Opportunities in May

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Summer is approaching fast. May is the chance to be ready.
Now a whole raft of tender plants can be sown and set outside. I show you possibilities for many other May jobs as well. Such as by early May, you should find it's good to remove most covers of fleece.
It’s the hungry gap! Stored squash and garlic come into their own, potatoes too. Harvests are light except for perennials like rhubarb, asparagus and kale, plus the first lettuce, early sowings of radish and turnip, and overwintered spinach, cabbage, spring onions.
Don’t sow anything like rocket, mizuna, turnips or spinach at the moment, because it's their flowering season.
On the other hand, early May is a great time to sow climbing beans, chard, Brussels sprouts, kale, and autumn cabbage.
Transplant courgettes and cucumbers mid-month, then sweetcorn and squash 20th-25th May.
Take every chance to stay on top of weeds, because May sees incredible surges of growth in all plants.
Make compost, transplant flowers.
00:00 Introduction
00:26 Removing covers
01:21 Comparison dig/no dig beds
02:26 Carrots - difficult to grow this spring, my advice
02:58 Results of carbon tests in the two beds
03:21 Vegetable storage in my shed, plus new harvests
04:30 Perennial veg - asparagus, rhubarb, kale
04:52 Other harvests possible in May
05:25 In the greenhouse - sowing options for May, in particular warmth-loving veg
07:49 Transplant options for May - the Small Garden
10:02 Summer beans - advice on when to sow
10:45 Weeding, little and often, and edging - the tools I use
12:28 Potatoes
12:42 Making compost, and my compost aerator tool
14:33 Managing the height of plants, eg broad beans
15:46 Planting flowers
17:00 Slugs
17:18 Outro
Filmed at Homeacres, Somerset UK by Edward Dowding, on 26th April 2024
Music by Rory Dinwoodie, IG: rorydinwoodiemusic
You can join this channel by paying a monthly fee, to support our work with helping gardeners grow better, and to receive monthly videos made only for members:
/ @charlesdowding1nodig
#nodig #nodiggardening #growyourownveggies #healthyfood #growyourownfood

[@NeilV.MaineAdventures]

Hi Charles, 6 months ago I started a job at a contact center for a well known seed company here in the states. I have lots of experience in customer service, but not much growing experience. I have watched so many Gardening videos on youtube trying to gobble up as much info as possible and yours are my absolute favorite! I'm super excited to start my first garden, no-dig of course :) Cheers from Maine!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for your lovely and discreet comment Neil. I'm glad you like my videos 🌱

[@donnastacey7227]

If you are in the States have a look at Audrey on Real Food Comes Dirty. She's near Detroit I think.

[@robertevans8024]

I'm assuming you've heard of Elliot Coleman...?🤔🔥💯🌱👨🏻‍🌾

[@sueweathers3978]

MIgardener is excellent as well

[@NeilV.MaineAdventures]

@@robertevans8024 Yes! He has also been a big inspiration to me. His farm on the coast looks amazing, I hope to visit it someday.. got to try his carrots that i've heard so much about. :)

[@turtle2212]

We just finished a plant swap event on Saturday in our little village of approx 600 inhabitants and the land ladies offered selfmade cake and coffee. People could also donate for children in need of help. We were surprised how much the gardening community is growing, with now 6 people having adopted no dig and many more very interested. All these seeds you have sown my dear Sir Charles 😊.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for sharing, and I'm very happy to hear that! Let's hope there's a big multiplier effect, and the new no diggers tell many other people!

[@Viva_la_natura]

Not only does Charles Dowding have the kindest affect, and the most knowledgeable content...he has great style. I've been watching for many years, and look forward to many more. Cheers gardeners!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

How lovely, thanks, here's to many more years

[@nickr7622]

14% Carbon. Well done mate!

[@bettytsang]

Finally giving Minty a fuss!! Hurts me every time you leave her hanging 😂

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

We have plenty of cuddles at other times, but in these videos I want to give you information in the few minutes I have your attention

[@suemccarthy5970]

I’ll be interested to hear how you get on with the hot bin. I have a mini in my small urban garden. It’s great for kitchen waste and green stuff from the garden. I don’t have a lawn so there’s no a huge amount of grass clippings. It is quick. No smells to offend neighbours, and it’s neat by the back door and easy to balance the browns and greens. But I wouldn’t see a need to use one on a more open space such as my allotment where I don’t have those constraints. Neither would I be able to manage the regularity required to keep it going.

[@RichardTaylorgardening]

I remember when I was 3 years old in 1971 putting newspaper on my grandads traditional beds been no dig since letting the ground dry out and watering through a pipe happy gardening Richardx

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Child genius!!

