Planting No-dig Potatoes - Making Compost for our Vegetable Garden

We're planting No Dig potatoes and making compost for our No Dig vegetable garden on our homestead in Portugal.
Here, living in Central Portugal, potatoes are traditionally planted in February.
We've successfully used the no-dig (Charles Dowding ‪@CharlesDowding1nodig‬) method for 12 years with great results.
The no dig method requires lots of compost so we try to make as much as we can. This week we show you our compost and how we make it.
#nodig

[@thisorthat7626]

I would like to let you know how much I appreciate how polite you are with each other. I watch other channels and rarely do I hear people thank their partner, or let them know that they appreciate the work the person has done. It is wonderful to see you work together and be respectful, even if you don't agree on how something should be done. Not only do you have a wonderful property, you are a beautiful couple! I smile thru your videos watching you work together. Blessings.

[@NearbyVeggies]

Wow. That’s one of the loveliest comments ever. Thank you so much. We’re truly blessed to have met each other. 🥰

[@moonhunter9993]

Lovely comment. And I agree.

[@NearbyVeggies]

👍

[@TaniaFerreira]

Hya! I understand the compost struggle. We produce sheep compost as we do have a flock, but it takes up a lot of space, time and work considering you need to water the compost in the Portuguese summer, and turn it once in a while if you want an even result. Please be weary of buying compost in Portugal, people will sell strange things calling it compost (found that out the hard way). Never buy without previously seeing it. You can buy quality compost from most waste management companies. In the leiria district Valor Liz makes a great compost called Valor Terra (not sponsored in any way 😉) and you can go and pick up what you need or they will deliver. Plus super cheap when you compare to what people sell as for example cow manure compost and safer for your plants. You can look it up online 😉

[@NearbyVeggies]

Exactly. We’re planning to get ours from the local waste management system. Even most of the bio (organic) 😉compost that we’ve found contains peat moss from our precious Irish bogs. 👍

[@marianela111]

Hope you have a spudtastic crop! 😃🙏🌻🐈🇬🇧

[@NearbyVeggies]

Thank you, Manuela. Spudtastic.

[@monalingan9523]

I love watching the two of you work on your land. It’s just heartwarming for me. I wish I could do the same.

[@NearbyVeggies]

Thanks, Mona. We’re really happy you’re enjoying the videos. 😊

[@offgridwanabe]

Happiness is life and you two are living the dream. I need some of those flowering potatoes here in Canada. My gramps from the land of Ire would be proud of the no dig garden you folks made.

[@NearbyVeggies]

Thank you so much 😊

[@ronguille9721]

So glad to see that you found some long handled garden tools. Potatoes are heavy feeders so they should get lots of nutrition from that great looking compost. Just a thought, would it have been better to let the rain get on the soil before covering it with the straw? I could not tell if the compost was already moist enough? Will any rain and you hand watering actually get down to the plants roots when they need it? My last season potatoes looked like yours with the drought conditions here on the west coast of Canada. I hand watered daily but the water just ran off the surface. The 1-2 inches of water required per week for potatoes may not be possible for any of us now, with droughts. A slogan that I saw last year fits with your no-dig method---Happy Soil, Happy Plants, Happy Gardners. 🥔🥔🥔

[@NearbyVeggies]

At last, we found a long handled tool. Finding long handles (separate from the tool) is still the holy grail. The compost was lovely and damp and it rained that day. We’re expecting rain tomorrow for a week. We’re going to have to wait and see what happens this year. Thank you so much 😊

[@turawolfe2841]

Fun video! So when the potato vines flower are the potatoes ready to dig up? I kinda remember my Grandmother telling me something like that when I was a wee child. I hope you have bountiful results this time after so much hard work.

[@ninemoonplanet]

It depends on whether you want "new potatoes" or storage potatoes. New spuds, after flowering, storage when the foliage fades/dies.

