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July 2021 no dig potatoes, succession plantings, make compost, save seeds, RHS no dig gardens, bees arrive

Written by

Charles Dowding

Last Updated

June 28, 2021

A growing month, was June. Even though quite dry, with mm in the first four weeks. Average day temperature 21C 70F, average night temperature 10.5C 10F, see my live weather feed. We are fortunate with the weather here and I hope that, wherever you are, the extremes are not too difficult. The Pacific Northwest looks pretty uncomfortable just now!

In this climate we struggle for enough heat to ripen tomatoes outside, even undercover sometimes! Yet the temperatures are fantastic for brassicas, and usually there is enough warmth to dry onions well, ahead of winter. We have rain quite often,, so it’s feasible to water by hand, especially thanks to the moisture conservation of no dig. So far in June, 48mm/1.9in.

This week we have made and posted two new videos, one about the Small Garden, and one about the new land. Both show the incredible growth of recent weeks, and how no dig can transform weeds to a fine garden. See my no dig course book, at a discounted price.

Many peas on Hurst Greenshaft in the small garden — Many pea pods on Hurst Greenshaft in the small garden, transplanted 21st March

Lovely cauliflower Purple Graffiti, transplanted 15th April — Lovely cauliflower Purple Graffiti F1, transplanted 15th April and fleeced over for one month, exceptional quality and flavour with no insect damage

No Dig New area potatoes etc 27th June — New no dig area potatoes etc 27th June. Under the mesh cover is a recent planting of brassicas, in wool mulch. Much bindweed, see video for details

When to harvest potatoes

It’s your call! If all the leaves are still green, even if you have not seen flowers, you can pull themfor a harvest of small potatoes with sweeter taste. Leave them two weeks and the harvest will be much bigger, with more average flavour, still good.

On my two trials beds I am growing Vivaldi, which was listed as a first early. Then someone said it’s the second early! And I am now inclined to agree with the latter, which reveals how there is a lack of precision in the timing of harvest.

Potatoes Vivaldi, each number is kg potatoes from the harvest of one plant, in the same bed:

14th June 0.31

17th June 0.43

27th June 1.68

In my trial beds the potatoes from the dig bed are larger, so far. We shall harvest more this week, always interesting. For no dig potatoes, simply grasp all the stems and pull gently upwards.

Potato harvestsPotato harvests 14th June from two plants — Potato harvests 14th June from two plants, dig left and no dig right

Harvest 26th June, potatoes from one plant — Harvest 26th June, these are the largest potatoes and are from the dig bed

Vivaldi potatoes on left, 26th June, will grow more yet. Starlight peas, carrots almost finished and a little fly damage

Second lettuce plantings, summer successions

After the cold spring and with weather worries in my head, I sowed lettuce for summer earlier than last year, by five days. Then in the warm June conditions they grew beautifully fast!
Fortunately we found time to transplant most of them on 18th June, at three weeks old. My CD 60 module trays work very well for such small transplants. The process is rapid, they transplant easily and quickly, and they establish really well, and fast. Already they look strong and 99% of plants have survived the transplanting.

There is never any need to wash or clean the trays, before reuse. Some of mine are already on the third round this year of growing transplants. I explain all about propagation in module 4 of online course 2.

CD60 module trays lettuce plants for summer are 19 days old, ready to transplant. Compost is Moorland Gold potting & container.

Transplanting some of these lettuce in the new area, on a bed which was grass and weeds just 10 weeks ago. Covered with cardboard, 7 cm compost and black polythene until now.

Lettuce planting for summer harvests — Lettuce planting 18th June, is for summer harvests within three weeks. All now covered with Thermacrop, against rabbits

Thermacrop against rabbits, for lettuce planted 9 days earlier

A look under the cover, 9 day old transplants and some bindweed too

Onions, shallots, spring onions

These all look similar when starting to grow, then as they mature you spot the differences. The shallots are starting to divide a little. And I am interested how their vigour has been fantastic, with larger leaves so far than the onions.

The salad onions have longer stems, and less tendency to bulb than onions. Mine are White Lisbon, which do make bulbs in the end, but I hope to sell them first as spring onions.

