‘No Dig’ Vegie Gardens

As an alternative style of Vegie Garden, why not build a ‘No-Dig Garden’ this year?

Benefits include:

• Easy to set up and requires very low on-going maintenance

• Saves on water and fertiliser

• Potential to fully recycle kitchen scraps and garden waste

• Can be built as a garden bed or in any container to any shape or size

To build a No-Dig Garden on an existing lawn or onto soil:

1. Mark out and form walls of no dig garden. The walls should be at least 20cm high, but may be a lot higher. You can use anything including old rocks or sleepers or bricks, blocks, pavers etc..

2. Line the base with a 3 – 5mm thickness of newspaper to suppress weeds; and wet thoroughly.

3. The idea is to then stack alternating layers of fine and coarse compostable materials. For example; start with a layer of lucerne, then a thin layer of cow manure, then a layer of compost, and then repeat the layers finishing with a thick compost layer.

4. Planting can be done into the top compost layer. Trowel a small hole to fit the seedlings in and plant. Water in well. The plant will eventually establish a strong root system in its nutritional base.

5. As the seedlings grow and the layers rot down, top up with more layers of manure and compost.

6. Mulch around your seedlings well with a lucerne or pea straw and dig this into the soil as it rots down, before topping the mulch up.

In a large container, do the same as above, omitting Step 1.

To build a No dig Garden on a sealed surface:

1. Mark out the size of the beds and construct the sides. If using bricks, sleepers or other rectangular shaped materials, make sure you leave some gaps for drainage. The walls should be at least 50 cm high.

2. Place a 7 – 10mm layer of coarse screenings or scoria at the base for drainage.

3. Layer the materials as listed above.

4. Plant the bed.

5. Top up layers as they rot down.

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