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is anyone using the no dig method.
im going to use this system next year
im going to use this system next year
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my plot march 2013http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvzqRS0_hbQ
hindsight is a wonderful thing but foresight is a whole lot better -
It sounds good, but only works if you have cleared all the weeds (especially perennials) before you start. I'm still getting rid of docks and brambles at the lottie, so it's not for me yet. -
I use the no dig method but I only have raised beds so are easier to keep on top of with the hoe.sigpic“Gorillas are very intelligent, but they don't have to be as delicate as chimps -- they can just smash open the termite nest,”
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I have raised beds , just fork over the soil and add more compost if necessary. For me ( I have back problems) it has been a brilliant moveComment
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I've never seen the point, from what I see, it's like the dig method but harder work and more expensive!.Originally posted by hawthorns View Post
Unless you have easy access to lots of well rotted horse manure, it costs a fortune. And all the work of shovelling the manure or lugging around bags of compost sounds too much like hard work to me!Comment
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Unless you have easy access to lots of well rotted horse manure, it costs a fortune. And all the work of shovelling the manure or lugging around bags of compost sounds too much like hard work to me!
All you have to do is add a decent layer of composted material each year, not waggon loads of horse muck!
I have ankylosing spondylitis, two herniated lumbar discs and my hips are knackered....but I can still grow great veg. without much digging.
If your ground is not too heavy those garden claws that you twist are quite handy just to break things up. And, as others have pointed out, it's advisable to get rid of as much weed as possible before you go down the no-dig route.Comment
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It doesn't cost any more than the dig method! By not digging, you're not disturbing the natural layers of the soil. Just add a little something on top as you would anyway and away you go! I've looked after my garden here for 20 years that way. Because I'm lazy tooOriginally posted by maypril View Post
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I too have joint problems so Potatoes are grown no dig in a raised bed. In autumn when crops have finished, I weed. Cover with weed control fabric (re-used annually, just lift it, shake it, dry it and fold it to put away, so no more expense after original outlay).
Add home made compost or (SAFE) manure. Top with cardboard/wet newspaper and grass clippings.
Make holes through cardboard using a bulb planter. Drop in the spud and wait for the crop.Comment
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We also use the no dig on our beds at home [just remove perennial weeds, mulch with home made compost each autumn, then plant up through the mulch with winter crops to keep the soil active [garlic and onions, salads, peas, broadies etc].
We are working towards that at the lottie but there are still quite ferocious deep rooted perennails there, so we are still cardboarding where we have to and building the levels of soil up - having contaminated manure has put a bit of a chink in the plan but once that is removed [soon] we will be back on track [just not using any manure, ever].
p.s.....there is nothing quite like a quick hoe in the spring then launching into putting crops into the ground with no fuss and bother. All the no dig prep is worth it's weight in gold when time is of the essence and the crops need a home.Last edited by zazen999; 22-06-2010, 05:41 AM.
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don't let swiss chard in raised beds grow too high, I have just spent an hour wrestling with plants as tall as me and huge tap roots, while attempting not to stand on the beds..
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I use a little-or-no-dig method - I add compost on top, lightly rake in. This is laziness combined with it seems to work for me.
I couldn't claim to be an expert though, I fudge along from year to year, on the basis of 'sow/plant it and see what happens' - so far, the garden has been doing OK.My hopes are not always realized but I always hope (Ovid)
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I sort of use no dig, that is I don't dig unless it's needed, for planting, or for weed removal, or for cropping.
Cover with as much cardboard as I can, as zazen says, when you get to the start of the year and you can plant or sow into a clear ground with no digging needed, it's a great feeling and easy too!"Orinoco was a fat lazy Womble"
Please ignore everything I say, I make it up as I go along, not only do I generally not believe what I write, I never remember it either.Comment
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I have a mixture of both. I have a few raised beds that are no dig and some bigger general beds that I dig (but I need the exercise
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Same here. I'm still digging out bindweed; spuds of course need digging out ... apart from that, the only digging I do is with a hand trowel when I plant out.Originally posted by womble View Post
I certainly don't do the annual "winter dig". No need.Last edited by Two_Sheds; 22-06-2010, 12:02 PM.All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.Comment
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I am a lapsed no digger. I put raised beds in about 6 years ago. Since then I have added compost every year but invariably turn the soil over with a fork at least one each season. It is not a burdensome chore. The heavy clay is now greatly improved with home made and bought in compost. There is no need to stand on the fork, I just push it in and the soil turns over with the minimum of effort. I feel that it is good for the beds to turn the earth over before planting, and the deeper weeds such as docks and dandelions can be rooted out that bit more easily. The diggiing aerates the soil and gives the worms (and robins) a helping hand.
RobLast edited by rob the roller; 22-06-2010, 12:12 PM.Comment
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