[Blewit]

I would like to see a bit of scientific research on no dig on a big scale. Also where would all the mulch come from

On farm sized scale it's known as no till. A quick Google image search for no till farming brings up pictures of equipment like the "no till drill" which slits the earth, sows seeds and covers them up again all in a single pass without the need for ploughing, harrowing etc. Farmers don't use mulch as such for no till, sometimes interim cover crops are grown (alfalfa, field beans etc) which are flattened by a crimping roller fitted to the front of the same tractor that pulls the no till drill but often in the UK it's just remnants of the previous crop that stay on the ground (possibly because of our slugs). If anyone has access to Netflix the documentary film "Kiss The Ground" is worth watching and explains it all quite well.

[Snowboar]

Digging tells  you a lot about the soil

[missmoneypenny]

I guess I’ll just have to dive in and try it. It doesn’t  necessarily seem easier than digging, at least at first. My questions are:
1) if I plant into compost , where does the cardboard fit in there? Do you put compost over cardboard and plant in there and on top of the cardboard  (a) or remove the cardboard after it’s been in place a while and ( we hope) killed off or weakened the weeds and pour the compost on top of the soil, then plant into that (b)?
2) do you have to accept more losses eg from slugs hiding in the cardboard and maybe the horse manure ( if used)
3) how many years does it take to see results?
Thanks everyone 😊

[Snowboar]

Put the cardboard over the weeds then water it and add about 6inch of compost the cardboard will rot and turn to compost but you will be digging the weeds out for a couple of years they won’t be as bad but about July your be think why didn’t I dig it over first and prep it but carnt say you wasn’t warned 😀😀👍

[snowdrops]

Put the cardboard over the weeds then water it and add about 6inch of compost the cardboard will rot and turn to compost but you will be digging the weeds out for a couple of years they won’t be as bad but about July your be think why didn’t I dig it over first and prep it but carnt say you wasn’t warned 😀😀👍

I haven’t found that to be so

[Snowboar]

I have every time I’ve tried couch grass and bindweed I also had bindweed under heavy duty black plastic for 2 year still alive and that a load more robust than card weakens it but doesn’t kill if there not perennial weeds then no probs