Charles Dowding's Vegetable Course

This book is a distillation of charles' course, and is full of convincing arguements to give no-dig gardening a go. There are compulsive arguements about the destruction caused by constant digging of the soil, and with charles methods and instructions there is hope beyond the back breaking rituals associated with traditional veg gardening. Yes it does take lots of vigilance in the first few seasons to keep on top of the weeds, and yes it needs large amounts of compost to make it work. On my allotment i intend to use the ideas in this book as much as i can, disturbing the ground as little as possible, and try to keep areas clear of weeds and covered in compost. I started this approach last year and it did work. This book isn't going to be to everyones taste, some people actually like digging, but the proof is in the pudding, and bearing in mind that charles runs a business from his smallholding, the results must be good.

Having read other books by Charles Dowding I was very excited to see that he had produced the Vegetable Course. I received it just in time for holiday reading....and I wasn't disappointed. As always with Charles's writing, you get real detailed instruction...rather than vague notions. If like me you practice no-dig growing it is wonderful to read of practical experiences with this. If you want precise instructions for growing veg sucessfully in the UK I don't think you can find a better book. What is more, it is so readable. Some books offer lots of information, but are dry and dull. Then there are the photos of Charles' garden....what more inspiration could you need?!

found this very interesting, , informative and lots of tips will make my vege. growing and gardening a lot easier

A very practical book that gives you all you need to know about vegetable gardening. I particularly liked the fact that the chapters are arranged by season, by vegetable and how to grow in succession so that you can cross reference at any stage. I am an experienced gardener and was inspired by a recent talk by the author as the thought of letting the worms do the digging was very appealing to someone who is now starting to feel the effects of old age! The book has also explained how I can keep much more of my garden in productive use rather than growing weeds.

This is an EXCELLENT book. I have dozens of gardening books and this one by Charles Dowding, after the first chapter, explained to me how the garden lives and how to nurture the soil. It is so simple and has completely changed my way of growing vegetables... I went on to buy Charles Dowding's How to Grow Winter Vegetables... Gardening is no longer a battle for me as I now understand it.

A superb cook for vegetable gardeners, beginners or experienced. A straightforward writing style with useful advice and suggestions. I was at first sceptical about the no-dig approach (soil scientists in my family clucked and protested!) but after a year of fantastic harvests and fewer weeds, I was hooked. But the book offers a great deal of other practical advice, so worth buying even if you are already no-dig convert!

The best vegetable book. Explains laying out no dig beds. It gives good advice on sowing and planting out of different veg. I've learnt more from this one book than the many I have read before

One of the best books on gardening I have ever read - and I have read them all from Hamilton to Don. Clear, precise, intelligent and entirely do-able. Written from a wealth of practical knowledge and years of experience. If you want to grow veg - this is the one.

Best book for permacilture.

Loved it all! Its a great garden book! Learning the No-Dig Way. Starting a garden from scratch, over grass, etc. Beautiful pictures to go along with the explanation. Perhaps, the only thing, I find wrong with it is, that the planting zone, is for South England, a zone 8. But with knowing what mine, is , and the way Charles Dowding explains things, one can do just fine. His Gardening Diary, is also helpful, to go along with this one. Would recommend it highly! Excellent explanation of disturbing the microbiomes in the soil and what will happen, if one disturbs the soil by digging and turning over. I live in a much dryer climate, and the information on watering is very helpful. With compost helping to conserve water. His way makes so much sense, in how we should and can rethink, how we garden and help in conservation of our resources. Also the benefits of even doing our own composting, even on a small scale. One big plus, is less work! To a certain point of course. :}

Charles Dowding writes clearly with brilliant clarity and direction. The book is a great reference for any gardener. The illustrations are most instructive and his relaxed style most engaging. Quite the best gardening book we have now. His whole no dig approach is a revelation and inspirational. It works for us in everyday.

This book made me feel inspired to go weed my vegetable garden this morning! Not all of it, but it got me to take a better look at the types of weeds identified in this book, my vegetable plants and, the bees. Now, only if Charles would write a book on flower gardens, I’d be in better shape!

Charles Dowding's Vegetable Course is a beautiful and well-written thorough book on growing vegetables in compost on top of your soil in beds with/without sides. Also essential to his no-dig method is pulling weeds immediately before they spread seed or even grow roots enough to require more effort to remove or take light, water, and nutrients from your crops. Table of Contents are: New ways to grow taking you through a year tools and equipment explaining no-dig creating a growing space an absence of weeds organic matters your own compost ideas for beds and paths seeds and raising plants under cover sowing and planting companions and second cropping fewer pests and less disease salad all year round a top ten of vegetables afterword: fancy going further? suppliers and resources index His no-dig method is definitely producing for him big healthy-looking vegetables that make the reader salivate when looking at the photos. The book is well organized and Charles Dowding throughly explains his technique and the reasons and logic behind it. I enjoyed this book and recommend it.