Have you heard of the saying “work smarter, not harder”? Well, no-dig vegetable beds are the perfect expression of this saying. A no-till vegetable garden is exactly what it sounds like: not tilling the soil. There are numerous benefits to no-dig vegetable gardens, not the least of which is a smart, not lazy, method for producing the best crops in the best soil. Interested in no-dig gardening? Keep reading to learn about an environmentally smart way to improve your soil.
What Is No-Till Vegetable Gardening?
No-till gardening is an easy, eco-friendly way to boost the nutritional components and microorganisms of your soil while keeping it light and aerated without tilling.
Also referred to as sheet composting, lasagna gardening or sheet mulching, the no-dig garden uses a layered approach of compost materials to suppress weeds and smother grass all in one place without disturbing the soil structure.
Tilling compacts the soil, destroying the channels that allow air, nutrients and microorganisms to flow. The no-till approach solves this problem by working with the living soil and disturbing it less.
Benefits of a No-Dig Vegetable Garden
There are many benefits to no-dig gardening. It slows decomposition of organic content, increases microorganism populations, retains and increases new soil aggregates, improves water absorption and drainage, improves aeration, and reduces wind and water erosion.
And it does all this while improving root development, thus production, of crops.
How to Start a No-Till Vegetable Garden
Starting a no-till garden is beneficial not only for the smart gardener but for those with physical limitations as well. It’s also an easy way to create a garden in an area that’s currently encumbered by turf grass without digging out sod, which is back-breaking work.
My sister made lasagna veggie gardens years ago and at first, I thought she was crazy until I saw the results. She had just moved and used the broken down cardboard moving boxes and layered them with organic matter to create a no-dig raised vegetable garden.
All you need to do to make this type of no-dig bed is make alternate layers of “brown” materials such as the cardboard boxes along with “green” materials like tree cuttings, grass clippings or kitchen scraps. Brown layers provide carbon and green provide nitrogen.
You will want to start this process at least a few months before planting so the materials have time to decompose. You can contain the bed with untreated lumber or other non-toxic material if you want.
Brown layers may also be newspaper, dry leaves, sawdust or straw. Green layers may also include manure, compost or worm castings.
Wet each layer. Continue layering, alternating a carbon layer with a nitrogen-rich layer, until the bed is as thick as you wish it to be; between 18 inches (46 cm) and 3 feet (1 m).
Top dress your layers with burlap or a layer of bark, newspaper or leaves. Keep them moist.
Planting a No-Till Vegetable Garden
When you are ready to plant your no-till veggie garden, push aside the top mulch layer and using a hoe, create a furrow for seeds or dig holes for transplants.
When the seeds have germinated and emerged, push the mulch back into place or reapply fresh mulch around the base of each plant to keep soil and plant pathogens off the lower leaves and retain moisture.
Maintaining No-Dig Vegetable Beds
At the end of the growing season, either compost the dead vegetation or incorporate it into the mulch layer where it will break down. In the fall or winter, replenish the mulch layer over the no-dig beds as needed. You want to keep an 8-10 inch (20-25 cm) layer.
Over the winter, the organic matter will break down as worms and other microorganisms incorporate the nutrients into the soil.
That’s it! A simple, low-maintenance approach to keeping the soil aggregate nourished and aerated for future seasons of healthy crops and bountiful harvests.
