Use this no-dig method to create a productive garden bed | Gardening 101 | Gardening Australia

Jude’s garden is pumping with enough fruit and vegetables to feed the family and share the excess, but it all started with a single row of snow peas. Jude says, “you can build (a garden) anywhere, as long as you've got these magic ingredients: Sunshine, organic materials, cardboard, water and some hard work.”

Jude revisits the first bed he created to transform it into something much better. “I made the beginner’s mistake of planting straight into the soil. I didn’t know about adding extra nutrients and how important soil is,” says Jude. But with this knowledge now in hand, he’s reusing this space to build a new bed from scratch. This is a no-dig method with layers of nutrients that you can plant straight into!

Suppress the weeds:
You’ll want to start a new bed without any weeds. Jude’s method doesn’t require poisoning or even pulling out the weeds! Instead, he smothers them with love.

1. Leave the weeds where they are and trim them down to ground level with sheers or a mower.
2. Give them their last meal by adding a layer of manure - Jude uses pelletised chicken manure.
3. Give them a final drink of water.
4. Cover them in a layer of cardboard and water again.
“Feeding them might seem a bit weird,” says Jude, “but by giving them heaps of nutrients and then smothering them, they’ll die even faster.” Plants need light to live, but the cardboard is thick enough to block the light completely. With added nutrients and water, the weeds will attempt a big growth spurt but without any sunlight, they'll die and break down which adds nutrients back into the soil.

Large cardboard boxes can be found at bike or furniture stores, but even smaller boxes will work. Remove any plastic tape on the cardboard and make sure the pieces overlap completely to ensure there are no gaps to let the light through.

Build the soil in layers:
1. Straw - Jude uses straw from his guinea pig pen which has aged over a few weeks.
2. Compost - Jude uses mushroom compost, a waste product from the mushroom industry.
3. Straw - This final layer will protect the soil from new weeds and moisture loss.
4. Water the bed again - and it’s ready to plant into!
No matter what types of mulches or manures you use, Jude says, “the more diverse your mix, the more diverse the microorganisms living in your soil... As all those layers of organic material breakdown, the soil and vegies will get better and better.”

Jude’s Garden is already packed with produce, but he says, “I’m excited to have this whole new garden to grow... I’ve been wanting to increase my lettuce production and this spot is perfect because it’s so full of nutrients.” We can’t wait to see the never-ending salad supply come from this patch!

Filmed on Dharug & Gundungurra Country | Leura, NSW
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Gardening Australia is an ABC TV program providing gardening know-how and inspiration. Presented by Australia's leading horticultural experts, Gardening Australia is a valuable resource to all gardeners through the television program, the magazine, books, DVDs and extensive online content.

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[samanthahoos]

Charles Dowding taught me No Dig Gardening years ago. So glad it’s crossing into generations!

[deborahlee]

Young Jude is a great presenter and gardener. Well done GA, its marvellous to see young talent being fostered, especially in relation to understanding gardens, soil, food production. 👍❤

[wildlifegardenssydney]

Thank you for this beautifully filmed helpful tiny film. Jude is a lovely presenter, great for all generations. I love how gardening Australia features gardeners from the very young to the very old. Gardening and nature are the best tonics. A very hopeful act indeed………

[La_Space]

Well done young man. Fantastic to see young people as enthusiastic about gardening. Right here you have the future of Gardening Australia presenters. 💪

[InkByt]

Great to see Jude again. Going to make a veggie bed for this Spring!

[RenAtkins]

Great clip - it's awesome to see young people getting into gardening and learning about soil health.

[katesmiles]

Mushroom compost seems in short supply in Toowoomba with no product in Bunnings and another smaller nursery also no longer stocking it. Its a shame because thay was also my *go to* favourite compost..

[Pachinko]

I put cardboard in the areas I walk and put mulch down eg wood chips. It delays weeds and grass. Do it again when the weeds come back 😜

[krzysztofrudnicki]

I tried cardboard but woven plastic over fall and winter gave me better results with couch grass.

[James-mvqx]

The beds look great when they're first put together, but in my experience the weeds and grass will still come in from the sides and eventually take over so you have to till it over after a season.

[huggy-Bear]

Good idea but I think its worth taking off the plastic tape even though it's a pain of a job. After all the cardboard will break down and feed the soil... it's a shame to add plastic into that mix

[patrickwilson]

I made the same mistake when planting inground in Adelaide but my local dealer told to add dolomite lime and a all purpose fertilizer and the plants that grow in that area absolutely thrive now he said something about ph being off thats why i needed dolomite lime

[theytwatcher]

only difference is i prefer newspaper because it breaks down and easier to put

[hunterpressurecleaning]

As filmed in the King's country, Australia