No Dig
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My garden is located in suburban Fairfield CT, USDA Zone 7 A, not far from where Ruth Stout pioneered her work with No Dig gardening. It’s now 13 years old and consists of 6 raised beds totaling approximately 380 square feet. I found Charles on YouTube in early 2022 and have been “No Dig” ever since. Using his “No Dig” techniques I have, without back breaking labor, expanded my growing area with 3 new beds each being highly productive in their very first year.  

I grow a wide range of crops and have benefited greatly from Charles’ teaching and wisdom. He has inspired me to add perennial crops such as asparagus and raspberries and to try my hand at winter gardening. I have purchased two of his online courses and would highly recommend the “From Seed to Harvest” module which has proven to be an invaluable on-going resource for successfully growing a multitude of vegetables.

Thanks Charles!

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After following Charles, and reading his books, we finally took the plunge in 2022 to buy a farmhouse on one acre of land in Fairview, Utah, where we have been hard at work building our first no dig market farm.  

I have also started and manage our local farmer’s market, just around the corner from our farm.  Though it is still small by comparison to many markets around the world, we have over 30 vendors participating now, and we are very proud of our what we are building here in this tiny mountain village.    

It is my dream to travel to the UK, to study in person with Charles, in the next year or so, and my hope is to create an incredibly beautiful space on our farm here in Utah, that will provide a platform to educate others about Charles’s practices (which are already blowing the minds ofour local farming community).  

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heidi@smalltimefarm

www.smalltimefarm.com

I nestled two No-Dig beds along established perennial beds—one in part shade and one in mostly sun—using my recycling pile of cardboard and irrigation that was already in place (because I knew I’d be traveling during the height of the growing season and would not always be here to water).

I put the beds in myself with the help of my nine year-old daughter (and a truck load of compost) and have found this to be the most accessible and even feminist way to garden because building skills and He-Man strength are not necessary for any part of the process. Weeds are negligible, production has been high, and the biggest challenge has been keeping my dog out of the beds!

My first crop of lettuces and greens is already mature and my second sowing of carrots, beets, and peas that I interspersed are now taking off. I also planted some perennial herbs and edged each bed with marigolds to discourage pests and prevent erosion.

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We are on the hills between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany (Italy). Our altitude is pretty high, 900 meters,  so winters are cold (also -10°) but summers can be hot (no more than 30°).

This is my first time having a garden on the hills, as I usually have it in the plane of Modena (very hot and humid weather, perfect for tomatoes and melons).

So... it's an experiment, as the no dig method. At the moment, I find it's a beautiful way of growing vegetables and the garden is healthy and doing well.

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Lisa is founder of Victory Farms, a collective of small-garden suburban growers producing vegetables and herbs for their neighbours in need.

Here is what she says about her garden:

I’m off to a slow start, because, I think, I used poor quality compost and not enough of it. I’m about to plant the next round of seeds, for fall harvest, after adding a lot of high-quality compost. Keeping hope alive!

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I love that making a no dig garden was possible in just a couple of hours with the help of two friends. I now get to walk past herbs, flowers and food every day.

It looks beautiful and I’m so excited for the added life to my side yard. I'm proudly displaying the no dig sign at the front for neighbours and passers by to see!

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Tracey says a few years ago Her backyard was barren and she had no interest in gardening until a neighbour suggested planting a few flowers to brighten up her space and her days.

And then the neighborhood kids taught her about no dig. She loves that it's just mulching, that she’s building soil with compost and she sees how year after year it's getting more and more lush.

Now she's moving on to vegetables. One box at a time and continuing with no dig of course!

Colin is 10 and his favourite activity in the garden is checking in on the worms in the compost heap and in the wormery!  He loves cucumbers and adores pulling out carrots and potatoes.

Meadow is 6 and says she loves to listen to the sound of the animals when she’s out gardening and composting.

Maiah is 4 and her favourite thing about gardening is aerating the compost with the compost crank and seeing the worms hard at work. She also says she’s no longer scared of the cute little mice that live there.

Ashley says she loves the ease of no dig and knowing that she’s building soil and soil health which leads to healthy dinners for her family. She says gardening has brought them together. They enjoy their nightly watering ritual. And she’s so proud of her kids who help give no dig tours. They teach adults to use their imagination to visualize the universe which is the soil food web under their feet!  

Basile is 13. He says he loves giving no dig tours with his buddies! He says no dig is simple to understand and explain and he loves building things so putting the compost bays together was great fun.

His mom Eleonore says she loves that with no dig there are way less weeds. She can go away to visit family in France in the summer without being worried she'll come home to a crazy weedy mess! She finds growing food at home is such an enjoyable and educational process that she can then easily share with others thanks to no dig.

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My name is Matías Beltrame, I have been researching different ways of cultivating the land for more than fifteen years.

After taking several courses and travelling through various projects I settled in Patagonia, Argentina to promote the farm and agroecology school "Bosque Mallin".  This is a project dedicated to research, production and teaching of permaculture techniques, edible forests and no-till agriculture created in 2015.  

We receive volunteers in the summer season and improve every year with the work of spreading more efficient and friendly ways of cultivating the soil and all that it provides us with. I am currently translating various books and articles related to agriculture, as well as directing the aforementioned agroecology school.

If you are interested in knowing more about the project, contact us by email bosquemallinpermacultura@gmail.com or through our instagram https://www.instagram.com/bosquemallin.agroecologia/

Isabelle is super excited to start her No Dig Garden. She already had everything on hand to start: Cardboard, soil and temporary sides!  She promises to update her picture next year!

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Monsieur Rene says he's been gardening for 50 years but only found out about no dig 3 years ago when a fellow community gardener lent him Charles' Vegetable Garden Diary.

