I'm 65 and have been gardening since I was 20. I just discovered you and your no dig techniques around 4 or 5 years ago. So I gardened the hard way for 40 long years. If only I discovered these great techniques a long time ago. Oh well better late than never. Thanks for intoducing me to your no dig techeqnics Charles. Always a pleasure to watch your videos.
Charles, thank you. You are a great inspiration. I am a 66 year old man in Spokane Washington USA.I have a back yard garden. Nine raised beds, three with trellises on the backs for growing beans, and two cattle panel arches over three of the other six beds. This year I grew beets, lettuce, spinich, and carrots in the spring, then beans, tomatoes, peppers, and various squashes both in the ground and in the raised beds. Beans got a virus. Spinich and beets had leaf miners. Everything else has done well. I credit you with answering many of my questions about the garden. Thank you. I feel like you have been a wonderful friend in the garden. Thank you thank you thank you.
Charles you sure set the bar high for us novice gardeners. Your methods along with how great your gardens produce and look gives us lots of incentive to grow and make our gardens the best we can. Thank You!
Long time gardener here and I just wanted to pop in to endorse this method. If you are on the fence, absolutely go for it, it will change your life. A couple of tips, if you want to buy compost the best thing to do is to purchase it ahead of time and let it sit for a few months if you can. Most purchased compost is not ready and if you plant into it you may have disappointing results. Not always... but many times. Number two, when you start your garden try to find large pieces of cardboard, appliance and furniture stores have a gold mine of large pieces that have less seams... of course you can always use all your old Amazon boxes but the bigger pieces let less weeds grow through the cracks. Thirdly, I would discourage putting grass that close to my beds. I do have a lawn but I have a strip about 4 ft wide of wood chip before my garden beds start. This is so that I don't have to keep edging the lawn like Charles does. If you like that look, go for it but realize the grass will never stop trying to infiltrate your beds. This method is amazing and especially if (like me), you're not as young as you used to be, being free of heavy, heavy weeding is a godsend. Thank you Charles!
Great video! Its amazing how a simple patch of perrenial grass can be turned into a productive organic garden. When I first opened my garden few years ago using those techniques I was not expecting it would turn out into a really really beautiful garden producing monstruous quantities of healthy organic food.
Thanks for the run through of the way you’ve developed the space and how you manage it. The plants look so vigorous and colorful. Maybe you could convert the ‘left over’ space into a wildflower meadow which, once established, would be relatively low maintenance but would attract the bees and other pollinators en masse.
Thanks, and I find it's a myth that wildflowers are easy maintenance. Here, for example, grass and buttercup take over very quickly, that's why I used black plastic around the pond area. The existing wild area does actually have quite a few flowers in the spring, which we all enjoy.
The found the easiest way is to put all green cut on the beds and let it turn into compost right on the bed. First year I used a lot of cut grass and later switched to Jerusalem artichoke, comfrey, tree spinach (they create a lot of green), dry leaves... Nice side effect is that the beds don't really get dry even in summer and I save a lot of water and seeds that the wind and birds bring cant grow.
A super video. Perfect for those who are "non believers" & for those who would like to try. I know it works because I've done it on my allotment. It is so much better than digging. Thank you for your positivity. Long may you broadcast😊.
This stunning Charles, not just your beautiful garden but the way this has been filmed by your wonderful son Edward. Hopefully I will come and see your new bit next year if you have another open gardens. Best wishes and good health to you all. Who needs Gardners World when you have Homeacres to watch 🥰
Thanks so much Tina, I hope to see you again. I'm running low on time to make these videos and Edward is becoming a teacher! We shall do what we can. Gardeners World have a whole production team and big budget, it's literally no comparison.
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing. I have a small veggie patch in Western Australia, which I've taken into No Dig territory from inspiration from you. I love watching your videos. My soil is acidic, so we are using ground lime pathways to sweeten it, and cardboard/compost. I've been gardening for decades, on and off, and since going No Dig last year, I've had such abundance! I do need to mulch the soil to cope with our extreme heat, and water often, but all else is your system.
Hallo , das ist eine Kunst ,so schön Garten zu gestalten.🍅🥒🍅🍅🥒 Vielen Dank für den Film ,das ist wirklich eine schöne Besichtigung des Gartens,mit vielen,guten Ratschlägen gleichzeitig. Viele Grüße ☘️☘️☘️👍
When I started my garden I spent the whole winter watching your inspirational videos. That gave me courage to start. You still give me inspiration and the spirit to go on even if I fail, the weather is damaging or the f*ing slugs that ruined almost everything this year. I cut 30-100 every evening. I was not alone in this horrible situation that helped. But now I am rolling up my sleeves and planning for next season...how to stop and avoid the sweet Bambies, badgers and slugs. Thanks for all skills you teach and for the joy it brings!!! 💖🌞💐😀👌Nothing compares to gardening...greetings from Sweden🇸🇪
Thanks Gina, and I'm sorry, your season has been so difficult. Probably, next year will be somewhat easier (!) and the advantage of really horrible weather is how it reveals potential problems, so that you can be prepared for next spring. I'm glad you're looking forward to that!
Love how you have been advocating no dig for literally decades and you are still as infectiously enthusiastic. Well done, you are doing excellent work. 🍅
Charles it is so inspirational to watch your videos 19:07 . It has also been fantastic enjoying and harvesting from my own patch, and I realise how much I have learnt from you. You plant your seeds at Home acres and via the internet around the world for us all to grow. Thank you your tips and advice really work even for novices.
And look what you've become! A fine example! My first garden was double dug to 18 inches deep. Thank you Charles for all you've done and all you share! 🌻🐈⬛🌱🪴🌳🏡
Your plot is impressive Charles. I really enjoy watching your videos and your easy attitude to growing. I also wish I had come across your no dig before we dug up our garden. If I ever start afresh somewhere else, it will be no dig from the get - go. Thank you! 😊🥕🍓🌻
Wonderful to see. Made a new no-dig garden this year, but discovered the local badgers also LOVE the deep compost mulch and are doing their best to dig it in for me, uprooting much of my second plantings in the process of looking for may beetle grubs (the mother beetles also LOVE the deep compost mulch...). They even dig up the woodchip pathways... The few beds where I did dig in the compost (to alleviate compaction, the soil was literally stinking and waterlogged), the badgers are not interested AT ALL... Hmm, tricky...
I am on my second round of cabbages for the season. I would never had tried this if it wasn’t for your videos and books. We are building a greenhouse from trees on our property and someone’s old 3 seasons porch windows. I can’t wait to extend the season with more of your ideas. Thank you so much!
