic produce and the low performance system isn’t easily accessible. My mission is to see a garden in every backyard and with these simple tips you can begin to create a high performance garden in your backyard!

1. Don’t Use the Native Soil

This will save you hours of headaches and if you replace it with the correct soil blend it can truly produce the highest quality of produce. Most of us don’t have access to the correct soil for growing vegetables. Our topsoil has generally been replaced with the dirt that is dug out from the foundation of our houses if we are growing in our backyard. Or it is full of weed seeds. Growing in your native soil requires endless amendments. I mix my own soil mix according to an old family recipe to make sure that my plants have all of the nutrients they need without the difficulties of weeds, hard soil and difficulty draining water through the soil.

2. Grow in Raised Beds

Once you have made your beautiful soil mix you won’t want to see it become compacted by foot traffic or invaded with weeds. When I grow in my raised beds I can grow 2x as much in half of the space of a traditional garden. Because the raised beds are never walked on I never need to rototill!

3. Mulch Your Garden

In the fall to make sure to protect your soil from the elements put it to bed with a mulch cover. I prefer a mixture of grass clippings and leaves (make sure that it is entirely organic). This is a great way to protect your soil so that way in the spring you can simply remove the mulch and be ready to plant!

When I do these three things in the garden I have found that I only need a rake, a trowel and a garden hose. My most used tools are my hands! This makes growing very affordable and easy. I love my high performance gardens. If you would like to learn more about the High Performance Garden System make sure to read the ebook High Performance Gardening and to read the High Performance Garden Community Blog. The garden of your dreams is right around the corner.

Until next time, may your garden be easy, fun, productive and always organic!

Lynn