Charles Dowding's Skills For Growing: Sowing, Spacing, Planting, Picking, Watering and More

A digital version of this book is available to buy here.

In this book, I share the knowledge and techniques you need for success in all aspects of vegetable gardening, based on my decades of experience – sowing, spacing, planting, picking, watering and more.

My desire is to save you time, effort and money, through making all your inputs effective, from seeds and water, to the space in your garden. There are three chapters with vital information about spacing, and a harvesting table for easier planning of second plantings to keep space full.

I advise on how to create planting plans, succeed with succession and reduce rotation. There are chapters on saving your own seed, propagation, multisowing, spacing for all common vegetables, methods of harvesting and how they influence growth, watering (both when and how much) and using covers for warmth as well as pest protection. I also describe successful winter gardening, and growing perennial vegetables.

The book is illustrated throughout with beautiful, captioned photos from my no dig, organic garden in Somerset, Southwest UK. It is a fantastic resource for anyone wishing to learn new skills, or to improve and tune the skills they already have, in order to grow bigger and healthier harvests from a given space.

Skills for Growing is overflowing with advice and instructions based on years’ worth of detailed data gathering and observation. It is vibrantly illustrated with images of the crops he grows at his market garden Homeacres, which are refreshingly unromantic and so genuinely complementary to the written guidance, making this a feast for both the brain and eyes.

Claire Ratinon, author and organic food grower – Gardens Illustrated

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This book has really enhanced my whole food growing experience. The information within is concise and easy to read – natural and organic even (excuse the pun). Seriously it’s full of practical information but friendly and beautiful too!

It gives me a feeling that I can do it, with the fundamentals of growing laid out and explained in layman’s terms. It will help anyone grow food and enjoy doing so too. An all-round asset to an allotment holder like myself and it’s only April, let’s grow!

Leon Butterfield, April 2022