Ruth Stout's System for Gardening How to use to cut down on weeding and heavy labor in your using the Ruth Stout gardening method. By Ruth Stout

February/March 2004 After you have mulched for a few years, your soil will become so rich from rotting vegetable matter that you can much more closely than one dares to in the old-fashioned way of gardening.

'Mulch Queen' Ruth Stout claimed to have smashed saloons with Carry Nation in Prohibition-era Kansas and worked au natural in her roadside Connecticut garden, but her labor-saving, soil- improving, permanent garden mulching technique is what earned her lasting fame. Stout was born in 1884 and lived to be 96; by the 1950s, she was writing lively gardening books, including How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back and Gardening Without Work. Both are out of print, but Stout's technique remains consistent with the "no-till" gardening methods soil experts recommend today (see Building Fertile Soil). We thought you might enjoy meeting Stout through this excerpt from Gardening Without Work, which was reprinted most recently by The Lyons Press. — MOTHER EARTH NEWS

My no-work gardening method is simply to keep a thick mulch of any vegetable matter that rots on both my vegetable and flower garden all year round. As it decays and enriches the soil, I add more. The labor- saving part of my system is that I never plow, spade, sow a cover crop, harrow, hoe, cultivate, weed, water or spray. I use just one fertilizer (cottonseed or soybean meal), and I don't go through that tortuous business of building a compost pile.

I beg everyone to start with a mulch 8 inches deep; otherwise, weeds may come through, and it would be a pity to be discouraged at the very start. But when I am asked how many bales (or tons) of hay are necessary to cover any given area, I can't answer from my own experience, for I gardened in this way for years before I had any idea of writing about it, and therefore didn't keep track of such details. However, I now have some information on this from Dick Clemence, my A-Number-One adviser. He says, "I should think of 25 50-pound bales as about the minimum for 50 feet by 50 feet, or about a half-ton of loose hay. That should give a fair starting cover, but an equal quantity in reserve would be desirable." That is a better answer than the one I have been giving, which is: You need at least twice as much as you would think.

What Should I Use for Mulch? Spoiled or regular hay, straw, leaves, pine needles, sawdust, weeds, garbage — any vegetable matter that rots.

Don't Some Leaves Decay Too Slowly? No, they just remain mulch longer, which cuts down on labor. Don't they mat down? If so, it doesn't matter because they are between the rows of growing things and not on top of them. Can one use leaves without hay? Yes, but a combination of the two is better, I think. What is spoiled hay? It's hay that for some reason isn't good enough to feed livestock. It may have, for instance, become mouldy — if it was moist when put in the haymow — but it is just as effective for mulching as good hay, and a great deal cheaper.

Shouldn't the hay be chopped? Well, I don't have mine chopped and I don't have a terrible time — and I'm 76 and no stronger than the average person. Can you use grass clippings? Yes, but unless you have a huge lawn or have neighbors who will collect them for you, they don't go very far.

How Do You Sow Seeds into the Mulch? You plant exactly as you always have, in the Earth. You pull back the mulch and put the seeds in the ground and cover them just as you would if you had never heard of mulching.

Isn't It Bad to Mulch With Hay That May Be Full of Weed Seeds? If the mulch is thick enough, the weeds can't come through it. One man in a group I addressed was determined not to let me get away with claiming that it was all right to throw a lot of hay full of grass seeds on one's garden, and the rest of the audience was with him. I was getting nowhere and was bordering on desperation, when, finally, I asked him:

"If you were going to make a lawn, would you plant the grass seed and then cover it with several inches of hay?" Put that way, he at last realized that a lot of hay on top of tiny seeds would keep them from germinating.

