Garden With Ernest

A simple guide to the no dig gardening method. Basically, no dig gardening is a non-invasive method of looking after the soil. It is a simple and easy technique.

A simple guide to the No Dig gardening method, highlights why we need to stop digging and spells out the advantages of the no dig gardening method. Moreover, it will provide a clear explanation of how this low impact gardening benefits both the soil and our environment.

A basic introduction to no dig gardening.

Charles Dowding first brought the no dig gardening technique to public attention in 1983. This low impact gardening has been slowly gaining popularity as an eco-friendly and soil friendly approach to cultivating plants. This method focuses on minimizing soil disturbance and embracing the natural processes within the garden. 

By not digging, you build healthier soil.

Building and preserving soil structure: No dig gardening involves avoiding traditional methods such as digging or rotavating. By leaving the soil undisturbed, its natural structure is preserved. Therefore microorganisms, fungi, and earthworms, that live in the soil, thrive. This creates a diverse and balanced ecosystem, which helps plants grow stronger and healthier.

The no dig garden method simply copies nature

In a “no dig” garden, compost, manure or mulch is applied directly on top of the soil. As it decomposes, it gradually releases nutrients feeding the soil, creating a nutrient rich environment for plant roots to grow in.

 

No dig gardening reduces the need to weed

One of the advantages of a “no dig” garden is fewer weeds. As mulch or compost smothers unwanted seedlings, which means far less weeding. Additionally, a layer of mulch makes it easier to pull out weeds that have grown in the ground, because it has a loose structure .

What is soil structure?

This natural structure is destroyed by traditional digging methods. By not digging we protect a valuable, ecological, environment.

We need to project the soil’s microorganisms

The soil is home to lots of beneficial microorganisms that make it fertile and healthy. Traditional gardening practices, like digging, damage the soil’s vital organisms. 

Actually, 1 tsp of soil contains about 1 billion microscopic cells. There are over 10,000 different species of microbes living in soil. Therefore, microbes in the soil are the basis of all life on Earth. And I think that is worth preserving. 

No dig gardening creates a good environment for soil microorganisms to thrive.

By not disturbing the soil and feeding it with organic matter such as mulch, we are creating a balanced sustainable garden.

No dig gardening simply promotes sustainability

For one it saves water, as moisture stays in the soil longer when it is covered with a mulch. 

But most importantly, mycorrhizal fungi flourish in a no dig system and these fungi supply both water and nutrients to plant roots. 

No dig is the easiest way to an environmentally friendly garden 

Low impact gardening method prevents soil erosion, since falling rain can cause bare soil to erode and wash away. This is known as “splash erosion”.

Although we can not control the weather we can improve the structure of our soil. So cover the soil with plants and mulch to shield it from heavy rain and stop digging it. This makes a more balanced and resilient garden ecosystem.

So how do you start a no dig garden?

A simple guide, how to start the no dig garden

So here’s a simple guide on how to stop digging and start gardening in a way that benefits you, your plants, your garden and the earth.

• Cut down weeds to ground level.
• Leave the weeds to rot down where they fall.
• Cover the entire area with a layer of Cardboard.
• Then cover the cardboard with a thick layer of mulch. 
• The mulch needs to be at least ten cm. deep.
• Every Autumn reapply mulch to your plot as needed.
• Once the weeds have decomposed, you are ready to plant into the soil.
• Use a dibber or a trowel to create holes through the mulch for your plants.
• Pull back the mulch, to make sure it does not come into direct contact with your plants.

Both the cardboard and the mulch will smother and kill the weeds, they will slowly rot down and feed the soil.

Waiting is the hard part. However when you remove the polythene, you will find all the hard work of weeding has been done for you. 

Lastly to clarify, what happens when you dig over your garden.

• Soil structure is destroyed when you dig
• Rain erodes topsoil and washes nutrients away
• Sandy soils drain too quickly 
• Heavy clay soils compact and get waterlog 
• Beneficial bacteria die when exposed to the sun
• Exposed soils dry out in the wind and blow away
• Mycorrhizal fungi are destroyed
• Worms and microbes struggle to live 
• Pioneering weed seeds germinated quickly in bare soil
• Bare soil needs feeding and watering more, as it can not hold on to nutrients or moisture
• Digging releases Co2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere

And finally, plants need bacteria, fungi, nematodes and microbes to thrive. 

So why do traditional gardeners dig? 

To remove weeds. Weeds like bare soil. Mulch prevents weeds seeds germinating.

Of course, it is sometimes necessary to use a spade. Dig if you must, but remember the Earth has skin for a reason.

Thank you for reading

A simple guide to the no dig garden method

I hope it has been helpful.