How To Start A No-Dig Garden And 4 Methods To Get You Going

Spring is here so its time to bring out the tiller, right? This year, why not leave the tiller in the shed and grow a no-dig garden!

No-dig gardening, sometimes called no-till gardening, is the centuries-old practice where you try and disturb the soil as little as possible to grow your flowers, vegetables, trees, and any other crop you can imagine. By using a straightforward layering of mulches, compost, and other organic matter, you will create a nutrient-rich, weed-free garden right on top of your lawn (or anywhere else for that matter).

Below we are going to talk about four popular and effective no-dig methods. But first, let’s explore how to start a no-dig garden.

Starting A No-Dig Garden

Basically, a no-dig garden is where you put down something to smother the weeds or grass (like cardboard), pile compost or organic matter on top, then you are ready to start planting. There are a number of benefits to growing this way, and no-dig gardening will:

• Improve yields
• Reduce weeds
• Build the soil
• Attract earthworms and microorganisms
• Reduce watering
• Enhance drainage
• Prevent erosion
• Reduce greenhouse emissions
• Encourage healthy fungi and bacteria in the soil
• Save time by refocusing your attention
• Easy to get started and maintain

Of course, there are a few downsides. The biggest obstacle more no-dig newbies encounter is that you need a lot of raw materials in order to get started. This issue can usually be easily overcome, however. If you are in need of a lot of compost, for example, talk to a local horse stable or farmer and see if they will give you the raw materials for free. Also, many municipalities often provide compost for a minimal fee (or for free!). You might have to take some time to source the right materials but it will be worth it in the long run.

The other argument about no-till gardening is that it takes a lot of labour to build the garden plot in the first place. But this is a silly argument. I don’t think digging or pushing a tiller are particularly relaxing, and these chores have to be done year after year, whereas once you start a no-dig garden you simply have to maintain it.

If you are ready to start a no-till garden, here are some things to consider before you get started:

Transitioning To No-Dig

Many of us balk at the idea of no-dig because we feel that we have to work the soil. The last century of agriculture has taught us that ploughing and tilling are the way to grow, but the centuries before that show us that Nature does not need to rip open her skin to be fertile.

In many cases, we often feel like we never really gardened at all if we don’t till. This is especially true when we talk to neighbours, other gardeners, or farmers who scoff at our no-till efforts. It is very important to ignore these naysayers and to keep going with what we know is right for our garden.

Tilling is a destructive force that opens the ground to erosion, kills creatures living in it, mixes subsoil with topsoil, brings up weed seeds, and exposes the soil to elements. Tilling gives immediate results, while no-till is about long-term vitality, and it can be frustrating to wait when a tiller would chop things up in no time.

Before you get started, it is important to know that no-dig gardening is not easier than conventional practices. It is not a miracle cure and you won’t suddenly have a beautiful garden without any work. It still takes a lot of work to achieve a beautiful garden. However, not digging lets you focus your time differently:rather than tilling, weeding, and digging, you can focus on the overall health and vitality of your garden, and pay more attention to individual plants themselves.

Choosing A Location

Choosing the right location is important with any garden, but you have much more flexibility about where your garden can go when using a no-dig method.

Since these methods suppress weeds and build up the soil, you can grow on ground which would otherwise be unsuitable for a garden.A no-dig garden can be made anywhere: on rocky soil, on roots under trees, in the middle of the lawn, along the side of your house, or on top of nasty weeds.

Sunlight is also an important consideration. Choose a spot that has the right amount of sunlight for the type of garden you want to grow. For instance, if you are growing a vegetable or flower garden, then a spot that has between 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day is ideal. If you are focusing in shade plants, then around 4 hours a day would be sufficient.

What Size

A no-till garden can be any size, from a small plot in a backyard to an expansive farm field. No-till mostly originated from farming practices of planting a new crop in the chaff left from the previous year. Unfortunately, large scale no-till agriculture only came about with the advent of herbicides in the 1950s, but modern organic growers are developing new methods to farm without tilling and without chemicals. Thankfully, it is much easier to manage our gardens with natural practices.

