No-Dig Intensive with Charles Dowding
Charles will explain how his gardening practices have evolved since 1982, when he created beds for the 1.5 acres of his new organic market garden, including sharing with us his methods for growing food easily and quickly, based on maximizing soil health with no-dig methods. He also will include information about how he makes and uses compost and what his trials show us about no-dig and the benefits it brings, including year-round planting so that beds are mostly full and covered either with plants or decomposing mulches.
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Speaker
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Charles DowdingNo Dig Garden Enthusiast, Horticulturalist, AuthorSince 1982, Charles has made no-dig popular by creating and producing crops on four no-dig market gardens with different soils. He has written 14 books, has a popular YouTube channel and Instagram account, creates and sells online gardening courses, writes for gardening magazines, and gives talks/courses locally and abroad.
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LOYAL TO MY SOIL <3
hello and thanks from Cyprus
loyal to my soil!!
Amazing Work Charles!
I went to school in Somerset as a boy. Fond memories.
Hello,
Bob Garthson, Agroecologist and organic, regenerative farmer for 60years. Williams Treaty territory, Cobourg, Ontario, Canada.
If you have any questions that come up during Charles’ talk, feel free to enter them here, and we will add them to the queue for the Meet and Greet with Charles at 12:10 PM Pacific Time today.
this no dig stuff is really interesting! Cool presentation
Can you talk a bit more about what “smeared” soil is?
Thank you.
I will add your question to the queue for Charles’ Meet & Greet, which will take place at 12:10 PM PT today. If you cannot join, you can watch the replay.
Love your work, Charles! What do I have to picture when it is said, that we need compost/soil for sowing seeds that is low in nutients. Aren’t the nutrients all there in compost, or good soil anyway?
Thank you Mr. Dowding for sharing your no dig wisdom gained through all the trials!
Water your woodchips; great advice!
Is there a way we could get copies of these slides?
Hi Linda, The slides are the property of each speaker, so unfortunately, we cannot share them with you. The replays will be available for you to review the talks.
Excellent info for our Rutgers Master Gardeners in NJ – USA
Many thanks
Bill Sciarappa
Thanks really good
Wonderful! Thank you!
Wonderful presentation Charles!
How much space do you leave between brassicas and the other vegetables? Thanks
Really interesting about the copper tools!
Great presentation. I’ve been gardening for 40 years, but am VERY new to no dig methods. In South East Texas, we country folks almost consider tilling up the garden beds a beginning of growing season right of passage or seasonal tradition that ceremoniously marks the beginning of the season š I look forward to practicing no dig to see the results. Blessings Valerie Adame
wonderful talk! l’ve learned many new things…
Great talk. I really enjoyed the different methods and materials for composting. Thank you for sacrificing a few plots, plots, and planting trays to share real-life differences in soils and methods. I took lots of valuable notes and appreciated learning from you. I took pictures of your garden and told my husband your place was a goal. This year will be my first year trying lettuces, celery, onions, and brassicas, along with companion planting. I appreciate all this great info. It’s very encouraging.
Great lecture – loved the end bit about adding energy to the soil!
That was excellent: I came from the ‘double, triple dig school and my back says thanks!
That was great!!!
Very much what Iām doing!!!
So impressed with the diversity in crop rotation. Would love to hear more theory on advice for rotation within beds / over multiple beds.
When I tell fellow gardeners that tilling is bad for soil health and therefore plant health, they always seem to ask me how we are supposed to grow potatoes, onions, carrots, and other root crops without tilling. Would love to hear how you would respond to them. Thank you!
Great work, so very much encouraged and practiced here in Oz. Clear nutrient and growth benefits as well as no soil floating into the sky and then dumping into the ocean. Soil retention.
Great session with so much information. The drone shots were helpful to illustrate your experiments. Thanks
And I thought I was doomed having clay soil!
Greetings from Hampshire, UK
This is fascinating. My biggest most amazing takeaway is the compost in the green house to produce heat. wow!!!! incredible this never occurred to me…also lots more great information…loved seeing a real farmer…with years of trial and error…hearing about struggles too like with peatmoss…Thank you!!!! Really appreciate you!
Thanks from Australia
Thank you for the good and instructive presentation.
beautiful! Thank you!
Thank you for all you shared. Really interesting hearing about your experiments with energy.
Question: why was there clothing stretched out over a bed? Looked like long sleeved sweatshirts – heavy clothing. To smother weeds? To break down?
Great presentation with many many new ideas (new to me).
If not too late, please comment on copper tools, the rationale.
Some great ideas shared. Appreciate your home scale experiments, and knowledge passed on.
Amazing thanks Charles you are an amazing,teacher I am new to growing so thank you š
amazing – thank you for sharing the spark <3
Thank you for sharing all your experience!! So much helpful tips.
Very instructive. No dig keeps the fungi in tact and so also your F:B ratio. That is why it does better. Very good presentation.
Thanks so much for the presentation! Question: horse manure is easily accessible in our area. I’ve heard gardeners say their gardens suffered after using horse manure, they figured because of vermicides in the manure. Do you have any thoughts about this?
Besides keeping soil texture, it preserves microbial dynamics in the soil. Nice to see anexample applien inside a greenhouse using the tomato and marygolds
Winter warming via ‘horse power’ a hit.
I am inspired to get my compost on the garden asap seeing your great results (still waiting for them to finish)..
I particularly like your joy to explore, and have learnt alot about the novel approaches you have imparted – Thank you! Will definately be checking out the Youtube channel..
Wonderful presentation, thank you so much for all the information and shared experience. I have been wanting to try my hand with some electroculture. Do you, or anyone really have any pointers on that? THANKS IN ADVANCE š