The UK's leading no-dig gardening expert, Charles Dowding, shares his organic approach to growing healthy, vibrant crops.
The no-dig approach to gardening – based on the key principle of leaving the ground as undisturbed as possible – has gained popularity in recent years as a more efficient, economical and sustainable way to grow healthy plants.
Packed with easy-to-follow advice, Organic Gardening reveals the art of the no-dig approach and the techniques required to grow organic crops while enhancing soil structure.
By employing the simplicity of the no-dig technique and using a system of permanent, slightly raised beds, Charles Dowding shows how to grow a delicious variety of fruit and vegetables sustainably and organically: what to choose; when to sow, plant and harvest; and how best to avoid pests and diseases.
From sowing seeds and making compost to harvesting summer salads and winter vegetables, this accessible guide is an essential resource for beginners and experienced gardeners.
By:
Charles Dowding
Imprint: Green Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: Devon
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 168mm,
Spine: 17mm
Weight: 649g
ISBN: 9780857840899
ISBN 10: 0857840894
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 04 February 2013
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Foreword by Patrick Holden, CBE, Founder of the Sustainable Food Trust & ex-director of The Soil Association Introduction Part 1: Letting Nature Nurture your Garden The art of not digging The basics Deciding what to grow What’s in season? Living with pests Sowing seeds, raising plants Making compost The moon Part 2: Healthy Harvests Summer salads Winter salads Alliums Choice of roots Savouring summer Brassicas Tomatoes, greenhouse vegetables and unusual vegetables Perennial vegetables Herbs and edible flowers Tree fruit and nuts Soft fruit (berries) Postscript Appendix: Dig/no-dig experiment at Lower Farm Resources Bibliography Main index Index of recipes
Charles is a veteran organic grower, having practised no-dig gardening for 30 years. From 1982 to 1990 he grew on nine acres for local and London markets, then ran a small farm in France, followed by a long spell of producing salad on an acre of surface-composted, undisturbed clay soil (no-dig for 15 years), which grew bountiful crops and few weeds, and included two polytunnels for winter salad and summer tomatoes and basil. In this garden he ran an experiment for six years to compare differences in growth between vegetables on dug and undug soil. He discovered different patterns of growth in most seasons, with slightly lower yields and more weeds and slugs on the dug beds. He is currently establishing a new half-acre garden to illustrate no-dig practice and form the basis for a new experiment. Charles has written four books on vegetable growing, contributes articles to many magazines, including Gardeners' World, Gardens Illustrated and Grow It!, gives regular talks, advises many gardeners on best practice, including the National Trust at Sissinghurst, and runs day courses at home and other venues. He has appeared on radio and television, including Radio 4's The Long View on the Peckham Experiment and BBC TV's Gardeners' World with Sarah Raven in 2008. Find out more at www.charlesdowding.co.uk. Photo: Stephanie Hafferty
Reviews for Organic Gardening: The natural no-dig way
One of our most respected vegetable growers ... Now ordinary gardeners can benefit from his years of practical experience. -- Joy Larkcom Charles is a passionate and accomplished gardener, who grows vegetables of amazing flavour. -- Raymond Blanc This book will undoubtedly become the 'no-dig' bible, as was its predecessor. Pushing Up Dandelions website