[@NearbyVeggies]

That’s pretty much what you do. You can wait for the flowers to die back for the bigger potatoes. Your grandmother gave you good advice 😊

[@sox7784]

Love the simplicity of your compost pile I can’t wait to see how many potatoes you get in your no-dig garden beds 👍

[@NearbyVeggies]

Can't wait! 😊👍

[@bassalh2025]

4:00 of yes we like Spuds up here in Ireland ☘️☘️☘️

[@NearbyVeggies]

A must for every meal 🍽️

[@martingannon874]

I have binged watched everyone of you videos and it was more enjoyable than any top movie that i have watched. I spent many months in Portugal (Pererio. Areias. Ferreira Do Zezere) where a very dear friend of mine rebuilt a ruin and she had land full of fruit/nut/olive trees etc There was two wells on the land too. Being a very handyman, I worked my a** off but it never felt like work. The sunshine really agreed with me and i got really fit. (i almost seen my six pack for the first time)..Ha. I felt i was living in the last century when i was there and you two amazing people have brought that wonderful memory back to me. Just looking at your land on your videos reminds me of a life i should never left behind me. Now i am back In an large Irish town and missing the life i had over there. Thank you both for the loving memories of Portugal. Much love, happiness and success to you both.

[@NearbyVeggies]

That’s a lovely story, Martin. It’s the pace of life here that reminds me of Ireland back in the day. Thank you 😊

[@roselynwilliams2]

My back hurting watching this. Good job! Thanks once again for the information and entertainment.

[@NearbyVeggies]

Delighted you enjoyed it. Thank you 😊

[@sarahnd]

You must have some very well-mannered boars in your neighbourhood! Where we are, they would jump for joy at that heap of compost and dig up every potato before it had time to sprout! 🤣Can only do (high) raised beds here for that reason.

[@NearbyVeggies]

Let’s hope they stay that way. 😊

[@VictoriaBlancaa]

How amazing!! No dig soil is the best …Charles Downing is a master …and you are teaching others to do it, ❤❤

[@NearbyVeggies]

We like the no dig method.

[@maggiemorgan8422]

Lovely birdsong and great work. ‘Watch me onions’😅

[@NearbyVeggies]

I may have stepped on me onions about 20 times. The birdsong is gorgeous at this time of year. Spring is definitely in the air. 😊

[@helenalourenco1804]

You don't need to put the whole patatoe, you can split it.... That's how we do it Love to see your videos

[@NearbyVeggies]

That’s true. This year we have more potatoes than we need to plant. If we could buy less, we would. 👍

[@moonhunter9993]

I agree. You can never have enough compost! I only grow veggies in pots and on my windowsills (I don't have a garden). I just can't believe how much compost I need! And I make my own.

[@NearbyVeggies]

That’s really wonderful to know that you make your own compost even though you don’t have a garden. Well done. Do you collect waste from neighbours as well?

[@moonhunter9993]

@@NearbyVeggies No, I literally just have big plastic tubs that I combine previous ready compost and sand with kitchen scraps/plant scraps (with a lid). When the tub is full, I put a layer of earth on top (prevents flies and smells) and start using a new tub. Sometimes it gets too much and I have to stop collecting for a month. I move the content from one tub into another (bigger) one every month, combining it every time with more leaves/soil... It works surprisingly well for the fact that this is happening in a flat. Haven't bought soil in years. Sometimes fetch old leaves and sand from a public area (we're in the desert here).

[@darv66]

Hi, like you i use no dig here in France, have you tried spuds in tubs ?, you actually get a better yield i find

[@NearbyVeggies]

Tubs dry out and get too hot here. We have plenty of space thankfully. I did try tubs in our greenhouse when we lived in England. I was trying to grow a crop for January

[@atilmont]

The Agria potatoes from Holland where elected by a top chef (Sergio Herman) as the spud 'by excellence' for his FRIETATELIER - the posh version of the Belgian chip shop. So you really have good taste !

[@NearbyVeggies]

Fabulous information, Anne. Thank you. I’m feeling even more enthusiastic now 😀

[@jbyrd2516]

Excellent! Do hope you get a solid crop. The land is looking wonderful! Regards from Australia.

