The No-Dig Garden
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The no-dig garden is a cultivation-free approach to gardening which does not disturb the existing soil. No-dig gardening has evolved into many different and exciting forms worldwide.
 
No-dig gardens are raised above ground level and are traditionally soil-free, meaning, they do not contain sand, silt, or clay. Bed edges can be natural, manufactured, or made from recycled materials.
 
No-dig gardens are made up of 5cm and 10cm layers of organic material, such as, lucerne or meadow hay, compost, lawn clippings, straw, and garden prunings. Carbon layers get a sprinkling of blood and bone on top (e.g., leaves or wood chips) and nitrogen layers get a sprinkling of garden lime (e.g., grass clippings or compost). It is recommended to put a generous layer of cardboard or newspapers at the base of your no-dig bed to suppress weeds. A bed depth of 30cm is suitable for growing many plants, such as herbs and veggies (root crops need deeper profile).
 
Benefits of No-Dig Gardens:
  • No digging! This does not mean no work, however; every garden, particularly productive ones, need regular maintenance.
  • With raised edges, no-dig gardens are suitable for people who find traditional, ground-based gardening challenging.
  • Versatile – no-dig gardens can be built on natural or manufactured surfaces, such as concrete.
  • No-dig gardens help protect our delicate Australian soils as they sit on the soil’s surface, avoiding potentially damaging cultivation practices.
  • Excellent drainage and aeration – with liberal organic layers creating raised edges, no-dig gardens are well drained and less prone to compaction than soil-based beds are.
  • The rich organic layers provide optimum nutrition for all your plant’s growing needs.
  • No-dig gardens are practically weed free! Generous layers of mulch and soil free ingredients means no hidden weed seeds.
  • No-dig gardens can be more economical and utilise less resource than soil-based gardening styles – most if not all no-dig ingredients can be found in your own backyard or local community.
  • Essentially, no-dig gardens foster the ideal environment for bountiful ecosystems, which provides the ideal growing conditions for hardy and healthy plants.
Potential Challenges of No-Dig gardens:
  • Setting them up is labour intensive.
  • There is a risk of leaching nitrates into our stormwater and water storage facilities - no-dig gardens using fresh animal manures and other high nutrient ingredients are more susceptible to nutrient runoff if overwatered or built on impervious surfaces.
  • First and sometimes second season no-dig gardens are not suitable for larger shrubs and trees with deep root systems. However, once the beds are established, and the layers are well decomposed and at least 60cm in depth, it is possible to grow some tree species, such as fruit trees.
  • The nutrient-rich layers are not suitable for some ornamental plants, including Australian natives, which have adapted to often impoverished soils.
 
No-Dig Gardening Tips:
  • Make your no-dig garden beds a comfortable working width, and adjacent paths wide enough for easy wheelbarrow access - 1.2 metre beds and 60cm paths suits most circumstances.
  • If you are keen to use your no-dig garden straight away, plant seedlings into a handful of potting mix to prevent burning roots while the surrounding layers are decomposing.
  • When constructing no-dig gardens on impervious surfaces, such as pavers, include a 7-10cm layer of sticks or similar at the base for improved drainage.
 
Handy Resources:
No-dig gardening: how to create an instant, low-maintenance garden. Allen Gilbert (2003). ISBN: 0733309410.
https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/diy-instructions/no-dig-gardening/  
https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/no-dig-garden/9429424   
No Dig Garden: No-Dig Garden - Fact Sheets - Gardening Australia - GARDENING AUSTRALIA (abc.net.au)