I know you may not see this, but I wanted to post it anyway.....Thank you. You have truly changed my life for the better. I live in the state of VA in the US, which is zone 7b. The ground though, is red clay, like the kind you can literally go make pottery from. I got my love of gardening, and most of my knowledge about it, from my grandmother, but she was a tiller. That's just "what you do here," because the clay is so hard to work in. I tilled for years, and every year the production got worse. I haven't been able to grow a single tomato in my garden for over 4 years now. This past fall, I discovered your channel and started some no dig beds, and this is the first year I've had success in almost half a decade. And in relation to this video....you just don't grow carrots here except in a raised bed, but I just thinned some of the ones I planted in my no dig bed and they are doing beautiful so far! I am thankful in a way for the failure I had for so many years, if it hadn't been so harsh, I may have never looked for a different way and found your channel. And when I say it's changed my life, it's not an exaggeration, I have chronic illnesses and having healthy food, as well as the exercise and inspiration from my garden, has improved my health as well. So thank you, I hope you know how many lives you touch by sharing your knowledge. You are truly a treasure to this world
I certainly have seen this Amanda! I am absolutely delighted for you and feel blessed that the Internet allows me to share these methods. That is great feedback for no dig, from your 'difficult' soil! I hope that your health continues to improve, and do spread the word in VA.
So I’ve been watching all weekend🤣 But I gotta say, As a little girl I was raised on our neighbor’s farmland and the owner, he like was a grandfather to me. I took my first baby steps to him and after that I was with him every day when he was in his gardens. Unfortunately he passed away when I was 7 and so finding you Charles is like finding him and my childhood again. This channel is very therapeutic. It’ll definitely kick me into gear to start gardening (or being in the garden lol) which was my first love as a kiddo. Thank you!
This is all I need to unwind after long work week. Your voice is so calming. Until weather warms up and my garden starts growing theese videos are the next best thing
I've made my first few no dig beds the past week and was also fortunate enough to get a small plot in the local allotment. This channel has been my gardening bible and was the one that initially got me interested in gardening in the first place. Thank you Charles for sharing this incredible amount of knowledge, it's invaluable to so many people 👍
Charles here goes an easy tip, to pick the carrots. Press & Pull! Press them in(to the soil) and pulls them straight up. It's quick and easy. No tools needed. I never lost a single carrot picking them this way! Thank you so much, for all I learned with you! Cheers
Thanks and I appreciate this tip. I do know it actually and have tried it and it works on softer soil then here. My soil is firm, still plenty loose enough to grow fantastic carrots but they don't always ease out even after pushing down on them.
For those of us growing on a smaller scale, carrots grown in tubs are a good way to avoid carrot fly as they fly very close to the ground. I have also read that the smell of marigolds also deters them.
Hi my dear teacher from Croatia! You gave me the wind in my back even though I don’t have a piece of land. My balconies are full for the second season. I have to add compost and water more often, but I enjoy it! When the covid came, I had my own garden. Last summer, my granddaughter took out young carrots on the balcony herself and ate. We both enjoyed it. Fall and winter, balconies full and this Easter I didn’t have to buy anything. I am currently waiting for the low temperatures to pass so I could very well plant some more seedlings. The seedlings are all mine, nothing bought. I only bought strawberry seedlings for my granddaughter. Here, in the center of the city, I enjoy the garden on the balconies (until I buy a piece of land). I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart🙏, Nada 😊🌱🍀
I once bought a bunch of carrots which still had all their leaves on. They went soft very quickly, whereas the ones which don't have leaves on last far longer. Now I understand why. I'm going to give it another go growing my own - I've never been successful in the past.
Hi Charles. I'll start by saying what a gazillion people have already said. You're an inspiration :) So glad I found your channel. Your clear explanations, well-shot video, the little exited jiggle you do with your arms sometimes :), I thought to myself "He has the look and mannerisms of a really good teacher/lecturer". I have an L-shaped concrete backyard with a raised-brick corner with soil in 3 sections. Areas of sunlight changing during the day. My plan is to use the soil beds in the corner, buckets, raised planters and pots on shelves to get max use and grow some nice veg and herbs. Can't wait til next year when things start getting established (hopefully). Your vids on seeding, potting, soil...everthing has been a god-send. My perfect life would be you as neighbour on one side and Jim from 'Home Grown Veg' on the other ^^ Thank You and keep the vids coming. All the best :D
The root fly is a dreadful pest. I have tried every method possible over the years to keep them away. The only thing that works is the physical barrier like your mesh or a fleece. I have surrounded the carrot beds with pungent garlic chives, grown fly resistant varieties, strewn crushed wormwood leaves around them, grown a lavender hedge around the beds, grown them raised up three feet above the ground, you name it, I've tried it. This season I have a new piece of mesh to deploy on hoops as soon as the fleece comes off in a few weeks. That tail about them only being able to travel at a certain height is pure hog wash! They are so tiny that the wind will just take them anywhere. Thank you for another excellent video Charles, I'm glad to see you get the odd forked carrot too! Good luck to you and the team.
I’ve just been on the comments section of the digital section of The Times and am pleased to see how people are reporting their success with No Dig. It’s spreading, along with the compost !
Lovely! Expecting snow tonight, still a bit early for carrots but I will plant 5 varieties. Touchon, Nantes, Yellow, Atomic Red and Black Nebula. My garlic is just starting to peek through the straw!
