What Is No-Till Gardening?

Starting a garden involves a lot of prep work before you can really get to the good stuff. Traditionally, you’ll need to clear the ground of weeds and sod, then either til with a machine or dig the soil by hand to prepare your garden bed. Especially if you’re a beginner gardener, and you’re not so used to getting your hands dirty, you may not be thrilled about the idea of doing a bunch of digging. Or, if you have pain in your back or joints, or have mobility issues, these beginning steps can be extra strenuous and tough on your body.

That’s why you should know about a method that cuts back on this sometimes tedious and exhausting labor. It’s called no-til gardening. Find out more about this time- and labor-saving gardening method below—plus the pros and cons, to help you decide if it’s the right method for you.

What Is No-Till Gardening?

The basic explanation of no-till gardening is in the name: It’s a gardening method that doesn’t involve any tilling of the soil. But there’s more to it than that. Instead of digging or tilling the soil, this method involves covering the soil with cardboard or newspaper, then compost and mulch. Then, when planting, you’ll plant into the compost layer, rather than directly into the ground. The cardboard layer acts as a penetrable barrier above the soil, which allows plant roots to grow down, but suppresses weed shoots from growing up and disturbing your garden plants.

Benefits of No-Till Gardening

For starters, no-til gardening cuts out a big pain point for lots of gardeners: the tilling or digging. This, in turn, also saves time, makes gardening a lot lower maintenance, and makes the process less strenuous on the body, too. But there are benefits to your actual garden and the soil, too.

Reduces Weeds

As mentioned above, the cardboard layer in a no-till garden can suppress weed growth, meaning you don’t have to spend time weeding or worrying about unwanted weeds growing between your plants. Traditional methods of tilling or digging the soil to prepare a garden bed can actually lead to more weeds, as the disruption of the soil can bring weed seeds to the surface to germinate.

Reduces Soil Erosion

Tilling or digging can also hurt the integrity of the soil, causing it to compact and weaken. This can also make the soil more prone to erosion. No-till gardening, however, helps maintain the structure of the soil, and the mulch layer protects the soil from wind and rain, reducing the risk of erosion.

More Ecologically Friendly

Not only does tilling disrupt the soil, but it also disrupts the creatures and organisms living inside it. This could include beneficial bacteria, fungi, and earthworms. Tilling can also cause the soil to release carbon, which can be harmful for the environment, while the no-till method helps soil retain carbon, which makes it more fertile.