It is not only the knowledge and sharing that inspires me. Charles’s expression and attitude is so motivating and I just couldn’t help being propelled to go into the garden
You could have harvested in total silence this bed of carrots and I would have just been sitting here going woah and aah at every carrot. They're so beautiful ! Great video, thanks for all your effort !
I agree. All he needs is chickens and a dog and cat. Maybe rabbits for fertilizer! Rabbits can live over a raised bed! (Dirt patch heaven….although I no longer enjoy her presentations)
If you ever start a 24-hr live stream from your farm, I'll never get anything done. 😝 Much love and thanks to you and Edward for such wonderful videos. 🤗❤️
Me too. Maybe it's the farming genes in me. This sort of thing also pushes me straight back to age 5 and running around after my Granddad on his huge allotment. :-)
After watching you for multiple compost vids Im convinced No dig is the way to go. Officially switched over by fixing up my beds the way I want and thats it! No more digging for me.. even expanded my compost pile😁
I’ve always been a fan of not disturbing the soil and microorganisms within, so what a joy to find others who feel the same. We are ripping this planet apart, one way or another, releasing gasses and killing off species during the process. However, if all us flower and veg growers followed Mr Dowding’s advice and plan, our small changes could be hugely significant! The kind and gentle way you manage your soil, plants, and your whole gentle manor is very encouraging. Thank you.
That robin chirping away throughout the video is so wonderful. Especially now when birds here in central Europe have been silent for over three months.
Jane here again. As an allotment holder I’ve learnt something new everyday watching your videos. You’re a smashing teacher, good fun and very easy on the ears and the eyes.
Charles, thank you for all your inspiration and knowledge 😊, I am always looking forward to the next one! I live in Sweden and have practised no-dig successfully for more than 12 years now!
Tried last week to explain hubby why I need a manure fork... cannot wait to show him your video now! I wish I would have seen this many years ago. But next year will become awesome, due to all the knowledge we got from you.
It always amazes me how simple your method is, spread compost once a year, that's it. The American market gardeners I watch they always prep a bed after each harvest, seems so much work.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Does planting bulbs damage the soil? I was planting bulbs and thought about how Im disturbing the soil structure given you have to plant to a depth of three times their height. Excellent video and will use a rake properly now.
I did take heart from your encouragement to 'just keep at it' When the leaves became smaller and the resurgences became fewer, I was a believer!!!!! Still a battle ahead but great faith. Thanks again for another excellent video.
Hello, I have been watching your work and achievements in the garden with great interest for some time. I am very interested in all these solutions for organic vegetable cultivation. I have a garden with an area of 1500 sq m, but unfortunately a lot of spruce and pine trees grow there. the trees are planted around the fence line to protect against winds and frosts in winter. I am now learning from the Lord how to build a vegetable garden without digging up the ground and I like it very much. I have my compost and in a branch shredder I shred thinner branches after tree felling. I use it as a covering layer around fruit bushes such as currants, American blueberries, chokeberry. This way I keep moisture in the soil around the bushes. I am very happy that I found your channel and thank you for sharing your ideas with such joy and teaching us how you can achieve great results in the cultivation of vegetables with methods that are so simple and unknown to most people. I cordially greet you and sorry, but I don't know English, I am writing from Poland where I live and translating everything through google translator. This may make this text not very understandable, but I wanted to write something to you.
Dziękuję Bogusław za cudowny komentarz. Inspirujesz mnie do inwestowania w kolejne polskie tłumaczenia. Było ich wiele Beata z podwarszawy, ale teraz jest zbyt zajęta. Tłumacz Google działa bardzo dobrze i na początku pomyślałem, że mówisz po angielsku! Cieszę się, że mogę Ci pomagać w ogrodzie i że tak bardzo lubisz te proste metody.
Your sound was much more clear in this video. I apologize for my rude comment about the sound comment in your last. Looking back it was insensitive. I enjoy watching and learning from you and simply observing the absolute beauty of your gardens.
Thank you for another great video Charles. I have just sat for 26.43 mins totally absorbed in your teachings and fully re-charged for autumn work in the garden! You are by far the best person I learn veg gardening from and for understanding how the garden/plants grow, mature and return to soil!
My favorite places in the land of the long white cloud are Hawkes Bay, and Martinborough. I am a big fan of their wine grape varieties and consuming the harvest.
I´ve learned so much this year following you that now I have my first homemade compost and also preparing to harvest lots of delicious peas, lettuce, beans, cilantro, parsley, ... Thanks a lot from Chile
You are one of few gardening channel I watched.Learned a lot of tricks from your videos and apply them to my home garden.I also love 💘 your soft voice.Filipino-Kiwi pensioner watching from Auckland New Zealand.
The no-dig process is exactly what I need. With sciatica caused by a bulging disc in my lower back and complicated by arthritis, I have to garden carefully. This method winll help. Thanks.