[@PaintingVideos]

Recipe for slug traps that is cheaper than beer: fill an empty ice cream box with lit, with 1 cup water, 1 tsp (teaspoon) sugar 1 tsp yeast 1 tsp (wheat) flower. Mix together. Cut a little window out the ice cream box or butter box or any plastic container where the slugs can enter. Works like MAGIC. You do have to renew every once / while because of the dead slugs creating smells

[@PaintingVideos]

You can also put the boxes a little under earth level with the window(s) at earth level. The closed boxes make sure it can work in rain not spilling as well🎉🎉🎉

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thank you so much, I'm sure many people will find this helpful

[@joanies6778]

We call that hoe a "hula hoe" and I love it to get rid of small weeds. It really makes the job easier in loose soil, mulch, and gravel. Another indespensible tool is my dandelion remover... it gets rid of deep tap roots. If you dig straight down along the root, you can loosen the root and lift the plant out without making a big hole. We have several horrific weeds with deep tap roots, so I use it alot.

[@sharonscott8358]

Slugs have been a real problem this year with all the rain. They completely decimated my beetroot, which was under fleece. Mainly the white and yellow. Seems they are not as keen on the red! So I've re sown but they are not ready yet to go out. Our last frost date is mid May so, whilst the greenhouse is absolutely bursting at the seams, there is so much that I just dare not put out for another 3 or 4 weeks. Lets hope for a good summer this year

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Interesting about the beetroot colours! And yes, we need a decent summer after this winter and spring, but I'm taking nothing for granted.

[@Warrior-In-the-Garden]

Wow the difference dig v no dig. New in my no dig journey. Good to see I'm on the right track!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great to hear 🙂

[@cpoco]

Funnily enough, when I started "playing around" with gardening I never considered "digging" the bed... I figured the idea was to just make a hole to put the plant in and otherwise leave the ground alone. Having said that, before I built a compost area I would just tip our household compost directly onto the veggie patch as it seemed to make sense to drop it where it was ideally going to end up anyway. Love watching your videos as always!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Super intuition, keep following it and thanks

[@wholesomecooperative2570]

Hello Charles, grew lots in a raised bed last year as that was the only space we had then, I used your advice for growing salad and it did very well. We made our bed no dig and really saw a difference between beds managed by other community gardeners and our bed. Very excited to say that we have just been awarded a community allotment. We are just prepping it and will be making a plan for where things will go now!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great to hear of your success and great news about the community allotment 🙂 I look forward to hearing your progress.🌱

[@ravenhill4331]

Amazing fact with the higher amount of carbon in the undug bed! Really great that no-dig is gaining ground. 🌱

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I was amazed by the difference!

[@brendenh1667]

I've gambled and begun my own journey, cultivating and growing, influienced by you and the content you provide. Can't thank you enough for the well of knowledge!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Fantastic to hear Brenden and I wish you joy in the journey

[@IndianaJesus84]

At least I'm not the only one fighting the slugs this Spring. They got into the greenhouse and absolutely wrecked one of my shishito peppers.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Oh wow!

[@fsh57]

Hi Charles l love your place and work you do! and your beautiful cat enjoy your company with gardening😻😻😻

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I am glad Dana 🌱 🐈

[@cindycreve749]

Here in Belgium carrots had a hard time sprouting too but i also resowed and know their up ;-) we had some sunny days but now a lot of rain, i can swim in my garden at some places... hope it get's better soon... sad i cant post a foto here :-) i'm quiet proud of my garden now... glad i can resow courgette... i'm going to do that right a way! Hope you all have an amazing growing season, let's grow a lot of healthy foods together . thanks Charles as always a very informative video, learnt a lot!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice to see this Cindy, except for the excessive rain you have. Here is just about okay now. And yes, we all need to grow a lot of decent food this summer and autumn

[@donisenberg3032]

I’ve been following you for several years now,still enjoy every new video. Before you I didn’t realize I was a no dig gardener, I thought I was just lazy. I’d plant, cover with mulch to keep down weeds and moisture in the soil, and that was pretty it. Every now and then I’d get a batch of mulch with vetch seeds in it and it was frustrating.

[@stuffandnonsense8528]

Masanobu Fukuoka (one of the first popular proponents of mulching instead of digging) discussed the technique in terms of embracing laziness (rather than explicitly no-dig). So, in many ways your initial instinct matches the history of the movement. The truth is though that I've seen this kind of technique employed by some people who are 'lazy' (in the sense of letting things be quite messy - which I don't have anything particularly against) and then people like Mr Dowding, who are the polar opposite and keep things neat as a pin (allowing wild spaces not far from the garden to be beautifully messy but keeping the growing area very orderly). My own ethos is to try to be more like CD, though I never quite get there. I quite like the almost victorian aesthetic of a very orderly vegetable garden).

