Books

[kbird]

I’ve recently taken on an allotment that wasn’t in too good condition and apart from trying to keep up with the the growth of weeds that threatens to engulf us I’m planning and thinking about the coming 12 months. I have a copy of the Vegetable Course, enjoyed that very much and as a result am thinking seriously of adopting the no-dig method. In fact I’m already doing a few things.

I’m wondering whether it would be useful to read any of the other Charles Dowding books, particularly Organic Gardening The Natural No-Dig Way and would like to know whether ‘The Vegetable Course’ has rendered the older books redundant.

I have in the past bought earlier books from other authors where the content of the earlier books was incorporated into later books and have felt my money rather wasted. To complicate things I see that there is a new version of OGTNDW due out in September and claiming to be hardback and in colour.

Apologies if this isn’t the correct bit of the forum for my post, preparing the ground seems to be the closest!

Thanks

Ken Bird

[charles]

Hello Ken,

There is some duplication, but not massively so, with all the books specialising in different topics. The Course book is strongest on starting a vegetable plot, identifying and dealing with weeds, explaining ways of starting no dig and how it works, and the book has much about sowing times and methods.

Organic Gardening has a general first part and then a larger second part with information about all the different vegetables you can grow in a temperate climate, and there is quite a bit on fruit as well. The new copy published this autumn is an all-colour version with more photos, and broadly the same text, updated where relevant.

Good luck with your new plot!

[Author]

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