Latest Update 11th October 2023.
This blog shows you how I developed no-dig organic systems in my garden which :-
This blog shows you how I developed no-dig organic systems in my garden which :-
- Minimise water use for growing fruit and vegetables in a warm temperate (drought prone) climate. I use Ecobed (wicking bed) and drip line technology to irrigate all my plants.
- Capture rainwater from my roof and use it to irrigate my Ecobeds and propagators. Rainwater is free of the chemicals used in municipal water supplies to control microbial build up on the walls of water distribution pipes. I would not like to see these dangerous chemicals build up in my Ecobed water tanks. It would seriously compromise soil biology and plant growth.
- Provide an abundant supply of homemade compost and its derivatives for use on my soil and on my plant's foliage. I use these materials to feed the beneficial microbes that live there thus providing nutrition and health care for my plants.
- Propagate seedlings all year round in a protected environment.
- Exclude airborne pests and adverse weather conditions from my Ecobeds in the warmer months of the year.
The systems I have adopted in my garden are designed to emulate nature in the following ways:-
- Homemade compost and compost extract are applied to the surface of the soil and are designed to imitate nature's way of recycling the excreta and remains of dead animals and vegetation. Natural soils are full of microorganisms and small animals that break down this organic debris and provide food for the plants.
- I practice no-dig organic gardening to avoid disturbing a healthy soil's complex structure. Microbes create aggregates of soil particles to provide themselves with protection from microscopic predators. The spaces between these aggregates allow water and air to flow to plant's roots, and the aggregates can store surplus water and nutrients which plants then access.
- I propagate seeds and cuttings in finely sieved organic compost in custom designed and home built propagators. When a seed germinates and starts to grow, it is transplanted into a previously prepared garden bed taking care to disturb the soil as little as possible.
In the resources section there are links to presentations by people whose opinions I value. The subject matter is summed up in the phrase "Healthy Soils: Healthy People: Healthy Planet".