The No Dig Gardening Dilemma: What Most Gardeners Get Wrong About Soil
If you’re like I was, you probably believe that tilling and digging is essential to getting your beds “ready” each spring. It’s almost a ritual: pull out the spade, flip the earth, and feel like you’re doing something productive.
But here’s the catch: every time we dig, we’re actually disturbing the very foundation of healthy soil.
I noticed it slowly. Each year, after I tilled, more weeds popped up. My compost seemed to vanish faster. My back ached more. And the earthworms? Fewer and fewer each spring. Something wasn’t right.
Until one morning at DH Garden Centre, a longtime client leaned down over my display bed and said something that flipped my thinking completely:
“Darrell, why is the soil in your demo bed so fluffy… but you never dig it?”
It was a simple observation, but it hit me hard. That bed had been built the no-dig way, as an experiment. I had just layered compost and mulch, let it sit over winter, and then planted directly in spring. No tilling. No digging. And it was outperforming every other bed I had.
That moment? That was my wake-up call.
No dig gardening and it was outperforming every other bed I had.
What Is No Dig Gardening?
No dig gardening is exactly what it sounds like: you don’t dig the soil.
Instead, you add layers on top. Usually starting with a weed-suppressing layer (like cardboard or newspaper), followed by compost, mulch, and organic matter. Over time, nature takes over. Earthworms, microbes, and mycorrhizal fungi go to work, creating a healthy underground ecosystem.
Rather than fighting nature with a shovel, you team up with it.
And the science backs it up:
- Tilling breaks up soil structure and releases stored carbon.
- It kills beneficial fungi and disrupts earthworm tunnels.
- It brings dormant weed seeds to the surface.
In contrast, no dig methods preserve the fungal networks, keep moisture in, and reduce weed pressure over time.
No dig methods preserve the fungal networks, keep moisture in, and reduce weed pressure over time.
The Benefits I Didn’t Expect
After going fully no-dig in my own yard and in several client spaces through DH Landscape Solution, the changes were undeniable:
- Weeds dropped by 80%: Because I wasn’t churning up the soil and exposing seeds to light, weeds had fewer chances to germinate.
- My soil stayed moist longer: Mulch and compost act like a sponge. Even during our dry summer weeks in Vancouver, I watered far less.
- Earthworms came back in droves: Every scoop of composted layer was wriggling with life.
- Less labor, more reward: No digging saved my back and my time. Instead of spending hours tilling, I spent it planting, harvesting, and enjoying.
The Common Objections (And What I Tell My Customers)
You might be thinking:
“But Darrell, won’t my plants struggle to root?”
Actually, roots love loose, well-aerated soil. And that’s exactly what no dig creates — a living, structured soil that plants thrive in.
“Won’t weeds just come back anyway?”
Some may. But a thick mulch layer smothers most weeds before they even get started. And those that do show up? They’re easier to pull from the soft surface.
“I have clay soil. Will this even work?”
Yes! In fact, no dig is one of the best strategies for clay-heavy gardens. Instead of digging and compacting more, you build on top. Over time, the soil below improves naturally.
How To Start Your Own No Dig Bed (Even in May)
Here’s how I recommend new gardeners get started in Vancouver:
- Choose your site – Full sun if you can. Even a 4×4’ raised bed works great.
- Suppress existing weeds – Lay down cardboard directly over grass or soil.
- Add compost generously – 4 to 6 inches of rich organic compost right on top.
- Mulch it well – Straw, wood chips, or leaf mold to hold moisture.
- Plant directly – Pull back the mulch and pop in your transplants or seeds.
No need to wait weeks. You can plant the same day you build the bed.
Need quality compost or mulch? That’s where we come in. DH Garden Centre stocks locally sourced organic composts and mulching blends that make no-dig gardening easy.
How To Start Your Own No Dig Bed (Even in May)
The Garden Thanked Me… In Its Own Way
That summer, I didn’t till once.
Instead, I spent mornings sipping coffee among beds bursting with cherry tomatoes, kale, and beans. I watched as bees danced around flowers I hadn’t even planted (thank you, compost surprises!).
And when I dug into the compost with my hands, it felt like cake. Soft, crumbly, teeming with life.
My garden had never looked better.
I had never felt more connected to the natural rhythm of the soil.
All because I stopped doing what I thought I had to do.
Ready to Stop Digging?
If you’re tired of sore shoulders, endless weeds, or disappointing harvests, no dig gardening might be exactly what you need.
Come visit us at DH Garden Centre, 3742 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver. We’ll show you our live no-dig beds, help you choose the right composts, and even guide you through your first build.
Because your soil deserves better. And so do you.
Let’s stop disturbing. Let’s start layering. Let nature thank you back.
