Charles Dowding

Planning your veg plot and growing tasty food is just about to get MUCH easier – with the UK launch of Fryd, the community-centric gardening app

Planning your veg plot and growing tasty food is just about to get MUCH easier – with the UK launch of Fryd, the community-centric gardening app

/ , , , , , , , , , , , , /

  • Easy-to-use innovative app helps you plan a bespoke veg plot, choose the best veg and companion crops for your climate and location
  • Already most popular gardening app in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, with nearly 200,000 registered users and over 100,000 planting plans created covering 300,000 garden beds
  • Get inspiration from planting plans from leading UK gardeners – including no dig’s Charles Dowding, urban gardener Alessandro Vitale (@_Spicy Moustache_), Amy Chapman (@inthecottagegarden), Tanya Anderson(@lovely.greens) and Becky Searle (@sow_much_more)
  • Ideal for large or small plots, urban, allotment, back garden, or balcony
  • Gives access to a crowd-sourced online plant library and eco growing advice from an in-built community
  • Fryd is ‘steward-owned’, purpose-driven business using advanced technology and crowdsourcing to make growing your own food easier and more enjoyable

 

Choosing what crops to grow, when to plant them and where in your veggie bed, is now easier thanks to a new app that uses the latest technology to help gardeners plan, sow, grow and harvest their plots.

Fryd, which means joy in Danish and Norwegian, was originally launched in 2019, is already the most popular gardening app in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and is now launching in the UK.

It features a bed planning tool, so users can create their own planting plan templates in just a few clicks. You can research what you want to grow via a unique, crowd-generated plant database, get advice and prompts on best sowing times for crops plus what companion plants to grow alongside – and even those to avoid.

The aim of Fryd is to make gardening accessible and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of their space or experience, and to take the guesswork out of veg growing. By joining the Fryd community of currently 200,000 fellow growers, you can connect, share experiences and enjoy learning from each other.

Fryd is now available to download in the UK on both iOS and Android platforms. You can choose to join for free, or for more enhanced features you can subscribe, or take out a lifetime membership.

   

Charles Dowding, Becky Searle (credit Paula Fearnly), Alessandro Vitale, Amy Chapman and Tanya Anderson

Fryd’s UK launch is being supported by a well-known crop of talented garden influencers who will all be sharing their own planting plans on the app:

  • Charles Dowding: “I like Fryd because it aligns well with my approach of minimal cultivation and rapid succession planting. It has the capacity to create plans for plots of any size, to grow vegetables through a whole year, and it’s an app that fits with no dig methods.“
  • Becky Searle (@sow_much_more): “The Fryd app is like having a personal gardening adviser in your pocket. It helps you plan and keep track of your garden, and gives you seasonal growing advice and inspiration.”
  • Alessandro Vitale (@_SpicyMoustache_): “I’ve been transforming a little 40-square-metre plot in London into a lush urban oasis while navigating the challenging world of gardening. At first, the torrent of advice from various online sources felt overwhelming like trying to sip water from a firehose. I switched from one gardening app to another, each providing only a portion of the knowledge I desired. Then, Fryd joined the scene, a digital companion that promises to transform your gardening journey from a battle against the elements into a harmonious dialogue with nature. Changing everything with its vast compilation of plant knowledge, timely sowing schedules, and innovative treatments for those ever-lurking pests and diseases. I suddenly had all of the answers I needed in my pocket.”
  • Amy Chapman (@inthecottagegarden): “I love using Fryd to plan my garden! I have tried other gardening apps in the past but none of them had the functionality Fryd does. I particularly love the community section as I get to see what everyone is up to in the garden each week, and you can even ask questions on there and the community will help answer them!”
  • Tanya Anderson (@lovely.greens): “The Fryd app is an all-in-one resource for GYO enthusiasts. You can connect with others, ask questions, and get regular reminders for seeds to sow and key gardening tasks. You can create a digital garden bed that’s the exact match of your real veg bed and add crops over the duration of a year, even including succession sowing.  And you can then share it with others, and as gardeners I think that’s going to really resonate.”

Innovative plant database and customised planting plans – Fryd’s plant database is created and refined by its user community. Plants are registered by users and verified by moderators, ensuring accurate and reliable information. Users can publish and share their own planting plans, fostering a collaborative and knowledge-sharing environment.

Tailored gardening experience for different climate zones – Fryd understands the complexities of different climate zones, tailoring the gardening experience to individual growing conditions. This feature ensures that gardeners receive personalised advice and suggestions, enhancing the success of their gardening endeavours.

Empowering urban and small-space gardeners – Fryd is particularly empowering for urban gardeners, providing solutions to transform even the smallest spaces into lush, green areas. The app promotes the idea that every garden is beautiful, encouraging gardeners to utilise whatever space they have.

A purpose-driven gardening companion – At its core, Fryd is a mission-driven platform, dedicated to promoting sustainable and eco-friendly gardening practices. The app’s purpose is rooted in empowering individuals to positively impact their environment, championing sustainability in every aspect of gardening.

“Fryd is so much more than just an app; we’re a movement towards a greener future,” says Florian, Founder of Fryd. “Our mission is to empower everyone to grow their own vegetables as gardening leads to a happier, healthier lifestyle, fosters sustainable consumption habits, and deepens appreciation for nature and food. We want to redefine gardening for a new generation as a vibrant social experience and one that is accessible to all.”

Joining the Fryd community is free or subscribe to Super Fryd (£9 p/month, £35 p/year or £130 lifetime subscription) which boasts lots of enhanced features. Garden planning, season overview, access to the library, recipes, podcasts and the Fryd community are all available free of charge for users. A Super Fryd subscription gives users access to a magic wand tool that creates a planting plan in seconds, multiple plans per account, the ability to copy and modify planting plan templates, succession planting suggestions, automatic reminders, and personal support, with crop rotation planning tools coming soon.

