15 Vegetables To Grow In Your No Dig Garden

The best vegetables for a no dig garden are easy to grow, full of flavor, and kind to the soil. Instead of breaking your back with constant digging, you can simply layer compost, mulch, or organic matter and let nature do the work.

This method creates a rich ecosystem beneath the surface that nourishes your crops while saving you time and energy.

A no dig garden is not just a low-maintenance choice; it also helps retain moisture, reduce weeds, and encourage healthy soil life. With the right vegetables, you ll have a productive and sustainable harvest throughout the season.

Below are 15 vegetables that thrive beautifully in no dig beds and will keep your garden full of fresh, homegrown food.

#1 Kale

Kale is resilient, cold-hardy, and perfect for layering into a no dig bed. Use your hands to part the mulch slightly and tuck in young transplants.

Water them well during the first weeks to establish roots. You ll enjoy tender leaves for salads or soups, and they ll keep producing as long as you harvest regularly.

#2 Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is one of the most popular vegetables and is an easy-to-grow crop. The veggie is packed with high nutrients and rich in Vitamin C and B6, which are good for the immune system.

All make Kohlrabi an excellent addition to your no-dig garden, and not only are its tubers edible, but the young, tender leaves also are.

#3 Parsley

Parsley settles easily into a no dig bed when seeds are sown directly on the surface and lightly covered with compost. Mulch around the base to keep the soil moist and reduce weeds.

With regular picking, the plant grows back quickly. A few plants will give you plenty of fresh leaves for cooking.

#4 Beans

Beans are one of the most popular plants on the list. It grows well from seeds. You only take seeds and bury them in the soil, water often, and after 7-14 days, you will watch them take off.

Don’t forget to give them poles to train them as you desire; otherwise, they ll be sprawling like a patch of pumpkins.

#5 Arugula

Arugula brings peppery greens that thrive in the cooler temperatures of fall or spring. Sow seeds in rows by scratching the mulch back slightly and covering them with compost.

Protect plants from direct heat to avoid bolting. Harvest baby leaves often to encourage continuous growth.

#6 Winter Squashes

Winter squash enjoys growing on top of thick mulch, which keeps the soil moist and warm. Plant seedlings into small pockets of compost and let the vines spread naturally.

Mulching under the fruit helps prevent rot and pests. Harvest before frost for long-lasting storage.

#7 Summer Squashes

Summer squash grows quickly in no-dig beds and benefits from the warmth of layered soil. Plant seeds or seedlings in raised spots to prevent waterlogging.

Support heavy fruits with old stockings or fabric slings when grown on trellises. Regular picking ensures more blooms and steady production.

#8 Onions

Onions are one of the simplest crops for a no dig garden. Plant sets or seedlings directly into compost-rich soil without disturbing the ground beneath.

Water moderately and thin seedlings for proper spacing. Once tops turn yellow, pull bulbs and cure them for storage.

#9 Garlic

Garlic settles well into no dig beds during the cold months. Push cloves into compost layers, about 2 inches deep, and cover lightly with mulch.

Keep the soil moist through fall and winter. By midsummer, you ll have large, aromatic bulbs ready for harvest.

#10 Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is easy to grow and low-maintenance, so growing this green veggie in a no-dig garden is actually really simple. Also, it can be planted anywhere, even in pots, because it doesn t have deep roots.

It is productive and shade-tolerant too. It provides a lot of nutrients like vitamins A and C, calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium.

#11 Radishes

Best planted in spring or at the end of summer because this vegetable really does not like the extreme heat of summer. To grow this vegetable, you just scratch the surface with a stick or trowel, lay out the seeds, and cover them back up with soil or compost.

Then lightly bring the mulch back over the row. They are wonderful little garden gems because they mature fast, leaving you with plenty of room in the garden for a second crop.

#12 Tomatoes

Tomatoes love the nutrient-rich conditions created by no dig methods. Start with strong seedlings and plant them deep into compost layers.

Mulch heavily to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Provide stakes or cages for support, and water consistently for abundant harvests.

#13 Beets

Beets are great to grow in a no-dig garden. To grow this crop, cover it with an even deeper layer much before the freezing temperatures hit.

You can grow beets near peppers; this method will help fill in empty space in the garden and shade out weeds while helping to keep the soil moist.

#14 Carrot

Carrots prefer loose, airy soil which no dig beds provide naturally. Sow seeds directly into fine compost and cover lightly.

Keep the soil consistently damp until germination. Thin seedlings early to ensure long, straight roots. Freshly pulled carrots are some of the sweetest rewards.

#15 Cabbage

Cabbage is another vegetable that is easy to put in a no-dig garden. Planting cabbage in partial shade and getting 6 hours of sunlight a day will give the cabbage a chance to flourish in warmer temperatures.

Cabbage can survive in a light frost; there are cultivars that can withstand temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit.