No dig tour in June, summer number ten at Homeacres and see the exciting methods

[@Billywoo12]

The level of knowledge gleaned from Charles is fantastic…. Each 1 hour video is a book and a half!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers David

[@andrewpyrah]

Definitely...and simply and clearly explained. Beautiful garden too!

[@fb2659]

Thanks, Charles. Enjoyed your tour while I ate this morning's harvest from a weed-free garden, thanks in large part to your videos :) Before 2022, in all my years I never sowed a seed or even transplanted. Now, with God's help, my backyard has transformed into a beautiful, edible garden that has drawn the attention of family and friends.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds wonderful!

[@theirishcailin333]

That's amazing!!

[@momcation9786]

Your garden is like heaven on earth! Thank you for the June tour! You’re awesome!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You are so welcome

[@jenbear8652]

I’m in “Midwest “ USA in Ohio. I don’t have a good place in my 1/4 acre property to put a poly tunnel, so I searched online for tomato support ideas and found a way that I could build outdoors a simple structure to plant tomatoes & cukes with the climbing strings. This is working very well so far! My beefsteak & cherry tomatoes are all doing great, and so far, using the string makes it easier to see to prune the suckers! I’d read about doing that many years ago, but could never see them all to keep up with it as they filled the typical tomato cages. I haven’t actually pruned any suckers from the cucumbers yet, but only have 2 plants, so that shouldn’t be too hard. Your comment on pruning off every other cucumber stem was a new thought for me (as well as pruning the suckers) I’m interested to see how differently they do this year with all the composted manure (I didn’t have enough homemade compost to cover the garden this year) and growing up string versus last few years of not much mulch material, growing haphazardly up a trellis & only fish emulsion fertilizer. One thing that was interesting for me, I got manure from 2 different friends this year. The first manure I used was VERY broken down. She’d told me where the oldest manure (probably several years old) so I gathered from there. It was so broken down that it was very light and easy to carry & work with. The other friends manure was heavy & I wasn’t sure if it was even old enough, so I only put it on 1/3 of my garden. It was lumpier and dense & heavy. So the 2/3 of the garden that got the old, lightweight manure, the manure washed alot away & got used up quickly so that bare soil was showing after about a month or so. That’s where my tomatoes are planted, so I ended up needing to give them fish emulsion fertilizer- now they’ve really darkened into a deep green & are growing great. The 1/3 section with the newer manure is where I planted green (french) beans. The beans were all doing pretty well at first, (and because of you, this is my first year to start beans in trays instead of direct sowing- worked out GREAT) but then I noticed recently that half the beans are large great looking plants and the other half are staying smaller, thinner and a little yellower. I was trying to figure out what the difference was since they all got the same manure as mulch. Then I REALIZED! The half of the beans that are doing so excellent is where last year I spread MY HOMEMADE COMPOST!!!! So I’ve recently ordered an electric chipper like you showed, for my tree & shrub trimmings, and I’m now bagging my grass clippings and using the bucket when I weed the gardens to add every extra thing I can! Even sometimes get food waste from a local restaurant! Hopefully this fall I’ll have enough homemade compost to put even a thin layer on the whole garden! Fingers crossed 🤞 I’m enjoying using your spiral calendar to keep track of my plantings, sowings & reminders of when to sow other things for fall(not used to sowing more than just spring!) etc. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge & experience! I love seeing your beautiful gardens! & even though I still have perennial weeds coming up, when I see you talk about your bindweed, it gives me hope to keep trying and not give up.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

A wonderful comment Jen and I love that you are trying lots of different things. And it's so encouraging about the homemade compost!

[@itsmewende]

Always a pleasure walking your garden with you, learning something new every time. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Same to you Wende!