Your videos are always such an inspiration to me. This year has been a real challenge weatherwise and a lot of my crops have failed. Seeing your wonderful space always makes me feel that all is not lost! So much to learn from you!
I’m 76 and being an organic gardener was semi no dig but Charles opened my eyes several years ago and 14 months ago I started a new foot forest/veg garden using cardboard and news paper with compost and old hay to suppress a particularly invasive running grass we have in New Zealand. It is a wonderful easy way to garden and showing a huge increase in worm population especially when you get older.
Your no dig method Sir Charles has changed everything in my gardening world. 😊 I can hardly cope with the abundance even in such strange weather conditions this year. And even in winter I have enough fresh greens now. Dankeschön ❤.
So glad you said about not being much for paper planning! Even when I start it's always hard to keep up with it and we often change our mind about things or change things around also. The compost and plastic actually gave me an idea. Not planning to use it for beds but I really want to improve the soil before we move on from here to our new land. I grow in raised beds here due to the poor quality of the soil, among other things, but I want to build on my skills of improving soil fertility, so thank you for the idea 😊 I'll then have to decide what to grow in those areas. Maybe cover crops or some type of ground cover. Anything other than the mix of grass and weeds 😅!
This method has helped me continue gardening when I didn't think I could physically. I have been able to supply most of the produce I use from Spring to Fall.
Charles, I’m so happy with your expansion projects. As always, everything is lush and abundant. You and your team have done a phenomenal job. You’re a great inspiration to many. Cheers 🌸🌿🦋
I had an opportunity to get a two acre land with a small house but my husband refused it, so I got stuck with an old swimming pool and spending money on pool maintenance and repairs and have my small garden outside in open space hot and have to put fence so the animals won’t do business but still have a hard time maintaining and watering. I envy you Sir Charles thank you for sharing your nice beautiful garden ❤️❤️❤️😊👩🌾 take care
This gives me hope that I can do it. I have bought a 20 acre sandy rocky farm that I hope to transform into good for people birds bees etc here in northern Victoria Australia thank you for your inspiration and knowledge ❤
Great advice on starting and or extending our gardens. About 20 years ago Hubby had at least 15 trees taken down in our back yard. We are still surround on 3 sides by mature trees. When he started our garden he rototilled for few years as garden grew. He still finds fine roots when transplanting. We have adjusted well. Thank you Charles and no dig for 3 years.
you are so fortunate to live where you do here in sw coorado on the edge of the desert at 6000 feet this spring we went from frost to 100f in two and a half weeks and the garden was a disaster this year. no squash one cucumber about a dozen tomatoes. you would never guess four years ago i raised a ten pound peter glazebrook onion in a pot of course.
So love your approach Charles. I would add that in my experience if your compost doesn't"t hit the correct temperatures then you will be spreading weed seeds which might lead. People to think nodig does not work. Which of course it absolutely does! 😊
Thanks, and I see your point, but I do keep saying how it's very easy to hoe or disturb, or remove the new weeds from compost, because it's so soft. It's a totally different experience compared to trying to weed soil surfaces.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Too true, it is about staying in top of it in the early stages and yes, soil is not compacted in a nodig set up the way it is when you dig to "so called" aerate the soil.
This was a game changer for me. I feel like my results in the short term, were better in tilled plots but even with crap compost and a few inputs, this wins out.
I set up a new veg garden from a weedy field this year, just as you describe with cardboard and compost (but no woodchip). Worked excellently. Nice Kuri squash! Mine grew ONE per plant. Other types 2-6 each. My "own brand" (saved seeds) did the best (including the champ with 6).
Wow Charles, you have such an amazing array of plants and they all look so happy living together. I love all the flowers, and because of you I'm now growing many varieties of flowers, I got the flower bug :) Thanks for posting 🙏
You make it look so easy. But even at much smaller scale, growing what one can with one’s resources is so rewarding. I wish I had better access to seedlings. Other than in spring, here it’s hard to find vegetables in nurseries. And buying one line is so expensive because of shipping charges. And if you miss the deadline for seed starting, you can’t make it up. That is the challenge for me with fall gardening. In in Illinois in USA.
I was recently away for 5 days and completely forgot to ask my neighbour to water our polytunnel. To our surprise, we only lost one cucumber plant and the tomatoes actually generated an insane amount of ripe fruit. Like yourself, we thought we'd have a really small crop this year but what a nice surprise on our return.
My tomatoes improved immensely when I watered them on weekends and Wednesday’s instead of every day - and I’m in hot old Australia. I was drowning them and they didn’t like it!
Wow ...I feel as though I've been led to your work. I get the keys to my allotment on Tuesday and the weeds are taller than me!😅 . I found out about your work completely by chance and wasn't looking at that point. A happy coincidence....Will most definitely be trying no dig😊
Wonderful! You have a challenge, and you have the keys to solve it, but keep at it, those weeds will come back at you for the first year, or two years if there is bindweed!
Good show, cheers Charles. You can buy puddling clay to line the dry pond by the cube/lorry load ~£130 a cube which would cover ~5sqM 100mm deep, guess cost depends how far the nearest supplier is, have a puddling party to lay it all down, kids would love it (so would the adults but use the kids as an excuse lol)
The only change you could have fun with, around the large pond, is willow fences. They're Great for birds, insects and keeping animals you don't want out. I watched a few people plant them, them the growth after one or two years is beautiful. Cheap too. 🙂
Flipping awesome. I’ve just shared this link. I have just planted some transplants and found it so much easier to get them out of the CD trays than some others I thought I’d used up! Such a good video. You and your gang must keep so busy cropping. Will your open day be in September next year?
@@CharlesDowding1nodig so far this year I planted it and immediately got sick (from pregnancy) so it just grew up in weeds and we got nothing. We plan to mow it down, add compost, and put plastic over it until next May when I feel like trying again.
Just beautiful and healthy food. So, after adding compost on top the cardboard box, do you make a hole throughout to plant a seed? I want to plant cabbage for instance, or its roots will make its way down itself? Ty 4 your time on teaching.
Thanks, and that depends how much compost you add. If it's 10 cm/4 inches you are planting into the compost only and then within eight weeks, the cardboard softens and plants root into the soil below.
Hi Charles, I need your opinion on two things. First is drip irrigation and then the second is Jiffypots made from paper and some other stuff. I understand the whole idea behind drip irrigation - to save water - but it seems like it now limits one as to where one can plant your seedlings etc or sow things like carrots while the rest of bed between plants stay dry. Also the space between the emitters. Then the Jiffypots are also a noble idea, but I used to make my own paper pots in the past and it seems like if the walls are too thick, the plant roots find it difficult to penetrate the walls and the bottom. Will the same not happen with the Jiffypots? This summer season, I am actually going back to the old fashioned seedling trays again. From South Africa, Albert
Cheers Albert. Yes, I agree and drip irrigation does not stimulate soul microbes much! Likewise, I do not use any such pots, they take more space in the propagation area, and if you buy them obviously are expensive.
