No-Dig Gardening FAQs Answered: Charles and Mitch at Homeacres

[@joannford5860]

Thanks, as you answered most of my questions. Learning something new every day is very helpful. I am doing no dig raised gardens with cardboard base, then use my own compost. But I will put Bio Tone starter fertilizer in bed before starting my potatoes in the middle of February. Weather permitting. I'm zone 8b.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad to help, may your potatoes grow nicely

[@nickhammersonrocks]

YES MITCH PLEASE GO CLOSER TO THE COMPOST HEAP AND TALK ABOUT IT !!!!!! THAT WAY IT CAN HEAR YOU TALK NICE THINGS ABOUT IT AND YOUR KIND WORDS WILL ENERGIZE, STIMULATE, AND SPREAD YOUR POSITIVE VIBES ALL THROUGHOUT IT’S METAPHYSICAL BEING !!!!!!!!!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂 Vintage comment 💚

[@bibi-ev3qk]

Tolles Video👍🏽 Danke. Eine Anmerkung bitte: wenn nicht umgegraben wird (Testbeete 10 Jahre) stehen die Pflanzen ohne umgraben direkt in der Komposterde. Bei flachwurzlern würde mich interessieren ob die Pflanzen schnell wachsen, aber einen erhöten Salzgehalt aufweisen. Herzliche Grüße

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Danke schön. In den sagen wir 10 Jahren ohne Graben zieht das Bodenleben kontinuierlich Kompost in den Boden. Es ist nicht so, dass nur eine Schicht Kompost darauf liegt! Die Pflanzen wurzeln also im Boden, und das weiß ich, weil es so schwierig ist, Pastinaken zu ernten, die ohne Ausgraben 60 cm oder mehr in die Tiefe fallen. Außerdem würden meine Grünkohlpflanzen nicht aufstehen, wenn sie nicht tief im Boden wurzeln würden, daher bin ich mir sicher, dass die Pflanzenernährung gut ist.

[@Im-just-Stardust]

Very good interview! Well done Mitch ! Thank you Charles. PS: To add about ''Why no dig'' And ''Soil compaction with no dig''. My backyard was very ''compact'' when I bought my property few years ago. So I decided to let my backyard grow ''wild'' for 4 years, literally not caring of it at all. For 4 years the wild grass grew wild and the roots penetrated deep, died, and grew again and again. Last year I went to plant a tree, I could not believe it. The ground feels like walking on a sponge now. When I dug the hole for the tree it was as soft as it can get. Same thing happen in the garden when you don't dig the roots... The soil doesnt get compacted like a brick, it just gets ferm.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

What a lovely history, and thank you for sharing this

[@smas3256]

Stay Primal. What a great testimonial. Nature taking care of itself.

[@donaldduck830]

"wild backyard for 4 years" My village council would be all over me like nothing I want. Secondly: I had some areas with grass that I wanted to use again. These areas with grass were ultrahard to dig and plant a tree in, worse than anything else to dig. 3rd: A few years back I tried to improve an area where there were a lot of weeds, so I covered it very deep in mulch. After a few years, I put some cover crop seeds in. While they did sprout in the top half inch of mulch that was left, below that it was so hard that the roots could not penetrate. Sorry, but I call bs on your story.

[@JVSwailesBoudicca]

Very interesting as usual. I watch your videos on No Dig and wonder where ye olde ideas went and why the ideas ever came into being....For instance, I was always told that the ground became stagnant and sour if it wasn't dug over in the winter- to let the air in and frost to "do its work". If you can grow such a healthy abundance of produce (as you do) without digging, why wasn't it thought about 100s of years ago when only good old manure was used ?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

This is a really key question and relates to how people conduct their lives, and how they relate to their peers and superiors. Few people like rocking the boat, and once a habit has become ingrained and seems to work, any change from that needs a big shift in attitude. That is too much for any one person to achieve, at a time when we did not have Internet or communication much between different groups of people. There were people practising no dig, but they were mostly ignored. I find it incredible, and sad! However, I'm grateful for the Internet above all, to share this knowledge. Before that, I found it very difficult to get much publicity in the mainstream media. The statement you quote is simply wrong! Or, it applies where ground has not been looked after, so it seems justified in that case.

[@JVSwailesBoudicca]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig I appreciate your reply, and words of wisdom on the subject and take it all on board ....I hadn't thought about any of what you said in your first & second paragraphs ! Many thanks.

[@hollyjobitner3285]

Every time I watch you, I get anxious for the spring. We grow spinach all winter, under a grow light. We have raised beds and they have made gardening less work especially since we incorporated the no dig method. My compost piles are taunting me with potential good food. I am from Pennsylvania, USA with a lot of Irish influence. I call dirt, dirt. My husband always says soil. He’s form central PA with a more German population. Thanks for tolerating my ramblings. 💙

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice to hear Holly, interesting about your spinach, and here's to spring!

[@clynthia0510]

I am intrigued by your growing spinach all winter long under a grow light. I am about to start my seeds for spring, and spinach is among them. Yes, I'm new at gardening. I've never used grow lights before. I grew and harvested 6 containers of broccoli recently. This has encouraged me to get more food growing. Best wishes from Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA.

