Advice On Making Compost - No Dig

1/30/2020 Advice on making compost | No Dig
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October 13th rain and no dig, compost

making, last tomatoes, salad planting,
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Mid April update 2016
Advice on making compost Get No Dig Newsletters To Your

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I wish to encourage you to discover the fun and interest of making compost!
Compost varies enormously, and homemade compost is the most variable

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interesting, thanks to seasonally-changing ingredients and everybody’s variable-sized
heaps and varied methods. Making compost is a fascinating hobby and if you never tried it
yet, do have a go. You are turning wastes into something valuable. Email
Facebook 13.8.18 Richard Loader on UK Here We Grow:
Since visiting Charles Dowding garden and seeing his composting system we have
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started to see our compost heaps very differently. Previously weeding, trimming,
mowing seemed like chores but now these activities have become harvests of food for
what we now call ‘The beast’. We gather the ‘browns and greens’ and blend them so as
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to satisfy the appetite of the beast and enjoy monitoring the process of decay and FOR NEWSLETTERS
heating with a long probe thermometer. It’s like having a new pet to care for.
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A compost heap transforms even persistent perennial weed roots into food for soil Privacy - Terms
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organisms and plants. Don’t believe everything you may read about what you “Can and
cannot” compost – see this from Stringfellow in forum topic, horsetail 16/06/18:
I had a lawn of Horsetail covering my plot. Being a total beginner back then, and
paranoid about horsetail growing through concrete bunkers etc. we mowed the top
growth and skipped the lot. Now wish I’d composted it all. Just keep an eye on the
heap, you’ll get little if any regrowth – I’ve found they quickly wither and die. It all ends
up back on your plot to help grow veg.
For further advice, see my You Tube video on how to make compost.
https://charlesdowding.co.uk/advice-on-making-compost/ 1/33
I had this lovely comment to the video in August 2019, from Devdas:
I have been collecting coffee grinds from petrol stations cafes etc. Waitrose Morrison all
give it away for anyone wanting it. I used to throw away grass clippings now I am growing
it for compost😁. Before mowing was a chore now I am looking at it in a totally different
manner.
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Plus there is a lot about making and using compost in my no dig, onlineJanuary
course. 2019 myths about no dig, events,
Why compost, not just a mulch of undecomposed matter?
Compost is organic matter that has decomposed, from leaves and manureMayto2019
weeds,spring garden beware late frosts,
potting
wood and paper. Compost feeds soil in a slow and steady manner, allowing soil on, small spaces, perennial veg
to feed
plants. In gardens, a compost heap speeds up nature’s process of decomposition,
resulting in less slugs than from mulches of undecomposed matter, andSeptember 2009
stronger plants.
Organic matter enables soil to aggregate into crumbs, for stability and aeration,
September 2011
and is food for soil’s billions of mostly unseen inhabitants. Organic matter is
carbon, and more in the soil means less in the atmosphere. Mid May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds
and news
Fresh manure is organic matter, so far so good, but compared to compost it contains less
living organisms such as fungi, and its nutrients are more water soluble.Your Nothe
Hence Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi
worries over nitrate leaching from slurry (pure and fresh cow poo), which confusingly
have been transferred by legislators to include compost. October 13th rain and no dig, compost
making,
I write ‘confusingly’ because in compost, nutrients are not soluble in water, last do
so they tomatoes,
not salad planting,
Brusselsfeeding.
leach in rainfall. And compost is about way more than nitrates/fertiliser/plant sprouts
Six week old compost Nine month old compost

Charles spreading 8 month
heap at Homeacres, I after lumps broken while
unscrewed the front to loading the barrow, ready Get No Dig
old compost, afterNewsletters To Your
harvesting celeriac
show a pro le to spread Inbox
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Why compost and not fertiliser
I have always felt that using fertiliser is a dangerous short cut in terms of soil health, and
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our health. See this recent and extensive study Synthetic fertilisers hurt soil life, and
ultimately marine life as some of them leach away. They short circuit plant growth and are
a reason for foods becoming delpeted of minerals.
I rely on compost because it’s not a fertiliser in the ‘modern’ senseClick

of thehere to Instead
word. sign up for a No Dig (website) account
it’s a biological stimulant, which feeds soil life and enables soil organisms to help plant
roots nd food and moisture. Think of it as enabler, more than a primary source of food.
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Compost quality
Ripeness means that a heap’s warmth has mostly gone, because the processing is nished. protected by reCAPTCHA
Often brandling worms arrive at this point, and heaps become wormeries of reduced Privacy - Terms
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quantity, increased quality. It can take up to six months before worms appear in my heaps
at Homeacres, which are too warm for worms until that point, except in winter.
Contrast this with municipal compost which looks ne and “ nished” after just a few
weeks, from being shredded and then turned, regularly. However its blackness is from
carbonisation caused by high temperatures, up to 80C, because huge numbers of
thermophilic bacteria are encouraged by the regular turning and introduction of air.
I take deliveries of such compost and measure temperatures of 60C, even though the
appearance is ‘like compost’, black and crumbly. I have tried spreading this compost and
then planting through it, with poor results compared to when I spread it after six further
months of fermentation.
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You can plant/sow into green waste compost once it has cooled down and ripened. Check
its heat when delivered, perhaps your supplier has kept it for enough time that it’s ready
to use. January 2019 myths about no dig, events,
In 2016 I invested in a shed for my composting area, to keep the rain off. In the UK, water
May 2019
is often changing aerobic composting to anaerobic, by excluding air. Anaerobic springisgarden beware late frosts,
compost
black rather than dark brown, more smelly and less crumbly. Hence a polythene sheet
over heaps is worthwhile to keep rain off – to keep air in, not for preventing leaching!
September
– some of the below are extracts from my article in Which? Gardening 2009
July 2017.
Worth subscribing to – 2019 had a no dig feature every month,September

and 2020 is2011
Homeacressmall garden –
Ingredients, green, brown and moisture
and news
Green ingredients are soft, leafy, high in nitrogen, usually moist, and are low
YourThey
in bre. Kitchen peelings and food wastes are mostly green. No lead
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to – Teresa Grodi
high temperatures.
Brown ingredients are making,
brous, drier and more woody than leafy. last tomatoes, salad planting,
Brussels sprouts
Some materials are both green and brown.
Some green ingredients such as coffee grounds and horse poo (both 3% nitrogen)
look brown.
Why differentiate? When you achieve the desired balance of about 50:50, or a perhaps a
little more green than brown, this contributes to a correct level of moisture, warmth and
structure/aeration.
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In the British climate, air is often damp and so are the materials weInbox
add to the compost
heap. As they decompose, their moisture becomes free to seep into the heap and if it
cannot either drain out, or be absorbed by drier materials, the compost becomes soggy
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and airless, or anaerobic. This slows or halts the process of breakdown: adding paper, soil
and other brown ingredients is a remedy.
Email heaps.
In contrast during the dry summer of 2018, I actually watered the compost
Especially when we were turning them and many dry pockets became visible. Moisture
levels are hard to assess.
Photos below are Homeacres October 2018, the year’s fth heap Click here to sign up for a No Dig (website) account
1.5m/5ft2
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1 layer of browns includes cardboard and winter chicory
2 Green additions here include jobs and food
old woodchip leaves from harvests of hearts
September 2009
September 2011

and news
3 More green wastes include trimmings of
4 Now another layer of brown wood wastes,
leeks and broccoli
plus some co eeYour No Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi
grounds

Good to compost making, last tomatoes, salad planting,
Brussels sprouts
Weeds (green) include some soil (brown) on their roots, so you can make
ne compost from them alone. You can compost perennial
Vegweeds too: December
growing I add ’15
roots and leaves of bindweed, docks, nettles, buttercups, dandelions and
Mid and
couch grass. They break down even in winter’s cooler heaps, Aprilregrow
update 2016
only if left exposed to light. You can save much time by not separating out
perennial weeds.
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Fresh leaves are green and older leaves become more NosoDig
brown, Newsletters
autumn To Your
tree leaves are mostly brown. Inbox
Rhubarb leaves and citrus peel are good to compost, Name