[@NearbyVeggies]

Us too. Thank you again 😊

[@ronguille9721]

Be wary of commercial compost. I worked for a gardening maintenance company for ten years. Every scrap of garden waste including fertilized grass clippings, weeds, shrub prunnings, leaves, pine needles and anything else coming out of apartment and condo dwelling gardens went to a recyling facility. You would not believe what we saw being dumped and then ground up into so called compost. The waste came out of the shredders looking like soil. In only days it would be sold and heading back out to be put on garden beds. We not only paid to dump the waste, but paid to buy it back for our customers gardens! The goat manure mixed with your own land and food scraps is safer and more nutrious! I used to buy bags of mushroom manure, a mixture of differnt type of animals manures. I finally clued in, if it won't grown mushrooms any more, what good is it for my veggies? As my father used to say..Damn buggers!

[@NearbyVeggies]

We’ll check it out first. Thanks for the heads-up. 😊

[@kathleenpitt1981]

Wow, people in Europe must be taller than here in the USA. When I pace off to measure it’s only in yards, yet you paced off and measured in meters! 😊

[@NearbyVeggies]

Luckily it’s only a rough measurement 😂

[@paulajones6366]

Make sure you cover them with chicken wire or netting to stop the rats digging them up! I agree about no dig but if you don’t have good deep soil then it will make really good soil after time. My Allotments have been going for 25 years so all my beds are really about two foot deep.

[@NearbyVeggies]

Our main predators here are voles. They live underground and eat what they like. Hopefully the wild boars will stay in forest because we won’t stop them with chicken wire either. It’s funny how we all have something in nature to make our gardening 👨‍🌾 a bit of a challenge 🤞

[@ArtofHosting]

Wondering if you can order potatoes online in smaller quantities. Organic sellers would do that I guess - at least here in Belgium and The Netherlands.

[@NearbyVeggies]

It’s possible. We try and buy as much as possible locally when we can. The seed potatoes come from the Netherlands anyway.

[@jimmycaray4349]

Thank you so much for sharing this video and your ideas that makes me added more learn from both of you... :-)

[@NearbyVeggies]

So nice of you. Thank you. Hopefully this will help. 😊

[@ianandresen2326]

Nice video! We just got a foot and 1/2 snow last night! So lots of shoveling, but unfortunately, no planting potatoes! At least for this month!

[@NearbyVeggies]

Such a fine scene you paint. Time enough in your climate for potatoes. We need to have them finished growing before it gets too hot. 😊

[@d2ez695]

Potatoes potatoes potatoes! 😂thank you for making me laugh out loud 😅

[@NearbyVeggies]

Glad you enjoyed it. He says it a lot. 🤣

[@anamagalhaes7571]

Não sabia que se podiam plantar batatas sem se cortarem. Aqui em Portugal todas as pessoas cortam. Qual é a vantagem de plantar batatas inteiras. Muito obrigada. Adoro ver os vossos videos porque aprendo sempre algo de novo. 😊

[@NearbyVeggies]

Quando você corta batatas, obtém mais plantas. Queremos apenas uma pequena quantidade para não cortar. 😊

[@anamagalhaes7571]

@@NearbyVeggies obrigada

[@NearbyVeggies]

De nada ☺️

[@oldgold5848]

I reckon you have your spuds too close together. In that rich compost you should get loads of tubers.

[@NearbyVeggies]

This variety is one that has a low yield , so not many tubers. However it is meant to have very good quality tubers. They’re about 30cms apart. 1 foot. 😊

[@oldgold5848]

@@NearbyVeggies nicely done! I am used to the whoppers!

[@NearbyVeggies]

We’re aiming for whoppers this year. 😊

[@dianahorsfall7166]

well done

[@NearbyVeggies]

Thank you 😊

[@ninemoonplanet]

I did something new this year, discovered potatoes don't need the tuber, just those chits. I wasn't sure about that, so planted 6 chits, and yes, I have those growing. Trick is, I have to pot them up until the first week of April. I don't have any space at all for no-dig garden so got some very good large pots this year for the spuds. Last year I just bought a small bag of organic potatoes, are what I wanted, planted 3, got enough new potatoes to satisfy. It's odd how I hadn't learned about the chits being good for growing potatoes. I'll definitely find out what sort of harvest I get. These chits are from last year's spuds and some from the grocery store.

[@ninemoonplanet]

I'm on the west coast 🇨🇦 and will be repotting those chits this week for the second time.

[@NearbyVeggies]

It’s fantastic how we all adapt to grow food in ways that work for us. Great explanation 😊

[@lizzydrippin7283]

On my allotment the birds dug through the compost and the rats ate the shallow potatoes.....definitely plenty of water and only 2 nice tight chits per potato :o)

[@NearbyVeggies]

That’s the life of the gardener for sure. Here we have a vole problem. They eat everything. I now plant extra for the creatures. My friend had all her baby cabbage plants plucked out by the birds - six times in one week. 😂

[@lizzydrippin7283]

@@NearbyVeggies We have 200 allotments on our fenced in site, where deer run around...there's a lot of netting on everyone's plots ...meanwhile, I let the strawberries go wild to give them something to eat, they love the leaves...yes, extra for the wildlife lol...Thank you for your comment, I look forward to seeing your results :o)

[@NearbyVeggies]

Great idea.

[@anniemac3075]

Having laid out the cardboard you then pray for no wind!! This looks like a good way to grow spuds, looking forward to seeing the results.

[@NearbyVeggies]

It’s a great way to grow and more rain is forecast from tomorrow. Thank you 😊

[@NearbyVeggies]

Meant to say we don’t get many unexpected gusts 💨

[@danwilkin3031]

Get the compost on quick

[@NearbyVeggies]

Absolutely. Work fast. See you soon 😘

[@anniemac3075]

@@NearbyVeggies Haha, just as well! 🍃

[@franzinauen8443]

Compost is the gardener's gold.

[@NearbyVeggies]

It sure is a great thing. Those potatoes are almost ready to harvest 😊

[@Mrscorreia74]

Do you ever tried Kennebec? Is an American variety but we use it a lot in Trás-os-Montes because is resistant and is good for roast, boil and fry.

[@NearbyVeggies]

Last year we tried Laura. Most of the seed potatoes come in 20 or 25 kilogram sacks. That’s too much for us. Agria are supposed to be drought resistant and a good variety to grow here. Our neighbour recommended Desiree but not my favourite type of potato 🥔 😊

[@justoneacre7873]

Do the javelii get into the garden?

[@NearbyVeggies]

They wander around the woodland area and seem to be happy enough staying there. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. 😊🤞

[@lolitabonita08]

suggestion....make a big pile of compost and once ready (mature) plant the potatoes there...u will be amaze how healthy and beautiful the plants get...

[@NearbyVeggies]

You’re absolutely right. At the moment, we need our compost shared around the vegetable gardens and that was the only pile ready to use. 👍

[@lolitabonita08]

@@NearbyVeggies it is never enough compost for the garden for sure...have you try to find someone with cows, donkeys or horses around your home town that will give away the straw and the poop?

[@NearbyVeggies]

We get some from the goat herder. There are no cows or horses in this area (some). Our local shepherds use everything on their small farms (which is great). 😊

[@lolitabonita08]

@@NearbyVeggies is not like in our countries where all things go to the trash...even the good things...or the things that are recycled are sold to us at premium prices ...

[@TheReisetante]

lovely channel, I just found it today. Always surprised about the skills you have working on your land. Also your videos are a pleasure to whatch👍Left you an Abo.

[@NearbyVeggies]

Welcome aboard and thank you 😊

[@JMeixsell]

Goodness! We get so interested in watching your vlog posts, one after another, that we forget to stop and like each one. So...without going back to check them all please note that we haven't watched one yet that we haven't enjoyed, thumbs up. Thank you for being so honest about your failures and for introducing so many new plants to us. Many would not grow in our climate, I don't believe, but we're interested in what grows in yours. We'd love to be your neighbors! (How would you feel about moving to Texas and starting all over?)

