No-Dig Gardening Starter Guide

No-dig gardening is more than a method, it's a philosophy of working with the soil rather than against it. By avoiding tilling and instead building soil health from the top down, gardeners can reduce weeds, retain moisture, and grow strong, healthy crops with less effort over time.

Whether you’re starting a new bed or improving an old one, this guide covers the essentials to get started with no-dig growing.

What is No-Dig?

No-dig is a low-disturbance gardening method where organic matter (like compost) is applied on top of the soil rather than being dug in as in traditional gardening methods. Soil life including worms, fungi, and microbes do the work of incorporating it naturally. The key principle behind it is to keep the soil covered and undisturbed.

Tools You’ll Need

• Compost: ideally homemade or peat-free multipurpose. You'll need a good amount of this as it's best to layer it on thickly.

• Cardboard: to suppress weeds if starting from scratch

• Rake or board: to level surfaces gently

Optional but helpful:

• Mulch (straw, leaves, wood chips)

• A border or edging to contain material

Why Choose No-Dig?

No-dig gardening offers real advantages over traditional digging, especially for long-term soil health. By leaving soil undisturbed, you protect its natural structure and encourage a thriving web of worms, fungi, and beneficial microbes. These living systems break down organic matter, improve drainage, and help feed your plants.

Weeds are also easier to manage. Rather than bringing buried seeds to the surface (as digging does), no-dig suppresses them with compost and mulch. Moisture stays in the soil longer too, reducing how often you need to water which is especially useful in dry spells.

It’s gentler on your body, too. There’s no need for back-breaking double digging every year. And from an environmental standpoint, no-dig helps retain carbon in the soil rather than releasing it through disturbance.

For both new and experienced gardeners, it’s a simpler, more sustainable way to grow.

How to Start a No-Dig Bed

For a new bed (on grass or weeds):

1. Lay down plain cardboard, overlapping the edges. By overlapping the edges you prevent gaps for weeds to make their way through.

2. Water the cardboard thoroughly. This helps decomposition of the cardboard over time.

3. Add 10–15cm of compost directly on top.

4. Sow or plant directly into the compost.

For an existing bed:

1. Remove any persistent perennial weeds.

2. Add a 5–10cm layer of compost as a top-up.

3. Avoid digging and let the soil life do the rest.

Ongoing Maintenance

• Apply a fresh layer of compost once or twice a year (usually autumn and/or spring).

• Use mulches to suppress weeds between crops.

• Avoid stepping on your beds as compacting undermines no-dig benefits.