He says he loved it instantly and that it made perfect sense to him. He figured even though England is not in the same zone, he would just take the best from the booklet and it's been working really well for him in southern Quebec.

He says he's discovering nature and all its advantages with less work for sure!

And, for the first time this spring he convinced the town NOT to systematically rototill all the plots which they always did in the past! From what I understood from him, this spring the town maintenance crew were instructed to just leave the machine out for whoever wanted to use it instead of just doing it to all plots in one go.

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It's season number one for me and I'm so excited and inspired by what the children taught me on the tour. I'm telling everyone about No Dig!

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Noah, who is 13, says about No Dig: "Two words. It's fun. It's respectful."

His mom Lisa says: "It's simple and I love that the perennials I started last year came back four times the size! My kids know more about No Dig than I do because they've been teaching others about its benefits. It feels purposeful and mindful."

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Normand:

I've been a gardener since I was a little boy. I've always been interested and sensitive to soil life.

No dig makes sense. It's less work and soil life works for us. I'm just helping nature do what it already does so well.

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It's year two of no dig for me. It's simpler and the soil is healthy!

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I love no dig because it's so much easier!

I had an allotment and tried it out there with great success. Now I'm slowly shrinking my lawn at home to grow more food and showing all my visitors.

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I’ve got a 45x65 no dig garden on a clay mix soil with heavy weed pressure. I mulch heavily with ground leaves and grass clippings.

The perimeter is 68” electric netting to keep out deer!

I get 2 loads of fresh horse manure every year to compost.  

I’ve been no dig for 8 years. Found Charles on YouTube in 2019, and my way of gardening is forever changed!

We are working at schools and design school gardens with kids as a part of Nature and Kid lesson which are we write the curriculum of it.

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We have a 5 pole (126 sq mtrs) allotment in West London. The site is very heavy clay. We've been no dig for 3 years now and are lucky enough to have space at the bottom of our plot for 3 compost bays each of which is two pallets wide, so we are self-sufficient in compost.

We used to have wooden sides to the beds but got rid of those because they harboured slugs. We now use woodchip for paths in between the beds which we replace annually and add the old path to our compost. The layer of compost is now more than a trowel deep so planting out and weeding are both very easy.  

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We supply seasonal vegetables and fruit to our local community from our small market garden.

Having been long-time followers of Charles Dowding's videos and enjoying his online course we have transitioned to no-dig production.

The focus on complex soil biology and health through uncomplicated, enjoyable gardening methods has resulted many hours saved weeding with moisture retention in our hot dry summer, improved soils and beautiful produce with exceptional flavour.

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I have ONE spot in the garden that has enough sun for vegetables. Right by my front door. Perfect for No Dig. Lazy composting, small gardens and No Dig. Right up my alley.

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It's year 2 for me. No Dig makes it easier! No Dig and farm fitness! And I love that the neighborhood kids teach and help me in the garden and with the composting.

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Jen and Frankie are a mother and daughter duo. Frankie, 13, has this to say about her garden:

"It's easier than a regular garden and I love how we're helping the soil and the planet and NOT disturbing."

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Josh and Adele are a Dad and daughter duo. Josh says:

"I've been gardening for 14 years. My kids are the ones who taught me about no dig and a neighbor about composting. No more $10 holes for a $2 plant! This is SO much easier!"

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I have two front beds and my backyard converted to "No Dig" some years ago.

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I started no-dig in Somerset in 2014 when we moved to a new house and I heard about Charles when I visited Bruton.  

It ticked all my boxes for gardening and so I rushed home and made our 1^st garden.  

At the end of 2020 we moved to the Lot et Garonne in France and started again. This year we are starting a new area on the other side of the house.

1st time allotmenteer in year 3 and my no dig has been very successful, thank-you Charles Dowding.

It was a field which the council kept short and they fenced some new 8mx8m allotments after the covid demand.

It’s a south facing, slightly lumpy exposed slope but with no dig I’m enjoying it very much.. Weeding is easy unlike for my neighbours who just keep on digging, they like digging. I hint at the alternative but no takers so far.

Other than achieving straight edges, the biggest challenge is heavy manure and compost gathering (I’m still making beds, 4 so far), holding the grass back and pigeons and slugs. 🐌 C’est la vie.

I was lucky to get an allotment in Southwick, near Trowbridge, Wiltshire, in February 2021.  It was completely covered in weeds on top of 2 layers of plastic. The clay soil underneath was not being used at all. I did not dig it.

After clearing all of the plastic, couch grass (+ very long roots) and other perennial weeds, I planted a couple of beds that summer. I used the no dig method with cardboard and compost, wood chip paths, and had a good harvest.

The subsequent years have been so abundant - I have fed several people with organic fruit and vegetables. Still using canned and frozen food from last year!  

I want to spread the word, be in touch with other no diggers. My email address is: mariamargaritaterner@icloud.com

I love my little plot of land - it helps me keep fit and healthy (I am 70 tomorrow!) and I feel I am reclaiming a small area, returning it to nature. There are so many worms and mushrooms!

Thankyou to Charles, I have learnt a huge amount from his videos.

We are Community Roots, a community veg growing project based on the North coast of Cornwall at Mount Pleasant Ecopark, near Porthtowan.

We have converted one acre of bare agricultural land into a productive, no-dig, market garden. We produce low-impact, locally grown, healthy food for our community, growing without using chemicals in ways which encourage biodiversity and soil health.

We do this with our community, offering volunteering and learning opportunities and hosting activities and events.


Our email address is info@communityroots.uk

My plot is spread across a space that comprises either rockery or land that was a previous village water works. The tanks are filled-in with concrete waste blocks, and thinly covered with soil.