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Rock on - you manage your time well!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks and yes, I am all for time-saving. Tidy achieves that. In a natural and highly productive way.

[@tedbastwock3810]

Charles, you are getting closer and closer, and one day it will happen ... have you thought of a big celebration idea for your 1M subscribers mark? 😎 p.s. I cant say it enough, Charles your CD trays are fantastic. They have been a game changer for us. And yes, they make that much of a difference. TY for that thought in design and bringing it to fruition!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Maybe one day Ted. Subscriber numbers have increased by only 63,000 in the last year, so that is another five years! I'm not thinking about it! Meanwhile, I'm very happy to have helped you with my module tray design

[@tedbastwock3810]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thats too bad & YT needs to fix their algorithm bc this is far and away the best gardening, growing, farming content on the platform, and one of the best channels they have period.

[@CSaville]

There is a great KZbinr called Beanie Composter who is an absolute guru of all things Hotbin. I started watching his videos and ended up with the best homemade compost I've ever made. Definitely worth a watch!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for sharing 😎

[@leebarrett2501]

Another great video- between yourself and Huw Richards, you definitely provide the most informative content. Glad to hear (in a funny sort of way) that youre "struggling" with the hotbin composter too and I'm looking forward to hearing more about it

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Much appreciated Lee

[@chezelleconroy2951]

So beautiful, informative and thorough- thank you! As always ❤

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You are very welcome Chezelle

[@stevenbp101]

Afternoon Charles, great video, always enjoy seeing your garden and what you’ve got going on. We’ve got ours in and are really enjoying it. Thanks for all the wonderful advice through the years. (Old guy from Arkansas)🇺🇸

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

And thank you, Steven for being such a loyal follower in deepest Arkansas

[@ralphwinter6421]

Nice one Charles, wonderful vid...

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@waynesell3681]

Nice nice nice! Very inspiring. Beautiful spring day here in Michigan!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad you enjoyed it AND have a lovely day 😎

[@waynesell3681]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig thank you Charles!

[@EighteenandCloudy]

Fingers crossed for some dry, sunny days soon, it's so hard to keep on top of weeding when the ground is permanently wet! Thanks for sharing a list of things to sow in May, these video are really helpful and make it feel less overwhelming with planning what to sow and when. Kitty is very sweet, I love that she follows you around whilst you film!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I am glad you enjoy them and find them helpful 🙂 Hopefully we will see some sun soon ☀️

[@stevendowden2579]

all looking great charles

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers Steven

[@JoyoftheGardenandHome]

Thank you for the reminder. You've mentioned so many plants I have on my list😊

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You are welcome and great to hear 🙂

[@gabrielborja5853]

Love the electroculture antenna!

[@lizpond9906]

Hi Charles - I love the carrot and pea badges on your jacket!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thank you, embroidered by a friend 🥕

[@viviensferrer5166]

Thank you for sharing.Amazing garden

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You are welcome Vivien

[@lorainemcguire5795]

Always such sound advice 👍 charles ❤ thanks

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You are welcome Loraine 🌱

[@tmy1065]

Thank you for the helpful tips - I have my To-do list for May! Good to know about pinching off the tops of broad beams when they’ve started to flower. I did before but just randomly. I can wait to sow shell beans. We’ve had a cold, cloudy spring in the PNW as well.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad it was helpful! Pesky weather

[@bradliston8990]

We had a cold frost come in the other night and wipe out my tomatoes that I gambled with. But I've already got some seeds back in some starter trays to run it again. It's good practice. I've had quite the year ripping out a chunk of my lawn and turning compost to build up some no dig beds for the future. A little frost isn't gonna damper this excitment, just means that I get to try again and learn something new. Your videos are always an inspiration to keep me motivated on this garden journey I've started down. Cheers, Charles.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great to hear Brad and I am glad you are inspired and excited to have another go🙂

[@strappazzonanne9862]

Merciiii en français 🤩 Contrairement à chez vous, les gelées, en Lorraine, peuvent être encore présentes. Et énormément de pluie, donc j'ai semé les carottes et panais dans des boîtes à œufs percées, ensuite en jardinières. Si je les mets au jardin il leur faudra un voile pour éviter la noyade 😆. Je récolte des feuilles de choux vivaces Daubenton, des blettes (cardes vertes), des asperges (issues de semis), de la salade rouge (les limaces n'y touchent pas, contrairement à la salade verte). Merci pour cette vidéo en français !

