Creating a bed without digging: the no-dig method

In order to create a bed, the earth has to be turned over and growth picked up? There is another way. The so-called no-dig beds do not require any digging work.

No-dig beds are similar to raised beds and mound beds, but are laid flat on the ground. They offer many advantages, most notably the labor savings during set-up. We will tell you about the no-dig method and provide step-by-step instructions for creating the fertile bed in your garden.

What is a no-dig bed?

The term No-dig-Beet includes the English words "no" for "not" and "dig" for "(to) dig". Literally translated, it means something like "don't dig up bed". The idea behind this is that beds can be created without digging up the ground over a large area. This allows the natural structure of the garden soil to be preserved. A no-dig bed is filled up with new material every year and keeps collapsing as the components are gradually converted by microorganisms. Nutrients are released and fertile humus is formed. In the course of composting, heat is also generated, which supports the growth of the plants in the no-dig bed and can thus increase yields. This means that the no-dig bed ranks alongside the raised bed and the hill bed, but unlike these, it does not have to be set up every 6 to 7 years, but simply continues to be operated.

What are the advantages of planting a bed without digging?

Planting the bed using the no-dig method offers many advantages, but also a few disadvantages. We have summarized the most important ones for you below.

Advantages of the no-dig method:

• Conservation and promotion of soil life.
• Very good water storage capacity after several years of operation.
• Less physically demanding work.
• Efficient weed suppression.
• Higher soil fertility thanks to humus build-up.
• Increase in yield due to good heating of the bed due to biological activity.
• Long-term operation: No need to set it up again as with raised and hill beds.
• Particularly suitable for demanding, heavily consuming plants.

Disadvantages of no-dig beds:

• Initially unsuitable for root vegetables.
• Large amounts of compost are required for new planting and annual refilling.
• Compared to raised and hill beds, less ergonomic working height and less heating as well as worse protection against drying out.
• Depending on how good the soil quality is under the no-dig bed, yields can be low in the first few years.
• Voles often thrive in no-dig beds as they can easily tunnel through them.

Note: The origins of the no-dig method are not entirely clear. It has been researched and applied since around the middle of the 20th century - and on different continents at the same time. A great friend and supporter of the method is the Englishman Charles Dowding, who also publishes several years of trials with various bed methods on his website.

Instructions: create a bed without digging

You want to create a bed that doesn't need digging? This requires a few steps, but the effort is worth it. There are several ways to create a no-dig bed. Here we present the well-known layering method, the result of which is also known as a lasagne bed.
In order to create a bed without digging, autumn or spring is suitable. In spring, it is best to start planting as early as February so that the bed still has some time to settle. And this is how it works:

1. Find a suitable place for your bed. Of course, where this could be depends on the planned planting.
   Tip: No-dig beds are particularly suitable for growing vegetables or for demanding summer flowers because they are well warmed up and lie, according to their needs, mostly in the sun.
2. Mow the area where the bed will be.
3. Optionally, the future area can be bordered with bed edges. This prevents weeds from growing into the later bed and makes stacking easier.
4. Lay out the surface with several overlapping layers of newspaper or a layer of thin cardboard. This suppresses the growth of grasses and wild herbs by shielding them from the vital sunlight. Moisten this layer well. The paper comes withrot over time.
   Caution: Do not use glossy printed materials because their inks contain heavy metals that should not get into the ground.
5. Now follows a layer of "green material". This means soft, nutrient-rich organic material, such as grass clippings, vegetable and fruit waste, flowers, animal manure, coffee grounds, tea bags, weed residue (without roots or seeds) or even old balcony flowers. This nutrient-rich layer should be about 10 cm thick.
6. A layer of mature compost about 5 cm thick is placed on top of this. Never use fresh compost as it would be far too nutritious.
7. This is followed by a layer of "brown material". By this is meant hard, woody, carbon-rich material. These include: leaves, twigs, straw, dry perennial cuttings, hedge cuttings, bark and bark mulch, wood chips or paper. This layer is also about 10 cm high.
8. The layering sequence of compost, green and brown material can be repeated any number of times until the desired bed height is reached.
9. Finally, add a layer of compost-rich potting soil, such as our Plantura organic compost, to the no-dig bed. This contains a lot of compost and is ideal for no-dig beds due to its high nutrient content. The plants are sown in this top layer.

Maintain no-dig bed

With the right care, the no-dig bed produces good yields. You should take the following measures.

• Weeds: The no-dig bed is often described as having fewer weeds, as the plants under the bed are suppressed by the cardboard cover during construction. Of course, weeds can always grow into the bed from the sides and establish themselves there. Seeds of weeds are also carried to the area. Therefore, occasional weeding is part of maintaining the no-dig bed.
• Watering: Especially in the first few years, the no-dig bed often needs a lot of water because the thick, water-storing humus layer is just beginning to form. Therefore, water the bed occasionally if you have determined by finger testing that it is very dry or if the plants are limp.
• Hoe: In the no-dig bed, hoe only about 3 cm deep so as not to disturb soil life. It is better to spread a protective layer of mulch around the plants and occasionally pull weeds out of the soil by hand.

• Keep snails and voles away: Both snails and voles feel comfortable in no-dig beds, because here they will find a warm place and a rich supply of food. You can find out how you can fight snails and use our Plantura organic slug pellets, among other things, in the associated special article. And of course you will also find valuable tips on how to deal with voles in the garden in our magazine.
• Layering: Every year in February, before planting and sowing, the no-dig bed is supplemented with at least one layer of green, nitrogen-rich material and one layer of brown, carbon-rich material. The top layer is a nutrient-rich compost soil, such as our peat-free Plantura organic compost soil.
• Cover: In winter, the no-dig bed can be covered with mulch, paper or cardboard to insulate it from frost and prevent nutrient leaching. It also suppresses the growth of seed weeds in spring.

Mulching is not only useful in no-dig beds, it serves many functions in sustainable gardening. We will show you the function, advantages and procedure of mulching.