I know from
experience. Eggshells bring structure to a heap but decompose slowly, often
ending un mulches on top.
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Diseased leaves are good to compost, such as mildewed courgette and
lettuce leaves, rusty garlic and leek leaves, blighted potato and tomato
leaves and also tubers/fruits with late blight. Blight spores for example
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living plant tissue to survive in, hence they die in a compost heap, and
likewise in soil. I spread compost which was made with blighted leaves,
around tomatoes in the polytunnel, with no ensuing problems. Likewise
blight spores do not survive in soil and there is no need to empty
greenhouses of their soil. protected by reCAPTCHA
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Most shredded materials are woody (brown), and their speed of

composting depends on size, and whether crushed or simply cut: crushed is
best. I keep a pile of shredded branches near to the summer’s compost
heaps, for adding to any large additions of grass mowings and fresh leaves.
Other brown materials are paper, best crumpled, cardboard which you can
add in large pieces, wood ash (in winter my heaps are up to 10% wood ash),
soil, and straw, which gives good structure and aeration.
Fresh manure from any animals is green and is excellent for speeding
decomposition. Should you have large animals such as a cow or horse, their
manure and bedding will ‘take over’ the compost heap, volume wise,
meaning your compost heap has become more of a manure heap. Old
manure is compost, just of a different quality. Related Posts
January
Beware adding too much wood- ake bedding, often kiln dried and 2019tomyths about no dig, events,
very slow
decompose. Not the end of the world, but your nished compostwinter jobs and food
risks looking
woody!
September 2009
September 2011

and news

Brussels sprouts

12 inch thermometer shows good breakdown is happening
Choice of bin: solid or open?
A bin with plastic or wooden sides keeps materials together, increases warmth and
moisture, plus you can keep rain out if there is a lid or cover. It’s said that wooden bins
need slatted sides to allow entry of air but I nd this makes little difference: my heaps
with plywood sides make great compost: they conserve both heat Inbox
and moisture. I screw
them onto corner posts, then it’s simple to unscrew them when turning and emptying
heaps.
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Plastic bins from the council are smaller and this restricts the heat they can maintain. My
trial with a Rotol “dalek” bin saw temperatures rarely exceed 45C, and many weed seeds
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survived the process. Nonetheless it was good compost, and the sides are easy to lift off
when you want it.
Base
Soil is best, for drainage, and for organisms to enter from below as heat subsides, or
before it happens.
Building a heap SUBSCRIBE FOR NEWSLETTERS
Add your garden waste as it happens, in level layers rather than a mound in the middle, to
have uniform spreads of different materials as you add them. Sometimes you need protected by reCAPTCHA
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“balancing materials” in terms of green and brown. Privacy - Terms
In much of the growing season there is a surplus of green, so keep a pile or some sacks of
paper, autumn leaves, cardboard and twiggy materials, especially when adding grass
mowings. In winter there is more brown, and some fresh manure or coffee grounds make
for a good balance.
When to stop adding more material
Small gardens generate less material and may struggle to ll a bin, even over
a whole year: use the smallest bin you can nd because a fuller, small bin
makes better compost than a half empty, larger one. After perhaps a year of
lling, lift off the bin to a spot adjacent and fork the undecomposed, top part
into it, then use the compost in the bottom part.
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In large gardens, heaps may rise to four or ve feet high within a month. Continue
lling even after this for another 2-4 weeks as the heap will keep sinking, then
January
cover with straw/carpet/polythene, preferably polythene to keep 2019
rain out, myths about no dig, events,
while
winter
you make a new heap. For best results, turn the nished heap after 1-3jobs and and
months food
leave another 2-4 months.
Turning compost: is it necessary? potting on, small spaces, perennial veg
September 2009
September 2011

and news

This heap took 6 weeks to make, was
Turned-compost of the left heap, and on
nished 5 weeks earlier and I unscrewed October
right is comppost we turned 6 weeks13th rain and no dig, compost
earlier,
the side to turn it
av.age 14 weeks
Brussels sprouts
Turning is worthwhile for larger scale compost-makers with several heaps,

Veg to mix and
growing December ’15
aerate and speed decomposition. At Homeacres we turn every heap once, to the right as
you look at the bays. You need an empty space or bin next to the heap you
Midare turning,
April update 2016
andthe compost being ner and more even will repay the time taken.
Use a manure fork with long prongs, be sure to shake out any dense lumps: turning
involves mixing, shaking and also allows you to check a compost’s quality. If you discover

many dry lumps, add a little water, or conversely add some dry paper if it’s soggy.
For a small heap that perhaps barely Inbox

lls up in a whole year, turning is not worthwhile.
The law of diminishing returns applies to compost turning. I never do a second turn as
gains are marginal, compared to one turn. Name
Finished compost
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Within a year you should nd a crumbly texture of variable quality. If there are large
lumps they need breaking up with a fork while loading your wheelbarrow. A dark brown
colour is better than black, which would suggest some lack of air and too much wetness.
Sieving compost before use is not worth the effort and time needed. Simply pull out
larger pieces of undecomposed materials, including roots of perennial weeds which are
white and noticeable. There is nothing to fear from such roots because even if you missed
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them while spreading, you have another chance later when you see them start FOR NEWSLETTERS
to regrow.
Such visibility and easy removal are advantages of no dig with compost on the surface,
instead of incorporated.
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A quality of mature/ripe compost is that carbpn/organic matters has been Privacy - Terms
transformed into humus, now known as glomalin.
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Spreading homemade compost on a new winter jobs and food
On left I spread green waste compost, on
no dig bed
right is homemade, lighter in colour
Glomalin September 2009

This was discovered only in 1996, by a scientist Sara F. Wright while working for the USA
Agriculture Research Service. She discovered how to extract this stickySeptember 2011
material which
binds soil particles together, giving structure and tilth. It accounts for perhaps a quarter
Midmost
or more of soil carbon and exists for decades in undug/untilled soil, unlike Mayof’17,soil’s
sowings plantings videos weeds
short lived, non-mineral constituents. and news
It transpires that glomalin is almost certainly produced by mycorrhizal fungi, as Sara
Wright describes:
“We’ve seen glomalin on the outside of the hyphae, and we believe thisOctober 13th
is how the rain and no dig, compost
hyphae
making,
seal themselves so they can carry water and nutrients. It may also be what giveslast tomatoes,
them the salad planting,
rigidity they need to span the air spaces between soil particles”. Brussels sprouts
During plant growth, as roots extend further into soil, fungi close to the original roots die
off at the same time as new fungi colonise and work with the developing root extensions.
The decaying fungi shed their glomalin, and it remains in soil as a glue-like sheath around
nearby particles. Mid April update 2016
This raises the intriguing point that plant growth helps build soil organic matter, as long as
soil remains undisturbed.
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“In a 4-year study at the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville (Maryland) Agricultural Dig Newsletters To Your
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Center, Wright found that glomalin levels rose each year after no-till was started. No-till
refers to a modern conservation practice that uses equipment to plant seeds with no
prior plowing*. This practice was developed to protect soil from erosion by keeping elds
covered with crop residue.” Name
“Glomalin went from 1.3 milligrams per gram of soil (mg/g) after the rst year to 1.7 mg/g
after the third. A nearby eld that was plowed and planted each year had only 0.7 mg/g. In
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comparison, the soil under a 15-year-old buffer strip of grass had 2.7 mg/g.”
It’s reckoned that brassicas and beets* do not increase glomalin levels, since they do not
work with fungal threads in order to grow. But most of our food crops,
Clickincluding cereals,
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do cooperate with fungi and scientists are now looking at fungal encouragement as a way
to reduce dependence on phosphate fertilisers.
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*Charles says, I doubt this. On my dig/no dig comparisons, I observe how the no dig FOR NEWSLETTERS
brassicas and beetroot consistently outperform the same plantings in dug soil. I
remember how in the early eighties I would read that mycorrhizal fungi were used by
trees rather than vegetables. The ‘scienti c’ view keeps changing because it’s a ‘snapshot’
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of current understandings. Privacy - Terms
Compost and fungi
The new knowledge about glomalin ties in with older work by Albert Howard ninety years
ago, on the value of compost. He taught farmers his recipes developed at Indore
Research Station in India, and then he discovered how small applications of compost
could transform the soil of tired tea plantations, enabling plants to rediscover their
vigour. Howard had trained as a chemist and initially thought of compost in terms of
chemical foods such as NPK, that it was recycling nutrients.
Then the results from using it, coupled with his knowledge that nutrient levels had barely
increased because he was adding so few, helped him to see compost as a broad game
changer. That was when he acknowledged the role of compost and soil fungi, and the
ability of compost to help fungi multiply.
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For fungi to grow and multiply in a compost heap, they need brous (woody or stemmy)
materials, and not too much heat. We see them more around the heap edges when
turning, as it’s been too hot in the middle. Then they colonise heaps as January
cooling occurs.
2019 myths about no dig, events,
winter
At the time of Howard’s work in the 1930s, mycorrhizal fungi were being jobs and
noticed and food
appreciated by scientists such as Dr Rayner who worked for the Forestry Commission, on
Wareham Heath in Dorset. May 2019 spring garden beware late frosts,
Which brings us to the value of transforming manure and other wastes, into compost. I
notice at Homeacres how crops grow better where the compost applied is fully ripe. It is
September 2009
dark, crumbly and the smell is sweet, not the ammonia or sulphur smells of manure
stacked in an airless state.
September 2011
Then to use your precious compost most effectively, the best method is surface mulching.
Mid May
Soil organisms are waiting, even in mild, winter weather, to eat and excrete ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds
surface
andhigh
organic matter, for example as wormcasts. When you give soil organisms news
quality
compost, the results are wonderful.
112 thoughts on “Advice on making compost”
1. Roisin Doohan says:
December 14, 2018 at 1:26 pm Brussels sprouts
Hi Charles, you website is brilliant, as are your videos and advice.
I have one question, is it necessary to cover a compost heap from Veg growing
rain? In December ’15
some of your videos you mention that the rain does not leech the goodness
from the compost. Any advice is very gratefully received. Mid April update 2016
Thanks again, Roisin a complete NEWBE to compost and no dig
Reply
1. charles says: Get No Dig Newsletters To Your
December 15, 2018 at 7:17 pm Inbox
Hello Roisin and I am heartened that you are having a go, as a
beginner.
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Yes it’s good to keep rain off a compost heap (except in dry
summers like the exceptional 2018) because too much water in a
heap displaces air, and makes it anaerobic/smelly/swamplike and
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soggy.
A few nutrients might wash away but this is mainly not to do with
water leaching goodness: you can spread compost on the ground,
rain washes through and nutrients are held in water insoluble
state.
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2. @cavershamjj says:
December 14, 2018 at 5:46 pm
Great article. I am off to collect a full bins worth of ingredients tomorrow.
Horse manure, spent hops, newspaper and cardboard.
Reply
1. charles says:
Thanks, and bravo
Reply
1. Mary says:
September 26, 2019 at 12:21 am
Hi there
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How would you approach using eland dung as your basis
for composting alongside wood chip and veg extras and a
few leaves? A few years ago I knew a guy who just
winter
dumped the dung all over his lawn and planted veg jobs and food
inbetween and stuff grew really well, without any long
Mayor2019
composting etc. Would it be less acidic than cow spring garden beware late frosts,
horse
manure? potting on, small spaces, perennial veg
I’m just asking because I can easily get huge sacks of it
September 2009
every day where I am, next to a nature reserve, and I’m
keen to start transforming our super sandy soil into soil I
can grow veg in!
September 2011
Reply
1. charles says:
and news
Sounds a plan Mary. There are always
exceptions and sandy soil needs loads of
organic matter. October 13th rain and no dig, compost
My preference is always to compost,making,
resultslast
wil tomatoes, salad planting,
be better and fewer nutrients lost to leaching.
Brussels sprouts
It’s up to you.
Reply
3. Alexandra says:
December 22, 2018 at 11:15 pm Get No Dig Newsletters To Your
Inboxto see
Hi Charles. I saw your article on interplanting and I was surprised
that it is possible to plant so close without competition. Is it due to the
immaturity of the newly planted seeds? So in general interplanting is done
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about 1.5 to 2 months before we crop the rst planting? I read about it
before but I misunderstood and interplanted from the begining… about 8
weeks after the rst planting.
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Sincerely,
Alexandra
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1. charles says:
December 23, 2018 at 4:17 am
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Yes not at the same time, often one month before last harvest of FOR NEWSLETTERS
the rst planting
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1. Mary says:
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Hi there
How would you approach using eland dung as your basis

