A bed in no time at all without much work? No problem with the no-dig bed. We looked at how to create such beds at the Veggie Ranch in Winkelhaid in Middle Franconia. Advantages of the no-dig method The no-dig bed, as the name suggests, does not require digging. This has the decisive advantage that the soil structure is left as it is. Such beds are therefore particularly exciting in permaculture. Regularly spreading compost also creates a particularly fertile layer of humus. Such beds are also suitable for gardening novices, as they are created without much effort and can be planted straight away. For Nicole Krüger and Christopher Tuchart, however, the main concern when using the no-dig method is to work in a way that protects the soil. Disadvantages No-dig beds must be watered regularly if cardboard is used, as the cardboard must not dry out. In addition, the compost layer should be renewed every year before replanting, which involves some work. In the first year, you should also avoid deep-rooted crops such as carrots or other vegetables, as they will be difficult or impossible to grow through the cardboard. Variant 1: Cardboard In variant 1 of the no-dig method, the desired bed area is covered with cardboard as it is. The individual cardboard pieces should overlap slightly. Weeds do not need to be removed beforehand. Only stubborn plants such as couch grass or ground elder will sometimes grow through the cardboard after a while. Important: the cardboard must not be printed on and all adhesive tape residues and metal clips must be removed. Then water everything well until the cardboard is soaked with water and cover 15-20 cm with a compost-humus mixture. This variant is used on the Veggie Ranch for small bed areas, usually when there are still young plants left that need a new bed. Variant 2: Foil In variant 2, UV-stable foil is used instead of the cardboard. This is the variant used to create most of the beds in Winkelhaid. The gardeners use environmentally friendly EPDM rubber-based film from pond construction. It lasts for many years and can be used again and again. The film can also be used to convert large areas into beds. Depending on the season, the film can be left on the Veggie Ranch for 6 weeks to 6 months. After that, all weeds underneath will have died. Unlike the cardboard variant, however, the film must be removed again. Then fill up with 3-5 cm of compost-humus mixture and plant. You can find out more about the Veggie Ranch in the ARD Mediathek: https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/que... You are also welcome to visit us here: Querbeet on the Internet: https://www.br.de/br-fernsehen/sendun... Querbeet on Facebook: / querbeet.br Querbeet on Instagram: / querbeet.br