About no dig – history, trials and myths
*The information contained in this pack has been taken from Modules 1 and 2 of my online course, No Dig Gardening, so if you have purchased this course, or just Modules 1 and 2, you will already have the information. For any queries, please email anna@charlesdowding.co.uk
Please note, this is a digital product and only accessible via the website. It is not downloadable.*
This knowledge pack explains how no dig is a simple and easy approach.
Two facets
- Soil is undisturbed, allowing its organisms to work and multiply. You build on top of the existing network of life. Occasionally you need to disturb soil by digging a hole to plant a tree, or when harvesting potatoes, but these are exceptions.
- Organisms are fed with organic matter on the surface. Nature works in this way and soil organisms are adapted to find food at the surface, from where they take it down.
Why so little known until recently?
No dig has been around for millennia, in different formats. Yet only recently, and particularly thanks to my work and social media, has it gained recognition and been widely practised.
I look at the recent history, and what we can learn from the reasons why it did not reach a wider audience until the last 10 years.
Simple and universal
Using any kind of compost, not necessarily perfect in texture, speeds up soil organisms’ access to food, and boosts fertility. Sometimes this is referred to as feeding soil but, strictly speaking, we feed the life in the soil.
Surface mulching, with compost in particular, is effective on all soil types. I give examples from my four market gardens, the first of which was on stony soil, then there was clay, and now silt.
Learn how no dig makes it easy to manage soil differences. Largely because you don’t get too involved with any soil work. Instead, encourage the life in soil to do that through surface mulching with organic matter.
Trial results
There is a lot of information in the 10 years of results from my two bed trial.
A striking conclusion is that for the same amount of compost, no dig gives more weight of harvest. This highlights how you don’t actually need a huge amount of compost / organic matter to grow no dig.
Less need for rotation
When soil is super healthy, there is less disease and more nutrition. I explain my three-strip trial – growing plants of the same vegetable family in the same soil every year since 2014.
Therefore 2022 was the eighth consecutive year of potatoes in the same beds, and plant health was excellent. The yield was higher than in any of the previous years, with 58kg / 128lb from 7.8m2 / 84ft2 – see this page of my website.
Myths and misunderstandings
There are so many of these in mainstream gardening. A lot of what you have been advised as necessary to do, is not! When you understand why, you can save yourself time, effort and money.
In this section of the pack, I highlight a few of the common misconceptions that confuse many people.
My information is about giving you clarity to truly understand what you are doing. You will be more confident and successful as a result.
Knowledge pack contents – includes text, photos and video:
- Advantages and recent history of no dig
- Simple, time saving, productive
- No dig on different soil types
- Comparing dig and no dig for 13 years – what the differences reveal
- A three strip trial and continuous cropping
- Myths – what you don’t need to do
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
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About no dig – history, trials and myths
More information
*The information contained in this pack has been taken from Modules 1 and 2 of my online course, No Dig Gardening, so if you have purchased this course, or just Modules 1 and 2, you will already have the information. For any queries, please email anna@charlesdowding.co.uk
Please note, this is a digital product and only accessible via the website. It is not downloadable.*
This knowledge pack explains how no dig is a simple and easy approach.
Two facets
- Soil is undisturbed, allowing its organisms to work and multiply. You build on top of the existing network of life. Occasionally you need to disturb soil by digging a hole to plant a tree, or when harvesting potatoes, but these are exceptions.
- Organisms are fed with organic matter on the surface. Nature works in this way and soil organisms are adapted to find food at the surface, from where they take it down.
Why so little known until recently?
No dig has been around for millennia, in different formats. Yet only recently, and particularly thanks to my work and social media, has it gained recognition and been widely practised.
I look at the recent history, and what we can learn from the reasons why it did not reach a wider audience until the last 10 years.
Simple and universal
Using any kind of compost, not necessarily perfect in texture, speeds up soil organisms’ access to food, and boosts fertility. Sometimes this is referred to as feeding soil but, strictly speaking, we feed the life in the soil.
Surface mulching, with compost in particular, is effective on all soil types. I give examples from my four market gardens, the first of which was on stony soil, then there was clay, and now silt.
Learn how no dig makes it easy to manage soil differences. Largely because you don’t get too involved with any soil work. Instead, encourage the life in soil to do that through surface mulching with organic matter.
Trial results
There is a lot of information in the 10 years of results from my two bed trial.
A striking conclusion is that for the same amount of compost, no dig gives more weight of harvest. This highlights how you don’t actually need a huge amount of compost / organic matter to grow no dig.