Hence I have raised beds and use as much compost as I can, and grow as much food as possible. The greenhouse is on a path! I've been no dig for 8 years and I garden for wildlife, using no chemicals at all.

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I took on this old grazing pasture two years ago. I’m growing a mix of herbs, vegetables (perennial and annual) and soft fruits. The soil is a mix of Essex clay, and sandy, gravelly soil. But I haven’t dug it over just added cardboard and manure and the soil is already much improved - with minimal effort, full of creatures and a nice loose structure for pulling out weeds and planting seeds. Unfortunately the weeds are winning at the moment, but I’ll cover with cardboard until I have something to plant out.

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In May 2022, I started with a blank canvas at our local high school.

The concept that the school director had was to have an integrated learning experience for the first year students who are around 12 years old. He wanted them to do some learning outside, in English and to learn more about gardening, nature and integrated skills.

I am a recent gardener, having become interested during the pandemic. So, I started reading and learning. Everyone said the most important thing was planning but as I was new, I had no idea what this meant. I grew tomatoes from seed and put them rather randomly. Over time, as I read and learnt more, I became hooked. The garden is now in it's second year with the students and it's a great success. The garden is called 'The garden of ideas' because we experiment a lot. We use a variety of gardening techniques including no dig, square foot gardening and we have a couple of lasagna beds. Local cafe's donate coffee, I get pallets from around the area to make the beds and use recycled materials wherever I can.

As we are in a drought, we have a variety of water systems including ollas, water bottles with wicking systems and holes.

Now, we have 9 homemade beds and we cover these topics during the 3 month rotation with the students. Each group of 3-4 students has a bed of their own, colour coded. They look after the bed for 3 months then make a poster to hand the bed over to the next group. We experiment with different plants growing together and this last group just planned their bed and what they want to plant according to various factors.

We cover:

• companion planting and planting in general
• life cycle of a plant
• support structures - students look at different types, make a prototype then create their own support structure and look at the pros and cons
• water systems - ways of watering, saving water, deep watering and they make their own water systems
• lasagna beds, square metre beds, no dig
• mulch - we collect leaves in autumn to make leaf mulch
• feeding the soil - we grow borage and I collect nettles to make teas for the plants
• testing the soil - red cabbage juice as a Ph tester and we use it to check acidity or alkalinity
• growing seeds and keeping last year's seeds

A few months ago some trees at the school were cut down so we got the chaps to cut the trunks into smaller pieces and now we have an outdoor classroom which is so calming for the students.

It's exciting to be part of a movement :-)

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I started this year in January with my little plot of garlic and have slowly added other beds as I go along. I always need more cardboard, more wood chips and of course more compost as I make new beds.

My email address for anyone wanting to get in touch is: floresbarbie150967@gmail.com

We are a small community of allotments which belong to the village (Wylam Allotment Association).

We don't have a water supply or electricity, there is a spring and we collect water on the plots.

We are surrounded/protected by mature trees and only about 40m to the banks of the beautiful river Tyne (we swim there when the risk of sewage overflow is low 🫣).

My plot is also just a few metres from the track where Puffing Billy first ran - now a path for people and bikes.

I have been no dig for 10 years. My email address is: jaynestanton03@gmail.com

I have enjoyed the no dig gardening this last year or so, it prevents my husband from having to drag out the tiller and struggle with it especially as we're aging, but my garden looks beautiful.

We covered it in compost last fall and and tarped the areas that would be planted during the fall and so I'm looking forward to a great summer harvest.

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Filler content

I share my allotment with my neighbour, she has about a quarter and I have the rest plus a polytunnel my wife bought me for my birthday last year.

I have Charles's book and calander which are very informative.

I got the allotment 2 years ago, it hadn't been used so it took some clearing but that was before I started watching your YouTube videos.

I've planted some Alderman peas, lettuce, onions from seed, first early potatoes, carrots, parsnips, peppers and I've garlic in the polytunnel as last year outside I lost all 70 ish of them.

Seedings coming on are 4 types of tomao, celery, coriander, parsley, sunflowers, more peas as back up. And starting today ,sweetcorn, spring onions, radish, more coriander and parsley.

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This is my second allotment, the first is also on the map - Hillside Allotments on Kenn Road.

it's about 60x20ft. As you can see from the photo, it needs a little work but it's a great opportunity to experiment with no dig. The good thing is that there appears to be no bind weed or mares' tail, perhaps it's too early to tell. So far, the plot has had a rough cut to reduce grass length and I'm now in the process of gathering cardboard (bike boxes from our local cycle shops, these when cut on one corner open out to cover 40sq. ft in one go) to cover the ground which will have the cut grass placed back over the top to help keep the cardboard in place.

Much of the plot for this year will be planted with pumpkins/squash to aid ground cover as a weed suppressant and produce green waste for compost or further ground cover through next autumn/winter, another patch will be experimented with by densely sowing white mustard as ground cover to also supress weed growth.

Hopefully, we may make enough progress over the weeks ahead to plant anything which we think may work in the space left available, our objective if is to bring the plot back to production within 12 months and to see if this can be achieved with as little expense if any as possible whilst limiting the amount of work needed at the same time, apart from seeds and plants which may be to hand.

The pupils of GBS De Pagaaier in Nieuwpoort have embarked on an innovative project by establishing a "No Dig" vegetable garden. This method, which enhances soil health by avoiding disturbance, is particularly suited to the clay soil typical of the Flemish polders.

The garden features a variety of plants carefully chosen by the students, including dahlias, potatoes, onions, peas, culinary herbs, carrots, wildflowers, radishes, and marigolds. Additionally, fruit trees and bushes such as apples, raspberries, and strawberries have been planted.

