Book review of Charles Dowding’s latest publication
It’s a huge title but Charles Dowding’s book No Dig: Nurture Your Soil To Grow Better Veg With Less Effort is a must if you grow your own.
Charles Dowding is the world’s leading expert on no-dig gardening and has an army of social media followers. He has more than 550,000 YouTube video subscribers. His videos have had more than 55 million views. Read my review of Charles’ earlier no-dig gardening book and about his gardening courses.
Whether you’re familiar with the concept of no-dig gardening or not, Charles aims to revolutionise the way we grow. I’m certainly a fan – what’s not to love about ending back-breaking digging? As well as being good for us, it’s good for the soil. Leaving it alone allows the natural structure and organisms to thrive, leading to healthy soil and bumper crops. If gardening and mental health’s what you’re looking for, read my review of How To Grow by Marcus Bridgewater.
No Dig – ‘Practical, economic alternative’
Charles said: “I wrote this book to show you that no dig is a highly practical, effective, achievable, and economical alternative to gardening methods involving soil cultivation.”
The book shows how you can transform a weedy plot into a thriving vegetable garden. The simple steps can be achieved in a few hours, with plants in the ground from the first day. Enjoy step-by-step photography taken at Charles’s market garden in Somerset. He explains how to start a no-dig bed; deciding what to grow, sow, harvest and store.
He urges readers to understand the benefits and science of leaving the soil to its own devices. Fungi below the surface feed plants, as well as improve soil fertility with compost, the heart of a no-dig garden. No Dig’s directory contains advice on growing more than 80 crops including key sowing, transplanting and harvesting calendars.
‘Saves time’
Charles added: “No dig saves time and allows gardeners to enjoy themselves more. A simple annual mulch of compost improves soil fertility, and its ability to hold carbon. It feeds the soil ecology, for a healthy balance between pests and predators.
“Best of all, this practical approach promotes robust growth of both vegetables and flowers. This enables you to grow a large harvest of super-healthy food in a beautiful, sustainable garden, with few weeds and pests.”
No Dig: Nurture Your Soil To Grow Better Veg With Less Effort is available now, RRP £30 in hardback, visit www.dk.com/uk.
Read more horticultural book reviews you might like – The Thoughtful Gardener and Good Soil; Urban Flowers; The Salad Garden and The Jam Maker’s Garden.
