To Dig or Not to Dig?

[Nikki Arnold]

There are two main ways to dig and cultivate soil; by use of spades and without. Each have their own merits (and pitfalls), so this month we want to know what is your preferred method and why?*

Looking forward to reading your posts!


*Please note answers may be edited and printed in the November issue of GYO

[Alison]

I voted a bit of both as I have double dug all the sections of the plot in the first year to get them as weed free and aerated as I could. When that was done I practice no-dig as I find it works better for the edged beds I use. I don't walk on them so the soil doesn't get compacted and the only digging I do is to plant / harvest. I run a 4 year rotation so each potato year involves an amount of digging but not the regimented double digging that I think benefitted my ground the first year.

[veggiechicken]

I voted a bit of both too but I only dig to remove large roots and where necessary to plant or harvest. I've never double-dug in my life and I shan't be starting now!

[Incy]

I only dig where necessary to remove large roots or lift spuds etc. The rest of the time it's not necessary with our raised beds at home as we bought in new topsoil and compost to fill them originally so its mostly fairly easily removed weeds. At the plot we did dig over the beds adding manure when we got our plot but again it's raised beds so really doesn't need much digging and the worms help if we manure it in Autumn.

[VirginVegGrower]

We have raised beds and only dug at the start of getting them in order. Now that they are, they get perennial weed remove by hand, mulched and left. We do not stand on the soil. The less you interfere with the soil, the better I find it. Again at home in the polytunnel, we have had to dig and fork in matter in the first year, but the plan is to add mulch to the top, which we have just done and let the worms take it down.

[Speed Gardener]

I voted all digging because I don't like the forced regimen of raised beds and the weed growth all around is so great that I couldn't leave the ground undug. It's bad enough when the grounds's been cleared, in fact on a lot of the plot I dig it, leave it for a few weeks to get the first flush of weed, re-weed it again and then plant. That way, you get a bit of extra time without all the weeds smothering your seedlings.
I am, of course, referring to a working man's plot where the weeds do get a chance to grow, not a retired person who might have all the time in the world. Roll on that situation and a weed-free lottie, only another ten years to go!

[Cue the Toms]

I do love a good old dig.... Especially at people... I find it very therapeutic!

[Thelma Sanders]

My plot had a hard pan from being rotovated, so I've had to do quite a bit of deep digging since taking it on.

Now that it's all done the only bed that gets dug is the potato bed, for planting them up - all the other beds just get tickled over with the fork to mix in fertiliser/compost in the spring

[bearded bloke]

I voted "no dig" as that is the way I shall be working from the end of this season onwards,this is purely because the extremely poor condition of the soil I have in the veg patch,which is largely subsoil on top of rubble that has been put there by previous owners when undertaking building projects on & around the house.

[solway cropper]

This my third year of no-dig and it works fine for me which is just as well as I have arthritis in my spine and couldn't dig now if I wanted to. All my spuds are grown in containers/polypots so there really is no need to dig, apart from getting down to dig out the odd dandelion root. I must admit I was a little sceptical at first but if you plant close together in blocks rather than rows you don't have much of a problem with weeds.

[BarleySugar]

I'm moving to no dig now. At first we needed to set the beds up, but as they become empty I'm covering with cardboard and then adding manure/compost etc along the lasagne method. I'm not planning on digging these at all, once the green manure is ready I will cut it down and let it rot in situ.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I have very few native earth worms because of predation by New Zealand flat worms. It's therefore essential for me to dig to help drainage and aeration. Depending on the crop to follow, I dig as much muck and compost into the ground as I can because once again, the lack of worms means that muck/compost left on the surface does not get pulled in to the soil naturally.

[themadcatlady]

due to the really poor quality soil and a dodgy back, im looking into the lasagne method just been doing loads of research on it. so have been working out next years plan my friend rescues rabbits . so layering cut the weeds then newspapers and straw piling up with veggies grass clippings. will do potatoes upwards with mulch too until beds eventually fill up with compost hopefully it will work wonders.

[Newton]

I've read the NO DIG book. I've got the NO DIG tee shirt. I dig it! I'm embracing it but there are times when I do DIG too! For things like initial bed preparation and this year where my mulching has not quite killed off some perennial buttercups. Not enough mulch applied I suppose.

[Bren In Pots]

It's my third year of growing in none raised beds so most of the digging is over with apart from using spade and fork to turn the compost heap.