For years I struggled to plant carrots, parsnip and parsley. Such uneven germination. Then I turned my garden into no dig (moving from mostly deep straw mulching), and most of the problems went away. Well, most of the problems. Two issues remained: 1) I need to remember to keep the seeds moist no matter what method is used. 2) And to learn how to stop putting down too many seeds in a no dig bed. Because I still am used to the old method where most seeds would not germinate, But every seed seems to germinate in my no dig beds..... So now have to thin an abundance of root vegetables sprouts, where before I was wondering what to do with all the space between the few that did sprout --- which is a much happier place to be actually. Hope this helps.
Its interesting that carrot root fly I've never had a problem with... YET! Lol. I don't grow near as many carrots as you but, I'm experimenting with pre-germinating carrot seed & container growing this year as well. I end up with empty buckets after my 1st early harvest & great for growing carrots in. I have done no dig carrots too and works great but, some years I get a big disappointment re slugs demolishing seedlings.
Dear wonderful Charles, your video showed me how tall carrots foliage should look before pulling out carrots. My 1st time growing them and I haven't been sure when to pull. Thank you for being such a blessing just being you, and sharing your amazing wealth of information!
I moved into a place that had a sectioned off plywood compost heap (4foot × 4foot × 3foot) that was neglected for 3 years. It was very uneven, but I found nice soil beneath some easily removed surface weeds and a couple of gnarly deep rooted weeds I had to dig out. Also found a very active mouse nest, and a lot of worms and bioactivity. I'm in in Richmond, Virginia - right on the zone 7a/7b line. We're in mid 60-70 degrees F about now, and I just layers about a foot of grass clippings and a little leaf/wood mulch mixed in (after doing some initial surface leveling). Firstly, thank you for inspiring me to rejuvenate this pre-existing compost heap, and for showing me compost doesn't have to be that complicated. My question is: I left some vigorous weeds, and then covered that with grass and weed seed heads from my mower. Am I going to start sprouting a lot of unwanted vegetation since it's not that hot yet? Should I cover right away as a weed suppressant? I can add a lot of lawn waste, but I will have to add to this pile for a few months to fill this space out. Thoughts on covering right away, or leaving as is while filling? Love your videos! Found you throug epic gardening 🌿
Nice to hear this Sarah. I would simply keep adding material on top of the vigourous weeds, which will soon die because they don't have any light. You will know that because there would be new leaves if they are still alive, simply put more material on top.
Wow! I was reading about soil fertility and fungi today, and the sceptic in me began to wonder if Charles actually had any proof that mycorrizal fungi were associating with his plants. Those carrots are all the proof I need! Very impressed. 🍄🌾👍🏽
I love being able to go out to the garden and pull some carrots & bunching onions for dinner. No digging, just pull them out, brush the off, snap the tops off the carrots, and take them to the house for dinner.
I have learned so much from you in the past 3 wks.I heard of you from Jess,at Roots and Refuge Farm.Did my first 2 no dig beds.And will be sowing in some veggies and fruit.next wk.Your videos are such a gardeners dream.And simplistic teaching.Thank you !
Hi Charles, I have to say you must have a much longer growing season than us here in Newfoundland, Canada in order to get two crops of carrots in one growing season. Our last frost is typically June 21.
That is so late! I hope my own climate does not change like that, because we are at the same latitude, warmed by the north Atlantic drift of water from the gulf of Mexico
Hi Charles, Lovely tour of your Carrot patch. 🥕 I planted in December and I have been harvesting 1-2 for dinner since February. Windermere, Florida zone 9b 🌞 The longer I garden the easier I find it to grow veggies year-round. Your simple approach and advice is a great source of wealth. Thanks 💚
Thanks, Yet again. Im in the same sort of climactic zone (coastal BC, Canada) but my soil is forest soil...clayish. Carrots are giving mixed results but I'll soldier on and incorporate what I've seen here where I can.
I am trying out my first No Dig carrots this year, I absolutely love the no dig method and I use it on all of my beds now. Yea with Charles, best way to start my Saturday morning here in California 🫖👩🏼🌾🥕
Beautiful harvest! I just finished 'fixing up' my three rows of no-dig garden, pulled up a few weeds, through on composted cow manure and will add a light mulch once I get it planted. EASIEST gardening every. I'm totally sold on no-dig and my produce.
Can you please do a class on how you keep produce all winter long without cold storage? This info is so hard for the beginner gardener to figure out. I love you videos!!
Love your sewing method! I’ll definitely try this next week. Top tip, carrot tops make AMAZING pesto! Substitute the tops for basil (but add basil for additional flavor).
Planting carrots in between 10 blackcurrant bushes this year in two rows. “Hard” clay about 15 cm down but hoping it will coax the carrots to stretch/reach to it as water collects on the clay surface. We love heirlooms but gonna go for something more “industrial” (rote riesen 2)
Good day. I like carrots very much and is my number one vegetable in the kitchen. Tomorrow I will plant a carrot in my garden. Thank you Charles for these valuable and important tips. Greetings from Poland
We're lucky in Australia - nothing much goes after our carrots. It's a great crop - they're like bulldozers, boring down making a big carrot. I don't even thin em - I get some biggies and some tinies. There's nothing like fresh carrots - a golden crop! Nice video..
Great info Charles. While many are just now planting these seeds. I've been eating & canning my cold weather crops. They over wintered in low tunnels in No Dig garden. I've got carrots Beets, kale, cabbages & Brocolli. I'm going to let a few go to seed this spring to save. 👍
Oxhella, noted 🙂🙂 Thank you, Charles 🙂 I hope your plants survived last cold nights?I covered everything what possible but your area was much colder My forecast for next days shows much warmer nights but generally biodynamic calendar for this year says-this year will be cold and dry. Next one-hot and dry. Greetings from Wales 💚💚
That is a fascinating, thank you and yes it was -2 again last night and some plants are looking not good but all are surviving so far, just not growing!
