Page 10 - Oundle Life October 2024

people do not have this quantity and the cost can be expensive. Many recent articles now state 25mm which is less but does not give a very good cover and is not really sufficient for good no-dig growing.
The second main disadvantage is on some soil’s compaction could become a problem and this was the case in some of the earlier research on no-dig. Over a period of time the soil settles and becomes compacted, reducing root growth and therefore less vigorous crops. Certainly, on my slightly heavy soil over chalk the soil appears to set like concrete in the summer whereas my dug area is easy to plant with a trowel. There
is evidence that after 5 to 7 years some soils require digging to break up any compaction and aerate it.
The minor disadvantages are that at the end of the growing season (autumn) digging is a good way to clear any crop remains, weeds
and other debris by burying it, leaving a clear, clean surface for sowing and planting. Also, if growing green manure / cover crops these are easy to dig straight into the soil to decompose, but a no-digger has to cut and compost them or cut and drop them on the soil surface for the soil creatures to incorporate over winter. This means it looks a bit of a mess and is an ideal home for slugs!
Cultivation has been carried out for hundreds of years with, I think, good reason. Unfortunately there is little, if any, independent research on dig verses no-dig, and it is difficult to find unbiased advice: nearly all no-dig articles are written by no-diggers! So, you need to make up your mind whether to be a digger or no-digger, or do some trials to see what is best for you.
Kelvin V. Mason
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