If this is your first attempt at no-tilling, or gardening in general, it is better to start slightly smaller rather than biting off more than you can chew. A good place to start is with a 1.2m by 2.5m (4 by 8 foot) plot. You will be able to grow a lot of food in this space while getting a handle on the no-dig concepts.

As your experience grows, so can your garden and many large market gardens operate solely on the no-dig methods mentioned below.

Converting An Existing Garden

Maybe you already have a garden, but want to continue cultivating it without disturbing the soil. You can incorporate any of the methods below, and here are a few tips to transition your tilled garden to a no-till one:

• Stop Tilling: This might seem obvious, but the first thing to do is stop tilling, digging, or otherwise disturbing the soil.
• Start Mulching: Whether you follow one of the methods mentioned below or not, start adding lots of mulch to your garden.
• Keep Weeding: Even if your mulches are choking out most of the weeds, you will still have to remove any weeds that do emerge.

Once you are ready to begin, here are 4 great no-dig methods for you to get started:

Simple No-Dig Gardening

The most basic type of no-dig gardening can be easily achieved by putting down cardboard and covering it with compost so you can plant directly into the compost. Though it is not a new concept, this simple method has been promoted by Charles Dowding among others.

It can be set up quickly so you can begin growing in a relatively short time by following these simple steps:

1. Cut down the weeds: If the weeds or grass are long, you can mow them down to make the next step easier. You might want to dig out any woody plants such as brambles or small saplings which might push up through the mulch before they are choked out. You can leave the weed cuttings in place as they will decompose and add nutrients.
2. Put down cardboard: cover your selected site with a layer of cardboard. If the underlying weed presence is dense, you can put down two layers. Make sure to over lap the edges of the cardboard to keep weeds from slipping through. You can also use newspaper, but make sure to use at least 10 sheets or it won’t be thick enough to stop the weeds.
3. Soak the cardboard: thoroughly soak the cardboard through. This aids with decomposition and keeps the dry cardboard from sucking water out of the top layers.
4. Add compost: On top of the cardboard, put down a thick layer of compost. How thick you need will depend on what plants you are growing and how bad the weeds were underneath. Most crops don’t need very deep soil as their roots will penetrate through the cardboard and into the soil below. If the weeds were light, then 5cm to 10cm (2-4 inches) will be sufficient. If the underlying weeds were dense or tough perennials, opt for a 15cm (6 inch) thick layer of compost.

If your compost is well rotted and of good quality, then you can start planting right away. Otherwise, let the bed sit for a few weeks to finish decomposing.Alternatively, you can add a thin layer of topsoil which might create a more suitable environment for germinating seeds while the compost slowly decomposes underneath.

If your underlying weeds are really bad, you can cover the plot with an old tarp or thick plastic sheeting. Leave the cover in place for 6 weeks to 6 months (in the meantime, you can cut holes in the plastic to set out transplants or grow large plants like pumpkins or potatoes). At the end of this time, roll back the plastic and the weed problems should be all but eradicated. Here are some more details on how Dowding deals with weeds in his no-dig beds.

We have used this method with great success to create several no-dig places in our garden. It is a great way to open up new plots, or to create a small garden for children.

Maintenance

Maintaining this type of no-dig bed is very simple.

• Cut or pluck out any weeds that grow.
• At the end of the year, add a layer of organic mulch to smother any weeds that might grow and to protect the soil.
• In the spring, add 2cm to 3cm (1 inch) of compost to replace any nutrients lost during the previous year.

Compost And Wood Chips

This is another great way to garden without tilling and it makes me want to buy a wood chipper!

This particular method is especially encouraged by Paul Gautschi and it uses a combination of compost and wood chips to create a fertile, weed-free growing environment. While the steps mentioned below are more of a universal nature, you can read about Gautschi’s particular method at Back To Eden.