[@hollyjobitner3285]

@@clynthia0510 My husband is the spinach man. We use compost in an “Earth Box”. There is a grow tent, fan and timer for the light. He grows spinach leaves the size of your hand, not that bag of first leaves that becomes slimy in two days. It’s nice to grow it down cellar in a cool environment where it is slower to bolt. A light and a pot full of compost is all you need and is where we started. We like to continue growing it in the basement even in the summer. Give it a try and best of luck. Don’t forget the simplification of no dig! The hardest part was convincing my husband to give it a try 💙

[@GoingGreenMom]

@@hollyjobitner3285 How did you convince him? Trying to convince my uncle to give it a try, but I think just thinks I'm nuts to even do mulch, but he got buried in weeds last year.

[@hollyjobitner3285]

@@GoingGreenMom I suppose the idea of not having to till the garden appealed to him. We as humans are naturally lazy. Our carrots for a year or two were challenging. Last year we planted them in April. Our last frost date is approximately Memorial Day. We were pulling carrots and parsnips in November. Pull those weeds and throw them in the compost pile. Throw out some compost and plant. What could be easier. I’ve gardened practically all my life. My dad would use his tiller to make the dirt very fine. He was very fussy about not walking on the dirt. Different ideas are sometimes better and simpler. Happy gardening! 💙

[@garydenner6253]

A NO BULLSHIT induction of how its done, & with 2 DIAMOND GEEZERS! Cheers boys for putting all of these questions to rest! I've been a (digger),now thanks to you Charles, I'm a NO DIGGER & have certainly seen a major increase in production. Thank you Govner. Gary, 8th generation first fleet convict in Australia.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂 Thanks Gary and I love your humour! I'm so pleased to have helped

[@tanarehbein7768]

I trust you more than the conflicting advice because you keep it simple, practical and illustrate your legitimate success (and you are honest about failures).

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Awesome! Thanks

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Thanks Charles and Mitch, Always great to hear your Common Sense Logic 👍

[@davidframpton8215]

I used to like Bob Flowerdew but he over complicates things. Charles shows how easy it can be.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Ah cool thanks 🏆

[@davidframpton8215]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig I was at allotment 4 years ago. Cabbages destroyed by cabbage white caterpillars. Stumps in ground. We left them. They grew back bigger and stronger than before! Now proven plants under attack sprout deeper roots. They wait and re-grow. People fuss too much.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

@@davidframpton8215 Amazing! Thanks for sharing David

[@turtle2212]

Very similar to the sophisticated high cuisine cooking TV shows of very important chefs😉, I assume. Gardening und cooking can be straight foward with wonderful results, proven by Sir Charles!

[@livus3787]

Yea, organized yet kept simple 🙌

[@boaeoq9404]

Charles is a brilliant teacher - a true educator. The outbreak of Covid scared me into growing food. I copied Charles’s method and started simply with a few bits of cardboard (on horrible lumpy weedy clay) plus a couple of bags of compost. It worked! Subsequently, three years down the line, I have been feeding my family and am hooked on the magic of growing. I now make my own compost (RED Garden on KZbin - ‘One rule compost’ deserves credit).I have also learned more things on this journey such as making jam, vinegar, chutney and sloe gin. It’s so much fun. I still have no weeds. No dig really works…it has been so easy for a complete novice like me to begin the journey and has made growing food a really lovely enjoyable experience. Still learning (rats, pigeons, deer!🤔) Thank you for your inspiring work Charles. ❤😊

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wonderful to hear and thanks

[@smas3256]

I'm in my mid 70's. When I turned 50 I said to myself, that's enough. No fear of anything. Started no dig watching Charles a couple years ago and decided I could do that too. Charles has been a gift.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

@@smas3256 Ah great! Go you.

[@jaysonvance594]

In the US most of us will call it all dirt unless you have actually been told for sure that there is a difference. Unfortunately most of our people will not take the time to learn it because as far as they know it's all grown at the grocery store. 😂

[@smas3256]

🤣

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂 that is sad as well!

[@thepermapatch]

If I have the honor to meet Charles one day, I would thank him for showing me something in this world that finally makes sense and giving me the strength to see another day. Now, I speak of him and his methods here in Eastern Europe to spread awareness of the simpler ways we can make a change!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

How kind thanks, here's to health in your world 💚

[@TransdermalCelebrate]

That’s wonderful, every little helps when you’re finding your feet 👍

[@TransdermalCelebrate]

I use beer/lager traps for the slugs and snails, but naturally it depends on the size of growing space and conditions 👍

[@stormbunnie6966]

I keep coming back to this video. Charles and Mitch are absolute treasures, everything about this video puts me at ease. It's slow pace, the soft voices, the whole premise of the video. I love it.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad you enjoyed it! We had fun :)

[@jadecicily]

Apparently I'm out of the loop. I got all excited and thought Mitch was his son lol.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂

[@mrflaxtv81]

Me too!

