NO DIG ORGANIC GARDENING

Save time, grow more with Charles Dowding

Articles
I write regularly for Gardeners World, Kitchen Garden, Country
Smallholding, Optimum Nutrition and Dove (Bruton parish) magazines,
occasionally for the Daily Telegraph and others. In November 2015 for
example I am featured in GardensIllustrated, have a piece on why not to
dig in Gardeners World magazine and one on no dig asparagus in Country
Smallholding. Also this in the Guardian of November 14th.

I include below a fewexcerpts from my books, to give an idea of their

advice. Before that, some summaries of the wonderful bene ts of a no dig
approach.

no dig in a few words nov 15

12 amazing bene ts of nodig!

Save time and money

BUYING A POLYTUNNEL

Some tips to help you make a good choice

Polytunnels are wonderful structures and good value compared to
greenhouses. Once erected they will be there for several years, so check
out my tips before buying.

I have used polytunnels since 1983 when I bought 3 of 1855 feet

(5.5x17m) and they served me well except that their 1in tubes were a little
too thin for my exposed site; in a gale of March 1988, one of them
collapsed after the wind ripped out its polythene on the far side, see below
for how that works.

How big?
I would buy the largest you can t into your area, because the space is
useful for storage and drying washing as well as for growing! and one
always nds more to plant in a tunnel. Hoops are usually 5 feet (1.5m) apart
so length is multiples of that. I reckon that 20-30 feet is a good length for
even ventilation, whereas tunnelsof say 60 feet length can have pockets of
dead unventilated air in the middle.

Orientation

North to south is ideal so that tall crops in summer cause equal

amounts of shade to either side, also to reduce overheating in summer.

An east-west structure is face on to the midday sun and in a hot climate

this is not ideal during summer. It also means some shading of crops in
the north bed when summer crops grow tall in the middle.
However any orientation is possible and I have tried many, with success.
Other important factors to consider are aligning a tunnel up-and-down an
y
slope (beds across slope are harder to water and mulch), and ha
ving the
doors at convenient points for access and watering

Ventilation
Plants like fresh air and its important they have enough, rather than
striving for maximum heat. Air in a polytunnel circulates from one end to
the other, and if possible I recommend leaving a gap between the top of
doors and the frame above them, say 6in (15cm), so that a small amount of
air can always ow through and increase carbon dioxide levels, without a
draught at ground level. I nd that winter salads stay healthy, without
mildew problems, yet without any need to open and close doors for much
of the winter. One job saved!

The option of side vents (instead of the polythene going to ground level) is
in my opinion not necessary or suitable for vegetables, because it reduces
temperature too much in windyweather, and the doors offer enough
possibility to admit fresh air. Its cheaper, simpler and more effective on
other ways to cover the hoops with polythene only, to ground level and
below. Keep side vents for long tunnels only, above a length of 40-50 feet
(13-16m).

Polythene attached at ground level, or buried?

I recommend burying the polythene all around in trenches of one spade
s
depth, in order to have a polythene barrier in the ground. This protects
against

pests entering, such as rabbits, slugs, cats and dogs

weeds creeping in, including couch grass, buttercup, bindweed

too much draught and cold air around plants leaves.

 Filling a trench for new polythene at Homeacres, January 2013

It is sometimes claimed to be easier and quicker to attach polythene at

ground level to battens or rails. But having tried this, I do not agree.
because before doing that, you need to dig holes for the foundation tubes
rather than simply knocking them in, also you may need some concrete in
there for windy sites. All the xings you need involve extra expense and are
only worthwhile if there is simply no room to dig a trench.

Foundation tubes
When burying polythene in a trench, tubes simply need to be hammered
into the ground about 12-18in (30-45cm), where their role is to giv
e the
structure some rigidity, that is all. When polythene is bured, the tubes are
not anchoring the structure in place, but keeping it steady in wind.

In contrast to this, when polythene is attached to a rail and not buried, the
foundation tubes have more importance as they are what holds the
structure in the ground (rather than the buried polythene) and so you need
more expensive tubes with metal brackets on their ends, and each one
requires a dug hole, sometimes with concrete.

While we were looking at this on one of my courses, a participant lamented

how her new tunnel had blown away within a month the polythene was
attached to rails, rather than buried.

