Hate weeds? Hate digging? I've got some great news for you!
Recently, Kate from The Manic Gardener sat down with Lee Reich to talk about weed-free (and digging-free!) gardening, and how this approach is not only easy but healthy and sustainable.
Lee takes a top-down approach to controlling weeds and cultivating healthy soil; by not disturbing the soil, weeds don't have a chance to spread their seeds, and nutrients can be added to the top layer as compost, acting as mulch. His system involves permanent beds and paths, and again — no digging allowed!
He follows four basic principles that give him that luscious garden (seen above)… go visit Kate's site to read about the steps, listen to the podcast, and find out more!
Read More: Lee Reich on The Manic Gardener
(Image: Lee Reich)
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Thanks for this post---something to think about!
From the top down gardening is the most respectable approach to creating great soil...don't disturb that soil, if you can help it. However, it's a highly time consuming unless you're really and truly dedicated to your garden. The thing I always wonder about, though, are the weed seeds that blow in on the wind, seeking great growing conditions in that awesome top layer of compost.
I agree with planting intensely, crowded if you will...the desirables really do shade the ground and become their own best friend in preventing weeds from taking over.
The soil has a huge reservoir of seeds, and the key here is not to create the conditions that allow that reservoir to germinate. The effort at the beginning - removing those seeds already at the top (and as @veslabeachgirl notes, blow in) is time consuming - plus if you have to dig out roots, you inevitably create the conditions that promote (weed) seed germination. After 11 yrs of a xeriscape, I'm now removing most of the plants that self seed or are aggressive spreaders. And I've resigned to a month of weekends each spring.
Actually -- yeah. Last fall, I did the main thing suggested in the article, and just mulched my garden. This year the weeds are reduced drastically. It was an amazing change, compared to the previous year.
I agree that mulch tends to stop weeds, but I use cedar bark mulch. Isn't compost too much like soil to use as mulch?
Macbride, compost is fine mulch. Cedar chips will suppress plant growth for many plants, incuding those you want to grow. I would not use cedar chips anywhere except on paths not proximate to gardens.