Morgen werde ich den GrünSpargel in einem No Dig Beet (1Jahr alt) anbauen. Werde ihn mit Kompost, nach und nach, zudecken. Bin überzeugt davon das es funktioniert. Die Ordnung in ihrem Garten mag ich sehr. Sobald meine Wildnis einigermaßen gezähmt ist werde ich Ihnen ein Bild senden. Lg aus der Eifel
I LOVE your videos and have recommended them often to others! Would it be possible for you to do a video on your record keeping system for the garden? I am in awe of how you keep track of all the different varieties/beds/experiments that you have...I can't even keep track of a few different tomato varieties!
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Brief is okay! :) Just an idea of your routine to keep track of everything would be helpful for us who are challenged in this regard!
Thank you Charles, just shared.Packed with so much information as always. I still have not successfully grown carrots( a bucket list one 🤣) trying again this year.
I'm fairly new to growing my own and I am trying to adopt the "no dig" technique in my 5 raised beds. I didn't realise i could get a second crop of carrots so I will definitely try it this season as I have a patch I am just using for radish and lettice. Awsome content as ever!!!
They are in my online course and soon we shall be selling individual lessons, this is a group of 15 lessons just to give you an idea, has a lesson about parsnips charlesdowding.co.uk/product/course-3b-from-seed-to-harvest-the-second-22-vegetables/
Im growing carrots in the polly tunnel currently they’re doing well I’ve got some planted in an old keg and i have some in my beds I don’t have alot of space so i use barrels at the end of the day they’re my dads oil barrels he uses in his work i clean them out extremely throughly and use them to grow in i can safely say I’ve done it 4 years and I’ve not got poorly yet
It does not give me an option to send you some pictures I would love you to see what you inspired me to do I was always a traditional gardener like my grandmother grandfather and parents. My gardens were always beautiful and weed free! Pretty sure I have pictures of them I would like to share but I do love this method and I got caught up in it completely! I cannot even find a source for compost in Nashville Tennessee. So you know what kind of work I’ve done to fill five different bins! It has been a lot of work but very rewarding I appreciate all your videos and knowledge. I am not very Internet savvy so maybe you can get me some points to contact you a little more!
I personally dont mid the shape of the carrots I love the rough looking and imperfectly perfect , I’ll be planting some carrots in fall in my no dig garden , thanks sir for all your knowledge ❤️
I have stored my potatoes and carrots in a insulted cooler with good results here ( Canada ) in my back unheated room. This year I let them dry a little better so I don't have moisture build up over the months.
Well, I’ve decided I’m not bothering early planting indoors anymore, I’m genuinely bad at it. It’ll just keep buying plants. But my direct showings of carrots and parsnips and sweet corn worked very well. I may have to buy a greenhouse if I want to advance sow.
Absolutely correct about not having to dig for roots to go down. My grandma put an apple seed in a styrofoam cup and I was very busy with no time to plant so I just sat it next to a path and kept it moist today the tree is over 15 feet tall and full of blooms. It took Root without any hole being dug. Thanks Charles
Thank you very much for this guide Charles. I've no carrot fly damage so far this year, fingers crossed that continues! I have heard some people cut the tops off their carrots towards the final month or so of growth in order to encourage a bigger and sweeter harvest. I would appreciate knowing if have you ever tried this? I am wondering wether it si a worthwhile intervention or a waste of time :)
I never tried that and I should like to know the reason for doing it. I often hear these kinds of ideas without any justification. For example, it is photosynthesis by leaves which brings sugars to roots, and fruits for that matter. Therefore I would imagine that removing leaves will reduce flavour and sweetness in carrots.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig maybe the reduction in photosynthesis leads to breaking down of the starches into more simple sugars for the plant metabolism. Just a thought..
Hello Charles, In our garden the soil is very hard and when we sow carrots we can not expect good results, but I made a no dig bed and this year it was a miracle, wonderful carrots, straight, not short and crooked 😊 Nantes variety. However, it made another impression on me, which I ask for information. When I harvested some of the carrots (5-6%) were yellow - white in color. Are they edible and what is the reason for their discoloration?
I am happy to read this Lusy, and I suspect the discolouration is from genetic variation in the seed you sowed. Many seeds are losing some distinctive varietal traits because of less vigorous plant selection by seed producers
Sorry for that eaten crop of carrots! Thanks for sharing that though, I've learnt now to take it seriously! amazing you've never seen one..come to think of it neither have I, had to Google it!
G'day Charles. I have been watching you for so long under my personal (private) channel and you truly are an inspiration. So much of my success in the garden can be directly credited to you and what I have taken away from your videos. Thanks so much and I wish you all the very best. Take care, Daz.
Got my new polly tunnel built. Had to get help putting cover over, but read to fit door and rather than both ends, I have a 700mm by 2800mm window for the back. Hope to have done by tomorrow. Retired joiner, so had fun building a base rail and ends in solid timber for only £300. Just my time needed
I buy compost that's made at a regional landfill, opened a bag Monday and it had mushrooms growing in the bag. I'm hoping my garden this year, looks like the top left corner of your garden in the drone photo. I'm planting a flower border as fencing around it this year, hoping every pollinator around here wants to stop by.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig That was great, Thank you. How about berries or tomato... my potatoes are growing some pretty long shoots and are a little soft. Are they still ok to plant?
