No Dig Gardening Using Cardboard

16 Steps To Create A Successful No Dig Garden

There are many variations and techniques for using No Dig Garden method. This is just one suggested approach based on our experience and research and Toby's recommendations.

Ideally, this new garden bed should be prepared in the autumn and left to decompose over the winter. If you use this technique in the spring or summer and plant immediately, it works better if you have more carbon layers and more compost/soil mix, and fewer nitrogen layers (see # 11 below).

If you plant soon after making the new bed, or the material hasn't decomposed much, make furrows or pockets in the top layer of mulch and fill them with compost and soil mix and plant directly into this. This will enable the seeds or plants to grow while the sheet mulch is decomposing below it. It is generally easier to grow established seedlings in a new no-dig garden rather than direct sowing of seeds. Root crops like carrots and beetroot don't do well in new beds.

If you do plant immediately, don't expect high yields in the first season because the material hasn't broken down enough to provide many nutrients for the new plants or seeds. Organic substances decompose when micro-organisms consume this material. It is only when these micro-organisms die that plant nutrients are released back into the soil in a form which the plants can use.

Building high quality, healthy soil is probably the most important thing we can do for our garden and is essential for growing healthy plants which produce vegetables with high nutritional value. But it does take time to practice patience and slowing down to the speed of nature. Don't be afraid to experiment with different materials. All organic material breaks down and produces soil. Your new garden needs air, water, nitrogen, and carbon. For No Dig Garden Try the Following Steps:

1. Mark out the Area for the Garden

Mark out the area for the garden string or boards which is preferably level and running east to west for best sun access and allows the use of trellises on the south edge for vertical gardening which won't shade the garden. Put the garden as close to the kitchen as possible. Make sure the area gets 6-8 hours of sun.

We suggest you start small at first- perhaps even one square meter. Don't make it any wider than you can reach halfway across from the sides. Some prefer beds no more than 75cm wide for ease of straddling or stepping across. Garden paths should be ~30cm wide for walking or ~100 cm wide if you want to use wheelbarrows.

2. Prepare your Soil and Remove Invasive Plant Species

If the new garden area is heavily compacted soil (old parking area, etc) push a spading fork into the ground and rock it back and forth and do this over the entire area before laying down the new bed to encourage root penetration and drainage.

It is also important to try to remove invasive plant species because they can travel laterally, emerge from under the sides of the bed and then reinvade your bed. Cut down any grass or non-invasive weeds and lay them on the ground or stomp them down.

3. Edging Material

Some prefer to put in edging material like boards which will contain the soil when it is built up. If so, we suggest using untreated lumber, perhaps stacking two 2×6's on edge, and only use painted wood if lead paint was not used. Use short sections of used pipe, rebar, or stout wooden stakes on the outside to hold them up.

4. Bedding Materials

Gather all the bedding materials together for the layering process before you start if possible.

5. Wet Down the Soil Thoroughly

It is very important to wet down the soil thoroughly before building the new bed, if it is dry, to prevent the ground from sucking moisture out of the bed of new materials.

6. Add soil amendments

Add soil amendments if desired to help with plant growth. See section on soil amendments at the end.

7. Put Down a Thin Green Layer of Fresh Grass Clippings

If no grass or weeds are on soil, put down a thin green layer of fresh grass clippings, manure, or vegetable scraps on the existing soil surface. This will help to rot any turf underneath. Fresh manure works best but aged manure should be used if you intend to plant in the garden soon. Watergrass or manure if dry.

8. Add worms Compost

Add worms if you have any. They will do much of the work to break down the organic material.

9. Cover the Garden Area

Cover the garden area with thick layers of wet newspaper (not shiny or colored) or preferably use 2-3 layers of wet cardboard, with plastic and staples removed, to smother any weeds. Overlap the paper or cardboard so there are no gaps for weeds to grow through.

Water both sides of the cardboard just before laying it down, so it will decompose quickly or you can leave the cardboard out in rain beforehand or a 3-5 minute dunk into a big plastic trash bucket of water works best to get water inside the cardboard. Cutting the cardboard into pieces ~ 60 cm squares is a good size for dunking.

10. The Green Layers

Alternate thin layers of green (nitrogen-rich) and thicker layers of brown (carbon-rich) and water each layer. The green layers should be grass clippings which haven't gone to seed (preferably cut in the previous 24 hours to avoid getting slimy) and are not sprayed, or fresh weeds preferably without seeds, manure, food scraps or seaweed.

