Teaching Organic Farming and Gardening

Tillage and Cultivation

Unit 1.2 | 23

3. Alternative cultivation tools: Advantages and disadvantages

a) U-bar/broad fork

b) Roto-tiller

c) Pulling fork

d) Others

E. Demonstrate and Discuss Secondary Cultivation Steps

1. Step 1: Sift the soil with garden fork to incorporate soil amendments into the top 4–6
   inches of the surface soil


2. Step 2: Use the bow rake to shape the surface of the recently tilled bed into a flat or
   slightly convex form


3. Step 3: Fracture large soil clusters with fork or rake to reduce surface soil particle size
   in proper proportion to the size of the seed or transplant to be grown


4. Step 4: Use the leaf rake to remove large soil clusters resistant to fracturing


5. Discuss/ask students under which circumstances is the above technique used

F. Discuss Evaluation Process

1. Has there been consistent and optimal soil moisture throughout the cultivated area? If
   
   not, how might this be addressed?


2. Has the tillage been thorough and even in depth and width?


3. Have the soil amendments been thoroughly and evenly incorporated?


4. Effects on the physical properties of the soil: Discuss/ask students how have these
   properties have been altered by this tillage technique or tillage sequence. How might
   
   these techniques affect the biological activity and nutrient cycling in the soil? How
   might they affect plant growth?


5. Discuss improvements in efficiencies that could be made

Instructor’s Demonstration 1 Outline