Great video as usual ❤ maybe collab with a dedicated beekeeper to keep up with the bees for you? Anyone would be thrilled to see their bees thrive on all the Homeacres goodies 😊
Hi Charles, always a legend for all of us, I started growing a no dig vegetable garden two years ago like yours, but this year it was hotter than previous years and I missed out on weeding a bit, a lot of Oxalis corniculata came out, I don't know how to get rid of it, I try to remove it from the root but it always grows a lot, plus it only comes out in the summer when I don't have enough time to do weeding which between work and the harvests which this year were very abundant, I found myself being a a little demoralized. How can I behave with this plant?
Thanks for your message, and I'm sorry to hear this. It certainly is a difficult weed and anywhere you have space between plants, I would consider laying cardboard on top, with a few stones to keep it in place. Still you will need to keep removing it from the gaps. I'm afraid that's the best I can offer.
Always enjoy your videos. Thank you. Question… how would you or can you incorporate no dig in an existing bed (shade and full sun) around established shrubs and plants without getting the soil level too high for the plants? Would love to see a video on this. Thanks
Proceed as normal! Woody plants do not mind extra compost around the stems. I would not use too much though because they're going to take most of it so basically you're enabling them to grow a lot more and depending how many there are, you might not grow many vegetables.
Wonderful information! I planted asparagus from seed this season. The bed looks quite sparse. Can I grow something else between the tiny plants while I wait for them to grow?
Really great videos as usual thanks Charles, I have access to quote and abundance of free horse manure but it's quite fresh, if I was to create new beds with it on top of cardboard at this time of year and let it rot down over winter would that be ok?
I love your methods concerning mulching etc., but I personally wouldn't like to have microplastic in my garden. On some photos you can see how the plastic starts to decompose, and as microplastic increasingly is found in human bodies I don't want to have it near my food. ;) But everything else: Thank you, great video! 🤗🌻
I'm also a believer in a soil test, as in digging down and looking at what the soil is as you go down about 2 - 3 ft, and if there are already layers which affect water drainage in the soil (can happen for different reasons including land usage in the past for farming and other issues), then a one time DEEP till followed by these methods is pretty much the same thing. Either way you're dealing with weed seeds once you remove a cover if you follow that with black plastic. But once you start this process then you are no dig. No-till farmers also do shallow soil work when they're working with 1/2+ acres just to get a smooth surface for taking a planter over. So, part of the time they use a tilther and since that only works the top 2", I'd still consider that no-dig, in which case a lot of the no-till, or better yet, regenerative farmers will simply say no-dig means minimal soil disturbance along with being organic, with the function of locking carbon into the soil being a main goal.
The greatest challenge I've found is in acquiring sufficient compost for the initial 10cm layer & ongoing, annual 2.5-3cm application. I have 75m² in total of beds, plus 30 x 30 litre potato containers needing compost every year & I'm looking at 2.7m³ of 'finished' compost a year, plus 1.3m³ of woodchip/shredded prunings for the interbed paths. That might sound daunting but I'm a not particularly fit 66 year old & with a little effort, have managed to exceed my target in successive years (last week's haul was 150kg of seaweed from the shore after recent storms - 30 minutes work). Believe me; the end harvest is absolutely worth the effort involved, which is less than you'd think: maybe 3 hours a week, averaged over a year & for that I harvest at least 400kg of high quality produce a year.
Hey chap, how you doing. Garden looks mint 👍 Have you every had a go at growing mushrooms at the same sort of scale? Or consulting setting up market gardens of larger home gardens. What you do is very desirable and I'm sure there is a lot of people wanting some 1 on 1 guidance. If you set up a blue print and SOP and stamp them out.
General question, I had a great crop of potatoes last year of a well known variety, however when cooked they either remain hard after par-boiling and then roasting or if you carry on boiling they turn to mush. I kept some harvested from last year to try again and the same this year. Is this a common problem?
They are all from seed I saved last year from one head of an orange sunflower, and they must have cross pollinated with other sunflower varieties, so I don't know the name! Super robust and multi branching
What about Mare's Tail (Horsetail), Charles? I'm really struggling with this on my allotment and I'm disabled too, with very little help. I've been trying to SLOWLY dig out as much as I can BEFORE going no dig but am at the point where I'm thinking I'll have to give up my plot, which would break my heart. Could I just do straight no dig and pull up the horsetail as it appears and hope it doesn't choke the roots of my other plants?
Sorry to hear that and yes exactly. Don't do any initial digging, that actually does not help in my experience, but instead just keep removing, which is easier thanks to the soft surface of no dig. Still not easy and a big commitment and sometimes it's a less overwhelming weed than some others - small mercies!
Charles, thank you for this video. I have been trying to follow your method for the last couple of years but this video has really made me realise where I have made a few mistakes, mainly I didn't put on a thick enough layer of compost the first year. Now I have plans to fix my mistakes. We are lucky to get manure delivered to our allotment plot. Can I just ask, would you say it's ok to use manure for each of my bays (potatoes, brassicas and legumes) but compost only for the carrots, parsnips, onions bay? I know you don't do rotation but I find it helps me with my planning. thank you.
Glad this helps. There is absolutely no need to think in those terms, of different composts for different vegetables, but you can allocate in that way if it helps you. I would not want anyone reading this to think you have to do that though. The manure is hopefully well rotted, so basically it's compost.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thanks for replying. Yes it is well rotted but I have a vague memory of reading carrots/parsnips shouldn't be grown in manure?! Take it that is just old wives again and I can use the supply of manure all over the plot regardless of what I'm growing?
@@CharlesDowding1nodig thanks that's great to know, I have been growing squash through it this year, on new ground, and they have been really thriving, but I've constantly been wondering if I should be somehow getting water in there. The sweet corn seemed to not love not being watered though..
Just about to embark on a similar project along with my neighbour who also has a large area of unchecked weeds and grass, instead of solid plastic sheet would woven ground sheet work just as well ? I have two long rolls used for setting up a long wind break of Willow trees, its done the job well there so thinking about re-purposing for the garden, many thanks
Good luck. If you have it already, then I would use it. It does allow a little light through and cardboard underneath would be an option if you want to be planting soon.