[@JohnDoe-qp9qb]

Charles you seem like a beautiful human being to be around with. Lots of calmness and positivity

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks John

[@lesliekendall5668]

Charles isn't married? BECAUSE, and I hate to think I'm the only picky woman in the world, but I'd like to believe no woman would've let him out of the house in those neon green socks. 😆

[@pperrinuk]

Great vid. It is good that the no-dig is more productive than dig - but even if it wasn't, the reduction in work would make it a preferable system. Just about to start our second year of no dig!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Couldn't agree more 💚

[@jophermans]

Absolute super interesting Q&A interview Charles and Mitch! But I have a question 😅 I know...that was the whole point of the video... But I'm confused. As at 16:08 you talk about the composting process, stating that you don't put raw material straight to the compost pile to avoid slugs and other small animals entering the compost pile. But where does the raw garden material then go first? I obviously am not a composting expert, just curious. We love your videos, very inspiring to use some no-dig methods in our city garden

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Charles must be bored out of his skull explaining the basics over and over for 30 years.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

No!! 😂

[@spoolsandbobbins]

Yes! People call it dirt here in Canada too. But I don’t think they really know what they’re talking about 😂. We call ours soil, because it’s ALIVE. To me, dirt is anything you don’t really want hanging around. Great video guys!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Many thanks!

[@richardkerkof8500]

I am in Washington State and I think of dirt as the subsoil dug up during construction. Soil is alive and has organic matter, bacteria, fungi, and other biological component organisms. 🌹

[@codelicious6590]

Mycellium loves cardboard as well.

[@robertling9872]

Beautiful Q&A conversation and video. Thank you both for sharing.

[@saukhaven]

"Why am I digging?" The answer is simple, I can't afford to buy compost and mulch every year to put on top of my beds. Instead, I use local leaves and grass clippings. Between cover crops, row covers and digging only where I plant is about as close as I can get sustainably to no-dig.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Interesting! Since you are mulching with leaves and grass. I don't see you need to dig.

[@nickhammersonrocks]

IF WE GOT KIDS LIKE MITCH INTERESTED IN NO DIG !!!!!!!! WE’RE ALL GONNA BE ALRIGHT !!!!!!!!!

[@Livingintheshoe]

I did no dig for the first time last year….had a great crop with so much less weeding! I love it! Excited to start this year’s garden 💕

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds great! Happy to see this

[@MitchGrows]

Hey Charles just letting you know you tagged my old channel. This is the one im using now.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Ok cool, changed it

[@kathrineporter7845]

My question would be..what do you use for compost if you cannot make your own?..if you have to buy bags (because we havent all got the space in our gardens) is it bagged manure or soil improver or multi purpose ...which one or a combo of all .

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

There are many vague terms used to describe compost. Mushroom compost or animal manure are often the best, multipurpose may be more expensive and should be good too.

[@lesliekendall5668]

I've gotten in the habit of laying down black plastic first (say 10' x 100') and leaving it for at least a year (or longer if I'm not planning a bed there yet). Or folding back just enough for the size bed I want to start. THEN I put down the cardboard and compost. Sometimes it even depends on how much cardboard I've accumulated. Edit: I said that before you mentioned it. Brilliant minds....I guess.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice!

[@tessa5585]

Interesting how the dig/no dig graph seems to show a bigger difference in drier years (eg 2018, 2022) and a smaller difference in wetter years (eg 2021), no? And how fennel, celeriac look better in no dig, being water-loving vegetables... And how the dug bed performs less well after June, when less water is generally available... Guess those soil fungi are working hard to supply plants with moisture indeed. Another argument for no dig in the face of climate change...

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I'm happy that you had such a good look at that graph, Tessa! I quite agree that the dig bed struggles in dry conditions. And also in early spring often, for example, the peas and onions this year. Who is the differences are fascinating and not always obvious to explain, and mostly going in favour of No-Dig.

[@frankbarnwell____]

Loving those sunflowers, Charles! Seriously. 4 years of Charles and NO DIG, I've found my wet, airless soil is good. I raise beds slightly, or just simple mounds. 4-6 inches. I've a larger and easier garden plan in action now. Peas, turnips, potatoes, radishes and carrots. Good luck all

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That is awesome Frank, nice work.

[@southlondonreseller389]

Charles is the GOAT of gardeners.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

🕺🏼 thanks

[@andrewhammill6148]

Where I live, it is basically on top of a mountain and the ground is mostly rock with very little soil, (Yes - I'm from the US and I say soil - LOL). So, growing directly on the ground using the no dig method is pretty much impossible. So raised beds were built. But after the initial soil and compost were purchased to fill the beds, (along with the bottom of the beds filled with branches, logs, etc.), I make a concerted effort to run my beds with a no dig method. I just backfill the tops of the beds between plantings with compost.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

This makes perfect sense Andrew, I'm glad it's working for you, and you are building soil!

[@gardenepiphany5408]

Same! Rocks and clay. Raised beds are a must. But I just keep adding compost!

[@selinang9291]

Hi Charles I was so excited to start my new no dig raised beds. I filled the whole bed with compost from a local garden company. The compost consists of cow and chicken manure and some hay. I then transplanted my seedlings only to have them die within a week. I went back to my local garden center and told him what happened. He said the the plants died probably due to acidity in the compost, that I shouldn’t have filled the whole bed with compost, only to be used as an amendment. Needless to say I was disappointed at my first attempt at no dig but I am eager to learn/. Please can you advise what I may have done wrong. When asked the manager said the manure had been aged for 2 years. Should I have used mushroom compost or used some potting mix with the compost?

