[Pompey Spud]

Seen some gardening terms in people's posts & wondered what they meant.
1. double dug
2. why is digging bad for soil?
3. What exactly is mulch as well as mulching & when should you do it?

thanks
PUP

[nobby]

get a copy of johns book it will ansure these questions and more

[shaun]

double dug means digging 2 spits deep well depending on how deep your subsoil is and you should only realy have to do it every few years

who said digging was bad for your soil its more bad on your back  

and a mulch is something spread on top of your soil like manure,compost,leaf mould,(theres loads more like gravel,teram,bark chips) it helps to stop weeds from growing and keeps in moisture also in some cases it feeds the soil and plants

[Yorkie]

There are some no-dig methods, based on beds, where you never walk on the soil and therefore (in theory) the bed never needs to be dug.

The only time I can think of when digging might be 'bad' for the soil, is when it is too wet to go onto the soil (i.e. when the mud sticks to your boots...) - it's the walking on the soil, and not actually the digging which damages the soil structure.

[Leaf]

I posted about digging being bad, now im not 100% that i belive it but read a very convincing argument about digging damaging the structure of the soil, says soil creates a protective crust and that you should not break it, now i double dug my plot to remove alot of couch and other perenial weeds but will not dig it again, just mulch, then rake it in, but thats my personal preferance, why brake your back for no reason.
Mal

[compostqueen]

folks dig cos they like it  

[Eristic]

Digging is good for the soil.

Digging is good for the back.

[nobby]

why make work for your self
just for the sake of it ?

[matron]

folks dig cos they like it  

Hear, hear. I find digging very therapeutic and I drift into a world of my own.  Soon get brought back though when it starts to rain.

[Eristic]

why make work for your self
just for the sake of it ?

Digging is the first stage of land preparation and when done properly is not only easy and theraputic but also making all the follow-on stages easier. Digging does a far better job than the average rotovator and probably uses less energy.

Why is everyone so afraid of a little work for a few hours once a year? Have you all managed to get 10 acre plots to shame me with my 15 pole?

[compostqueen]

I don't know how you can say digging is good for the back!  It might be good for yours but it sure aint for mine

[noshed]

Another person form Gosport - hooray!