One of the great aspects of watching you, is that we are just coming into spring sowing in New Zealand, so my binge watching during winter, has given me a tonne of inspiration. Thanks so much Charles... bring on the growing season 😁😁
Thank you, Charles, for showing this. I'm trying to convince my mother to switch to no dig on our allotment and this will help us a lot! Luckily we have a well maintained vegetable garden, so not too many weeds except for the occasional marestail and ground elder, but hopefully we will have a healthier crop with your method.
Dear Charles. a thank you for the other side of the pond. (Denmark) thank you for your great videos, I have learned so much from them, and look forward to both "no dig" and my own compost. ❤️ Have a suggestion for you, you know , you have a hard time finding weeds in your garden, so I suggest you come visit here with us, just to show people, weeds in all forms, and show how we get it away 😂😂 😂😂😂❤️😉 our garden is fully available 😂😂😂😉 big hug karina
Thanks for taking the time to produce this video Charles. I tend to grab whatever tool is at hand without thinking about the impact on my energy levels and the effective use of the tool. Your video reminded me of my parent's rule about learning a new musical instrument. They were both amateur musicians and insisted my siblings and I were not allowed to pick up or play a new instrument without having had our first lesson. The reason is simply that it is easier to play an instrument when you know how to hold it correctly than it is to unlearn incorrect hand placement, so thank you for my first lesson in gardening tools and techniques. My parents would have been impressed with the detail of your instruction. Stay safe and test negative.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig I never played the oboe or hautbois as it was once known. I do however play piano, trombone and violin (just not at the same time) ;-)
I have a bindweed theory: There is a giant ball of bindweed root at the center of the Earth, from which all bindweeds grow. And they will come up everywhere they can from that giant bindweed root at the heart of the Earth. This theory is of course not true, but sometimes it certainly feels like it! :)
I don't get bind weed but we have a thing in the spurge family. I call it ant weed, because the little ants plant and harvest sap and seeds from it. It loves sidewalk cracks, and rarely pops up in healthy garden soil. But it's been crazy with the long wet summer monsoon in the American West this year(2021). You have to carefully lift it from a central "facehugger" trunk. It still drops millions of tiny millet looking seeds.
What a fascinating concept. All is drifting along fine in the temple then Rincewind happens along accidentally and 500 pages of delightful prose result - The Isle of Gods would never be the same. Perhaps a sixth elephant made entirely of well rotted compost would feature. Could the issue of Captain Carrot's parentage be finally resolved?
Very good tip Charles, I always noticed that after put compost down and in summer it sort of dry out..I never thought about walk on top of the bed to help with this...
Not only are your videos incredibly informative from obviously years of experience, but they are soothing and truly therapeutic. They're a joy to watch and listen to.
I was about to ask you about weeds growing into the garden beds, and typed out an entire comment, but at 21:00 you gave the answer yourself! Thank you so much for these videos. During your first two years with persistent weeds infiltrating your garden beds, did you use more cardboard to 'protect' the edges of the bed? Or carpet with rocks on it? I vaguely remember that method from one of your older videos.
Very informative as always Charles :) I gasped when I saw all those lovely carrot tops going in the bucket though, as I eat carrot tops (when I can get them) they are said to be more nutritious than the roots (which I also love) I put them in my fruit smoothies, as they are a bit bitter to eat raw on their own, which you probably know ;) another excellent video :) thank you so much :) I love watching your videos :)
I was wondering about that! We cook them like spinach? Boil or steam, salt, pepper, butter, lol, sometimes vinegar! Doesn’t everyone eat them??? Are there reasons not to eat them? I see everyone tossing them, has me wondering if maybe they are bad for you in quantity! Thank you for sharing your beautiful gardens, knowledge, and leaving me with a sense of peace before going to sleep! Wonderful videos. Thank you! Stay safe and well, from Connecticut, USA!
@@sarahbehler5437 Thanks Sarah. For carrot tops I think it's a Q of digestibility more than flavour - they are fibrous. Best try some your selves to see, they are not harmful that I know of.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig yes, thank you, we always ate them. Cooked, not raw. Not any different on the body than spinach that I could tell. Thought everyone ate them!
Watching with interest! Good time in the garden with the tools. Bought a stirrup hoe a month ago, good and sturdy seems like. Also replaced a manure fork i broke turning a compost pile ! New tools are great!
A horta está linda demais , aqui no Brasil a terra é muito fértil tudo que plantar em qualquer época do ano nasce ,eu me encanto com tanta beleza que há nesse lugar , mas tbm sei que há muito trabalho , mas é compensatório no final !
I don't use a trowel for the bindweed, I find that if I use gradually increasing force when pulling it out, especially when the compost is dry and ready for a watering I can get upto about 8" of root, it is a bit of a lottery though, sometimes it snaps at only a half inch!
Charles, I purchased your 2021 calendar and received it today. What a perfect calendar for the home gardener! I’m in Seattle, Washington, Zone 8 Maritime climate, same as yours, and this calendar couldn’t be better. I love how it gives me sowing dates throughout the year and how every month has a bit of pertinent growing information.