[@carolineedward1127]

Possibly contaminated with aminopyralid residues. Charles has a lot of info on that chemical. It kills your seedlings and plants and I think he tests all bought compost with small seedling before using. I don’t think you did ANYTHING wrong 👍

[@moo1388]

Maybe we dig because we don't have nor do we create gorgeous compost to just plant into. Some of us can only make time for having semicomposted manure or waste dumped on lot and Have to mix it to not kill or disgust what we're trying to grow. Homemade 2yr compost made to perfection is theee best,, but many of us cannot. It takes a lot of time and effort and Labor. However every year I add on, im able to mix more shallow. that is one way to get decent soil. its light layers overtime.. mixing shallow And respecting the life beneath

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds good

[@wyominghome4857]

When you say "black plastic" do you literally mean plastic or do you mean black garden cloth, which is water permeable?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes plastic. It's a lot cheaper, often is a waste product in fact, as in this case. We use it several years on different areas. It does have some holes in it now because of its age and that is fine. They are not big enough for weeds to grow through, but some rain passes down. And we apply the plastic when the soil is damp already underneath.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

Mitch does a great job of facilitating the questions

[@Loreneasterbrook]

Hi Charles. Question about compost. I’m vegan so prefer not to use compost with animal manures in it. I have only been able to find green waste compost but I am also trying to make my own. How can I make more compost with more life in it?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You need to find sources of more green materials, such as the wastes from stores or Cafes, and if there's any areas of waste ground near you, perhaps you can cut some of that grass and weeds. Paper is a great source of compost material, and woodchips turn into compost after 2 to 3 years, they may need some sifting. It's all very worthwhile work.

[@florincochintu8691]

Will start no digg this year to try. Didn't digg in autumn. Just mulched. Will plant straight in. Will this be considered no digg? Should I add more compost on top after planting?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That's all good, and there are no precise methods. Simply that you leave soil as undisturbed as possible, and add whatever organic matter you can find on top, often in not huge quantity, but see how you go!

[@selinang9291]

In the no dig method do you add vermiculite or perlite to the compost for drainage? I find manure compost quite heavy. 10:07

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I never do that in a bed. nor recommend it

[@selinang9291]

Hi Charles. I filled a vegetable bed completely with organic compost bought at a local Garden Center. It is made from cow manure, straw, and bark mulch. I transplanted some Swiss chard seedlings and watched them slowly die. I went back to the garden Center and told them what happened. The manager told me I should never have used the compost on its own because of its acidity. He told me that compost is an amendment and not to be used alone. Any thoughts on why this didn’t work for me and what I can do differently. I really want to do the no dig method but am having troubles. I was told the compost was aged 2 years.

[@carolineedward1127]

@@selinang9291aminopyralid contamination possibly

[@wjs5773]

I have watched many of not most of your videos Charles but this one brings a lot of principles together and I really enjoyed it. Mitch asked good questions . As I currently have a very dodgy back, I would just add another word in favour of raised beds.I appreciate the problem with hidden pests but as you get older you may appreciate the benefits of raised beds which could outweigh or equal their disadvantage.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Awesome, thank you and that is a fair point!

[@tashaking8907]

Americans do call soil dirt.

[@BrianHart-k2m]

Mr . Charles. I would love to come learn from you but I don’t have the money to fly over there to where you’re at so I have to depend on your videos that you were making to do I know teal garden here in North Louisiana

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds good, there is loads of information in these videos

[@inventor226]

I am turning a large yard into a garden this spring.I have been saving all of my moving and other cardboard boxes to try no dig. I have wet clay soil with boulders (some the size of cars) mixed through out so a tiller would probably not have worked anyways.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Good luck! Quite an adventure

[@h20beek]

Awesome very informative thank you . Can the soil/compost be used from the floor of an evergreen forest.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes, absolutely and I reckon you should be okay up to about 2 inches/5 cm. I did that once in France with good results for vegetables

[@craigmetcalfe1749]

Hey Charles and Mitch! I was really attracted to the thumbnail image of this video and I thought to myself...pick the frustrated thespian. Coming from the world of cloud computing and hoping to be replaced by AI and ChatGPT (AI's most popular child) the day of my retirement, I have come to rely heavily on FAQs in my career. So as far as I'm concerned, this new format is a winner. Keep growing on and realise that you will never win the classical thespian argument...should we have a bigger stage or a larger audience. Fortunately, the introduction of technology means that this doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. Cheers!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks Craig and I had to look up ChatGPT! Freaky.... big changes so fast. Thank goodness for soil and plants. I gave a talk on Sunday and the stage, was not big enough, with 30 people, shut out! So you're right, online, this problem does not happen! But we miss out on other things. Funnily enough, surfing is something you can do online and in real life!

[@ashagray1135]

I bought some mulch from apsley farms can I use that for no dig? I put some on flower beds last year and it hasn’t composted down

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Oh dear, those guys I feel are naughty because they call their product compost sometimes. It is actually the solids left from anaerobic decomposition of materials such as grass and maize/corn in digesters. Whose aim is to produce methane for sale. These solids take a long time to decompose, as you have noticed, and I would not use them as compost. They are indeed better as a neutral, very slowly fertilising, but hardly at all, material which can act as weed suppressant. I know this from using this myself.