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Phew! Quel climat vous avez. Je suis ravi vous aider.

[@franksinatra1070]

Thanks Charles. I was surprised to see you still have potatoes that were harvested last July. Mine went soft and started growing eyes over the winter so a lot of my harvest ended up in the compost. I have first and second earlies in now and I'm planning on sowing a crop of late potatoes after I harvest my garlic late June in the hopes of pulling them in October or Nov. Hopefully they will store through the winter.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Best of luck with that!

[@johnmorgan5495]

Always great videos !

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks again John

[@yadav4045]

Awesome garden, I hope we will be lucky to meet you this year.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Many thanks 😀

[@janetkrehbiel5799]

Hello, Charles! It's great seeing what you're growing there in the UK. We're enjoying our first sugar snap peas here, direct sown in the ground 28 February! I did soak the seeds first. Going back outdoors to set out some more cucumber plants! Blessings!--Janet and Dane

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

How amazing Janet! My snap peas are not even flowering yet. I'm glad your spring has been warm.

[@Bfamreef]

Its starting to get hot here (97°F) so spinach is finishing up and will be starting okra soon. Everglades tomatoes are doing outstanding so are poll beans. Been doing the no dig for 5 years and it is really paying off helping my plants deal with higher temperatures. Great video as always.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wonderful to hear your results.

[@brianczuhai8909]

Thank you again Charles, for your garden tours. I learn a lot. Can’t you bring in frogs, toads, and garter snakes to help counter the slugs? It’s good to see the quality of the mulch you have in the gardens. We work with what we have. It’s nice you keep exploring different mulching techniques. Pave that way sir. And don’t deemphasize RHUBARB! A wonderful, EASY, RELIABLE, taste treat. Put some strawberries with that and you have an incredible pie!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Haha yes good old rhubarb, thanks. The garden has quite a few frogs, toads and grass snakes, but at the moment, or recently, conditions have been so favourable to molluscs that there is an imbalance. It may correct through the summer.

[@TheCuriousGreyHare]

Another informative and concise video. I didn't realise that veg could be stored for that length of time! I've seen plenty of videos on growing and gardening but it would be wonderful to see how to best store what you grow so that you can feed yourself all year round on your produce.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad you enjoyed it! We produced a video about storing here kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZWVeIh-d5eancU

[@HappyComfort]

Thank you for the great information! 👍🌷

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You are welcome 🙂

[@bagobonecollective799]

excellent orange jumper Charles!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Haha thanks. Orange and green are good.

[@luisagarcia3961]

Obrigado Charles sempre dando o melhor de si fico muito feliz Bom final de semana ❤

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

💚

[@Skitdora2010]

I was so excited to get a jump on gardening this spring with our new greenhouse, unfortunately was only covered for 55mph winds and we reached 65 and Plexiglas parts blew away never to be found and whole thing moved over 15 feet on 8inch thick cedar post foundation when 10 ft by 12 ft. Maybe a pit greenhouse would work.

[@Sue-ec6un]

Oh that's sad. But as gardeners, we live and learn, don't we?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😮 I'm so sorry to hear this, I think you were unlucky. Perhaps in your location you do need something set deeper in the ground, as long as there is enough light. Best of luck.

[@pascalxus]

here in the bay area, i can get fava beans as early as march 22nd! i love to grow lots of fava beans. i grow them every year, almost everywhere

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That is awesome!

[@APRICITY963]

TIL - fleece helps rid of pests and provides heat then! Your veggies look pretty healthy! It's always so wet where I am, the slugs chomped on my sprouts but with the fleece, it may work as a good protection! Your homestead is looking great! BTW, how do you keep your red beet mildew free for long term storing?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks, and good luck with that. Regarding the beets, a few get mildew after three months or so but it's not too bad. Maybe because the soil is in strong good health.

[@shanecomac1686]

Growth has been very slow to get going in the north of Ireland also, but the past few days the temperature has risen, the sun has come out and there has been a burst of growth within a few days, all good 🌱🌱🌱…..great informative vid as per usual Charles 👏🏻

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great to hear that you have had some sunshine Seaghán and you are very welcome 🙂

[@ausfoodgarden]

Those compost aerators/mixers are great for the small "Dalek" type bins. I'm on a suburban block so no room for big hot compost bins. I add material to a tumbler and then move it into the static bins once it loses heat (2-4 weeks depending on the weather) I've got 5 of them hidden behind trees etc. The aerator once a week to mix the ingredients up creates lots of compost. I'm building a new garden so compost is a priority. That's why I have so many right now. Great video Charles.

