Growing organic vegetables commercially for over 30 years, Charles Dowding has developed a no-dig method of cultivation for temperate climate gardening.

Charles and his partner Steph Hafferty introduces us to Homeacres, his 1/4 acre market garden. Now supplying year-round salad and fresh vegetables for local restaurants, Charles took just one winter to transform it from weedy pasture using mulch and no-dig gardening.

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 infomation about no-dig gardening www.stephaniehafferty.co.uk

Living with the Land | The Films

‘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. The films will be released to coincide with the build-up to the 12th International Permaculture Convergence, in London this September organised by the Permaculture Association www.permaculture.org.uk/join

To see all nine films see www.permaculture.co.uk/living-with-the-land

 

 

 

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