Mound cultivation techniques

An ancient and universal techniqueCommon senseA few decades ago, before the arrival of the first agricultural machinery powered by an internal combustion engine, tillage was carried out solely by animal traction and human power. Until the 1950s, even in soils as deep and loose as those of the Beauce, plowing was generally done in three stages. Considering that even with a plow in good condition and a well-maintained team, it is impossible to work more than 20cm deep, it is easy to understand that it was ultimately simpler to "lift", even a small amount of earth, to regain soil thickness in the many regions where the soils are shallow or too clayey, therefore very heavy to work. A very old techniqueThis technique is not new. Australian archaeologists have even discovered traces of mound cultivation in Papua New Guinea dating back 7,000 years! Similarly, in most African countries where tubers such as yams and sweet potatoes are grown, mounds have been built for generations using a hoe or a daba (a traditional tool of the Sahelian farmer, similar to the hoe) to facilitate cultivation. Remains of thousands of mounds cultivated by pre-Columbian farmers have also been found in the coastal savannahs of French Guiana: they date from between 650 and the 15th century. In short, for those who still doubt it, mound cultivation is not the recent invention of some wacky eco-agronomist, but rather the survival of ancient agricultural methods. Temporary mounds They are dismantled after one or two crops. Each gardener will have to do this according to the nature of their soil. In sandy soil, there are of course almost no seasonal constraints, but there is little interest in this type of cultivation which even presents risks of increased water losses. In clay or loamy soils, the constraints are linked to the state of the soil. While it is often appreciable to be able to build a few mounds in the fall to have land available early in the spring, it will be necessary to ensure that they are built on perfectly drained soil and to think about protecting them from winter leaching either with a cover of green manure, or with a cover such as straw, grass cuttings, etc. The temporary mounds must be built in the spring or at the end of winter. Make no mistake, this technique does not mean that all preparatory work of the soil is definitively abolished. The squares must have been amended, decompacted, then scratched on the surface, whatever the method used subsequently. It is better to stick to the size of an average molehill: 15 to 20 cm high and 30 to 50 cm wide, once the top has been leveled with a rake. These dimensions will allow you to cultivate one or two rows. Perennial mounds A time saver The idea with this type of arrangement is to no longer depend on your natural soil, but to recreate one by stacking successive layers. These mounds are composed of materials chosen for their richness and lightness, never trampled since they are raised and necessarily mulched since they drain. The objective is to cultivate without real work of the soil. Building these mounds is a real investment, in time of course, but also in the acquisition of materials. But this choice is justified: what do we want to spend time and budget on? The acquisition and use, for example, of thermal equipment such as a cultivator to work the soil flat, or composts, straw, manure and amendments to work it at height? A somewhat long implementation While this method gives excellent results, as with any cultivation practice, it takes time to fully benefit from it. Just as a lawn or an old meadow will not recover with conventional methods in one season, it is with time that active and effective soil microfauna and microflora gradually establish themselves over the seasons. Some examples: Lasagna beds This consists of obtaining a surface ready for planting by stacking successive layers of organic materials. There is no preparatory work of the soil, the gardener "simply" delimits the location of his future mound, on which he will spread a layer of cardboard overlapping at least a third. Initially, these cardboards will limit weed growth and, above all, encourage the presence of our dear earthworms, always fond of cellulose. Be careful when choosing these cardboards; remember that they are often bleached chemically and that many colored inks are polluting. After this stock of cellulose, we then spread successive layers of organic matter: grass clippings, straw or decomposed manure. The objective is to obtain a minimum height of