Shallots Matador multisown mid February and transplanted 22nd March, fleece over for six weeks and with no hoops

Multisown White Lisbon salad onions are giving a substantial harvest! Grown as for the shallots and onions

Saving seed

It’s easier to save seed of some vegetables than others, see my video. Ones which give least difficulties are tomatoes, French beans, peas and lettuce/endive. All of these can be saved from just one plant, like that endive which is overshadowing the aubergine. That is one important point about seed saving, how plants often grow much larger than the original.

Root vegetables are biennial, so you select some desirable roots to transplant in March, and the photos show growth so far. In our damp climate, the August harvests could be tricky, we shall see. There is a mesh cover for the carrots, so that insects do not cross pollinate them with wild carrot/cow parsley which is common in the hedgerows here.

Endive frisee Wallone 2nd generation, I saved its seed last year too — Endive frisee fpr seed, Wallone second generation, I saved its seed last year too. We picked leaves for salad in winter, sown September

Onions & beetroot and carrots growing for seed saving — Onions Rose de Roscoff, grown in 2020 and stored in the house over winter, planted in March. Beetroot behind from a December harvest, also planted March.

Growing under cover

We are at the time of maximum growth and these plants all need a lot of attention! Here we have had little heat, yet the melons are loving life under cover. They need twisting around the strings every three days or so, and I pinch out all sideshoots until they are about 3 ft/1 m high. Melons grow in the first node of a sideshoot, see lesson 29 for all those details.

I grow the tomatoes (lesson 30) without any feeding. We spread compost in May, for a year of cropping.

Melons are growing fast in the greenhouse — Melons are fast in the greenhouse, these are Emir and Alvaro, both F1. Non hybrids are in the polytunnel.

Tomato plants are looking nice but little fruiting so far, we need more warmth

Chilli plant overwintered and potted on, year two with small fruits developing nicely

Cucumber plants 18th June after 3 warm weeks — Cucumber plants 18th June after three warm weeks, sown mid April and transplanted 20th May

Same cucumbers 27th June, 9 days later — Same cucumber plants 27th June, just nine days of growth in the no dig polytunnel!

Making compost, pallet heaps

I am trying a few different ways of making compost heaps, and of bringing fertility onto this land. For the latter, we are building up a stock of woodchips, some for use much later, as compost equivalent I hope.

The two pallet bins have an equal sized gap in the middle, to which we shall add sides and can then turn compost from either side into it. The cardboard does not run under the heaps, it’s just to keep the edges reasonably free of bind weed, thistles and nettles.

We fill the heaps until full, takes 5-10 weeks depending how much material comes available. Turn them 4-8 weeks after finishing. Learn more details from Module 5 of my first online course.

Compost heaps of pallets simply wired together, no stakes — Pallets simply wired together, no stakes. Heap on left finished three weeks ago. All lined with card to retain warmth and moisture.

Compost heap full of recent bindweed roots! — Compost heap is full of bindweed roots! These compost nicely, even without heat, as long as they are smothered and in the dark

Heaps of woodchip, cow manure still hot and green waste compost — Heaps of woodchip, cow manure still hot, and green waste compost. For use this winter or later.

Bees arrive at Homeacres

Big excitement! I ordered three hives from the Black Bee company, a few months ago. They were bred and the colonies built up on Exmoor, Buckfast bees. Paul is on the left, with Briony who is also looking after them.

They are active, and I feel a buzz when checking them every day!

Moving bees into their permanent home, National hives — Paul the founder of Black Bee with Briony. They are moving the colonies to new National hives, from the ones they were moved in.

RHS no dig, Wisley and Hampton Court

Over many years, I have much enjoyed working with Sheila Das, who manages the edible garden at RHS Wisley. They have invested massively in a new space to demonstrate lots of ways you can grow food.

Sheila appreciates no dig and has worked it into the design. This garden opened on 24th June, and I can’t wait to visit!

Before that can happen, I shall be at Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, from 5th to 11th of June. Together with Steph Hafferty, I designed the RHS No-Dig allotment. It’s one of the three ‘key’ gardens there. Every day, there are no dig talks, see this schedule.

Because of Covid, tickets are limited. Also we have to be tested before entry, so I hope to test negative!