[@NearbyVeggies]

We love that you got entranced by our videos. Thank you so much for pausing to share your appreciation and desire for us to live in Texas. 😊

[@louiseswart1315]

My gran had a good recipe for those overgrown marrows. She layered the slices of peeled marrow with buttered stale bread sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. There was a few dollops of butter in the bottom too. If the marrow was too ripe, she would sprinkle a little bit of water to get the steam going over low heat. I remember that it cooked for a long time and was ready when it caramelized at the bottom of the pot. This is also a no-dig(stir) method 😉

[@NearbyVeggies]

Great recipe. Thank you 😊

[@linara7157]

Good job 😊 still waiting for the roast potatoes 🥔😋 and the good portuguese wine 🍷 😊🎉

[@NearbyVeggies]

Patience patience patience. At least we’ll have potatoes in the same year they’re planted. 😊

[@iniabellepaz445]

Hi, great video, learn so much about growing potatoes. Good luck..

[@NearbyVeggies]

Thanks, you too! 😊

[@JayDee-ck4op]

Good work 'Team Veggie' Fingers crossed with those spuds. 🤠 🤠

[@NearbyVeggies]

We’re hoping for a bumper crop of spuds. 🤠🤠

[@tonieveritt7045]

hi i enjoy watching your show love what you are doing good old english when everything is ready you are going to have plenty to eat when are you going to start your house building good luck

[@NearbyVeggies]

Thank you. We’ll start as soon as possible. 😊

[@stephaniewilson3955]

At least if the compost is dumped at the top of the land you can barrow it downhill!

[@NearbyVeggies]

Absolutely.

[@gailthornbury291]

What do you plan to put in the ground after the potatoes are harvested ? The soil should be in good shape if there was something that could tolerate the heat once spuds were over.

[@NearbyVeggies]

We’ll plant squash 😊

[@LCamp-cr7fs]

Assuming that you will have a bumper crop, how will you be storing the spuds?

[@NearbyVeggies]

Storing! I’ll be eating spuds with every meal. We’ll store them in a wooden box in a storage room. And we’ll share with our neighbours who have chickens and only a tiny growing patch. They share eggs with us. 😊👍

[@LCamp-cr7fs]

@@NearbyVeggies 🤣 I’ll take your Irish potato eating and raise it by my German spud munching! My parents used to buy them at late harvest to last the whole winter. I also had potatoes every day.

[@NearbyVeggies]

You got to love potatoes. They’re so versatile. 😊👍

[@Skattie]

I want to do what you do, just need a property with a dirt patch, then a nice fella

[@NearbyVeggies]

Build it and he will come 😊

[@lolitabonita08]

Last year I started an experiment...winter potatoes....planted them in a huge tote container....placed the potatoes and crossed my fingers...now march i have potatoes... moreover, i place some pieces of potatoes that i remove the bad parts and place them in my compost pile..along with a celery part (the end), and other cuttings from the grocery store...oh boy they are growing amazing, and all of them were planted in winter....so seems that the experiment work...I guess one can plant potatoes any time, really...so why wait for the "season" right??? More experiments coming up...What i am trying to do is pay attention to mother nature cycle of seed to seedling to mature plants...and see what i can grow o"out" of the "season"

[@NearbyVeggies]

That’s wonderful. Well done. What country are you living in?

[@lolitabonita08]

@@NearbyVeggies USA...

[@egoyiboclementinaonwuegbut7331]

Why did you not water last year?

[@NearbyVeggies]

We had only a small amount left due to extreme drought so we watered our trees instead.

[@egoyiboclementinaonwuegbut7331]

OK I thought that could have be the case 🤔

[@NearbyVeggies]

Great question, Egoyibo especially if you’re new to our channel. 😊

[@Bellavita60]

Dan needs a t-shirt that says “carry on composting”

[@NearbyVeggies]

That’s true. He sure says it a lot 🤣

[@mesutozsen903]

Eline emeğine sağlık bu güzel vlog için kolay gelsin hayırlı işler....👍👍👍👍

[@NearbyVeggies]

👍Thank you

[@johnjones888]

How far in the ground do you plant potatoes ??

[@NearbyVeggies]

They need to be covered with about 2 or 3 inches (5-8cms) and then covered again once new growth starts.

