Dowding - Organic Gardening

Reviews of the first edition

I first met Charles in the 1980s when Geoff Hamilton and I presented an entire Gardeners World programme from his organic vegetable farm in Somerset. The crops grew on beds that were never dug, but dressed with compost or well-rotted manure. Now Charles has set up another vegetable garden on a smaller scale. A visit to Charless garden was all I needed to convince me to hang up my spade the secrets lie in Charless new book. Ann Swithinbank, Western Morning News

This book is now my first port of call when looking for a gardening solution. As a beginner and non-scientist, I found his style easy to understand, packed with useful tips and coherent in that it took me from an uninformed start to considering quite complicated seasonal planning without losing the plot or throwing my hands up in confused despair. I hope Charles sees this as the start of a writing career as I will be eagerly awaiting the next. Peter Shield, www.naturalchoices.co.uk

It wasnt the variety of salad leaf shape, texture and colour that impressed me most. It was the plants health. If ever there was vindication of Dowdings theories, here it was. The leaves seemed to burst from the ground, glossy and exuberant. Matthew Fort, The Guardian Weekend

Charles Dowding thinks the received wisdom is wrong, and he can prove it. Personally Im paying this book the ultimate compliment and converting my allotment into a no-dig zone. It feels better already. Paul Kingsnorth, The Ecologist

The exceptional health and taste of the crops growing at Lower Farm bears witness to the methods employed in their cultivation. The only way to be truly convinced, of course, is to lay down your spade and fork and try the no-dig method for yourself. As Charles would say: The answer is in the soil. Rebecca Pow, Amateur Gardening

Charles Dowding is no stranger to hard graft and at least metaphorical spadework. And now he has picked up a pen or perhaps an organic mouse and keyboard to put his hard-won wisdom into print . this book is a must and should be in every school in the South West. If kids learnt this sort of thing at school, perhaps they would not turn into couch potatoes. James Crowden, NFU British Farmer and Grower

This is a blockbuster of a book. It should be recognised as one of the all-time great gardening books. Those who know little about no-dig gardening will find the general principles and methodology explained clearly. Those who are just interested in finding out how to grow particular vegetables and fruit will find a mine of information. The author has been generous Charles has given away his trade secrets knowledge which comes from personal experience rather than just repeating what earlier authors have said, and the book is easy to read definitely a best buy. Mike Mason, Good Gardeners Association

If anyone can convince gardeners that vegetable plots do not need digging, it is this author his methods are at times contrary to standard advice, but he is not dogmatic and has a gift for clear explanation. Sue Stickland, RHS Book reviews in The Garden

Charless growing ground is a model of order and beauty, hes a passionate soil man. On a recent visit, two things struck me about his Somerset place. First, there isnt a weed to be seen, even though Dowding is cultivating an acre and a quarter of ground single-handed. And second, that thought has been given to the way plants are set out the plot looks good, as well as being productive. Anna Pavord, The Independent magazine

Charless crops positively glow with health in testament to his methods he conveys a deep reverence for the soil, which has fuelled his no-dig ethos. Rebecca Pow, The Kitchen Garden

This book is a superb introduction from Green Books to a tried-and-tested organic gardening technique perfected by Charles Dowding over 25 years of hands-on experience. www.ethicalreading.com

The pioneer of veg box schemes offers some unconventional tips for a low-maintenance plot. BBC Gardens Illustrated

Organic
Gardening

The natural no-dig way

Charles Dowding

with drawings by Jane Hassall

Second edition

This revised edition published in 2010 by Green Books Ltd, Foxhole, Dartington, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6EB

First edition published in 2007, reprinted 2007, 2008, 2009

Charles Dowding 2007-2010

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

Front cover image and design by Stephen Prior
Back cover: middle image by Lucy Pope, left and right images by Charles Dowding

Illustrations Jane Hassall
Photographs are by Charles Dowding except the following, by Lucy Pope:
second colour section, Plates 17, 20, 21, 34, 35, 36

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data available on request

Print edition ISBN 978 1 900322 81 2

PDF format ISBN 978 0 85784 010 3

ePub format ISBN 978 0 85784 011 0

Acknowledgements

To my father, who amazingly tolerated my untried skills in his old orchard.

To my mother, who was always there and cooked so many fine meals.

To the Argyll Hotel Iona, in whose gardens I was introduced to organic vegetables.

To Charlie Wacher, who encouraged me to believe I could be an organic market gardener.

To many friends in the organic movement for camaraderie and inspiration.

To Mary Langman and Elisabeth Montgomery for help and wisdom.

To Fanny Charles for being such a champion of local, well-grown food.

To Alex Baulkwill and Tim Sandall for their enthusiasm.

To Lucy Pope for photographic help and inspiration.

To Phil Butler, Bill the Butcher, for so much encouragement of my salad leaves.

To Lawrence Woodward and Zizi Montgomery for setting me on the path towards this book.

To Amanda Cuthbert for invaluable help and advice in constructing this book.

To Susie for her deep reserves of love and support.

To Rosalie, Jack and Edward for just being themselves.

It has been an exciting few years since this book was first published in 2007. Large numbers of people, in Britain and beyond, have been growing some of their own food for the first time, or in a more committed way, and many are interested in growing without digging.

So this new edition has much more detail on how to begin and to manage an undug plot. The first year involves the most work, to lessen the weed burden and improve soil health. There are many new photos, which tell stories of mulching plots of weedy old pasture with cardboard and compost or manure, and the vegetables that were then grown on them; also of a new bed created on top of grass without any digging, and how it was then sown and planted straight away.

The appendix has details of my four-year-old dig/no-dig experiment, which is always a great hit with visitors to the garden. One of the revelations of the experiment has been the much faster growth of plants on undug soil in the spring and early summer, followed by a catching up of growth on the dug beds in the autumn. This suggests that soil cultivation does have a negative effect, but that soil eventually recovers and rebounds just before, in many cases, being dug again.

I have updated many other parts of the book, especially the recommendations of vegetable cultivars, and remind readers that my website, www.charlesdowding.co.uk , has much up-to-date information on, for example, what to sow this month, and a forum where advice may be sought and views exchanged. Also there is a list of forthcoming day courses at Lower Farm, where I explain what is growing here, and how, with advice to participants on the best ways to improve results in their gardens.