[@hannagoworowska-adamska34]

I am a teacher, but you are The Teacher. Each time I watch and listen to you I take notes, as all good students should do, simply because in two weeks time I am getting my long awaited piece of land. Having a 10 year experience in an average city garden, I hope to fulfill my dream of no dig garden. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and experience. Regards from distant Poland 🌹

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thank you so much Hanna, and I wish you lots of health and happiness and fine harvests in your new property

[@tedbastwock3810]

Charles, the 10 Homeacres years have done you well. You look just as vibrant and spry, if not more, than your earliest videos. Thank you so very much for sharing. I can't wait to see what the 20-year Homeacres video will bring 🌱

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks Ted 👍 (20, a different world)

[@JVSwailesBoudicca]

What a find, I am delighted to find you and courtesy of The Happy Pear's video (with you) today. Your produce is impressive - I am envious ! A delight to see your lovely, well organised and immaculate Homeacres.....you must be very proud.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Many thanks!

[@jamesbowmanphotography]

This might sound awful, but I was very happy to see your rust-affected garlic. Our hard neck (and soft neck) were both impacted badly by rust this year and we’ve got some very small bulbs plus a bit of splitting. It’s reassuring to know that it’s just been a bit of a bad year, and we’ll try again next season. Thank you!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@joshhigdon4951]

I'd give anything to say 80 degrees is hot! Right now its 93 with a heat index of 107! Next monday the real temp is expected to be 101!

[@boomshankaman]

Where are you?

[@donnacochran3335]

Same... we're in Georgia, USA. The humidity is what's SO dangerous! Stay hydrated.

[@cordelia7313]

Right!!! Same here in Tennessee this week and next

[@joshhigdon4951]

NW Georgia here. Its brutal. 7am this morning felt like walking into an oven.

[@mike1968442]

Oh come on now, it’s an oven in Arizona (real temp 112)

[@PlantGuild]

What a truly inspiring video. Thank you for this tour, Charles! As a Compost enthusiast, I loved seeing the Compost bins and the explanations of “one application a year” for your garden. Proves a point that Creation doesn’t need store bought fertilizers and all of the crazy extra steps we create to get seeds to germinate. Keep it simple, stupid. And keep on the great work your doing! You’re affecting a backyard garden in Colorado, USA. Cheers!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

My pleasure Jordan. Simple is great as you say!

[@victoriagolmehdi8506]

I have just harvested my garlic and was pleased with them, until you had some the same size and called them 'tragic'! 😄 I love the tour and aspire to be as productive in the much smaller area that I have on my allotment.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Whoops! 🌱

[@lat1419]

As so many have said already, I learn something every few minutes in the Homeacres tours. This time it was that wild rocket has yellow flowers - now I know what has self seeded and gone "wild" in my tunnel. Thanks so very much Charles, what a gardeners gardener you are!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

How lovely and thanks

[@heavymetalbassist5]

Your climate sounds amazing. Its been 96-100F 38C every day the last few weeks

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Oh dear, that sounds horrible and I wish you the best, we are fortunate indeed

[@angelabonita595]

I love to see your smile while you watching your plants 🌱, I see your heart ❤️ very ind love with your work🙏 thank you from 🇩🇰Dk.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks Angela!

[@sandrafuentes3449]

Thanks Mr dowding ♥️

[@A1BASE]

The bit that blows me away is how healthy everything is given how CLOSE everything is growing. I look at seed packs and they say 8", 12" even 18" between plants. I'm now not convinced following instructions is the way to go.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I'm very happy that you noticed that and all of us can work things out differently according to our situation. Seed packet instructions are in my view quite often conservative and result in lower harvests.

[@dispmonk]

I usually look at the plant spacing‘s as the plants overall potential size and how I intend to harvest. It all comes down to how you want to use it and what it is. You can control the size of cabbages by planting them closer… Or maximize your space by planting Mustard/ Lettuce / Spinach 6 inches and thining them knowing that they may eventually reach 18” dia plants. But then if you’re doing cut and come again harvesting for smaller tender leaves just plant them 8-10 inches apart and call it good. 😜

[@Sky-Child]

I think as well this is just testament to how healthy the soil is - it can support more plants all together ❤ love it

[@jennyjohnson9012]

Lovely video as always Charles. I love your wildflower area. Its stunning! I agree about the grasses too, we have so many areas around our farm full of beautiful grasses and I use them in my flower displays. We don't have a lot of butterflies either at the moment, I hope it improves. So interesting seeing all your trials. Enjoyed every minute of this, never boring! Thanks for the inspiration again.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Many thanks Jenny!!