Bei uns in Österreich, direkt neben der ungarischen Grenze (äußerster Südosten, eine Katastrophe, fast Flächen deckend braun Durchschnittliche Temperatur: 33 /34 Celsius Für die Gemüse Pflanzen Dauerstress und für mich auch Aber, never ever give up
I took in some rather woody horse manure last winter and it was a mixed bag as seen in the video. Potatoes, pepper, lettuce, sweetcorn, radish, spinach and onions had yellow-ish leaves and poor foliage growth. Peas, beans, brassicas, tomatoes and beetroot were pretty good. I put this down to nitrogen sequestration and the growth experienced tended to be whether the plant roots went deep enough into the soil below. Anything relatively shallow rooted failed miserably. Does this sound plausible? Hopefully next year will be better
Thank you Charles for another inspiring video. I am particularly interested in your shed which is precisely what we need in the Glastonbury Healing Gardens. Was it bought pre-made or did you construct from a plan? Love Juliet x
Plastic exposed to the environment starts to breakdown very quickly and begins to release toxic elements into the environment. Although it may seem that it can be reused indefinitely as long as it maintains its structure, it is silently poisoning the soil on which it is placed. "Black plastics can contain unregulated amounts of toxic chemicals such as phthalates and flame retardants, as well as heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, nickel, chromium, and mercury. That’s because black plastic is largely sourced from electronic scrap such as TVs and computers. If these materials went back into electronic components or into inert uses (such as railroad ties), that would be preferable, but instead they are melted down and mixed with food-grade plastics for applications that pose a higher risk to human health, such as utensils, to-go containers, cooking implements, hot cup lids, coffee stirrers, reusable coffee mugs, or toys for children or pets. While regulations are in place to ensure your electronic devices do not exceed certain levels of toxic chemicals and metals, there is nothing protecting you from the toxic levels in a black plastic to-go container. Exposure to heat increases the likelihood of these toxic chemicals leaching into your food and drink." Source: ecocycle.org/our-programs/reducing-plastics/eliminating-problematic-plastics/problematic-unnecessary-plastics/
We have been no dig on our allotment in essex for 6 years. Mostly going well (my back is much better) but mares tail and small leaved bindweed are becoming a problem. We never had them before but there are other plots all around us which do. I suspect that the annual digging disturbed the soil too much to allow them to get started. We are keen to stay no dig. What would you advise?
That is frustrating, and it sounds like it has spread in from the disturbed soil of your neighbours, if I've understood correctly. It can't self generate out of nothing. Regular removal every week, of new growth with say 10 cm of the new white root does weaken the deeper parent root. However, that obviously is being reinforced from growth outside your plot. Difficult! To make it less difficult, you could lay say 60 cm width of double cardboard around your plot and lay new card on it every two months, as a kind of speed limit effect on bindweed pushing in. Then concentrate on new shoots on your side of the cardboard
I'm 65 and have been gardening since I was 20. I just discovered you and your no dig techniques around 4 or 5 years ago. So I gardened the hard way for 40 long years. If only I discovered these great techniques a long time ago. Oh well better late than never. Thanks for intoducing me to your no dig techeqnics Charles. Always a pleasure to watch your videos.
We do our best with the knowledge we have at the time.
Great you found me!
Srpski
Don’t beat yourself up too much ,mate.You’re not the only one like it.
0:29 😮T😅😅 to😅😅 to😅y😅 to 0:37 to😅 0:37 to 0:39 0:39 to😅 to t 0:42 to 0:43 to😅 0:44 0:44 to😅t😅t 0:48 to 0:48 😅@@aname5267
Charles, thank you. You are a great inspiration. I am a 66 year old man in Spokane Washington USA.I have a back yard garden. Nine raised beds, three with trellises on the backs for growing beans, and two cattle panel arches over three of the other six beds. This year I grew beets, lettuce, spinich, and carrots in the spring, then beans, tomatoes, peppers, and various squashes both in the ground and in the raised beds. Beans got a virus. Spinich and beets had leaf miners. Everything else has done well. I credit you with answering many of my questions about the garden. Thank you. I feel like you have been a wonderful friend in the garden. Thank you thank you thank you.
Lovely to hear and may your garden continue to flourish 💚
Yes that's a perfect way to describe Charles and no dig as a friend in the garden . Your garden sounds lovely. 😅
Charles you sure set the bar high for us novice gardeners. Your methods along with how great your gardens produce and look gives us lots of incentive to grow and make our gardens the best we can. Thank You!
You are very welcome
Long time gardener here and I just wanted to pop in to endorse this method. If you are on the fence, absolutely go for it, it will change your life.
A couple of tips, if you want to buy compost the best thing to do is to purchase it ahead of time and let it sit for a few months if you can. Most purchased compost is not ready and if you plant into it you may have disappointing results. Not always... but many times. Number two, when you start your garden try to find large pieces of cardboard, appliance and furniture stores have a gold mine of large pieces that have less seams... of course you can always use all your old Amazon boxes but the bigger pieces let less weeds grow through the cracks. Thirdly, I would discourage putting grass that close to my beds. I do have a lawn but I have a strip about 4 ft wide of wood chip before my garden beds start. This is so that I don't have to keep edging the lawn like Charles does. If you like that look, go for it but realize the grass will never stop trying to infiltrate your beds.
This method is amazing and especially if (like me), you're not as young as you used to be, being free of heavy, heavy weeding is a godsend. Thank you Charles!
I'm heartened to see this and congratulations.
Thanks for your tips.
Great video! Its amazing how a simple patch of perrenial grass can be turned into a productive organic garden. When I first opened my garden few years ago using those techniques I was not expecting it would turn out into a really really beautiful garden producing monstruous quantities of healthy organic food.
Lovely to hear 🙂
You are my hero Charles.
I took on your methods and haven't looked back.
Thank you. 😊
Lovely to hear
The asparagus looks so ordimental. Moving beautifully in the breeze.
💚
Thanks for the run through of the way you’ve developed the space and how you manage it. The plants look so vigorous and colorful. Maybe you could convert the ‘left over’ space into a wildflower meadow which, once established, would be relatively low maintenance but would attract the bees and other pollinators en masse.
Thanks, and I find it's a myth that wildflowers are easy maintenance. Here, for example, grass and buttercup take over very quickly, that's why I used black plastic around the pond area. The existing wild area does actually have quite a few flowers in the spring, which we all enjoy.
The found the easiest way is to put all green cut on the beds and let it turn into compost right on the bed. First year I used a lot of cut grass and later switched to Jerusalem artichoke, comfrey, tree spinach (they create a lot of green), dry leaves... Nice side effect is that the beds don't really get dry even in summer and I save a lot of water and seeds that the wind and birds bring cant grow.