Plans are in place to cultivate maize, pumpkins, and beans together in the future, as the Maya’s did in the past. A notable contribution from the parent council is a polytunnel that will serve as an outdoor classroom, fostering a hands-on learning environment.

The students are enthusiastic about using this space to grow flowers for sale, aiming to make the garden self-sustaining. Surplus vegetables will also be sold in the school store, integrating practical business skills with agricultural education.

This initiative not only enriches the students' learning experience but also promotes sustainability and community engagement.

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I'm no dig, or as I like to call it "The Dowding Method" in my parents garden.

1 small greenhouse, 2 (roughly) 2x4 metre beds and a compost heap.

I plant the flower beds with plants for day and night pollinators.

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I have just retierd and have made a no dig allotment. I was given it in June 2023 and I worked on clearing the plot. Not knowing what the finished layout would be I just cleared it, sort of, flat and added a layer of wood chips all over. My thinking was the wood chip would be working for me suppressing weeds and conditioning the unused soil until I had a plan.

By that point, I had discovered Charles and realised no-dig is a thing. Greenhouse went up and I started laying out the frames, not raised beds, ready for spring this year 2024.

In September 2023, the frames and paths were ready. Down went a layer of card with more wood chip on the paths. A £30 load of horse manure, with free worms, was dropped off. The manure was spread 40 to 50mm in the frames to be left over the winter months to settle.

The beds are now ready to be tickled and planted. The photo is from April 2024 – the front bed is already planted with Charlotte 2nd early. The bed top left was planted with onions and garlic in October 2023 to overwinter. Today as per Charles’s calendar I am sowing sweetcorn in the greenhouse.

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I created an organic, no-dig veg and fruit patch in my garden in 2022 (still feel very much a beginner) and have followed Charles from the beginning. His book, sowing calendar and videos are hugely helpful.

I have 11 beds, a greenhouse, 3 pallet compost bays, plus a couple of terraces nearer the house, which I use for salad and herbs. Last month we created a wildlife pond to encourage frogs, to help control the many slugs we have.

2022, my first year, went pretty well but 2023 was much more difficult and I lost several crops, including all my tomatoes. I remain hopeful!

The photo shows the garden in mid-April 2024. The only things you can see growing outside are garlic, field beans, and raspberries, but lots of seedlings coming on in the greenhouse.

I am a doctor, and gardener ! in an old farm « les avenages »

I started permaculture with covid then no dig for six month with intensive fabrication of compost with complicity of friends sailors of vegetables.

Everything seems to have good start in the garden ( vegetables and flowers ).

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We have long waiting lists for vegetable gardens in the village whereI live. I was very happy I finally had the opportunity to pick one at a nearby garden association in October 2022.

The garden I picked was full of perennial flowering plants and neglected old apple trees, and was totally overgrown with brambles and bindweed. During my preparation for this garden I came across Charles’ video’s and website and immediately decided that No Dig was the way I wanted to maintain my garden.

I have made 8 no dig beds with wood chip on the paths in this 100m2 allotment. It has provided our family with loads of fresh fruits and vegetables right from the start already.

I learned a lot my first year and got lots to learn in the years to come. But It is really fantastic how easy it is to maintain a no dig garden and it’s a joy to look at and work in!

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My little plot is doing well, never bought any veg last year.

It can be difficult due to my crocked body, but it gives me immense pleasure.

My email address is for anyone wishing to get in touch is: carolprocter123@gmail.com

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My No dig garden in my own backyard is about 100 m2 for about 4 years now.

The difference between the starting point and right now is astonishing!

Before I started my Nodig garden it almost looked like a sandy desert with no soil life. After 4 years it is a garden with a healthy soil full of life, buzzing with insects and some very tasty veggies (almost) year round.

Every creature, from bacteria and funghi, worms and ground dwelling insects, frogs and toads to birds and even slugs, has a place in this little but wonderfull backyard No dig ecosystem!

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I have a no dig garden and a no dig allotment 3.6 miles away (completely different soils).

I've had my allotment since 2006, but halved it about 4 years ago. A peaceful haven.

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We have 2.5 acres, yet not all cultivated, we have around 3000 square feet now plus a 4 seasons passive growing dome (33 feet diameter - shown in the photo).

This is a family project with a community goal, work in progress.

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We structure our garden on organic, no-dig, Permaculture principles, recycling our rainwater and grey water through a reed bed.

Our home uses solar energy and wood for cooking, space and water heating and we generate solar electricity.

We grow and eat our own vegetables, fruit, eggs and honey.

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Our website link is www.ecodiy.org

I’ve been practicing no dig for six years now (I was doing it out of laziness before I realised what it was).

However I’ve been practicing it properly since being on my allotment in August 2021, and expanded to my second plot in March 2023.

More than happy for people to get in touch if they are local, my email is: lleu.no.dig@gmail.com

The photo shows my winter garden with just a few leeks, parsnips and walking onions left to harvest.

I have narrow beds and wide paths as i am in my eighties and need space to walk and vegetables easy to reach.

I have been gardening for many years and No Dig has produced my best results.

Thanks for all the information.

The Green Flower Foundation is supporting Bishoftu Polytechnic College (BPC) in providing training in organic farming practices to TVET students and local communities.

We are very much interested in the no-dig technique. The BPC garden is a demonstration site for students and we wish to explore different technologies in line with organic farming.

Photo to follow once we have started our no dig practice!

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My email address for anyone wishing to get in touch is adeline@greenflowerfoundation.org

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I am a gardener in northern California. I have spent the last couple years developing a no-dig/no-till vegetable garden in my backyard.