[@leonardofaedo707]

Nice video Charles, thank you. Indeed, summer is full on! In our allotment in Bath, all the crops are thriving nicely. We are using no dig for the sprouts, peas, and broad beans plot. They are liking it a lot.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wonderful! Thanks Leonardo

[@MrPeregrines]

Just one word: FANTASTIC

[@lilpipskweek6448]

Cripes Im glad I watched your June tour Charles. I had the bright idea of putting woodchip between my rows of peas to suppress weeds and be clean underfoot. Not now, I have enough to contend with without nitrogen deficiency especially in legume crops. Thank you again

[@darrenwilkinson4348]

All my beds are covered in wood chip but as you say Charles more leaves/wood/bush trimmings.. and I normally put on about 6 inches each sep/oct..and by the time I grow it’s rotted down quite a bit..and then I mulch around the plants with the wood chip mix…I understand what your saying about more solid wood not the best but we’re getting a good mix of mulch… and I can see how the plants react simply by not disturbing the soil… And when I dig down you can see the layer that’s been created by the wood chip mulch layer… And the added bonus of hardly any weeds.. the odd one picked by hand… It’s was the cheapest way for me as when I got plot there was a massive pile of wood chip that had been there for years… I basically started at the bottom of the pile and took that so I wouldn’t shock the plants when they went out.. I’m a good 4 years into it now and I try and explain to people it takes time ..like most things in life..think people expect results straight away but patience is the key.. The same as making my own compost ..using the chicken poop ..it’s a work in progress..but it gives my plants that extra boost they need and I try not to use chemicals/make my own liquid feeds.. Happy growing Charles..🌱

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for your feedback Darren and that is good to hear!

[@aaron1143]

Wouldn't it be great if your methods were upscaled to mainstream agriculture in the UK. 👍

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Maybe one day! Different economics though.

[@thequarteracrelife]

I love your videos Charles. Packed with great information and your garden looks so productive, pretty and amazing!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks, really happy to help

[@ILoveTheMoodyBlues]

I love that string method for cucumbers. Should also help me to see squash bugs more easily as well!

[@the_earthway]

Thank you, Charles and crew!!!

[@jeshurunfarm]

I only had the time to watch this now. Wait for my 3 week old chicks to finish there first serving of breakfast, I only learned this week that you are vegetarian, I really hoped that if you came to Africa again we could go hunting, well that plan is out the window 😄 Respect from Africa 🇿🇦

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😀

[@ValeriaVincentSancisi]

your meadow is lovely

[@nickhammersonrocks]

DUE TO THE ABUNDANCE WITH NO DIG AND NOT HAVING TO WORK AS HARD PULLING WEEDS, WE HAVE GAINED FIVE POUNDS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO WE WENT OUT TODAY AND HUNTED DOWN A FEW WEEDS TO PULL IN ORDER TO FEEL LIKE WE WERE GETTING A WORKOUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE REALLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU NO DIG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@barbararoyal6139]

Love the wildflowers in the field…so beautiful! All the info helpful! Very much appreciated!🌱☀️

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

🌼

[@elizabethbrooks3462]

