I have a relaxing playlist with lots of awesome nature videos, rainfall, documentary about the giant California redwoods, and one of Charles' recap videos from several years ago. It's perfect viewing on those days when you're chilling out and life is good.
I love videos about your small garden since I also have a small garden. This is another good video to learn what you're doing in that small garden and I appreciate your honesty when it comes to something you don't know what to do, which we as humans we don't know everything and can't do everything. We love your videos and watch them over and over to learn from you. Thank you! 😊
I love your videos, thank you so much for educating the world on no dig. I have a question I hope you find the time to answer - are there any worries with the use of plastic/polythene as ground cover? I’m thinking micro plastics that get into the soil for instance?
Hi Charles, I’m a novice at veg growing but have recently been harvesting my carrots. I find that pushing down on the carrot first then pulling up, that the root let’s go and comes out easily. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hi Charles, It’s really lovely listening to your voice weaving & meandering, bouncing in and out of the veggies, amongst their leaves & stalks in your vegetable patch! And the sage like knowledge that you always convey in your own special way as you show us the negatives & positives that may be present. They do say talking to your plants is also a wonderful thing to do & very beneficial to the plant! Cheers Sir Charles, l would love it if someone modelled you into a garden gnome for me to buy & place one in my garden 🌱 Cheers Sofia
Was watching and suddenly remembered I was supposed to harvest my potatoes :D just got back - 1.5 kilos from the 1st half of bed 1 of 3... no dig is sooooo productive. Thank you Charles.
Hi Charles, unfortunately I don’t think amateur gardeners can buy Bacillus Thuringiensis in UK, it’s only allowed for use by professional growers. (At least that’s all I’ve managed to find on Internet), if that’s wrong I’d happily be corrected.
Yes I do keep mentioning this and the link is one example if you want a lot, otherwise put in your search bar something like 'kill caterpillars on box hedges', it's the same active ingredient www.progreen.co.uk/dipel-df-500g-biological-control-of-caterpillars/?adgroupid=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_O2lBhCFARIsAB0E8B8KZLxPBJzVvMjdb-nwMqpqixcvSIyf0dFrz3PaV12iDytCcU8ElHEaAiMREALw_wcB
Onions would like A LOT of Nitrogen, until the bulbing stage. You gave them water which they like as well. Maybe another top dressing of manure? - Next time?
It's a clean start with fewer past present and a chance to spread the annual dose of compost. They are now looking abundant again with many leaves and it's easier to keep on top of runners which I don't always want.
Take heart, that the only time I ever grew leeks they were all ruined by leaf miner, now this year I've got a lot of onions in and I haven't seen a single one. I would imagine the cold winter has seen them off. So it isn't inevitable that once they're in your garden you're looking at ruined crops forever - although if they're generally present I expect I will see them again at some time.
WATCHING THE SMALL GARDEN DEVELOP THROUGH THESE SERIES OF VIDEOS HAS BEEN LIKE WATCHING A SINGLE CELLED LITTLE SPOT NEXT TO THE BLUE SHED TURN INTO A TINY ZYGOTE GARDEN THEN NOW IT’S A REAL SMALL GARDEN………CUTE!!!!!!!! SOON IT’ll BE OFF TO COLLEGE!!!!!! PUTS A TEAR IN OUR EYE!!! 😢
I ever buying ordinary farmer's cabbage and it has grain textures like silica gel. And bitter i remember not so sweet. Is that because non organic fertilizer?
Great potatoes Charles, definitely net the leeks before September, im going to do mine soon as i lost every onion this year. I also found grubs in my garlic but managed to salvage it.👍🤠
@@cheesekake1841 if you see a little brown bit on the garlic bulbs peel some skin off and there might be a little 2mm brown grub. I found quite a few and squished them with my finger nail. Luckily none had made it into the cloves.👍🤠
Just amazing with a very small garden Charles, shows what one can achieve with some forward planning ! and to get such great results and rewards and all with the No dig method ! ❤️
Uma coisa interessante de seus vídeos que acompanham as estações é que sempre estamos invertidos no tempo por sermos de hemisférios diferentes. Muito bacana o vídeo e seu trabalho. Obrigado por postar seu excelente trabalho.
How do you get the bacillus thuringiensis on the brassaca leaves? I always have the feeling no water drops (with Bacillus thuringiensis) is sticking on the leaves because of the lotus effect of the leaves.
It sounds like you may be applying too much because it should not form into little droplets. Is just a mist which is hardly visible on the leaves after spraying.
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@@CharlesDowding1nodig thank you for your answers. If you ever come to South of Germany. Have a visit in Oberstdorf. I will invite you for a paragliding tandemflight.
Great content Charles. Im at 5000 feet in North Carolina (1524M) and we have only reached 80F (26.6C) twice in three years. This year has started the El Nino cycle and everyone is expecting a hard winter (as always), but I believe this year may be true. I have been traditional farming, but we are trying to battle the weeds that prevent us from going all in on no-dig. Which plants do you use mesh around?
Your summer sound like ours although this year is even cooler and we are in the 60s now. I use mesh over most new plantings in summer for pest protection, and it stays on brassicas the longest because they are eaten by so many insects otherwise.
