Our vlog pick - Charles Dowding, no dig gardening

If you’re interested in growing vegetables with a no dig approach, this YouTube channel is an excellent resource.  Charles Dowding is an expert in the subject, having pioneered the no-dig technique of growing veg.

He has a productive acre plot in Somerset and his vlog has lots of advice on the best crops and varieties to sow that will grow quickly such as repeat cropping lettuces which he harvests by just picking the outside leaves.  He also recommends pea sprouts – such as mange tout or sugar snaps, which are good for adding to salads.

Charles maximises space by multi sowing beetroot varieties, twisting out the largest from each clump and leaving the rest to develop.  He has a great system of planting straight into a weedy bed by covering it with cardboard to block out all light and then covering this with a very thick layer of mulch –  to even consider no dig methods, you need a lot of mulch!  You also need to keep the area moist otherwise the cardboard doesn’t break down.  But it’s definitely worth a go – and much less backbreaking than weeding.