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Unpopular opinion- no dig is shit unless you have an unlimited supply of stuff to top the beds up with.
If you want a productive plot, you should be adding organic matter to the soil every year, irrespective of whether you are following a dig or not dig approach.
andyp-
I top up every year with poop and rotted woodchip, dig and rotate my crops don’t worry.
I just don’t have the time, inclination and resources to build the giant fluffy pillow-like beds of my dreams.I’m excited that after 3years I’ll finally have my first batch of artisanal compost this year. It was mostly a dumping ground at first but after turning it and chopping it up a bit better last summer it’s now looking fab.
edmundro
£11!?!? That’s fantastic, mine just went up to £93 for the year for a (very large) half plot. We do have running water, lockers, toilets, woodchip and manure deliveries though.
Start off by just getting one or two beds going so you can tackle any bigger jobs getting the plot ship-shape at your leisure. If in doubt just sow spuds n beans everywhere as they’ll improve the soil even if you don’t get round to that area just yet.
Unpopular opinion- no dig is shit unless you have an unlimited supply of stuff to top the beds up with.
A few have tried it on our site with varying results, prob a whole bunch of factors that determine if it’s the right approach though.
I go somewhere in between ‘dig for victory’ and ‘rudderless stoner making it up as I go’ approach to allotmenting.
I definitely dig every year though.