I love uour videos and found thisone really helpful as my garden is very small. I have a combination of beds and containers and everything is outdoors. I have ants in one bed though, are they 13:44 harmful to crops or should i just leave them?
There is another excellent channel I found today (searching for biochar) called "live on what you grow". Another resource if you are into growing stuff. It has excellent info.
I had exactly the same thing happen with my potatoes(Jazzy) always a few in the harder earth below the looser compost. I missed a lot last year and had dozens of volunteers! I was a lot more thorough this year🤣
Your carrots are poor. It's probably the variety. I've had this too. I have found over the years that the variety Norfolk are the best carotenoid to grow. Always reliable and with superb straight roots and hardly any forking. For peas try Champion of England. They are the easiest pea to shell and are really tasty. Charles Darwin grew them and he knew what he was doing alright.
I don't have time to explain it in every video but there are many rocks in the lower soil of this garden, which prevents carrots going down very deep in many cases. Thanks for your tips.
Hi Charles, I came across your channel last year whilst I was off work after a health diagnosis, I was totally inspired by what you were teaching, so I started planning a rebuild of my allotment, managed to get five beds built as no dig and it's been a revalation! I've never had such amazing harvests and not having to dig has helped me no end. Currently have the next area covered in card with squashes growing over the top and I am planning to continue to build more beds in over the autumn and winter. Thank you so much for putting your message out there.
I started late with a new garden this year, but I'm just starting to crop now. The nice thing about starting fresh is that I've been able to put everything I've learned in from the start. I've just covered my kalette sprouts with mesh, having picked off all the butterfly eggs, picked off three little caterpillars so far, didn't see any this morning, which means I may yet get to eat the leaves. :) I've just sown some spinach and turnips for later in the year. Thanks to your videos I'm much more confident than previous years
I came to one of your compost courses two weeks ago. I am still drawing inspiration from how beautifully managed the place is. My compost is being revitalised, complete with new thermometer and eventually a shredder.
Hi Charles, such a great looking little garden. Thanks for all the wonderful videos. You have given much pleasure watching and learning from you. God bless. (Old guy from Arkansas)🇺🇸
Only about 15 miles from you had leaf miner destroying leeks 10yrs ago I stopped growing for a long time but find growing them among carrots iv had success
That's a lot of potatoes for such a small space. Parsnip with it's deep roots I'll remember before planting potatoes. Nate said his potatoes last year were firm and stored longer using ash in soil. It did not change the ph. ... Expecting high 80's to 90's this week. Expected hail this evening but missed.
I love all of your very informative videos Charles. I could listen to you for hours! We're moving into our spring season soon, so your videos have carried me through our winter where all we grow are the salad greens and brassicas. Am looking forward to beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash; corn and so much more :)
Great. Charles, can I suggest a new slogan, if you haven't already thought of it! Take the government WW2 slogan 'Dig for Victory', cross out the 'Dig' and replace with 'NO'.
Any tips on supporting onions? The last 2 years I've had a storm come through and knock over more than half of the tops. They seemed to have basically stopped growing after that.
Great video. When you harvest your carrots to get them out easier try pushing them down gently before pulling up, it works and fewer snapping off 😉😁🌱☀️
Nope, I just can't bring myself to get rid of caterpillars, slugs, etc. They have a tough enough life without getting squished. As I'm only growing for me - not for sale - I just put up with holes and I avoid growing vulnerable crops. Love that you mostly forebear the odd critter and veg imperfection and still show us great crops. Cheers.
Oh wow, I like your weather much better, we are going to have over 90°F and so humid too! 70 is ideal for me. Beautiful garden Charles!🤗💞 Always great teaching!
What do you think about cloning tomatoes? I cut off some large suckers and soaked them in water. They rooted. I'll be putting them in a pot and see what happens
Allium leaf miner arrived in my no-dig garden in Surrey 5 years ago, increasing dramatically from only slight damage in the first year to 80% of onions/leeks affected in the second. Since then covering with fine mesh in March - mid-May and mid-Aug - early Nov has completely eliminated the problem. It's so easy to do and does away with the damage and heartache of finding the pesky pupae when you harvest so I can thoroughly recommend it. I'll be interested to see how you get on with them. Good luck.
Lovely to see the small garden with all its hits & misses. The heat here east Anglia in June was scorchio. I was trying out some ollas. (After ladt year heat bomb)Homemade from 9" terracotta pots and with a mulch of grass & compost. I've had a fantastic harvest in my small plot despite the sandy soil. Thanks for the tour & keeping me on task. I love tayberrys 🐞
Thank you so much for your work. Using cow compost for growing beans and peas, is it a vood idea? I ask because we have some cow compost, and have been reading that it has too much nitrogen for beans and that we would get only leavs and very litle beans. Thank you so much
My pleasure and I would add it. Because it's compost, the release of nutrients is balanced and more than just nitrogen. People who say that do not understand this!
Thanks for the update on the small garden Charles. It's interesting to see what grows in the shade of the shed. July in the north of England has been rain and 15-16c, very different to your July weather. Can you tell me if flea beetle are a ground pest only? I want to sow salad greens up on an outside table but don't want to wait til Aug when they've gone. Thanks.
Sorry to hear about your weather! I think that the flea beetles are more concentrated in soil at ground level. You will still have some but probably less on your table good luck
My garden is not doing well this year in derbyshire it is not at all warm and raining all the time, had to cut potatoes down because of blight everything is very sĺow growing or gone completely!