[@deborahpickering6941]

Can I use topsoil on top of the cardboard and then a lot of store bought quality compost? Will that still work?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes Deborah, all good

[@vanessaadams9145]

I will be starting a brand new garden this spring, raised beds about 2-3ft high, the most limited amount of space that ive had so far so my plan is to turn the beds into a "compost bin" next month so that hopefully by the full spring of things this year it will be full of organic matter in it . Wish me luck lol I am in northern ontario canada quite cold here still but its coming soon enough

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Enterprising Vanessa and I wish you success 💚

[@Naturalwholeness]

Loved this video, thanks for spreading the word. I’ve created 2 community no dig gardens now and am blown away by the simplicity and abundance 🌱💚

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That is awesome, not one but two, and thanks

[@kathrynrow7034]

Dirt is what you get under your fingernails. Soil is what you have in your garden.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

👍

[@Eclips8it]

COMPOST QUESTION to @CharlesDawding1nodig, What materials do you compost ? ( the explanation at 16:00 did cause some added confusion) : "... raw material we don't put on here", i.e. food scraps & leaves you don't use due to slug issues. Instead composting wood chips/bark and weeds were stated at different talking points. And the "Green waste compost" you bought (17:50) also suggested merely wood-comprised. I'm new to your channel and glad, thanks to this content to finally grasp the diff btwn compost & soil. But fell short on the range of materials (organic, and non-organic if any) you actually compost besides wood & weeds. Is that it ? Do you incl. Grass clippings, flowers, branches, all weed kinds/dandelions...? Much obliged for more clear-cut ingredients to your compost method. Likewise grand, If anyone can direct herein to a supporting video which breaks down Charles's compost method - Props all!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

This video will help you kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3TJpYuYrspkd6M and this from my website Weeds (green) include some soil (brown) on their roots, so you can make fine compost from them alone. You can compost perennial weeds too - I add roots and leaves of bindweed, docks, nettles, buttercups, dandelions and couch grass. They break down even in winter’s cooler heaps, and regrow only if left exposed to light. You can save much time by not separating out perennial weeds. Fresh leaves are green and older leaves become more brown, so autumn tree leaves are mostly brown. Tree leaves take up to two years to compost, or one year when added to green/nitrogenous materials such as grass. They also decompose more quickly if chopped by a rotary lawnmower. Diseased leaves are good to compost, such as mildewed courgette and lettuce leaves, rusty garlic and leek leaves, blighted potato and tomato leaves, and also tubers/fruits with late blight. Blight spores, for example, need living plant tissue to survive in, hence they die in a compost heap, and likewise in soil. I spread compost that was made with blighted leaves around tomatoes in the polytunnel, with no ensuing problems. Rhubarb leaves and citrus peel are good to compost - I know from experience. Eggshells bring structure to a heap but decompose slowly, often ending un-mulched on top. Most shredded materials are woody (brown), and their speed of composting depends on size, and whether they have been crushed or simply cut - crushed is best. I keep a pile of shredded branches near to the summer’s compost heaps, for adding to any large additions of grass mowings and fresh leaves. Other brown materials are paper (best crumpled), cardboard (which you can add in large pieces), wood ash (in winter my heaps are up to 10% wood ash), soil and straw, which gives good structure and aeration. Beware of adding too much wood-flake bedding, often kiln dried and very slow to decompose. Not the end of the world, but your finished compost risks looking woody! Fresh manure from any animal is green, and is excellent for speeding decomposition. Should you have large animals such as a cow or horse, their manure and bedding will ‘take over’ the compost heap, volume wise, meaning your compost heap has become more of a manure heap. Old manure is compost, just of a different quality. Chicken manure is unusual because of it’s high amount of nitrogen. In small amounts, say you have 6-12 chickens, I suggest adding their droppings to the compost heap, where it helps other wastes to break down. To use it as mulch, there must have been plenty of bedding such as straw, and then it needs to have decomposed for 6-8 months in an aerobic heap.

[@Eclips8it]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Merci beaucoup for video link and green-brown break down from your website I didn't get to yet!! The journey begins, and this also speaks to @selinang9291 regarding her no-dig attempt solely made with cow & chicken manure compost n hay. Another switch on words, cause I thought aged manure was called and used as a fertilizer or mulch as you put it. (Ever come across the story of Paul Gautsch (US), in his Back to Eden Gardening film documentary (2011)? Preceding you, he's the first I ever laid eyes on doing similar no-till, irrigation-sparse, forest floor mimicing wonder.)

[@TheSouthernLady777]

Yes, we call it dirt here. Only in the past decade has anyone refferred to the dirt as soil. From school to adulthood, that is what we were taught 😊.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for sharing :)

[@TransdermalCelebrate]

I’ve noticed the drop off as well, when it comes to your soil, so composting and keeping a regular turnover undoubtedly helps 👍

[@tombalogh8152]

I am trying to adopt the no dig philosophy in my garden in Point Reyes Station, CA, USA: zone 9. How do incorporate cover crop/green manure which I have on my beds, with no dig? I'm thinking to cut the cover crop with a string trimmer but what then, just leave all the greens on the bed and add compost? Should I gently scuffle hoe the bed, is that allowed in no dig. Tom Balogh

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Hi Tom All is 'allowed', it's more about what is best for soil and soil life. Your climate is utterly different to here, and therefore practices will be different as well. Cover crops, for example, are needed only if you have long gaps in the growing season when you don't need to grow vegetables. The latter are a kind of cover crop! If you do grow them, yes, some kind of cutting can work depending on time of year and what it is. Laying clear polythene over the top in hot sunlight can kill cover crops. Many options! Here we use Frost.