1. Cardboard: Again, start with a solid layer or two of cardboard. Make sure the edges are overlapped and there are no gaps.
2. Soak The Cardboard: Saturate the cardboard so it is nice and soggy.
3. Compost: Put down 8cm to 10cm (3-4 inches) of compost on top of the wet cardboard.
4. Wood Chips: Next, add 8cm to 10cm (3-4 inches) of wood chips on top of the compost. You can use fresh wood chips or ones that have already started to decompose. Both will create a rich growing environment.
5. Plant into the compost: Part the wood chips and plant down into the compost. Once the seedlings are large enough, you can bring the wood chips back to mulch around them.
6. OR Add compost under seedlings: If you don’t want to part the wood chips, you can also add compost underneath transplants or wherever you wish to sow seeds.

You may have heard that woodchips denitrify soil (use nitrogen from the soil) to help them decompose, and this is true. So why build a bed and cover it with wood chips? On the whole, wood chips strip nitrogen from the soil when the two are mixed together. When the wood chips lay on top of the soil, they will use a slight amount of nitrogen in the thin layer between the two. Over time, the wood chips will break down and the layers will blur together, creating a rich humus without affecting the nitrogen levels in the soil.

Maintenance

Wood chips take a long time to decompose (much longer than straw), so the care for this no-dig garden is slightly different.

• Add 2cm to 3cm (1 inch) of compost every year in the spring. Focus these applications on the areas where you wish to plant.
• Every two years or so (or as needed), at about 5cm (2 inches) worth of wood chips to the garden. This will not only add fertility and create a loose friable soil, it will effectively smother weeds.
• Some hand weeding will still be necessary and make sure to eliminate any weeds while they are still small.

Lasagna Garden

Lasagna gardening is also called sheep composting and is a well-known method of no-dig gardening. Essentially, it is a flattened compost pile, put together in layers much like a lasagna, hence the name.

While there are many different variations on how to build a lasagna garden, here is a basic guide to making your own:

1. Sprinkle compost: sprinkle a thin layer of compost on the ground where you plan on building your garden bed. This will aid the decomposition of the weeds or grass underneath.
2. Lay down cardboard: As every good no-dig method, a lasagna garden starts with a layer or two of cardboard. Again, overlap the edges and make sure there are no gaps.
3. Soak the cardboard: The cardboard decomposes better when it is wet and it isn’t as likely to dry out the rest of the garden.
4. Green Layer: Put down a layer about 5cm to 8cm (2-3 inches) thick of green, nitrogen rich organic matter. This can be grass clippings, kitchen scraps, or manure).
5. Brown Layer: On top of the greens, spread a brown layer of carbon-rich matter like straw, leaves, or wood chips that is roughly 10cm to 15cm (4-6 inches) thick.
6. Keep layering: Continue to alternate the green and brown layers until the garden is the height you want. Remember, the bed will sink considerably as the organic matter decomposes so make the garden taller than you finally want it.
7. Wait for decomposition: Let the bed sit for 6 weeks or more to let the organic matter decompose before planting. It is a good idea to build a sheet compost garden in the fall so it has all winter to decompose and settle so it will be ready to plant it the spring.
8. OPTIONAL: If you want to get growing right away, top the pile with ready-to-go compost or a thin layer of topsoil and begin planting.

TIP: It doesn’t actually matter how thick the layers are, but you want the brown layers to be twice as thick as the green ones to make the proper ratio for healthy decomposition.

Maintenance

While this method is really a type of composting, you don’t have to do any turning. Instead, care for your lasagna garden by:

• Add mulch: As the weeds start to rear their ugly heads, smother them out with an organic mulch.
• Add compost: Whenever you need, feel free to add a layer of compost to the top of your bed.
• Add more layers: Whenever the fertility starts to decline, or when weeds are present, add more layers of brown and green in the fall, keeping the brown layers twice as thick as the green.

Hugelkultur

Whether hugelkultur should be in a discussion about raised beds or no-dig gardening is a matter of dispute. I think it fits excellently in both! Hugelkultur is the practice of creating large mounds of organic matter to grow your vegetables. The triangular-shaped beds are usually at least 1 meter (3 feet) tall and about 1.2 meters (4 feet) wide at the base.

