No Dig Gardening

No dig gardening is one of 2020's biggest gardening trends, hailed for its environmental benefits and fuss-free technique. But how exactly do you get started on a no dig garden?

Charles Dowding, an author and gardener, has been an advocate of the easy-to-do method for years. Speaking to House Beautiful UK, he explains how the idea is inspired by nature: "No dig gardening is very simple. Effectively, it's where you don't use a fork or spade to disturb or loosen the soil in any way.  "It's such a healthy way of growing and the soil health stays so good from not being disturbed, so you get a stronger growth of your plants. You need less fertilisers, less pesticides, very few slug pellets. It ticks so many other boxes too, such as keeping your soil moist," he says.

While many of us may have only just heard about no dig, it is in fact something Charles has been a champion of for decades. "I pioneered it in the modern age, I guess you could say, but it has been around for a long time," Charles continue to HB. "I started doing it in 1982 after I made raised beds. I came across a book by Ruth Stout and she gave me insights. The problem was, her method of mulching the surface was with using hay and I literally copied that and then found I had lots of slugs eating my plants. That's when I realised you have to adapt the mulch material to the climate."

It might seem like a simple concept to use your hands, but what about when it comes to pulling out tough, rough-edged weeds? Charles has a clever, better alternative: using cardboard. Weeds die when they are devoid of light, so placing cardboard over your weeds will naturally remove them from your garden. "Cardboard is amazing to kill the weeds. One piece of cardboard overlapped on the edges with a bit of compost on top will do a great job. It's simple and quick," he says.
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How do you start your own no dig garden?

Starting your own no dig garden is incredibly simple. Follow these five steps to give it a go...

1. First, select a suitable place to create your no dig garden bed. You can build yours over existing soil, lawn, concrete or paved surfaces. You can also add temporary sides (such as old fence posts) to help keep compost-filled beds in shape.
2. Mow your lawn and remove any weeds if you need to. This will help to create a clean starting point.
3. Add a thick layer of organic matter (compost) to the area you want to create the garden, at around four inches (10cm) deep.
4. You can always lay a sheet of cardboard first before the organic matter to help keep weeds away. Make sure you wet the cardboard to help it break down.
5. Next, layer manure on top. Use a watering can to keep it secure. If you're based in the UK, Charles recommends not using straw because of the uncertain British climate (it can using slugs to eat your plants).
6. Use your hands to create holes in the compost and insert your plants. Soon you'll realise just how simple it is to keep on top of.

No dig is all about being kinder to the planet

With shocking statistics highlighting the realities of single-use plastic in the garden, it's refreshing to hear that no dig has sustainability right at its heart. It's better for the environment for many reasons, including:

• it retains carbon in the soil because it is less disturbed
• the soil is more stable so needs less watering
• you need less fertiliser because the soil remains self-sufficient

Another reason we should adopt the no dig approach is because it brilliantly benefits nature, too. While we might not be able to visibly see what takes place under the soil, Charles explains that the amazing life happening under ground is positively impacting our plants. Charles says: "You've got that amazing life that is helping the plants to grow, and every time you stick a spade or fork in the soil and move it around, we're actually breaking and doing a lot of disruption. We don't see it. There are so many good things going on in the soil and we really don't want to harm it."

Planning your garden scheme for spring? Why not give no dig gardening a go...

For more information on dig gardening, visit Charles Dowding's website.