As much fun as it is, gardening can also be back-breaking work, so if you have been feeling it in your lower back after all that bending down over your flower beds, you might want to consider giving the no dig method a go.
There are benefits to digging, of course, and it’s mainly done to get rid of weeds or to incorporate nutrients like phosphorus and potassium into the soil, but there are other ways to ensure your plants grow up big and healthy, which your back and knees will thank you for.
The no dig method involves growing your crops in beds with narrow paths on either side so you can access the soil with ease. You control your weeds by mulching, using contact weedkillers, pulling them up by hand and shallow hoeing.
And because you’re not digging any soil up, you don’t bring any weed seeds to the surface, so eventually you’ll find that you have fewer weeds to deal with… every gardener’s dream!
The method itself was devised by Charles Dowding and he explains that soil actually has less need to recover when it is left uncultivated and undisturbed, which means that fewer weeds can grow. This is because when soil is dug or turned over, it then recovers from this disruption by re-covering itself with weed growth.
No dig soil is also chock full of microbes and organisms that can benefit your garden, helping your plants to find the moisture and nutrients they need.
Mr Dowding’s top tip for beginners is to start off small with a single bed on top of some unused grass, with the grass and weeds still in place and with enough compost placed on top to smother them. No digging required!
For help with landscaping in Neston, get in touch with LW Landscapes today.