[@czmiccommando537]

I chuckled when he called the Daleks, it describes them perfectly 😂 I have one that I haven't really used in awhile and I plan to store my small amount of finished compost in there 😊

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice to hear and you are managing nicely!

[@jean-pierregesquiere533]

Hello Charles, Toujours de bons conseils 👍 Ne jamais être trop pressé à installer ses plants dehors car les limaces sévissent en ce moment ,elles dévorent tout ce que l'on met au potager 😲 Mes tomates, poivrons ,aubergines,choux, artichauts et tous les cucurbitacées patientent soit à la maison ou dans mes chassis 😉 Bon dimanche Charles Pépé JP de ch'nord

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Des conseils sages, merci JP

[@samajier2566]

Good job..,,,,

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks

[@jeffbidniy6552]

Doing no dig, spread out compost early this year but my home made compost didn't get hot enough to kill the weed seeds. This year I'll try improving! :)

[@elinolden1927]

Thank you 🙌🏻💚✌🏻

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You are welcome

[@davidrn5600]

Your two tips, #1 weed often! I don't have many anymore, #2 hand water, don't use a sprinkler. I see problems before they get out of hand. These two are golden!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers David

[@YUmMies24]

Beautiful garden 🪴

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for visiting!

[@KOLLEKZIYA_FASOLI]

💚💚💚Thank you for the video!!!💚💚💚

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You are very welcome 🌱

[@Sue-ec6un]

Thanks Charles! I love your videos, they help so much in assessing my garden plants! Now, if I could figure a good way to keep the critters from eating all my early veggies...maybe I need a garden cat! All my broccoli and cauliflower...eaten by the critters...oh well, looks like I'll be buying it again this year. At least someone enjoys the fruits of my labor...which I've been at since late December...they were all doing fantastic, alas...I'll figure it out for summer and fall :)

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thank you Sue, and I'm very sorry to hear that. I'm guessing it may be slugs which are so numerous this spring. That includes snails. I'm sure that as your garden matures with no dig, things will get better and keep everything as tidy as you can.

[@asbjorgvanderveer5050]

My love of critters inspired the need for homemade, hardware cloth (1/2 inch, welded wire cages,) reinforced on all 4 corners with 1 1/2 inch birch branches - stabilizing sides and top. Tailored, to fit the dimensions required. At the moment, three of these are allowing tulips and daffodils to arrive at peak flowering perfection, for Mother's Day here in Canada. Rain or shine, the covers will come off for feast for all to enjoy. 🦌🥬❤

[@carolinesykes3636]

Can you add your temperatures to your discussion as it would help me know when to plant.

[@rwg727]

thanks for another great video, Charles!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You are welcome Richard 🌱

[@bernadette6211]

Thankyou

[@glassbackdiy3949]

Good show, cheers Charles. Remarkable diff in the dig no dig comparrison, 4% diff in C gives us a clue what's going on, could be denitrifying bacteria and archaea that use a lot of C, which could explain the diff in growth as they gas N off as N2/N2O into the atmosphere.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Helpful, thanks :)

[@tedbastwock3810]

Amazing video, thank you for the longer than normal length 🥰and thank you for the tidbit on marigolds 🥰 Weeding little and often, as you said ... I have been doing that this year based only from your advice, and so far so good. You might just knock me off my ground cover habit. No Dig + stirrup hoe ftw, they go great together.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad it was helpful and hoe, hoe Ted 😊

[@tedbastwock3810]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig perfectly said 😄

[@durbatov]

Thank you no dig coaxed back into growing some of my own veg and iv now taken on an allotment and put up a polytunnel

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Fantastic! I am happy to hear that

[@durbatov]

Thanks you for the reply have a great season

[@timflatus]

Kohl rabi are tricksy. I planted mine out too early without adequate protection and most of them got battered by the wind. I'll try again in August along with the spinach and rocket. Fighting bindweed in my two new beds, but I'm just about keeping on top. Looking forward to the warmer weather!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers Tim

[@beaearth9273]

Nice video 😊

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Glad you liked it Bea 🌱

[@frankbarnwell____]

Charles. Drachinifel, a naval history KZbinr, mentioned HMS Convulvulus (bind weed). A tenacious ship and plant. Always excellent information.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Haha, that is amazing Frank!

[@real_wakawaka]

Oooooo check you out "the whole bloomin lot 😂" you made my day! Speaking of marigold my son thought it would be a good idea to seed marigold over my tomatoes seedlings and betroot so now have them everywhere

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂 lovely comment!!