for composting alongside wood chip and veg extras and a
few leaves? A few years ago I knew a guy who just
dumped the dung all over his lawn and planted veg
inbetween and stuff grew really well, without any long

composting etc. Would it be less acidic than cow or horse
manure?
I’m just asking because I can easily get huge sacks of it
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every day where I am, next to a nature reserve, and I’m
keen to start transforming our super sandy soil into soil I
can grow veg in! January 2019 myths about no dig, events,
Reply

4. Alexandra says: September 2009

Huh… I am amazed at your experience! My 2 year experience inSeptember
gardening 2011
still can’t help me in learning how to deal with rats on the allotment. No cats
Mid May
allowed unfortunately. I am baf ed… the traps did not catch anything and ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds
andthere.
the poison got just 2. They went deeper in the ground and are still newsI
worry about the newly planted trees and their unprotected roots.
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Brussels sprouts
5. Alexandra says:
December 22, 2018 at 11:32 pm Veg growing December ’15
Pity we cannot pay for downloading the Calendar. Postage to Germany is
about 6.5£. I would rather pay a download version if possible Mid April update 2016
Reply
1. charles says:
December 23, 2018 at 4:18 am Get No Dig Newsletters To Your
Sorry no time to organise that now
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6. Claire Nurse says:
January 3, 2019 at 6:35 pm
I have 4 square plastic compost bins (750 ltr), using 2 for
garden,kitchen,paper and cardboard, 1 for horse manure and Click
thehere to sign up for a No Dig (website) account
last for
leaves. Having read your article on composting, it occurs to me that I
shouldn’t be keeping the horse manure separate. What about the leaves,
they’ll eventually break down to become leaf mould so should I keepSUBSCRIBE
them FOR NEWSLETTERS
on their own?
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1. charles says: Privacy - Terms
January 5, 2019 at 7:26 am

Good. For tree leaves it just depends how many you have: if
enough to ll a whole bin, yes leave to become mould. If less than
say a quarter of other ingredients, add to the main heap.
Reply
7. Daphne says:
Hello! I started my very rst compost today in the US. I have a smartpot bag.
I have been saving all my raked leaves, cardboard from christmas packages,
poo from my chickens and all kitchen scraps. Today i layered as best i
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understood, added water. My thermometer arrived today also. The bag is
almost 6 ft tall and i would say i was able to load it up about 5ft. I am asking
when do i stop loading it up and cover? I was REALLY hoping to have January 2019 myths about no dig, events,
wintera long
compost by spring. Do you think it will be ready in under a year..such jobs and food
time. I also just got a delivery of woodchips and continue to watch videos to
understand how to use them. Thank you so much! May 2019 spring garden beware late frosts,
Reply
1. charles says: September 2009
September
Lovely to hear your enthusiasm Daphne, and your heap sounds 2011
promising. However it is winter and in the cold (unless you are in
Florida) there will be less heat, making it slower to decompose.
Tree leaves are slow also.
and news
Up to one third chicken manure is possible and would increase
heat. Coffee grounds do that too. I think it unlikely to be ready by
spring and hope you prove me wrong! More likely by say June.

Reply
Brussels sprouts

8. Lizzie Ballantyne says:
January 8, 2019 at 6:06 pm Mid April update 2016
Hi Charles,
Thank you for creating such a beautiful, informative website. You are an
utter inspiration. After seeing yours working, I have just created a hotbed in
my greenhouse. It’s a cubic metre in size and is full of fresh horse manure
Get No Dig
with a layer of compost on top. After six days the internal temperature is Newsletters To Your
Inbox but this
already 70℃. I was rather hoping it would last at least two months
seems very fast and I’m anxious that it might ‘run out’ much sooner. How
can I reduce the temperature and slow decomposition a bit? I’m in the south
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of France, but outdoor daytime temperatures are barely above 8℃ and
about -3℃ overnight.
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Reply
1. charles says:
Thanks Lizzie. Click here to sign up for a No Dig (website) account
Length of hot time depends on heap volume, I suggest 1.2m
square, or more.
I suggest making the heap mid February when more can beSUBSCRIBE
sown, FOR NEWSLETTERS
to get more from that precious heat.
Keep adding fresh manure is my way of maintaining heat.
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1. Lizzie Ballantyne says:

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to reply.
I’ll do as you suggest.
Reply
9. Victoria says:
Hi Charles. I’m a newbie gardener, keen to just get stuck in and have a go –
but have a quick question for you. I’m trying to make my own compost – veg
peelings/ garden waste/ coffee grounds etc. I have access to horse manure/
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and potentially cow manure (both not rotted down, very fresh). Do I add
these on to my compost heap as they are? Or put them in a heap separately
until they have rotted down? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you! winter jobs and food
Reply May 2019 spring garden beware late frosts,

1. charles says: potting on, small spaces, perennial veg
Victoria, I would add the horse manure, because it brings heat, and2009
September
keep the cow manure separate to compost on its own, more slowly
and for perhaps a year. September 2011
Or if you have just a little cow manure, ne to add it.
Reply
and news
10. stephen says:

January 15, 2019 at 4:21 pm making, last tomatoes, salad planting,
Hello Charles Brussels sprouts
Great web site and video thank you for taking the time to get this all on line
to help us. Veg growing December ’15
I have a question about horse manure. i herd it could contain weedkiller
from the hay which could affect the veg. If it does would puttingMid
this April
on theupdate 2016
compost for 3/4 months kill this off and be safe to use on the plot.
Reply
1. charles says:
January 15, 2019 at 5:20 pm Get No Dig Newsletters To Your
Cheers Stephen and no, the aminopyralid does notInbox
break down in
a a compost/manure heap, only in contact with soil microbes
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11. Joan says:

January 26, 2019 at 2:24 pm Click here to sign up for a No Dig (website) account
Hello Charles.
I am an organic market farmer in Hokkaido Japan with 25 years growing

experience. I converted my farm into no-till raised beds two seasonsSUBSCRIBE
ago. FOR NEWSLETTERS
Used 2 year aged cow manure with sawdust and hot composted steer
manure to mulch the beds. Direct seeding of beets gave a very spotted
germination. What could have been the problem?
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Also last season i tried out the multiseeding technique for beets and onions Privacy - Terms
(3 per plug) Very few grew at the same rate as I see on your video. Mostly
one or two grew faster and suppressed the others which then didn’t grew
large before the end of the season. Any comments?
Thanks ,
Joan
Reply
1. charles says:
Hello Joan
Thanks for writing and sorry to hear this.
I wonder if it could be to do with the sawdust, hard to say without
seeing how much you used or the kind of wood, but it sounds like
the nutrients are not getting to your beetroot, and seedlings are
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somehow compromised in their growth, which should be fast.
Reply January 2019 myths about no dig, events,


