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Gary Horwell

Harlow, Essex

I have just retierd and have made a no dig allotment. I was given it in June 2023 and I worked on clearing the plot. Not knowing what the finished layout would be I just cleared it, sort of, flat and added a layer of wood chips all over. My thinking was the wood chip would be working for me suppressing weeds and conditioning the unused soil until I had a plan.

By that point, I had discovered Charles and realised no-dig is a thing. Greenhouse went up and I started laying out the frames, not raised beds, ready for spring this year 2024.

In September 2023, the frames and paths were ready. Down went a layer of card with more wood chip on the paths. A £30 load of horse manure, with free worms, was dropped off. The manure was spread 40 to 50mm in the frames to be left over the winter months to settle.

The beds are now ready to be tickled and planted. The photo is from April 2024 – the front bed is already planted with Charlotte 2nd early. The bed top left was planted with onions and garlic in October 2023 to overwinter. Today as per Charles’s calendar I am sowing sweetcorn in the greenhouse.

Want to feature on the no dig map?

Please send info on your no dig garden or allotment, with a photo if possible, to anna@charlesdowding.co.uk.