I have documented it on my instagram: aidens_gardening.

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As a follower of permaculture it's not far to no dig.

Clear a piece of land and put down cardboard and old wool carpets and cover them with homemade compost. Works a treat.

Now I not only gather flowers,fruits, nuts and herbs from my forest garden, but am growing vegetables that I sowed as seeds following Charles Dowding's advice very closely. xx

My email address is: Eileenak32@t-online.de

We started our no dig in a very small back garden near Heathrow Airport!

Inspired by the ease of No Dig and a longing for the countryside, we moved to Wales and bought an 8 acre small holding. We are developing our vegetable garden and have converted from grass, a poly tunnel, multiple outdoor beds and an orchard, all on about a third of an acre.

We have also planted over 2500 trees/hedging, mostly using a slit planting and no dig mulch method.

I have been operating  no dig for five years on my allotment. The plot size is about 90ft x 60ft so it is not a standard allotment size, the plot belongs to the local Baptist Church where I am a member. I have been running the allotment for around 16 years, to feed my own family and friends and to supply the local food bank with fresh veg when I can.

I have also tried to help my friends with gardens and allotments with no dig trials, with good results. I collect coffee grounds from a local garden centre to help with composting and recently found that the pile of grounds left on my allotment for a few months have been taken over by thousands of worms, who seem to enjoy the coffee. I am now trying to work out how to make a wormery using the coffee grounds, and waste food from our house.

I take in grass cuttings, prunings and household food remains from 5 other households/friends and I hope to be almost self sufficient in the next year or so (the cost of having a compost bin in Kettering is now £45 per year so I am saving just under £250 for my friends who receive donations of fresh veg in season).

The photo is from March 2024 – plantings are a bit sparse but most of the beds are ready for the new plantings. I have beetroot, lettuce, Brussels, peas ,onions, leeks and various flowers in the greenhouse growing well and should be out in the ground in a week or so. As I am retired I can spend most of my spare time at the allotment.

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I have been gardening for many years, establishing a new garden every time I move. The photo shows my latest vegetable garden, started in 2020, and the most successful. Compared to others, it was much easier to get going, and it is very easy to maintain. I have never had such a great abundance of produce, and enjoyed such good health of my plants.

I owe a great deal of gratitude to Charles Dowding for his generous spirit, incredible knowledge, and amazing website where I took one of his courses. Just when I thought I knew how to grow plants, I was introduced to a great deal of new, and well practiced, information. The No Dig method of gardening is all joy!

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We live in Canada in the Summers on a Smallholding near Stratford, Ontario - Zone 6a.

We have had great success with the no-dig method of growing! We grow Veg and fruit on about an acre which includes an Orchard with heirloom varieties of Apple and Pear Trees.

Our farm is organic and pesticide-free, and we grow primarily for ourselves,though when we have an excess, we then sell locally.

You can visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pottersburrowfarm

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From a rectangle of grass I have transformed my garden to a flower paradise.

I wish I had done it the No Dig way. Now the beds get a mulch of homemade compost most years.

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(My no dig allotment is also on the map.)

I have had Plot 470 at Rosendale Allotments, since 2012. Started off in the way I learned from my Dad by digging the whole thing.

Over the years I have changed how I look after it and in the last three years have been cultivating it the No Dig way!

Last year (2023) I had the best crops I have ever had with no deep cracks when the clay soil inevitably dries out.

Many other plot holders are now going No Dig.

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My garden is organic and no dig. We moved in two years ago and after extensive renovations inside, only just started to convert the garden last year with a cold greenhouse and a no dig veggie bed inside our family garden.

This year I am making two more no dig gardening beds 🎉 and I can’t wait to recreate the no dig set up I had at our previous house.

The photo shows the start up veggie beds (they’re only small raised ones, the big beds are not yet ready).

We started our no dig garden in 2022 (after a few failed attempts the 2 years previous because we didn’t follow no dig!)

We have a normal (rented) house in the suburbs with a generous garden area in which we created 6 full size beds and a couple of small patches here and there.

We also added 7 hens to our lot for the most amazing eggs and we practice electroculture!

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In 2023 we had the amazing opportunity to meet and interview Charles at Homeacres for Ximena’s YouTube channel!

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We are happy to be contacted on ximena@ximenadelaserna.com - we need to meet our 2 no dig neighbours on the map!

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My garden has been No Dig since the first lockdown. I did some of Charle's courses, Skills Growing and From Seed to Harvest.

I started with 4 original garden beds and now have 14 of various sizes. We've had very high winds all summer here in Wellington which has kept knocking the plants back. Very dry and temps in the high 20's.

I'm almost self sufficient in compost and my wormary is doing very well too.

My vision is impaired but I've found using the no dig method, there are generally less weeds unless I miss them, however, I now think of weeds as compost inputs.

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Blooming Green was founded by cousins Bek & Jen and has since grown into a happy team of staff and volunteers who, together, form the unique business that exists today. Established on an acre of ground that was once a Bramley orchard, the plot at LoddingtonFarm is still at the heart of the business. Organic, no-dig and what many people call their ‘happy place’… we love sharing our flower plot with others.

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For more information visit our website, follow us on social media or sign-up to our newsletter online

Blooming Green, Loddington Farm, Linton, Maidstone, Kent ME174AG

E: theshed@bloominggreenflowers.co.uk T: 01622 298676

www.bloominggreenflowers.co.uk

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Four Acre Farm is a Community Interest Company in Ringwood, Hampshire. We are setting up a weekly veg box scheme for local residents, selling in local shops and supplying restaurants.