Less need for rotation
When soil is super healthy, there is less disease and more nutrition. I explain my three-strip trial – growing plants of the same vegetable family in the same soil every year since 2014.
Therefore 2022 was the eighth consecutive year of potatoes in the same beds, and plant health was excellent. The yield was higher than in any of the previous years, with 58kg / 128lb from 7.8m2 / 84ft2 – see this page of my website.
Myths and misunderstandings
There are so many of these in mainstream gardening. A lot of what you have been advised as necessary to do, is not! When you understand why, you can save yourself time, effort and money.
In this section of the pack, I highlight a few of the common misconceptions that confuse many people.
My information is about giving you clarity to truly understand what you are doing. You will be more confident and successful as a result.
Knowledge pack contents – includes text, photos and video:
- Advantages and recent history of no dig
- Simple, time saving, productive
- No dig on different soil types
- Comparing dig and no dig for 13 years – what the differences reveal
- A three strip trial and continuous cropping
- Myths – what you don’t need to do
*The information contained in this pack has been taken from Modules 1 and 2 of my online course, No Dig Gardening, so if you have purchased this course, or just Modules 1 and 2, you will already have the information. For any queries, please email anna@charlesdowding.co.uk
Please note, this is a digital product and only accessible via the website. It is not downloadable.*
This knowledge pack explains how no dig is a simple and easy approach.
Two facets
- Soil is undisturbed, allowing its organisms to work and multiply. You build on top of the existing network of life. Occasionally you need to disturb soil by digging a hole to plant a tree, or when harvesting potatoes, but these are exceptions.
- Organisms are fed with organic matter on the surface. Nature works in this way and soil organisms are adapted to find food at the surface, from where they take it down.
Why so little known until recently?
No dig has been around for millennia, in different formats. Yet only recently, and particularly thanks to my work and social media, has it gained recognition and been widely practised.
I look at the recent history, and what we can learn from the reasons why it did not reach a wider audience until the last 10 years.
Simple and universal
Using any kind of compost, not necessarily perfect in texture, speeds up soil organisms’ access to food, and boosts fertility. Sometimes this is referred to as feeding soil but, strictly speaking, we feed the life in the soil.
Surface mulching, with compost in particular, is effective on all soil types. I give examples from my four market gardens, the first of which was on stony soil, then there was clay, and now silt.
Learn how no dig makes it easy to manage soil differences. Largely because you don’t get too involved with any soil work. Instead, encourage the life in soil to do that through surface mulching with organic matter.
Trial results
There is a lot of information in the 10 years of results from my two bed trial.
A striking conclusion is that for the same amount of compost, no dig gives more weight of harvest. This highlights how you don’t actually need a huge amount of compost / organic matter to grow no dig.
Less need for rotation
When soil is super healthy, there is less disease and more nutrition. I explain my three-strip trial – growing plants of the same vegetable family in the same soil every year since 2014.
Therefore 2022 was the eighth consecutive year of potatoes in the same beds, and plant health was excellent. The yield was higher than in any of the previous years, with 58kg / 128lb from 7.8m2 / 84ft2 – see this page of my website.
Myths and misunderstandings
There are so many of these in mainstream gardening. A lot of what you have been advised as necessary to do, is not! When you understand why, you can save yourself time, effort and money.
In this section of the pack, I highlight a few of the common misconceptions that confuse many people.
My information is about giving you clarity to truly understand what you are doing. You will be more confident and successful as a result.
Knowledge pack contents – includes text, photos and video:
- Advantages and recent history of no dig
- Simple, time saving, productive
- No dig on different soil types
- Comparing dig and no dig for 13 years – what the differences reveal
- A three strip trial and continuous cropping
- Myths – what you don’t need to do
About no dig – history, trials and myths
Free - No Ticket Required
*The information contained in this pack has been taken from Modules 1 and 2 of my online course, No Dig Gardening, so if you have purchased this course, or just Modules 1 and 2, you will already have the information. For any queries, please email anna@charlesdowding.co.uk
Please note, this is a digital product and only accessible via the website. It is not downloadable.*
This knowledge pack explains how no dig is a simple and easy approach.
Two facets
- Soil is undisturbed, allowing its organisms to work and multiply. You build on top of the existing network of life. Occasionally you need to disturb soil by digging a hole to plant a tree, or when harvesting potatoes, but these are exceptions.
- Organisms are fed with organic matter on the surface. Nature works in this way and soil organisms are adapted to find food at the surface, from where they take it down.
Why so little known until recently?
No dig has been around for millennia, in different formats. Yet only recently, and particularly thanks to my work and social media, has it gained recognition and been widely practised.