Charles, I remember a video from years ago of you talking about garlic rust and that put the problem on my radar. I live in the mountains of NC that historically gets more rain than Seattle and we have cool, damp springs and off and on hot, humid days. At the top of the hill is most of my garlic, with a few in the kitchen garden by the back door. I have never had rust. Last year, I started hollyhocks from seed and I planted them all through the landscape. We had a bed we had created from dry stack rock and filled with nothing but tree bark mulch the year before to make the porch beds look balanced. The hollyhocks planted in that bed grew well enough, but were riddled with rust. The hollyhocks 10 feet away, that were planted in soil with a layer of shredded bark mulch, had no rust. In the fall, I laid a very thick layer of chopped leaves on the problem bed, because I wasn't sure if the rain could splash spores upward from the mulch. The hollyhocks died back over the winter and popped up again this spring. Today they are 6 feet tall (!) and so far....despite the humidity (knock on wood) no rust in sight. My anecdotal involuntary experiment 😏 leads me to think that the bed was way too fungal-ly dominated, because of the wood chips and then that perpetuated the puccinia malvacearum....same rust for both garlic and hollyhocks. Would love to know whether you have ever thought this. Would it be an interesting trial to have one garlic bed with soil/compost and one with wood chips?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That is a great comparison Elizabeth and thank you for sharing. I'm not sure how much of this rust is coming from soil below, and how much is on the wind (hence less under cover here), in humid weather. Also the rust you mention is not quite the same but I think the characteristics are very similar. Garlic infects with Puccinia allii. I shall try and area next year with something on the surface to stop upward splashing and see if that makes a difference.

[@carolexo7269]

Such a lovely property. The birdsong in the background and the relaxed pace....thank you 💚

[@OriginalRaveParty]

What a symphony of fruit and vegetables 😃

[@fordfalcao9061]

Hi Charles, Another great video, i love your setup and how you keep everything nice a organised plus the no dig is a great way to garden. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge with us, I do appreciate it.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks 👍

[@marykappesser5145]

I always learn so much from you Charles. Your wild flower garden is so pretty. I have been thinking of doing a patch in my yard like that. Can you do a video on how you put that in?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

So nice of you Mary. It's very simple, just you need their soil to start and then we scatter the seeds over the top. It's your decision on which plants to remove as the flowering ones grow, and we hoed off a lot of buttercup because that's so common here

[@marykappesser5145]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig I was thinking of putting cardboard down and compost over it and then put the wildflower seeds over it. Or did you scatter the seed among the existing grass?

[@lemonlime29]

i learned a lot from this tour thanks a bunch!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad to hear it

[@williambritton5899]

Thank you Mr. Dowding. You have been a great inspiration to me over the past few years. I have learned so much from you.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad to hear it William 💚

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Thanks Charles, watched the whole way through, as always👩‍🌾👍 Brilliant information 🌿💚🌿 BTW...1st day of Summer ☀️ and it's in the 90°'s F and I think Florida should have it's own calendar saying Summer began the middle of April 👩‍🌾👍🌞

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You rock Peggy and wow!!! We have 81F today, 66F Friday!

[@miriam2526]

Thank you, Charles! This is my first year working on a vegetable farm and I started getting back to your valuable videos just recently. They are a huge inspiration and I am excited to learn and see what I can implement here bit by bit.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Best of luck Miriam, sounds exciting

[@irenesmith5676]

Hi Charles enjoyed your video lv Irene 😘 xx

[@lisabevans8107]

Beautiful Charles! My 3 year old garden is looking amazing thanks to all the help I have received. Even after the late frost its truly a better garden than even last year. My daughter was helping me remove some volunteer potatoes and said wow mom look at your soil now! 🙂 hagd.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I'm happy for you Lisa!

[@lisabevans8107]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig ty Charles. It's in large part to you!

[@ibrstellar1080]

I wish had the space to have so much abundace of stunning vegetables.I leave Dandelions as they provide many health benefits and add them to salads and roast the roots.

[@katjaz9047]

Garden looks great Charles, a lot of everything! I have rye and wheat growing too, try to get berries out by hand to make flour. I got that thistle thing in the garden, yes big problem!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds great Katja, keep thistle-pulling!!

