NO-DIG GARDEN BED

HOW TO BUILD A NO-DIG GARDEN BED

---

Every site where a new garden is being started will have it’s unique attributes that will determine how best to make use of the area.

For the Grow Wānaka site, we are looking at pallic soil that has been grazed. It’s very low in organic matter, has no A substrate and 20cm of B substrate till we hit rocks. It’s compacted so much so that if the Autumn rain comes, it’s hard to even get a garden fork in.

So we opted to bring in topsoil and build our beds up, rather than try and dig down. (Note, this has its own set of challenges). With the idea of layering manure on top of the formed beds, and building our nutrients as we go along. This is a great example of using what you have! And is by no means a suggested way to start a garden.

On the other side of the coin, today we held a workshop at the garden with Dr. Compost, sponsored by Wanaka Wastebusters and QLDC, where Ben talks us through a somewhat more nutrient rich way of building a no dig bed.

So why would you even bother?

As mentioned, we have poor soil and many urban areas have had their soil churned up, or filled with a thin layer of soil and grass...basically, not what you want to plant into.

Other reasons may be ease of use, building above the frost line, raised beds can warm up faster, offers better drainage and so forth. But also, not all areas suit this method of creating a garden bed.

The process itself is very straight forward:

• Create an edge...if you want to, but it’s not vital.

• Layer cardboard, extending the cardboard to the surrounding path is a great idea, as often this is a grassy area that if unkept, can grow into the bed.

• Then lasagne, or layer different materials: A carbon rich layer (brown), followed by a nitrogen rich layer (green)

For our No Dig Beds we applied the following:

• Lucern

• Horse manure (fresh)

• Biochar

• Autumn leaves

• Bokashi

• Woodchips, rotted

• Minerals

• Repeated lucern

• Mushroom compost filled by some more rotted woodchip

Use what you have!

Be aware that what you are using may have chemicals or pesticides (ie, the product that de worms the horse will also deworm the garden.) Autumn horse manure is often better as the feed is lucern not grass.

Biochar needs to be activated.

Check what your woodchip is made of

Mineralisation is important! Don’t skip this part as is bringing biology into the mix

The height was about 40cm and will compact/break down over time. This height will not produce the heat of a compost heap, so can be planted into straight away.

And last note, this method can also be applied directly onto an existing bed to recharge it for use the following season.

Happy Growing!