How I can save you time and money in the garden

Written by

Charles Dowding

Last Updated

I am internationally recognised for my huge experience of how to grow and harvest better vegetables, and how I explain this is in my books, courses, talks and videos.

Avoid unnecessary work

No dig is the biggest one, and also I teach many time-saving methods relating to tools and equipment, what you can compost, how to water, rotation (or not) of vegetables, sowing seeds etc.

Being on top of weeds

This one thing causes gardeners more problems than anything else and the methods of mulching I recommend can unlock the path to having clean soil, and keeping it clear of weeds, a huge timesaver which unlocks the ability to enjoy your gardening more.

Sowing seeds at the best time for each, different vegetable

Worked out from close observation of how seeds grow from sowing at different times, and understanding what they need to produce the leaves, roots or fruits that we desire, with less damage from pest and disease.

Getting the most out of your soil

Using compost in the right way and correct amount unlocks soil’s potential, also I give tips on maintaining fertility over a long period, without repeated top-ups of nutrients, for example growing tomatoes without regular feeding, to save time and money.

Food all year round

The need to have a reliable supply of vegetables for my customers has taught me ways to crop all year round and to avoid “feast or famine”. I specialise in growing the best crops for each season and show you how to achieve this.

Salad expertise

Decades of growing and selling all types of salad in different ways (heads of lettuce/salad bags of mixed leaves) have taught me efficient ways to harvest an abundance of leaves through the year, the best salads to sow in each season, and best ways to pick them.

Choosing suitable varieties

Qualities of different vegetable types and varieties, and where to buy seeds.

Ongoing trials, see the differences

At Homeacres I have trials running into growing with or without digging, and the different composts you can use. Careful recording of harvests enables observation of any different patterns of growth, and from this we can learn more.