[@ninemoonplanet]

I finally managed to get most (not all) of my seeds started, first year with this much success. I "created" a starting mix with roughly 20% worm compost and 80% coco coir. It's definitely improving my germination. Everything is in pots, sitting on cement, with some areas getting maybe 1-2 hours of late sun. Challenging. Slow starting lettuce, spinach even, but they're going. Outdoor compost has provided "volunteer" tomatoes because our weather has remained cool, compost couldn't get to a higher temperature. Bonus tomatoes I'm not unhappy with. 😆

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

All sounds promising, and growth will now accelerate

[@CMDRSloma]

Great video as ever, especially liked the bit about dalek's compost bins. I emptied mine and found at least 10L of worm castings at the bottom but mine sits on paved patio so I have a base for it. That's where I ususally find hundreds of worms and where I collect my castings. Side note, my beets are stunted, didn't grow at all since put in the ground in between florishing radishes, leaves are small and deep purple which is odd because this variety should be have normal leaves. Not sure what's wrong with them but I struggle for beets, I only had luck in my first year and every year after they grow stunted like that.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

This is nice to see about your Dalek. For the beetroot, I can't think what might be wrong, but I would try some dried seaweed because they are of maritime origin and may be missing some trace elements.

[@jaspercaelan4998]

Didn't know slugs had breaks

[@DebRoo11]

I've been pre-sprouting my carrot seeds and sowing in a corn starch gel and I dont think I'll do it any other way again. Pre-sprouted my peas and plan on doing it for other seeds as well

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice to hear. I used to do that in the 1980s, and then stopped because it was quite a lot of extra work. However, maybe next March!

[@camicri4263]

Beautiful! Over in Georgia we already had 86degrees F and next week will be in the low 80s and high 80s for a week straight! Ugh, I don't like it at all! I don' t even know if I should plant beens, salad, or any other cooler crops? Not sure at all. During the winter we had a few times warm temps and than freezes. I think I need a high tunel. I see you with the jacket on and we have the AC going! Actually for a while we had the heater at night and AC during the day...ridiculous! That is how we roll around here. I do't know what will actually grow. Blessings!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Hi Cami and wow, what a different climate to here! We are promised some warmth this week, at last, and that means high 60s! The average temperature through April in the afternoon was 57°F. And it is pretty good for plants while your extremes sound challenging. Eggplant weather.

[@theresabisson1040]

thank you for this info packed, timely video as usual. One question - how do you have self saved seed of the French marigolds when you said earlier that they don't set seed in our climate - I'm confused!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Good question! My seeds are from the polytunnel plants, last September. Warmer in there for plentiful seeds.

[@davidchalmers4969]

still working towards no dig, as influenced by you Charles and its going well. Working on some intercropping combinations now eg planting beetroot in the garlic bed, leeks alongside peas etc. One thing I've seen which is a problem is a lack of worms in my compost heap, i used to see lots, but less now.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Good to hear David. Reduced worms in your compost heap. It could be from there being higher temperatures and then they should arrive as it cools down. I don't always see loads towards the end but mostly do. They're a little unpredictable!

[@davidchalmers4969]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig I'm still working on balancing the green v brown. Now I chip a huge amount of woody trimmings each year and add that as I put cut grass on. This seems to have coincided with the reduction in worms. I couldn't grow marigolds without slug control, they disappear overnight. Are you in Scotland this year?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Possibly your wood chip is too fresh and also too large to compost successfully without pre-composting for a year and then sieving to 12 mm. That's what we do. While your climate is marginal I reckon for French marigolds, despite the auld alliance! I'm afraid I'm not in Scotland in 2024, nothing planned at the moment.

[@facel57]

Bonjour depuis la France. Merci pour vos très bonnes vidéos. Je vois que vous avez mis des filtres à la sortie des robinets d’arrosage dans votre jardin. Ce sont des filtres métalliques qui ont l’air de très bonne qualité. Où les avez-vous trouvé ? Moi je ne vois que des filtres en plastique et je préférerais du métal. Bonne continuation et bon jardinage. Emmanuel.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Merci Emmanuel Vous êtes le premier à commenter cela, et c'est un appareil qui vient de chez Analemma, qui utilise une sorte d'eau mère pour structurer toute l'eau qui passe dans l'appareil. Il s’agit d’améliorer sa qualité en termes de disponibilité pour les plantes, et pour les hommes aussi ! Le site Internet vous en dit plus. analemma-water.com

[@Ben-id3op]

Same here our carrots have only just shown up in the last few days. Let’s hope the recent major volcanic activity doesn’t give us a hazy summer.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I had not heard about that volcanic activity, another cause of reduced light, not a brilliant summer from the sound of it!

