Should I dig the garden?

Don't dig — loosen. Turning the soil over kills worms and soil life and wakes up weed seeds. In spring, as soon as the snow is gone, loosen the beds 2–5 cm deep with a flat hoe (Fokin's flat cutter) without turning the layer; keep the soil covered with mulch or a cover crop the rest of the year. Worms and roots do the deep work (Ovsinsky, Fokin). Leave the cut cover crop and roots in the soil: they become channels for air and water.