Thank you for your information! I just found you on Utube and I'm very excited to get back into my garden even though its late fall! Hello from Colorado, USA❤
Anyone else crack up at 3:03 when Charles mentions “a bag of compost that you’d buy, professionally made”? I would trade any bag of store bought compost for a scoop of Homemaker’s!!!
@@CharlesDowding1nodig oh absolutely! You've inspired me to try my hand at planting a small backyard garden (potatoes, eggplant, ochro, perhaps some peppers, etc...) it's quite hard & arid at the moment tho...any tips? On another note please come visit Tobago on vacation if u ever get some time off...it's our beautiful sister island 🏝 with lots of gorgeous beaches & eco nature activities. Also, maybe u may want to pop on over to our Caroni Bird sanctuary which house the scarlet ibis & swamp where u can go on personal boat rides/ canoeing if ur on the adventurous side 🤙🏾😎
In the States we call manure forks, pitch forks. Fun little language differences like crisps vs chips and torch vs flashlight make watching UA-cam videos really interesting.
Hi Charles, I'm from the Fiji Islands in the Pacific a tropical country. My lettuces kinda taste bitter and sometimes taste like grass. What could be the problem?
@@filitilomaloma3994 wow tropics - I think that bitterness is from growing in heat! Lettuce tastes nicest when grown at 8-20C. Tweedier and sweet. Maybe try shading over, to slow it's growth and prevent over heating.
@@filitilomaloma3994 I'm in Queensland, sub tropics, and if things don't get enough nutrient, result in slower growing and bitterness and toughness. Also some of the artificial fertilisers can cause bitterness also, so try composts and compost teas to improve soil microbiome and overall soil fertility, see if that helps. Regards Dennis.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig thanks for this answer. 👍 Now I know, why my rucola always is bitter. It’s so hot and dry this year. Waiting for rain here, best regards from Austria 🙋♀️🕊🍅🌱🐝
@@paulsoutbackgardenaustrali7674 Convolvulus arvensis, called field bindweed where I live. It is a perennial vine in the morning glory family. It twines around wire fences and taller plants (binding them in clumps). The roots grow far and deep and any little piece of root left behind can sprout and grow, so it is very hard to eradicate. There is another plant also commonly called bindweed that is edible as a young plant (eaten like spinach) but that bindweed is calystegia sepium. I find mixed messages on whether the Convolvulus arvensis bindweed leaves are edible by humans, so I wouldn't try it. My sheep and goat loved it but the cattle and horses didn't seem very excited by it. It grows on the chicken run fence, so chickens don't seem to like it.
What a pleasure to have my breakfast while I watch your video! You are a blessing! Thank you for sharing all that useful information!❤️ Respect from Patagonia
Just a little improvement on your edging shear technique. Hold the handle of the lower blade in a steady vertical position and the blade will be horizontal so it slides easily along. Then only articulate the other handle back and forth so the blade rises and falls cutting the grass.
Am I too sheltered here in Montana? I've never seen such a slick tool for edging. I do the old faithful shovel cut into the sod technic about every other year. I rotate from bed to bed to get the whole property done every two years. I have a teen ager I hire with an electric weed eater to do the in between maintenance.🤭
@@justjoanish I just searched for "long handled angled garden shears" and came up with several options. Looks like a great tool to add to the list, best wishes for your find!
And everything looks so easy and effortless, cause is the right and good thing to do. The place looks like a painting or a cartoon scenary, it's beautiful! Looks like 5d earth. Thank you! It's my wish, having my litle farm, planting and taking care of animals that are my life. I was an actress for 20 years, studied to be a Jazz musician and some years ago, I went back to horses, my oldest and deepest subect. I studyed naturalhorsemanship. Planting, cooking, animal sanctuary and a lot I'm learning here, from you.
Thank you Charles and Edward and company. We've been inspired to start 2 no dig allotments at our community garden in Ontario and hopefully we can influence others to do the same when they see the results.
Thank you for this information. I just discovered your youtube channel two weeks ago. I live on a 16,000 acre cattle ranch in Northern Nevada USA. We grow a majority of our food and we are incorporating your teachings to our personal gardens. I am greatful that you have created these videos. It is wonderful to see how the weather is currently in your climate. We are covered with snow at this point.
That is awesome William and also amazing that you have snow already, considering you are at 40N and we are 51N - thanks to the Gulf Stream. It was 57F here today, but wet and grey.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig We are in the foothills of the Humboldt Mountains so the snow is common at this time of the year and we are at a high elevation of 6000 ft which presents challenges to gardening but we just built a hightunnel and have high hopes. Thanks for replying to my comment! I'm working my way through your videos and learning a ton!
@@gardening_with_william_demille Great, and that high tunnel should help no end, site you have decent light levels. Winter will be quite different for you.
Buen día don Charles, muchas gracias por responderme- un abrazo grande desde Bogotá Colombia y claro que si veré todos tus videos lo más pronto posible, y de nuevo muchísimas gracias.
