Interview with Charles Dowding

From the vegetable plots of Somerset, to gardens around the world, Charles Dowding has inspired a quiet revolution in how we care for life below the surface. 

Known as the leading voice of the ‘no dig’ movement - a method that respects the soil’s natural structure and vitality while enriching it from the surface with organic matter - Charles has spent more than four decades showing that undisturbed, well-fed soil can produce abundant harvests, reduce weeds, and restore well-being to both land and people. 

What began as an instinctive approach in the early 1980s has evolved into a global mission to educate through his books, courses, and widely followed videos. At the heart of his work is one guiding principle: treat soil as a living, dynamic ecosystem, and it will nourish both you and your environment in countless ways. 

In this inspiring interview, we explore the origins of Charles’ passion for soil, the lessons he’s learned from successes and setbacks, and why he believes starting small might just be the most powerful way to spark lasting change.

Your work has been trailblazing in making growers truly grasp the significance of healthy soil. Can you take us back to a moment or experience that first sparked your passion for soil?

It's a growing passion, increasing all the time as I learn more about how soil works, and how all of its living organisms interact in such a positive way, to help each other, and enable growth of plant roots. At first in 1982, I was gardening by instinct, it felt the right way to manage my soil, and I'm so glad that I had that feeling, and followed it. I was not sure it could work.

What actually is the no dig approach? If you had to explain it to a complete gardening novice

Two parts. One is to disturb soil as little as possible, with no systematic cultivation. Sometimes, however, you need to dig a hole for planting trees or make much smaller holes for tomatoes. Or to get parsnips out of the ground, because tap roots go incredibly deep with no dig.

Second, is to feed soil life, with a mulch or cover of organic matter, simply spread on the surface. My preference is to use compost (organic matter more than half-decomposed) because it does not give moist habitat for slugs, although it still maintains moisture in the soil below and protects soil from extreme weather before it is eaten itself, for example, by earthworms who take organic matter into their channels in the soil where it's helping to maintain structure.

What inspired you to commit to the no-dig approach, even when it went against the grain of conventional wisdom?

I had been reading up about soil life, such as the mycelial network, in old 1940s journals of the Soil Association. It felt common sense to me not to disturb this precious resource. Yes, it was kind of nerve racking at first and I did not dare to make a big noise about it with my peers, because I did not have results in those early days.

Is there a plant you have a special fondness for — one that tells a story or has a particular personal significance for you?

Hollyhocks, loved by my father, and purple sprouting broccoli in early spring, my mother’s favourite.

Most people aren’t aware of the huge impact healthy soil can have on the climate, human health and nutrition. If you could share a fact, or anecdote, with somebody to make them realize the importance of soil as a solution, what would it be?

“I’m Just Stardust” on YouTube quotes, "6 years ago I was so depressed and drowning in anxiety that I could not even cook my own food, now I'm growing and distributing it from my new no dig permaculture garden. When I changed my diet from very bad to eating homegrown vegetables, my body responded in ways I could not even imagine possible. Chronic diseases, anxiety and depression vanished without a trace. I want people to experience the same thing I did."

Farmers and growers have huge potential to proactively address the climate crisis. How do you see their role in it? The Save Soil campaign emphasizes large-scale awareness and policy change. How can individual growers, farmers and soil enthusiasts make this happen?

I am not convinced they can persuade the government to take any lead in promoting the values I aspire to. I've noticed over four decades, how promises are regularly made, and then broken every time. Change happens when enough people actually want it and start to practice it.

That is my work, and it's not about a planned policy change. I foresee an ever-growing movement of sufficient people to raise awareness of health and well-being, such that changes will happen. But I'm not sure what exactly they will be. It's more important to do the work on the ground and inspire many millions to do the same.

One soil myth you’d banish forever?

Soil does not need to be “loose” for plant roots to grow.

What would be your top 3 tips for someone just starting a no-dig garden on degraded or poor soil?

Start small, even one bed of 1.2 x 2.4 m can give a lot of food, and it’s a chance to learn skills and methods while growing the plants. Then a space of 40 m² could feed a family for at least half of the time. As a beginner, smaller areas are more inviting to stay involved with and improve your methods and understanding.

Small is beautiful because you can feasibly increase soil fertility very quickly with an initial  10 to 15 cm addition of any kind of even imperfect compost. After that, maintain soil fertility and health with 3 cm new compost each year. Weeds then grow less and are easy to remove.

Ignore the common advice about plant rotation, which is obsolete for intensive gardens with super soil health and fertility, thanks to no dig. This means you can keep sowing and planting throughout summer, keeping all the space full and productive, with no gaps.

Can you share an experience that taught you a powerful lesson that you could share with young farmers or growers?

In the 1980s, there was a shortage of organic carrots. I was organic certified at that time and was asked by a London wholesaler to grow a lot of organic carrots. I did not have that amount of free space, no dig. So I borrowed the farm tractor and rotavator to cultivate an acre / 4000 m² of ground and then employed a man with a tractor and drill to sow carrots. Because I had disturbed the soil so much, a massive amount of chickweed grew and smothered the carrots. We tried to control it by hoeing three times, a massive input of time, and my harvest was precisely nothing. That was a powerful lesson.

You’ve seen the conversation around soil change over the years. What are some of the biggest changes you’ve noticed, for better or for worse? And what have you seen recently that gives you hope for the future of soil?

The main and most encouraging change I see is that soil biology is now more appreciated and understood. Previously it was all about chemistry, and nutrients to feed plants. Soil was more often seen as something like a bank balance, as though it was a hydroponic medium to hold food and distribute it. Now, we know that there's a lot of goodness already in soil, and that we can work with soil organisms to help them find it, to feed plant roots, plus to maintain structure and moisture.

Discover More About Charles' Work Here