Are you a ‘no dig’ gardener? For some it may seem like a strange question. Surely gardening is all about getting that spade into the earth and turning the soil or forking over your beds? Well, not for all.

Growing in prominence over recent decades and now popular enough to be considered more than a niche, ‘no dig’ gardening is the preferred method of thousands of gardeners across the UK and Ireland.

A form or organic gardening that works in harmony with nature, the many advantages to ‘no dig’ including improving soil by leaving it undisturbed and, crucially for those that have lost countless hours to labourious digging - eliminating perennial weeds with speed and ease.

But what is it?

Well, as the named suggests it involves no digging! So, no need to dig over your vegetable plot at the start of the new season every year and a much reduced requirement to dig out weeds in the future.

Instead, a thick layer of peat free organic compost is placed on top of the existing soil or, if you are creating a new bed, on the lawn or an area overgrown with weeds.

There’s absolutely no need to dig out the weeds before hand nor do you need to use chemicals to kill them.

By placing a membrane such as a layer of cardboard down beforehand, this along with the deep covering of compost acts to starve the weeds of the light they need to survive.

Over time, the cardboard will decompose and the compost will enrich the soil, greatly improving its structure and allowing the natural organisms within to thrive. In turn, you will be left with a garden more bounteous than ever before at a fraction of the work.

And the best part, once you’ve created your ‘no dig’ bed, you can start to plant straight away!

Benefits of ‘no dig’ gardening with peat free organic compost

• Enriches soil health 
• Clears weeds 
• Encourages stronger plant growth
• A quick and easy way to start growing
• Fewer weeds in the future
• Allows soils to retain all their goodness 
• Improves moisture retention
• Soil organisms can thrive from being undisturbed 
• Works in harmony with nature