Why don’t I till the soil or turn it over? Why are there weeds growing around in my garden? These and many similar questions keep coming to me and it is hard to convince people with my answers.

Soil is a very complex structure. It’s full of life. Everything is important. Even the so called weeds. They hold the soil together. Their roots make an extensive network in the soil which also works to absorb rainwater. Some of these roots die and add organic matter to the soil. Even the leaves that fall from these so called leaves add to humus. White Dutch Clover is a star in my garden. It helps fix nitrogen, provides home to ladybirds, flowers attract pollinators, and helps in absorption of water. This is just one of the so-called weeds.

Try comparing a patch of land that has been cleaned, the weeds pulled out and the soil left exposed, to another patch of land with weeds all over. Winds will not blow the soil away from the uncleared soil. Water will not erode. In fact, more rain water will reach the depths where there are weeds. On the other hand, just walking around on a cleared up land will compact the soil and make it still poorer.

The fungus that is present in the soil makes a widespread web. The trees, the bushes, and even the low grass are connected to each other. They convey vital information and take care of their lot. A single stroke of spade into the soil breaks all the connections in its path. Imagine what running a tiller or a tractor does to the soil.

There is life in the soil. Apart from the fungal networks, various bacteria work hard to enrich the soil. Tiny creatures like earthworms churn the soil and help in decomposition. Various organisms work at different stages and different levels to bring about the soil that we see around us.

One more disadvantage of tilling is that it forces the soil to release the nutrients needed by plants all of a sudden and excessively. These are much more than the amount actually required and taken up by plants. The excess nutrients just get washed away or wasted. So, with every cycle of tilling or soil turning, the soil is rendered poorer and poorer nutritionally speaking. The burying down of grasses or plants while doing so also releases an excessive amount of carbon that causes a nutritional imbalance for the plants… also not good.

For me, soil is a sacred thing in my garden and orchard. The less I disturb it, the better it is. Chemicals like pesticides, weedicides, antibacterial sprays, etc. are poisons that have been slowly and slowly killing the soil. The nutritional value of produce from commercial farming is going down. Every year more and more chemical fertilizer is needed to get the same produce. This is disheartening. Maybe people will start waking up to this and start respecting soil.

I will start this new year by planting some acorns (that I found on a rock) near a pathway so that some centuries later, someone like me, may sit down under the oak and be impressed by the wonders of nature.

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Waking up to a white frosted landscape, and then observing how slowly and slowly the areas where the sun touches start to turn colorful again, is an experience in itself. Standing outside while the sun starts to kiss the parts of our garden is a lovely feeling. I adjust my location as the spots getting the sun change. Every few minutes, I am forced to move. Every morning, standing around in the sun, and just observing nature, is a blessing that slow living has taught me to admire.

Today, once the landscape was bright and a little warm, I planted some fruit trees. It seems like I am busy planting trees whenever I get a chance. Apples, pears, plums, apricots, and some persimmons. These will take a long time to grow and give fruits. I like the huge trees of heirloom varieties/cultivars. The saplings were bare-root, so these had to be planted while they were still asleep, and without exposing them to open for long. I got them yesterday, so today this had to be done. Even with slow living, at times, things have to be done as a priority.

Saplings or plants sold in pots, with soil around their roots, can be planted whenever one feels like. There is no urgency or a strict time window for them, but bare-root plants adapt better to the new place where they are planted.

I’ve planted various fruit trees today, including some nut-bearing ones. One of the nut species will take nearly a decade or two to yield well. But when it does, my children and future generations will be able to enjoy both their nourishing nuts and the cool shade they provide during warm summers.

The planting took some time and effort. I call it hard work, maybe just to justify to myself the lazying around for the rest of the day, and contemplating on some aspects of life and emotions. So, after planting, I again found a nice sunny spot, to warm myself up, and admire the clouds floating by. In the afternoon, the spots getting sun don’t change as frequently as in the morning. Good for me.

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The weather is quite dry nowadays. No clouds to be seen anywhere. There has been no rain all through the autumn and now we are into winter.

Today, I watered some of my young trees and the lawn. Extensive frost is yet to set in. The deciduous trees have already shed their leaves. A passerby asked me, why was I watering the young plants that had already shed leaves. He was not interested in listening to my reasons but just wanted to comment. I replied that maybe I had hit my head somewhere and lost my marbles. I want to water them and so I am doing that. He was almost convinced that I had really lost it, or maybe he didn’t hear what I said. Quietly, he went away.

The plants may be sleeping but their roots still need water. The same goes with grass too. Deep irrigation also prevents some frost damage. So, yes, everyone should water their garden even when the plants seem to be sleeping and winter is starting to knock on the door. Just ensure that you water in the first half of the day, when the temperature is a little above freezing point, and when there is little to no wind. Instead of sprinklers that wet the leaves, use a garden hose that waters the soil and roots.

Birds seem to understand my thoughts. A group of sparrows and tits settled down on an old apricot tree. They were cheerfully chirping and somehow seemed to say that I was doing the right thing for my garden.

Leaving the garden to grow as nature intended, without any intervention, is the best way. ‘Rewilding’ is the way to go, but till the time nature starts to work its own magic, some corrections by us humans, are needed to make up for the damages that we have done to the gardens and orchards over the last few centuries.

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