All kinds of large and noisy machines feature in this bright book, with a bouncily rhythmic text which young mechanics will love -- and soon learn off by heart! * Scottish Book Trust * Dig My Grave” is a song by They Might Be Giants. It was released as the first single from their 1992 album Apollo 18. The next song on our list is “Digging in the Dirt” by Peter Gabriel. This song is from Gabriel’s 1992 album Us and was released as the lead single. Worms are encouraged by the surface mulch and draw this down into the lower levels opening up the soil and allowing easier water absorption and drainage. Continue digging trenches in the same way, until you reach the end of the bed where soil saved from the first trench can be used to fill the appropriate layers in the final trench.

The initial dig is carried out by double digging. Here the topsoil is removed to either two spits (a spit is a spade depth) or to the level where the topsoil ends and the sub-soil begins. This method of digging is suitable for cleaning the soil surface of any debris and non-persistent weeds. This is often the best option for working with irregularly-shaped beds or around existing plants. If you have a weak grip, arm or hand pain, or want to make digging more comfortable, add on handles can help. These keep your arm and hand in a natural position, avoiding your wrist bending and twisting. These can be combined with arm support cuffs. Next on the list is “Digging Up the Corpses” by DevilDriver. This song is from their self-titled album and was released in 2003. Many growers have seized on no-dig as an easy method of growing with the least and lightest work. However, the no-dig system is not without work. It requires a lot of compost and this may be more work producing than digging over would be.

A group of us went to see Charles Dowding when he came to give a talk in York on the subject of No Dig. As is well documented Charles is one of the leading advocates of the system. His talk was very interesting & all our group enjoyed it. I will point out that I am now into my 5th year of No Dig on one of my allotments & I am hopefully starting to convert my second allotment to No Dig in the next couple of years. I initially started the process of conversion after meeting Charles about 6 years ago at Lindley Hall in London. Dear John, what a fascinating article and discourse. I went to Caythorpe Agricultural College during the 60’s to waste some (4 years) of my youth! And at that time we had a couple of fields that were ‘no-til’ trials and all cultivation was done, if at all, on the top 2 or 3 inches of soil just once per year. The idea being that any crop residue and subsequent fertiliser would be sufficient. The trial did not last long, there were weed problems, there were fertility problems, and as I remember we ended up having to spray some pretty nasty stuff (Gramoxone) on there to sort the problem out. The whole lot was then ploughed in. You mention field beans as a green manure which needs no digging in. I sowed some field beans last November because I had left it too late to sow anything else but they took so long to germinate and then grew so slowly that they never really provided any kind of canopy to protect the soil surface from the elements. If I use field beans again, I will sow them earlier and much closer together than recommended – I might even sow them through holes in some thin cardboard.

Currently the best known champions of No-Dig gardening are Bob Flowerdew who practices it in conjunction with a raised bed system and Charles Dowding. Why does anyone dig? I’m just a rookie but I’m of the opinion that, if you like digging, then go dig – digging definitely offers its own pleasure and satisfaction. But, if you don’t want to dig, then grow green manure and kill it by cutting it and covering it. Next on the list is a song that is sure to get your kids moving – “Dig Dig Dig for Your Dinner” by Gene Kelly. This catchy tune is all about the hard work that goes into getting a meal, from planting the seeds to harvesting the crops.A traditional method of digging soil deeply and incorporating well-rotted manure or garden compost, especially on vegetable plots. It can be beneficial when creating new beds or to increase the depth of fertile soil. double digging over other methods of soil cultivation where the soil is compacted, where ground has not been previously cultivated, where demanding long-term plants such as asparagus are planned or when making raised beds. All bare ground is suitable for double digging. First of all, no-digging is not a new idea. Parisian market gardeners in the 19th Century used a no-dig method, continually adding huge amounts of rotted horse manure to their plots. Dave Matthews Band is a popular choice for songs about digging. This song is from the album Busted Stuff which was released in 2002. In late autumn, spread manure or compost over the surface of the bed and worms will do the work of incorporating it by taking it down into the soil.

Adopt this method on regularly-shaped plots, where it's important that the soil has an even texture. Single digging is also useful when large quantities of organic matter need to be incorporated. Dig” by Mudvayne is another song about somebody coming to terms with their own death. In this case, the person is buried alive and trying to claw their way out. This does beg the question ‘if no-dig growing is so good, why does anyone dig over their plot nowadays?’ For existing beds, you just need to add a layer of mulch and plant as normal. You may need a large quantity of mulch to cover your bedOver the first winter, I planted grazing rye and winter tares in part of the plot and it grew very well. A few weeks before the bed was needed, I cut it all down and covered it with brown mulch and permeable membrane. The green manure showed no signs of re-growing and everything my wife planted did well – but she still complained that the soil felt ‘hard’ just below the surface (our soil is clay). Hmmm? The tap does not seem to be working for me on the touch pad. Good graphics and sounds. Just not able to play the game. I used arrow keys but only able to dig straight down. It was released in 1994 for the album Punk in Drublic. This is a punk song so if you’re into that genre, give it a listen. Final Thoughts You also mention mustard, but I don’t know if our plot has any clubroot (my wife hasn’t yet grown any brassicas in our two-year tenancy). I guess growing some mustard might be a good way to find out.

If you garden sitting down or in a wheelchair, use a long-handled trowel or cultivating tool to dig at ground level. and the other point if peat based compost to be discontinued 2020 will there be an alternative non peat based compost to give us the same results as peat based I’m not into organic composts or non peat based composts I’m afraid Miss 3 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors. Hi guys – having reached retirement, I am able to share my wife’s lifelong interest in allotmenteering and we took on a new plot two years ago which we have just about finished tidying up. My ‘old school’ wife favours digging and leaving the soil bare over winter, but I am not convinced – for allotmenteers, the difference in yield between dig and no-dig seems to be marginal.

Continue to dig the first trench, put the soil aside. The depth only needs to be the same as the spade blade There’s a refined version of the mole drain developed by Australian Yeomans called a Keyline Plough that breaks up sub-soil compaction to accelerate topsoil formation. Our fields aren’t suitable for any plough until they develop one that will go through boulders!! As an allotment owner I have divided my plot into three. I have 3 No dig beds , 3 raised beds, and a strip equal size for digging over. There was little difference between the two methods for the first three years although legumes and root crops did not do as well on the no-dig system other crops such as cucurbits and tomatoes performed significantly better. Hi John – here’s a follow-up to my earlier comment (I’m still a rookie who is mostly interested in experimenting with compost-making, no-digging and green manuring – it’s my wife who has a lifetime’s experience in vegetable growing, and I leave that side of things entirely to her).