Hi Charles I enjoy your channel and common sense approach to gardening. I live near on an island near Vancouver Canada. I have some vegetables in containers on our deck. Lettuce, peas, beets, chard, coriander, potatoes and an apple tree. I started doing some vermacultuer last year and have harvested some castings. I have just started making some worm poop soup. 20 litres of rain water, 1 kg, castings and 2 tablespoons of molasses. It is being constantly aerated and every day I use about 1/2 of it to water my plants. Each week I add more molasses and castings. The plants seem to be thriving on it. Can you think of any reason why it might not be a good idea to continue? Most of the RUclips people using worm casting tea are on much larger scale gardens and only use it once a fortnight. Thanks Glenn
I have a question about what spacing to thin the carrots to. At 2:29 the carrots appear to be approx. one inch (2.5cm) apart, on average. I am planning my first no-dig allotment for this year and so am following your guides in your book: "No Dig". In the book, you say, on page 186, "...thin out a few to leave two or three carrots per centimetre". That seems very close! Is that a misprint? Maybe it was meant to say "two or three centimetres between carrots"?
Both Chris, well spotted. In the book, from what I remember, I'm referring to the first thinning when carrots are tiny and one removes baby seedlings to compost. Then maybe 3 weeks later you're pulling little ones for snacking and leaving some to grow bug which is in the video.
Hey Charles! I am glad you made reference to ignoring heavy feeders and the light feeders (it has been a question on my mind since starting last year) and that is a great testament to the no dig approach and constantly building the soil health by the application of the life after life giving qualities of compost. My purple carrots from the first season last year were a real hit. I ended up eating the root and some of the leaves which I used separately in a pesto for pasta. The carrot taste of freshly harvested carrots is quite intense and on the opposite end of the spectrum to the offerings in major supermarkets. BTW What do Shane Warne and Phil the Greek have in common? They both went out on 99. Stay safe and test negative!
I know you may not see this, but I wanted to post it anyway.....Thank you. You have truly changed my life for the better. I live in the state of VA in the US, which is zone 7b. The ground though, is red clay, like the kind you can literally go make pottery from. I got my love of gardening, and most of my knowledge about it, from my grandmother, but she was a tiller. That's just "what you do here," because the clay is so hard to work in. I tilled for years, and every year the production got worse. I haven't been able to grow a single tomato in my garden for over 4 years now. This past fall, I discovered your channel and started some no dig beds, and this is the first year I've had success in almost half a decade. And in relation to this video....you just don't grow carrots here except in a raised bed, but I just thinned some of the ones I planted in my no dig bed and they are doing beautiful so far! I am thankful in a way for the failure I had for so many years, if it hadn't been so harsh, I may have never looked for a different way and found your channel. And when I say it's changed my life, it's not an exaggeration, I have chronic illnesses and having healthy food, as well as the exercise and inspiration from my garden, has improved my health as well. So thank you, I hope you know how many lives you touch by sharing your knowledge. You are truly a treasure to this world
I certainly have seen this Amanda! I am absolutely delighted for you and feel blessed that the Internet allows me to share these methods. That is great feedback for no dig, from your 'difficult' soil!
I hope that your health continues to improve, and do spread the word in VA.
That’s great Amanda. I for one am in awe of your perseverance. I wish you continued success and improving health.
What a lovely comment. Good on ya
Prayers that your health remains well. Charles is certainly a treasure and his wonderful no dig is indeed life changing! Blessings!
Thank you for responding! I'm in North Georgia which is also red clay and in zone 7! I'm going to try no till!
So I’ve been watching all weekend🤣
But I gotta say, As a little girl I was raised on our neighbor’s farmland and the owner, he like was a grandfather to me. I took my first baby steps to him and after that I was with him every day when he was in his gardens. Unfortunately he passed away when I was 7 and so finding you Charles is like finding him and my childhood again. This channel is very therapeutic. It’ll definitely kick me into gear to start gardening (or being in the garden lol) which was my first love as a kiddo. Thank you!
Nice to read this, hope it goes well
This is all I need to unwind after long work week. Your voice is so calming. Until weather warms up and my garden starts growing theese videos are the next best thing
I thought I was the only one. Perfect chill out zone😀
Chilling while learning, it's a great thing, huh?
Yes his voice is so calming!
Yep his voice is so soothing i watch these at bed time to relax and unwind.
Thank you Charles. We tried no-dig first time in 2020 because of you...and first time we had a successful garden! God bless you in every way.
That is awesome! 🌺
I've made my first few no dig beds the past week and was also fortunate enough to get a small plot in the local allotment. This channel has been my gardening bible and was the one that initially got me interested in gardening in the first place. Thank you Charles for sharing this incredible amount of knowledge, it's invaluable to so many people 👍
That's great Karen and thanks!
Charles here goes an easy tip, to pick the carrots.
Press & Pull!
Press them in(to the soil) and pulls them straight up.
It's quick and easy. No tools needed. I never lost a single carrot picking them this way!
Thank you so much, for all I learned with you!
Cheers
Thanks and I appreciate this tip. I do know it actually and have tried it and it works on softer soil then here. My soil is firm, still plenty loose enough to grow fantastic carrots but they don't always ease out even after pushing down on them.
For those of us growing on a smaller scale, carrots grown in tubs are a good way to avoid carrot fly as they fly very close to the ground. I have also read that the smell of marigolds also deters them.
Plant them with onion.
