Maintaining a no-dig garden
Generally this type of garden is low maintenance, however,
it is not no maintenance!
Weeding: You may find wheat growing – this is from seeds amongst the straw. Pull it out and just
leave it lying on top of the straw.
Composting:
Food scraps are a valuable addition to the garden. The simplest way
to deal with
them is to simply bury them in the garden bed. Make sure the scraps are well covered with mulch
and soil so rats aren't tempted. Worms love food scraps and will quickly multiply in your garden.
Watering: The garden bed will be well soaked as it is constructed. The straw
and lucerne will
remain moist for some time, but with vigorously growing plants and hot weather you will need to
water from time to
time. Food plants are much happier with steady moisture (not sogginess,
though). Tomatoes and leafy greens in particular will suffer if
their soil dries out. Even with regular
watering your vegetables won't be using as much water as commercial crops, so don't feel too
guilty. Save water from the house by keeping an ice-cream box or similar in the sink and hand
basin to collect rinsing water. Do consider a water tank.
Topping
up the garden bed: Over time the lucerne, straw and manure will
break down and you
will notice the bed's contents sinking. Refresh
the bed each year with a bag of manure and a top
layer of straw or pea straw. Water these well and you are all set for the next crop. You can also
add autumn leaves, green waste from the greengrocer and
light prunings, in layers under the
straw.
Fertilising: The lucerne and manure make a nitrogen rich growing medium. You won't need much
else for leafy green vegetables. Fruiting plants
will need a little potassium in the form of potassium
sulphate
(sulphate of potash) sprinkled around them to encourage flowers and
fruit set. This
applies to tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins, beans, peas, eggplants etc. When planting
out seedlings, water in well with seaweed solution eg Seasol. This helps reduce transplant shock
and
encourages root growth.
Crop
rotation: Plant diseases can
build up in the soil if the same type of plant is grown in the
same spot year after year. Tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants are particularly susceptible, so put
them in a different spot each year, with a three year cycle.