Derek Muggleton

I have been operating  no dig for five years on my allotment. The plot size is about 90ft x 60ft so it is not a standard allotment size, the plot belongs to the local Baptist Church where I am a member. I have been running the allotment for around 16 years, to feed my own family and friends and to supply the local food bank with fresh veg when I can.

I have also tried to help my friends with gardens and allotments with no dig trials, with good results. I collect coffee grounds from a local garden centre to help with composting and recently found that the pile of grounds left on my allotment for a few months have been taken over by thousands of worms, who seem to enjoy the coffee. I am now trying to work out how to make a wormery using the coffee grounds, and waste food from our house.

I take in grass cuttings, prunings and household food remains from 5 other households/friends and I hope to be almost self sufficient in the next year or so (the cost of having a compost bin in Kettering is now £45 per year so I am saving just under £250 for my friends who receive donations of fresh veg in season).

The photo is from March 2024 – plantings are a bit sparse but most of the beds are ready for the new plantings. I have beetroot, lettuce, Brussels, peas ,onions, leeks and various flowers in the greenhouse growing well and should be out in the ground in a week or so. As I am retired I can spend most of my spare time at the allotment.

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