Hi my dear teacher from Croatia! You gave me the wind in my back even though I don’t have a piece of land. My balconies are full for the second season. I have to add compost and water more often, but I enjoy it! When the covid came, I had my own garden. Last summer, my granddaughter took out young carrots on the balcony herself and ate. We both enjoyed it. Fall and winter, balconies full and this Easter I didn’t have to buy anything. I am currently waiting for the low temperatures to pass so I could very well plant some more seedlings. The seedlings are all mine, nothing bought. I only bought strawberry seedlings for my granddaughter. Here, in the center of the city, I enjoy the garden on the balconies (until I buy a piece of land). I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart🙏, Nada 😊🌱🍀
Lovely to hear Nada and congratulations!
I planted carrots in August and pulled into February, replanted March for summer harvest. Very sweet when grown in colder weather
Just my two cents worth of advice: you look really good in this video, well rested and clean shaven. But of course you always sound good and wise.
Noted!
Gosh y'all stubble shaming this nice man smh
Just over a week ago I thought "Charles doesn't have a video on carrots!"....and bam! here it is! Thank you😊
I'm growing carrots for the first time this year... thanks for the tip about covering them to prevent root flies.
I wish you success!
I was waiting for this kind of video, I fail a lot to grow carrots. Thank you 😊
I once bought a bunch of carrots which still had all their leaves on. They went soft very quickly, whereas the ones which don't have leaves on last far longer. Now I understand why. I'm going to give it another go growing my own - I've never been successful in the past.
Glad to know the growing fungi is ok, got several "mushrooms" pop up and worried it was bad for the garden. 😁🌿🍄
We have mushrooms instead of weeds!
Hi Charles. I'll start by saying what a gazillion people have already said. You're an inspiration :) So glad I found your channel. Your clear explanations, well-shot video, the little exited jiggle you do with your arms sometimes :), I thought to myself "He has the look and mannerisms of a really good teacher/lecturer".
I have an L-shaped concrete backyard with a raised-brick corner with soil in 3 sections. Areas of sunlight changing during the day. My plan is to use the soil beds in the corner, buckets, raised planters and pots on shelves to get max use and grow some nice veg and herbs. Can't wait til next year when things start getting established (hopefully).
Your vids on seeding, potting, soil...everthing has been a god-send.
My perfect life would be you as neighbour on one side and Jim from 'Home Grown Veg' on the other ^^
Thank You and keep the vids coming. All the best :D
How nice and good luck
The root fly is a dreadful pest. I have tried every method possible over the years to keep them away. The only thing that works is the physical barrier like your mesh or a fleece. I have surrounded the carrot beds with pungent garlic chives, grown fly resistant varieties, strewn crushed wormwood leaves around them, grown a lavender hedge around the beds, grown them raised up three feet above the ground, you name it, I've tried it. This season I have a new piece of mesh to deploy on hoops as soon as the fleece comes off in a few weeks.
That tail about them only being able to travel at a certain height is pure hog wash! They are so tiny that the wind will just take them anywhere.
Thank you for another excellent video Charles, I'm glad to see you get the odd forked carrot too!
Good luck to you and the team.
I’ve just been on the comments section of the digital section of The Times and am pleased to see how people are reporting their success with No Dig. It’s spreading, along with the compost !
Ah cool and thanks for sharing this Susan 💚 - mycelial network!
The taste and smell of home grown carrots are wonderful - far better than mass- produced carrots. One of my favourite vegetables that I grow.
I have begun my first no dig garden because of you. Thank you.
Lovely! Expecting snow tonight, still a bit early for carrots but I will plant 5 varieties. Touchon, Nantes, Yellow, Atomic Red and Black Nebula. My garlic is just starting to peek through the straw!
SO SMART how the carrots are sown with lettuce!
For years I struggled to plant carrots, parsnip and parsley. Such uneven germination.
Then I turned my garden into no dig (moving from mostly deep straw mulching), and most of the problems went away.
Well, most of the problems. Two issues remained:
1) I need to remember to keep the seeds moist no matter what method is used.
2) And to learn how to stop putting down too many seeds in a no dig bed. Because I still am used to the old method where most seeds would not germinate, But every seed seems to germinate in my no dig beds..... So now have to thin an abundance of root vegetables sprouts, where before I was wondering what to do with all the space between the few that did sprout --- which is a much happier place to be actually.
Hope this helps.
Thank you very much for your feedback and I am happy that your seeds emerge!!
Its interesting that carrot root fly I've never had a problem with... YET! Lol. I don't grow near as many carrots as you but, I'm experimenting with pre-germinating carrot seed & container growing this year as well. I end up with empty buckets after my 1st early harvest & great for growing carrots in. I have done no dig carrots too and works great but, some years I get a big disappointment re slugs demolishing seedlings.
I love it. How I wish I could emulate such a good person like you. New friend here from the Philippines. Keep up the good work. 👍♥️🙏
Thanks and welcome
Dear wonderful Charles, your video showed me how tall carrots foliage should look before pulling out carrots. My 1st time growing them and I haven't been sure when to pull. Thank you for being such a blessing just being you, and sharing your amazing wealth of information!
Cool! 💚
I moved into a place that had a sectioned off plywood compost heap (4foot × 4foot × 3foot) that was neglected for 3 years. It was very uneven, but I found nice soil beneath some easily removed surface weeds and a couple of gnarly deep rooted weeds I had to dig out. Also found a very active mouse nest, and a lot of worms and bioactivity. I'm in in Richmond, Virginia - right on the zone 7a/7b line. We're in mid 60-70 degrees F about now, and I just layers about a foot of grass clippings and a little leaf/wood mulch mixed in (after doing some initial surface leveling). Firstly, thank you for inspiring me to rejuvenate this pre-existing compost heap, and for showing me compost doesn't have to be that complicated. My question is: I left some vigorous weeds, and then covered that with grass and weed seed heads from my mower. Am I going to start sprouting a lot of unwanted vegetation since it's not that hot yet? Should I cover right away as a weed suppressant? I can add a lot of lawn waste, but I will have to add to this pile for a few months to fill this space out. Thoughts on covering right away, or leaving as is while filling? Love your videos! Found you throug epic gardening 🌿
Nice to hear this Sarah. I would simply keep adding material on top of the vigourous weeds, which will soon die because they don't have any light. You will know that because there would be new leaves if they are still alive, simply put more material on top.
