What if we could all grow vegetables and fruit with confidence?

Permaculture, no-dig gardener and teacher, Helen Pitel gave a fascinating talk addressing the question ‘What if we could all grow vegetables and fruit with confidence?’, in conversation with Jen Adams from NailsworthCAN’s steering group. It included 30 minutes of questions and answers following the talk.

This was the sixth in NailsworthCAN’s ’In Conversation’ series exploring interesting questions from mainly local contributors on a wide range of topics.

If you did not manage to participate in the event, here is a recording:

Please note that there was a technical glitch part way through, but this was soon remedied and the chat continued, so keep watching through this.

Helen has been a no-dig gardener for 25 years.  She gave an insight into her philosophy, before talking about some practical tips for aspiring and experienced gardeners alike.

We can think of permaculture as an all embracing philosophy that treats soil not just as an aggregate of minerals but as having a biology of its own, with fungi helping to recycle nutrients. She recommended Merlin Sheldrake’s book ‘Entangled Life’ (if you want to buy a copy, please support our local bookshop https://yellowlightedbookshop.co.uk where you can order online).

Beginners can start by working organically, avoiding pesticides for example, and only choosing organic composts (and avoid peat based compost, which is sourced by harming ancient carbon rich habits, that we need to conserve and in many cases restore).

The next step is to move to no-dig, and this can be a habit that many find difficult to unlearn; some do it the hard way, when they get a bad back! But it is surprising to many how worms are our greatest ally and work ceaselessly to till the soil. You only have to lay compost on top of the soil and the worms will work it in without you having to lift a finger, preparing the bed for seeds or seedlings when it is time for planting.

Digging disrupts fungal networks and the well structured and stable soils we need to promote healthy plants. For the same reason, avoid walking on the beds, and make sure paths are arranged to facilitate this. Helen uses wood / bark chipping on paths and when after some years these have rotted down, she recycles these as mulch or in the compost before redressing the paths. 

Compost comes in many forms, and sources, including that from one’s own garden composting, or if large volumes are needed, from community schemes such as the Bisley Community Composting Scheme, or municipal compost.  Leaf mould is another example, and fresh grass cuttings can be used as a mulch.

The question was raised as to whether such compost was organic, given that the provenance of what goes in cannot be guaranteed. Helen takes a pragmatic view on this. For example, she has used the Bisley compost, which comes from community gardens, and is of a wonderful quality. 

One should avoid applying a mulch to a freshly sown bed or around small seedlings; wait till they are reasonably well established, and would appreciate a feed.

The next step is to think of gardening regeneratively. This means thinking holistically about everything in the garden and the wider issues associated with soil health.

Soil can be an ally in confronting the climate emergency. Healthy soils capture and retain more carbon.

The no-dig approach is obviously not preventing one extracting your parsnips when ready to harvest, but when your peas have finished cropping, cut the plant off at the surface and leave the roots in the soils. They, like other legumes, have nitrogen rich nodules, best kept in the ground.

When preparing a bed after winter, the mulch can usually just go on top. Helen said she may gently remove some perennial weeds like dandelions, and also couch grass and bind weed, but in general, she aims to leave as much nutrient in the soil as possible.

For beginners she recommended starting with easy to grow crops such as beetroot, radishes, kale, parsnip and carrots.  Parsnip seeds need to be fresh each year. Carrots can be grown in containers to avoid carrot fly.

Chard is easy to grow, and like Kale can over winter with a little help (e.g. in a poly tunnel).

 There are lots of varieties to try out and Helen mentioned a number during the talk. She likes to experiment to find new varieties. She’s particularly fond of red varieties of any crop (lettuce, spring onions, etc.) which add variety to one’s diet and have nutritional benefits.

Helen shared so many tips. For lettuce, she sows about 10 seeds at monthly intervals through the season, so she always has a fresh supply in the quantity she needs rather than the glut that would result from sowing a large row all at once.

For several species - such as peas, beetroot and spinach - she uses a length of guttering blocked at each end with duct tape and filled with compost. The seedlings will grow in the greenhouse till ready to move to the bed, and here is a neat trick: Helen creates a hollow channel in the soil to match the guttering, one end of the guttering is freed, and then the whole length can then be slid into the bed without any need for transplanting. 

There was a question about creating one’s own liquid fertiliser. This can be done by taking cut nettles or comfrey and putting in a bucket of water to rot down (worth noting that for nettles, check there are no eggs or caterpillars on the underleaf before cutting, as this is a popular larval-stage plant for a number of native butterflies). The mixture takes time to mature (you’ll know because it gets quite stinky) and the resulting liquid will need diluting sixfold before application.

When confronted by a new unloved plot that you want to turn into a bed, there are two methods Helen shared. The first is the Charles Dowding method: to lay down cardboard and then cover with 10 centimetres (about 4 inches) of compost (he uses municipal compost), and plant into that. The second method is a compromise because it starts with digging to prepare the ground (e.g. if some levelling and boarding is needed) but then is no-dig from then onwards, adding a first mulch and allowing the worms to do their job.

Helen’s overall message was that we can all do a little and start simple, whatever sized garden we have. Adopting the permaculture and no-dig philosophy can start small, using pots and easy to grow veg, and develop further with each season, as one’s confidence grows.

Those wanting to learn more please visit Helen’s website for news of her courses and workshops, and for her writings: https://helenpitel.co.uk/home/ 

A wee question

We didn’t have time to fully explore the question of wee being added to a compost bin or liquid mixture but there do seem to be a range of views on this (urine can contain pathogens). Helen uses it on a compost heap as an activator. A compost batch can take 6 months to 2 years to fully mature as a compost, turned periodically, so any concern about pathogens is allayed. The opinions on its use in a nettle or comfrey liquid mix vary widely, so it is worth researching the topic. Helen is not a fan of directly applying even diluted urine directly to a bed.