BBC Gardeners' World

Join the no-dig revolution

No-dig, right from day one, is less about what we do to ‘fix’ soil and more about how we enhance its natural liveliness. Compost or organic matter on the surface encourages organisms in the soil to travel upwards and feed, which improves aeration and structure. Their excretions contain feed for other organisms and/or plants, so the cycle of life is enabled and magnified. From there it’s simply a matter of sowing and planting into the surface compost, when it’s the right season for each different plant. And don’t forget, no-dig is great for flowers and ornamental plants: fewer weeds, and gorgeous blooms.

It is instructive, and fascinating, to discover where no-dig has come from and how it has developed. And to

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