[@tombalogh8152]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thanks for the prompt reply. Looks like I should have planted some winter over crops that I could eat. At least I did get some fava beans in a few beds. Also tried Black eye peas, but they didn't germinate. I'll just keep on no digging.

[@zimmermanlandscape9287]

Not only does soil gas off when you till but you are also loosing dust and sediment with the wind and rain.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

So true

[@heidiweinert3260]

Soil is more accurate but I did say dirt before I started studying more about gardenening. In America farmers and serious garders usually say soil. Newer and self taught gardeners may say dirt. It can be interchangeable on a more casual level or when talking about the ground with a nongardening focus, i.e.; The dog was digging in the dirt. My brother put dirt down my shirt.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for sharing Heidi. Brothers! This is v helpful.

[@cliveinsley9608]

Thoroughly enjoyed another no-dig session. Im already persuaded. Having moved house late last year to where no gardening had been done for years we face a wet clay base. Ive aerated the soil with the fork but not sure of benefit yet. Several bags of bark chips to cover borders pro tem but the packing boxes i didnt know what to do with are resurrected and some are already on the ground under the compost bin. Others ready for when we get compost. Thanks for dissuading me from making sides for beds more to spend on compost which will have to be bagged for this first season . Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers Clive, thanks for feedback and that sounds encouraging

[@tarasteffes540]

Interesting story in our family. Over 25 years ago I planted 3 Heritage River Birch trees and did not dig a hole to plant them in . I set all three on top of the ground and surrounded them with dirt and mulch , mostly mulch . They not only survived but have thrived.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That is amazing. I'm guessing you must've given them a good stake, to stop them blowing over since roots were not anchored in the ground. And maybe were fortunate with the weather? Or watering a lot because those roots could easily dry out.

[@scootertasmania6619]

Great video thanks..times must be tough in the U.K...looks like razor blades are expensive lol

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂 keeps us warm!

[@jenniedehoedt7010]

I planted green manure on one of my beds In autumn and it instructs to dig it in during spring. For no dig what would I do instead of digging it in. ?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I would not grow a green manure which had those instructions! However, since you have, you need a strategy and I would cover it with cardboard or black plastic now, so that it is dead by about mid March. Then lift the plastic, maybe remove the cardboard to compost heap, because it will be harbouring slugs! Then a light raking, and you are ready to go hopefully.

[@rominaadimari8723]

Muchas gracias por su vídeo!!! Par de Holgazanes!!!!jajajs ahora en serio: como siempre Charles, sus explicaciones son tan claras que sólo hace falta aplicar el método y ver el resultado por experiencia propia!!!además de la belleza de las hortalizas y flores que dan tanto color a Homeacres, gracias por compartirlo con todos nosotros! Gracias gracias gracias!!! Saludos desde Argentina!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Eso es tan bueno, estoy feliz de ayudar 😎!

[@cynthiahofer2903]

Getting excited to start but we still have a foot of snow. One can dream and plan for a while longer yet.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wishing you warmth!

[@yerneedsry]

THAT DUDE NEEDS TO KEEP HIS BEAR

[@paulworthington8666]

I think "dirt" does mean soil in America. I've heard Americans talk about "good growing dirt". "Dirt farmers" means arable farmers (although often not very respectfully - especially when used by cattle ranchers).

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

The layers of meaning in words are incredible!

[@sarahwalters6979]

Good evening just watching this video and I was wondering about your sunflowers, there is a rumour going round that sunflowers stop crops growing apparently the let out a chemical from the root that hinder other plants growth is thus something you have noticed plz

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for the info, but do you notice that on this video?! Sure they are very demanding of moisture, and so the soil around the in summer is often dry, and that is the only way they slow growth of plants nearby. It's nothing to do with chemical secretions, in my experience.

[@sarahwalters6979]

@Charles Dowding no your plants were all around your sunflowers maybe 50cm away I wanted to plant sunflowers in my plot so I can feed the seeds to my chickens but was worried it would make my vegetables and other flowers struggle, thank you for your help and sharing your knowledge and experience.

[@tamararoberts9307]

Planting a tree is the same as transplanting plants , just on a bigger scale. Mimic nature as close as possible ( no-dig method) is the healthiest way 👌

[@donnabrooks1173]

He is so humble. An honorable person. Very important trait. Love him. Amazing person!!!!!!!!

[@emmakavanagh3485]

I have access to a mountain of horse manure, that’s years old, now black and full of worms. Can I use this on cardboard?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes it's compost :) V nice

[@emmakavanagh3485]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig thank you! I keep my horse with an old friend of yours! Kate. Moved to Oxford. She recommended your method 😀

[@manuelrojas4483]

Muy buenas preguntas y muy buenas respuestas,que aclaran dudas que tenemos todos los que disfrutamos de huertos ecológicos.Saludos desde Tenerife!! 👌🏻👏🤙🏻🥕🥦🌿🐞🌸🍅🥬🌹

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Gracias Manuel

[@denisebrady6858]

Charles this was once again extremely interesting & informative- I LOVE your wonderful excitement when you talk about Homeacres. As you know I am very despondent at the moment in my Garden due to the extreme heat- but it is Australia & I have lived here all my life so I need to grow up & get over it Hahhahaha. Cheers Denise- Australia

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad you enjoyed it Denise. I hope you can get through the next six weeks or so, because your spring and autumn sounds pretty nice to me! And I've heard a fair bit from Melbourne, how cool it has been down there?!