Wow! I was reading about soil fertility and fungi today, and the sceptic in me began to wonder if Charles actually had any proof that mycorrizal fungi were associating with his plants. Those carrots are all the proof I need! Very impressed. 🍄🌾👍🏽
Don’t be a science denier it’s really terrible
I love being able to go out to the garden and pull some carrots & bunching onions for dinner. No digging, just pull them out, brush the off, snap the tops off the carrots, and take them to the house for dinner.
Yay, i love doing same with radishes. Throw tops to chickens right away and enjoy the snack.
Can't wait to start those Oxhella carrots they look amazing! Currently Nantes in the ground but will be doing Oxhella in june between the salads.
I have learned so much from you in the past 3 wks.I heard of you from Jess,at Roots and Refuge Farm.Did my first 2 no dig beds.And will be sowing in some veggies and fruit.next wk.Your videos are such a gardeners dream.And simplistic teaching.Thank you !
That is awesome!
I like your way of speaking, Mr. Dowding! 🙂 And I enjoy your gardening techniques and videos too. 🌱😇
Thank you kindly Anakshi
Hi Charles, I have to say you must have a much longer growing season than us here in Newfoundland, Canada in order to get two crops of carrots in one growing season. Our last frost is typically June 21.
That is so late! I hope my own climate does not change like that, because we are at the same latitude, warmed by the north Atlantic drift of water from the gulf of Mexico
I've been apprehensive about growing carrots but this video has definitely inspired me to give it another go.
Carrots and potatoes are some of my favorite things to grow. Carrots straight from the garden have so much more flavor than from the grocery store.
Plant some onion into the carrots beds, plant association works well in Hungary for me! Great videos btw, and thx to U for all! Have a nice season!
Where in Hungary are you?
We have friends in Salgótarján :)
@@wild_childofthe80s Next to Lake Tisza! :)
@@Tiszacsucske Oh how lovely :)
I miss Hungary.. I wish I could visit again this year.. I bet it is beautiful right now x.x
@@wild_childofthe80s yeah, yeah it's getting better day by day! :) And where are u from? :)
When I tried that, I unfortunately had even more rootfly damage!
Yes, I can say with certainty that your methods work wonderfully well with carrots and parsnip, thankyou!
Great to hear Bob!
Hi Charles, Lovely tour of your Carrot patch. 🥕 I planted in December and I have been harvesting 1-2 for dinner since February. Windermere, Florida zone 9b 🌞 The longer I garden the easier I find it to grow veggies year-round.
Your simple approach and advice is a great source of wealth. Thanks 💚
Sounds great!
Thanks, Yet again. Im in the same sort of climactic zone (coastal BC, Canada) but my soil is forest soil...clayish. Carrots are giving mixed results but I'll soldier on and incorporate what I've seen here where I can.
I wish you the best of luck with your carrots Micheal. They are certainly not the easiest vegetable, often a challenge!
Frost last night! I’m hoping that’s it, I’ll get my carrots sown this weekend, and a few more seeds down. Thanks Charles, must get some mesh!!!
The carrots are beautiful. I usually use the leaves to make an omelet or to replace the parsley. Use in soups as well. it's tasty.
Great idea!
Same here! Don't waste nothing! Excellent as mashed greens also! I like it with some extra garlic! ;-)
Cheers
Gracias Maestro, por permitir la traducción al Español!👌🏼🎩🙏🏻🙏🏻😘
I am trying out my first No Dig carrots this year, I absolutely love the no dig method and I use it on all of my beds now. Yea with Charles, best way to start my Saturday morning here in California 🫖👩🏼🌾🥕
Good luck!
Beautiful harvest! I just finished 'fixing up' my three rows of no-dig garden, pulled up a few weeds, through on composted cow manure and will add a light mulch once I get it planted. EASIEST gardening every. I'm totally sold on no-dig and my produce.
Thank you again Charles- really useful as I always forget carrot fly cover up times!!
Can you please do a class on how you keep produce all winter long without cold
storage? This info is so hard for the beginner gardener to figure out. I love you videos!!
He does have a short video on storing certain vegetables somewhere I'm sure.
It's here studio.ruclips.net/user/video7d2GUHB2ggc/edit?o=U
@@CharlesDowding1nodig thank you so much. What an honor to get an actual answer from you. Happy Sabbath!!!
Hey Charles, really enjoyed the video! I wish I had more garden space...
Love your sewing method! I’ll definitely try this next week.
Top tip, carrot tops make AMAZING pesto! Substitute the tops for basil (but add basil for additional flavor).
Cheers Gary
Planting carrots in between 10 blackcurrant bushes this year in two rows. “Hard” clay about 15 cm down but hoping it will coax the carrots to stretch/reach to it as water collects on the clay surface. We love heirlooms but gonna go for something more “industrial” (rote riesen 2)
I always sow in mid May abs that works well for me, mid April always seems a bit slow.
Brilliant video as always 👍🏻
Very useful, thanks - especially those dates.
Enjoyed the video. I interplant carrots with tomatoes.
Sounds great!
