This video is relevant to all gardeners, whether or not you dig/till the soil. There is no right / wrong amount of compost.
My explanations are from 40 years of an organic approach, using no synthetic or artificially manufactured fertilisers or feeds. All fertility is from compost, with best results from leaving it on the surface, as in no dig.
Compost enhances life in no dig soil. Whereas in dug/tilled soil, plants obtain less value from the compost, because of the disruption to the fertility network of mycelia for example.
I answer many questions about this topic. I relate to your uncertainties, such as feeling daunted at the beginning by imagining the huge amount of compost you think you might need to start no dig!
You can use a lot, and it’s a great investment in long term fertility.
Or you can use less.
Filmed and edited by Edward Dowding, freelance filmmaker https://edowdingfilms.onfabrik.com/portfolio
00:00 Introduction
00:54 Clarification of meaning of compost
01:39 One of my comparisons, the Three-Strip Trial, which started in 2013, and the 2013 results, which persuaded me to modify the trial.
03:02 Modifications to the trial in 2014, and subsequent results
04:23 Results from the third year, 2015
04:31 Amount of compost added to the trial beds each year
05:03 Another ongoing trial, comparing dig and no dig beds, that I have been running since 2012
05:52 Results of this trial over nine years
07:32 The value of compost, and how it’s so worthwhile for growing great veg
07:48 Easy succession planting in the dig/no dig beds
08:41 The watering advantages of no dig, partly from adding compost on top of beds
09:05 The simplicity of the no dig method, and having to add compost only once a year
09:27 The overall benefits of using compost
10:29 Some info on my new No Dig book
The book is available to pre-order https://geni.us/NoDig
See this web page for more details of the trials I mention: https://charlesdowding.co.uk/category/trials/
And my ‘Trials’ playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7WDfop74y-m2wNJolMa2Brum_-DbpzkT
See also the ‘Get Started’ page on my website which includes a beginner’s guide, explaining how to start no dig: https://charlesdowding.co.uk/start-here/
And the ‘Compost – Using and Making’ page: https://charlesdowding.co.uk/compost-using-and-making/
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Good Job!!!
Saludos desde España!!!
One questions…..
El libro se publica en español???
Gracias for all
Thank you for helping us to be better gardeners and eat healthier foods and of course healthy exercise too!
I make all my own compost and campaign for all gardeners to do it too, it's all part of being a good gardener. I've also got your Winter vegetable book and am having a go at that this year. Could you answer a no dig question for me please? I have clay soil so it becomes compacted and every year I have to dig it to loosen it up, I add compost too to help it. As I see it I can't do 'no dig' because the ground is just too solid for it. Is there any way around this, or is it just a case of keeping on working with the clay soil until it will (hopefully) become better and I can do without digging?
How nice to hear your compost recommendations and then realise we did exactly that! we started the new no-dig area here with 80 tons of bought compost, spread out over 450 m2, thats a 25 cm thick layer, to kickstart the degraded soil. Harvests have already been huge in our first year, looking forward to seeing the soil regenerate these next few years. this is at the Woldtuin, in the netherlands.
Heard temperature is very high in england. How is plants mangaging tge heat. Usually its very cold there.
Hola, muchas gracias por sus enseñanzas. Quisiera comprar el libro, lo necesito!! Me puede decir que editorial lo lleva en España!. Muchas gracias
Have you seen any long-term differences between the forked and unforked rows (#1 vs #2)?
I have a question for you Charles. I have set up my compost bins for my convenience, but I am now questioning their siting. I have suburban section with the house in the middle and surrounded by gardens of veg, flowers and tree windbreaks on all sides. I have placed the 5 compost bins around the fence lines (1 site is a double) within easy reach of each garden bed. Watching your videos I am now questioning this dispersed placement as it may be impacting my involvement with active compost making rather than my lazy "load and leave" method. The section is not flat but rises 30 degrees from the road to the back fence with 4 x 900mm landscaping walls to create level terraces for planting. The 5 pyramid type bins are emptied of compost each autumn and the green topping put back in. I would welcome your comment and advice on their placement. Thank you.