If you see blight on potatoes it's advised not to cut the haulms but pull them out and leave the potatoes in the ground for several weeks and then harvest them and hopefully you'll have some edible tubers.
Thanks for the tip on my outdoor tomatoes. Any advice on what to plant at this time of year, as I am currently pick the last of my dwarf beans ad will be pulling my potatoes, which am growing in 30 litre pots..
Hello Charles, I'm a bit concerned at you recommending bacillus thuringiensis. Although it is ok to use by the soil association and professional growers it is not allowed or licenced to be used by armature growers. That being said because of how the internet works anyone can just order it over the web.
I'm glad that they can order it over the web and do not understand your worry about it. Just because some 'authority' has declared it not usable by amateur growers, does not suddenly make it dangerous. It's more to do with corporate (masked as political) control of what we can and cannot buy for greater profit to those same people.
Bonjour Charles, merci pour votre vidéo, une petite précision, il ne s'agit pas de souci français, mais d'oeillet d'inde, le souci est jaune comme le pissenlit, l'oeillet d'inde est orange ou jaune citron ou rouille ou à plusieurs coloris. A bientôt
Oh you are a star.....this size garden is more in my line since we moved here ! 23:48 So you let them go that high...I break mine off before that ! Perhaps soup could be made from those tops even if they are bitter ? All of interest even if I don't grow "it" - Many thanks.
I was wondering how you could be wearing long sleeves in the middle of summer, but then you said it's 22 there. It's 40 here with 95% humidity. I cant grow anything you're showing, except tomatoes. 22 is cold.
Strawberry types are so different. My original plants were fantastic. Strains are so different. Im happy I’ve still got original strain. Im growing a handful of types. But I keep them far far apart.
Hi charles i found rhizobium bacteria nodules on my pea roots i grew in pots which were growing in my homemade compost. I put the roots back into my compost & worm bin.👍🤠
Hi Charles - I hope you (or your crew) sees this message as I'm feeling a touch desperate. I've been following your videos for a few years now ad have a question about bush tomatoes. I don't recall seeing many bush tomatoes in your videos and was curious what the proper way to trim them is as there is a lot of contradictory info not just online but by spoken word too. These past couple of years I have planted bush tomatoes (Oregon Spring) which are supposed to be early...we have a very short season here with most growing in greenhouses and tying up vine toms ...I don't have that option. Please help me know the REAL way to care for them as I know you will definitely know. :) Sorry this is so long. BTW this year it's been mostly hot and droughty (BC Canada) and I've barely had any greens and my starts have barely survived...so sadly not much to succession plant. Will await your answer as I'm sure it'll inspire me thanks :)
Thanks Trish, sorry to hear this. I don't grow them much now but have had success in the past by simply leaving them alone! If ever you can find seed of a variety called Red Alert, it grows very early tomatoes and they taste really good. Sorry to hear about your weather, almost everybody is suffering from one extreme or another and it's to do with weather...
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thank you so much for replying so quickly - I'll just leave them alone then :) We don't have Red Alert in Canada so will look further afield. It's been comforting hearing people share about the climate challenges in the comments-thanks for your kind words.
It is also possible the potatoes went deeper than normal because of low rainfall? Roots go deeper seeking moisture. My cabbages have been worthless this summer even tho its been cool here. We garden in a similar climate to you . . . not great for tomatoes. I've found the "Stupice" variety does well though and is cold tolerant.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig interesting - my potatoes are now all volunteers from year to year (missed during harvest). They seem to mature on their own at about 6 -8 inches deep, tho a few mature near the surface and those are usually not edible (green).
The dry weather in June certainly affected my 30l container grown 1st & 2nd early potatoes (Swift & Charlotte) with some of the latter producing half the yield of last year. Thankfully the containers I've kept going are now up with last year's yield. The 50/50 mix of home & cheap, peat free compost I used looks like it'll riddle out to make some good seed compost for next year. Those damn' cutworms are usually from turnip moth - a dirty grey/brown thing (they also attack geraniums, as I discovered last year...).
I’m a completely beginner with no dig but would love to start incorporating it into my garden. I’m living in Portugal and the ground can be quite hard, so I’m wondering how I go about starting no dig? If Im only putting one layer of compost over the hard ground without digging it, will the vegetables not struggle to root in that hard ground as I’m guessing the first layer of compost won’t be thick enough to sustain them? Any advice on this would be much appreciated, thank you xx
Go for it! Your ground is hard partly because it's dry but there is nothing wrong with hard or firm soil because roots can grow into it, especially when it has a cover of soft compost which encourages the soil organisms to move around in soil and come upwards to find the organic matter, which opens up channels. It might take a few weeks or months for the soil to open more, and it will.
Hello, I am trying to start my first vegetable garden with the no-dig method. The land is very rocky and compact with grass and some weeds growing, Will the plant roots be able to penetrate that hard soil after growing down through the compost or do I need to do a one time, initial tilling of the soil to prepare for my garden? Thank you in advance :)
I would simply leave it. My own experience and others is that plants can root into soil like this. Hard does not mean impenetrable to plant roots. And you already have weeds plus grass growing which is a good sign!
