SEATTLE — “I’ve got a new lazy way to garden that not only is easier but a lot better for your vegetable garden,” said Seattle gardening expert Ciscoe Morris. “So in the past, I used to put four inches of compost down every fall, then in the spring, I’d get out my little hand fork and till it in 12 inches deep. Well, research has shown that there’s all kinds of life and microorganisms under the soil, and if you turn it up, especially with a rototiller, you’ll beat the living tweedle out of the worms, bacteria, and fungus and you don’t wanna do that!”

Instead, Ciscoe advises scratching some organic fertilizer into the top layer of the soil’s surface. 

“Now, instead of tilling it 12 inches deep, I’m already ready to plant!” 

Right now is the perfect time to plant brassicas like broccoli and Brussels sprouts. 

“By the way, when you buy vegetables in 4-inch pots or nursery packs, keep ’em moist and plant ’em right away, they don’t last long in pots like this,” Ciscoe said. 

He also advises reading the plant tag carefully and always going for early maturing varieties for our area, where the summer is relatively short — especially important for Brussels sprouts. 

“Try to find the ones that ripen early, because they take forever in our area, and if you get ones that take 120 days they will never form sprouts!”

Add a marker so you’ll know what you planted where — Ciscoe’s says Oh La La, of course — and you’ll be eating more, while working less, in no time. 

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