Digging with a tractor in many acres of field might make sense because there are restrictions of time, efficiency and soil compaction.
However in a home garden, there are no such restraints and gardening tasks can be conducted at a more leisurely pace.
We can actively preserve and grow our soil using no dig techniques to ensure a rich soil culture and biodiversity, ensuring our plants grow strong, vigorously and provide maximum yields.
What is no dig gardening?
Over the last few years, the popularity of no dig gardening is increasing.
“The no-dig gardening concept was popularised by Sydney gardener Esther Dean in the 1970s as a way of minimising gardening effort while kick-starting a garden with maximum fertility.”
Dan Palmer from Very Edible Gardens
No dig is an easy and simple method for having a veggie garden. In this technique, the aim is minimal disturbance of the soil. Moreover, it helps preserve natural processes. The gardening method allows natural organisms in the soil to grow. Besides that, it improves the overall health of the soil and plants you are planning to grow.
“At the risk of being obvious – a no-dig garden is one you don’t have to dig. It sits above the ground and doesn’t have soil. But it contains plenty of other good stuff – such as layers of organic material – which form the perfect growing environment for veggies and herbs as they break down.”
Josh Byrne, Gardening Australia No Dig Garden
Facets of no dig gardening
There are 3 important facets of the no dig gardening technique.
- Soil is not disturbed so its organisms can multiply and work.
- Instead of using chemical fertilizers, we rely on biological fertilizers for plant feeding.
- Organic matter helps to feed soil organisms on the surface, in a top down approach.
Benefits of no dig gardening
The no dig method has a host of benefits (avoiding back breaking labor being one of them), but it is also great for protecting the ecology of your soil, reducing weeds, improving soil structure, condition and function (and preveting compaction), and reducing water usage.
Soil ecology and biodiversity
Soil is teeming with life and digging and tilling can negatively impact the biodiversity within, destroying habitats, fracturing colonies, exposing soil to air which dries it out, exposing bacteria to UV radiation sunlight which sterilises it, and finally exposing organisms like worms and bugs to predators.
“These organisms include Bacteria, Actinomycetes, Fungi, Yeast, Protozoa, Algae and Nematodes. Furthermore there are arthropods and insects in there as well, including earthworms. That’s a lot of life in the soil!”
Deep Green Permaculture
Less Weeds
A no dig approach actually reduces the amount of weeds in your garden. In nature, when soil is disturbed it will quickly be filled by weeds or other ground cover plants. These plants function to naturally protect the soil, covering it from sunlight.
“By digging, and similar disturbance, we destroy soil structure and we activate untold weed seeds. Remember, their role is to cover and protect the ground and repair the soil structure. If we work with nature, we disturb the ground as little as possible, and thus end up with less weeds.“
Aljaz Plankl, No Dig PermaCulture News
Protecting and encouraging worms
When we dig during gardening, we can risk killing worms with a spade. Besides that, it causes a deeper disturbance in the soil. It may be good for farms market gardening but not for your home garden. On the other hand. Using compost mulch, you can increase the population of worms.
- Worms aerate growing during borrowing that create channels for water flow.
- They produce a cast rich in nitrogenous nutrients which is essential for plant growth.
- Worms clear the plant litter from the soil.
Development of symbiotic fungi
Digging will affect the mycorrhiza fungi which live symbiotically with plants. It is beneficial for roots. The growth of this fungi is slow. It covers an area of 15 to 20 cm in a year. No dig gardening will prevent the destruction of fungi. Thus, the spread of fungi in the grounds will improve plants’ ability to absorb nutrients as well as resist drought and pests.
Soil microbes
“There are about 50 billion microbes in 1 tablespoon of soil. By comparison, the human population numbers just over 7 billion currently.”
Deep Green Permaculture
There is an unseen level of complexicity and abundance of life below ground that is far more complex than any ecosystems seen above ground – even just a single tablespoon of rich soil can contain up to 50 billion microbes. Encouraging a diverse range of soil microbes is essential to a healthy soil, which provides optimal growing condition for our plants.
Improve water retention
The right balance between water retention and drainage is essential for the garden, but what you don’t want is excessive evaporation; water should naturally flow through the garden.
Layering, compost and mulches used in no dig systems will enhance this balance, retaining moisture that will allow plants to survive during dry and hot weather. This promotes the requirements for healthy and deep root systems, where plants roots grow deep into soil in search of water.
Reduced soil compaction
One of the huge benefits of no dig gardening is avoiding soil compaction. By avoiding directly walking on or compacting soil, we preserve its natural structure and the aeration provided by microorganisms and worms. This is the key concept that avoids us having to till the soil to ‘fluff’ it up in the first place, which damages it.
“With no-dig gardens, the soil is not compacted because it is not walked upon! Stepping on the soil destroys the soils structure by compacting it, preventing air and water penetration to the plants roots, which affects plant health, restricts plant growth and reduces productivity. Paths are constructed for people to walk on, the garden beds are for plants ONLY!”
Deep Green Permaculture
Why no dig gardening is easy?