I have to grow Pakistan Choi/ book Choi and tatsoi in autumn, they start going to seed at mid winter here in Oz. Spring sowing goes straight to seed where I am, probably too warm.
I very much appreciate the extra effort you put in adding Fahrenheit (20 centigrade, 60 F and 2 meters, 6’ high). If you didn’t, I would have no idea, have to stop the video & look it up. It’s very thoughtful of you to translate & I thank you!!
Love this videos in small scale, learn so much from you. Your tip with mustard between garlic and leek worked out well against the fly, and in the carrots watering with nettles water was enough without netting it… and no dig is the future so thanks Charles 💐
I've lost all interest in sorrel after discovering it's a dock!!!! I spend ages digging those damn things out!!! Arggghhh!! Thanks Charles!! Great info and presentation as always!!
Hi Charles, Just wanted to let you know that we have the same variety of Strawberries “Marshmellow” for around 8 or 9 years ; as you say just using the runners for new plants. After the second year they have produced we then compost them and replace with the second year runners ….and they are really yummy. ( Our local birds 🐦 think so 🍓) 😊
Love seeing the small garden Charles, my favourite part of Homeacres! I do exactly like you, grow some flowers at the end of my rows. I managed to get the Bumblebees to move from my compost bin....I lit citronella sticks each day and they moved on. I really didn't want them there but at the same time I didn't want them harmed, so it's a win win situation. I can now get on with gardening and seed sowing again lol 🐝🐝 Thankyou as always for the inspiration!
i could watch and listen to charles for hours on end
aw thanks 🙂
Me too.
He has a calming voice.
@@cindyowenful calming and charming.
I have a relaxing playlist with lots of awesome nature videos, rainfall, documentary about the giant California redwoods, and one of Charles' recap videos from several years ago. It's perfect viewing on those days when you're chilling out and life is good.
It is always fascinating to see how much harvest comes out of a small NoDig garden. Thank you Charles for your inspiring and beautiful videos.
I am glad you are inspired 🙂
@@CharlesDowding1nodigййййййййй
I love videos about your small garden since I also have a small garden. This is another good video to learn what you're doing in that small garden and I appreciate your honesty when it comes to something you don't know what to do, which we as humans we don't know everything and can't do everything. We love your videos and watch them over and over to learn from you. Thank you! 😊
That's lovely to hear and thank you we are all learning every day 🙂
I love your videos, thank you so much for educating the world on no dig. I have a question I hope you find the time to answer - are there any worries with the use of plastic/polythene as ground cover? I’m thinking micro plastics that get into the soil for instance?
Thanks, , it's not ideal but is v small I reckon and I don't see it as a problem, compared say to the glyphosate in rain.
Hi Charles, I’m a novice at veg growing but have recently been harvesting my carrots. I find that pushing down on the carrot first then pulling up, that the root let’s go and comes out easily. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks, and yes as long as the soil is moist
Thank you for your reply Charles
My pleasure🙂
Hi Charles, It’s really lovely listening to your voice weaving & meandering, bouncing in and out of the veggies, amongst their leaves & stalks in your vegetable patch! And the sage like knowledge that you always convey in your own special way as you show us the negatives & positives that may be present. They do say talking to your plants is also a wonderful thing to do & very beneficial to the plant!
Cheers Sir Charles, l would love it if someone modelled you into a garden gnome for me to buy & place one in my garden 🌱
Cheers
Sofia
That is cute Sofia, thanks
You are very welcome hahaha!
The weathers not been great for summer crops, there's nothing you can really do about it though
Was watching and suddenly remembered I was supposed to harvest my potatoes :D just got back - 1.5 kilos from the 1st half of bed 1 of 3... no dig is sooooo productive. Thank you Charles.
That's brilliant Ashley 🙂
fennel seeds are one of my favorite... love them in pizza sauce roughly crush with the mortar pestle.
Oooh. I’ll try that. Thank you 🙏🏻
The squirrels ate pretty much all my strawberries this year.
We will propagate new stock and put them in a new bed with a barrier around it.
Soo beautiful my friend fresh fres frm beges
Hi Charles, unfortunately I don’t think amateur gardeners can buy Bacillus Thuringiensis in UK, it’s only allowed for use by professional growers. (At least that’s all I’ve managed to find on Internet), if that’s wrong I’d happily be corrected.
Yes I do keep mentioning this and the link is one example if you want a lot, otherwise put in your search bar something like 'kill caterpillars on box hedges', it's the same active ingredient www.progreen.co.uk/dipel-df-500g-biological-control-of-caterpillars/?adgroupid=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_O2lBhCFARIsAB0E8B8KZLxPBJzVvMjdb-nwMqpqixcvSIyf0dFrz3PaV12iDytCcU8ElHEaAiMREALw_wcB
Charles. You are an absolute legend
Thank you kindly
Onions would like A LOT of Nitrogen, until the bulbing stage. You gave them water which they like as well. Maybe another top dressing of manure? - Next time?
These were not short of nutrients in my view, just water. After drying I have found there are 3.6 kg and I'm happy with that
Dear Charles, can you please explain how and why you cut your strawberry plants? I have never heard of that and would like to learn. Thank you!
It's a clean start with fewer past present and a chance to spread the annual dose of compost. They are now looking abundant again with many leaves and it's easier to keep on top of runners which I don't always want.