We are caretakers of 4 acres of farmland and have already planted over 4 thousand trees to form a new native mixed species hedgerow,  130 fruit trees for a new orchard and sown wildflower seeds for the meadow and orchard to create permanent ground cover .

Our goal is to repair soil, create new & diverse habitat for thousands of species & provide chemical free food for the community. We want to show people how food can be grown locally with care and how they can be a part of the story.

Our methods grow alongside natural systems not against them. We are a No Dig farm and do not use any pesticides, herbicides , fungicides, artificial fertilisers or slug pellets!

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On 1.872 m2  we grow 60 variaties of vegetables and herbs. This no-dig garden is part of our regenerative farm, that started in 2018. The no-dig garden was added in 2023. In 2024 we deliver veggie-bags for 120 people and fresh eggs for 200 people. We also have a small food forest, an orchard and peat meadow, with some turkeys and sheep. Chickens play an important role in our garden. They clear new garden beds, and ‘rake’ the beds in between crops in chicken tractors.  We have a small polytunnel, where we grow all our plantings from seed, after the chickens cleared it during winter. Their compost provides extra warmth.

In the market garden, the first meter of each bed is reserved for flowers/herbs/perennials, we have a wildlife pond and we started planting hedgerows. We see no-dig gardening as a way of creating synergies between nature and farming: nature can prosper while we produce healthy food for the local community. And during that we can regenerate ecosystems! We are very passionate about that and share our knowledge and experience in our courses, workshops, lectures and via consultancy.  

Name: Natuurboerderij KipEigen | Eva Vos & Ellen Bosgoed

Location: The Netherlands, Loosdrecht (Nieuw-Loosdrechtsedijk 24, 1231 KX)

www.kipeigen.nl

Instagram: @kip.eigen

Facebook: KipEigen

info@kipeigen.nl

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My market garden is called Round The Field.

It’s a family run no-dig market garden in organic conversion supplying West Berkshire.

The website is www.roundthefield.co.uk

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I am interested in no dig farming technique.

My garden is at Basecamp Explorer hotel, Maasai Mara, Kenya.

I do farming and I asking you to connect me with other no dig farmers in Kenya or Africa.

My email address is: rlubelei@gmail.com

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I have a no-dig, half plot at Muswell Hill Golf Course allotments in one of the greener parts of north London.

It’s a tiny space compared to the kitchen garden at Chiswick House that I used to manage – but it still provides plenty of delicious, organic produce for my family to enjoy.

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A little about my garden and journey to create Joy Acres.
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When I was about 12 years old, my family had moved into a new farm and my dad decided to bring the old veggie patch back to life which sparked my interest in growing food immediately. I have never lost this love and have been honing my skills as an adult for the last ten years.

A few years ago I stumbled upon Charles’ videos and started employing a number of his techniques: multi sowing, fleece covers, moving away from wood sided beds. These techniques helped me gain some advantages in a perpetual battle against slugs in the soggy Pacific Northwest Climate of Vancouver Island. I was hooked!
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I am fascinated by soil. I am honing my composting skills as I would like to be more regenerative in that regard. I have the great fortune of having a large piece of land in the city and I have converted all of my gardening approaches to adopt the No Dig approach.

Of course, I love growing fresh vegetables. More than anything though, I do it for the joy. I do it because being in the garden, working hard, moving, tending to plants and snacking on veggies is my happy place. I am meant to be a farmer and Joy Acres truly is a dream come true. I

I am happy to connect with other gardeners in my area. My email address is: elizabethmturner1@gmail.com

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I am 42 years old, never gardened in my life until last year when I began killing seedlings. This year I have gotten much better, thank God. Bought LED lights and your sowing calendar, yay!

I am the happy owner of a weekend getaway in Petrovaselo village, Timiș county of România. So I visit my future garden only 3-4 days a month. For now!

I am so grateful and inspired by Mr. Charles' work and your entire team. I want to do my part and help make no dig popular in my little part of the world.

My email address is alexandra.cretu@ymail.com

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After quitting my profession as a full-time chef in 2020 I pursued a career in horticulture.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to create a kitchen garden from scratch in a field next to the hotel to grow food for the kitchen. I knew very little at the time but after watching just a few of Charles’s YouTube videos I knew how I was going to go about it and he has been an inspiration ever since.

I am now growing a large variety of fruit, veg and cut flowers using organic no-dig methods on nearly 1/3 of an acre that go directly to the hotel and chefs within minutes of being picked.

Homewood kitchen garden

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I began my no dig journey about seven years ago after attending one of Charles’s courses. I have six 3x2m raised beds for veg, a 7x5m fruit cage and a greenhouse which incorporates an open bed for winter leaves and tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines in summer.

I work the veg beds pretty hard and try to add 5cm of a manure based mulch once or twice a year. I’m fully organic using just nematodes and netting for crop protection. I make my own compost, but use this on other areas of the garden as it doesn’t get hot enough to kill weed seeds and I don’t have the time or inclination to eliminate these from the heap!

As I’m not far from Homeacres, the climate is similar though with slightly cooler days as we’re 600ft up in the Blackdown hills.

No dig is a revelation in terms of cropping reliability, yields and labour saving. I have eliminated most perennial weeds and it’s relatively easy to keep on top of annual weeds. Spring is the fallowest period and I cover bare areas with cardboard to suppress weed growth.

This all sounds terribly earnest, but no dig has made gardening much more fun and rewarding!

Photos of no dig veg plot in March 2024 (not looking at its best!)

I’m an avid follower of Charles.  This is my 5th year gardening using the No Dig practices. In addition to the videos, I purchased Charles’s Diary.  I’ve learned so much and have never enjoyed gardening more!