I look at the recent history, and what we can learn from the reasons why it did not reach a wider audience until the last 10 years.
Simple and universal
Using any kind of compost, not necessarily perfect in texture, speeds up soil organisms’ access to food, and boosts fertility. Sometimes this is referred to as feeding soil but, strictly speaking, we feed the life in the soil.
Surface mulching, with compost in particular, is effective on all soil types. I give examples from my four market gardens, the first of which was on stony soil, then there was clay, and now silt.
Learn how no dig makes it easy to manage soil differences. Largely because you don’t get too involved with any soil work. Instead, encourage the life in soil to do that through surface mulching with organic matter.
Trial results
There is a lot of information in the 10 years of results from my two bed trial.
A striking conclusion is that for the same amount of compost, no dig gives more weight of harvest. This highlights how you don’t actually need a huge amount of compost / organic matter to grow no dig.
Less need for rotation
When soil is super healthy, there is less disease and more nutrition. I explain my three-strip trial – growing plants of the same vegetable family in the same soil every year since 2014.
Therefore 2022 was the eighth consecutive year of potatoes in the same beds, and plant health was excellent. The yield was higher than in any of the previous years, with 58kg / 128lb from 7.8m2 / 84ft2 – see this page of my website.
Myths and misunderstandings
There are so many of these in mainstream gardening. A lot of what you have been advised as necessary to do, is not! When you understand why, you can save yourself time, effort and money.
In this section of the pack, I highlight a few of the common misconceptions that confuse many people.
My information is about giving you clarity to truly understand what you are doing. You will be more confident and successful as a result.
Knowledge pack contents – includes text, photos and video:
- Advantages and recent history of no dig
- Simple, time saving, productive
- No dig on different soil types
- Comparing dig and no dig for 13 years – what the differences reveal
- A three strip trial and continuous cropping
- Myths – what you don’t need to do
About no dig – history, trials and myths
*The information contained in this pack has been taken from Modules 1 and 2 of my online course, No Dig Gardening, so if you have purchased this course, or just Modules 1 and 2, you will already have the information. For any queries, please email anna@charlesdowding.co.uk
Please note, this is a digital product and only accessible via the website. It is not downloadable.*
This knowledge pack explains how no dig is a simple and easy approach.
Two facets
- Soil is undisturbed, allowing its organisms to work and multiply. You build on top of the existing network of life. Occasionally you need to disturb soil by digging a hole to plant a tree, or when harvesting potatoes, but these are exceptions.
- Organisms are fed with organic matter on the surface. Nature works in this way and soil organisms are adapted to find food at the surface, from where they take it down.
Why so little known until recently?
No dig has been around for millennia, in different formats. Yet only recently, and particularly thanks to my work and social media, has it gained recognition and been widely practised.
I look at the recent history, and what we can learn from the reasons why it did not reach a wider audience until the last 10 years.
Simple and universal
Using any kind of compost, not necessarily perfect in texture, speeds up soil organisms’ access to food, and boosts fertility. Sometimes this is referred to as feeding soil but, strictly speaking, we feed the life in the soil.
Surface mulching, with compost in particular, is effective on all soil types. I give examples from my four market gardens, the first of which was on stony soil, then there was clay, and now silt.
Learn how no dig makes it easy to manage soil differences. Largely because you don’t get too involved with any soil work. Instead, encourage the life in soil to do that through surface mulching with organic matter.
Trial results
There is a lot of information in the 10 years of results from my two bed trial.
A striking conclusion is that for the same amount of compost, no dig gives more weight of harvest. This highlights how you don’t actually need a huge amount of compost / organic matter to grow no dig.
Less need for rotation
When soil is super healthy, there is less disease and more nutrition. I explain my three-strip trial – growing plants of the same vegetable family in the same soil every year since 2014.
Therefore 2022 was the eighth consecutive year of potatoes in the same beds, and plant health was excellent. The yield was higher than in any of the previous years, with 58kg / 128lb from 7.8m2 / 84ft2 – see this page of my website.
Myths and misunderstandings
There are so many of these in mainstream gardening. A lot of what you have been advised as necessary to do, is not! When you understand why, you can save yourself time, effort and money.
In this section of the pack, I highlight a few of the common misconceptions that confuse many people.
My information is about giving you clarity to truly understand what you are doing. You will be more confident and successful as a result.
Knowledge pack contents – includes text, photos and video:
- Advantages and recent history of no dig
- Simple, time saving, productive
- No dig on different soil types
- Comparing dig and no dig for 13 years – what the differences reveal
- A three strip trial and continuous cropping
- Myths – what you don’t need to do
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat.