Cover the leeks! They ruin my crops when I don't. Devastated last years leeks when I chanced it.
Definitely net the leeks I lost every onion this year.👍🤠
Take heart, that the only time I ever grew leeks they were all ruined by leaf miner, now this year I've got a lot of onions in and I haven't seen a single one. I would imagine the cold winter has seen them off. So it isn't inevitable that once they're in your garden you're looking at ruined crops forever - although if they're generally present I expect I will see them again at some time.
WATCHING THE SMALL GARDEN DEVELOP THROUGH THESE SERIES OF VIDEOS HAS BEEN LIKE WATCHING A SINGLE CELLED LITTLE SPOT NEXT TO THE BLUE SHED TURN INTO A TINY ZYGOTE GARDEN THEN NOW IT’S A REAL SMALL GARDEN………CUTE!!!!!!!! SOON IT’ll BE OFF TO COLLEGE!!!!!! PUTS A TEAR IN OUR EYE!!! 😢
Cool comment!!
The fig/tayberry location, I thought that was on the North side of the building ... I guess I was wrong. How is there so much light there?
It's east, and surprises me!
I ever buying ordinary farmer's cabbage and it has grain textures like silica gel. And bitter i remember not so sweet. Is that because non organic fertilizer?
Yes that makes sense, I hear a lot of similar experiences and the vegetables from the soil taste so full and sweet, including cabbage!
Great potatoes Charles, definitely net the leeks before September, im going to do mine soon as i lost every onion this year. I also found grubs in my garlic but managed to salvage it.👍🤠
Good luck!
Wow.. I didn't know grubs would eat garlic? Thanks for this info.
@@cheesekake1841 if you see a little brown bit on the garlic bulbs peel some skin off and there might be a little 2mm brown grub. I found quite a few and squished them with my finger nail. Luckily none had made it into the cloves.👍🤠
Just amazing with a very small garden Charles, shows what one can achieve with some forward planning ! and to get such great results and rewards and all with the No dig method ! ❤️
So true David
Uma coisa interessante de seus vídeos que acompanham as estações é que sempre estamos invertidos no tempo por sermos de hemisférios diferentes. Muito bacana o vídeo e seu trabalho. Obrigado por postar seu excelente trabalho.
Gracias, you can download this charlesdowding.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/SH-Sowing-Guide-2023.pdf
Charles, using cow manure does it concern you that they may have had antibiotics or worming drugs etc?
No. I notice with composting horse manure that has come from horses which were dewormed a lot, the worms soon arrive in the heap
Charles-with carrots, is there a difference in deliciousness between hybrid and OP?
Not much, but the op are more tender I reckon
My old dad used rhubarb leaf for cabbage root fly. Every cabbage he planted had a torn off piece of rhubarb leaf. He swore by it
Nice tip thanks
How do you get the bacillus thuringiensis on the brassaca leaves? I always have the feeling no water drops (with Bacillus thuringiensis) is sticking on the leaves because of the lotus effect of the leaves.
It sounds like you may be applying too much because it should not form into little droplets. Is just a mist which is hardly visible on the leaves after spraying.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig thank you for your answers. If you ever come to South of Germany. Have a visit in Oberstdorf. I will invite you for a paragliding tandemflight.
Great content Charles. Im at 5000 feet in North Carolina (1524M) and we have only reached 80F (26.6C) twice in three years. This year has started the El Nino cycle and everyone is expecting a hard winter (as always), but I believe this year may be true. I have been traditional farming, but we are trying to battle the weeds that prevent us from going all in on no-dig. Which plants do you use mesh around?
Your summer sound like ours although this year is even cooler and we are in the 60s now. I use mesh over most new plantings in summer for pest protection, and it stays on brassicas the longest because they are eaten by so many insects otherwise.
I cannot tell how much I love these videos, so inspiring! 😊
Glad you are inspired
I was literally thinking about wether or not to top my tomatoes early, this video answered it! Thank you👍
I love uour videos and found thisone really helpful as my garden is very small. I have a combination of beds and containers and everything is outdoors. I have ants in one bed though, are they 13:44 harmful to crops or should i just leave them?
Thanks Christina and sorry to hear this about ants, they can be harmful to plant roots and best remedy is to apply frequent water on their main nest
@CharlesDowding1nodig oh thank you Charles, I will keep on with that.
The potatoes went so deep because of the drier circumstances, looking for moisture deeper. ❤
Potatoes themselves cannot forage for moisture, it's the roots of a potato plant which do that
There is another excellent channel I found today (searching for biochar) called "live on what you grow". Another resource if you are into growing stuff. It has excellent info.
you pruned the fruit of your fig tree! well worth trying again.
I have a smaller three beside another wall and it's doing great!
Ah, thats what them little brown, mini-maggots are... Thank you. I have never seen them before except this year on my garlic!
I had exactly the same thing happen with my potatoes(Jazzy) always a few in the harder earth below the looser compost. I missed a lot last year and had dozens of volunteers! I was a lot more thorough this year🤣
Interesting! A nice potato
Liking the onions and potatoes 😊
The carrots where sown on my birthday but they look nice.😊
Your carrots are poor. It's probably the variety. I've had this too. I have found over the years that the variety Norfolk are the best carotenoid to grow. Always reliable and with superb straight roots and hardly any forking. For peas try Champion of England. They are the easiest pea to shell and are really tasty. Charles Darwin grew them and he knew what he was doing alright.