Good day. I like carrots very much and is my number one vegetable in the kitchen. Tomorrow I will plant a carrot in my garden. Thank you Charles for these valuable and important tips. Greetings from Poland
Wonderful
We're lucky in Australia - nothing much goes after our carrots. It's a great crop - they're like bulldozers, boring down making a big carrot. I don't even thin em - I get some biggies and some tinies. There's nothing like fresh carrots - a golden crop! Nice video..
Sounds amazing!
i just love carrots 🥕 Charles
Love your garden
Great info Charles. While many are just now planting these seeds. I've been eating & canning my cold weather crops. They over wintered in low tunnels in No Dig garden. I've got carrots Beets, kale, cabbages & Brocolli. I'm going to let a few go to seed this spring to save. 👍
Sounds great Donna!
Como siempre muchas gracias por los subtítulos.... gracias a esto aprendo y disfruto mucho tus vidros.
This is great. So many lessons and so many varieties of vegetables doing just so well in the NO DIG CONCEPT...
Thank you sir!
You are most welcome
Lovely to see that you can store them easily, without fuss for quite a while. Many thanks Charles, happy growing!
You definitely have a green thumb!!..I have not mastered carrots yet..still being determined..thankyou
Those carrots look so yummy! Mine didn't grow much last year.
Brilliant, I have now ordered some fine mesh netting. Thank you!
Oxhella, noted 🙂🙂
Thank you, Charles 🙂
I hope your plants survived last cold nights?I covered everything what possible but your area was much colder
My forecast for next days shows much warmer nights but generally biodynamic calendar for this year says-this year will be cold and dry. Next one-hot and dry.
Greetings from Wales 💚💚
That is a fascinating, thank you and yes it was -2 again last night and some plants are looking not good but all are surviving so far, just not growing!
The most beautiful channel and the best posting useful valuable advice Thank you and good luck
Many thanks
Thanks my Guru! Your every video is enlightening!
Hello Dear Friend! Awesome video! Have a beautiful weekend! 👍 201
Morgen werde ich den GrünSpargel in einem No Dig Beet (1Jahr alt) anbauen. Werde ihn mit Kompost, nach und nach, zudecken. Bin überzeugt davon das es funktioniert. Die Ordnung in ihrem Garten mag ich sehr. Sobald meine Wildnis einigermaßen gezähmt ist werde ich Ihnen ein Bild senden. Lg aus der Eifel
Hey Charles.
Respect from Africa 🇿🇦
Wow great beautiful amazing gardening experience 😯👍
I LOVE your videos and have recommended them often to others! Would it be possible for you to do a video on your record keeping system for the garden? I am in awe of how you keep track of all the different varieties/beds/experiments that you have...I can't even keep track of a few different tomato varieties!
Thanks Rachel. It would be a pretty brief video! I just have a few documents on the computer, not even spreadsheets.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Brief is okay! :) Just an idea of your routine to keep track of everything would be helpful for us who are challenged in this regard!
Great video. Time to give carrots another try. Alas Sativa no longer send to the UK, found some organic UK alternatives.
Thank you Charles, just shared.Packed with so much information as always. I still have not successfully grown carrots( a bucket list one 🤣) trying again this year.
I'm fairly new to growing my own and I am trying to adopt the "no dig" technique in my 5 raised beds. I didn't realise i could get a second crop of carrots so I will definitely try it this season as I have a patch I am just using for radish and lettice. Awsome content as ever!!!
Good luck James
I would love to see something on parsnips! Thank you! Love your videos😊
They are in my online course and soon we shall be selling individual lessons, this is a group of 15 lessons just to give you an idea, has a lesson about parsnips charlesdowding.co.uk/product/course-3b-from-seed-to-harvest-the-second-22-vegetables/
Always soooo nice to watch your videos Charles.. so inspiring and thanks as always.
Glad you like them!
Im growing carrots in the polly tunnel currently they’re doing well I’ve got some planted in an old keg and i have some in my beds I don’t have alot of space so i use barrels at the end of the day they’re my dads oil barrels he uses in his work i clean them out extremely throughly and use them to grow in i can safely say I’ve done it 4 years and I’ve not got poorly yet
Great reusing Matthew
It does not give me an option to send you some pictures I would love you to see what you inspired me to do I was always a traditional gardener like my grandmother grandfather and parents. My gardens were always beautiful and weed free! Pretty sure I have pictures of them I would like to share but I do love this method and I got caught up in it completely! I cannot even find a source for compost in Nashville Tennessee. So you know what kind of work I’ve done to fill five different bins! It has been a lot of work but very rewarding I appreciate all your videos and knowledge. I am not very Internet savvy so maybe you can get me some points to contact you a little more!
Great to hear this John and you could email some photos to admin@charlesdowding.co.uk
I personally dont mid the shape of the carrots I love the rough looking and imperfectly perfect , I’ll be planting some carrots in fall in my no dig garden , thanks sir for all your knowledge ❤️
Nice to hear Teffy!
I have stored my potatoes and carrots in a insulted cooler with good results here ( Canada ) in my back unheated room. This year I let them dry a little better so I don't have moisture build up over the months.
Well, I’ve decided I’m not bothering early planting indoors anymore, I’m genuinely bad at it. It’ll just keep buying plants. But my direct showings of carrots and parsnips and sweet corn worked very well. I may have to buy a greenhouse if I want to advance sow.
I was searching for this video earlier this morning. 🤩 Thank you for the great content!
You're so welcome!
Absolutely correct about not having to dig for roots to go down. My grandma put an apple seed in a styrofoam cup and I was very busy with no time to plant so I just sat it next to a path and kept it moist today the tree is over 15 feet tall and full of blooms. It took Root without any hole being dug. Thanks Charles
Cool!