A common misconception people have is that creating a veggie garden takes a long time and is hard work. However, using a no dig permaculture approach to creating a small veggie garden is incredibly simple and quick.
- You can easily set up your veggie garden anywhere you want. It can be over concrete, in the lawn, kitchen, and even a box frame.
- It is easy and quick to make a garden.
- If your soil is not ideal for growing vegetables (such as too sandy or clay heavy) then a no dig garden will provide better soil for planting.
- As decomposing organic matter is used in the garden it is very fertile. Besides that, it breaks down into black compost which attracts various beneficial microorganisms.
- No dig garden will perfectly retain moisture.
- As the soil is not turned over it discourages the growth of weeds in your garden.
Finally, no dig gardening is itself a form of raised bed gardening, which has one major advantage over conventional dig gardening making it much easier…
“No-dig gardens are an excellent way of bringing the garden up to you, rather than you going to the garden!”
Sustainable Gardening Australia
Commercial no dig market gardens?
So why do farmers till their soil? Its because ploughing helps loosen compacted soil which makes it easier to plant crops into. Machinery like tractors, grazing animals and even high foot traffic can all contribute to soil compaction, which can reduce the efficiency of planted crops.
Without a doubt, no dig gardening is a very successful form of gardening for growing vegetables at home. However, can it be scaled up for market gardens?
Many gardeners and farmers are interested to see if this technique is appropriate for growing large amounts of vegetables sustainability while maintaining the quality of their soil.
The answer is, it depends. It can be difficult to use these same techniques at scale for mass production, however researchers such as the NSW Department of Primary Industries (such as “How earthworms can help your soil”) are looking into the applications of no dig garden science or regenerative agriculture for broad scale conventional agriculture.
No dig gardening is successful at a small scale and for organic farming, and is slowly being adopted in larger farms. This is done so increasingly out of necessity as conventional agriculture and inorganic (chemical) fertilizers are slowly destroying the quality of topsoil.
How to make a no dig veggie garden at home?
Growing your kitchen garden is not a difficult task. Here we have a step by step guide on how to create a no dig garden.
Find a location
First, you need to find a location where you need your veggie garden. If you are planning to create it inside your kitchen or balcony assure that you have enough free space for wooden boxes. On the other hand, if you are going to use a backyard or lawn, find a space that meets the requirements of no dig gardening.
Decide what to grow
One of the most essential steps of growing a veggie garden is deciding what you want to plant. Make a list of vegetables that you like to eat. Assure that the environment of your area meets the growth requirements of vegetables.
Evaluate sun exposure
Once you have picked the vegetables you want to grow the next step is educating yourself. Find out the amount of water and sunlight particular crops need for growth. For example, 8 hours of direct sunlight is considered the essential minimum for tomatoes. Similarly, different plants have different requirements. Thus, you have to decide on the location accordingly.
Lay out your growing beds and pathways
Plan out where you will actually lay your growing beds, and make sure to have an adequate pathway to provide access – keep the pathways as narrow as possible but still wide enough to be useful. Remember we want to keep the no dig garden beds nice and fluffy and aerated, and standing on them will destroy the soil.
Make your layers
Now we have to start working in the garden. You have to make a base of four layers.
- The first layer is leftover cardboard or newspaper. It works as blockers for weed growth and decomposes easily. Once your base is ready assure that you wet it.
- The second layer will be hay. Assure that you break the hay. After that, create a layer of 4 inches. Do not select a windy day for this process.
- The third layer is the compost. You can make your compost or purchase from the market.
- The fourth layer is good quality top soil or potting mix, into which you will plant your seedlings.
After creating your layers, you can add borders of rocks, wood, or bricks. Finally, remember when constructing your layers that you will need a combination of carbon materials (wood, straw, newspaper) and nitrogen materials (manures, blood and bone etc) to find the right balance of nutrients for your plants.
“High nitrogen materials, such as manures and blood and bone, break down high carbon materials like straw and newspaper in the presence of good moisture to become compost. More carbon material is required than nitrogen material”
My Smart Garden
Plant your seedlings
Now comes the fun step. You have to plant your seedlings. Select the plants whose roots match the length of your base so a ball of roots will not be created. Fill the area around your seedling with potting soil. Water your plants and add compost tea or other things to provide nutrients, as well as a generous covering of good quality mulch.
Enjoy your garden
The time has come to watch your garden growing. Check your no dig garden daily and remove any pests. Spot and treat problems early to avoid any issues. Always use natural ways to get rid of pests.
Make time to occasionally feel your soil in your hands and note the feel and texture, and how this evolves over time as your soil grows and cultivates.
“Good fertile soil is moist, crumbly, alive with worms, lots of tiny creatures, bacteria and fungal hyphae”.
Local Food Connect Community Gardening
Conclusion
No dig gardening is a great type of gardening that not only allows the production of quality food but also helps protect our environment. It is a sustainable form of gardening that will help maintain the biodiversity of soil and assure that it will not degrade, as is a significant risk with modern agriculture and the degradation of our farming lands topsoils. Finally, no dig gardening is an easy and economical option to grow vegetables in the comfort of your own yard.