I don't have time to explain it in every video but there are many rocks in the lower soil of this garden, which prevents carrots going down very deep in many cases. Thanks for your tips.
Hi Charles, I came across your channel last year whilst I was off work after a health diagnosis, I was totally inspired by what you were teaching, so I started planning a rebuild of my allotment, managed to get five beds built as no dig and it's been a revalation! I've never had such amazing harvests and not having to dig has helped me no end. Currently have the next area covered in card with squashes growing over the top and I am planning to continue to build more beds in over the autumn and winter. Thank you so much for putting your message out there.
This is great to hear Kelvin, Well done 🙂
Totally recommend strawberry Malwina. Late deep red super tasty fruit.
Good to know!
I started late with a new garden this year, but I'm just starting to crop now. The nice thing about starting fresh is that I've been able to put everything I've learned in from the start. I've just covered my kalette sprouts with mesh, having picked off all the butterfly eggs, picked off three little caterpillars so far, didn't see any this morning, which means I may yet get to eat the leaves. :) I've just sown some spinach and turnips for later in the year. Thanks to your videos I'm much more confident than previous years
That's great to hear Tim I am glad you are feeling more confident 🙂
Nice to hear!
I came to one of your compost courses two weeks ago. I am still drawing inspiration from how beautifully managed the place is. My compost is being revitalised, complete with new thermometer and eventually a shredder.
Wonderful to hear Peter!
Doesn't Bt stop leaf miner?
Sadly not, only surface caterpillars
Hi Charles, such a great looking little garden. Thanks for all the wonderful videos. You have given much pleasure watching and learning from you. God bless. (Old guy from Arkansas)🇺🇸
Thank you for your kinds words Steven
This was definitely filmed before the terrible July we’ve had haha
Only about 15 miles from you had leaf miner destroying leeks 10yrs ago I stopped growing for a long time but find growing them among carrots iv had success
Nice tip!
Small plots yield a lot of food over the season. Loved watching Gaz in the garden, it was fun tagging along..
Thanks Wende I am glad you enjoyed it 🙂
That's a lot of potatoes for such a small space. Parsnip with it's deep roots I'll remember before planting potatoes. Nate said his potatoes last year were firm and stored longer using ash in soil. It did not change the ph. ...
Expecting high 80's to 90's this week. Expected hail this evening but missed.
I hope you keep missing the hail!
Could you cover 50% with mesh and see what happens... then you will know but still protect some of your allium crops?
It's a thought, shall see
I love all of your very informative videos Charles. I could listen to you for hours! We're moving into our spring season soon, so your videos have carried me through our winter where all we grow are the salad greens and brassicas. Am looking forward to beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash; corn and so much more :)
Thank you I am glad you have enjoyed them 🙂
Great.
Charles, can I suggest a new slogan, if you haven't already thought of it!
Take the government WW2 slogan 'Dig for Victory', cross out the 'Dig' and replace with 'NO'.
That's nice, and yes we had thought of it but the word victory suggests some kind of conflict maybe
Any tips on supporting onions? The last 2 years I've had a storm come through and knock over more than half of the tops. They seemed to have basically stopped growing after that.
I wonder if you use artificial fertiliser. That would make for weaker stems. Mine stand much wind, no feed or fertiliser.
Maravilloso lo que hace con la comida natural y el jardín 😢
Great video. When you harvest your carrots to get them out easier try pushing them down gently before pulling up, it works and fewer snapping off 😉😁🌱☀️
Thanks so much. Sometimes however the soil is so hard from being dry, that this does not make a difference!
Nice. I really love to try this out someday here in Africa.
Nope, I just can't bring myself to get rid of caterpillars, slugs, etc. They have a tough enough life without getting squished. As I'm only growing for me - not for sale - I just put up with holes and I avoid growing vulnerable crops. Love that you mostly forebear the odd critter and veg imperfection and still show us great crops. Cheers.
Thanks for sharing this Margaret and I appreciate your viewpoint. Also in the context of modern agriculture which is reducing insect life so much.
Can I ask what variety of red kohl rabi you are growing? It looked to have a much larger bulb and more compact foliage than any variety I've grown.
It's Azur Red. Tends also to split.
Oh wow, I like your weather much better, we are going to have over 90°F and so humid too! 70 is ideal for me. Beautiful garden Charles!🤗💞 Always great teaching!
Thanks for visiting, good luck with that heat!
always a joy to watch charles
Thank you Steven
What do you think about cloning tomatoes? I cut off some large suckers and soaked them in water. They rooted. I'll be putting them in a pot and see what happens
I do it in October for a hybrid variety I want to keep going, since 2013
Allium leaf miner arrived in my no-dig garden in Surrey 5 years ago, increasing dramatically from only slight damage in the first year to 80% of onions/leeks affected in the second. Since then covering with fine mesh in March - mid-May and mid-Aug - early Nov has completely eliminated the problem. It's so easy to do and does away with the damage and heartache of finding the pesky pupae when you harvest so I can thoroughly recommend it. I'll be interested to see how you get on with them. Good luck.