I just discovered your technique and your videos. We just purchased a 10 acre plot of land and I can’t wait to start gardening there this spring. Thank you for your gardening wisdom!
Charles is nothing short of a national treasure.
*international
You can’t keep him all to yourselves!
International treasure for those of us in America. 💕
Agree pleasure to listen to
Jamaica loves him too
It is not only the knowledge and sharing that inspires me. Charles’s expression and attitude is so motivating and I just couldn’t help being propelled to go into the garden
Ah great and thanks Iris
His smile and enthusiasm are truly contagious :)
@@koogoogle Yes! Love His smile ❤️ so lovely attitude always 👍🏻
You could have harvested in total silence this bed of carrots and I would have just been sitting here going woah and aah at every carrot. They're so beautiful ! Great video, thanks for all your effort !
Next time!! thanks
I agree. All he needs is chickens and a dog and cat. Maybe rabbits for fertilizer!
Rabbits can live over a raised bed! (Dirt patch heaven….although I no longer enjoy her presentations)
😅. Love everything about your channel Mr. D!
Oh and On an AIP diet to reintroduce inflammatory foods…would love seeing crunchy greens prepared and tasted)
Only if you run out of ideas!
If the world was full of Charles Dowdings, it would be a much nicer place.
Can’t wait to plant out my 2 new no dig beds next year!
If you ever start a 24-hr live stream from your farm, I'll never get anything done. 😝
Much love and thanks to you and Edward for such wonderful videos. 🤗❤️
How lovely, and upload speed here prevents that, just as well!
Me too. Maybe it's the farming genes in me. This sort of thing also pushes me straight back to age 5 and running around after my Granddad on his huge allotment. :-)
@@CharlesDowding1nodig or you could adopt all of us :-) you would have a cheap help and we could have a 24-hr live stream
Who helps you film and edit? Just you?
Here in New Zealand, we are grateful for the work you put into your content. C19 has got us all growing our own tucker now. Cheers mate
An upside of Covid and nice to hear, thanks
the covid scam demic
After watching you for multiple compost vids Im convinced No dig is the way to go. Officially switched over by fixing up my beds the way I want and thats it! No more digging for me.. even expanded my compost pile😁
Great to hear!
I’ve always been a fan of not disturbing the soil and microorganisms within, so what a joy to find others who feel the same. We are ripping this planet apart, one way or another, releasing gasses and killing off species during the process. However, if all us flower and veg growers followed Mr Dowding’s advice and plan, our small changes could be hugely significant! The kind and gentle way you manage your soil, plants, and your whole gentle manor is very encouraging. Thank you.
Nice to hear and thanks, keep encouraging your friends & neighbours `🌱
I watch these videos over and over and catch something new every time. Thank you for all the knowledge you are sharing!!
That robin chirping away throughout the video is so wonderful. Especially now when birds here in central Europe have been silent for over three months.
Whats going on with the birds there? That's very disturbing.
@@sjt4689 er ,no . Pretty well all birds are silent in autumn and winter . The robin is the one exception , he sings all year round
@@barkershill 🙋♀️💕🕊
Jane here again.
As an allotment holder I’ve learnt something new everyday watching your videos.
You’re a smashing teacher, good fun and very easy on the ears and the eyes.
So nice of you, thanks Jane, happy to help
Charles, thank you for all your inspiration and knowledge 😊, I am always looking forward to the next one! I live in Sweden and have practised no-dig successfully for more than 12 years now!
Wonderful long time! Thanks Birgitta
That is very inspiring! I'm so glad you shared. I finally have an acre of land in Montana to start my very own no-dig garden plots this Spring!
Tried last week to explain hubby why I need a manure fork... cannot wait to show him your video now!
I wish I would have seen this many years ago. But next year will become awesome, due to all the knowledge we got from you.
Perfect, danke
Please come and live with me for 12 months, Charles... you are a true inspiration! Respect from Wales ...
Haha thanks :)
If i could my garden to look even 1/4 as nice,i would be onto something. great video.
It's very easy to watch you, listen to you, learn from you, and want to get up and do it like you ! Thank you very much.
I appreciate that Scott
It always amazes me how simple your method is, spread compost once a year, that's it. The American market gardeners I watch they always prep a bed after each harvest, seems so much work.
Simple is easy and efficient! 😀 and thanks
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Does planting bulbs damage the soil? I was planting bulbs and thought about how Im disturbing the soil structure given you have to plant to a depth of three times their height. Excellent video and will use a rake properly now.
I did take heart from your encouragement to 'just keep at it'
When the leaves became smaller and the resurgences became fewer, I was a believer!!!!!
Still a battle ahead but great faith.
Thanks again for another excellent video.
