Step by Step Guide to No-Dig Garden Beds

No-dig garden beds are ideal for those strapped for time, who have physical limitations or those that want to support the soil health while creating a beautiful and functional space for your family. They are one of the easiest forms of gardening that I have come across and they can be done for free without any special tools.

What is a no-dig garden bed?

Typically when prepping a garden bed you picture digging up sod, pulling out weeds or tilling the soil to fluff it and make it workable. Perhaps you may even add amendments such as compost, top soil or manure. A no-dig garden bed avoids all of that. No-dig beds, keep all the existing plant material, soil and soil structure in place and instead smoother the living plant material so that it breaks down and replenishes the soil.

A no-dig method works well for smothering and preventing weedy seeds from continuing their dominance of your space. The longer you are able to wait before planting the more effective the no-dig method is at combating tough weeds and sleeping seeds.

No-dig garden beds are an easy way for urban gardens of any size to apply permaculture practices.

The method is often interchangeably referred to as no-till garden beds.

In Facebook groups the term lasagna gardening will be used interchangeably with no-dig. Although similar in method, there are key differences between these two methods of garden bed prep.

Benefits of a no-dig garden bed:

• It can be done without any tools.

• It can be done by those with physical limitations.

• It can be done for free.

• It supports soil health.

• Based on the size of a typical urban vegetable garden in Toronto, it can be done in an afternoon.

• It can be done in any season, even winter, if a few conditions are right.

• Works around existing shrubs.

Step by Step Guide to No-Dig Garden Beds

Select your site.

This can be done on sloping lots, but works best in level zones.

This method cannot fix rocks or construction debris. This method cannot fix soil contamination concerns.

You need a level, well draining area with soil. The plant material should be mowed and mulched, or at least chopped down. A common lawn is a perfect example of a base for a no-dig garden bed.

It does not matter if you have clay, sand or loam, sun or shade. It can work with all of those parameters.

Trees are OK

This can be done around the base of trees and is a tree friendly way of prepping a bed without damaging roots.

Never cover up the root flare of a tree.

Pick your Season

The ideal time to start a no-dig garden bed is late fall. The material will have ample time to sit and decompose. The weather is moist which will help with the decomposition and keeping elements in place.

It is much easier to motivate yourself to get out and do this when the weather is still lovely in October or early November, rather then in March.

The next best time to start a no-dig bed is in March. In Southern Ontario much of our snow has melted away, but plant material is still dormant. April will bring lots of the needed moisture, enabling us to plant by May or June.

Summer works too, but without regular moisture the progress of decomposition is slower. Animals are more active as are kids and pets. You may find your set up is shuffled or rearranged by others, but also by our strong summer storms.

Cardboard Controversy

Cardboard is the most common material used for the base, smothering layer. It is effective. It breaks down. It will give you the easy garden that you want. Often we have access to plenty of free carboard from online shopping.

All cardboard is not created equal. Some are coated, some have other linings that are not a product you would want in your soil. Some are very structural and thick, where others are thin. No matter which type you settle on using, remove all tape etc.

Cardboard varieties will break down at different rates. How long it will take varies depending on thickness and smoothness of cardboard, moisture level maintained and the season. A fall application + cardboard pairs well.

One consideration is that of soil health. Soil microbes require air and moisture. Cardboard, especially if laid in multiple sheets, or of a thick, smooth variety, smothers so intensely that you not only kill plant material but also the microbial activity in soil.

If your aim is soil health and not just ease of gardening, be selective with your base layer.

Base Layer for Soil Health

Lawn bags, or leaf bags are my preference.

They smoother, yet decompose and they support soil health rather then hindering it. The drawback is this route requires you to purchase something.

If you are dealing with maturely rooted or intense weeds, you may require a few layers. For suppressing sod, one layer with slight overlaps will do the trick.

Optional Effort

Edging: I do it because I find it holds the materials in place while I’m waiting to plant. I’d be edging them in some manner anyway to serve as boundaries for my kids.

Speed: If you want to fast track this process and plant sooner, possibly even immediately. You can add a layer of soil over the carboard or leaf bags.

If you are doing this no-dig method in late spring or summer and use plants with shallow root behaviour (strawberries) or small roots (as plant plugs) this can help with FOMO on the growing season while you wait for the bed to be ready.

Add Mulch

Mulch can be many things:

-Shredded Leaves (plus side of doing this method in the fall),

-wood chips (free from an arborist),

-straw (pick up a bale in the fall for seasonal decor and then repurpose in the garden)

Whichever you settle on using, be mindful of what it may be coated in (dyes for red or black wood mulch) or pesticides/fire retardants (straw).

Wait

This is the catch with no-dig garden beds. It is easy on us because we are delegating the work to mother nature, and she operates on her own schedule.

There is no immediate gratification with this method like you get with tilling.

How long you have to wait will depend on the season you created this bed. Summer is dry, will take longer for decomposition and smothering to occur. Fall is ideal, we aren’t in the garden over the winter anyway. If you created one in March, you can be typically be planting by May.

Timing will also depend on what your base layer was (thick carboard vs lawn bags).