This one is for our gardening enthusiasts!
We’re excited to welcome Bailey Van Tassel to Women of Today! Bailey is sharing her expertise on creating a no-dig garden, and if you are the kind of person who is always looking for easy and practical gardening tips, this is for you.
Keep scrolling to learn more about creating a no-dig garden!
There is a gardening method that requires very little preparation and really allows you to start growing your own vegetables or flowers quickly and on a budget. No dig gardening is not only economical and easy, but it’s also great for the soil as it requires no tilling and, therefore, no disruption to the delicate microorganisms in the ground.
How it works: Cardboard suffocates your lawn but decomposes and allows seeds to germinate and take root. It achieves three things: killing weeds or lawns, nourishing the soil and keeping it intact, and developing new root systems for the crops that you are planting.
This method is decades old, but has been championed by many famous gardeners who have proven that you can grow strong healthy crops, while keeping weeds at bay and without having to build raised beds.
How to get started:
- Measure the area where you want to plant your no-dig garden. Look for a space that gets at least six hours of full sun.
- Lay down cardboard to cover the space where you want to plant. The cardboard will suffocate any weeds or grass, so you don’t have to remove it.
- Add four to six inches of high-quality compost on top of your cardboard pieces, tamping it down so that it stays put. To calculate how much soil you need, multiply the measurements you originally had (length x width). You’ll then multiply that by the depth (our four to six inches of compost) and divide that number by 27. You’ll be left with cubic feet, the unit in which soil is measured.
- Once your soil is placed, water all the beds to further compact them. This will get your new garden nice and saturated so that you can start seeds or even place transplants.
That’s it! Truly, that is all you need to do. When your soil is prepped, you can sow your seeds and water them normally.
Want to learn more about Gardening? Check out the pre-sale of Bailey‘s book, Kitchen Garden Living!
In Kitchen Garden Living, author and Kitchen Garden Society founder Bailey Van Tassel guides you through the process of establishing a kitchen garden of your own, helping you with all of the necessary steps to get your new garden started and holding your hand all the way through to the harvest and beyond. Organized by chapters titled Plan, Grow, Tend, Make, Gather, Connect, and Inspire, the projects and lessons found here are designed to help you succeed, no matter the size or location of your kitchen garden.
Happy Gardening!
