October 2025 Meeting Report:

NO DIG FOR VICTORY    Millie Carmichael

Millie told a little about how she came to be a gardener, having had other careers before attending Lackham College to study horticulture. Early local experience included planting the vegetable garden at Edington Priory. Millie’s enthusiasm and knowledge of her subject was communicated with humour and evidence of the depth of her experience.

She touched on the wartime initiative Dig for Victory which ensured food security at a difficult time, and compared that to the current situation, when 40%  of our fruit and vegetable produce is imported. She showed slides showing how little of our country is given over to growing these crops.

Our existence depends on six inches of soil, and rain, and soil is lost 10-40% faster than it can be replaced when it is blown or washed away. By minimal disturbance, i.e. not digging, and keeping soil covered, helps minimise soil loss and permits roots to be maintained year round.

Reasons for No Dig

*Weed seeds are not exposed to light which can reduce germination by up to 95%

*A friable surface allows plants to grow quicker and stronger, a defence against pests and diseases.

*New growing areas created quickly

*Maintains vital soil structure, which allows the myriad organisms like bacteria and fungi and creatures like worms, beetles springtails etc, who inhabit, it to thrive.

Millie described lasagne planting, where layers of material are laid over the soil and break down to form a rich compost (much like in a compost bin, and planting into this medium can take place very quickly, The key is to exclude light, which kills weeds. Cardboard, grass clippings, shredded pruning’s, garden compost in layers soon decompose to form a perfect growing medium, requiring minimum effort.

Members asked questions which were well answered, altogether an excellent talk.

Jacky