Imagine gardening without the hassle of constant tilling, weeding, and fertilizing.
Sound too good to be true? Enter the Ruth Stout gardening method1, a unique “no-work” approach to growing your own food.
Developed by Ruth Stout in the 1950s, this unconventional technique revolves around keeping the soil permanently covered with a thick layer of hay or straw mulch.
Benefits of the Ruth Stout Method
Why bother with the Ruth Stout method?
The key advantage is the significant reduction in labor, time and effort compared to traditional gardening practices. The thick mulch layer continuously feeds your plants, conserves soil moisture, and suppresses weed growth.
Over time, as the mulch breaks down, it improves soil quality and fertility.
This method is particularly well-suited for small garden plots where you can easily maintain the necessary mulch coverage.
Getting Started: Preparing Your Garden
To get started, first assess your existing soil type and quality.
In the first year only, you may need to till and amend very poor soil, such as hard clay or overly sandy mixtures. However, if you’re converting an existing traditional garden bed, no extra preparation is required.
Next, gather your mulching materials. Hay or straw work best, but you can also use grass clippings, leaves, or other organic matter. You’ll need enough to create a mulch layer 6-8 inches deep across your entire planting area.
Crops You Can Plant
Some of the plants that grow very well in a Ruth Stout garden are vegetables that benefit from mulching, such as:
- Potatoes
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Eggplants
- Cucumbers
- Squash and pumpkin
- Asparagus
- Garlic
- Onion
- Peas
- Beans
- Soybeans
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Turnips
- Corn
Planting Your Garden the Ruth Stout Way
When it’s time to plant, this method has a few quirks:
- For seeds: plant them in direct contact with the bare soil, following the recommended spacing for each crop.
- For seedlings: use a trowel to transplant them, ensuring the roots make good contact with the soil.
- Potatoes: just plant whole potatoes and harvest new potatoes after the plants flower.
- Onions: best grown from sets, which are small bulbs.
- Asparagus: plant one-year-old crowns directly in contact with the soil, then cover with an 8-inch mulch layer.
Maintaining Your Ruth Stout Garden
One of the beauties of the method is how little maintenance is required once your garden is established.
Adding Mulch:
- Add more mulch to any bare or thin spots to smother germinating weeds.
- Replenish the mulch layer as needed to maintain that 6-8 inch depth.
Fertility:
- If you want to boost fertility, you can sprinkle small amounts of seed meal or fish meal before adding new mulch.
- Otherwise, no tilling, digging, weeding, watering or fertilizing is necessary!
Each year, you’ll notice the soil quality and plant spacing improving on its own.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
While the method is quite simple, a few issues can crop up. If weeds start popping through, add more mulch to smother them. In cold climates, a thick mulch layer can keep soil too cool in spring, so wait to add your new layer until the soil warms up.
Some gardeners find the informal, wild look of this style of garden unappealing. If aesthetics are a concern, consider using this method in a back or side yard, rather than your front garden.
Is This Method Right for You?
The Ruth Stout method works best for small-scale gardens, as it does require large volumes of organic matter to maintain the proper mulch depth. It’s ideal for gardeners who want to minimize the time and labor spent maintaining their vegetable patch.
You can start a Ruth Stout garden at any time, but fall is optimal to prep for spring planting. Keep in mind that this method really shines after a few years, once the soil quality has been improved by the constant breakdown of organic mulch.
With a little patience and persistence, this unique technique can help you grow an abundance of fresh vegetables and flowers, all while preserving soil health and moisture. Why not give it a try and discover the magic of “no-work” gardening for yourself?
Source:
1. Providence Journal
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Davin is a jack-of-all-trades but has professional training and experience in various home and garden subjects. He leans on other experts when needed and edits and fact-checks all articles.