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We’re delighted to welcome Steve Jones, who is trialling our products, as a SoilFixer blogger.
Here Steve talks about his method of preparing soil.
Being a No-Dig gardener, Soil preparation for me is a very simple task. Every year the same look of disbelief and confusion appears on people’s faces when asked about my growing methods.
Long gone are the days of relentlessly digging away to create a nice tilth only to find a few months later you’re back to square one. Many people walk around with a spade ready to go. Me, I walk around with a rake.
Although confusing to many people, the idea of No-Dig gardening can be traced back to ancient times. The process involves a layering or ‘lasagne’ effect rather than the traditional digging. There are a few reasons behind this.
Organic matter left on the surface is a natural process that you will see throughout the world. Just go down to your local forest and see the way trees dispose of their leaves which compost in place. You will also see that there is a LOT of microbial activity going on.
No-Dig is a way of preserving this structure and using it to our advantage. Despite various myths about the soil needing ‘aeration’, gardening this way allows the soil to develop into a perfect state.
Brimming with beneficial bacteria, your crops will be in a better position to utilise the vitamins and minerals available which will lead to a better quality crop.
So you’re probably thinking: “That’s good and all but what about weeds?” Well there’s good news on that front too. Various weeds can be a real pain and not all can be eradicated, but for the vast majority this method actually does a good job of controlling them.
Ever noticed that after you have dug an area over weeds magically turn up? Annoying isn’t it. This is due to the disturbance of those pesky weed seeds that stay lingering ready to pounce.
By using this method you are effectively putting a blanket over the soil which also keeps the annoying weed seeds at bay and stops them surfacing. Result? Less chance for them to attack.
Admittedly nothing is 100% effective, however why not give it a go and see if you gain any benefit from it? And your tools will thank you for it.
This year, I started a new plot at home. The area I chose for this was the unused, often neglected corner of a garden which is in full sunlight from dusk until dawn. It was over-run with Dock leaves, Couch grass, annual weeds and ground elder. Sounds fantastic doesn’t it!
