No Dig Gardening - Start A Garden Anywhere

You can create a garden anywhere when you choose to do no dig gardening. No dig gardening is exactly what the name implies, gardening without digging. In a no dig garden, you simply layer organic matter above the soil and start planting your garden. The garden is the compost that feeds the plants. Gardening enthusiasts generally refer to no dig gardening as raised bed gardening. It is far from uncommon.

If you live where the soil might not be ideal to whatever it is you wish to grow, (the preferred choice is a vegetable garden) or you have to grow a garden on top of clay or a stony area, no dig gardening offers a practical gardening solution. Anything grows in compost.

Just like regular gardening, the first step is to select your garden site. The area should be level and be exposed to no less than five hours of sun daily. Don’t worry if the soil is bad or the weeds are invasive, as this is of no consequence to a no dig garden. Building above a lawn or weeds will simply create more compost material in the long run, as long as you do not expose the vegetation to sunlight. This is part of the joy of starting a no dig garden.

You will most likely want to delineate your garden space by creating a border around it. For this, you can use old bricks, logs, stones, etc. The raised borders hold the garden inside so it doesn’t stray and nothing or no one can encroach. Next, lay down a layer of lucerne hay (alfalfa) to a height of about 10cm. Put a layer of organic fertilizer on top of that at a height of about 20 mm. Add a level of thick loose straw on top of that to 20cm, another layer of fertilizer, and finish your no dig garden with 10 cm of compost.

Your no dig garden will be more successful if you plant seedlings rather than seeds. Seeds have a tendency to disappear in the mix. Seedlings are easier to keep track of and you can plant seedlings well in the rich mixture. Try peas, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, or sweet corn. Wait before you start planting root crops until you have a more mature garden. Besides, you’ll have to dig to remove those.

There are no size or shape limitations in no dig gardening. Make your garden as large or as little as you want. Try not to walk on it or in it, as this will compact the layers and affect your harvest. Keep building your garden up because it will tend to settle down. Practice crop rotation when you re-plant, keep adding compost and be sure to mulch around replacement plants.

Remember that no digging means your garden is easier to make, but you will have to work at maintaining it if you want a nice yield for your efforts. Always organic materials in your garden. Never use chemical or artificial fertilizers or pesticides. No dig gardening mirrors nature’s way of growing, so staying organic is important to the principles of no dig gardening.

To learn more about ways to go green, save money and help the planet, go here: www.FreeTipsForGoingGreen.com