SUSTAINABLE GARDENING AUSTRALIA ABILITY SERIES

SUSTAINABLE GARDENING AUSTRALIASustain ABILITYSERIESMASTERINGThe most tedious part of traditional gardening is the digging - it can beback breaking! Imagine if you only needed to dig that garden bed onceand then no more digging! The good news is it’s possible! That is IF youplan ahead and IF you put a bit of effort into creating the basic bed! It’ssimply called No-Dig Gardening.

What is a NoDig Garden?No-Dig gardening was originallychampioned in the 1970’s bySydney gardener Esther Dean.It is sometimes called LasagnaGardening due to the technique A No-Dig garden is like a high rise – youbuild up and not down. It is essential to haveof layering different materialsa suitable frame around the bed to preventwithin the bed. Most gardenersit from collapsing. Knee-high beds areusing this system do so in raised generally built to grow vegetables and otherfruit producing plants like tomatoes. Butgarden beds to allow for theyou can also build a low rise No-Dig gardendevelopment of a wonderfullywith perhaps a wire mesh or sleeper edging.If you are putting your No-Dig garden bedproductive growing medium.on a soil base, it is a good idea to dig or forkThis also makes it possible toover the area first to improve drainage. Butit’s what you put inside the frame of yourgrow plants where the site isgarden bed that really matters.generally not suited to gardeningHow does it work?such as on compacted soils, inA No-Dig bed is made from multiple layers of organiccourtyards, on balconies andmaterials topped with a final compost/soil layer. Initially,even on rooftops.the materials in the lower layers of the No-Dig bed simplyNo-Dig gardens are adaptableand can be built to any size,shape or height. Build onedirectly on a disused lawn, aneglected nature strip or in acommunity garden setting. Theonly limit is your imagination.provide bulk. But as these materials are organic they startto break down (compost) and eventually become a nutrientrich growing environment. These composting organicmaterials are moisture retentive providing a reservoir ofwater for the garden bed, even in hot dry conditions.As the organic materials in the lower levels are slowlydecomposing they also produce heat that accelerates plantgrowth within the bed. The surface level of the bed willnaturally sink over time as these organic layers breakdown.To restore the height of the bed, garden compost, agedmanures and straw mulches can be added at the end ofeach growing season. These can be lightly forked into theloose top layer.Why No-Dig Gardening?No-Dig beds can be adapted to any outdoor area, evenon soil-less balconies and in courtyards. However to growvegetables the site should get at least 5 hours sun perday. This sunny environment together with the nutrientrich growing environment is perfect for plant growth. Themedium can be so rich that you don’t need to add anysupplementary fertilisers and they generally require lesswatering.If the bed is placed on soil, over time you will find thatworms and micro-organisms migrate up into the bed andexcess nutrients will leach down. This will improve both thequality of the bed and the soil beneath.Raised No-Dig beds bring the garden up to a workableheight for people of limited mobility. They can also beportable making them a suitable investment for renters.

Suggested Materials for aNo-Dig Garden Bed(H Height, W Width, L Length, D Depth)Low BedRaised BedBottom LayerEdging Materials e.g. metallandscape edging, recycledplastic garden edging,sustainably harvested timbers*,straw bales, powder coatedwire edging etcFraming Materials e.g.recycled plastic planks,sustainably harvested timbers*,prefabricated corrugatedgalvanised beds, recycled applecrates etc.Weed Barrier Materials e.g.un-waxed corrugatedcardboard or multiple layersof newspapers. Dampenwell before adding organicmaterials.Bulk LayersPlanting LayerMulch LayerH 400mm W – Any L - Any(Area of high biological activity,not for planting in) D – AnyApply the following inalternating layers and dampenwell between each layer.Green Materials e.g. finelychopped garden waste, noninvasive garden weeds, comfreyand borage leaves, spentannuals, finished green manurecrops etc.Brown Materials e.g. autumnleaves, dead plant material(disease free), pea straws,lucerne, shredded newspapers etc.Manures and Composts e.g.aged animal manures andgarden compostH 400mm W – Any L - AnyD - 300mmGrowing medium e.g. finishedcompost mixed with gardensoil or a vegie garden mix.D – 50mmStraws are best. If growingfrom seed, do not apply mulchuntil seedlings have emerged.PlantsSeeds, seedlings, herbs, perennials, dwarf fruit trees etc* CCA free and sustainably harvested from plantation timbers