However, it's true that you can lay chunks of baled hay between the rows of vegetables in your garden and, in a wet season, have a hearty growth of weeds right on top of the hay. To kill unwanted weeds all you need do is turn over the chunk of hay. Now, this isn't much of a job but some ardent disciples of my system are capable of getting indignant with me (in a nice way, of course) because they are put to that bother. I have relieved them of all plowing, hoeing, cultivating, weeding, watering, spraying and making compost piles; how is it that I haven't thought of some way to avoid this turning over of those chunks of hay? How Can You Safely Plant Little Seeds Between 8-inch Walls of Mulch? One can't, of course, but almost before one gets through spreading it, the mulch begins to settle and soon becomes a 2- or 3-inch compact mass rather than an 8-inch fluffy one. It will no doubt be walked on, and rain may come; in any case, it will settle. As a matter of fact you won't need 8 inches to start if you use solid chunks of baled hay.

Many People Want to Know Why I Don't Use Manure and What I Have Against It I have nothing at all against it; in fact, I have a somewhat exaggerated respect for it. But I no longer need it; the ever-rotting mulch takes its place.

I sort of complained, in my first book, that no one ever wrote an ode to manure, and through the years since then at least a half-dozen people have sent me poems they composed about manure piles. I have been asked over and over if such things as sawdust and oak leaves should be avoided, the idea being that they make the soil too acidic. I use sawdust, primarily around raspberries, with excellent results. We have no oak trees, therefore I can't answer that question from experience, but I certainly wouldn't hesitate to use them; then, if it turned out that they were making the soil acidic, I would add some wood ashes or lime. I've had reports from a great many gardeners who have used both sawdust and oak leaves over their entire garden and have found them satisfactory.

How Often Do You Put on Mulch? Whenever you see a spot that needs it. If weeds begin to peep through anywhere, just toss an armful of hay on them. What time of year do you start to mulch? The answer is now, whatever the date may be, or at least begin to gather your material. At the very least give the matter constructive thought at one; make plans. If you are intending to use leaves, you will unfortunately have to wait until they fall, but you can be prepared to make use of them the moment they drop. Should you spread manure and plow it under before you mulch? Yes, if your soil isn't very rich; otherwise, mulch alone will answer the purpose.

How Far Apart Are the Rows? Exactly the same distance as if you weren't mulching — that is, when you begin to use my method. However, after you have mulched for a few years, your soil will become so rich from rotting vegetable matter that you can plant much more closely than one dares to in the old- fashioned way of gardening.

How Long Does the Mulch Last? That depends on the kind you use. Try always to have some in reserve, so that it can replenished as needed.

Now for the Million Dollar Question: Where Do You Get Mulch? That's difficult to answer but I can say this: If enough people in any community demand it, I believe that someone will be eager to supply it. At least that's what happened within a distance of 100 miles or so of us in Connecticut, and within a year after my book came out, anyone in that radius could get all the spoiled hay they wanted at 65 cents a bale.

If you belong to a garden club, why can't you all get together and create a demand for spoiled hay? If you don't belong to a group, you probably at least know quite a few people who garden and who would be pleased to join the project.

Use all the leaves you can find. Clip your cornstalks into foot length pieces and use them. Utilize your garbage, tops of perennials, any and all vegetable matter that rots. In many localities, the utility companies grind up the branches they cut off when they clear the wires; and often they are glad to dump them near your garden, with no charge. But hurry up before they find out that there is a big demand for them and they decide to make a fast buck. These wood chips make a splendid mulch; I suggest you just ignore anyone who tells you they are too acidic.

Recently, a man reproached me for making spoiled hay so popular that he can no longer get it for nothing. The important fact, however, is that it has become available and is relatively cheap. The other day a neighbor said to me, "Doesn't it make you feel good to see the piles of hay in so many yards when you drive around?" It does make me feel fine.

Now and then I am asked (usually by an irritated expert) why I think I invented mulching. Well, naturally, I don't think so; God invented it simply by deciding to have the leaves fall off the trees once a year. I don't even think that I'm the first, or only person, who thought up my particular variety of year-round mulching, but apparently I'm the first to make a big noise about it — writing, talking, demonstrating.

And since in the process of spreading this great news, I have run across many thousands who never heard of the method, and a few hundred who think it is insane and can't possibly work, and only two people who had already tried it, is it surprising that I have carelessly fallen into the bad habit of sounding as though I thought I originated it?