Exceptions to the above are sheltered gardens, and sites where you cannot
dig a trench e.g. too much gravel, concrete etc. But then it is dif cult to dig
holes for foundation tubes too.

Crop support bars

Although an extra I would always buy these, so you have support for
climbing plants from tomatoes and cucumbers to beans and melons. The
y
span across from side to side at about or just over 6ft (2m) high, so you can
walk underneath, yet also reach to tie strings or stakes.

How many years before re-cladding?

Polythene needs replacing every 5-8 years, depending how windy your site
is and how tight you can stretch it. Polythene is easier to make tight when
the cover is put on in warm sunshine,if possible. I have often done it in
January and managed alright, but the skin is de nitely slacker and more
prone to damage than when clad in warm sunshine.

What kind of polythene?

More types become available and choosing is then dif cult. From tunnels I
have seen with the more expensive thermic or anti-condensation
polythene, I doubt that their extra cost is worthwhile. I recommend the
standard, light-diffusing polythene which admits around 89% of da
ylight.
Always use horticultural grade polythene, which has a uv stabiliser, without
which it would be brittle and break within a year.
A friend recently noticed the great clarity of my standard, light diffusing
polythene which is now 3 years old. I had recently washed it with a wet
sheet and brush to remove lichen and moss.

Doors
You use these a lot so suf ce to say, they are worth spending money on to
have the ones you like. Home-made is certainly possible, note my tips on
ventilation. Its the area where you can be most creative, especially if you
enjoy carpentry. For door frames, 42.

How to create a New Vegetable Garden

Excerpt February 2015

Waiting for best sowing times, seizing the

moment.

Excerpt from the book How to create a

New Vegetable Garden Excerpt.

Sowing Timeline for Vegetables

These dates are distilled from 34 of years

trial and error in my gardens, where plenty
of failures have served to highlight best
timings for best results. You can sow many
of these seeds at different times and they will grow, but the outcomes will
be different, such as lower yield, more pest and disease, perhaps a
tendency to ower rather than leaf.

Great veg starts here Gardeners World November 2013

In the rst of a new series on growing veg organically, veteran grower and
organic guru Charles Dowding goes back to basics and reveals why success
 lies under your feet.

Stoic salads Grow it! August 2013

Salad leaves arent just the preserve of

summer. Sow over the coming weeks and
you could be cutting fresh, vitamin-rich
leaves all winter long.

Double Take! Grow it! June 2013

Careful intersowing or interplanting of an

existing crop will effectively double your
growing area and ensure signi cantly
greater yields.

Charles Dowdings Vegetable Growing

Course Part 3 Ch 13 Companions,
second sowings August 2012

Ideas for sowing, planting together and

succeeding with succession.

Excerpt from the book Charles Dowdings Vegetable Growing Course.

To dig or not to dig? Grow it! December 2009

Conventional wisdom has us digging over our plots every autumn but what
are the bene ts and could a no-dig approach be wiser?
 Val Bourne explores the pros and cons
with help from no-dig enthusiast Charles
Dowding

A taste for growing Blackmore Vale

Magazine

How does your garden grow?

In ts and starts, as you ght a losing

battle against weeds, if you are the typical
weekend gardener who just hopes to
harvest a few lettuces and somerunner
beans.

Getting down to earth 2008

Pioneering organic gardener Charles

Dowding explains how important it is to
know what sort of soil youre dealing with
and the effect it can have on your yields.

Do you dig it? Amateur Gardening 23

June 2007

For many traditional gardeners digging is a

crucial activity. But gardening without
digging could be just the thing for anyone
wanting to produce home-grown veg with
little spare time or for those with a bad back, stiff shoulder or arthritis.
 Leave that spade alone The Guardian May
7th 2007

Its a dream come true: you dont need to dig over

your garden patch to guarantee bumper crops.
Veg guru Charles Dowding explains all.

It may be time to hang up your spade

Western Morning News April7th 2007

Anne Swithinbank meets a gardener who

says there is no need to dig your beds.

Salad days that last forever The Sunday

Times March 18th 2007

Caroline Donald picks up some tips from a

leading organic gardener on how to grow
tasty leaves all year round.

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Charles Dowdings Vegetable Garden Diary

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How to create a New Vegetable Garden
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Organic Gardening - The natural no-dig way
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