A super video. Perfect for those who are "non believers" & for those who would like to try. I know it works because I've done it on my allotment. It is so much better than digging. Thank you for your positivity. Long may you broadcast😊.
Lovely to hear and glad you enjoyed it, thank you Martina, lovely to hear of your success.
2:48 That's a quality cat right there.
Thanks, she is Minty, adopted us three years ago
@@CharlesDowding1nodig That's great! She's lovely. Nice addition to the garden!
This stunning Charles, not just your beautiful garden but the way this has been filmed by your wonderful son Edward. Hopefully I will come and see your new bit next year if you have another open gardens. Best wishes and good health to you all. Who needs Gardners World when you have Homeacres to watch 🥰
Thanks so much Tina, I hope to see you again. I'm running low on time to make these videos and Edward is becoming a teacher! We shall do what we can. Gardeners World have a whole production team and big budget, it's literally no comparison.
Thank you Tina, very kind 🙂
We’re missing you guys folks 😘 😊🙏🏴
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing. I have a small veggie patch in Western Australia, which I've taken into No Dig territory from inspiration from you. I love watching your videos.
My soil is acidic, so we are using ground lime pathways to sweeten it, and cardboard/compost. I've been gardening for decades, on and off, and since going No Dig last year, I've had such abundance!
I do need to mulch the soil to cope with our extreme heat, and water often, but all else is your system.
Lovely to hear, thanks, happy you have plenty of harvest
Hallo ,
das ist eine Kunst ,so schön Garten zu gestalten.🍅🥒🍅🍅🥒
Vielen Dank für den Film ,das ist wirklich eine schöne Besichtigung des Gartens,mit vielen,guten Ratschlägen gleichzeitig.
Viele Grüße ☘️☘️☘️👍
Ich freue mich, dass es Ihnen gefallen hat 🙂
Whole area looks
so lush. It's fantastic. Seems to grow better each year. Tx for your tuts and sharing. Bless you.
Thank you and you are very welcome André
When I started my garden I spent the whole winter watching your inspirational videos. That gave me courage to start. You still give me inspiration and the spirit to go on even if I fail, the weather is damaging or the f*ing slugs that ruined almost everything this year. I cut 30-100 every evening. I was not alone in this horrible situation that helped. But now I am rolling up my sleeves and planning for next season...how to stop and avoid the sweet Bambies, badgers and slugs. Thanks for all skills you teach and for the joy it brings!!! 💖🌞💐😀👌Nothing compares to gardening...greetings from Sweden🇸🇪
Thanks Gina, and I'm sorry, your season has been so difficult. Probably, next year will be somewhat easier (!) and the advantage of really horrible weather is how it reveals potential problems, so that you can be prepared for next spring. I'm glad you're looking forward to that!
Love how you have been advocating no dig for literally decades and you are still as infectiously enthusiastic. Well done, you are doing excellent work. 🍅
Thank you
Another encouraging video! Thank you sir! Blessings on your growing season! 🌻🐛🌿💚🙏💕
I am glad you enjoyed it Carolyn
Charles it is so inspirational to watch your videos 19:07 . It has also been fantastic enjoying and harvesting from my own patch, and I realise how much I have learnt from you. You plant your seeds at Home acres and via the internet around the world for us all to grow. Thank you your tips and advice really work even for novices.
Thank you for your kind words Rachel, I am glad you enjoy them and lovely to hear of your success.
And look what you've become! A fine example! My first garden was double dug to 18 inches deep. Thank you Charles for all you've done and all you share! 🌻🐈⬛🌱🪴🌳🏡
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We’re missing you guys folks 😘 😊🙏🏴wow !.
Thanks, hope you are keeping well
Your plot is impressive Charles. I really enjoy watching your videos and your easy attitude to growing. I also wish I had come across your no dig before we dug up our garden. If I ever start afresh somewhere else, it will be no dig from the get - go. Thank you! 😊🥕🍓🌻
Next time! Thanks
Wonderful to see. Made a new no-dig garden this year, but discovered the local badgers also LOVE the deep compost mulch and are doing their best to dig it in for me, uprooting much of my second plantings in the process of looking for may beetle grubs (the mother beetles also LOVE the deep compost mulch...). They even dig up the woodchip pathways... The few beds where I did dig in the compost (to alleviate compaction, the soil was literally stinking and waterlogged), the badgers are not interested AT ALL... Hmm, tricky...
Yes that is difficult. Your beds have many worms and they love that. I don't have a remedy because they're such difficult animals to keep out
I am on my second round of cabbages for the season. I would never had tried this if it wasn’t for your videos and books. We are building a greenhouse from trees on our property and someone’s old 3 seasons porch windows. I can’t wait to extend the season with more of your ideas. Thank you so much!
Lovely to hear and the greenhouse sounds great
Your videos are always such an inspiration to me. This year has been a real challenge weatherwise and a lot of my crops have failed. Seeing your wonderful space always makes me feel that all is not lost! So much to learn from you!
You can do it I am sure but 2024 has been v difficult at times
Alright fine, I'm going to go weed a bit. Beautiful garden as always, I can't wait to see my kale and sprouts coming up grow big like yours.
Thank you Brad
I’m 76 and being an organic gardener was semi no dig but Charles opened my eyes several years ago and 14 months ago I started a new foot forest/veg garden using cardboard and news paper with compost and old hay to suppress a particularly invasive running grass we have in New Zealand. It is a wonderful easy way to garden and showing a huge increase in worm population especially when you get older.
Thanks for your comment and I'm so encouraged to read this, I'm sure others will be as well.
Your no dig method Sir Charles has changed everything in my gardening world. 😊 I can hardly cope with the abundance even in such strange weather conditions this year. And even in winter I have enough fresh greens now. Dankeschön ❤.
I am so pleased to hear of your success 🙂
Wunderbar vielen dank
So glad you said about not being much for paper planning! Even when I start it's always hard to keep up with it and we often change our mind about things or change things around also.
The compost and plastic actually gave me an idea. Not planning to use it for beds but I really want to improve the soil before we move on from here to our new land. I grow in raised beds here due to the poor quality of the soil, among other things, but I want to build on my skills of improving soil fertility, so thank you for the idea 😊 I'll then have to decide what to grow in those areas. Maybe cover crops or some type of ground cover. Anything other than the mix of grass and weeds 😅!
I loved seeing the progress. So beautifully and productive.
Thank you Tina, I am am glad you enjoyed it
looking great charles.. hope your first week of september has been a good one.
Thanks 👍 and it was until a cold rain yesterday!
