By John Bruce | March
2011
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The no-dig (and less sweat) gardening alternative
Say goodbye to tilling, digging and costly garden chemicals
No-dig gardening is a proven way to grow vegetables and flowers naturally — and with less work.
No-dig gardeners realize that worms, bugs and microbes are necessary for nutrients and prevention of disease. Plants deliver into the soil part of the carbon energy they produce. Microbes convert this energy into organic materials and minerals that plants need.
The rationale for traditional row gardening and tilling is to remove weeds, loosen and aerate the soil and bury organic matter. Tilling can remove existing weeds, but it almost always brings dormant weed seeds to the surface where they can germinate. When organic materials are moved deeper, less oxygen is available for converting the materials into nutrients. Then the nutrients need to be replaced. Traditional gardeners usually rely on synthetic fertilizers to amend the soil and replace the lost nutrients.
No-dig gardening lets nature do the work. One strategy is first to remove all weeds and grass from a garden area. Materials such as rotten manure, decayed sawdust or compost go straight on the surface as a layer of mulch 2 to 6 inches deep. Worms, beneficial bugs and microbes get busy beefing up the soil. They create a healthy habitat for roots to flourish.
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