Thanks. Just it's more mesh, shall see :)
Lovely to see the small garden with all its hits & misses. The heat here east Anglia in June was scorchio. I was trying out some ollas. (After ladt year heat bomb)Homemade from 9" terracotta pots and with a mulch of grass & compost. I've had a fantastic harvest in my small plot despite the sandy soil. Thanks for the tour & keeping me on task. I love tayberrys 🐞
Sounds great Joy and now we lost the heat for sure!
Thank you so much for your work.
Using cow compost for growing beans and peas, is it a vood idea?
I ask because we have some cow compost, and have been reading that it has too much nitrogen for beans and that we would get only leavs and very litle beans.
Thank you so much
My pleasure and I would add it. Because it's compost, the release of nutrients is balanced and more than just nitrogen. People who say that do not understand this!
Thanks for the update on the small garden Charles. It's interesting to see what grows in the shade of the shed. July in the north of England has been rain and 15-16c, very different to your July weather.
Can you tell me if flea beetle are a ground pest only? I want to sow salad greens up on an outside table but don't want to wait til Aug when they've gone. Thanks.
Sorry to hear about your weather!
I think that the flea beetles are more concentrated in soil at ground level. You will still have some but probably less on your table good luck
My garden is not doing well this year in derbyshire it is not at all warm and raining all the time, had to cut potatoes down because of blight everything is very sĺow growing or gone completely!
If you see blight on potatoes it's advised not to cut the haulms but pull them out and leave the potatoes in the ground for several weeks and then harvest them and hopefully you'll have some edible tubers.
Thanks for the tip on my outdoor tomatoes.
Any advice on what to plant at this time of year, as I am currently pick the last of my dwarf beans ad will be pulling my potatoes, which am growing in 30 litre pots..
Hi Chris, take a look at my sowing timeline here charlesdowding.co.uk/sowing-timeline-for-vegetables/ 🙂
Looks like an army worm in your cauliflower
Lovely videos, but I do feel gentle allotment envy.
Hello Charles, I'm a bit concerned at you recommending bacillus thuringiensis. Although it is ok to use by the soil association and professional growers it is not allowed or licenced to be used by armature growers. That being said because of how the internet works anyone can just order it over the web.
I'm glad that they can order it over the web and do not understand your worry about it. Just because some 'authority' has declared it not usable by amateur growers, does not suddenly make it dangerous. It's more to do with corporate (masked as political) control of what we can and cannot buy for greater profit to those same people.
Bonjour Charles, merci pour votre vidéo, une petite précision, il ne s'agit pas de souci français, mais d'oeillet d'inde, le souci est jaune comme le pissenlit, l'oeillet d'inde est orange ou jaune citron ou rouille ou à plusieurs coloris. A bientôt
Oui c'est ca, Tagetes patula, on l'appelé "French marigold"!
انك شخص مثابر وتزرع بشكل جميل متابعك من العراق
Thank you
شكرا جزيلا ، هذا لطيف
Oh you are a star.....this size garden is more in my line since we moved here ! 23:48 So you let them go that high...I break mine off before that ! Perhaps soup could be made from those tops even if they are bitter ? All of interest even if I don't grow "it" - Many thanks.
I grow my tomatoes up a long stake. When they get too big, I undue the ties and push the plant down the stake before I tie it back up.
That makes sense!
I was wondering how you could be wearing long sleeves in the middle of summer, but then you said it's 22 there. It's 40 here with 95% humidity. I cant grow anything you're showing, except tomatoes. 22 is cold.
😂 yes and this morning is 6C!
@@CharlesDowding1nodig So you don't even have a summer.
VERY GOOD
Many thanks
Mass compliance worked last time.They don't want to let go of that power.
So true
Strawberry types are so different. My original plants were fantastic. Strains are so different. Im happy I’ve still got original strain. Im growing a handful of types. But I keep them far far apart.
Hi charles i found rhizobium bacteria nodules on my pea roots i grew in pots which were growing in my homemade compost. I put the roots back into my compost & worm bin.👍🤠
Thank you for your knowledge!"m in NY USA
Our pleasure, and good match except mid-summer and winter!
Hi Charles - I hope you (or your crew) sees this message as I'm feeling a touch desperate. I've been following your videos for a few years now ad have a question about bush tomatoes. I don't recall seeing many bush tomatoes in your videos and was curious what the proper way to trim them is as there is a lot of contradictory info not just online but by spoken word too. These past couple of years I have planted bush tomatoes (Oregon Spring) which are supposed to be early...we have a very short season here with most growing in greenhouses and tying up vine toms ...I don't have that option. Please help me know the REAL way to care for them as I know you will definitely know. :) Sorry this is so long. BTW this year it's been mostly hot and droughty (BC Canada) and I've barely had any greens and my starts have barely survived...so sadly not much to succession plant. Will await your answer as I'm sure it'll inspire me thanks :)
Thanks Trish, sorry to hear this. I don't grow them much now but have had success in the past by simply leaving them alone! If ever you can find seed of a variety called Red Alert, it grows very early tomatoes and they taste really good. Sorry to hear about your weather, almost everybody is suffering from one extreme or another and it's to do with weather...