This method has helped me continue gardening when I didn't think I could physically. I have been able to supply most of the produce I use from Spring to Fall.
Wonderful!
Charles, I’m so happy with your expansion projects. As always, everything is lush and abundant. You and your team have done a phenomenal job. You’re a great inspiration to many. Cheers 🌸🌿🦋
Thank you for your kind words Karen
I had an opportunity to get a two acre land with a small house but my husband refused it, so I got stuck with an old swimming pool and spending money on pool maintenance and repairs and have my small garden outside in open space hot and have to put fence so the animals won’t do business but still have a hard time maintaining and watering. I envy you Sir Charles thank you for sharing your nice beautiful garden ❤️❤️❤️😊👩🌾 take care
Yes, I am fortunate. And I'm sorry to hear about your situation, Best of luck!
This gives me hope that I can do it. I have bought a 20 acre sandy rocky farm that I hope to transform into good for people birds bees etc here in northern Victoria Australia thank you for your inspiration and knowledge ❤
If you could have a do over you should have refused the husband and kept the garden. That man has a lot of making up to do 😂.
I love your passion Charles, it’s infectious, brilliant video. Thank you 👏🏼
I am glad you enjoyed it 🙂
You wake up every morning and see those beautiful natural colours.....amazing..!!!
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Great advice on starting and or extending our gardens.
About 20 years ago Hubby had at least 15 trees taken down in our back yard. We are still surround on 3 sides by mature trees. When he started our garden he rototilled for few years as garden grew. He still finds fine roots when transplanting. We have adjusted well. Thank you Charles and no dig for 3 years.
Lovely to hear 💚
Another absolutely fantastic, information packed and beautiful video Charles. Thank you!
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you are so fortunate to live where you do here in sw coorado on the edge of the desert at 6000 feet this spring we went from frost to 100f in two and a half weeks and the garden was a disaster this year. no squash one cucumber about a dozen tomatoes. you would never guess four years ago i raised a ten pound peter glazebrook onion in a pot of course.
I'm so sorry to hear that, I can hardly imagine those variations of temperature in such a short period
Thank you charles for a valuable video always learn something from you and I ❤ that shed you built very impressive 😊
Thanks Loraine
Absolutely amazing Charles! Adam must be a blessing to you. Plus your camera person!
Thanks, and yes indeed. Edward was doing the filming here and the editing.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig truly amazing. All good!
So love your approach Charles. I would add that in my experience if your compost doesn't"t hit the correct temperatures then you will be spreading weed seeds which might lead. People to think nodig does not work. Which of course it absolutely does! 😊
Thanks, and I see your point, but I do keep saying how it's very easy to hoe or disturb, or remove the new weeds from compost, because it's so soft. It's a totally different experience compared to trying to weed soil surfaces.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Too true, it is about staying in top of it in the early stages and yes, soil is not compacted in a nodig set up the way it is when you dig to "so called" aerate the soil.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig 4:09 4:15 4:04
Garden is looking stunning as always. Love it ❤️
Thanks so much 😊
I love your garden. If only I could have some more space.
Greetings from Germany
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Merci Charles .Violette
This was a game changer for me. I feel like my results in the short term, were better in tilled plots but even with crap compost and a few inputs, this wins out.
Great to hear
I set up a new veg garden from a weedy field this year, just as you describe with cardboard and compost (but no woodchip). Worked excellently.
Nice Kuri squash! Mine grew ONE per plant. Other types 2-6 each. My "own brand" (saved seeds) did the best (including the champ with 6).
Great to hear of your success Kirsty 🙂
Thanks for intoducing me to your no dig techeqnics Charles.
You are very welcome 🙂
I love that brown jacket you wear. I used to have one like it, but didn't feel like I could quite carry it off. It has a very soothing presence.
It's 30 years old :) and thanks
Wow Charles, you have such an amazing array of plants and they all look so happy living together. I love all the flowers, and because of you I'm now growing many varieties of flowers, I got the flower bug :) Thanks for posting 🙏
Haha thanks, love it, the flower bug!
Lovely to hear 🙂
You make it look so easy. But even at much smaller scale, growing what one can with one’s resources is so rewarding. I wish I had better access to seedlings. Other than in spring, here it’s hard to find vegetables in nurseries. And buying one line is so expensive because of shipping charges. And if you miss the deadline for seed starting, you can’t make it up. That is the challenge for me with fall gardening. In in Illinois in USA.
Yes timing in fall is more important than in spring. I hope you find seedlings.
I was recently away for 5 days and completely forgot to ask my neighbour to water our polytunnel.
To our surprise, we only lost one cucumber plant and the tomatoes actually generated an insane amount of ripe fruit. Like yourself, we thought we'd have a really small crop this year but what a nice surprise on our return.
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My tomatoes improved immensely when I watered them on weekends and Wednesday’s instead of every day - and I’m in hot old Australia. I was drowning them and they didn’t like it!
your flowers are beautiful this year!
Thank you, I love them
Wow ...I feel as though I've been led to your work. I get the keys to my allotment on Tuesday and the weeds are taller than me!😅 .
I found out about your work completely by chance and wasn't looking at that point. A happy coincidence....Will most definitely be trying no dig😊
Wonderful!
You have a challenge, and you have the keys to solve it, but keep at it, those weeds will come back at you for the first year, or two years if there is bindweed!
You are amazing, your process is amazing, and I give you all my admiration for the best part of what you grow, yourself.
Ah cool thanks
Thank you Susan
Good show, cheers Charles. You can buy puddling clay to line the dry pond by the cube/lorry load ~£130 a cube which would cover ~5sqM 100mm deep, guess cost depends how far the nearest supplier is, have a puddling party to lay it all down, kids would love it (so would the adults but use the kids as an excuse lol)
Thanks, this is a cheerful thought. I'm actually not unhappy with it, alternating wet and dry between the seasons.
Using No Dig, it is working well here in Eastern Canada & love the cat
💚 good to hear
Fantastic to see how Homeacres has expanded over the past few years and how well the new area is doing.
😀
Love pea and carrot pin on your jacket. Nice touch
The only change you could have fun with, around the large pond, is willow fences. They're Great for birds, insects and keeping animals you don't want out.
I watched a few people plant them, them the growth after one or two years is beautiful. Cheap too. 🙂
Thanks
Flipping awesome. I’ve just shared this link. I have just planted some transplants and found it so much easier to get them out of the CD trays than some others I thought I’d used up! Such a good video. You and your gang must keep so busy cropping. Will your open day be in September next year?
