What's all this no digging about ?

[newbieveggie]

Hi there

I'm very interested in the no dig approach (anything to save my back) but does that literally mean 'no digging' ? What about a new plot of land ? Do I just pile loads of compost and manure on the top and thats it ?

Can anyone help before I stock up on spades pls ?

[FionaH]

Hi I moved your post to here so people could answer it

[binley100]

There is an excellent book called 'Organic gardening- the natural no-dig way' by Charles Dowding which explains the art of no-digging. You would have to a certain amount to start off with to clear weeds, couch grass etc but then the idea is you pile your compost / manure on top and pretty much leave it for the worms to do the work. We just use a fork to break up the soil and get out roots .

[jackyspratty]

I've just got that book out of the library, its a gem. have a new plot (as you all know!) and so this approach has been a bit of inspiration/motivation. Unfortunately I'm still at the stage of removing couchgrass, or would be if I could get a fork in the soil. Damn, its snowing again!!

[Lazgaot]

I was given that book by a friend just after getting my plot and found it invaluable. I'm adopting his approach, but there was a ton of digging to do first to get all all the weed and grass roots out and it felt a million miles from no-digging! A year later and its a whole different story, just jently raking the annual weeds away and if done regulalry there are hardly any !

He's a really nice guy and very approachable. If you have a loot at his site he has some info on no-digging allotments and an article on taming an overgrown allotment.

His farm is idyllic! I visited it in 2008 to see first hand what no digging can produce and was blown away! I took some pics, you can see here.

All the best with yours!

[Snadger]

I dug my two allotments over removing all the perennial weeds I could see.I then layed out a bed system of 4 foot beds and 2 foot paths and covered the whole lot with a heavy mulch of farmyard manure...................That was three years ago and I haven't wielded a spade since.

I cover with whatever organic matter I can scrounge.................. I even had to buy a load once!

I have a mixture of veg,fruit and herbs dotted willy nilly and its very rare I see a weed. First year I was forever pulling out thistles, but they have even given up the ghost now.

It would be interesting to try a no-dig systen from scratch with no digging at all?
To do this I think I would cover the area with cardboard with a good thick layer of FYM (at least 6 inches thick) on top and just plant stuff through it.

[OllieMartin]

His farm is idyllic! I visited it in 2008 to see first hand what no digging can produce and was blown away! I took some pics, you can see here.

All the best with yours!

I thought those pics would be really great, but they almost depressed me, I've way too much work ahead of me to get anything like as 'sexy' a plot as that!
No, lovely pictures really.

[Lazgaot]

I thought those pics would be really great, but they almost depressed me, I've way too much work ahead of me to get anything like as 'sexy' a plot as that!
No, lovely pictures really.

Yes, but remember that the pictures were taken at the end of Summer so everything was growing well and his farm is a commercial concern, plus he's been doing it for about 12 years, so its bound to look amazing .

One glaring onservation was the stark absence of raised beds (ie raised and edged beds) other than experimental ones.

[Alison]

It would be interesting to try a no-dig systen from scratch with no digging at all?
To do this I think I would cover the area with cardboard with a good thick layer of FYM (at least 6 inches thick) on top and just plant stuff through it.

You certainly couldn't do that on my plot as the ground is too compacted and I'd get a problem with drainage. I've double dug as I've gone along and am not intending to dig for anything other than planting / harvesting in the future.

[muckdiva]

I usually do 'no dig' potatoes as a first crop in new areas. Cover the bed with cardboard and a thick layer of straw, grass clippings, compost and manure if you have it. Water well and cover the raised area with black plastic or fabric sheet mulch. Then plant your spuds through the sheet mulch. By the time you've harvested the spud crop, the straw etc should have rotted down pretty well and helped loosen up any persistent weeds. The potatoes have done very well, even in dry years, this way and it leaves a nice bed for your next crop - I usually plant broadies next and they seem to appreciated the ground preparation. I do dig over lightly after harvesting, but it's pretty easy as the worms have done a fair bit to loosen the ground!

[marathon]

My beds are more or less no dig. I simply lightly fork over the soil ready for a new crop and then just use my swoe which is my favourite tool.

On really weedy areas I would put cardboard down then manure etc and the weeds give up as the cardboard seems to put them off

[Snadger]

You certainly couldn't do that on my plot as the ground is too compacted and I'd get a problem with drainage. I've double dug as I've gone along and am not intending to dig for anything other than planting / harvesting in the future.

Nature's little helpers, worms, should make light work of compaction!

[zazen999]

When we came here there was a patch in the back yard that was solid and I mean solid clay.....the previous owner's dog had used it a his 'patch' and there was no top soil left whatsoever. It was about 2 m square.

Horrified; I tipped the contents of our home made compost bins on it; and got some soil from freecycle and tipped that on it; and planted potatoes. I made some sides to hold it all in.

It was when we harvested the spuds we realised that the soil underneath was - in only a matter of months - soft and lush. It really didn't take long at all; the compost that we put on it had been tipped out of the bins at our old house and left all winter in plastic tubs to bring with us; it was really good stuff.

So, I think the no dig method without ever digging - really can work! Esp on compacted soil.

[newbieveggie]

Wow thanks for all your replies.

I have done so much land clearing the past couple of years that I'm really looking forward to a time when a 'light fork over' is all that is required.
I have already mixed in some spent mushroom compost but I was going to dump a load of horse manure on my beds.
Sorry being REALLY dumb here, but presumably the more rotted down the less the smell , yea ?
Also what is considered well rotted 3mth +/6mths+ ?

And finally, would it kill my plants if it wasn't that well rotted ?
Thank you x

[Two_Sheds]

presumably the more rotted down the less the smell , yea ?

It shouldn't smell at all when it's ready: in fact it shouldn't resemble what it used to be

Also what is considered well rotted 3mth +/6mths+ ?

see above. It's usually 6-18 months, depending on your composting method. If you cover it and it heats up, it'll rot quicker than leaving it on open (cold) soil

And finally, would it kill my plants if it wasn't that well rotted ?

Yes, the nitrogen will burn them.