12. Kate says:
February 3, 2019 at 9:52 pm
September 2009
Hi Charles, we love your website!
We have just inherited a new garden down in Cornwall close to September

the coast. 2011
Half of our garden has previously been let go for almost 10 years and is now
overrun with weeds, one of the most rampant and annoying is the Midalexander
May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds
plant. This seems to have cropped up all over the place includingand news
in the beds
we wish the grow produce in. We love the idea of just mulching our beds
with compost to retain soil structure however we wonder what Your No Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi
will happen
to the carrot like roots of the Alexander. They currently take up a lot of soil
space and we can’t imagine how other produce will grow around. Hence we
feel we have no choice but to dig them up, and begin no dig once we have
removed them including the carrot like root. Do you have any advice for us
Brussels
regarding this? We have some other particularly persistent weeds sprouts
also that
seems to grow up through any compost we mulch with, again, would these
digging up? Veg growing December ’15
Mid Aprilinupdate 2016

We look forward to your reply and hope to visit your garden in Somerset
the future,
Thanks
Kate & Alex

Reply Inbox
1. charles says:
February 4, 2019 at 8:02 am Name
Your vigorous Alexanders sounds worth digging, in the same way
as big dock plants: use a sharp spade to cut and remove roots
about 15cm/6in down. The root which is left in soilEmail
will regrow but
weakly, can be mulched.
It sounds like you need a year of polythene to tame all the weeds.
Spread compost/organic matter frost then polythene, maybe plant
some squashes in May, see Start no dig tab on thisClick
site. here to sign up for a No Dig (website) account
You could get free polythene from local farmers perhaps, after
they have used it for silage clamps.
Reply
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13. Neven says:

Thanks for the great videos and website.
I was wondering wrt compost: How much of the ingredients are sourced
from the gardening operation itself (kitchen waste, etc), and how much is
imported percentage-wise?
Greetings from Austria,
Neven
Reply
1. charles says:
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Hi Neven, and for my homemade compost about one third is
imported, varying through the year, I am always looking for wastes
Reply winter jobs and food
1. Neven says:
February 10, 2019 at 8:40 am
Thanks, Charles! potting on, small spaces, perennial veg
Reply September 2009
September 2011

14. Ken Adams says: and news
Hi – I started to get my compost organised a couple of years agoYour
and No
I agree
Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi
with everything you have said. My only slight quibbles are (a) – I think small
pieces of cardboard are better than large pieces, and (b) – I nd it useful to
turn a hot pile more than once (sometimes adding some new ingredients in
order to ensure the re-starting of the process – I usually add a mix of green
cuttings, coffee grounds, shredded paper, cardboard, straw and Brussels
brown sprouts
leaves. Sometimes I gather a bagful of comfrey leaves and nettles which
Vegget
grow in profusion alongside my nearby canal and river). I nd I can growing
three December ’15
piles nished in a year and maybe four. I accumulate layers of greens and
Mid
browns in what I call my starter bin and when it is full I turn it into myApril
hot update 2016
bin.
I’m looking forward to looking at your online course. Best wishes, Ken
Reply Get No Dig Newsletters To Your

1. charles says: Inbox
Thanks Ken and I agree with your methods, as long as one has
Name
time.
My recommendations are about a middle way that is within reach
to most. You are a premium compost maker!
Email
Reply
1. Ken Adams says:
February 11, 2019 at 6:39 pm Click here to sign up for a No Dig (website) account
Thanks for the compliment!
I think that there is a general lack of awareness that

composting, like gardening, requires quite a lot of
management. A pile of kitchen waste, however large, is
unlikely to become much more than a slimy mess. Your
own activities depend upon importing a signi cant Privacy - Terms
quantity of ingredients for your composting needs. Privacy - Terms
I like your comments about moisture content. Most

online advice simply says that your compost should have
the consistency of a squeezed-out sponge and I think
that this is a pearl of wisdom which is much easier to
repeat than to explain – a compost pile contains different
ingredients and goes through different stages – its
consistency will change consistently.
I never add water to my ‘starter’ bin (and I never turn it)

but it usually heats up very nicely, albeit unpredictably. I
think you are correct to imply that air supply is more
crucial than moisture levels but, above all, it is the
balance of browns and greens which is most important.
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If in doubt, I would always recommend adding more
browns – nitrogen:carbon ratios are anybody’s guess.2019
January By myths about no dig, events,
volume, 70% browns and 30% greens will probably still
produce useful compost. Many gardeners will baulk at
the idea.
All of this depends on having a pile of aroundpotting on, small spaces, perennial veg
one cubic
metre or slightly more. Smaller piles are likely to lose
September
their heat and larger piles are likely to squeeze out the 2009
air. Turning the pile is most worthwhile if you can move
September 2011
the centre of the pile to the edges and vice versa.
Corkscrew aerators are also useful. Ken
Reply
and news
1. charles says:
February 12, 2019 at 6:16 am Your No Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi
Ken these are helpful tips and yes, every year I
increase the browns a little! October 13th rain and no dig, compost
And yes, compost does not just happen, usually.
Reply Brussels sprouts

15. Mrs Sara Spener says:
Hello !
I’ve been following your “no-dig” methods for about a year now on a my new
garden.
Initially the garden was completely smothered in bindweed,Inbox
ground elder
and various other weeds. Having gardened for many years using traditional
weeding methods my experience led me to believe that I hadName little chance of
getting it back to any manageable state for at least a few years.
I had a brief attempt at digging out the bindweed but soon discovered the
Email
roots were a solid mass of about a foot thick so realised I was wasting my
time.
Having read your various articles on “no-dig” I decided that if I could

Click here
smother everywhere in cardboard (obtained from a very friendly localto sign up for a No Dig (website) account
furniture shop who were pleased to get rid of it) then at least I might halt
the weed growth, before I could start adding compost on top.
The long hot summer of 2018 meant that the cardboard dried out as fast as
I wetted it. Coupled with the fact that I had no homemade compost (and to
cover the garden in bought in compost would cost me a small fortune) I
nearly gave up. protected by reCAPTCHA
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However in the end I just covered the (still dry) cardboard with anything Privacy - Terms
green or brown I could lay my hands on.

My neighbour is a contract gardener so he willingly gave me all his grass
clippings and hedge clippings, branches etc. Apart from roughly shredding
the branches I didn’t do much else – just piled everything on top in a deep
layer and added more cardboard layers as and when I could.
I am amazed to say that now in February the base layer of cardboard is now
well rotted and teeming with worms, the weeds have virtually all gone and
the plants look incredibly healthy !
The few weeds that have emerged can just quickly be hoed off and I have a
top layer of almost pure (albeit rough) compost !
Thank you so much – you are a complete inspiration !
PS If anyone is interested….
I made some of the very big cardboard boxes I obtained into makeshift
compost bins and they have worked brilliantly. I just lled them, covered the
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top contents in old plastic compost bags, closed the lids and left them until
the rain eventually rotted them. I then turned the contents into new
cardboard boxes and started again. Not as aesthetic as a wooden bins I 2019 myths about no dig, events,
January
know but cheap and easy and you can move them anywhere!
Reply
1. charles says:
Sara great comment thanks, and very helpful.
September 2009
You improvised brilliantly, showing how the principle of no dig has
many applications!
Amazing compost heaps too.
September 2011
Reply Mid May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds

2. Bear says:
and news
March 3, 2019 at 3:54 pm
Your
Sara, the furniture/appliance box as a self-decomposing No Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi
compost
bin is a great idea! Thank you for sharing that.
Reply making, last tomatoes, salad planting,
Brussels sprouts

16. Lisa says: Mid April update 2016
Hi
I have the opportunity to get some spent hops with 10%straw. Do these go
direct on the allotment or do I need to compost rst? We have just taken on
Get No
an allotment but compost is currently proving quite costly!!! Dig Newsletters To Your
Thanks in advance Inbox
Reply
Name
1. charles says:
Hi Lisa, Great and I compost spent hops with some straw along
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with other ingredients. They could also be used as a mulch but
only around larger plants like courgettes, brassicas etc. Not before
sowing and planting.

Reply
1. Lisa says:
So to clarify- GOOD to add to compost? For rotting
down? Thanks!
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1. charles says:
Lisa yes, hops are good to add to compost
heaps
Reply
17. David Hopkinson says:

Hi Charles, After attending one of your no-dig courses and being
immediately impressed with that experience I am now at the stage of trying
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to increase the amount of compost I can create. So, I have scrounged some
8’x4’ sheets of heavy duty shuttering plywood in order to create 3 adjacent
bins about 4’x4’x4’. I have also got some 100mm thick insulation boards,
same size sheets as the plywood. I thought that I would use this winter jobs and food
to line at
least one bin and even use a piece for a lid, basically an insulated cube. My
May 2019
question is : Do I need to be concerned that this idea will be excluding air spring garden beware late frosts,
circulation? potting on, small spaces, perennial veg
1. charles says:
February 21, 2019 at 7:46 am September 2011
Hi David, nice to hear and this all sounds good. It’s the structure
Midturning.
created by woody bits that holds air, or air is added when May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds
Your compost will happen, same as it does in a hotbin/hotbox for
and news
example.

Reply

Brussels sprouts
18. verena says:
February 21, 2019 at 3:56 pm Veg growing December ’15
Hi Charles,
You are amazing – my husband and I love watching your videos – beautifully
done!
We have a beautiful spot on the Sunshine Coast of BC, Canada.
I have a question about raised beds.