My site consists of ledge and sand and is wooded - extremely thin soil.  I began 4 years ago by chopping down the small trees & brush and using Charles’s method of covering with plastic for about 6 months.  As you know, it’s truly amazing how much can be grown using the no dig method even in poor soil with only about 7 hrs of sunlight around the summer solstice.  

I'm continually amazed at how few weeds there are and the strong growth of the plants.  I grow most all of the veg we eat.  I’m now working on having more veg stored during the off season and saving more seeds.  

Like Charles I continually do trials for different things and this past year was to have some salad greens over winter outside with no covering or protection.  To my amazement they survived, even through 12"-15" of snow!  Our weather is traditionally zone 6a but I tracked temperature this winter and we're now tracking more like zone 8a!  .....global warming.....

A tip for folks around the northeast US - I use 'Bumper Crop' organic compost to start my seeds.  It's advertised as a soil amendment and not for seed starting but it works great - strong root and plant growth.  As Charles mentions in his videos, good seed starting compost is not inexpensive but it works really well.  

The photo shows the garden in June 2023.

My email is: gaudettejoe52@gmail.com

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I have been using the no dig method for about 12-13 years with excellent results. It is also a lot easier now that I am 80!  

I usually get selected as in the top 10 of allotments on our site and even Commended or Highly Commended from all the allotments in Loughton, Essex.  

The allotment is on a steep hill and is the second oldest allotment site in continuous cultivation since 1813!

I put the black landscape fabric down so I can use my kneeler.

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My market garden is called Round The Field, www.roundthefield.co.uk

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‍We started out in 2019 and worm composting now makes up the bulk of our business leaving us producing on about 1/4 acre for restaurants and subscribers.

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I have been practicing no dig for 4 years and have experienced a tremendous improvement in the soil.

The only purchased inputs I have used are compost and vermicompost, as I cannot make enough compost for  my whole yard.  

The growing season (without covers) is April 1- Oct 31. I also do some winter gardening using cold frame covers on the raised beds.

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The picture is from last spring.

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My garden is a domestic new build (2021) with flower / social areas and a veg area which is mainly raised beds due to sub soil and huge trees draining the subsoil.  All no dig (never been dug).

The photo is from 18 months ago. We did a local village open gardens in May 2023 and people were genuinely shocked at how quickly we were establishing a garden using no dig.

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I've just transitioned to no dig on my allotment in Leeds after many years of digging and lots of weeding. I still have a few more beds to make but the majority has been completed over this winter.

The allotment is leased from the council but run by it's members so we self manage the site. There is around 150 plots in total, a mixture of full and half sized plots.

My Instagram page @what_the_largents_grow

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I’ve followed Charles for the last 4 years and thanks to his amazing videos I’ve been able to create a thriving no dig allotment!

I’ve managed to make it to Charles’ garden and hope to come back again 😊

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I’ve had my allotment since spring 2021. It’s around 78m2 with 4 long beds, a pumpkin patch and a small pond home to lots of frogs.

Being no dig has helped immensely with the heavy clay soil we have. I’ve had really successful harvests growing in a more naturalistic way, encouraging insects, songbirds and fungi.

I’m excited to companion plant with more flowers this year to fill mine and my friends’ vases as well as plates!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sameatshamx/

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My no dig garden is situated in Markovo, Bulgaria, near the second largest city Plovdiv. The garden is quite new - this will be the second whole season.

I have named it “The healthy land”. It is about 150sqm kitchen garden in a suburban area.

I have no previous experience in gardening, but since I started it, I found my true passion. And thanks to the videos, you share on Youtube, i have learned a lot and implemented the method from the very beginning. And I am truly thankful for all the knowledge and inspiration Mr. Dowding shares with us all!

M contact info - yordanka.mancheva@gmail.com also on instagram - @thehealthyland

Below, i am sending also few pictures of the garden.

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I tried the nodig system last year for the first time and at 85 years old it makes veg gardening much easier!

The Caritas Lalley Community Allotment is a peaceful space for growing food and flowers and enjoying nature in Collyhurst.

We switched to organic, no dig methods in 2022 and have been really enjoying the benefits of healthier soil and great harvests with less work ever since!

The allotment is run by charity Caritas Salford, which supports people experiencing poverty across Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Produce is shared with local people through our food pantry service.

We welcome everyone to visit or volunteer, whether you're an experienced gardener or just want to get outside more.

If you'd like to visit, contact @lalleycentre@caritassalford.org.uk, or if you're interested in volunteering, contact volunteering@caritassalford.org.uk or sign up directly here www.caritassalford.org.uk/volunteer.

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I'd be happy for neighbours to get in touch by emailing lalleycentre@caritassalford.org.uk.

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Having started a small no dig garden in 2020 - I was a complete convert.

When we moved to our forever home a few years later I knew that no dig was the only option.

I used cardboard and spent mushroom compost to create my no dig kitchen garden.

The land had been farmed/plowed for many years and no dig has brought everything back to life.

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Lonk to our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/by_the_willows?igsh=MWhycDB3MzRhdHdiMg==

I’m Ludovico Gui, the gardener of SanBrite restaurant in Cortina d’ampezzo, Italy.

The San Brite restaurant is located in Cortina d'Ampezzo (BL), Italy. Awarded with one Michelin star and one green star of sustainability, it promotes the concept of regeneration both in its dishes and in the production of its raw materials.

Precisely for this reason the vegetable garden is based on the no dig principle, in order to offer fresh and organic vegetables grown with respect for the soil and the environment.

We're big no dig fans!

Our garden is called grond|vorm, a garden, design and landscape laboratory founded in 2022 by LMNL office [for architecture and landscape].

It is located on the edge of the nature reserve Kampina in Oisterwijk.