But why should we care who invented it? Dick Clemence works hard trying to get people to call it the "Stout System," which is good because it should have some sort of a short name for people to use when they refer to it, instead of having to tell the whole story each time. I suppose it does more or less give me a feeling of importance when I come across an article mentioning the Stout System, yet I am cheated out of the full value of that sensation because I've never been able really to identify the whole thing with that little girl who was certainly going to be great and famous some day. What a disgusted look she would have given anyone who would have offered her the title of Renowned Mulcher!

And it borders on the un-enthralling to have the conversation at social gatherings turn to slugs and cabbageworms the minute I show up. And if some professor of psychology, giving an association-of-ideas test to a bunch of gardeners, should say "mouldy hay" or "garbage," I'm afraid that some of them would come out with "Ruth Stout." Would anyone like that?

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• Stout, R. (1955). How to have a Green Thumb without an Aching Back: A New Method of Mulch Gardening. NewYork: Exposition Press, 1955, ISBN 0-88365-144-0 • Stout, R. (1958). Company Coming: Six Decades of Hospitality, Do-It- Yourself and Otherwise. NewYork: Exposition Press, Reprinted by Norton Creek Press, 2012, ISBN 978-0-9819284-8-7 • Stout, R. (1960). It's a Woman's World. Garden City, NJ: Doubleday & Co.,Inc. • Stout, R. (1962). If You Would Be Happy. Garden City, NJ: Doubleday & Co.,Inc. Reprinted by Norton Creek Press, 2016, ISBN 978-1-938099-00-7 • Stout, R. (1963). Gardening Without Work: For the Aging, the Busy & the Indolent. New York: The Devin-Adair Company, Reprinted by Norton Creek Press, 2011, ISBN 978-0-9819284-6-3 • Stout, R. & Clemence, R. (1973). The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book: Secrets of the year-round mulch method. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press. • Stout, R. (1975). As We Remember Mother. New York: Exposition Press. • Stout, R. (1975). I've Always Done It My Way. New York: Exposition Press. • Stout, R. Don't Forget to Smile: How to Stay Sane and Fit Over Ninety. ------

The Ruth Stout System of permanent hay mulching Nicknamed the "Mulch Queen", Ruth Stout was born in the United States in 1884. As early as 1920, she realized that all traditional methods of working with the soil (digging, weeding, watering, plowing, hoeing), could be replaced by simply adding a layer of hay on the ground. She wrote a chronicle about this particular approach for the magazine Organic Farming and Gardening from 1953 to 1971. She also published several books about her methods. Stout emphasized the simplicity of her methods, and the way the gardener benefits from extra free time and rest. It’s easy to see with the titles of her books: Gardening Without Work, I’ve Always Done It My Way, and How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back (unfortunately, many of these books are now unavailable, other than a few used copies). In light of the fascinating results she obtained in her , she didn’t shy away from challenging traditional methods of gardening. She made it a principle to speak only from experience, only from the results she had observed herself.

Description of her method

Quite simply, the method consists of keeping a thick layer of hay mulch permanently on the soil. We can sum this up as the "law of least effort", where we allow nature to do most of the work for us, and we stop needlessly interfering.

Ruth Stout didn’t invent the technique of permanent mulching (nature has been doing it for millions of years!), but it seems that she is the first who wrote about the topic. She was also an influence for other figures in the ecological gardening movement, including Emilia Hazelip who developed the "synergistic gardening" approach (which later evolved into the "self-fertilizing gardening" approach in Québec).

Equipment None needed! Only our own two hands! However, a trowel, a fork, a spade and a hoe can sometimes come in handy.

Inputs In terms of the materials needed, Stout bought the hay that she mulched with. We can never have too much! It’s a good idea to have some extra set aside. Anything that doesn’t decompose too quickly can also be used as mulch: old hay, straw, pine needles, corn stalks, grass clippings, seaweed... Nevertheless, hay has the best results.

From time to time, Ruth Stout would buy cotton meal or soy meal as a complementary source of fertility. She would spread about 5 pounds over 100 square feet. However, she said she would stop using it completely, if it weren’t for the numerous visitors who toured her garden, and wanting to ensure that the garden was beautiful for their visits.