Start with a square foot, plant beans or something then add to the edges, i used coir, compost , a bag of natural non toxic play sand and unused natural cat litter mixed in a bucket to start with. year one-a square foot with runner beans, year two-four square feet with potatoes, beets and peas and runner beans, year five-18 square feet with countless veg and flowers. I've spent less than a hundred pounds in five years of no-dig gardening.
Having half of a 4’x4’x4’ heap currently. Still adding a little bit. Hoping next season I’ll be able to use a little bit of it.
How many Kg avg. would it be per 1m2 or per 1 Hectare?
– compost
– yeld vegetables
I didn’t realize compost was suppose to go on top? I thought it was supposed to be mixed through
Would you use comfrey, nettle or seaweed tea's to help improve soil health?
Hi Charles I'm a big fan of you. I want to turn our small backyard into no dig vegetable area. We don't have a space for composting. I am thinking of directly burying our food scraps I in the compost? What do you think?
I can understand and appreciate the concept of no dig gardening when applying this method on a ground level bed. I built two beds out of torn down pallets but these beds are on legs to make to top of the bed waist height. One is 3’ x 7’ and 11 “ deep and the other 4’ x 8’ and 15” deep. There have screened bottoms with landscape fabric on top, my plan was to fill a portion of the bottom with branches and pruning clippings, cardboard and then garden soil with compost on top, however I am not the slightest bit sure if this is correct. I have to buy compost until I can master composting 101. Are you able to provide me with your expert knowledge and tell me want you think the best way to proceed would be. I am trying to get these beds ready for the spring or even perhaps some winter vegetables. This gardening thing is completely outside my wheelhouse……help!! Oh I am on the southwest coast of British Columbia, thanks Shirley. PS you are my no dig guru.
Thank you Charles…
Your garden is sooooo organised….lovely.!!!
I have learned tons from your books and videos. Thank you so much. I still have a good question for you though. How do you keep critters out of your compost bins?
Wow, over 10 years of what sounds like a well structured experiment.
Just goes to show the benefits of prepping your soil well, and the perhaps never ending continual benefits with every planting.
Your observation that composting's main benefit is in the first few years is consistent with other planting theory, that a good start may be needed if the existing soil is poor but that past a few years good farming habits should be the main reason for bountiful yields… not soil amendments. Although you don't seem to be practicing recent theories of plant diversity which also has shown plant ability to create sufficient amounts of fertilizer on its own, it does look like you may be doing plenty to foster a healthy soil biome of essential microbes to keep your crops happy.
Besides the effects of recent theory on plant diversity (Don't plant your crops monoculturally as all gardeners including yourself appear to have done but to plant as diverse plants as possible close together) and vermicompost instead of regular compost to see if even better soil can be formed and how that would affect your crops since you appear to have reached a plateau or upper limit of yields.
I see you put your compost in February. I have heard that it is better put in fall to give the worms time to work. What do you think? I live in a northern state with a 4-5 month winter.
Beautiful knowledge & video, top notch, thank you so much for sharing
Hi Charles, thx for sharing your experiences in your great video's, it inspired and taught me so much!
I have a question about the amount of compost used on the beds. In your video's you talk about a couple of centimeters of compost per year each autumn. Do you know of any disadvantages to this kinds of compost-amounts? How about phosphor?
According to Velt.be, a belgian organisation focused on ecological living and gardening, a maximum of only 12 mm compost should be added on the bed. More compost will give too much phosphor to the soil wich will leak into soilwater and finally into open water, with negative results for the local ecology. What is your opinion on this?
I've learned so much from your book and videos. Thank you!
Im surprised u dont do a worm bin
i'm a big fan of no dig. these days I don't dig any of vegetables beds anymore. now i just need to get my vegetables to grow.
@charlesdowding I just got into a program that gives its participants a 100’ x 4’ row to garden.. I have no idea where I’m to get that much compost.