[@stuckinthemudgarden7726]

Charles I would like to thank you for all the great information you put out . I struggled gardening for many years. I had some good success growing using the back to Eden method,but just using wood chips and fighting with planting in the was frustrating. Just using compost it makes growing a completely enjoyable experience. Once again thank you for all you do .

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great job and many thanks :)

[@pascalxus]

I'm a big fan of No Dig. Ever since the first day I watched charles dowding, I stopped digging! I've already purchased "How to create a new vegetable garden", and "Winter Leaves". Thank you so much!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Happy to see this Pascal, and I'm glad you have the books

[@GARDENER42]

Sadly my recently acquired local council allotment has led to a hiatus in my following of the no dig principle. Half of it has no more than 100mm of soil on top of quarry waste, concrete & rubble, so once & once only, I'm stripping off the soil(removing twitch, nettles, docks & dandelions), removing 200mm of this vile mess & moving soil in to give 250-300mm overall. All the rock is going in places where there will be paths or non cultivated places. Once done, it'll be back to no dig, with cardboard, then 100mm of compost on top. The huge heap of twitch, nettle & everything else will be covered in black plastic for a year or so, then returned to the soil.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

My word, that is quite the interruption! You're not shy of hard work, which is fortunate, and here's to life, returning!

[@nickhammersonrocks]

ROCK ON MITCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@EDLaw-wo5it]

Excellent video for this new gardener. I have a difficult Bermuda grass problem. Will the cardboard help midigate the grass ALL the area around the 900 sq. Ft. Garden is Bermuda. HELP. Havagudun Charles.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes it will work, I often have feedback that this has been the case. However, cardboard alone does not achieve elimination. It's you who will manage that by repeated removal in the first year of new growth which you need to keep patrolling. That's not the same as digging out the main roots below, but they get weaker each time, and you need to keep the faith!! Also I recommend you mulch/cover the edges to have a neutral zone or no man's land, where the grass cannot grow and that will prevent it spreading back in.

[@dwighthires3163]

A mouse got into my greenhouse and ate new tender shoots of my starter plants. How do you control rodent problems in the greenhouse?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I keep a mousetrap in there with peanut butter.

[@dwighthires3163]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Has that been enough?

[@jethrojackson2524]

Mitch, you seeking help from the source of all living gardens!

[@smas3256]

Thanks Charles. The Q and A with Mitch style was nicely done. Glad I read through comments. Repetition is a good thing. Zone map says I'm 6a and 6b. (go figure lol) USA.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad you enjoyed it Hope the zone knowledge helps!

[@cuznclive2236]

I would add the more you grow the greater the source of compost becomes; thus, providing more compost for growing more... unless you have pigs or chickens eating it. That becomes a very different plan than Charles has on his farm. My question(s) is about using taller raised beds, the kind you see as a wrapped structure of metallic material raised to 3-feet-ish above ground. I don't bend well, and getting to ground-level hurts to an extreme. How would you go about managing a garden built with these-type beds? Do you see benefits/detriments growing, such as a bed of asparagus, with this method? Thank you!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Those are good points. I have seen the beds you mention, and indeed have been offered some for free but definitely do not want any. Firstly, it needs a lot of material to fill them, so that's a lot of hard work already and cost. Secondly, metal is not in my experience a good material for a side, because of how it heats up in sun and cools down in frost. It's a heat conductor, so the edge of the bed will be relatively dead and a bit dry. One last thing is, I don't think they look nice! But the first two points are big ones and I don't think they've been used enough yet, for these problems to emerge. If you want such a bed, I recommend using wood. But it is a lot of work and a lot of contents, and you still have to bend over the edge to reach the middle.

[@tamararoberts9307]

I LOVE this condensed informative video ! ❤️

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad you like it!!

[@มณิภาศรีกระสอน-ท9ค]

Very good

[@duujo]

Fantastic

[@rhysjaggar4677]

I've turned two separately dug areas into no-dig vegetable gardens (one a back garden, one an allotment) and you see quite clearly within 3 years how the soil is healing, its structure improves - it's most noticeable in the quality of brassicas to be honest. I also noticed with the back garden bed that after 5-6 years, there is something visually different about the nature of the soil too. The other thing I can say is that compost is critical, even in no-dig. I didn't have enough compost at home to compost all the beds last year and the one bed of the four main ones that couldn't get any compost was visibly worse in allowing vegetables to grow than those which did receive it.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great gardening Rhys, you are epic

[@lindasands1433]

Devil's gut! What a great name for convulvulous! 😂😂

[@funnywolffarm]

In a nice course I took a while back (in the US) the thought that 'dirt' is misplaced 'soil' was thrown out; over time I have come to see some value to this way of defining the term. Dirt = soil out of place, and, lacking life and/or function therefore. Thanks for the video, as always.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice definition