Thank you very much for this guide Charles. I've no carrot fly damage so far this year, fingers crossed that continues! I have heard some people cut the tops off their carrots towards the final month or so of growth in order to encourage a bigger and sweeter harvest. I would appreciate knowing if have you ever tried this? I am wondering wether it si a worthwhile intervention or a waste of time :)
I never tried that and I should like to know the reason for doing it. I often hear these kinds of ideas without any justification.
For example, it is photosynthesis by leaves which brings sugars to roots, and fruits for that matter. Therefore I would imagine that removing leaves will reduce flavour and sweetness in carrots.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig maybe the reduction in photosynthesis leads to breaking down of the starches into more simple sugars for the plant metabolism. Just a thought..
Why wonder, when you can just try it and see!?
Why wonder, when you can just try it and see!?
You make it look very very very easy sir ;)
Hello Charles,
In our garden the soil is very hard and when we sow carrots we can not expect good results, but I made a no dig bed and this year it was a miracle, wonderful carrots, straight, not short and crooked 😊 Nantes variety. However, it made another impression on me, which I ask for information. When I harvested some of the carrots (5-6%) were yellow - white in color. Are they edible and what is the reason for their discoloration?
I am happy to read this Lusy, and I suspect the discolouration is from genetic variation in the seed you sowed. Many seeds are losing some distinctive varietal traits because of less vigorous plant selection by seed producers
@@CharlesDowding1nodig thank you! You are right! But are they edible?
Sorry for that eaten crop of carrots! Thanks for sharing that though, I've learnt now to take it seriously! amazing you've never seen one..come to think of it neither have I, had to Google it!
G'day Charles.
I have been watching you for so long under my personal (private) channel and you truly are an inspiration.
So much of my success in the garden can be directly credited to you and what I have taken away from your videos.
Thanks so much and I wish you all the very best.
Take care,
Daz.
Awesome, thank you!
Bardzo dziękuję za tłumaczenie i serdecznie pozdrawiam !
I just harvested the last of my carrots on 7 january [today] Grown in pots.
Good and easy vídeo...👍 excelents carros🥕🥕🥕..thank you...love from 🇻🇪💙
Must sow more carrots 😀
Señor dowding mucho gusto saludes de Honduras ♥️
Got my new polly tunnel built. Had to get help putting cover over, but read to fit door and rather than both ends, I have a 700mm by 2800mm window for the back. Hope to have done by tomorrow. Retired joiner, so had fun building a base rail and ends in solid timber for only £300. Just my time needed
That sounds amazing, and satisfying!
Gracias por compartir su conocimiento, me encanta su manera de explicar, saludos desde Quito - Ecuador 😊
💚
I buy compost that's made at a regional landfill, opened a bag Monday and it had mushrooms growing in the bag. I'm hoping my garden this year, looks like the top left corner of your garden in the drone photo. I'm planting a flower border as fencing around it this year, hoping every pollinator around here wants to stop by.
Sounds great! Mushrooms is good sign
@@CharlesDowding1nodig I have about 10 more bags, hoping for more in those =^)
That was great to know how to store the carrots, perhaps you can share how to store all other crops... ?
I have. ruclips.net/video/7d2GUHB2ggc/видео.html
@@CharlesDowding1nodig That was great, Thank you. How about berries or tomato... my potatoes are growing some pretty long shoots and are a little soft. Are they still ok to plant?
Legend thanks i am doing my nantes carrots this weekend in-between the existing garlic all to be pulled at same time, cheers
Hi Charles
I enjoy your channel and common sense approach to gardening. I live near on an island near Vancouver Canada. I have some vegetables in containers on our deck. Lettuce, peas, beets, chard, coriander, potatoes and an apple tree. I started doing some vermacultuer last year and have harvested some castings. I have just started making some worm poop soup. 20 litres of rain water, 1 kg, castings and 2 tablespoons of molasses. It is being constantly aerated and every day I use about 1/2 of it to water my plants. Each week I add more molasses and castings. The plants seem to be thriving on it. Can you think of any reason why it might not be a good idea to continue? Most of the RUclips people using worm casting tea are on much larger scale gardens and only use it once a fortnight.
Thanks
Glenn
Cheers Glenn and I would carry on.
There is still a lot to discover about how plants grow and what they like, maybe you are onto something.
I have a question about what spacing to thin the carrots to. At 2:29 the carrots appear to be approx. one inch (2.5cm) apart, on average. I am planning my first no-dig allotment for this year and so am following your guides in your book: "No Dig". In the book, you say, on page 186, "...thin out a few to leave two or three carrots per centimetre". That seems very close! Is that a misprint? Maybe it was meant to say "two or three centimetres between carrots"?
Both Chris, well spotted. In the book, from what I remember, I'm referring to the first thinning when carrots are tiny and one removes baby seedlings to compost. Then maybe 3 weeks later you're pulling little ones for snacking and leaving some to grow bug which is in the video.
Hey Charles! I am glad you made reference to ignoring heavy feeders and the light feeders (it has been a question on my mind since starting last year) and that is a great testament to the no dig approach and constantly building the soil health by the application of the life after life giving qualities of compost. My purple carrots from the first season last year were a real hit. I ended up eating the root and some of the leaves which I used separately in a pesto for pasta. The carrot taste of freshly harvested carrots is quite intense and on the opposite end of the spectrum to the offerings in major supermarkets. BTW What do Shane Warne and Phil the Greek have in common? They both went out on 99. Stay safe and test negative!
Lovely comment as usual, I like your Aussie sense of humour!!