[@Ben-id3op]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Tonga went boom and release more s02 into the atmosphere than humans have ever done. Also on average there’s normally around 25 active volcanos at the moment we have 48 active. It’s because of the sun, solar cycle 25 is super strong. We have had 2 very weak solar cycles since the 80s. This one is not weak and is the cause of heightened volcanic activity along with low latitude arouras. Expect more disturbances over the next 2 years as this current solar cycle peeks.

[@jefffarris9238]

Charles, I’m surprised with your climate you don’t overwinter last year’s kale. Here is Rhode Island USA zone 6a I usually get some plants to survive the winter and they are providing me with leaves and flower buds which are delicious sautéed

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for sharing and I agree that it should work, but keeping the pigeons off such tall plants is difficult. I find it most worthwhile in the poly tunnel, picked smaller for eating raw. Some Cavalo Nero survived winter and were flowering by early March.

[@Ihavetwoearsandonemouth]

Brilliant video. Transplanting broad beans today. Do you use nematodes at all? Ps love the way you say potato.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😂 Thank you and no I don't use them.

[@Fishn69]

Wow what a difference between beds, sure shows no dig is way better.

[@alialialialiali92]

Hi Charles, please can you do videos about tomatoes and courgettes specifically? Thank you!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks shall see - this one is outdoor tomatoes kzbin.info/www/bejne/apObn4NnjsR9qZY

[@KevinShaw-qv4lt]

Once more some great info thank you very much, and hear comes a question, I only have a small back garden but I do love my soft fruit, thornless autumn raspberries gooseberries black pink and white currants less than 20 in all, now it's late April early May and time for a feed and weed, not being the most diligent gardener the weeds are a pain, then I remembered your tip on cardboard weed suppression to make less arduous, so now have you tried it, am I on a one way road to canker??

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes, I have tried that as a one off to smother rampant weeds under bushes and it works fine, as long as you do follow up of the smaller amounts of regrowth until the weed roots have no more energy. Best of luck with it and I would lay the cardboard as soon as possible.

[@chriswren2559]

First! Greetings from Texas!!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Congrats Chris 🏆

[@chriswren2559]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thank you! I am easily amused....☺️

[@raysouth1952]

Despite being on the other side of the equator I still find your videos inspiring. I put reminders in my calendar for November. Love the drone footage by the way.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Wonderful to hear. Edward does nice drone work.

[@andykyriakides2144]

Last week i removed the covers from Autumn sown cabbage's and Collies , i watched the plants grow tall and bushy through the winter and Spring , and to my horror there were no heads on the plants , just a mass of leaves .

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That is perhaps because the cabbage variety is not designed to make a big heart. Or that it's an open pollinated variety, which has not been selectively maintained. That has happened to me and you are better to harvest the leaves and eat them, it won't heart now. The cauliflowers however, may well give you some beautiful heads within a month.

[@DaraRich]

Hi Charles, Nice look into your garden as always, thank you! Your little french marigolds are so pretty, it‘s amazing. Mine have sprouted not as good as I hoped and I had to do a second sowing. The first ones that appeared are planted out in the greenhouse and develop their first flowers. Do you pinch them out for getting bushier plants and more flowerheads? I‘m a little behind in the garden for I broke my foot, but it‘s getting better and I‘m glad to have some help here and there, so I have a lot do do now. Slugs have done a lot of damage especially to the early brassicas like kohlrabi and broccoli,I will plant my spare plants out tomorrow and send the slugs away with a serious warning. Flowers will get in also, I have some nice zinnias and sunflowers I really look forward to. Thank you for showing what you‘re doing this time and sharing your tricks. The compost aerator is stunning! I‘m not sure if I could lift it due to my 1,30m heap. But it’s really making sense. Have a good and prosperous spring, Charles! Greetings from Southern Germany 🙋🏽‍♀️

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks so much for your lovely message, Dara, and I hope your foot continues to heal. You need full mobility now! I actually do not pinch out the marigolds because they are such a dwarf variety, that they naturally grow bushy.