We have an intricate terraced raised bed system already in place, is there a
Inbox
possibility that I could do a no dig in them from your experience?
It seems doable to me but thought I would ask you your opinion..
Name
Thank you for sharing your knowledge freely 🙂
We are deeply grateful!
Email
Reply
1. charles says:
Hello Verena Click here to sign up for a No Dig (website) account
Thanks and nice to hear from you.
Yes for sure if you have beds already, just stop tilling, weed to have
a clean surface then mulch the surface with 1-2in compostSUBSCRIBE
and FOR NEWSLETTERS
you are underway.
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19. Meghan Betts says:

I am curious if you do any soil amending after the compost is spread? For
example, I added horse manure to my garden last year, which was mainly
composted, but some fresh was in there. My uncle suggested to ad lime due
to the sawdust bedding they use for the horses, but I never got around to
doing so. I had issues with blossom rot with my early tomatoes. (Luckily I
was able to recover they others by adding calcium.) But I’m just curious if
good quality compost will ad all nutrients needed for my garden? or are
there speci c plants that the soil will need extra mending? I’m aware certain
berries like acidic soil. I’m just looking to make my garden as easy as
possible! I’d rather not worry about adding extras.
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Reply
1. charles says:
February 23, 2019 at 5:41 am winter jobs and food
Meghan there are plenty of people who will worry you and sell you
stuff. May 2019 spring garden beware late frosts,
I nd compost has always worked on it’s own. potting on, small spaces, perennial veg
Blossom end rot is caused by lack of water, which restricts calcium
uptake. You needed to water more not buy calcium. September 2009
I never found manure or compost to be acid.
Yes keep it simple. September 2011
Reply Mid May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds
and news

20. Carolin says:
Hello Charles, making, last tomatoes, salad planting,
Brussels
We’re about to move to a new house with a huge vegetable garden (so sprouts
lucky!), which I’d like to convert to no-dig immediately. I’ve been researching
compost to buy (current state of beds is dug and weeds have been Vegkept
growing
in December ’15
check well, so won’t need plastic/cardboard) and one that’s not going to
break the bank is labelled “blend of compost, well rotted manureMid andApril
top update 2016
soil“. As a beginner I’m unsure if that’s the right thing to go for. Any tips?
Many thanks indeed.
Thank you for sharing all your knowledge so freely, I’m especially enjoying
the youtube channel.
Reply Inbox
1. charles says:
Name
Thanks Carolin and yes forget mixes like that, the soil is to be
avoided. Buy and of mushroom compost, old cow manure and
PAS100 green waste compost, in that order of preference. The
Email
initial large amount of compost is a good investment for years to
come.
Reply Click here to sign up for a No Dig (website) account

1. Carolin says:
Excellent! Thank you so much, also for the speedy
response. Will do.
All the best!
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21. Frank Dougherty says:

Charles, your sharing heart is as bountiful as your garden. Big Cheers to you
for that. Here is both my question and my desire. We have about a quarter
of an acre (or more) of open land that we would love to compost and and
change over to a no-dig garden. We have done some of it with traditional
gardening to date. Anyway, without winning the lottery, how might we best
accumulate that much compost to cover all of this size of an area and thus a)
smother out the weeds and grass, and b) wonderfully feed all the planted
and desired vegetables? Here is our only known availability of quantity
items, we are surrounded otherwise by trees and so can accumulate large
Related Posts
amounts of leaves … otherwise, I would surmise, we could nd some fair
degree of cardboard from local businesses in the area. Yes, and though
there would be some grass clippings (for the green) but nothingJanuary
of any 2019 myths about no dig, events,
winter jobs
quantity to match the leaves or amount needed for the area mentioned andand food
desired. Also, kitchen scraps from just my wife and I would be far short of
what needed for this size plot. Now, on our 12 acre plot, roughlyMay 2019isspring garden beware late frosts,
11 acres
woodlands (leaf trees and pines) if anything is of use there? Any ideas of no-
cost or low-cost avenues of developing the amount of compost we would
need to cover if not the 1/4 acre then at least a 50 by 100 foot area? So,
September 2009
greatly appreciate any and all thoughts on this speci c area because, as I am
sure you could guess, this is an initial break-point solution needed to even
September 2011
get started with a no-dig garden? Thanks so much, Charles!
Reply
and news
1. charles says:
Frank I would hope you nd a local farmer with old manure, often
sold cheaply.
And a quarter acre would be market garden (I sell £20k from that
area), so unless you plan to sell, start smaller. making, last tomatoes, salad planting,
Compost is an investment, the initial dose sets you up Brussels
for years.sprouts
It
may be cheaper to buy than to make but yes your woodlands could
Vegetc.
afford you great fertility without taking too much leaves growing December ’15
Reply Mid April update 2016
1. Frank Dougherty says:
Such good information and advice, Charles, including the
speci c monetary result (for you, anyway) of your
Get
quarter of an acre. Don’t mean to tax your goodNo
timeDigbut Newsletters To Your
Inbox
… what would be the best rst book of yours to buy. I
would be looking for that book which will give me the
best overall “No-Dig” method, knowledge, and approach.
Name
Thank you for all your time!
Reply
Email
1. charles says:
Frank probably How to Create a New Veg
Garden, or No Dig Organic Home
Click&here
Garden
to sign up for a No Dig (website) account
Reply
1. Frank Dougherty says: SUBSCRIBE FOR NEWSLETTERS
Awesome – will do. Many thanks!
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22. Marija Sokol says:

Dear Mr Charles,
I saw that you put leeks leafs in compost pile.
What about garlic leafs ,is it ok for compost?
Me and my husband growing garlic 400-500 kg every year ,and it will be
great if we can compost leafs.
Composting is a new thing for me .

Thank you for all information ,you inspired me to start no- till farming.
Br
Marija from Croatia
Reply
Related Posts
1. charles says:
Dear Marija winter jobs and food
Yes I compost all wastes and diseased leaves.
I am so happy to hear you are no till farming, and mustMay 2019 spring garden beware late frosts,
be enjoying
having fewer weeds growing. potting on, small spaces, perennial veg
September 2011

23. bon says:
and news
March 1, 2019 at 2:36 pm
Wood ash? Wood ashes in the compost! I didn’t know. This makes me SO
happy. We burn in a small stove through the winter. Our soil pH is on the
high side, so I shy away from wood ashes, but the compost? YAY.
Brussels sprouts
24. Martin Coleman says: Mid April update 2016

March 1, 2019 at 5:11 pm
I’ve been growing for 40 years but only came across your ideas a few weeks
back. I’m a big fan of your youtube videos and have ordered a couple of your
books. First year on our 12 acre smallholding in West Wales. Just starting
with a few hundred square metres of no dig in virgin pasture.Get No Dig Newsletters
I’m fascinated To Your
in using home made compost or rotted manure as a potting/seedInboxmix. Which
of your books covers this in the most detail, or what advice would you give?
As others have said, you are a true inspiration, keep at it! Name
Reply
1. charles says: Email
March 2, 2019 at 4:55 am
Thanks Martin and I hope your new project goes well.
I prefer to buy potting compost to save the time needed for sieving
+ it’s not easy to get a nutrient rich mix – I am using small module
size in small area, relative to output.
These constraints may not apply to you and check also Ladbrookes
SUBSCRIBE
soil blockers, the long handled 30 looks interesting, if you have lots FOR NEWSLETTERS
of material to play with.
Reply
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1. Martin Coleman says:
March 2, 2019 at 7:57 am
Many thanks. By the way, in your videos, I love the
enthusiasm you show. when you pick a nice vegetable, or
produce good compost, your childlike smile is what I
have always felt in the garden. It comes across well!
Reply
25. David E Mears says:

March 4, 2019 at 8:31 pm
Greetings from the colonies,
I have been gardening in southern NH, USA for about ten years. I have been
Related Posts
making compost for most of that time. Unfortunately, I now know that I
have not been using it in the most productive manor. I plan to start following
your suggestions as soon as the two feet of “white compost” melts.
winter jobs
I do also have one other problem. I nd your information so interesting thatand food
I am afraid I will not have enough time to garden if you do not stop making
May 2019
so much interesting reading material available! My wife has threatened to spring garden beware late frosts,
potting
hide my laptop if I don’t start spending some time with her. She is gettingon, small spaces, perennial veg
jealous of the time I am spending reading your information. Keep up the
good work and thank you. September 2009
1. charles says:
March 5, 2019 at 6:20 am Mid May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds
Hello David and that is an interesting problem. and news
Once the weather warms up I am sure your wife will enjoy the
garden and harvests!
Reply
Brussels sprouts
26. thomas mitchell says: Veg growing December ’15

