Growing organic vegetables commercially for over 30 years, Charles Dowding has developed a no-dig method of cultivation for temperate climate gardening.
Over a few winter months, Charles and Stephanie Hafferty (no-dig gardener, writer and kitchen garden chef) transformed 1/4 of an acre into Homeacres market garden, supplying year-round salad and fresh vegetables to the locality.
No-dig gardening is a technique regularly used in permaculture. The use of a mulch on top of the soil mimics the leaves that drop from the trees, which then rot and are drawn into the soil by worms and microbes. In nature, soil is rarely disturbed, with all work being done by the bacteria and creatures in the soil. Charles explains the importance of soil, the beneficial bacteria and how soil disturbance reduces nutrients and affects the microbes good work.
Narrated by Jekka McVicar, broadcaster, author and master herbalist
Produced by Permaculture People for Permaculture magazine
Logo designed by HIP Permaculture
Camera Mihali Moore and Tom Goudsmit
Photos courtesy of Charles Dowding
For more info and resources on the work of Charles Dowding visit www.charlesdowding.co.uk
For more information about no-dig gardening www.stephaniehafferty.co.uk
‘Living with the Land’ is a series of nine short online films free to view and distribute. Please share the link far and wide! Produced by Permaculture People for Permaculture magazine the films showcase the people and projects in the UK designing ecologically sound and regenerative land based practices.