An email arrives, from Jess Kim:

“I home educate my children and also have an allotment.
I was amazed by how much our methods change the ground we walk on every day and I know my children think the mycelial network and wood wide web are incredibly fascinating and I think it’s one of the major benefits of no dig as a method.
I don’t want to just let a load of children loose on our copy of your book on a mucky allotment so I was just hoping for a child level overview that I could show them on my laptop at the start?
My children love what you do so much I would love to spread the message a bit more round this corner of the world! I’m always amazed by how much all of my children’s friends love spending the day outdoors tech free helping on the plot and ‘adventuring’ and I’m hoping we can encourage more to join us!”

Thanks for writing Jess and I hope the video helps. There is a lot of information here, and I’ve not presented it in kiddy language. I notice how children really understand no dig because it’s common sense, they get it! They just need details about methods and procedures.

00:00 Introduction
00:35 What does no dig mean?
00:57 Examples of vegetables you can grow
01:55 What is soil? We look at an area of ground that has been dug out to make a pond, and I explain the different layers of soil
02:12 Topsoil
03:15 Holes made by earthworms
03:37 Subsoil
03:44 The water table
04:20 Creating a no dig bed for growing veg
04:37 Cardboard on top of grass
05:22 A look at compost, which goes on top of the cardboard
06:01 What is compost?
06:41 A look at my Small Garden
07:30 What can you learn from my book, No Dig Gardening for Children?
07:53 Do you have any questions?

My No Dig Children’s book can be purchased from my website: https://charlesdowding.co.uk/product/no-dig-childrens-gardening-book/
and in the usual online places, and bookshops.

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