[@paulnjackson]

A wonderful, interesting and instructive tour as always. I'm sorry you had the garlic rust problem, but it's some comfort to me as we had the exact same problem here (43N not far from Toulouse). This was with Edenrose seed garlic planted into 3" of a mix of homemade and municipal compost in October. First ever garlic planting. It seemed to be going well until the rust struck. I removed the worst leaves at first but the rust won. Interplanted tomatoes are fine. Thank you for all the knowledge you so freely share. You're the voice in my head whenever I'm gardening.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers Paul and this is a nice comment. I once had a farm near you, in Astaffort to be precise just south of Agen. We grew garlic commercially and never suffered any rust, so I think it's quite a new phenomenon for it to be so bad. Not sure why, maybe all those nuclear power stations!

[@paulnjackson]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Well, we are some way to the East and a good distance from any power station! I forgot to mention that last winter was bad for rabbits, and, being French, they targeted the young garlic. Maybe this weakened them so that (as you always say) they were more susceptible to infection and then some combination of Spring weather also favoured the rust. Spring weather here was surprisingly similar to UK with matching periods of damp and cold snaps. It's a tad warmer now though :)

[@kylebowman3823]

Charles. Please give the wood chips more years where you’re potatoes are right now. Just because it is 2 years old doesn’t when you place it, is irrelevant. You new it to sit where it is for 2 more years and add a layer to it. It will get better. It is not instant and I know you at familiar with waiting.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I know what you mean but those chips are so large and hard!

[@naturegirlmia]

Excellent video once again!!! Our moths are here now in Ohio, cabbage is making heads under netting. We love to watch them try figuring out WHAT the problem is. They can see it......BUT can't get to it!! We also planted red clover in between the veg beds. The clover is now flowering the same time as the cucs and tomatoes along with the potatoes and the bees are not only getting their fill of pollen running between the clover and veg but also helping us make veg and given us some great honey. Next year the clover will be where the no dig veg is and the veg will be where the clover is and so on. THANK YOU FOR ALL you do!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That sounds an amazing system, and great that you have bees as well!

[@davidfineren479]

Brilliant stuff.

[@josysteinbach4097]

What a beautiful overview of your productive garden at this time of year , and learning at the same time thank you et merci, à la prochaine , bien sure . Josy

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Chouette 💚

[@josysteinbach4097]

Great reply , i didn’t here this word for quite a while now am living in Ireland 😀👍

[@maxbarker8161]

8:44 = yeah i'm loving the shorts clips! Keep em up

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad you like them Max, thanks

[@nickhammersonrocks]

NOW THAT WE HAVE A THREE BAY COMPOSTING FACILITY, WE FEEL THAT WE HAVE ENTERED THE COMPOSTING BIG LEAGUES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Baronshill16]

Hi Charles, I have found a great protection from slugs mice etc is to completely cover the space round the plants with Alpaca fleece. This seems to make it difficult for attack, and it also rots down into the bed.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That's a nice discovery! I hope the effect endures for some time 🌱

[@susanjordan2130]

Great video. Thanks.

[@elsmooth12]

Thanks for sharing, Charles! Always a pleasure to see your progress throughout the year. Regarding the potatoes that are not doing so hot in the semi-decomposed woodchips...are you considering planting potatoes in the same spot over the coming years to see how the yield increases year-over-year as the woodchip continues to decompose?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great idea if I was a research station and did not need the food! I never thought they would be so poor and so I have lost some of my winter provisions from this! Onwards and upwards, in this case removing most of the woodchip to a pile. They are eminently unsuitable for gardening, totally the wrong sort which I now realise. Maybe add compost then grow potatoes again

[@Constantinului]

Wonderful !

[@oliverobama3279]

I am jealous of your cooler wether. It is 40 degrees here in northwest France.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That is extreme!

[@manuelrojas4483]

Tu huerto sigue creciendo y las incorporaciones de cereales es magnífico.Espero que tengas buen pan 🍞🤙🏻Saludos desde Tenerife!! 😃🌸🥕🐞🫑🌽👏🏻👏🏻👌🏻

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

¡Gracias Manuel, y suficiente para algunas comidas, espero!

