Global no dig expert Charles Dowding puts the importance of feeding the soil firmly at the heart of his renowned growing methods and also in his new book Compost which sheds light on the joyful alchemy of turning household waste into a valuable, free resource.
A companion book to No Dig, published in 2022, Compost aims to dispel the many myths and mysteries of compost making, explaining how it can improve the health of the soil, our crops, the environment and ourselves. Charles has packed this definitive guide with practical, fun and easy to action advice on how to make perfect compost, whether you garden on a balcony, a small plot or across a large outdoor space.
Charles generously shares his 40+ years of compost-making expertise, including engaging explanations of what compost is, why we should use it, the benefits it brings to the soil and plants, and the immense ‘satisfaction and sense of achievement’ the process can provide for gardeners, when ultimately they spread their homemade compost on the soil.
Compost brims with practical tips on what to compost and how to do it, how to achieve the perfect balance of the materials in the mix, and advice on how to successfully create compost throughout the seasons, with a helpful timeline of the compostable year.
Through his years of compost trials, Charles is also able to debunk many traditional composting misconceptions, with some revealing myth-busting sections including how to add weeds to your compost, why heat in your bin is not essential, why worms are not vital to the process, and why no dig gardening doesn’t actually require more compost, as many believe.
Showcasing the many valuable tips and hacks in the book, Compost is beautifully illustrated throughout, with stunning woodcut drawings by Jonathan Gibbs, making this powerful little book, the perfect gift for gardeners of all ages and abilities.
Commenting, Charles who has over 690 thousand YouTube subscribers and more than 495 thousand followers on Instagram, said: ‘Experience has told me that when it comes to improving soil to produce healthy growth, it’s compost that provides the answers we need…. In this book I use my understandings from decades of compost making to strip away the myths and misconceptions surrounding composting… and I aim to empower people with a sound knowledge of how the process works.
‘I want this book to spark people’s interest in compost and show them how to successfully make it so they can improve the health of their soil, their plants, the wider environment and themselves.’
Charles Dowding is the leading proponent of no dig gardening. Not only does he have a huge following, but his advice is born out of more than 40 years of growing, analysing, comparing, and recommending. He has been growing veg since 1981, having gardened in four different locations and grown hundreds of thousands of crops.
Compost—Transform Waste Into New Life by Charles Dowding is available in hardback at £14.99. It is also available in audio and ebook formats.
