I've been blown away by the preorder interest in Small-Scale No-Till Gardening Basics. Clearly, the topic has hit a nerve! Here's hoping that everyone enjoys the writing inside now that the book is live.

If you haven't snapped up your copy yet, you can do so today on any of the following platforms:

• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
  
• Kobo
• iBooks
• Google
  

And while I'm regaling you with book news, part three in the series --- Balancing Soil Nutrients and Acidity --- is up for preorder as well. Once again, I'm giving you a couple of days to nab the ebook at 99 cents before it goes up to its real price of $2.99. So if you want to learn about the science behind remineralization, along with information on how to mitigate soil deficits and problematic pH using chemicals, cows, goats, chickens, mushrooms, cover crops, dynamic accumulators, and more, then here are the links for you:

• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
  
• Kobo
• iBooks

Finally, just as a reminder, these ebooks are sections of the print book The Ultimate Guide to Soil, which is currently up for preorder and will be hitting bookstores and libraries in July. So if you'd rather wait a few months and read on paper, that option is available as well.

Thanks so much for reading! Your support lets me spend my days experimenting with kill mulches, goats, and cover crops, then reporting those results to you on the blog. So I hope you know I appreciate everyone who buys a copy, tells their friend, shares this post on social media, or leaves a review. You are why I write.

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Ruth Stout

I'm enjoying reading some of your ebooks. This is making me feel really old, but your ethic is making me remember Ruth Stout. If you don't know about her, you're in for a real treat. Her book, The No-Work Gardening Book, will be a fun read for you. You can see a short video on Youtube. She was an original and a character, with a pioneering approach to gardening we now take for granted. Beyond her gardening writing is a very interesting bio and family story. Her approach to no-till permanent mulching with hay has improved our gardens for decades. I do still till though. I like doing it....

Comment by Tim Inman — Tue Mar 8 09:22:37 2016

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Ruth Stout

Tim --- I actually mention Ruth Stout in this exact book. Her methods are fascinating, although very dependent on salt hay which isn't available inland. Heavy straw would work similarly, though, I'd think.

Comment by anna — Wed Mar 9 20:12:55 2016

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Ruth Stout

We use plain old alfalfa hay. It works great! We're in a 'horsey' area and horses need unspoiled hay. So we are always on the lookout for hay that is old or has gotten wet. Small bales, laid off in flakes as mulch. This hay seems to be hygroscopic. Even in the driest times, you can look under a flake of alfalfa hay and the ground will be moist. It rots in one season and the plants thrive on it. There is actually some research suggesting alfalfa hay has a trait which discourages seed germination - weed protection! I think the key is thick mulch, whatever the plant source.

Comment by Tim Inman — Thu Mar 10 08:58:24 2016

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