Thanks for sharing and yes, first weekend September 2025
Beautiful, beautiful video! Thx for it. Good editing. A lot of charm and informative.
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I needed this. Trying to turn a weedy field into a garden right now
I look forward to hearing your progress 🙂
@@CharlesDowding1nodig so far this year I planted it and immediately got sick (from pregnancy) so it just grew up in weeds and we got nothing. We plan to mow it down, add compost, and put plastic over it until next May when I feel like trying again.
Super happy to learn this at 24, thank you legend!!
Go you Darian
Just beautiful and healthy food. So, after adding compost on top the cardboard box, do you make a hole throughout to plant a seed? I want to plant cabbage for instance, or its roots will make its way down itself? Ty 4 your time on teaching.
Thanks, and that depends how much compost you add. If it's 10 cm/4 inches you are planting into the compost only and then within eight weeks, the cardboard softens and plants root into the soil below.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig yay thank you bunches for your help
I love your videos. Your methods are inspiring ❤
Lovely to hear Linda, thank you
Hi Charles, I need your opinion on two things. First is drip irrigation and then the second is Jiffypots made from paper and some other stuff. I understand the whole idea behind drip irrigation - to save water - but it seems like it now limits one as to where one can plant your seedlings etc or sow things like carrots while the rest of bed between plants stay dry. Also the space between the emitters. Then the Jiffypots are also a noble idea, but I used to make my own paper pots in the past and it seems like if the walls are too thick, the plant roots find it difficult to penetrate the walls and the bottom. Will the same not happen with the Jiffypots? This summer season, I am actually going back to the old fashioned seedling trays again. From South Africa, Albert
Cheers Albert. Yes, I agree and drip irrigation does not stimulate soul microbes much! Likewise, I do not use any such pots, they take more space in the propagation area, and if you buy them obviously are expensive.
Great video as usual ❤ maybe collab with a dedicated beekeeper to keep up with the bees for you? Anyone would be thrilled to see their bees thrive on all the Homeacres goodies 😊
Great idea, but many beekeepers I know are getting out of it because of time commitments. Let's see if one turns up
Hi Charles,
always a legend for all of us, I started growing a no dig vegetable garden two years ago like yours, but this year it was hotter than previous years and I missed out on weeding a bit, a lot of Oxalis corniculata came out, I don't know how to get rid of it, I try to remove it from the root but it always grows a lot, plus it only comes out in the summer when I don't have enough time to do weeding which between work and the harvests which this year were very abundant, I found myself being a a little demoralized. How can I behave with this plant?
Thanks for your message, and I'm sorry to hear this. It certainly is a difficult weed and anywhere you have space between plants, I would consider laying cardboard on top, with a few stones to keep it in place. Still you will need to keep removing it from the gaps. I'm afraid that's the best I can offer.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig THANK YOU CHARLES YOU ARE ALWAYS A GREAT HELP TO ALL OF US
you are welcome Manuela
Always enjoy your videos. Thank you. Question… how would you or can you incorporate no dig in an existing bed (shade and full sun) around established shrubs and plants without getting the soil level too high for the plants? Would love to see a video on this. Thanks
Proceed as normal! Woody plants do not mind extra compost around the stems. I would not use too much though because they're going to take most of it so basically you're enabling them to grow a lot more and depending how many there are, you might not grow many vegetables.
what a great job you done
Cheers Steven!
Wonderful information! I planted asparagus from seed this season. The bed looks quite sparse. Can I grow something else between the tiny plants while I wait for them to grow?
Yes you can, say lettuce and spring onions, radish
Parabéns pela compra Charles obrigado ❤
Really great videos as usual thanks Charles,
I have access to quote and abundance of free horse manure but it's quite fresh, if I was to create new beds with it on top of cardboard at this time of year and let it rot down over winter would that be ok?
That can work :)
Top quality content Charles 👍
Thank you James, I am glad you enjoyed it.
😊 Edward does a great job. His last one for a while, now teaching
I love your methods concerning mulching etc., but I personally wouldn't like to have microplastic in my garden. On some photos you can see how the plastic starts to decompose, and as microplastic increasingly is found in human bodies I don't want to have it near my food. ;) But everything else: Thank you, great video! 🤗🌻
Fair point
I'm also a believer in a soil test, as in digging down and looking at what the soil is as you go down about 2 - 3 ft, and if there are already layers which affect water drainage in the soil (can happen for different reasons including land usage in the past for farming and other issues), then a one time DEEP till followed by these methods is pretty much the same thing. Either way you're dealing with weed seeds once you remove a cover if you follow that with black plastic.
But once you start this process then you are no dig. No-till farmers also do shallow soil work when they're working with 1/2+ acres just to get a smooth surface for taking a planter over. So, part of the time they use a tilther and since that only works the top 2", I'd still consider that no-dig, in which case a lot of the no-till, or better yet, regenerative farmers will simply say no-dig means minimal soil disturbance along with being organic, with the function of locking carbon into the soil being a main goal.
Thanks for sharing :)
I loved the flash of the formerly four pronged pitch fork that now has three forks, but is still being used. I wonder how old it is.
Nice spot! 20 years old.
The greatest challenge I've found is in acquiring sufficient compost for the initial 10cm layer & ongoing, annual 2.5-3cm application.
I have 75m² in total of beds, plus 30 x 30 litre potato containers needing compost every year & I'm looking at 2.7m³ of 'finished' compost a year, plus 1.3m³ of woodchip/shredded prunings for the interbed paths.
That might sound daunting but I'm a not particularly fit 66 year old & with a little effort, have managed to exceed my target in successive years (last week's haul was 150kg of seaweed from the shore after recent storms - 30 minutes work).
Believe me; the end harvest is absolutely worth the effort involved, which is less than you'd think: maybe 3 hours a week, averaged over a year & for that I harvest at least 400kg of high quality produce a year.
Good to hear. It all keeps us fit and lively
Do you cut those tall weeds before putting plastic or mulch on top, or just put them over those tall weeds?
Either cut them, or tread them down, so the compost, then plastic sits on top evenly
Hey chap, how you doing. Garden looks mint 👍
Have you every had a go at growing mushrooms at the same sort of scale?
Or consulting setting up market gardens of larger home gardens. What you do is very desirable and I'm sure there is a lot of people wanting some 1 on 1 guidance. If you set up a blue print and SOP and stamp them out.
Not yet and mushrooms are not always successful here. Thanks for the idea, I could do that, but time is so limited. 😮
General question, I had a great crop of potatoes last year of a well known variety, however when cooked they either remain hard after par-boiling and then roasting or if you carry on boiling they turn to mush. I kept some harvested from last year to try again and the same this year. Is this a common problem?
