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So often I hear, “All you need to do to have a great garden is…”

Whether it's tons of compost or loads of micro-organisms or remineralization or just adding the miracle stuff (from powdered milk to Epsom salts to Miracle Gro) or lots more nitrogen or cover crops or the latest craze from Permaculture or no-till organic gardening, I've never found just one thing to make a great positive difference in garden production. And sometimes just that one thing can damage the soil with imbalance and decrease yields of some vegetables.

And when I observe the results of a garden bestowed with the greatest single thing, I consider that the garden doesn't match the praise.

I'm not saying I've managed to have a great garden every year. My approach is carefully apply variety of likely effective techniques, not in excess. I do see my gardens improving year to year.

• Re-minerallization made a significant difference with healthier soil and plants.
• A raised bed with a ton of organic matter was a disaster the first year, but produced well the third season, supplemented with balanced mineralization.
• A cereal rye cover crop limited weeds but failed to decompose in a timely manner so it added little organic matter, and was a pain to dispose of.

A slavish adherence to Permaculture dogma works in some places and not in others. Weather and predators can make a big difference causing problems that Permaculture techniques exacerbate rather than cure.

Some of the one great thing to do actually have better alternatives, for example, high-density planting doesn't conserve water as well as maintaining a dust cover with widely spaced plants. This makes a difference in drought conditions.

Ultimately, the proof is in the produce, in its healthy appearance, its production and its nutrient density. And one season of the “one big thing” generally doesn't last because plants and soil need a balance of many factors, and “one big thing” doesn't provide balance.

What things do I do?

• Plant cover crops, not necessarily the same ones each year
• Leave a section of each garden remain fallow (with cover crop) for a year
• Test soil and amend it with necessary minerals
• Save and apply compost (real compost, not municipal waste) moderately
• Space plants and maintain a dust mulch to limit water loss from the soil and plant leaves
• Match the needs of a crop with the characteristics of the soil (just the right amount of nitrogen for one crop may be too much for another).
• Intercrop plants and flowers that either attract pests to themselves or repel pests.

Sooooo, it's either a lot of big things (and not just one) or a lot of little things that make a significant different in the quality of a garden's produce.