Other than that, the only inputs for the garden were seeds. Starting the garden For Ruth Stout, the best time to start this type of garden is last year! As time passes, the soil quality improves and it becomes more fertile. She believes that the results really kick in after a few years of growing this way. To the frequent question from her readers, "When should I start to mulch?" she would answer "Now!"

More precisely, Stout recommended starting a garden in the summer or the fall. Early in the springtime, the soil is still cold, and the mulch would tend to keep the soil from warming up. If we cover the ground in the autumn with 8 inches (20cm) of hay, it will be ready for seedlings in the springtime.

To the question, "How much hay do I need?", Stout answered, "Twice as much as you think!" More specifically, she recommended a thickness of 8 inches (20cm). This may seem thick, but with the effects of rain and decomposition, soon enough it will be only 2-3 inches (5-7cm) thick.

For beginning a new garden with the Ruth Stout System, the hay can be added directly on an existing lawn. Do not remove the underlying grass and : they’ll decompose under the hay and add to the fertility of your soil.

In the case of converting a traditional garden into a Ruth Stout style garden, she recommends planting in your usual manner, and then adding mulch around the plants.

Between the rows of vegetables, she recommends adding fallen leaves from trees.

Soil type For Ruth Stout, soil type has little importance. Even if it was acidic, she didn’t do anything in particular. As for rocky soils, she considered them good soils. Mulching is particularly beneficial for sloped surfaces, because the mulch protects against erosion and the leaching of nutrients.

How to plant For planting seeds, ensure that they’re in direct contact with the soil. In terms of the distance between seeds, use the distances recommended in traditional gardening methods. Nevertheless, Ruth Stout said that the plants can be more closely spaced after a few years of using her method. For transplanting seedlings, use a trowel or a small shovel.

Crop variety Ruth Stout grew a wide variety of crops, including sweet spanish onions, sweet corn, cabbage, radish, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, beans, peas, young soy beans, carrots, parsnips, peppers and tomatoes.

Examples of several plants that work well in the Ruth Stout system Onions Easiest when grown from young bulbs. Asparagus There’s no need to dig a trench. We just ensure that the asparagus crown is in contact with the ground, and cover it with mulch. To protect these perennial plants during the winter, cover them with an extra 8 inches of mulch when the weather cools. Strawberries Transplant them in the springtime with a space of 1 foot (30 cm) between each plant. Potatoes In the region where Ruth Stout lived (Connecticut, United States), she could plant her potatoes in the autumn. She planted whole potatoes, spaced every 14 inches (35cm), and covered them with 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) of hay. Just after flowering, the tubers are 1-2 inches in diameter. Her favourite harvest was the young potatoes of the variety Irish Cobbler. For a mature harvest, it’s best to wait until the potato plants turn dry. Corn Just plant the seeds in the ground, and the young plants will grow through the mulch. It can help to add a string to indicate a row. The seeds are spaced every 6 inches (15 cm). Ruth Stout recommended the varieties North Star, Golden Beauty and Golden Bantam. Her corn harvests were well above average. With 5 rows of 25 plants, she’d harvest 15 dozen ears of corn. After the harvest, she’d crush the corn stalks and cover them with hay. In the spring, we can sow or transplant without a problem, with quite impressive results. As for animals, Ruth Stout had a fence to keep raccoons away from the corn. Crows weren’t able to eat the newly sown grains because they were protected by the mulch.

Crop Rotation In her book "No-Work Garden", Ruth Stout’s co-author, Richard Clemence, recommends a rotation of strawberries, sweet corn and potatoes: three productive cultures that are easy to install with the Stout System, and that can bring an income through the sale of these popular foods.