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thank you so much for replying so quickly - I'll just leave them alone then :) We don't have Red Alert in Canada so will look further afield. It's been comforting hearing people share about the climate challenges in the comments-thanks for your kind words.
Oooo great tip on the strawberries I’m going to do that on the next fruit day thank you
My pleasure Lesley
It is also possible the potatoes went deeper than normal because of low rainfall? Roots go deeper seeking moisture. My cabbages have been worthless this summer even tho its been cool here. We garden in a similar climate to you . . . not great for tomatoes. I've found the "Stupice" variety does well though and is cold tolerant.
Thanks. Potatoes actually develop wherever there is loose enough soil. They can't burrow into dry, hard soil but the roots can.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig interesting - my potatoes are now all volunteers from year to year (missed during harvest). They seem to mature on their own at about 6 -8 inches deep, tho a few mature near the surface and those are usually not edible (green).
Tay berries! Seemed like they put a smile on your face :) Rough luck with the cauli, I’ve never been brave enough to try it or broccoli yet
He reminds me of Jeremy Corbyn
Small garden! Wooo!!!
The dry weather in June certainly affected my 30l container grown 1st & 2nd early potatoes (Swift & Charlotte) with some of the latter producing half the yield of last year.
Thankfully the containers I've kept going are now up with last year's yield.
The 50/50 mix of home & cheap, peat free compost I used looks like it'll riddle out to make some good seed compost for next year.
Those damn' cutworms are usually from turnip moth - a dirty grey/brown thing (they also attack geraniums, as I discovered last year...).
Nice work, thanks for the id
Thanks´ Charles!
Yes it is smoking here in TN 95 heat index 105
Phew!
Thank you for the video, it was lovely.
Glad you liked it 🙂
Marketmores are incredible slicing cukes. Very tasty.
I’m a completely beginner with no dig but would love to start incorporating it into my garden. I’m living in Portugal and the ground can be quite hard, so I’m wondering how I go about starting no dig? If Im only putting one layer of compost over the hard ground without digging it, will the vegetables not struggle to root in that hard ground as I’m guessing the first layer of compost won’t be thick enough to sustain them? Any advice on this would be much appreciated, thank you xx
Go for it! Your ground is hard partly because it's dry but there is nothing wrong with hard or firm soil because roots can grow into it, especially when it has a cover of soft compost which encourages the soil organisms to move around in soil and come upwards to find the organic matter, which opens up channels. It might take a few weeks or months for the soil to open more, and it will.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig wonderful, thank you for answering as that part always got me confused!
My pleasure 🙂
Charles respects plants for what they are which talks a lot about him as a man. He is not greedy!
Perfect, educational and beautiful video!
Thank you Lenka
Hello, I am trying to start my first vegetable garden with the no-dig method. The land is very rocky and compact with grass and some weeds growing, Will the plant roots be able to penetrate that hard soil after growing down through the compost or do I need to do a one time, initial tilling of the soil to prepare for my garden? Thank you in advance :)
I would simply leave it. My own experience and others is that plants can root into soil like this. Hard does not mean impenetrable to plant roots. And you already have weeds plus grass growing which is a good sign!
Thank you! :)
My pleasure Jess
I have been growing bok Choi it’s such a beautiful vegetable and it grows so well. Do you ever grow it?
Do you start them indoors? I tryed growing them but no sucess at all.
I have to grow Pakistan Choi/ book Choi and tatsoi in autumn, they start going to seed at mid winter here in Oz. Spring sowing goes straight to seed where I am, probably too warm.
Yes and I sow it early August, but it's prone to slug damage here
Thanks, I really enjoyed this one. Your prediction about the weather was right! - Lawrence
Cheers Lawrence. August, same weather continues and cooler!
I very much appreciate the extra effort you put in adding Fahrenheit (20 centigrade, 60 F and 2 meters, 6’ high). If you didn’t, I would have no idea, have to stop the video & look it up. It’s very thoughtful of you to translate & I thank you!!
No problem I am glad that you appreciate it 🙂
Love this videos in small scale, learn so much from you. Your tip with mustard between garlic and leek worked out well against the fly, and in the carrots watering with nettles water was enough without netting it… and no dig is the future so thanks Charles 💐
Great to hear this Annette.
Root flies have been unusually absent this year so far, on carrots.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig well not herr in sweden lets hope it stays here 👍
Oh dear!
I've lost all interest in sorrel after discovering it's a dock!!!! I spend ages digging those damn things out!!! Arggghhh!!
Thanks Charles!! Great info and presentation as always!!
Ah shame!!! Far nicer than dock leaves 😂
Hi Charles, Just wanted to let you know that we have the same variety of Strawberries “Marshmellow” for around 8 or 9 years
; as you say just using the runners for new plants. After the second year they have produced we then compost them and replace with the second year runners ….and they are really yummy. ( Our local birds 🐦 think so 🍓) 😊
Thanks for sharing Cheryl!
Love seeing the small garden Charles, my favourite part of Homeacres! I do exactly like you, grow some flowers at the end of my rows. I managed to get the Bumblebees to move from my compost bin....I lit citronella sticks each day and they moved on. I really didn't want them there but at the same time I didn't want them harmed, so it's a win win situation. I can now get on with gardening and seed sowing again lol 🐝🐝 Thankyou as always for the inspiration!
That's good news Jenny and thank you