[@junematthews8612]

Perfect touch of encouragement and sanity! Thank you Charles and Edward.😉

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thank you June, and it was Nicola on the camera!

[@mikica473]

Only discovered charles dowding a couple of weeks ago. Have watched loads of his videos at this stage! Great stuff. Very relaxing viewing. Similar to Monty Don, if not different methods. Will be looking to take my veg patch to no dig next spring. Keep up the good work charles.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Welcome and I wish you success

[@robertling9872]

Beautiful NoDig garden and video. Thank you Charles for sharing your knowledge.

[@dispmonk]

Calendula and Borage would go great in your wildflower planting as well. I’ve got a small area where I let them go to seed with various clovers and grasses. It’s naturalizing quite well.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for the tips!

[@ramthian]

So lovely 😊

[@irishcottagerenovation9900]

Your such an inspiration. I'm stocking up on compost components here in southern Ireland for the future health of my soil. Compost is very expensive here so sourced mushroom compost, organic cow manure and old wood chip. Determined to succeed with no dig. Thank you

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Fantastic. Yes compost can be almost anything :)

[@feffe4036]

Great video! This year ive gone more in on lettuce and wow what a joy. Constant picking basically of fresh lettuce. Ive also got cabbage going and they grow like crazy but i havent seen any heads yet. Hope its not all gonna be leaves. :)

[@outsidestuff4867]

No dig… and he carried a shovel the entire video 🤣 Love all your videos Charles !!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks. In my language a shovel is a long handled tool for digging, an interesting difference!

[@homegrownheirloom3660]

Love your garden, I do not till as well

[@vlunceford]

I’m constantly pulling grass out of my raised beds. The Bermuda grass (couch grass?) is slowly coming under control, but the fescue pops up to 3” tall just overnight. It comes in from beneath my beds, which are for the most part about 3 years old. Fortunately the fescue is easy to pull out but it’s maddening to stop t the end of the day seeing grass-free beds, only to awaken the following morning to find quite a bit of new fescue has popped up. We are also in a heat wave in the Deep South of the US, with temps as high as the mid/high 90’s this past week (I garden in zone 7b). It’s extremely hot for this early in the summer. Your garden is always amazing and I have learned so much from you! I’m starting some new beds and looking forward to gardening in the fall when it should be much cooler. Thank you for the beautiful and informative tour!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thank you. I'm puzzled that you are not getting to the point where the grass roots die. They really should if you are on it pulling new shoots regularly! And I'm sure they will, good luck with the heat

[@derekanderson9418]

Bon nuit, Monsieur Charles Dowding. Hello again from Bowling Green, Kentucky. Tremendous video (another one). Your garden area looks fantastic. My little garden is growing here. The weather has been very hot here lately. Next week, we are forecasted to hit 100 degrees, but my garden is going strong. I always enjoy your videos. Bon nuit!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That sounds hot Derek and bonne continuation 😀

[@derekanderson9418]

You barely caught me. It's midnight here in Kentucky. I was about to log off and go to bed!

[@metubewot]

Great video again Chuck. Love that you show failures too. Beautiful looking garden though.

[@СтанимирДимов-д1е]

Nice garden tour! As always! Thank you for sharing with us!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

My pleasure

[@Florestinhadamontanha]

Todas lindas. Você está sempre nos alegrando com suas flores.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

🌺

[@Yorkshireman.]

Great information Charles, the garden is looking well and productive.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thank you

[@Redhackle]

Really enjoy your videos. Thank you. Also enjoy your books.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Greay thanks

[@ladyela9283]

Watching on 18 June from zone 8A, Georgia, USA. We have had temperatures in excess of 38C and heat index to almost 44C. 🥵 I discovered you from a gardening group on FB, Sir, and am excited to learn from you💕

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Oh wow! Several people from Georgia have commented on your extraordinary heat wave, I hope that your plants are coping not to mention yourself. Welcome, and enjoy the learning!