Hang in there Connie! 🌷
Hello, I have been watching your work and achievements in the garden with great interest for some time. I am very interested in all these solutions for organic vegetable cultivation. I have a garden with an area of 1500 sq m, but unfortunately a lot of spruce and pine trees grow there. the trees are planted around the fence line to protect against winds and frosts in winter. I am now learning from the Lord how to build a vegetable garden without digging up the ground and I like it very much. I have my compost and in a branch shredder I shred thinner branches after tree felling. I use it as a covering layer around fruit bushes such as currants, American blueberries, chokeberry. This way I keep moisture in the soil around the bushes. I am very happy that I found your channel and thank you for sharing your ideas with such joy and teaching us how you can achieve great results in the cultivation of vegetables with methods that are so simple and unknown to most people. I cordially greet you and sorry, but I don't know English, I am writing from Poland where I live and translating everything through google translator. This may make this text not very understandable, but I wanted to write something to you.
Dziękuję Bogusław za cudowny komentarz. Inspirujesz mnie do inwestowania w kolejne polskie tłumaczenia. Było ich wiele Beata z podwarszawy, ale teraz jest zbyt zajęta.
Tłumacz Google działa bardzo dobrze i na początku pomyślałem, że mówisz po angielsku!
Cieszę się, że mogę Ci pomagać w ogrodzie i że tak bardzo lubisz te proste metody.
Your sound was much more clear in this video. I apologize for my rude comment about the sound comment in your last. Looking back it was insensitive. I enjoy watching and learning from you and simply observing the absolute beauty of your gardens.
Thanks that is nice of you. Here we used proper cameras but don't always have the time for that, and use the phone
Your videos inspire me to get to work in my garden and at the same time totally relax me at the end of the day. Thanks Charles.
Rock on!
Thank you for another great video Charles. I have just sat for 26.43 mins totally absorbed in your teachings and fully re-charged for autumn work in the garden! You are by far the best person I learn veg gardening from and for understanding how the garden/plants grow, mature and return to soil!
Wonderful Angie, thanks and enjoy your garden
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thank you Sir, I will! :-)
Ata marie Charles, we are having great harvests with the no dig method from Aotearoa, ( New Zealand )
Good to hear John thanks. My fav. part of NZ is Golden Bay, was there 1988 and loved it all
@The Killjoy Incorrect sir, Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand
My favorite places in the land of the long white cloud are Hawkes Bay, and Martinborough. I am a big fan of their wine grape varieties and consuming the harvest.
@The Killjoy your name is appropriate.
Fantastic Tools....
You have a lovely and huge garden....Charles D.
Thanks for visiting Zaleha!
I´ve learned so much this year following you that now I have my first homemade compost and also preparing to harvest lots of delicious peas, lettuce, beans, cilantro, parsley, ... Thanks a lot from Chile
Great job! I am delighted to know that my effort to teach and explain has such a lovely result, and so far away!
You are one of few gardening channel I watched.Learned a lot of tricks from your videos and apply them to my home garden.I also love 💘 your soft voice.Filipino-Kiwi pensioner watching from Auckland New Zealand.
So nice of you Lolo 😀
CHARLES your compost is so beautiful, I started to dig mine yesterday.
Best of luck Yuk San
The no-dig process is exactly what I need. With sciatica caused by a bulging disc in my lower back and complicated by arthritis, I have to garden carefully. This method winll help. Thanks.
You can do it!
One of the great aspects of watching you, is that we are just coming into spring sowing in New Zealand, so my binge watching during winter, has given me a tonne of inspiration. Thanks so much Charles... bring on the growing season 😁😁
Love that Kath. It's nice to imagine spring happening in one half of the planet!
hello charles congratulations on having such a beautiful game I send you greetings
You're so calming
Hello from America 🇺🇸! I love you Mr. Charles!
charles, you make me want to be out in the garden all day! thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge with all of us. cheers from texas.
My pleasure Brandon
Watching you from Papua New Guinea. Thanks for the educational video. I am so impressed and learnt alot. Hats off to you.
Thank you Charles, I always look forward to your new videos. You are a wonderful teacher and inspiration to so many of us.
I appreciate that thanks
I love this channel so much. Mr. Dowding is such a joy to learn from. Thank you for everything!
Glad you enjoy it Rachel, thanks for writing.
A legend in my book...
I love your energy Charles, I'm so happy you share your knowledge. Thank you ♥️ Much love from Scotland ♥️
You are welcome Catherine
Thank you, Charles, for showing this. I'm trying to convince my mother to switch to no dig on our allotment and this will help us a lot! Luckily we have a well maintained vegetable garden, so not too many weeds except for the occasional marestail and ground elder, but hopefully we will have a healthier crop with your method.
A quick changeover then to no dig!!
I turn the rake over and use the straight edge to level the area.
What a fun job you have.
Thanks
Those snow shovels are great, I also use mine as a dustpan for sweeping up. Useful tutorial, thank you.
Dear Charles.
a thank you for the other side of the pond. (Denmark)
thank you for your great videos, I have learned so much from them, and look forward to both "no dig" and my own compost. ❤️
Have a suggestion for you, you know , you have a hard time finding weeds in your garden, so I suggest you come visit here with us, just to show people, weeds in all forms, and show how we get it away 😂😂 😂😂😂❤️😉 our garden is fully available 😂😂😂😉
big hug
karina
You are very welcome Karina and your invitation is lovely!!!!! I am sure with no dig, your weeds are disappearing 😀
Absolutely beautiful. I'm taking notes as I prepare to do this on my farm!
