A no-dig bed can be planted up as soon as you’ve made it, so long as the organic matter used as mulch is well-rotted and sufficiently deep (ideally at least 10cm). A burrowing tool powered by a combustion engine is perfect for installing large fences, especially in compact soil. While costlier, they make hole digging effortless, saving a lot of time even compared to manual tools. If you have any sight loss, you may find a right-angle guide useful. These are homemade guides that you lay on the ground to show the area you are working in.

If you’re just creating a standard drainage trench then you’ll be fine to use a solid pipe. However, if you’ve opted for a French drain then I’d suggest going for a perforated pipe. What Tools Do I Need To Dig A Drainage Trench? We have witnessed many examples of environmental damage and soil erosion in the world due to mankind’s activity, so it makes sense that less intervention with our garden soil is a better approach to ensuring more fertile soils,' explains Matthew. All soils work well with the no-dig method, even clay (in fact, clay soil is usually filled with helpful critters like earthworms, which should improve soil quality further). The clue is in the name with this one, as the no-dig method for gardening demands that we forget everything we've been taught about digging garden beds, and instead embrace an easier way forward. Essentially, your no-dig garden will see you mulch the ground, lay compost in beds on top of it, and plant accordingly. And, in a no-dig regime, garden spades are banished for all eternity, with weeds instead being controlled by shallow hoeing, hand weeding, and mulching What time of year should I start no-dig gardening? If you’re making a French drain then this step is even more important as the gravel will evenly filter the water into the soil. In any case, gravel is going to improve drainage, even if it was used entirely on its own! Step 6 – The Drain Gate

You can use any well-rotted organic matter– homemade garden compost or well-rotted stable or farmyard manure are ideal. However, good quality peat-free mushroom compost or soil improver will also work. Leaf mould is less rich in nutrients, so is best used where growing ornamentals rather than vegetables. There no disadvantages to no-dig gardening, since this is a way to improve soil health, which in turn will improve the health of your plants. Out of sight,diggingcan break down the the natural structure of the soil, destroying networks of fungal growth, which can impact the ability of a plant's roots to access water and nutrients,' says Joseph. The next step is to create a gravel base for your drainage trench. You’re going to need at least three inches of gravel at the bottom and this can be poured directly on top of your landscaping fabric.

He adds: 'Just a word of caution, though. While you can use any material that is compostable as a mulch, think about your climate. In the USA manynodiggardeners much with straw and hay.' What is the best soil for no-dig gardening? You’ll likely find that the landscaping fabric comes over the edges of the trench and that’s OK. We will handle this later on, for now, leave it as it is. Step 5 – Creating A Base For The Trench Weeding – You’ll also notice fewer weeds, since these are repressed effectively by mulching. Inevitably you will get some, but these can be easily be removed by hand, or by shallow hoeing. In areas where weed competition isn’t an issue, e.g. around established ornamental plants, leave some weeds, since they make valuable habitat and potential sources of food for pollinators. Joe utilises his abundance of innovative ideas to create easy and fun recipes to help his audience lead more healthy and environmentally-friendly lives whilst also saving money. He recently launched a gardening subscription box service called ‘Garden with Joe’ which can be found here. There are two different types of pipe depending on what type of drain you’re building. Perforated pipes are commonly used for French drains and allow the water to be distributed below the ground all along the trench. These are great if you don’t want a splashing spout at the end.Because they use a petrol engine, you will need to use fuel and oil it from time to time, while it will require on-going maintenance. If choosing this type, be sure to consider things like engine size, fuel tank size, Hole Diameter