Charlotte do this sometimes and I do not know why!
What variety are the beautiful yellow sunflowers you have throughout your vegetable garden? I'd love to introduce those to my allotment.
They are all from seed I saved last year from one head of an orange sunflower, and they must have cross pollinated with other sunflower varieties, so I don't know the name! Super robust and multi branching
You're definitely the horticolture horacle! The Mighty Charles Dowding.
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What about Mare's Tail (Horsetail), Charles? I'm really struggling with this on my allotment and I'm disabled too, with very little help. I've been trying to SLOWLY dig out as much as I can BEFORE going no dig but am at the point where I'm thinking I'll have to give up my plot, which would break my heart. Could I just do straight no dig and pull up the horsetail as it appears and hope it doesn't choke the roots of my other plants?
Sorry to hear that and yes exactly. Don't do any initial digging, that actually does not help in my experience, but instead just keep removing, which is easier thanks to the soft surface of no dig. Still not easy and a big commitment and sometimes it's a less overwhelming weed than some others - small mercies!
@@CharlesDowding1nodig That's music to my ears!
Great job Charles
Thanks Kenny
Charles, thank you for this video. I have been trying to follow your method for the last couple of years but this video has really made me realise where I have made a few mistakes, mainly I didn't put on a thick enough layer of compost the first year. Now I have plans to fix my mistakes. We are lucky to get manure delivered to our allotment plot. Can I just ask, would you say it's ok to use manure for each of my bays (potatoes, brassicas and legumes) but compost only for the carrots, parsnips, onions bay? I know you don't do rotation but I find it helps me with my planning. thank you.
Glad this helps. There is absolutely no need to think in those terms, of different composts for different vegetables, but you can allocate in that way if it helps you.
I would not want anyone reading this to think you have to do that though. The manure is hopefully well rotted, so basically it's compost.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thanks for replying. Yes it is well rotted but I have a vague memory of reading carrots/parsnips shouldn't be grown in manure?! Take it that is just old wives again and I can use the supply of manure all over the plot regardless of what I'm growing?
Yes old wives! They are everywhere, sowing confusion. Their statements are irrelevant with no dig.
Charles, do you water through the black plastic at all, once the plants are in? If so, how?
No, I don't, zero. Plastic holes moisture in and most of the rain filters through the holes in it. Now that it's old there are quite a few.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig thanks that's great to know, I have been growing squash through it this year, on new ground, and they have been really thriving, but I've constantly been wondering if I should be somehow getting water in there. The sweet corn seemed to not love not being watered though..
Nice one Charles, wonderful vid...
Glad you enjoyed it
Just about to embark on a similar project along with my neighbour who also has a large area of unchecked weeds and grass, instead of solid plastic sheet would woven ground sheet work just as well ? I have two long rolls used for setting up a long wind break of Willow trees, its done the job well there so thinking about re-purposing for the garden, many thanks
Good luck. If you have it already, then I would use it. It does allow a little light through and cardboard underneath would be an option if you want to be planting soon.
Thanks for the reply Charles, will give it a try.
Bei uns in Österreich, direkt neben der ungarischen Grenze (äußerster Südosten, eine Katastrophe, fast
Flächen deckend braun
Durchschnittliche Temperatur: 33 /34 Celsius
Für die Gemüse Pflanzen Dauerstress und für mich auch
Aber, never ever give up
Oh je, das tut mir so leid. Wir haben wirklich Glück mit unserem gemäßigten Klima.
I took in some rather woody horse manure last winter and it was a mixed bag as seen in the video. Potatoes, pepper, lettuce, sweetcorn, radish, spinach and onions had yellow-ish leaves and poor foliage growth. Peas, beans, brassicas, tomatoes and beetroot were pretty good. I put this down to nitrogen sequestration and the growth experienced tended to be whether the plant roots went deep enough into the soil below. Anything relatively shallow rooted failed miserably. Does this sound plausible? Hopefully next year will be better
It's a mixture of things because for example, potatoes and sweetcorn root deeply.
So inspiring 💚
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Looks great, how do you stop the cabbage whites destroying your plants?
Bacillus thuringiensis, search Dipel
Thank you Charles for another inspiring video. I am particularly interested in your shed which is precisely what we need in the Glastonbury Healing Gardens. Was it bought pre-made or did you construct from a plan? Love Juliet x
Thanks Juliet, it's my design and elaborated plus made by Mark Curtis Roofing 07702820794
Please tell me wat variety of echinechea that is please against the polly tunnel wow!!
"Pow Wow Wild Berry"!
the overgrown lots, can they be scythed, alternatively gas mowed, thrown in the compost pile seeds et al, & made into compost ?
Could be!
Plastic exposed to the environment starts to breakdown very quickly and begins to release toxic elements into the environment.
Although it may seem that it can be reused indefinitely as long as it maintains its structure, it is silently poisoning the soil on which it is placed.
"Black plastics can contain unregulated amounts of toxic chemicals such as phthalates and flame retardants, as well as heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, nickel, chromium, and mercury. That’s because black plastic is largely sourced from electronic scrap such as TVs and computers. If these materials went back into electronic components or into inert uses (such as railroad ties), that would be preferable, but instead they are melted down and mixed with food-grade plastics for applications that pose a higher risk to human health, such as utensils, to-go containers, cooking implements, hot cup lids, coffee stirrers, reusable coffee mugs, or toys for children or pets.
While regulations are in place to ensure your electronic devices do not exceed certain levels of toxic chemicals and metals, there is nothing protecting you from the toxic levels in a black plastic to-go container. Exposure to heat increases the likelihood of these toxic chemicals leaching into your food and drink."
Source: ecocycle.org/our-programs/reducing-plastics/eliminating-problematic-plastics/problematic-unnecessary-plastics/
We have been no dig on our allotment in essex for 6 years. Mostly going well (my back is much better) but mares tail and small leaved bindweed are becoming a problem. We never had them before but there are other plots all around us which do. I suspect that the annual digging disturbed the soil too much to allow them to get started.
We are keen to stay no dig. What would you advise?
That is frustrating, and it sounds like it has spread in from the disturbed soil of your neighbours, if I've understood correctly.
It can't self generate out of nothing. Regular removal every week, of new growth with say 10 cm of the new white root does weaken the deeper parent root.
However, that obviously is being reinforced from growth outside your plot. Difficult!
To make it less difficult, you could lay say 60 cm width of double cardboard around your plot and lay new card on it every two months, as a kind of speed limit effect on bindweed pushing in. Then concentrate on new shoots on your side of the cardboard
Thank you Charles. Will give it a go