I like your channel too 😁. Been watching your vids for a while now. Very informative 👍🏾
Thanks for taking the time to produce this video Charles. I tend to grab whatever tool is at hand without thinking about the impact on my energy levels and the effective use of the tool. Your video reminded me of my parent's rule about learning a new musical instrument. They were both amateur musicians and insisted my siblings and I were not allowed to pick up or play a new instrument without having had our first lesson. The reason is simply that it is easier to play an instrument when you know how to hold it correctly than it is to unlearn incorrect hand placement, so thank you for my first lesson in gardening tools and techniques. My parents would have been impressed with the detail of your instruction. Stay safe and test negative.
Craig, your Oboe's upside down.
Cheers Craig. Funnily enough, I never made it good on the oboe 😀
@@CharlesDowding1nodig I never played the oboe or hautbois as it was once known. I do however play piano, trombone and violin (just not at the same time) ;-)
I have a bindweed theory: There is a giant ball of bindweed root at the center of the Earth, from which all bindweeds grow. And they will come up everywhere they can from that giant bindweed root at the heart of the Earth. This theory is of course not true, but sometimes it certainly feels like it! :)
I know that feeling, nicely put
I had no idea what bindweed was. Morning glory! Now I see. The world is being over taken with it. Different continent same trouble! Ha
Haha!!
I don't get bind weed but we have a thing in the spurge family. I call it ant weed, because the little ants plant and harvest sap and seeds from it. It loves sidewalk cracks, and rarely pops up in healthy garden soil. But it's been crazy with the long wet summer monsoon in the American West this year(2021). You have to carefully lift it from a central "facehugger" trunk. It still drops millions of tiny millet looking seeds.
You, sir, are a treasure! An absolute treasure!
Thank you kindly Carolyn
This fellow is like a Terry Pratchett character, some kind of minor demigod of pleasant dispositions from a forgotten pantheon.
...I bet even Granny would respect this deity!
What a fascinating concept. All is drifting along fine in the temple then Rincewind happens along accidentally and 500 pages of delightful prose result - The Isle of Gods would never be the same. Perhaps a sixth elephant made entirely of well rotted compost would feature. Could the issue of Captain Carrot's parentage be finally resolved?
Actually that wheelbarrow as made in Lancre by Boig Ironfoundersonn and Jason Ogg.
Charles, you are so natural, you make it seem so easy yet you are so full of knowledge. Well done. Pride of Britain!
Thanks Grace
I love the fact that's it's pretty much impossible for you to demonstrate weeding implements...due to lack of weeds! :D
🤣😂😅
Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Greetings from Argentina.
My pleasure Mariana
Very good tip Charles, I always noticed that after put compost down and in summer it sort of dry out..I never thought about walk on top of the bed to help with this...
Glad to help Sarinh. 🌷
Not only are your videos incredibly informative from obviously years of experience, but they are soothing and truly therapeutic. They're a joy to watch and listen to.
Thanks so much, and happy to help!
me encanto, gracias por traducirlo, ahora si puedo entenderte, super completo tu video, saludos desde Cordoba, Agentina
Gracias!
Sir you’re highly appreciated. God bless you for sharing this knowledge!
💚
I was about to ask you about weeds growing into the garden beds, and typed out an entire comment, but at 21:00 you gave the answer yourself! Thank you so much for these videos.
During your first two years with persistent weeds infiltrating your garden beds, did you use more cardboard to 'protect' the edges of the bed? Or carpet with rocks on it? I vaguely remember that method from one of your older videos.
Good, and yes, more details here charlesdowding.co.uk/start-here/
I love uncle, I hope you will always be healthy and always stay fresh through the day🤗🤗🤗
Very informative as always Charles :) I gasped when I saw all those lovely carrot tops going in the bucket though, as I eat carrot tops (when I can get them) they are said to be more nutritious than the roots (which I also love) I put them in my fruit smoothies, as they are a bit bitter to eat raw on their own, which you probably know ;) another excellent video :) thank you so much :) I love watching your videos :)
Ah wow thanks for the tip :)
I was wondering about that! We cook them like spinach? Boil or steam, salt, pepper, butter, lol, sometimes vinegar! Doesn’t everyone eat them??? Are there reasons not to eat them? I see everyone tossing them, has me wondering if maybe they are bad for you in quantity! Thank you for sharing your beautiful gardens, knowledge, and leaving me with a sense of peace before going to sleep! Wonderful videos. Thank you! Stay safe and well, from Connecticut, USA!
@@sarahbehler5437 Thanks Sarah. For carrot tops I think it's a Q of digestibility more than flavour - they are fibrous. Best try some your selves to see, they are not harmful that I know of.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig I just eat a few of the feathery bits raw in a fruit smoothie, and put the thick stalks in the compost!
