RegenerEat

Healthy Soil. Fewer Weeds.

​

No dig gardening is a non-cultivation method of growing. It mimics natural processes to build fertility, aerate and improve structure of the soil and retain water.

​

Fertility building from the surface is the natural process that occurs when soil is left to its own devices. Worms and soil fauna travel upwards through the soil to find the food at the surface. As soil life increases, the soil becomes better aerated as the organisms traverse through the layers. The organic matter brought down from the surface is processed by a complex community of soil organisms into soluble nutrients that the plants can access. The improved soil structure holds more water which the plants need to carry the nutrients into their roots.

 

No-dig provides food without the damage to the soil that digging, rotavating and ploughing causes, allowing previously abused soils to recover. By using natural processes to reintroduce nutrients into the soil we reduce the need for artificial nutrients and the mechanical processes required to incorporate them. In turn, plant health is improved as a more varied nutrient profile in the soil allows natural pest relief and balanced soil communities prevent over dominance of pest species. Not turning the soil also reduces the growth of weeds, as weed seeds are not exposed to light, which means less competition for your food crops and less work weeding for you. Better water retention in the soil structure reduces the need for artificial watering and the thick layer of organic matter on the surface prevents high levels of evaporation experienced by bare soil and reduces mechanical damage caused by the elements.

 

The soil surface, even on sticky clay, becomes darker and crumbly, with a consistently good tilth of fine yet stable soil crumbs. It’s easy to hoe (if needed) or pull weeds from, and needs less water. Throughout the soil, there is a proliferation of beneficial bacteria and fungi such as mycorrhizae. They help plant roots to find nutrients and moisture, which may often have been present already, but sometimes remain unavailable to roots if biological activity is low. These microbes also mine minerals need by the plants from the soil particles themselves, a process that doesn't occur in soils devoid of life. Overall plant health is improved due to nutrient and mineral availability improving, which in turn increases yield and success of crops. Healthy plants means healthy herbivores; our own benefit from more nutrient dense crops can be significant, even if its simply enjoying a tomato that actually tastes like a tomato.

​

To build and maintain a no-dig garden, just layer organic materials on top of the ground and let nature do the work for you by creating beautiful fertile soil as the material breaks down. Mulch is the key to this process. A surface layer of organic matter in the form of compost, manure, cardboard, leaflitter, wood chip, fleece or all of the above provides nutrients for the soil organisms, protection of the soil surface from the physical, mechanical stresses of weather, and a blanket to keep moisture locked in. Raised beds work brilliantly on a small scale in the home garden but many small holders have embraced this method on larger scales to grow vegetables for market.

​