Charles Dowding is a no dig gardener


Charles Dowding interview

He is author of several books including this latest one Organic Gardening: The Natural No-dig Way full colour edn

Charles Dowding has been practising no-dig organic growing for over 30 years. In this new, full colour edition of Organic Gardening, he shares the wealth of his experience, explaining his approach to soil and plants and revealing the range of techniques that have enabled him to grow healthy and vibrant plants for decades. His success is based on some key principles: No-dig enhances soil structure and encourages healthy growth; Organic matter is best spread on the surface – just leave it on the top and let the worms take it in, aerating the soil as they do so; When starting with weedy soil there is a period of 3-12 months, depending on weed types, when the emphasis is on cleaning and improving the soil; Using a no-dig method you can easily control weeds with just a little hand weeding or hoeing every ten days or so, when weeds are small. Based on this approach and his experience of a system of permanent, slightly raised beds, Organic Gardening shows you how to grow a delicious variety of fruit and vegetables: what to choose, when to sow, plant and harvest, and how best to avoid pests and diseases without the need to dig.