March 7, 2019 at 10:00 pm
Midyears
Hi Charles! I appreciate your videos. I’m a gardener of quite a few Apriland
update 2016
I like to say that I garden to compost. Trying to change that some.
I recently started to use clean straw as a mulch and compost ingredient. I’ve
read that straw supposedly takes a considerable amount of time to break
down. I’m surprised by that because I shredded some strawGetto useNo
as a Dig
top Newsletters To Your
dressing around some annual owers. Nine months later the Inbox
straw has
broken down into a nice loamy substrate. I haven’t had a chance to check the
compost bin to see how the straw in the compost heap has fared. I know you
Nameif you’ve
use straw bedding and horse manure in your heap but I’m curious
ever used clean straw and what you’re experience is with it.
Reply Email
1. charles says:
March 8, 2019 at 5:15 am
Hi Thomas and I used it a lot in the 1980s, all decomposed within a
year, however it usually had slugs hiding underneath!
Reply
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27. beverley.pitchers says:
March 12, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Hello Charles! I am working my way through your excellent online course
material and tweaking my plan for my second year of no-dig gardening in
Sweden. Last year’s crops were beyond my wildest expectations – bot in
terms of quantity and quality. However, my home-made compost has been a
big disappointment and I wonder if you can give me a few tips. In
August/September, we threw all our garden waste in our compost bins
(wood/covered/some mesh sides). I thought it was approximately 50/50
green/brown as there were many leaves from potatoes, brassica, squash
etc, but also quite a few chopped up woody stems. No grass

cuttings/manure etc. The piles have shrunk to half their original sizes but
appear to be just woody remains, with no sign of breaking down into
compost. What am I doing wrong, and how can I correct it? Many thanks in
advance for any advice you can give!
Reply
Related Posts
1. charles says:
March 12, 2019 at 8:43 pm winter jobs and food
Hi Beverley, nice you had good results, sorry about the compost,
May 2019
could be the wood is too large diameter + perhaps coniferous so spring garden beware late frosts,
slow to break down and I guess your estimation was notpotting on,– small spaces, perennial veg
correct
it takes practice!
Use that ‘compost’ as brown for this year’s heap and search for 2009
September
greens like coffee waste, perhaps manure.
September 2011
Reply

and news
28. Pam Worthington says:

March 13, 2019 at 4:21 am
Hi Charles
Thank you for all your advice and videos which I try to follow as making,
much as last tomatoes, salad planting,
possible, they are so clear and practical. Brussels sprouts
I help out in community vegetable plot and I am a keen composter. A couple
of questions were raised recently about the types of material thatVegshould
growing December ’15
not be put into a compost heap.
One material thought not to be suitable was paper because it is Mid
bleached
April update 2016
using chlorine and that is toxic.
The other was corrugated cardboard because of the glue used is toxic.
What are your views on these concerns?
Thank you
Pam Worthington Get No Dig Newsletters To Your
Inbox
Should I stop putting these materials into the compost heaps.
Reply
Name
1. charles says:
March 13, 2019 at 5:09 am
Hi Pam, I add some of these, I think in moderation they are ok
Email
Reply
29. Hannah Riden says:

March 14, 2019 at 9:21 pm
Hello Charles,
I live in New Zealand and we have a lot of exotic gum trees around, planted
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as windbreaks. We burn the wood and have a lot of leftover bark and leaves. Privacy - Terms
I have noticed that nothing grows under gum trees, so I assume the trees
have a suppressive effect on the growth of other plants, possibly via the
fallen leaves . Do you know whether eucalyptus leaves and bark produce
good compost? Or would that ‘suppressive factor’ persist even after
composting?
thanks heaps!
Reply
1. charles says:
March 15, 2019 at 8:36 am

Plants grew under my parents’ eucalyptus and yes I would add
some to compost but the leaves have oil which slows
decomposition so don’t use too many
Reply Related Posts

30. sally says: May 2019 spring garden beware late frosts,
March 24, 2019 at 10:30 am
Hello! I was wondering if you could comment on the plastic compost
tumblers available for purchase. They appear to nish compost in only 2-3
September 2009
months, however Do you think the quality of the nished product is
comparable to the bin process? I too am new to gardening and am looking
September 2011
for a solution for our limited space. Thank you!
Reply
and news
1. charles says:
March 24, 2019 at 11:45 am
Hi Sally, I do not recommend them as value for money and they
need careful lling, I would say 4-6 months with a good balance of
ingredients; they do keep rats out, so pros and cons

31. Chris says:
April 4, 2019 at 12:54 pm
Hello Charles,
I’ve been gradually converting my garden and allotment to ‘no-dig’ since
hearing you talk at an RHS show a couple of years ago (eitherGet NoorDig
Cardiff Newsletters To Your
Malvern, I can’t remember which!). Inbox
I say ‘gradually’ because my main constraint is getting hold of suf cient
quantities of compost. I know you say that you need far less as the years go
Name
by but getting started means a lot for a couple of years and living in Bristol
means I have no access to ready supplies and buying in bulk is expensive.
So, on the allotment I’ve built a series of 5 x 1 cubic metre bins out of pallet
wood, with lids and removable fronts. 4 are lled and one remainsEmail empty for
turning into. My main input is spent hops from a local micro-brewery,
supplemented by shredded paper and cardboard: most of junk mail and
packaging now goes into the compost. My research suggests that
commercial inks these days are vegetable based, and manufacturers simply
aren’t allowed to print packaging with anything toxic, so there’s no reason
not to compost it. We’ve learned to identify and avoid anything with a plastic
lm or waxed nish. SUBSCRIBE FOR NEWSLETTERS
All four bins were lled by late autumn and I’ve just started spreading the
contents of the rst bin, which has been ‘cooking’ for around 8 months. It’s
ne as a mulch around existing plants but I doubt it’s suf ciently well-rotted Privacy - Terms
to plant seedlings into – or am I being too cautious: do you have a ready Privacy - Terms
means of telling when a compost is ‘ready’?

I also think I’ve been too cautious in excluding diseased material. Last year I
had a bad run of leek rust and although the remnants of the crop are still
perfectly usable, I have not put the trimmings into the compost. I know you
say you use all diseased material, but are there any limits to this?
I really enjoy your website and think it’s wonderful that there are
contributions to these discussion threads from all over the world: growing
food is something that unites us all. Hello everybody!!
Reply
1. charles says:
April 5, 2019 at 5:23 am
Hi Chris, that is great work.
Related Posts
Nice that you have hops nearby and can convert their wastes.
I do not recommend homemade compost for potting, results rarely
justify it and the cost of buying potting compost is small, compared
to potential results.
I compost leek rust, not white rot though as it’s soil borne, like club
root.
You could line your pallets with cardboard to hold moisture and
warmth. potting on, small spaces, perennial veg
Best, Charles
September 2009
Reply
September 2011

and news
32. Kris says:
April 12, 2019 at 3:38 pm Your No Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi
Hi Charles, thanks for all you do. I am nally getting around to starting a
compost bin in earnest. I am wondering if there are any items atOctober
all that you
13th rain and no dig, compost
would discourage folks from putting in their bins?
1. charles says:
April 13, 2019 at 7:04 am
Thanks Kris.
I would hesitate to add roots with soil fungal diseases, mainly
white rot and clubroot.
Other than that, add everything. Including potato and tomato late
blight and roots of perennial weeds.

Reply
Inbox
1. Kris says:
April 16, 2019 at 5:08 pm
Thank you for your fast response! I have Name
just a couple
more questions. What of meat and dairy? Also, how long
does it typically take a bit to get hot once it’s full?
Email
Reply
1. charles says:
April 16, 2019 at 6:05 pm
I put such food in and say two days if a heap is
lled in one go
Reply SUBSCRIBE FOR NEWSLETTERS
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Privacy - Terms
33. Peter Luty says:

April 21, 2019 at 7:00 am
Hi Charles,
I’m sure I’ve seen you using a aerator tool in one of your videos but can’t
seem to nd the clip – am I now dreaming of compost making as my wife
suggests?
Is there an aerator that you can recomend? I’ve seen mixed reviews on
Amazon…
Reply
1. charles says:
April 21, 2019 at 6:06 pm
Yes Peter for smaller heaps I suggest the £20 corkscrew (hard
Related Posts
work though) and a smaller one with metal hooks which slide in as
it’s pushed down, then come out as you pull up, under a tenner
Reply

34. Dee Brownsell says:
April 29, 2019 at 2:37 pm September 2009
Hi Charles , I’ve been a bit hit and miss with my small compost bin putting in
a single person household veg waste , grass cuttings and leaves inSeptember
. It seems 2011
to break down over the year. but I want to do better and quicker!
2 questions if I may , 1) Every summer I get HUGE ant hills in theMid
bin.May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds
Is this
a problem and if so, how can I avoid this. and news
2) there are a number of branding worms in the bin . I don’t understand that
when I come to put the compost in my raised veg beds how the worms Your Nowon’t
Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi
eat the new brassica plants I am about to plant! . If I have the wrong end of
the stick I will be grateful for a point in the right direction. October 13th rain and no dig, compost
Reply
Brussels sprouts
1. charles says:
April 30, 2019 at 2:16 pm
Dee no worries over worms, they eat decaying matter not fresh.
Ants on the other hand are not good, they excrete acid which can
kill roots, mix hot water with chilli powder and water on the ant
hill, then keep it wet.
Reply

