Gardening Without Digging

The no dig garden is built on top of the ground, so you can build a garden anywhere no matter what the soil type. They are the easiest way to grow your own vegetables for the dinner table and it is an approach to gardening which is favored by many organic gardeners. The idea was originally developed by an Australian named Esther Deans as both a labor saving idea and a means to rejuvenate soil that was badly depleted.

When building a no dig vegetable garden you should look for a level site that gets at least 5 hours of sun a day. It is useful to surround your new garden with a border of bricks, rocks or timber at least 20-25cm high. This helps contain the organic matter and discourages the weeds surrounding it.

The garden itself is built from successive layers. The first layer is newspaper. This layer should be at least 0.5 cm thick. The next layer is made of lucerne hay. You should ensure there are no gaps in this layer and make it around 10cm high. On top of this should be a layer of good organic fertilizer such as chicken, horse, cow or sheep manure. The fertilizer layer should be around 20mm high. Over this lay loose straw to a depth of about 20cm. Follow with another fertilizer layer and finally top the whole thing off with about 10cm of compost. As well as removing the need for heavy digging, it develops a garden that is rich in nutrients. Once the garden is established you should water it making sure it is wet, but not soaking. It is now ready to start planting!

Seedlings tend to work better than seeds because these can get lost amongst the mix of layers. After planting is a good idea to add a layer of mulch, such as straw or grass clippings, although you should avoid laying it close to the stems of the seedlings in order to avoid stem rot. Maintenance involves adding manure and compost. You should avoid walking on the garden as this can compact the layers and introduce undesirable elements such as weed seeds.

When normal gardens are cultivated excessively the structure of the soil can be damaged and the soil compacted. On the other hand, with a no dig garden the various layers break down over time which in turn encourages earthworms and other beneficial organisms to continue the process. As well as removing the burden of digging you will end up being rewarded with your own great tasting vegetables for years to come.