@@CharlesDowding1nodig yes, thank you, we always ate them. Cooked, not raw. Not any different on the body than spinach that I could tell. Thought everyone ate them!
Watching with interest! Good time in the garden with the tools. Bought a stirrup hoe a month ago, good and sturdy seems like. Also replaced a manure fork i broke turning a compost pile ! New tools are great!
Right on Wayne. Trusty tools are like old friends
A horta está linda demais , aqui no Brasil a terra é muito fértil tudo que plantar em qualquer época do ano nasce ,eu me encanto com tanta beleza que há nesse lugar , mas tbm sei que há muito trabalho , mas é compensatório no final !
Maria, que suas colheitas sejam maravilhosas!
Your videos are fantastic , full of knowledge and kindness , watching all the way from Australia
Wow, thank you, I hope your summer is good
I don't use a trowel for the bindweed, I find that if I use gradually increasing force when pulling it out, especially when the compost is dry and ready for a watering I can get upto about 8" of root, it is a bit of a lottery though, sometimes it snaps at only a half inch!
Mr Dowding, thank you for all your videos. Wonderful content and you have very nice demeanor. Best wishes to you and yours.
Thanks Laura 💚
Good morning! :)
Great information thanks.
Our pleasure and you are first!
Charles, I purchased your 2021 calendar and received it today. What a perfect calendar for the home gardener! I’m in Seattle, Washington, Zone 8 Maritime climate, same as yours, and this calendar couldn’t be better. I love how it gives me sowing dates throughout the year and how every month has a bit of pertinent growing information.
How wonderful Pamela, happy you like it 😀
Cheers from Costa Rica! We're trying some of your methods here :)
Great to hear 💚
Thank you for your information! I just found you on Utube and I'm very excited to get back into my garden even though its late fall! Hello from Colorado, USA❤
Welcome!
Anyone else crack up at 3:03 when Charles mentions “a bag of compost that you’d buy, professionally made”? I would trade any bag of store bought compost for a scoop of Homemaker’s!!!
Charles u r an absolute gem to the World! Thank u kind Sir 4 all that u do. Long may it continue! ❤ from the Sunny Caribbean 😎🇹🇹
You are very welcome, it's such a warming thought that I'm being appreciated in the Caribbean!
@@CharlesDowding1nodig oh absolutely! You've inspired me to try my hand at planting a small backyard garden (potatoes, eggplant, ochro, perhaps some peppers, etc...) it's quite hard & arid at the moment tho...any tips?
On another note please come visit Tobago on vacation if u ever get some time off...it's our beautiful sister island 🏝 with lots of gorgeous beaches & eco nature activities. Also, maybe u may want to pop on over to our Caroni Bird sanctuary which house the scarlet ibis & swamp where u can go on personal boat rides/ canoeing if ur on the adventurous side 🤙🏾😎
Good morning Charles :)
Carrot top salad is fantastic to eat & a great way of using the whole vegetable. :)
Thanks I am learning
Never even know they was a manure fork
In the States we call manure forks, pitch forks. Fun little language differences like crisps vs chips and torch vs flashlight make watching UA-cam videos really interesting.
@@RachellesGardenDiary He says dibber, you say dibble.
Sir Charles Dowding,superrrrr!!!Вы великолепный!!!
Excellent video. Exactly what I was waiting for !
Uwielbiam pana filmy i oczywiście pana .Pana głos mnie uspakaja ---Dziękuję--
Jak pięknie, dziękuję Hanna
Charles, how do you remember you bought a wheelbarrow in 1991? I can barely remember what I bought last year!
Some things stick in the mind 😀
Hi Charles, I'm from the Fiji Islands in the Pacific a tropical country. My lettuces kinda taste bitter and sometimes taste like grass. What could be the problem?
@@filitilomaloma3994 wow tropics - I think that bitterness is from growing in heat!
Lettuce tastes nicest when grown at 8-20C. Tweedier and sweet.
Maybe try shading over, to slow it's growth and prevent over heating.
@@filitilomaloma3994 I'm in Queensland, sub tropics, and if things don't get enough nutrient, result in slower growing and bitterness and toughness.
Also some of the artificial fertilisers can cause bitterness also, so try composts and compost teas to improve soil microbiome and overall soil fertility, see if that helps.
Regards Dennis.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig thanks for this answer. 👍 Now I know, why my rucola always is bitter. It’s so hot and dry this year. Waiting for rain here, best regards from Austria 🙋♀️🕊🍅🌱🐝
Charles is my all time favorite!!! Our climates are very different (Southern U.S.) but, his garden wisdom in truly a treasure where ever you may be!
This is very nice thank you Jennifer.
I think you are the onlyone that says "this is lucky" when notice bindweed.
Thanks Veronika, you made me laugh 💚
Ye
What is bindiweed
Yeah, I also think finding weeds is lucky, lucky for my compost pile as a free addition!