The brown layers are shredded newspaper, junk mail (not shiny or plastic), dry leaves, dry grass, unsprayed straw, or spoiled hay. Strive for maximum diversity of materials. The total depth of these layers should be 30-60 cm to build soil fertility. It will settle down to one-quarter of the depth as the material breaks down. Try to create a plateau, not a mound, which could shed rainwater.

11. Compost and Soil Mix

Add 5-10 cm of compost, soil, or organic soil, and soil mix. This is the layer you will plant in now or later.

12. Area of Bed Garden

Cover the area with at least a 5-10 cm layer of loose straw which shouldn't contain seeds. This allows oxygen into the soil, prevents compaction, and keeps under layers shaded and moist. Make sure the straw hasn't been sprayed with pesticides. Water the straw lightly.

Avoid using hay that contains seeds and packs down and can become anaerobic and acidic.

If grass does grow from hay or straw, it can be easily pulled out in the spring or chopped into the soil. Leaves can also be used as a top layer. If you have high winds in your area, you may not want to use a final layer of straw or leaves or you can cover it all with netting.

13. Watering

As this new soil structure is immature, the bed will need regular watering during dry periods.

14. Avoid Stepping on Your Garden Bed

Avoid stepping onto your new garden beds whenever possible because this compacts the soil and makes it more difficult for roots and oxygen to penetrate. Provide paths, boards or stepping stones to walk on.

15. Drip Irrigation and a Water Timer

Drip irrigation and a water timer can water the bed effectively if you don't have time to water as needed.

16. Add New Layers of Organic Material

After each season, it helps to add new layers of organic material to provide fresh nutrients to the soil.

No Dig Gardening – What's in your backyard?

A good quality mulch is the best way to go and Green Mulch is just that. Moisture content is essential for a healthy stable Environment. Moisture and Aeration are the initiators of a vibrant garden.

MulchingHopefully in your area you have access to adequate water suppy and watering at cooler times is important so as to eliminate evaporation and burning of leaves etc.

In our area the supply of organic matter available to us from our own back yard would be tree, shrub and plant clippings using the sticks, leaves, bark, seed pods etc and lawn clippings.

Also, if you are permitted to have fires or wood barbeques at your home you will end up with having handy supply of charcoal and ash which is a great source of mulch.

From the kitchen comes things like egg shells, banana and potato peel, lettuce Food Scrapsleaves, used tea leaves etc….nothing goes to waste when we are talking Green, so just thinking a little outside the box and we have a good percentage of what would usually go to the tip that is now creating a fantastic little eco-system in our own backyard.

No Dig Gardening – Mulch

What is Mulch?? We need to say that mulch is any sort of Organic matter from a spec of dust to a stick, a log, a rock or a dead elephant (not that we see to many dead elephants laying around USA, Lets say Mulch is anything that will break down to a spec of dust given time. Generally, where we live, Mulch ranges from leaves to sticks and bark around the 50mm to 100mm in size.

Why Mulch

As I mentioned, to create a healthy environment/garden we use Mulch to limit the Earth from depending on Depth, Density and Moisture content thrive. The ever present Eco System in Mulch will do this itself.

The patch of earth where there is a healthy section of Mulch will feel like we do when we walk under a shady tree on a hot summers day – relieved

So, in summary, mulch is essential for a healthy garden.

No Dig Gardening is just that – No Digging

By following some simple, clearly explained guidelines you will never need to dig again. With the already present Eco System working in your garden you allow the nature to do the digging, mixing and aerating for you. All YOU need to do is supply the basic ingredients and let nature do what it does best.

No-Dig Garden Benefits

Easy to learn and do- you can set up a small garden in an afternoon yourself.
Low cost- most materials are free and readily available
Minimum of effort with no digging involved unless present soil is heavily compacted
Doesn't disturb worms, microorganisms, or fungi in the underlying soil
Doesn't bring up buried weed seeds to the surface where they can germinate and grow
A thick mulch of organic material:
- Provides low maintenance because it smothers most weeds
- Retains moisture and shades the soil, therefore, saving water
- Provides food and protection for worms and microorganisms which help develop soil
Ideal for doing together in neighborhood groups that build community and is fun.
More Healthy and Stable Environment
Healthy and Eco Friendly garden
Positive impact on Physical, Mental and Spiritual wellbeing
Saving money on non-needed chemicals etc
Water conservation
Making gardening more of an enjoyment rather than a chore
Friendly weed control
Less chemicals etc for Carbon
Offset And the list goes on.

We are doing our bit to help the environment and if we can create a "Butterfly Effect" then we are all doing our bit for a healthier sustainable place to live.

Follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram