no dig gardening

[Two_Sheds]

Actually, worms prefer to pull the humus down themselves: they don't like it dug in. Why does the soil need to be aerated with a fork? Think of a forest floor: really good deep mulches (of dead leaves) and no dig.
By digging, you are actually destroying the tunnels that the worms have made

[Snadger]

I agree wholeheartedly with the no dig ethos!

Unfortunately I am one of those daft sods who enjoys digging so its doubly hard for me.

I deep dug and removed as many weeds as I could on both my plots one winter about three years ago.

My stainless steel spade is now sat in the tool shed, sparkling, but looking very forlorn!

I now realise that, however much I love digging, it is at odds with nature and I think, does more harm than good.
Heavy mulches are my way now and trying to keep my planted 'pockets' with a growing crop in them at all times.

[binley100]

We're still removing perennial weeds, although this year is much improved on last. So when the bed empties , weeds are removed and then compost is spread (apart from where the roots go) and left. If anything there has been a forking over but no spade digging in the traditional sense.

[perkin]

I'm a confirmed 'no-digger'. That said, I created my raised beds 3 years ago - so my maintenance is a lot easier than that of those grapes struggling against perennial weeds. My crops are improving year on year and I have worms aplenty so they must like it. Switching between homemade compost and well rotted horse manure for the winter addition depending on availability.
It's certainly kept my back problems at bay!

[Two_Sheds]

One old boy on my site used to religiously dig over his plot & leave it bare every winter.
He has the poorest soil & worst weeds of anyone.
Digging makes moisture evaporate (leaving the soil dry) and he is forever uncovering weed seeds to the light so that they germinate.

[jackyspratty]

Following advice here, I use the cover and mulch method. Covered with cardboard, mulched with grass cuttings, leaf mould, big bags of used coffee from macdonalds, and strulch, amd a little homemade compo.

Its fab!! Veg looks great. Minimal weeding, a bit in between the few cracks in cardboard, will dig out some more couch grass root at end of season, but the bits I have pulled through are aleady very weakened. Minimal watering too. Wheras some plots are hard and cracked mine still is moist underneath.

Its cost me nothing other than a bit of time searching for enough cardboard etc. After feeling like giving it up I now well chuffed!!

Really reccommend it. AAAA+

[Madasafish]

I have used no dig in garden for 15 out of the 30 years we have been here. You need lots of compost...

[Two_Sheds]

I have used no dig ... You need lots of compost...

Pourquoi? You don't add any more than you do on a digging system surely?

[zazen999]

Following advice here, I use the cover and mulch method. Covered with cardboard, mulched with grass cuttings, leaf mould, big bags of used coffee from macdonalds, and strulch, amd a little homemade compo.

Its fab!! Veg looks great. Minimal weeding, a bit in between the few cracks in cardboard, will dig out some more couch grass root at end of season, but the bits I have pulled through are aleady very weakened. Minimal watering too. Wheras some plots are hard and cracked mine still is moist underneath.

Its cost me nothing other than a bit of time searching for enough cardboard etc. After feeling like giving it up I now well chuffed!!

Really reccommend it. AAAA+

Told ya!

[Suky]

Its cost me nothing other than a bit of time searching for enough cardboard etc.

Good place to look is in the bottled water aisle in big supermarkets. The bottles come in on pallets and the layers are divided by thickish carnboard sheets. I use them as a cover in the compost bin and to cover the ground and they rot down beautifully.

[Alison]

I find that doing an initial double dig when I've created my beds has really helped and I have no intention of digging them again other than that that is necessary to plant / harvest etc. Don't understand the comments about it costing more / needing a lot of compost though. I simply added a decent layer of well rotted compost last autumn and let the worms do the work.

[womble]

Pourquoi? You don't add any more than you do on a digging system surely?

I'm waiting for a reply on this one, because I don't get it either.
Ideally you do need alot of organic stuff to pile on the soil at the end of the year, but if you are following organic principles, then you would do that anyway.
Cardboard works just as well