To Dig or Not to Dig

I prefer to let nature do the work when it comes to gardening. Why fight nature when you can work with it? I don't spend the winter and spring breaking my back digging - I copy nature instead. In autumn the leaves fall from the trees leaving a protective blanket on the forest floor. This helps to protect from frost damage and puts nutrients back into the soil. Slowly, throughout the winter the leaves are broken down by organisms that live in the soil. Years of this makes good soil. So I copy nature's method by covering all unused beds with green manure that I have grown on my paths in between my raised beds, and any other green matter I can find on my plot. This will prevent nutrients being washed away by heavy rains. It also prevents the ground becoming too cold, which means that in the spring the soil will be ready to sow earlier than if I had dug the ground.

The main issue that I have with digging is the amount of worms and other creatures that are killed using this method. These creatures help to aerate the soil and help to break down matter, which makes healthy soil. I hate killing creatures anyway, but surely it is senseless when these creatures are doing the work for us? The creatures will be nice and warm all winter because of the mulch, and they will happily turn the green matter into lovely soil just in time for spring. Of course they won't break down all of the mulch as there is so much of it. But when spring arrives I shall just push the mulch that is left aside, add some compost and sow the seeds. I have raised beds on my allotment which means that the soil will not be compacted by people walking on them. The raised beds are also good for drainage - essential when you have heavy clay soil. Digging also kills slow worms, which are another good friend of the gardener. I found a few of these on my plot last year. The first time I saw one I thought it was a gold necklace until it moved! These beautiful creatures are brilliant at controlling the slug population.

There is a significant difference between the soil of a heavily tilled farm and a forest. The tilled soil is lacking nutrients because most of it is washed away in heavy rains. Therefore large amounts of fertilizers are needed. Years of heavy tilling destroys a large amount of beneficial organisms. The soil of a forest is rich in nutrients and thriving with life. It differs in texture too. It is usually soft and light, making it easy for the roots of plants to penetrate in the spring. I have never walked through a forest in late winter or early spring and witnessed nature turning its soil with a fork! As plants have been around a lot longer than humans, I think it is safe to say that nature knows best. So I shall just keep copying nature. This way my back is happy and the worms are happy. If the worms are happy the soil will be great. If the soil is great the plants will thrive.

Below: Tilled soil, lacking nutrients and life             Nature knows best: An un-dug forest thriving with life

To Dig or Not to Dig