Cold-weather crops For the cooler seasons, Stout recommends choosing cold-resistant plants like kale, that we can harvest even when there is snow... or parnips, that we can leave in the ground all winter and harvest in the spring. To help them get through the winter, we can cover them with a layer of hay. Stout also suggests growing squash (for example, buttercup and blue hubbard), since they preserve well indoors during the winter months. Buying seeds and seed saving Ruth Stout had two recommendations. First of all, she recommended buying seeds from a reliable seed producer, which helps to support their business. And since they are specialized in the production of seeds, it would be ambitious to think that we could do better ourselves. At the same time, she recommends that gardeners use their own seeds. The idea is to benefit from "volunteers": leaving good-quality plants and good-quality fruits in place at the end of the season, so they can regrow the following spring. Ruth Stout nevertheless had the habit of transplanting volunteers to the place where she’d like them to grow the following year.

Tasks in a Ruth Stout garden Springtime ▪ Add hay if there isn’t enough. ▪ Sow and transplant. ▪ Harvest what’s still growing from last year. ▪ Summer ▪ Stake climbing plants (eg climbing beans), and plants that have difficulty supporting their own weight (eg tomatoes). ▪ Weeding consists of laying the plants down and covering them with hay. ▪ Add hay if there isn’t enough. ▪ For the cabbage family, Stout suggests using salt to counter cabbage butterflies. ▪ Harvest Autumn

▪ Harvest. ▪ Plant cultures like garlic. ▪ Everything is left in place. Nothing is ripped out. We just cover everything with hay. ▪ Advantages of the Stout System ▪ Easy to do ▪ Easy to understand ▪ No machinery needed ▪ Few inputs, other than hay and seeds ▪ Everything is returned to the soil ▪ The mulch retains moisture, which eliminates the need to water ▪ Gives good results ▪ And, above all, little work! Less time and physical effort are needed because: ▪ No tilling ▪ No digging ▪ No harrowing ▪ No ground cover to plant ▪ No weeding ▪ No watering ▪ No spraying ▪ No compost to make ▪ Comments and criticisms Ruth Stout realized that her system required large amounts of organic matter and was better adapted to small surfaces. What’s more, the visual look of her gardening system is in contrast with traditional methods and might be an aesthetic problem for some people. And, even if Stout doesn’t mention it herself, to create a more dynamic ecosystem and increase the real autonomy of our garden, especially related to garden "pests", we could consider adding trees and ponds to the system.

In terms of the criticism relating to weed seeds in the hay, here are a few answers: When we use hay, it’s best to avoid working the soil. If the hay contains weed seeds, as long as we keep piling on more hay as it decomposes, the seeds will be buried and likely won’t germinate. It’s usually when we work the soil that the seeds are brought up to the surface, which leads to their germination. If we see weeds that are germinating and growing, we can pull them out (Ruth Stout gardened with 100% hay, so instead of pulling them out, she’d cover the weeds with more hay). If you’re worried, you can leave the hay outside of the garden for a few months to start the decomposition process before adding it to the garden.

Similar systems ▪ Self-fertilizing gardens ▪ ▪ Hans-Peter Rusch ▪ Kurt Kretschman ------

Test patch: Ruth Stout system

Saint-Casimir, Québec, 2005 Stéphane Groleau

Preparing the soil Early in the springtime, I covered the patch of grass with old hay. The hay stops the grass from growing, keeps in humidity, feeds the soil life and enriches the soil (by adding nutrients, and eventually humus)

A month after starting the test, once the temperature was warmer and the hay had started the decomposition process, I transplanted tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, ground cherries, sunflowers and cabbage.

The progress of the plants June 10th, 2005: The peppers and cucumbers react well to this environment.

At this point, I had a bunch of extra potatoes, so I planted them throughout the garden. July 23rd, 2005: The ground cherry and sunflower plants are starting to take off. The most impressive part is that only a superficial layer of the hay is dry. The rest of the hay is quite humid and is actively decomposing.

The same cucumber plant pictured above has finally decided to stretch out! In the bottom left, there’s a tomato plant that I’m allowing to grow however it chooses.

August 13th, 2005: The hay mulch is completely covered in vegetation. The potatoes that I planted have shot up and are growing quickly.

I discover a few hidden cucumbers. August 30th, 2005: I realize that my pepper plant has about 10 peppers!