I say it all the time, and I will stand by this truth, that one does not need a huge farm or acres of land to produce an abundance of fresh fruit and veggies all year. That being said, let’s talk about permaculture today and the first steps you guys can take towards a no dig garden.

I still find the concept of no-dig gardening rather brilliant and fascinating, and I’m a fifth or sixth or who really knows what generation farmer. We inherited a large parcel of land in Surry County from my father; however, it is four hours from home, and we live on a third of an acre in the city. So naturally we grow our vegetables and fruit here at home. Like I mentioned, I come from a long line of farmers and for years I did as I was taught. Plow up the soil, fertilize, plow again for rows, seed, water, weed and repeat. Crop rotation was a MUST if there were any hopes of not ending up with a bunch of dust and sand. I mean anyone that has ever had a garden knows it is hard work! I wanted our growing garden to be more sustainable, still produce good crops and be manageable as we both work full time jobs. I stumbled across Charles Dowding’s no-dig gardening method six years ago and have not looked back since.

per·ma·cul·ture

noun noun: permaculture

• the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient.

When you search the word permaculture, that is what will come up. Seems pretty simple right? Believe me when I say, “It is that simple!” I can not emphasize how much more than that it actually is my friends. It is life changing for both the earth and the gardener. Permaculture is basically, in my opinion, a way to grow veg without digging, minimal weeding or “damaging” the earth. As a bonus you only need to water maybe 10-15% of the time and only in drought. Also, it is not a new concept; been around forever.

Now I know y’all are going to think this is crazy (I was once you), but start your permaculture journey (today!) by layering compost then grass clippings, fallen leaves or straw/hay on top of your garden. Yes I said put those grass clippings on top! It effectively smothers the weeds while keeping moisture in the soil and therefore close to the roots. As the “mulch” decays it composts right there, giving your veg much needed nutrients. Mind blowing I know! The key is to mulch thick; that’s how you get a good barrier with hardly any weeds peeking through.

That is all it takes to start transitioning your current garden towards a more sustainable, permaculture alternative. When adding plants, you simply move aside the top layer, make a small hole the size of the plant (a quarter size if sewing seed directly) and add the plant. Yes it is that easy. I will go through that tomato bed and add marigolds, and companion plants once they are established. There is a pumpkin that popped through, and we are going to leave him…let’s see what happens with that little guy!

I can hear you all saying, “Wait a minute. No weeding, no watering, no tilling etc.” I honestly have not tilled up our gardens in six years. Not once. Let the earth rest and trust that she will provide. I walk through the gardens and maybe pull one weed or volunteer seedling maybe every three weeks. Just keep the layers coming and you will see the difference undisturbed soil makes.

Good luck. I cannot wait for you to start your permaculture gardening journey! Look into Charles Dowding’s methods if you want. And if you have questions be sure to drop us a line. We are happy to help any question we can.