[@mariakraska5738]

Jestem zachwycona podziwiam korzystam z Pana doświadczenia, pozdrawiam 👍💚♥️

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

👍

[@ourcozygarden]

Rust, the bane of gardeners and farmers worldwide.

[@conniehusband1365]

Thanks again for the wonderful visit. Success? Oh Yes!!! Would love to see how you plait your garlic. Mine is throwing scapes now...delicios in stir fry. Growing Great Guns in Clearwater, B.C.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great to hear Connie, shall see about the plaiting

[@NannaCarlstedt2]

Hi Charles, in your wood chips bed, maybe Christmas trees would thrive. - Their natural habitat?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😊

[@annieyahu676]

Thank you for Sharing ❤️

[@johnrimmer7426]

As always, very informative and very interesting. I've had small white caterpillars two weeks ago and large white this week. Vigilance is required! And netting without holes!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Already!! Best of netting to you 😀

[@mekashealingjourney]

Beautiful video as always loving the whole tour. I grew my potatoes in wood chips last year an I got a good harvest yes there is wood chip and there is wood chip. My only issue was so many slug holes this year I’m planting it in partly rotted horse manure and so far my yield is good.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds great, thanks for sharing, mine are too deep

[@joeboudreault2226]

Terrific, Charles. Many thanks!

[@AngelicaYoliFamily]

Wonderful as always! 👍

[@kymvalleygardensdesign5350]

I found that film very interesting my outdoor-grown garlic is always very small no matter what I try so from your findings it seems that I need to save up for a small polytunnel to help them along.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks, and yes!

[@kymvalleygardensdesign5350]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig I will 😀

[@paulwilliams4211]

I love your videos Charles - thanks !!!!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers Paul

[@georgecarlin2656]

The next invention in drones technology has to be one for vloggers who need a drone to film them and follow them around.

[@lindadykes4040]

Your gardens are so beautiful! God bless!

[@prubroughton2327]

yes i used to have long arguments with my compost supplier when I was growing organic seedlings commercially. When the compost is steaming when it is delivered it has a long way to go to be comfortably useable

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Those guys often do not understand their product!

[@matthewking2209]

Charles, I have wondered why the compost mulch method is not working well for me here during the summer. You said 80F was a heatwave for you there and that's when I started thinking. Here in the the state of Georgia in U.S. it has been in the mid 90s most days and hit 102F one day last week. They are saying 105F this coming Wednesday. Today it was 96F so I took some temperature readings with a infrared and compost thermometer. The dry surface of the compost mulch bed was 164F, two inches down 110F, six inches down 80F. Wet compost mulch 30 min after watering 110F on the surface, 90F two inches down and 80F six inches down. The beds with wheat straw 120F on the surface and 80F on the surface of the compost underneath the straw. The surface of the grass was 120F. The black compost mulch is like planting in an asphalt parking lot, it was 44 degrees hotter than my grass or straw mulched beds. I'm wondering if these high temps could also be causing the gasification of nutrients out of the layer of compost? I know it's not good when a compost pile gets that hot. My thought is does the 164F temps from the compost mulch surface causes heat stress, loss of nutrients out of the compost and death of microbial life near the surface? I would gladly send you some pictures if your interested in seeing. Have you ever taken temperature readings of your garden beds in the sun?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Hi Matthew, this is really helpful to know and thanks for making these comparisons. Those are extreme temperatures and I have to agree, I would use a straw or hay mulch on top of the compost in such conditions. Your measurements prove that worthwhile, and I shall see if we can find time to do that.

[@matthewking2209]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thank you for your response. If the plants are close enough to shade out the compost surface before it gets hot It works fine. Yesterday it was a record 103F and the compost mulch surface was over 170F. We've only had about a inch of rain in the past month as well. I will need to use straw or hay in the summer and try to manage the slugs and woodlice. Then remove the mulch for the fall, winter and early spring crops. The compost mulch will help keep the soil warm during those times.