We love growing our own food and we had no need for the old sandy horse paddock so we decided to convert it into our vegetable garden.

Using the no dig method we started out with a simple grid of beds 1,2x4m (perfect size according to us) with paths of 80cm between. In total we have 200m2 of vegetable beds plus 50m2 for cut flowers. On approximately 2 hectares (5 acres) we are creating a large naturalistic garden, wildflower meadow, forest grove, and orchard - among other things.

It's an experiment for us as landscape architects and architects. We're happy to open our garden to visitors.

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Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grondvorm/

Our website: https://liminaloffice.com/projects/grond-vorm-landscape-lab

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Rising Herb Farm is a quaint herb farm, native plant nursery, and farmer's market vendor located in the hills and hollers of western Indiana, USA.

We've been No Dig since 2020!

www.facebook.com/risingherbs

Risingherbfarm.etsy.com

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The Azusa Pacific University Community Garden is a collaborative campus food garden with a 5000 square foot no dig “home vegetable garden” on campus plus perennial herbs, strawberries, cane berries, and fruit trees scattered around campus.

The garden is tended by student, faculty, and staff volunteers, and all of the produce is free for students to pick.

We also work with the City of Azusa to offer beginning food gardening workshops and youth gardening club to the surrounding community.

We’re currently working on two research projects: evaluating non-insecticidal strategies for managing aphids in brassicas in the home and community garden and developing a salsa pepper that is well-suited to our microclimate and doesn’t require supplemental shade in the late summer.  

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Everything because of Charles Dowding! I'm 21 and I've been practicing no dig for 4 years.

Two years ago, I started selling my vegetables seasonally and this is a proper dream!

Now we have around 600 square meters of no dig beds with 200 square meters under the cover.

Everything is on a slope facing south, surrounded by forests and meadows.

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My email: farmaprymula@gmail.com

Also my Instagram:  @farma_prymula

https://www.instagram.com/farma_prymula?igsh=MWJrODdheGc3YnZxYg==

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Our allotment site is quite a small space given by a local organic farmer and there are 7 of us with plots of various sizes.  

We have to be organic and most of us use "no dig".

It is a beautiful site with views to the South and a row of beech trees to protect us from the North, though the wind can whip in from the West.

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I have known about no dig for a few years now but have only managed to get started properly recently.

I prepared my small plot in December, placing cardboard then covering with store bought peat-free compost.

I have had to make an addition of a net cage as the local gang of jackdaws find it amusing to pull out my seedlings.

I also have a small willow tree in my plot! I couldn't think of anywhere to transplant it to, so decided it could stay and get surrounded by veg. 😁

I have Charles' calendar and follow the planting guides to help me get timings right. I also find his YouTube videos really helpful.

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I am 72 and have been working a no dig allotment for six years.  It's on the Western Avenue site Hillingdon UB109QE. I call it Freezelandia.

It's very open and exposed and wet. It's a  large plot, now well established, developed from what was a grass covered unused mid position site, infested with wireworm.

A lot of work and cost to setup in 2018 but now easily tended and productive.

It's a free site to over 65's supported by the Hillingdon Borough Council Green Spaces Team. The team supply water, good perimeter fencing and a composting toilet on site. I believe there are empty or unused plots available. You can see two unworked plots  either side of mine.

There are about 60 plots each about 90 sq mtrs running North to South.

I have a fledging no dig garden of 2 years. The focus of the garden is to be as productive as possible whilst encouraging as much wildlife as possible. This year I intend to build a pond.

I have 8 mildly raised beds, two sheds, a small greenhouse and a lot of enthusiasm. Last year I managed just 33kg worth of fruit and veg despite having a very challenging year having converted to peat-free compost. As you can see, the beds are within my modest garden, however, I have applied for an allotment.

I am not yet fully applying biodynamic principles although I am now fully organic and peat-free.

My ‘discovery’ of horticulture, organic and no dig gardening and veg growing has really changed my life. I have moved from a 50 hour week to a 19 hour week so that I am able to pursue my interests in horticulture. This is in no small part to due to the enthusiasm and inspiration given to me by Charles via his videos, books and podcast interviews.

We bought the old farmhouse with five hectares of land in 2020 in order to 'liberate' the conventional farmland from chemicals and tilling and plant lots of trees. Our full-time jobs put a limit on the amount of development we can do, but so far we have managed to plant about 2700 trees (shelterbelt natives, fruit and nuts) and start the no-dog kitchen garden.

The land is North-East facing, exposed to the powerful local winds and very wet in winter - a creative challenge - and we enjoy watching the many different birds of prey feasting on the, ahem, healthy vole population.

One of our hobbies is growing 'Darwin apples' from seed (regular apples, but there is no way of knowing how they will turn out).

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I have been gardening organically since my days at Warren Wilson college in Swannanoa, NC, starting in 1983.

Last year was the first time I tried no dig. It makes so much sense, I'm hooked! I really enjoy the videos Charles puts out.

We started no dig in the autumn of 2022 so last year was our first full year with no dig.

Better quality produce and more of it. Best of all about 5% weeds. Fantastic.

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This is our 3rd garden where we have been practising No Dig, having 1st experimented with the system back in the 80s after being inspired by Charles on Gardeners World.

All our dwellings here in south Cornwall came with challenges, mainly the lack of soil & this, our current home, despite being almost an acre of woodland, is no different.

After half a decade of considerable work we eventually concluded that trees are hungrier than us & began growing our plants in old fish boxes using the same idea of no dig, minimal disturbance & dressing the soil with home grown compost.

However, we have had a surprisingly fruitful orchard, which we planted using the No Dig method.

This is our 13th year here & although challenges still arise, No Dig is most definitely the way to go.

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