No-digging methods.

Once you have applied a good surface mulch to your ground, how do you go about planting and sowing seeds in it? Assuming that the organic matter you have used is fairly fine (such as well- rotted compost) then you just treat this as the surface of your soil, sowing and planting directly into it. If you used a coarser material such as shredded bark or leaf mould, then seed sowing will not be very successful unless using larger seeds such as peas and beans. It is possible to grow potatoes, however, and also to plant out pot- grown plants.

Add as much organic matter to the soil as you can.

It is essential, if you want to maintain or increase the natural fertility of the soil, to make sure that you apply sufficient organic matter. Obtaining sufficient organic matter is often the most difficult aspect of organic gardening. There are several potential sources.

Garden compost Do not waste a single scrap of organic matter in the garden or the house. Everything that once lived will rot down to provide nutrients for the soil and plants growing in the soil. There is almost never any reason to burn organic matter, the only exceptions to this being when plant matter is diseased and this disease will not or might not be destroyed in the composting process. Canker of apple trees is one example, wood infested with honey fungus is another. If you cannot obtain sufficient organic matter from your garden (and few of us can) then there are plenty of other sources to look for.

Many other gardeners, for example, regularly throw out large quantities of garden waste and will be only too happy for you to collect it. Greengrocers will often let you have all the organic matter that they throw out. When activating your compost heap, consider using urine. This is an absolutely free commodity and a very valuable source of fertility that is all too often wasted. If urine does not appeal, then the heap will still rot down of its own accord, though it will take longer. You can speed it up by adding layers of nitrogen-rich material such as nettles, seaweed or young grass mowings, or you can use QR herbal activator, though this can contain honey.

Seaweed

Much of the natural fertility of the land is washed out to sea. Heavy rain, for example, will wash away soil and nutrients into the rivers and hence to the sea.
Most of us regularly use flush toilets and send valuable consignments of fertility on their way to a watery grave.

It therefore seems sensible to return some of this fertility to the land by using seaweed. If you live near the coast then you could collect it yourself, otherwise you can buy seaweed meal from most garden centers. Do not use calcified seaweed, see below for the reasons.

Spent hops

If you live near a brewery then you might be lucky enough to pick up large quantities of this material free. It is an excellent soil conditioner, but if possible use it in conjunction with seaweed meal or compost to improve the mineral content.

Tree leaves

Another excellent soil conditioner, it is often possible to obtain large quantities of leaves in the autumn from street trees. You might even get the work of collecting them done for you, if you have a sympathetic council or a local road-sweeper who is willing to drop off some sacks to you. Some caution is advised, however. If the leaves come from trees growing close to busy roads then they are likely to contain quite a lot of lead pollution from car exhausts.

Comfrey

Many organic gardeners grow a bed of comfrey. As well as providing a bulk of material for the compost heap, comfrey can be used as a mulch around plants, or can be placed in trenches before planting potatoes or sowing peas, beans etc. It is possible to harvest top growth several times a year, with the first harvest being available in April. Make sure you leave it in the sun for a few hours to wilt, just to make sure it does not root and become a nuisance. There are special forms of comfrey that do not set seed and so cannot become a problem in the garden. Try to obtain Bocking 14, which is available from many good organic garden suppliers.

Composted garden waste

Many councils now have recycling centers where garden waste is shredded and then composted. It is then equal in quality to most home-made composts. This material is often then bagged up and sold as a soil conditioner under various commercial names. If you are very lucky, you might find that you will be able to collect the unbagged material free, or for a very small charge, direct from the recycling center.

Green manures

There are many plants that can be grown in order to increase the fertility of the soil. Basically you sow the seed and allow the plant to grow for some weeks before cutting it down. Many gardeners will then dig this into the soil, though it is also possible to either let it break down in situ or to remove it and compost it. A number of green manure crops, in particular the peas and beans, will enrich the soil with nitrogen as well as providing organic matter. Green manures have many benefits and can be grown as catch-crops in land that would otherwise be empty. Species to consider include buckwheat, rye, winter