[@johac7637]

What is missing for many viewers is the zone of these gardens, as for newbies it is different souls, seasons that is the learning curve. As 9B in Arizona, most soil,Aka dirt is less than 1% organics. So it's not one size fits all.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You are so right and that logic also applies to the zonal classification. We are zone 8, the same as Texas, and in my introduction I say how the temperature has been 80 Fahrenheit which for us is a hot day! I well know that for Texas at this time it would not be a hot day, yet we are in the same zone. And that is why at 0. 59 I say the climate is temperate oceanic. I find that a more accurate climatic description than the zone number, although I often do mention it.

[@johac7637]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig I look at the grass in the roadside ditches, and that is my 1st indication on several things, rainfall, soil health. I looked for property a few years ago in Canada, May 15 and still snow in roadside ditches, " outa here, not gardening country". I wish over 1/2 the KZbin stuff wasn't on it, as some isn't even reality for the novice.

[@pimmieschoorl]

Just harvested my first ever self grown oxheart cabbage! I am so happy with how my garden is doing. So far the sowing dates from your calendar and Skills book work great for me here on the Dutch/German border.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wonderful! Thanks for feedback.

[@Brenda-xc7sq]

Another excellent and informative video, thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@SuperAify]

Thank you, Charles. I have a 70m2 vegetable garden near Rotterdam, and am following your example for the last 5 years or so. It has improved a lot. Slugs remain quite a problem though, eating every parsnip or carrot as soon as they come up, You never mention what you do with them, do you ever pick them up late at night, like I do? I find 10 of them on a potato plant, 40 on perennial kale, some nights more than a hundred alltogether .

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds great except for the slugs! I discuss it occasionally, that I go out at dusk with a torch and knife.

[@chriscritchell5115]

Fabulous video, so encouraging and down to earth, thankyou.

[@dwighthires3163]

Delightful tour. Thank you very much.

[@thenodiggardener]

Lovely contrasts between the uniform, and wild gardens. I think the mould in the compost is slime mould, or artillery fungus. They're the two usually found where there is wood. The latter has sticky spores, and can make a mess when it does. The former does as its name suggests.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks, and maybe what Adam calls 'dog vomit slime mould'!

[@thenodiggardener]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Yes, that's the one. It's interesting how one thing can pick up such a variety of names!

[@adiem1653]

Great video cheers BUT those numerous Google and other 15 second + adverts really spoil the viewing BUT obviously assist your channel lol

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks and yes I need them, difficult

[@pavana2810]

Greetings Charles. I’m a huge fan from the New York City suburbs. I’m part of a community garden at Clark Botanical. Also a couple of miles away we are blessed with Old Westbury Gardens in heavy bloom right now. You are my inspiration 😍🥰 By the way, I guess it’s the jet stream but New York is having another mild cool breezy summer.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for sharing and that sounds really worthwhile. Interesting about your weather because after one hot day here, we are back to cool, grey skies and I struggle to see a warming trend!

[@pavana2810]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig gardening last year it was on the cool side. Sure we had a couple of high 90 degree days. But too cold for me to swim in the beautiful bay with the egrets, crabs and mussels. I think it’s the jet stream. Unfortunately the western US is too hot not solely from climate change but I feel from the jet stream too. It’s like autumn here today. Gray, windy and cold. Yesterday it was almost 90. Mother Earth is trying to balance herself.

[@eb1684]

Charles, Did you go to Paul McCartney's concert with Bruce Springsteen on Saturday at Worthy Farm? Apparently it was quite good.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Haha no, we were running courses all weekend, they were good!

[@KatySimpsonLive]

You would also have a very interesting conversation with Dr Sarah Myhill.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks, she sounds amazing

[@kailikubpart3080]

thank you for always sharing your depth of knowledge and tips. and your energy! you really got me interested to dive head first into gardening this way and i've been taking your courses. its my first season proper and its been amazing. thank you.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I'm really happy to see this Kaili, and wish you continuing success! Please post a review on my courses webpage? 💚