for beginners Archives - A Way To Garden

less work, healthier soil: no-dig gardening, with charles dowding

margaret — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 15:17:07 +0000

PROMISES OF LESS WORK with more garden productivity often raise my suspicions as perhaps sounding too good to be true, except when the subject is no-dig gardening. The no-dig method of caring for our vegetable beds, which Charles Dowding has popularized, is not just good for maximizing output while minimizing labor, but also of great benefit to the soil and the greater environment. I learned more about how to get started from Charles. Charles Dowding is often called the guru of no-dig gardening, which he practices today in his organic market garden in Somerset, in South West England. He began experimenting with no-dig in 1982 and, over the years since, in his many books and in person and online teaching, including his massive YouTube channel, Charles has brought countless people into the no-dig fold. His most recent book is “No Dig: Nurture Your Soil to Grow Better Vegetables With Low Effort,” about making and managing a vegetable garden without tilling. Plus: Enter to win a copy of “No Dig” (affiliate link) by commenting in the box near the bottom of the page. Read along as you listen to the January 30, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using […]

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how mulch works (and how to use it), with bill fonteno

margaret — Fri, 20 May 2022 21:57:33 +0000

I GET A LOT of questions every year about mulch, about how to use it, when to use it, which kind to use. I wanted to learn more about all that, but also even more important about what goes on in the soil beneath that mulch layer when you mulch with an organic material that builds soil. To learn about all that I talked to Bill Fonteno, Professor Emeritus of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University and former technical advisor to the U.S. Mulch and Soil Council, the industry trade association. Learn how deep he recommends applying mulch, how different mulches do the soil-building job at different rates, and also why not to torture trees with the dreaded practice known as “volcano mulching,” among other things. Read along as you listen to the May 23, 2022 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here). using mulch (and mulch works), with bill fonteno Margaret Roach: Hi, Bill. Bill Fonteno: Hi, Margaret. Thanks so much. I appreciate the opportunity to chat about one of […]

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a smart approach to soil care and compost, with annie novak

margaret — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 22:03:44 +0000

DO I NEED a soil test? And what kind of amendments should I be adding to my vegetable beds or containers to get things off to a good start? And how can I fine tune my composting this year to optimize results? Those are some of the timely questions I covered with Annie Novak, manager of the Edible Academy at the New York Botanical Garden. In a world where we often focus on what product we can add, as if there is an instant solution, Annie says this: “If you take a step back and think about how the natural world works without your influence, and then as many lessons as you can derive from that toward your own practices in your garden, you’re going to be a much better gardener.” Less is often more. Annie is also founder and director of Growing Chefs, a field-to-fork food education program, and co-founder of Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Plus, she wrote “The Rooftop Growing Guide” (affiliate link). Annie will be one of the expert presenters at the upcoming Workshop Experience Weekend, May 7th and 8th, in the Hudson Valley of New York that I’m helping organize. Read along as […]

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