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

It would make a good t-short "No Dig Is Not A Religion". - - Soil compaction is often used to discussed the state of a lawn that has had a lot of constant footfall for decades.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You are right, that would be a cool title! Thanks for your idea

[@jonolewis3660]

Curious if there are any situations/plants where you do use fertilisers/plant feeds? Also, is there such a thing as adding too much compost during the year?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I feed some containers. "Too much" obv yes but it's words only

[@oldbear6813]

What about adding compost to perennial crops such as strawberries that don't fully die back every winter? Strawberries are often quite close together (like mine) and I'm not sure I could add compost without burying the established plants 🤔 If I do bury them at the end of season would they pop back through come spring? It's taken me 5 years to grow a very thick, lush strawberry patch I'd hate to kill them all off now 🤣

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

They will grow through if you spread about 1 inch/2.5 cm all over including on plants. Firstly for varieties which finish in July, I cut off all the leaves at that moment and spread the compost. All the new leaves grow through. For perpetual strawberries you could do that in winter.

[@РоманМу-т1ъ]

Как насчет нитратов? Ведь некоторые растения берут их больше необходимого и способны накапливать? Например капуста. Именно поэтому перепревший навоз у нас кладут в землю только под зиму, чтобы убрать этот отрицательный эффект.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Именно в этом заключается большое преимущество компоста, который содержит питательные вещества в формах, не растворимых в воде. Они не плавают в почве и не могут без необходимости накапливаться в каком-либо растении. Растения могут найти необходимые им питательные вещества, когда они им нужны. Это не тот случай, когда люди используют неразложившийся навоз, содержащий водорастворимые нитраты, и, конечно же, это проблема с использованием искусственных удобрений. Компост не является удобрением и его гораздо проще использовать.

[@kdbolson]

You are totally right, Charles. In the states the word "dirt" is often used to mean soil. One example, saying "Black Dirt" is equivalent to saying "Top Soil". I hadn't thought of it before, but it is a strange use of the word.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Interesting, thanks :)

[@MiriamPendleton]

You're right - dirt = soil in America. People who work in agriculture or horticulture or soil science call soil soil, however.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Ah thanks :) Use of words is so interesting!

[@jameswswann]

I use no dig on my allotment. So many of the 'old men' decry my ways because how else am I going to lime it and rake it? Pro tip: I'm not.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thank you for sharing this James, and for standing firm! That is quite intimidating behaviour, and is incredibly backwards thinking. Putting something which is not needed at the front of a statement to justify something else which is not needed!!

[@bronco5644]

That’s correct that many Americans refer to soil as “dirt”. When I took soil science at the University, our instructor was very strict that we didn’t refer to soil as “dirt”. He said that “dirt” was what collected under one’s fingernails.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Love this. I have soil under my nails, or compost! 😂

[@barryx23]

On our allotment, we have bays where "turf" with soil attached to roots and other weeds have been dumped in pallet frames to rot down over the years. It has broken down nicely but can I still use this as "compost" given the large quantity of heavy clay soil that was attached to the turf? I need to add "compost" to the top of an asparagus bed and was thinking of using this. But would the layer I put down remain heavy given the amount of soil I'm invariably going to add?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That's a good question, Barry and you are right that it's not strictly speaking compost. More what used to be called a loam. You could spread this, wherever you are happy for the bed level to rise in a more permanent way, but I would not use too much and always spread a little compost on top. A little on asparagus, ok. Will have weed seeds I expect though.

[@stoptheinsanity3844]

always add compost on top before the season. and throughout the season add grass clippings and compost when everything pops up.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😎 nice

[@darrenwalker905]

Many in the U.S. call soil "dirt". But usually most gardeners consider it a bit of a derogatory term, whereas soil is considered that it's healthy.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers Darren, I shall stick with soil!

[@RetreatfarmFarmvilleVirginia]

I'm actually anxious to see what my newly acquired 10 year old composted cow manure/Sawdust will produce. It would seem to be a Gamble, but it's so dark and rich but at the same time, curiously odor free and feels like velvet in my hands. I'm betting my Strawberry and total Jersey Tomato and pepper crops on it. The gentleman that gifted it to me talked about incredible yields and larger than normal sizes of the individual varieties when he gardened with it just one year ago.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

In olden days it as called humus, the apex of fertility which is not soil, but helps soil to be open and productive. It's not bringing many nutrients, but think of it like a key, to unlock what is already in your soil. Growth will be good, and balanced, healthy

[@owenp65]

A brilliant video answering plenty of questions clear plain and simple. This will be my third year of growing using the No Dig method and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Less work, bigger harvests and aesthetically pleasing on the eye as well. Each year the plot becomes easier to manage and looks so good with minimal weeding required. I am forever thankful to you Charles Dowding.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Fantastic Owen 💚

[@owenp65]

.

[@joshuahoyer1279]

Great Q&A session! I have one for you - do you grow horseradish at all at Homeacres? I'm considering growing some here because I love the spicy root. But I've read that the root likes to dive a foot or more into the soil, and that it is usually planted in a 3-4 inch trench at an angle. I'm curious to see if anyone has ever tried no-dig horseradish. Perhaps it could be treated like parsnip in a way, levered with a spade for harvest?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes so hard to extract, you idea makes sense