Tips for Building aNo-Dig Garden Framing materials can be expensive sopurchase your materials to suit yourbed size. E.g. to make a bed 600mm (w)x 1200mm (l), purchase 2400mmlengths of materials. For beds 900mm(w) x 1800mm (l), purchase 2700mmlengths. Self assembly kits and prefabricatedgalvanised beds are good options ifyou lack carpentry skills. Straw bales are an easy and cheapedging option with no constructionneeded. They also double up asgarden seats. However they will breakdown over a year or two and need tobe replaced. If using straw bales as framingmaterials, you can also plant into thebales by removing straw plugs, fillingwith compost and planting directlyinto these. This is perfect for growingcompanion plants e.g. herbs andflowers. When building on concrete, place a7–10cm layer of coarse screenings,scoria, small branches or broken bricksin the bottom of the bed to improvedrainage. You can also put a layer offly wire mesh on top of the screeninglayer. This will prevent any organicmaterials from the top layer cloggingup the drainage layer. Finish the bulk layers with some agedanimal manure before adding the finallayer. If the bed is on compacted soil orconcrete you may need to install asmall drainage channel for run-offfrom the garden bed. The top layer should be a compost/soilmix suitable for vegie gardens. Activelydecomposing organic materials canburn plant roots. To save money on materials for alarge raised bed, fill the bottom halfof the bed (the bulk layer) with thickparcels or bales of straw. Continue tofill the remainder of the bulk layer withalternating organic materials (see tablebelow) on top of this straw layer. If possible, allow the bed to ‘rest’ for acouple of weeks before planting out sothe mix can stabilise. Top up with morecompost/soil mix after this if necessary. Thoroughly dampen each layer oforganic materials before adding thenext layer.Example of a No-Dig garden bedCompost/Soil Mix Shallow beds need more compactlayering than deeper beds but alllayering should stop about 300mmfrom the top to allow for the plantinglayer. Prepare and plant out as you would anormal garden bed depending on whatyou wish to grow. Mulch once seedlings emerge.Thoroughly dampeneach layer of organicmaterials beforeadding the next layerThin layer of green wasteAged animal manuresThin layer of green wasteLoose strawThin layer of green wasteAged animal manuresGarden borderThin layer of green wasteBales ofpea strawThin layer of green wasteThick layers of newspaper or unwaxed carboard

Growing inyour No-Dig bedNo-Dig garden beds will naturally shrink after acouple of months and need to be topped up.Wait until your annual crops are harvested andthe stubble cleared or forked in, then top upwith more layers of organic matter. There is noneed to ‘turn over’ the No-Dig beds but newlayers should be forked in lightly beforeplanting. Add a little Dolomite of Lime tovegetable beds to prevent any calciumdeficiencies next season.If the beds sink substantially, permanent plantssuch as fruit trees will also drop lower in thebed. Do not build soil up over the trunks ofthese plants as it may result in collar rot orother infections. If possible, lift permanentplants in their dormant season, raise the level ofthe bed and replant.As with all vegetable gardening, practice croprotation techniques to prevent many commondiseases and plant disorders from becomingestablished in your beds.Watering andMulchesPlan ahead and install the delivery linesfor your irrigation system inside the frameBEFORE filling the bed. No-Dig beds areperfect for drip watering systems whichdirect water to the plant roots. As thegrowing medium is naturally moistureretentive, check beneath the soil surfaceso you do not overwater.In summer, mulch with an appropriatestraw mulch. If growing from seed, donot mulch until the seedlings are at least50mm tall. Young seedlings are vulnerableto attack from snail and other pests soprotect as appropriate.Untreated greywater should not be usedin raised garden beds particularly whengrowing vegetables.“There is no needto ‘turn over’ theNo-Dig bedsbut new layersshould be forkedin lightly beforeplanting.”Straw BaleEdged BedRecycledPlastic Bed

A SustainableNo-Dig BedDo NOT Use Old tyres as they can leach chemicalsand heavy metals into your soilwhich in turn can be taken up byyour vegies. Plastic as the base for your No-Digbed as it will cut off air and moistureto the soil beneath. Plastic can alsocause water logging and otherdrainage problems within your bed.Do Use Timber or sleepers from Australian oroverseas old growth rainforests. Useplantation grown or recycled timber. CCA (copper chrome arsenate)treated timber due to the arseniccontent of the wood. Local products as they require lesstransport and have a smaller carbonfootprint than materials that havecome a large distance. This includesconstruction materials as well as thesoils, plants and mulches used. Raised No-Dig Beds when your owngarden soil is contaminated, perhapsfrom a previous activity at yourgarden site.Funded by the Helen MacphersonSmith Bushfires Grants FundWhy Growin a No-D your Ownig e Gardening Australia (SGA)6 Manningham Road West,Bulleen, Vic 3105Telephone: (03) 8850 3050Fax: (03) 9852 1097Email: info@sgaonline.org.auWebsite: www.sgaonline.org.auensures you have fr anically in your backyardesh, healtvegetablehy fruit as for youndr family. Gthe envirood for yonment.ou andNo-Dig byou can geds are srow freshoadaptableproducealmost anywhere.

straw mulch. If growing from seed, do not mulch until the seedlings are at least 50mm tall. Young seedlings are vulnerable to attack from snail and other pests so protect as appropriate. Untreated greywater should not be used in raised garden beds particularly when growing vegetables. Straw Bale