The simplest way to start a no-dig bed is to cut the grass or weeds short, cover the area with plain cardboard and spread around 15cm of well-rotted compost on top, and autumn is the ideal time to do it because the bed has all winter to settle before spring planting. There's no digging, no turning and no heavy lifting beyond moving the compost, and the soil underneath is left undisturbed, so the worms and soil life can get on with improving it for you.
By Kel Dickson, Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Gro Worm, organic, peat-free grower. Reviewed by Brian McCuskey. Updated September 2026.
Why autumn is the best time to start
You can build a no-dig bed at any time of year, but starting in autumn gives you several advantages that make the first season noticeably easier. The cardboard has time to soften and break down over winter, the compost settles into a firm, even surface, and the worms have months to begin pulling organic matter down into the soil below. Autumn rain also does the watering for you, so the bed is moist and ready to plant by the time spring arrives, and you'll find good stocks of compost before the spring rush.
If you're keen to grow something straight away, you can plant into a new no-dig bed as soon as it's built, and autumn favourites such as garlic, broad beans and overwintering onion sets all do well in fresh compost.
What you'll need
- Plain brown cardboard, with any tape, staples and plastic labels removed.
- Well-rotted compost, enough to cover the bed to a depth of around 15cm (see below for quantities).
- A rake to level the surface.
- Edging (optional), such as timber boards, if you'd like a raised bed or a neat edge, although a no-dig bed works perfectly well without one.
How to build a no-dig bed, step by step
- Choose a spot that gets plenty of sun, ideally at least six hours a day for vegetables, and mark out the shape of the bed, keeping it to around 1.2 metres wide so you can reach the middle from either side without stepping on the soil.
- Cut down what's growing there rather than digging it out, mowing grass as short as you can and cutting weeds to ground level, and removing anything woody or very tough.
- Lay the cardboard over the whole area, overlapping the edges by 15 to 20cm so there are no gaps for light to get through. The cardboard blocks light to the grass and weeds beneath, and by the time it has rotted away, most of them will have died back.
- Soak the cardboard with water, which helps it mould to the ground and start breaking down.
- Spread around 15cm of compost on top and rake it level, without worrying about getting it perfect, because it will settle over the coming weeks.
- Leave it to settle over winter, or plant straight away if you'd like an early start.
How much compost you'll need
The most common question we're asked about no-dig beds is how much compost to order, and the answer depends on the size of the bed and the depth you're aiming for. The figures below assume a 15cm layer, which is a good depth for a new bed, and we've rounded up to whole 40 litre bags because compost always settles a little.
- 1.2m × 1.2m bed: 216 litres, or 6 bags of 40 litres
- 1.2m × 2.4m bed: 432 litres, or 11 bags of 40 litres
- 1.2m × 3.0m bed: 540 litres, or 14 bags of 40 litres
To work out your own bed, multiply the length by the width by 0.15 (all in metres), then multiply by 1,000 to get the answer in litres. If you're planning several beds or turning over a whole allotment plot, a multibuy pallet of 40 × 40 litre bags gives you 1,600 litres, which is enough for almost three 1.2m × 3m beds.
Which compost should you use for no-dig?
The compost on a no-dig bed is doing two jobs at once, because it's the growing medium your plants root into and also the food that feeds the soil life underneath. That's why it's worth choosing a well-rotted, crumbly compost with plenty of organic matter, rather than a coarse or woody mix that will take a long time to break down.
We make Black Gold Peat Free Organic Compost with worm castings for exactly this reason. Castings carry plant-available nutrients alongside a rich population of beneficial soil life, so a no-dig bed topped with Black Gold feeds the plants and the soil at the same time. If you'd like to understand more about what goes into castings, our guide to what worm castings are explains it in more detail, and if you're wondering how peat-free compost compares with the peat-based bags you may have used before, we've written about whether peat-free compost is any good.
No-dig gardening has been championed in the UK for decades by Charles Dowding, and we're proud to have partnered with Charles on worm cast innovation, because his approach and ours start from the same place, which is looking after the soil first.
Looking after your no-dig bed
Once your bed is established, the routine is refreshingly simple, and it takes far less effort than a dug bed.
Top it up once a year by spreading, each autumn or winter, a fresh layer of compost around 2.5 to 5cm deep over the surface, which replaces what the worms have pulled into the soil and keeps the structure open and crumbly.
Don't dig or turn the soil, because leaving it undisturbed protects the network of roots, fungi and worm channels that make no-dig beds so productive.
Pull any persistent weeds while they're small, since deep-rooted perennials such as bindweed and couch grass can sometimes push through in the first year, and if you remove them as soon as you see them they'll weaken and disappear over time.
Plant straight into the surface when you're sowing or planting, by making a hole in the compost with a trowel or dibber without turning the soil over.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start a no-dig bed on grass?
Yes, as long as you mow the grass as short as possible first, then cover it with overlapping cardboard and spread around 15cm of compost on top. The cardboard blocks light to the grass, which dies back beneath it over the following months.
Do I need to remove weeds before starting a no-dig bed?
You don't need to dig weeds out, because you can simply cut them down to ground level and cover them with cardboard and compost, then pull out any persistent perennial weeds that come through while they're still small.
How deep should the compost be on a no-dig bed?
Around 15cm is a good depth for a new no-dig bed, and once the bed is established you can top it up each year with a layer of around 2.5 to 5cm.
Can I plant into a no-dig bed straight away?
Yes, you can plant into the compost as soon as the bed is built. Starting in autumn also gives the bed time to settle before spring, and you can grow garlic, broad beans and onion sets over winter.
What kind of cardboard should I use?
Use plain brown cardboard, removing any tape, staples and plastic labels before laying it, and avoid glossy or heavily printed card.
How much compost do I need for a no-dig bed?
Multiply the length by the width by 0.15 in metres, then by 1,000, to get the number of litres. A 1.2m × 2.4m bed, for example, needs around 432 litres, which is eleven 40 litre bags.
Get your no-dig bed started this autumn
If you're building your first no-dig bed this season, our peat-free compost range is worm-cast enriched, Soil Association approved and OF&G certified organic, and a multibuy pallet covers several beds in one delivery.
