Organic Gardening
The natural no-dig way

In this book, Charles Dowding shares the wealth of his experience, explaining his approach to soil and plants and revealing the range of techniques that have enabled him to grow healthy and vibrant crops for decades. His success is based on a key principle of “no dig”—not digging. This enhances soil structure and encourages healthy growth, especially when soil life is encouraged and multiplied through the addition of good compost and manure. Based on this approach and his use of a system of permanent, slightly raised beds, Dowding shows, in this book, how to grow a delicious variety of fruit and vegetables: what to choose; when to sow, plant, and harvest; and how best to avoid pests and diseases.

Using a system of permanent, slightly raised beds, Charles
shows how you can grow a delicious variety of fruit and vegetables
organically: what to choose; when to sow, plant and harvest;
and how best to avoid pests and diseases. He shares his wide
experience of using the no-dig approach and its effect on the
soil and plants. He explains the range of techniques that have
enabled him to grow healthy and vibrant crops over the years.

Foreword by Patrick Holden, CBE, Founder of the Sustainable Food Trust & ex-director of The Soil Association                                              

Introduction                                                                             

Part 1: Letting Nature Nurture your Garden

1       The art of not digging                                                   

2       The basics                                                                     

3       Deciding what to grow                                                 

4       What’s in season?                                                        

5       Living with pests                                                           

6       Sowing seeds, raising plants                                      

7       Making compost                                                           

8       The moon                                                                      

Part 2: Healthy Harvests

9       Summer salads                                             

10     Winter salads                                                                

11     Alliums                                                                           

12     Choice of roots                                                             

13     Savouring summer                                                       

14     Brassicas                                                                      

15     Tomatoes, greenhouse vegetables and unusual vegetables        

16     Perennial vegetables                                                   

17     Herbs and edible flowers                                             

18     Tree fruit and nuts                                                         

19     Soft fruit (berries)                                                          

Postscript                                                                                

Appendix: Dig/no-dig experiment at Lower Farm              

Resources                                                                              

Bibliography                                                                           

Main index    
Index of recipes