[@lksf9820]

I've only just finished harvesting our parsnips, just a few days before sowing the next lot. They were all fine, it seems that slugs don't touch them and CRF larvae (or whatever it is) has just grazed the surface which is easily peeled out.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Lovely result and a nice symmetry of timing

[@Shines128]

Another very helpful video, thank you!! I was wondering would you sow different types of sweetcorn? They won't be planted closely but in the same allotment which is about 50 square meter. I'm concerned about them cross pollinating each other.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

The cross pollination affects subsequent growth if you save the seed. I have not seen it affect this year's harvest. In my climate which has short summers which are not too hot, I sow them all before the 10th May and they mature at different times according to their natural maturity time

[@Shines128]

@CharlesDowding1nodig thank you for the information! I've been sowing different types with 2 weeks gap between but sounds like I probably don't even need that!

[@raysalvatore5397]

Charles have you ever considered growing broccoli rabb there close to purple sprouting broccoli but a totally different flavor there easy to grow and you get incredible harvest's from them?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks, and yes I have grown up but I'm not a great fan. I prefer the fatter stalks which don't flower so readily, just a personal thing.

[@raysalvatore5397]

Yes I know what you mean as soon as they start budding up they have to be harvested straight away I've been meaning to try some Chinese varieties I heard could be interesting and delicious also

[@SadhanaHealthWellness]

I made a huge mistake. Put my celeriac seedlings under fleece and it got hot outside. Cooked all of them. I should have waited until they were bigger and stronger.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That is frustrating!!

[@hookedonbass2640]

Does anyone use bare copper cable around there plants to prevent slugs??

[@DannyHodge95]

Another great video Charles, love the work you do. Just out of curiosity, I'm in South Yorkshire, do you have a rough guide for how much to move your dates along by? It feels like it takes forever for our soil to warm up!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Cheers Danny, and that sounds frustrating! One thing you have more of is light, and from April, I would sow at the same time, but maybe use fleece covers more. The very first sow dates could be two weeks later

[@emilystorey2218]

Hi Danny, I'm in West Yorkshire close to Doncaster - last week I started planting out zinnia, catanache, fuschia, cosmos, dahlias. My first 'round' of lettuce a few days ago (horn of plenty is my new favourite salad leaf). A handful of winter squash started very early in April went out a couple of weeks ago under mini hoop houses, plan to sow more in small pots this week & direct sow some at the very end of May (little experiment). I've had most of my seedlings (except toms, chillies, aubergine, peppers, squash, melons & amaranth) outside on a raised plank for almost a week now. I've been told by some to wait until the end of May for most of this, however a lot of trees, shrubs & wildflowers in our area are early & blooming already (trying to follow nature as opposed to sticking to dates on a calendar, though I do have Charles's on hand to double check) & I'm running out of indoor space. I found a roll of something like fleece cover I'm going to use in case of any cold snaps towards the end of May & have tried to keep everything I've planted out in the same 1/4 of my plot. 🤞🏻 Generally when I'm watching videos from further south I add 1-3 weeks - depends how much sun, how sheltered the site & how tender the plants you're growing. There's a nifty website that shows you what growing zone you're in www.plantmaps.com/interactive-united-kingdom-last-frost-date-map.php Aphids have been out in force for over a month, ladybird numbers are finally noticeably increasing. Saw my first orange tip butterfly of the year this weekend too. Are you growing at home/on an allotment/elsewhere?

[@irenaszyja1675]

SUPER 😊😊😊

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

😍

[@dafyddrhobert2414]

I have noticed that there were many mice around my veg beds. I've been using poison traps with block bait. Only one problem with the traps is that slugs are using them as a den during the day ready to emerge at night. I have a hot composter. Mine doesn't keep hot during the colder times of the year not even with the hot bottle. It's made a great wormery. Lots of red worms arrived and have taken over.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Nice comment Dafydd. I like how your hot composter has become a wormery!

[@DenisKinsella]

I am interested in getting a hot composter;would you suggest holding off for the moment?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

It depends. For example, if most of your material is food waste, it could be worthwhile. Or if you have a fair amount also of garden, waste materials, maybe a conical plastic bin would be good and it's a lot cheaper.

[@MikeV607]

👍👍

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

💚

[@englishweather9763]

I have only just laid my no-dig bed about 2 months ago, one layer of cardboard , do you think it will be ok to plant the runner beans here in a months time?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes, for sure, as long as there is about 10 cm/4 inches of reasonably decomposed organic matter on the cardboard

[@kelleyleblanc5025]

I just found roundworms in my garlic bed :(. Does anyone know how to treat the soil? I can’t find any information

[@Kris-ut4ju]

I feel like a hoe would would the same to aerate compost. Thanks for the video and ideas! God bless

[@suew000]

It’s 3rd May and my Sungold tomato plant is 5ft tall in the greenhouse (heated when cold)😀

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Incredible!

[@HarvestRidgeHomestead]

Ohhh, zucchini!! 😅