No Dig Gardening with Charles Dowding
One of the original champions of no dig gardening, Charles Dowding is a British gardener who started asking questions and leaning into organic growing practices decades ago. After gardening for many years, trialing new methods on several different farms and listening to the soil and plants, he’s become the world’s leading no dig expert.
The goal of no dig gardening, according to Charles, is to “mimic nature by disturbing the soil as little as possible. We can attempt to replicate nature’s process by adding organic matter to the top layer of the soil.” Bascially, you add mulch to the soil surface to feed the soil life without disturbing the soil deeper down, just like a forest floor.
What kind of mulch is best?
For most northern gardeners, compost is a great option. Leaf mold and straw can work, too, as long as the ground isn’t too wet and inviting slugs to the garden. Charles reminds us to always “watch what is happening in your garden because each space is different.”
Caring for soil organisms
“When we tend to the soil life by keeping them well fed with organic matter to decompose, and leaving their home (the soil) alone, the soil microorganisms flourish,” says Charles. They stay nearby and form more robust connections, ultimately being more available to form new relationships with the plants we grow.
So, while we aren’t digging the soil itself, our practices reach much deeper than a spade ever could. As I’ve read and practiced no dig with guidance from Charles, I’ve found it’s a way to tend the soil and let its tiny inhabitants do their jobs. When we focus on feeding the soil and not the plants, we end up working with nature instead of against it.
One of Charles’ main points is that “gardening the no dig way is simple and easy because nature has already figured it out for you. I reckon the biggest issue in favor of no dig is the time it saves and in particular because of the reduced weed pressure.”
No dig solves common gardening issues
A no dig approach minimizes weeds, smothering them with a thick layer of mulch (usually compost) to block out the sunlight weed seeds need to germinate. And that’s not the only reasy why no dig gardens battle fewer weeds. Charles adds that weeds are less common “not only because of a smothering effect from compost, but also because undisturbed soil does not need to grow weeds to recover. Weeds grow for a reason and part of it is to heal damage done by cultivation. Take chickweed roots, for example. Chickweed is a common weed to pop up after tilling, which has broken the soil into pieces, and the chickweed roots are working to structure it together again.”
It creates better water retention in soil, reducing the need to water as often. No dig also reduces (eliminates, even) the need for fertilizers as the nutrients provided by compost are not water soluble.
Environmental bonus!
Did you know that digging up garden soil releases carbon into the atmosphere? “In my trial beds,” Charles says, “the carbon content this February was measured at 14% in the soil from several sample locations in the bed, compared to 18% carbon in the no dig bed next to it. So 4% has been lost through digging.”
The harvests speak for themselves
Charles suggests skeptics trial this in their own gardens. Continue tilling part of the garden, while simultaneously starting to practice no dig in another part of the garden. Watch what happens after a few years. He’s been doing a side-by-side trail, growing in both dig versus no dig gardens for a dozen years. The undisputable results? Consistently larger harvests from the no dig bed. You can watch a full YouTube video about that project.
Charles’ keys to success:
- First-time garden bed prep: If lots of weeds, add a layer of cardboard at soil level, plus 6” of compost on top of that and then plant directly in that top layer of compost.
- Fall garden bed prep: Clear weeds and spread 1” of compost after harvesting in fall. Don’t dig up plant roots at harvestlea—leave then in the soil.
- Weed regularly and keep all garden beds tidy, removing any diseased plant material.
Check out Charles’ website, sign up for his free emails, subscribe to his YouTube and follow him on Instagram for more no dig tips.
Michelle Bruhn is a Minnesota gardener, writer, speaker, local food advocate and co-author of Small-Scale Homesteading (Skyhorse Press, 2023).
Gardening for Soil Health, Part 1 : No Dig + Hügelkultur
Ready to improve the health of your soil and keep growing bountiful harvests year after year? Get to know some of the soil caretaking methods practiced by experienced gardeners in these simple yet useful step-by-step courses. Each module guides you through the process with easy-to-follow videos and helpful PDFs. Key topics include no dig gardening, using cover crops, and companion planting. Whether you have a backyard garden or a small urban space, this course is designed to help you maximize your results.
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Last updated Nov 11th, 2025
I like the no turn soil gardening. So much easier than digging up the the original soil just add more nutrients to it