Trying Out "No Work Gardening"

An exploration into organic agriculture and how to create more sustainable food systems

The other week I bought The Ruth Stout No Work Gardening Book from the library for for 25¢. I had never heard of Ruth Stout or her method, but a quarter was cheap enough to learn more. It was money well spent since this book was fascinating and reinvigorated my interest in gardening. Her method, when it works, is easier than traditional gardening because you work with nature rather than against it. In this post, I will describe who Ruth Stout was and how her method works.

Ruth Stout (1884-1980) was a very odd woman who worked a variety of jobs throughout her life, including as a scam mind reader. In her 40s, she moved to the countryside and discovered her love of gardening. After using traditional methods for 12 years, she decided to try something new. Instead of hiring someone to plow her fields, she filled them with stacks of moldy hay and then, for the most part, did nothing else. Her garden thrived. Ruth then spent the rest of her life writing about and promoting her method.

Ruth Stout resting in her mulch.

That’s the simple version of the story. The one she mostly tells. The reality is a bit more complicated. Unsurprisingly, “no work” gardening does require work. The basic idea is to cover your garden in thick layers of mulch (which she defines as just about any biodegradable material). The mulch is able to stop weed growth, keep your plants watered, and provides plenty of nutrients. The main work you have to do is add the mulch, plant seeds, and harvest. However, Ruth admits the method is a bit more complicated than this. Some weeds are hardy, sometimes people get pests, and weather can still ruin crops.

While the method does require some work, it’s still much less effort than with traditional methods. It’s also easier on the body and allowed Ruth to garden well into her 90s. Another major benefit of her method is that it is better for the environment. It does not require pesticides. The mulch always comes from organic materials and often is waste. It also only uses rainwater. The simplicity and beauty of Ruth Stout’s method is that it creates a mostly self-sustaining ecosystem.

So if the method works, is less effort and better for the environment, then why do people not use it more? I’ve tried digging into this and have come up with a couple of reasons. The main one is that gathering enough mulch can be a major barrier. She says you need 8 inches on your whole plot. People either need to know someone who will give them moldy hay (Ruth got hers from local farmers), have easy access to some other type of mulch, or pay for hay bales. If you have a large plot then it can be a major hassle and expense to get enough hay. It’s also not a good option for people with small yards.

Another reason this method isn’t popular, is that people don’t always like how it looks. This is similar as to why so many people have lawns even though they are worse for the environment and everyone hates mowing. Often, we do things based on tradition rather than because they’re better.

It also seems likely that the Ruth Stout method works better for certain plants and climates than in others. She was a zealot about the method. Her enthusiasm helped with branding. But, it means neither she nor many of her followers discussed the nuances of when this method works. I want to help address this gap.

Using the Ruth Stout Method

The method fascinates me and the promise of a garden with minimal upkeep sounds great. I do not have a green thumb. My plants die due to unknown causes or because I forget to water them. So this will be my first post describing my experience with the Ruth Stout method — as someone with almost no gardening experience. In these posts, I’ll describe if her method works and discuss where home gardening fits in a solarpunk future.

Week 0

The result of doing nothing for over a month.

In my backyard, there is a 3 by 12 foot gardening plot that was filled with weeds. Ruth suggests just throwing compost on top of weeds rather than uprooting them. For the first layer, we used partially composted kitchen waste my household had been saving for a few months. We will be adding our organic waste directly to the garden in the future rather than composting. Ruth says that people who compost in addition to her mulching system have “psychiatric problems.” I wouldn’t take it that far, but I’ll listen to her advice on this one.

For the next layer, I used a bunch of grass clippings I found on the side of the road in my neighborhood. That got us to about two inches. Already, I’m finding that gathering enough mulch is difficult. I decided to wait until the next rain before planting any seeds.

My first layer of mulch.

For More Information

Check out this short documentary about Ruth and her garden.

Subscribe and follow my gardening journey. Next time I’ll discuss where home gardening fits in a solarpunk future.