How to Plant Seeds Using No-Till

Rototill the garden site to a depth of 2 feet. Remove weeds, grass, rocks and any other debris you come across.

Spread a 2-to-4-inch layer of composted manure, compost or other organic matter over the turned soil. Till it into the ground uniformly. Rake the surface to smooth it out.

Dip newspaper in a basin of water to wet the sheets. Forty sheets are enough for a 4-foot-long, 4-foot-wide garden bed.

Arrange the sheets of wet newspaper on the garden surface four to six sheets deep. Overlap the pages as you cover the entire planting area.

Spread 40 pounds of composted manure on the newspaper evenly. This weight covers a 4-by-4-foot garden bed.

Build a layer of wood chips over the manure 2 to 4 inches thick.

Fill a garbage bag with dead leaves and carry it to the no-till bed. Drop the leaves in the center and spread them out evenly with a rake. Repeat this step using grass clippings, preferably recently cut.

Spread the layers of mulch apart by hand or with a hoe to build a furrow. Make the trench 1 inch deeper than the seeds you are planting require. Fill the bottom with a 1-inch layer of topsoil.

Broadcast the seeds at the recommended spacing. Cover them with topsoil to the required planting depth. To broadcast very small seeds, first mix them with some topsoil to act as a carrier. Toss the seeded soil over the bed as evenly as you can.

Install a soaker hose 2 inches from the row of seeds. Irrigate the bed after sowing.