Gardening without digging

We dig over the soil to remove weeds, loosen and aerate the soil, and dig in compost and manure to feed our vegetables and other plants. We also dig to break  up the soil to be able to sow seeds and plant plants in the first place.
 
But do we need to dig our soil?

Gardens with thin sandy soil and sloping gardens where erosion is a problem are not improved with digging and can actually make the problem worse. Digging can damage soil structure, causing compaction, displace nutrients, shifting surface organic material to deep into the ground to decompose, also putting it out of reach of most plant roots. Sandy loose soil, unless retained, just slips and shifts further down the slope.

Clay soil is almost impossible to dig anyway, although clay soil can be improved by adding organic material and grit, there is another way, no dig gardens, yes no dig means just that, never digging the garden again.

It involves some work to start the no digging process off. Depending on the area you intend to change to the no dig method of gardening, the work can vary from a day to a few weeks.

A simple raised  bed can be ready in less than a day, an allotment or large area will take longer.

Not convinced, then why not try an experiment and convert a small area of to no digging. Sit back and watch nature and the worms do the digging for you, compost the materials and feed the plants in your no dig patch.
 
Materials you will need to change to the, no dig method, are.

Old Newspapers or cardboard or other natural fibers like old wool carpet. these cut out the light, killing of most weeds and will rot down to allow plant roots to penetrate.
The earth worms will help this process taking the material down into the ground. I leave the newspapers piled outside to get wet before I lay them out.
Spread the newspapers,cardboard or other natural fiber 3 or 4 deep, over the area you are setting aside for no dig gardening, making sure the materials overlap to smother the weeds, any weeds or grass left uncovered, will grow through the organic matter you are going to spread over the top.
Give the ground cover a good soaking and go on to the next stage in preparing for no dig gardening.

Organic material or top soil, any available organic material will work twigs, leaves, grass cuttings, sawdust, compost from your heap etc. Shovel the organic materials on in layers with the coarsest stuff, twigs etc at the bottom, and the compost or soil on top.
Depending on the area you are going to turn over to the no dig method of gardening you may need more of the organic material than you have available.
A little bit of pre planning may be necessary, ask your neighbours or the local lawn care person for grass cuttings and leaves etc.  Providing they are not into composting they will be only to pleased to off load it.

So as not to compact the no digging areas or no dig raised beds you are creating, build pathways through the no dig beds, as you are digging them out, spread the topsoil onto the beds over the organic material.

That's it ? yes the no dig method of gardening is that simple to change to.

When mixing plants always include companion plants to deter insect pests and attract beneficial insects, my companion planting page provides more information.