No-dig gardening - any advice?

Gardening to 'grow your own food' from square foot to half an acre !!
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Freeranger
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No-dig gardening - any advice?

Post by Freeranger »

I've just found that all my aches and pains are due to a bulging disk in my neck and other structural problems, so I'm thinking of trying no-dig gardening to reduce the amount of heavy work involved.

Obviously it's too late for this year, but I'd thought lasagne gardening looks possible. The idea is to block out weeds with wetted cardboard or thick newspaper, then add anything that will rot down and cover again. You build up a layer of about a foot, then let it rot for about a year, add soil or compost on top and plant straight in.

Another idea would be to start that process but leave the cover thin, using compost bins to rot everything down then put that on top next year and plant in.

Which would be best? Is it as simple as it sounds? Does it work in cold, wet places? Do you get mice/rats by putting unrotted material down? So many questions. Does anyone have any advice?
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lancashire lass
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Re: No-dig gardening - any advice?

Post by lancashire lass »

I've not done the no-dig gardening because of problems with horsetail and to a lesser degree, bindweed, which just pushes its way through any barrier that can decompose, but I understand from others who have tried it that it is a system that works well. Just bear in mind that although it might not involve digging, it will require moving a lot of material to where you want it (if I was honest, I find this more hard work than the digging itself)

Freeranger wrote:Do you get mice/rats by putting unrotted material down?


it's a possibility but if open to the weather, will not be a nice place to nest. I think ants might be a problem ...

Have you considered raised beds? In some ways this is similar - instead of digging over large areas of ground, raised beds means you only concentrate on a smaller growing area. Although I still dig/fork/rake/hoe over my beds (mainly to break up the clods and take out the dreaded horsetail roots), I add materials (compost/manure/sharp sand + top soil) to the top 6-8 inch layer which builds up over time and the quality of soil for most beds is much improved with all the additional material.

I think digging in might quicken the decomposition as soil microflora are in direct contact but with lasagne gardening, I think the idea is that the undisturbed layers provide a better ecosystem (for micro-organisms like mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria)
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Richard
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Re: No-dig gardening - any advice?

Post by Richard »

Hi,

This may be of interest, I've heard he is the authority on it..

http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/

The only thing I know about it is the secret is in the preparation as Lassie has pointed out.

Richard >veg<
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Freeranger
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Re: No-dig gardening - any advice?

Post by Freeranger »

Thanks for the posts, both. The website looks really interesting.

I can maybe try both no dig and raised beds, and see what works best for me and my neck.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has tried no digging.
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