@@paulsoutbackgardenaustrali7674 Convolvulus arvensis, called field bindweed where I live. It is a perennial vine in the morning glory family. It twines around wire fences and taller plants (binding them in clumps). The roots grow far and deep and any little piece of root left behind can sprout and grow, so it is very hard to eradicate.
There is another plant also commonly called bindweed that is edible as a young plant (eaten like spinach) but that bindweed is calystegia sepium. I find mixed messages on whether the Convolvulus arvensis bindweed leaves are edible by humans, so I wouldn't try it. My sheep and goat loved it but the cattle and horses didn't seem very excited by it. It grows on the chicken run fence, so chickens don't seem to like it.
What a pleasure to have my breakfast while I watch your video! You are a blessing!
Thank you for sharing all that useful information!❤️
Respect from Patagonia
Thanks Beatriz
Just a little improvement on your edging shear technique. Hold the handle of the lower blade in a steady vertical position and the blade will be horizontal so it slides easily along. Then only articulate the other handle back and forth so the blade rises and falls cutting the grass.
Am I too sheltered here in Montana? I've never seen such a slick tool for edging. I do the old faithful shovel cut into the sod technic about every other year. I rotate from bed to bed to get the whole property done every two years. I have a teen ager I hire with an electric weed eater to do the in between maintenance.🤭
Dziękuję za tak dużo super informacji . Pozdrawiam Irena
Those grass shears are most English thing I’ve ever seen 😂
I've never seen those edging clippers with a long handle and wonder what they're called and where to get them in the States.
@@justjoanish I just searched for "long handled angled garden shears" and came up with several options. Looks like a great tool to add to the list, best wishes for your find!
@@starveil101 thank you
@@justjoanish You're very welcome!
piękne marchewki, nigdy nie znajdę sposobu na taki urodzaj...pozdrawiam
Będziesz!!
👍👍👍
Polska pozdrawia
Dziękuję za napisy w języku polskim.Jestem happy!!
That's the trouble with us Americans...we tend to be a bit "Zappy" at times.....lol. some of us more than others.
😀 I like it
A bit rock head!! U say !!
You have such a calming disposition. I wish you were my neighbor! I’d love to garden with you! I could learn so much! I’m a new subscriber!
So nice of you to say, welcome
Thanks Charles, I have learned so much. What a beautiful garden you keep.
Glad you enjoyed it Nancy and thanks
Love your videos, they cover every point of action thoroughly!
And everything looks so easy and effortless, cause is the right and good thing to do.
The place looks like a painting or a cartoon scenary, it's beautiful! Looks like 5d earth.
Thank you!
It's my wish, having my litle farm, planting and taking care of animals that are my life.
I was an actress for 20 years, studied to be a Jazz musician and some years ago, I went back to horses, my oldest and deepest subect. I studyed naturalhorsemanship.
Planting, cooking, animal sanctuary and a lot I'm learning here, from you.
You have led a fascinating life Maria, and thanks for sharing it.
May a new skill of gardening emboss all th other aspects, and feed you well!
Thank you Charles! I’m so grateful for having found you! 💕
Welcome Sue!
Le estoy mirando porque Wini me recomendó. Gracias por estar y enseñarme a tratar la tierra. Tendré mi huerto y aplicaré sus enseñanzas.
Gracias Rita 💚
Thank you Charles and Edward and company. We've been inspired to start 2 no dig allotments at our community garden in Ontario and hopefully we can influence others to do the same when they see the results.
That is awesome and I wish you well Linne.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig
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Thank you for this information. I just discovered your youtube channel two weeks ago. I live on a 16,000 acre cattle ranch in Northern Nevada USA. We grow a majority of our food and we are incorporating your teachings to our personal gardens. I am greatful that you have created these videos. It is wonderful to see how the weather is currently in your climate. We are covered with snow at this point.
That is awesome William and also amazing that you have snow already, considering you are at 40N and we are 51N - thanks to the Gulf Stream. It was 57F here today, but wet and grey.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig We are in the foothills of the Humboldt Mountains so the snow is common at this time of the year and we are at a high elevation of 6000 ft which presents challenges to gardening but we just built a hightunnel and have high hopes. Thanks for replying to my comment! I'm working my way through your videos and learning a ton!
@@gardening_with_william_demille Great, and that high tunnel should help no end, site you have decent light levels. Winter will be quite different for you.
Buen día don Charles, muchas gracias por responderme- un abrazo grande desde Bogotá Colombia y claro que si veré todos tus videos lo más pronto posible, y de nuevo muchísimas gracias.
I just discovered your technique and your videos. We just purchased a 10 acre plot of land and I can’t wait to start gardening there this spring. Thank you for your gardening wisdom!
Best of luck Tracie, sounds an amazing opportunity
Bardzo dziękuje za ogrom wspaniałych informacji
SIR CHARLES DOWDING....UNDUG HERO!!!!!!
Thank you very much for giving us nice and meaningful information.
👍
Fantastically inspiring work. Many thanks
Só special. I am só grateful for your input and excellent advice. Thank you só mutch for shairing your video's with us.
💚 cool