Inbox
35. Delaine Barker says: Name

April 29, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Hi!! Thanks for all the great information. No dog is perfect for me having
torn a disc pulling up weeds in the past! I’ve just taken on anEmail
allotment that
has an old compost set up using pellets. There’s a massive ant colony to the
side of it, in amongst some old carpet tiles. Should I get rid of it or just ignore
them for now. Not sure whether friend or foe!!
Reply
1. charles says:
April 30, 2019 at 2:18 pm SUBSCRIBE FOR NEWSLETTERS
Hi Delaine and sounds good except the ants are not friends to
gardening,
I would mix hot water with chilli powder, even garlic too and water
Privacy - Terms
on the ant colony, then keep it wet every week or so to diminish Privacy - Terms
their number at least. They are eating your compost – remove

habitat too like those tiles.
Reply
36. Aisling says:
May 15, 2019 at 1:36 am

Hi Charles,
Like all your commentators I’m starting no-dig as a result of your
inspirational writings and videos – thank you so much for being so generous
with your time and knowledge! I have being making compost for many years
Related Posts
in my garden, but it was only when I took on an allotment in 2010 that I
faced a serious weed problem – horsetail and bindweed. I decided to use
anerobic composting for those and any other persistent weed rootsJanuary
(dock2019 myths about no dig, events,
winter
and dandelion) – by immersing them in a large black bin, with a lid, lledjobs
withand food
water. My rst bin sprang a leak in 2011 so I got another – but kept the rst
May 2019
one as a ‘holding bay’ for when I had a surfeit of weeds and the water- lled spring garden beware late frosts,
bin was still rotting down. I noticed that as the bins were kept covered, even
the dry bin was performing as a composter – the black plastic allowing the
contents to get quite hot during sunny weather. Over the years I have
September 2009
‘harvested’ the contents of the wet bin a few times – which yielded great
liquid feed and a couple of bucketsfull of sludge every other year.
September 2011
Meanwhile I kept adding fresh matter to the dry bin until it became so
jammed that it no longer sank down. I left it untouched since last summer,
until last weekend when I noticed it appeared to have converted into very
andare
nice-looking soil!!! And I do mean soil, rather than compost. There news
no
discernable weed roots and vegetative matter has completely disintegrated
into a crumbly slightly greyish soil texture, with plenty of wormsYour No Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi
throughout. I was also amazed to see layers of ants nests permeating the
Octobereye
contents, even in the darker, wetter depths of the bin – to my untrained 13th rain and no dig, compost
making,the
these were distinct types (species?) of ant at different depths. I spread last tomatoes, salad planting,
entire contents of the bin as a mulch onto a 3mx1.2m bed which will be
Brussels sprouts
growing my brassicas this year. Now, reading your comments on NOT using
soil (to Carolin, on February 23, 2019) and also on ants (to Delaine on April
30, 2019), I am wondering if I have made a terrible mistake?

Reply

37. Aaron says:
Inbox
May 20, 2019 at 4:24 pm
Hi Charles,
Name
I have just taken on an allotment which is fairly overgrown.
I have removed most of the weeds and put them on my compost heap
(which had a fair amount of weeds growing through it as well). However, I
Email
was told recently that I should not do this as the seeds will regrow when I
use the compost. Is this correct? do I need to do anything to make sure this
doesn’t happen? The advise I was given was to throw it away and start again.
The weeds were; bindweed, thistles, dandelions and different types
Click ofto
here grass.
sign up for a No Dig (website) account
Your help would be great, thanks in advance.
Reply
1. charles says:
May 21, 2019 at 7:02 pm
Hello Aaron protected by reCAPTCHA
Privacy - Terms
That “advice” does not agree with my experience. although yes Privacy - Terms
seeds of weeds persist if a heap does not exceed 50-55C.

Roots of perennial weeds will break down in a compost heap –
mine always have, even when not hot.
I advise you continue compost ing all weeds, and keep the heap
busy with continual additions.
If any roots survive, or perennial weeds, simply remove them when
loading your barrow in a few moths time.
For weed seeds, hoe or scuff the surface when you see them
germinating.
Tell your ‘advisor’ that this is from me, and it works.
Reply
38. Sue H says: Related Posts

August 18, 2019 at 6:50 pm
Fascinating blog, thanks, and thanks even more for the time you take
responding to comments. winter jobs and food
May 2019
I’ve taken on an overgrown allotment, my rst, within the last couple of spring garden beware late frosts,
weeks and I have to say it does wonders for my blood pressure!
Today I put three pallets together to maker a compost bay, but after reading
September 2009
I shall go off tomorrow and scrounge a couple more from the plumbers’
merchant to make two bays in an E shape. I’m also going to risk composting
September
bindweed – I have a lot – but soaking it rst in an old plastic dustbin with a 2011
clip on lid which I have lying around.
You’ve mentioned above that you think tumbler composters are expensive:
and news
well, I used the above black plastic dustbin as an experiment. I took a layer of
new material off my back garden compost heap – a m2 slatted affair – and ¾
lled the dustbin. I then periodically rolled and upended it from two
locations in the garden 6/7 yards apart. The action really helped speed up
the process and I’m about to take the contents to my new allotment to start
making,
the mulching process. I think the bin cost about £9 and I’ve saved on gymlast tomatoes, salad planting,
costs too! Brussels sprouts
Is there a recommended orientation for compost heaps if they are open on
one side?
PS: looks as if I may be adding to my book collection..
Reply
1. charles says:
August 19, 2019 at 5:25 am
Get
Nice to hear your enthusiasm Sue and good results, wellNo
doneDig
on Newsletters To Your
improvising with the bin! Inbox
Orientation of the heap is not important.
With pallets, I suggest lining the sides with cardboard to keep
warmth plus moisture in, and prevent weeds growing Name
out.
Enjoy your new plot.
Reply Email
39. Matthew Cosentino says:

August 22, 2019 at 9:14 am
SUBSCRIBE
Hello Charles, I’m a huge no-dig convert and would love some advice from FOR NEWSLETTERS
you!
I have an acre of grass that I clip regularly and which forms the green protected by reCAPTCHA
Privacy - Terms
element of my compost. I mix mainly with straw as the brown. I wondered Privacy - Terms
rstly if you have ever made compost direct in situ ie directly on the bed, or
whether you nd it better to make compost in large bin then transport it to
the bed?
Also, I have enough room to build a large composting area similar to yours.
Could I ask how you protect the ply from weathering and warping etc over
winter. Do you just replace it each year?
Many thanks for taking the time to read this, look forward to hearing from
you
Reply
1. charles says:
August 22, 2019 at 6:58 pm
Hi Matthew, thanks for your comment and yes I have trialled
Related Posts
mulching with straw and grass in the 1980s, it kept the soil too
cool for our climate plus harboured slugs & made it hard to plant
small seedlings closely. January 2019 myths about no dig, events,
The ply is not an ideal material, lasts three years ad peels. am
looking to buy some Douglas Fir from a local carpenter.
Reply
September 2009
40. Chen says: September 2011

August 22, 2019 at 4:50 pm
Dear Charles, Mid May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds
Thank you for sharing your profound knowledge, you’re a constant
andsource
news
of inspiration.
I’m growing in Israel, our summers are very long and very hot and humid,
the temperatures are around 32-35 c during the day, and no less than 22-25
c at night, from March-April until November. Last Autumn, I began
composting earnestly with very mixed results. I keep a well-balanced mix of
greens and browns, mostly kitchen scraps, cardboard and garden waste.
The pile is one sq m, con ned by posts surrounded by chicken wire, Brussels sprouts
located
in a shady corner. It stays full year round, but it does not heat up! The soft
materials break down to a beautiful brown crumbly texture withVeg growing
plenty of December ’15
worms, but the woody bits remain exactly the same, and so do all of the
seeds. It drys out in summer very quickly, so I water it to keep it Mid
moistApril
everyupdate 2016
week, the center stays consistently moist. Following the advice of some
farmers in the area, I tried adding fresh chicken manure, composted chicken
manure and urea, to no success, it stays cold. What am I missing?
Reply Get No Dig Newsletters To Your

1. charles says:
Inbox
August 22, 2019 at 7:21 pm
Hello Chen, nice to hear this and my word, your conditions
Name are so
different to here.
It sounds like you do not have quite enough materials to allow
breeding of bacteria which promote heat. They need regular feeds
Email
of green material. Fresh chicken manure would help when added
with other fresh ingredients, not afterwards.
Your result sounds good though – fungal decomposition and many
Click
worms. I would spread it, say around growing plants, here to sign up for a No Dig (website) account
space
allowing.
Germinating weed seeds can easily be hoed in your climate.
Reply
1. Chen says:
August 23, 2019 at 9:32 am
Privacy - Terms
Thank you for your kind reply! I’ll try to scrounge up Privacy - Terms
more materials. Apparently, in composting size does

matter.
Reply
41. Rebecca Wakabayashi says:
August 23, 2019 at 2:49 pm

I understand from the article that it’s not wise to plant in a commercial
compost. As my garden at the moment is relatively small.. This means I often
buy bags in addition to making my own compost with everything that is
clipped in the garden. The store-bought compost should I rather not plant in
Related Posts
this directly? and could I add it to the beds to let it compost further there? I
noticed last year I planted cabbages straight into this and they barely grew…
I assume this is due to it not being proper compost. I don’t have enough
space to add this to the existing heap, what would you recommend winter jobs and food
to do?
Reply May 2019 spring garden beware late frosts,

1. charles says: potting on, small spaces, perennial veg
August 23, 2019 at 6:32 pm
Sorry for not being clear Rebecca: yes you can plant into store
September 2009
bought compost, even though results will vary. It sounds like you
have no other options and I would in that situation, hope growth is2011
September
good.
Reply
and news
42. Jessie says:

