Charles Dowding's Vegetable Course

by Charles Dowding

Charles Dowding, the master of no-dig gardening, developed his highly successful methods of vegetable growing through 30 years experience of growing and selling vegetables and extensive experiments. Through his courses at Lower Farm in Somerset and his three previous books, he has won a keen following. Beginners and experienced veg growers alike find that his methods work and that he opens their minds to new possibilities. Now he has distilled the essence of his courses and ideas into one book. In it you will find out how to grow vegetables the Charles Dowding way. Charles Dowding's Vegetable Course is both a straightforward guide to success and an inspiring source of ideas for achieving a more productive vegetable garden for less effort. Lower Farm, run by Charles and Susie Dowding, has been part of Sawday's Special Places to Stay collection for 12 years.

Click the link on the left to visit Sawday's to find out about accommodation at Lower Farm and our other characterful, independently-run places to stay across the UK and Europe. All have been inspected and selected because we like them - what makes each 'special' varies hugely, but common to all are owners whose personality, friendliness and local knowledge ensure a memorable stay.

Genres: Gardening

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2012

About the author

Charles Dowding has been pioneering organic, no dig gardening since 1982, when he began growing vegetables on a 6,000m² plot in Somerset, UK. From the beginning, his no dig methods delivered healthy, abundant crops, with fewer weeds and no need for synthetic inputs. At the time, nobody else was growing commercially at this scale without digging, and Charles has been refining the approach ever since.

Today, he shares the simplicity and power of no dig gardening with a global audience, through his books, courses, YouTube videos, social media, and regular travels to connect with growers around the world.

Charles published his first book, Organic Gardening, in 2007, and has since written 14 more. His most recent titles include New Energies for Gardening (April 2025) and Compost (September 2024). He also produces an annual Calendar of Sowing Dates, packed with practical tips based on his trials and growing experience.

From his 1,600m² Homeacres market garden in Somerset, Charles continues to experiment with crops and methods – comparing dig and no dig plots, testing new varieties, and refining techniques. The garden yields around £35,000 of produce annually and serves as a living example of how low-input, soil-first methods can lead to healthy plants and sustainable harvests.

Charles is passionate about helping others find joy and success in growing food, and believes that no dig is not just a method, but a mindset.

Reviews

[Robert Pocock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Charles Dowding’s youtube channel and am continually impressed by his expertise & ability to communicate, along with the fabulous productivity of his plot. This book gives a nice overview of Charles’ “no-dig” technique and lots of information about all aspects of vegetable growing. It is clearly written and fairly concise. Recommended as a good reference book.

[Marion Fleckenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sehr spannendes Grundlagenwerk zum Thema No-Dig gardening mit guten Empfehlungen, wie man das Beste auch auch einer kleinen Gartenfläche macht.
Ich kann es jedem Empfehlen, der sich mit ökologischem Gemüseanbau beschäftigen will

[AtDanceCamp... · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed with this book! It’s changed the way I think about growing vegetables and I really enjoyed a lot of his techniques. I would like to take some of his online courses possibly this winter to continue to deep in my understanding of his methods.

[Jodie Wlkr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always my go to for gardening info.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dowding does many experiments to compare different methods of growing plants. I liked the dig/no dig experiment he set up (p39), which showed similar harvests for both methods over a whole season. I agree with his conclusion - why bother digging if it won't increase growth?

One criticism - the advice is very northern-hemisphere-centred, and avoidably so (other books use "early summer", "late summer" rather than "June", "August").

Overall the book is clear and well-structured, and the photos are appealing.