Spring 2023 here has often felt wintry, with cool winds, occasional frosts (four in April), and a notable lack of sunshine through March. Just 66 hours in the whole month, less than in most Decembers.
Sowing and planting has continued in the rain, using my lineage of average best dates. No dig helps massively because we can access the ground in all weathers. And without causing compaction because the soil structure is firm, stable, yet open to roots.
Even this year, my sowing dates have been good for plants to get underway. Then growth after planting has mostly been slow. Later sowings in 2023 have not lost time compared to earlier sowings.
00:00 Introduction
00:34 Spinach and lettuce under fleece
01:32 Securing a cover against wind using extra hoops
01:47 Potatoes just planted in a trial bed of no rotation
02:55 Overwintered broad beans, some frost damage
03:56 Leeks rising to flower
04:32 Asparagus, a taste of spring
05:02 Sorrel, a taste of late winter – broad-leaved and buckler-leaved
05:54 Raspberries, with metal border
06:25 The wormery
07:21 Apple mint
08:19 A pond… this one will have a liner!
08:50 Homeacres’ soil profile, and the water table
09:16 6/7-month-old woodchip
09:56 Mustard
10:16 Garlic, with coriander interplant
10:44 Compost heap
12:20 Carrots and radish – mesh covers not fleece
13:08 In the greenhouse, much warmer!
13:47 Flowers for interplanting
13:52 Celeriac and celery, both pricked out
14:21 Lettuce and broccoli in module trays
14:37 Hotbed, giving warmth to peppers, aubergines, tomatoes and asparagus
15:47 Tomato plants, potted on
16:18 A quick look at different composts
17:09 Tulips, and orach – lovely colours
17:42 Peas, with fleece recently removed
17:59 Brassicas with fleece still on – cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli
18:22 Onions, with fleece recently removed
18:37 Lettuce with fleece plants lying directly over
19:04 A brassica bed with spring cabbage, and spinach
19:22 A new no dig bed – removing a dandelion, and a look at the soil beneath
20:15 How to deal with perennial weeds
20:48 Surviving broccoli plants, Claret F1 hybrid
21:36 Rye for grain
22:09 Wood in homemade compost
22:39 Lettuce plants in the polytunnel, in their 5th month of cropping, including Red Lace mustard
23:47 Clearing lettuce plants and getting the ground ready for next plantings
24:44 No rush for sowing cucurbits
Filmed 12th April by Nicola Smith, at Homeacres no dig garden in Somerset UK, zone 8 winters and zone 5b summers. temperate oceanic climate.
Knowledge packs giving detailed info on different aspects of growing no dig veg available here:
https://charlesdowding.co.uk/product-category/knowledge-packs/
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Have you done a soil test? I would be interested to see what's actually in your soil.
What is that fleece you use? The one at the beginning covering those lettuce? it looks good.
Love it❤ and thanks!
Great video Charles well done to all your team too ????????????
I live about 100 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico and am amazed at how similar the climate is to yours. We have hotter summers, milder winters and generally more violent storms but your growing season and rainfall are close enough to ours to make your videos very useful. Thanks
Always enjoy the tours. Question about the asparagus, looked kind like the seed was on top the soil. My brother has a nice bed and I saved seeds last autumn, it grows wild where I live, so I've never sown it before.
Do you dig up your tulip bulbs every year and then replant them in late winter?
Great tour, thank you. I've ordered your cookery book, I'm looking forward to making the sour dough rye bread ????
Great video again. I got my first allotment in the beginning of march and I tried making a no dig bed on one of the grass bits but I'm thinking it may have been a mistake making the bed this "late". I know you usually would do it in the winter. I've found that the weeds are growing much quicker. I have been putting cardboard in place of the weeds I pull out but the grass underneath is still very "healthy" – maybe because of the heat we had for a few days? I did plant some carrots i the bed as well but I'm worried the cardboard and the grass will stop the carrots from growing or cause it to fork out.
Would Charles get like one loaf from that patch? It's not exactly the mid west ha ha.
Great Stuff, Thanks Charles!
Hallo Charles
I was wondering if you have any problems with slugs this time of the year?? All my new plants including broad beans and peas are gone already???????? any sugestions pls??
I have been using Red Tiger worms to break down the leaves in my garden for a number of years now. I top up the pile with vegetable clippings from the kitchen.
❤ thank you!
I agree with your comment regarding perennial weeds. I am now in my 2nd year of no dig and have now very few mares tails
What would be the yield of that size of rye bed?
We went right into summer in NY. It’s been 90 F/ 32C! All the trees busted open. Well the flowering trees were already out. Kind of scary but for now gorgeous
2024 world governments apire to have the power to control weather, this is very dangerous
I’m really happy to see the worms are doing well and your getting castings for the use in the greenhouse and garden. Like the successful manure heap in the greenhouse keeping your seedlings warm.
Loving the garlic and the rest of the garden.
The pond is an interesting feature.
I always wonder: why are mesh and fleece not black?
Q. About and row cover materials.
Charles. The best compost results in the whole wide world.
We ran out of grass for compost so using kitchen scraps. Grass in yards has plenty of dandelions because we Don't want to spray any weed killer. Bees like it. Not much blooms in April here.
It is 90 F degrees today. Zone 6b. A bit cooler maybe tomorrow.
Question. One cover we have, used in fall to extend garden year. Would that work? Didn't get fleece.
Bush beans not up yet and Brussels Sprouts hardening off. May need it under hoops w. cover
“““““About the pond.
When we dug ours the ground was compact sand Jack hammer was used at one point. Rubber liner is now 20 yr old. Filter and skimmer. One end small area is below frost line so gold fish won't freeze.
I love the shelves you have. Layers. We use ours for potted pond plants, special soil for pond plants. Our gold fish pee and plants use it.
Much respect from East Coast USA.
thnx great tour Charles!
Great video and some lovely growth from the plants. Di you make a video of how to create your wormery??????????☀️
Thanks for that beautiful inspiration!
Love the tour. Thank you! About your amazing leeks, when where they planted outside? Regards from Sweden!
All my cool season crops are in starting about a month ago. This week we're hitting highs of 80F (27C) in zone 6A! Another month until average last frost and I've got one spinach that bolted and my fruit trees are leafing out. However, this was the first year I used the Charles Dowding seed trays, so even if we get a frost it'll be a good spring.
Nice to see you so excited.
I’m just so happy it’s spring ❤ Ty for the tour