No Dig
Whether or not digging is needed is much debated in gardening circles these days. Some gardeners love the process and are convinced it gives them a better soil structure. Others have embraced the idea of ditching back breaking digging for an alternative method.
Charles Dowding has been declaring the benefits of not digging in the vegetable garden for decades. He recently spoke to Gardeners’ Corner and if you want to try ‘No Dig’ here are a few tips from Charles:
- Disturb soil as little as possible
- Keep the surface clean by pulling or hoeing off weeds
- Spread 2.5-5cm of organic matter on beds every year
After a while, Charles says weeds will become less of a problem as they are removed before going to seed and no fresh seed is brought to the surface by digging. He says this form of veg gardening can help control slug problems. Charles leaves the beds clear of plants for a few weeks before planting so slugs have little cover.
Charles says: "Think about it in terms of feeding the soil, and when one says feed the soil it's about feeding the life in the soil and feeding organisms without disturbing them means they are encouraged and able to breed and thrive and multiply and then they do all the amazing work in the soil which are machines have been try to do, and they do it far better. They keep a structure in the soil while they are working, aerate it, drain it, for us. So it's just a question of working out how best to feed the soil surface "