[@kassy6373]

So do you remove the tarp from the heap on rainy days?

[@NearbyVeggies]

We removed the tarp over the autumn when it was raining. Unfortunately those tarps don’t survive the sunshine very well. Ideally we need a roof for the compost. 👍

[@isabelandrademourarodrigue3891]

Nao cortam as batatas em 2 ou 3 partes deixando 1 ou 2 grelos em cada parte?

[@NearbyVeggies]

Não cortamos. Temos suficientes. 🤭

[@peterlommerse3930]

what about the house ? is it finished yet ??

[@NearbyVeggies]

😂 Not even started. We’ll be doing an update soon. 👍

[@soniawoolley366]

You're both hilarious !!!

[@NearbyVeggies]

We enjoy a bit of fun 🤩

[@Mej_Javiky]

I am loving your channel

[@NearbyVeggies]

Glad you enjoy it. Thank you so much 😊

[@kathytucker2491]

Yummie in ya tummies potatoes

[@NearbyVeggies]

Yummy 😋

[@evelynkelly4790]

Looking forward to the flowery spuds with good Irish butter……….

[@NearbyVeggies]

Us too. Sometimes when Dan’s away, I make spuds and butter for dinner. 😊

[@gailthornbury291]

You’d live a long time on spuds and butter.

[@NearbyVeggies]

The best 😊

[@isabelandrademourarodrigue3891]

O composto pode ficar num monte algum tempo

[@NearbyVeggies]

👍

[@sarino8554]

Could you use a thick layer of newspaper instead of cardboard?

[@NearbyVeggies]

I believe that the newspaper ink isn’t so nice but I suppose you could give it a go. The cardboard just acts as a temporary weed suppressant. It breaks down and disappears in one year here. 😊

[@tisaninhacerveiraesteves7579]

Parabéns pela vossa horta ,eu também gosto de plantar os meus legumes faço de maneira diferente mas gosto muito da maneira como vocês trabalham vocês são muito giros!

[@NearbyVeggies]

Obrigados 😊

[@katherineparsons9585]

Don’t you chit your potatoes first, or don’t they need it?

[@katherineparsons9585]

Ah my question answered later on.

[@NearbyVeggies]

We don’t and nobody here seems to chit either. Whatever you fancy doing is fine 😊

[@johnjones888]

I will be planting in pots so was wondering how big the pot needs to be 6 - 12 inchesor more

[@NearbyVeggies]

One or two potatoes in a 12 inch bucket 🪣 should work. Drainage holes are needed if you use an actual bucket. 👍

[@johnjones888]

@@NearbyVeggies Thank you very much appreciate your quick response.Keep up the great work.

[@NearbyVeggies]

You're welcome.

[@coby6417]

🌟👏👍🍀💐😊 14:17

[@NearbyVeggies]

Thank you 😊

[@orlandonascimento669]

Boa tarde e boas sementeiras.

[@NearbyVeggies]

Obrigados, Orlando. 😊

[@portugal1969]

👍

[@NearbyVeggies]

👍

[@Olduseful]

❤❤

[@NearbyVeggies]

Thank you 😊

[@chefinwood]

😊

[@NearbyVeggies]

👍

[@Gabriela_73]

Wouldn't you like to adopt me?😊😂😂

[@NearbyVeggies]

That made us chuckle 🤭.

[@Gabriela_73]

@@NearbyVeggies , 🤭🤭🙌🙌🙌😘

[@NearbyVeggies]

Careful what you wish for 🥰

[@ronguille9721]

For inspiration have a look if you can on KZbin for posts on Jim Kovaleski's veg gardens in Florida. He is a market gardner, removed subdivision front lawns on his family property and turned them into a business. It is a no-till setup and he just continues to add layers of compost. He farms the land for six months in the Florida winter and then moves up to Maine to farm his land there from Spring to Fall. See one of the videos at ..KZbin.com/watch?v=MSvwN4SlzeQ...of course he has water.

[@NearbyVeggies]

Thanks Ron. Great to get pointers to useful information. We can always learn new things. 😊