Your vegetables and flowers can be grown all over the sides of the mound, creating a vertical/raised-bed/no-dig garden bed all rolled into one. Hugelkulture is perhaps the most ambitious undertaking on this list, but it will be well worth the effort.

• Dig a trench: Dig a trench about 30cm (12 inches) deep and as wide as you want your garden to be. Ignore this step if you want a truly no-dig garden.
• Put Down Logs: Logs, branches, and other large woody material in the trench (or on top of the ground). Try to make it as packed and solid as you can.
• Small Branches: Next, pile smaller branches on top of the logs, working the pile into a triangular shape.
• Nitrogen Rich Organic Matter: build up the pile by covering the woody matter with “green” matter such as kitchen scraps, leaves, garden debris, etc.
• Compost: Now, cover everything with a thick layer of compost or manure.
• Fine Compost or Topsoil: Finally, finish off the pile with a layer of well-rotted compost, topsoil, or both and you are ready to get planting!

Check out this article for more information on building a hügelkultur bed in your no-dig garden.

Maintenance

Maintaining a hügelkultur bed is very much like maintaining any raised bed or no-dig garden:

• Add mulch: suppress weeds with a layer of organic mulch such as straw or wood chips.
• Add compost: Add a layer of compost to the top of the mound every spring to maintain fertility.

Tips To Maintain A No-Dig Garden

While we did discuss how to maintain each style of no-dig garden above, here are some general tips that will apply no matter what method of no-till growing you choose:

• Rotate your crops: Crop rotation is an important part of any garden, and no-dig gardens are no exception. Crop rotation is the best way to reduce insect infestations, protect plants from disease, and prevent nutrients from becoming unbalanced. If possible, practice a four-year crop rotation by not planting the same, or related, crops in the same spot until after 4 years.
• Keepmulching: If there is bare soil, weeds will grow and the soil is exposed to the elements. Cover any bare soil with an organic mulch such as straw, wood chips, and more. Don’t forget, compost can be used as a mulch!
• Add compost: Even if you don’t use it as a weed-suppression mulch, make sure to add plenty of compost to your no-dig garden. Compost will add nutrients to the soil while improving the texture and overallhealth of the land.
• Chop and drop weeds: Pulling weeds can be rather disruptive to the soil, so instead of uprooting them, use the chop and drop method. Cut the weeds off just above ground level, or use a weeder like this one which cuts them off just below the surface, and leave them lying in the rows between your plants.Small weeds will quickly wither and disappear and large weeds will act as a mulch. The roots of the weeds will add organic matter as they decompose.
• Avoid compaction:One common reason to till a garden is to loosen compacted soil, but since you won’t be doing this, it is very important to avoid compacting the soil. Walking in the garden is the most common reason soil become compacted, so create dedicated paths or lay down boards to prevent walking directly on the soil.
• Cover crops: Cover cropping is an important organic growing method, but since they are commonly tilled under, they have to be handled a little differently in a no-dig garden. Simply chop them off and turn them into a mulch or let them be winterkilled in place. Many crops can be direct sown underneath a dead cover crop, and this is actually one of the most common ways to no-till a large field.Make sure the cover crop is cut or winterkilled before they go to seed or you will be fighting against them next year.
• Leave roots in place:Just like the weeds, you can leave the roots of your flowers and vegetables in the ground after harvest. Rather than pulling out the entire plant, cut them off at the ground and let the roots decompose.

Conclusion

One of my first purchases when I began my garden was an 18” walk-behind rear tine tiller. I must confess it got a lot of use those first years, but now happily stays parked in my garden shed (where it only comes out in rare exceptions). Still, many springs I look at the garden and think it could do with a till, but logic (and my wife) thankfully step in and remind me of all the benefits of not tilling the soil. I hope this article has inspired you to give no-dig gardening a try, and hopefully we can all reduce any unnecessary damage we do to the earth, be it tilling or anything else.