The idea of do-dig gardening was developed by an Australian
named Esther Deans. It was originally both developed both as a labor saving
idea, and a method to rejuvenate badly depleted soil in a vegetable garden.
The process involves starting with
layers of newspaper, and by adding lucerne hay, straw and compost in succeeding layers, you can create a
growing medium without resorting to heavy digging, and one that is rich in
nutrients and which will simplify weeding and encourage your much desired
plants to grow. The layers compost together, and greatly encourage earthworms. The
gardens are maintained by adding manure, compost, etc., and should not be dug
up, as this will undo the good work. I have used this approach to creating
vegetable gardens, and it certainly does work.
The
principle of not digging has sound foundations. Excessive cultivation of the
soil, especially when very wet or very dry, will damage the structure of the
soil, and lead to compaction. Such excessive cultivation can also discourage
the earthworms, and they are the best free labor a gardener has.
Some
followers of permaculture and organic gardening have translated no-dig into
never-dig, which I believe is sadly mistaken. If you start with a base soil
that is badly compacted, then your no-dig garden will initially work well, but
you may find your garden does not continue to perform well. The fertile layer
you have built up will encourage the earthworms, but we do know that the worms
need to shelter from excessively hot, dry, cold or wet conditions. They have
been found to seek shelter from extreme conditions by burrowing more deeply
into the soil, sometime many feet down. If they cannot shelter in this way, it
is my contention that they will die out or move out.
My belief
is that an initial cultivation of the soil before you apply the no-dig system
will guarantee a better environment for the worms, and thus a better garden for
growing your plants, over the longer term.
By all means give the no-dig approach a try – you will
be pleased with the result.
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