September 14, 2019 at 2:06 pm making, last tomatoes, salad planting,
Brussels
Hello: Just came across your site, so interesting. I have one simple sprouts
question
(so far). What is the best way to add horse manure to a compost bin. On to
the top of a nearly full bin, or at ground level of a fresh bin? Veg growing December ’15
I need to get more heat into my compost to hopefully increase
decomposition (plastic square bin with lid) so thinking horse manure would
help as an accelerator.
Appreciate any advice thanks.
Reply
1. charles says: Get No Dig Newsletters To Your
September 15, 2019 at 4:43 am Inbox
Thanks Jessie and yes some fresh horse manure is good for
stimulating heat.
Name
I would add a 7-10cm layer then dame of other materials etc. you
could make it bottom layer too.
Email
Reply
43. Kraig Elliott says:

October 28, 2019 at 5:56 pm
Charles,
Thank you so much for your work and experimentation! I am becoming a

disciple as well as spreading the news to friends who garden. I am trying as
Privacy - Terms
hard as possible to assimilate your vast knowledge and apply it to my Privacy - Terms
current and future garden.
One question I had while reading and searching through your article. Do
you leave the compost you make in the original bin you started it in until you
use it? Or, do you transfer it to new bins every so often in order to introduce
air into it?
I thought of this as I read your article as it seems that the fungi will grow
better and stronger with less disturbance.
Thank you again!
Reply
1. charles says:
October 28, 2019 at 6:59 pm
Related Posts
Thanks Kraig for your comments. Made me realise I had not made
it clear we turn each heap, just once, so I edited the article.
In my hot heaps, fungi cannot multiply, but they hang around the
winter
edges then spread through heaps after a turn. So turning jobs and food
is not
hurting many and I see it as a net gain.
Reply potting on, small spaces, perennial veg
September 2009
September 2011
44. sharran rigby smith says:
November 20, 2019 at 1:57 pm Mid May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds
I’ve just had 4 amazing compost bins built and your advice about leaving one
and news
empty next to current one for turning is great and will save me a lot of work
and effort! I am investing in a shreeder/chipper (I note you got one fairly
recently?) can you recommend a make/model? We have 3 acres including
the house paddock small arboretum veg garden and ower beds so
generate a fair amount of garden waste. I’m just starting out and learning as
I go! Also… can i leave fallen leaves around the base of our treesmaking,
and can last
I tomatoes, salad planting,
put them as they are on ower/veg beds? Most of my veg patch Brussels
is coveredsprouts
having laden it with rotted manure from a next door livery
Reply
1. charles says: Mid April update 2016
November 20, 2019 at 3:45 pm
Hi Sharran
All sounds promising.
Yes you can mulch with leaves, there are some risks of slugs but on
sandy soil and in dry climates, no worries. Get No Dig Newsletters To Your
Inbox
My shredder is Bosch AX TC 25 from memory, cost about £400,
electric and 45mm max diameter, is not too noisy but takes time to
process material.
Name
Reply
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45. Pingback: Can you micro-compost in small bins? We did anClick

experiment - up for a No Dig (website) account
here to sign
here's what happened... - Compost Magazine
46. ALAN GROOM says:

December 4, 2019 at 10:50 pm Privacy - Terms
Hi Charles. Privacy - Terms
Just like to say that without nding you and your no dig method I would of
been not on my Veggie patches this year after being diagnosed, Under
active thyroid, Diabetes. SLE Lupus & Fibromyalgia to top all the pain.
I try to carry on, staying strong n wont give up the garden until I cant crawl
out there, which is now getting harder due to the mobility, but would
recommend your No DIG & results to All.
This in my opinion the best way forward due to my health getting worse
since we started your no Dig Sept 18 thanks to you Charles.
We look forward to our goodies we have ordered.
Give it a ago anyone if you have doubts Your see the returns and feel less
aches no digging, lo.l
Merry Christmas Charles and all the team at Homeacres & Happy New
Year.
Reply
Related Posts
1. charles says:
December 5, 2019 at 4:52 am
winter
Dear Alan, I am touched by your comment and hope the pain jobs
may and food
lessen thanks to the joys of gardening and eating the lovely
produce. May 2019 spring garden beware late frosts,
It’s a pleasure to help you, and others too. potting on, small spaces, perennial veg
September 2011

47. George Mathew says:
and news
Hi Charles,
We have access to the waste from our Municipal vegetable market. Have
October
not used any for fear of residual pesticide and fungicide. Could we 13th rain and no dig, compost
perhaps
add a percentage to our compost pile? making, last tomatoes, salad planting,
Brussels sprouts
Reply
1. charles says: Veg growing December ’15
Hey George that sounds useful but as you say, no means
MidofApril
beingupdate 2016
sure.
And then you wonder what people are eating! so hopefully not too
much chemical.
I would add some.
Reply Inbox
Name
48. annemieke says:

December 17, 2019 at 7:49 am Email
Hi Charles, big fan of you’re method!
In Holland I started my rst 2 compost heaps in autumn. They are working
ne, temp about 50-60degree.
I add a lot of coffeeground to it as I can get it for free. And that raises a
question: can one add to much coffee ground?
Thanks already for replying!
Reply
1. charles says: protected by reCAPTCHA
December 17, 2019 at 8:20 am Privacy - Terms
Privacy - Terms
Thanks Anne.
The only concern maybe of it’s not organic, but the coffee I add is
not organic.
I am not aware of potential problems, from say 50% or more
coffee!
Reply
49. Gabrielle Conway Morris says:

Hi Charles,
Thank you for this article, and the video. I have just been struggling with
emptying our small compost bin and was very glad to see your advice to just
Related Posts
lift the bin off, put it to one side, fork the undecomposed stuff into it, and use
the stuff at the bottom. So much easier than trying to get the good stuff out
of the small hole at the bottom, as I was trying to do!
winter
I have a question, though – we didn’t know before about the 50:50 mix jobs
of and food
green and brown, so I think we have been overdoing the green, and we’ll try
Maytips
to include more brown from now on. But I’m wondering if you have 2019
on spring garden beware late frosts,
potting
how to create good layers or a good mix? We are in a small suburban on, small spaces, perennial veg
garden
without much space for storing different wastes. If we do produce brown
waste (e.g. cutting back our hazel and hawthorn hedge) it wouldSeptember
usually be a2009
lot at a time, compared to the kitchen waste, which is little and often. Should
we try to store that somewhere and add it bit by bit, alternatingSeptember
with kitchen2011
waste? Or is it better to add a layer of cardboard once a week or so,
between layers of kitchen waste? Mid May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds
Another thing about using a small bin – I guess it probably won’t get as hot
and news
as the big boxes. In your video you said it’s possible to make cool compost.
Does it just need to be left for longer, or do you have any other advice about
this?
Thanks!
1. charles says: Brussels sprouts
Hi Gabrielle Veg growing December ’15
Happy to help.
I would stack the brown waste if you have space… evenMid
lay April
it as update 2016
temporary mulch under a tree or bush say a foot thick, where it
gets wet and starts to decompose, then take from it when you
need brown, is healthier than cardboard.
Yes cool compost just takes 6 or so months longer, may look less
perfect but good fungal qualities.
Inbox
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1/30/2020 Advice on making compost | No Dig

Mid May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds

Your No Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi

October 13th rain and no dig, compost

Veg growing December ’15

Mid April update 2016

Advice on making compost Get No Dig Newsletters To Your

Compost varies enormously, and homemade compost is the most variable

Facebook 13.8.18 Richard Loader on UK Here We Grow:

Veg growing December ’15

Mid April update 2016

Six week old compost Nine month old compost

I rely on compost because it’s not a fertiliser in the ‘modern’ senseClick

Worth subscribing to – 2019 had a no dig feature every month,September

SUBSCRIBE FOR NEWSLETTERS

Mid May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds

October 13th rain and no dig, compost

Rhubarb leaves and citrus peel are good to compost, Name

Most shredded materials are woody (brown), and their speed of

Mid May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds

Your No Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi

October 13th rain and no dig, compost

Veg growing December ’15

Building a heap SUBSCRIBE FOR NEWSLETTERS

When to stop adding more material

Mid May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds

Your No Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi

Turning is worthwhile for larger scale compost-makers with several heaps,

Get No Dig Newsletters To Your

For a small heap that perhaps barely Inbox

transformed into humus, now known as glomalin.

Glomalin September 2009

Compost and fungi

Reply Click here to sign up for a No Dig (website) account

September 26, 2019 at 7:32 am

How would you approach using eland dung as your basis

inbetween and stuff grew really well, without any long

I’m just asking because I can easily get huge sacks of it

May 2019 spring garden beware late frosts,

4. Alexandra says: September 2009

Reply protected by reCAPTCHA

January 5, 2019 at 7:26 am

October 13th rain and no dig, compost

Veg growing December ’15

1. Lizzie Ballantyne says:

Reply May 2019 spring garden beware late frosts,

Your No Dig Gardens – Teresa Grodi

10. stephen says:

11. Joan says:

I am an organic market farmer in Hokkaido Japan with 25 years growing

Reply January 2019 myths about no dig, events,

May 2019 spring garden beware late frosts,

We have just inherited a new garden down in Cornwall close to September

Mid Aprilinupdate 2016

Kate & Alex

13. Neven says:

Greetings from Austria,

Reply September 2009

Mid May ’17, sowings plantings videos weeds

Reply Get No Dig Newsletters To Your

I think that there is a general lack of awareness that

I like your comments about moisture content. Most

I never add water to my ‘starter’ bin (and I never turn it)