For more information about Fryd and its mission, visit https://www.fryd.app/en or follow on @fryd_app.

ENDS

Press Contact: Emma Mason, emma@emmamasonpr.co.uk 07762 117433

Florian Haßler Co-Founder Fryd GmbH +49 174 33 29 352 florian@fryd.app https://fryd.app

Charles Dowding

Charles Dowding’s new online course on how to grow the A-Z of ‘no dig’ veg

/ , , , , , /

 

Want to know the optimum time to sow runner beans, transplant cabbage and harvest your courgettes? Or when to water celery, how to banish carrot fly and why not digging your garden is more productive? Learning how to sow, grow, harvest and store the tastiest crops is made easy, one vegetable at a time, thanks to a new online course from no dig gardening pioneer Charles Dowding.

A world authority on no dig vegetable gardening, and a break-out grow-your-own social media star – his latest video on compost racked up 100,000 views in just five days – Somerset-based Charles spills the beans on his growing methods in his latest online course.

From the comfort of your own home, you can watch Charles explain in eleven exclusive videos the specific needs and qualities of 15 vegetables – from aubergine to cucumber – and how to ensure successful and tasty harvests, all using his tried and tested no dig gardening methods. His detailed tips are explained in easy-to-follow ‘lessons’, packed with 60,000 words and 880 illustrative photos, so even the most novice of gardeners can get growing.

This new course, called Online Course 3A Seed to Harvest, is the first in a two-parter that will eventually cover over 40 vegetables in total. Both courses have been designed to complement his existing best-selling courses on no dig gardening basics (Course 1) and growing success (Course 2). Thousands of gardeners across the world, from Australia to Chile, have downloaded Charles’s courses since they were launched in March 2019.

No dig vegetable gardening involves simply mulching soil with compost, rather than laboriously digging it. Charles’s no-frills methods resonate with beginner and experienced gardeners alike, with millions of views of his YouTube videos. He has over 700,000 followers on social media.

More details:

Online Course 3A – Seed to harvest, the first 18 vegetables from aubergine to cucumber – Charles Dowding’s best tips on each vegetable’s types and varieties, sowing methods, how to transplant, watering, ways of picking to maximise output and quality, storage, pest protection, clearing and what to plant next.

Each lesson concentrates on one vegetable, which he explains within the same outline structure. The aim is for you to understand each vegetable’s special needs and qualities, so that successful harvests are likely. There is only occasional reference to bed preparation and weeding. With the no dig gardening method, these are minimal jobs, and are the same for all vegetables. Lessons finish with a multiple-choice quiz to consolidate learning.

60000+ words, 880+ photos with explanatory captions, and 11 videos which are unique to this course, not available elsewhere.

Vegetables included – Aubergine; Beans – Broad; Beans – French, Runner, Soy; Beetroot;  Broccoli; Brussels; Cabbage; Carrot;  Cauliflower & Kohlrabi; Celery and Celeriac;  Chard & Leaf Beet; Chicory/Radicchio; Chinese Cabbage & Pak Choi;  Courgette/Zucchini; Cucumber, cordon and ridge

ENDS

For further information contact Emma Mason on emma@emmamasonpr.co.uk 07762 117433.

Charles Dowding has made no dig popular and is a world authority on the subject. His productive and weed-free garden illustrates the benefits simply of mulching soil to feed its microorganisms. They “turn on the tap” of making food and moisture available to our plants, as well as improving soil structure.

  • Drainage and aeration improve, in an easy and long-lasting way
  • The method is simple and requires less work
  • The result is fewer weeds and healthier, more resilient plants
  • Carbon is retained in the soil

Since 1982 he has created and cropped four no dig market gardens on different soils, from stone to silt to clay. In the 1980s he cropped 7.5 acres (3ha) of no dig beds. In the 1990s he farmed in France.

Currently he grows vegetables on 0.25 acres/1000 square metres in Somerset, SW England zone 8. He sells £20,000 of harvests locally, mainly salad leaves, and vegetables are served on courses at Homeacres.

There are two crops a year from beds which are cheap to establish and quick to maintain. Charles’ methods are easy to understand and work on small areas as well as large ones. No dig scales up and down easily.

He has written ten books and an annual calendar of sowing dates, runs a You Tube channel with 36.8 million views, writes for national gardening magazines, and gives talks and courses at home and abroad. He has created online courses in no dig gardening and on vegetable growing.

More information can be found at charlesdowding.co.uk

 

 

Charles Dowding’s No Dig Gardening – From Weeds to Vegetables Easily and Quickly

Charles Dowding’s No Dig Gardening – From Weeds to Vegetables Easily and Quickly

/ , , , , , , /

No Dig Gardening – From Weeds to Vegetables Easily and Quickly

Published end August 2020 – £22.50 – Hardback – 240 pages

Available to order via www.charlesdowding.co.uk Nationwide distribution

Organic pioneer Charles Dowding reveals how to create a successful ‘no dig’ garden, as well as the history of this time-saving and highly productive method of gardening, in his new book ‘Charles Dowding’s No Dig Gardening – From Weeds to Vegetables Easily and Quickly’.

Charles is a world authority on no dig vegetable gardening which involves simply mulching soil with compost, rather than laboriously digging it. With millions of views of his YouTube videos over lockdown alone, Charles’s no-frills methods resonate with novice and experienced gardeners alike.

In this highly detailed resource, which is based on the written content of his successful online course, Charles explains the concept of no dig vegetable gardening, the art of making good compost for your garden and the differences between soil and compost. He explores the history of no dig over the last 100 years, how it often challenges the gardening ‘norm’ and why only in recent years the method has become popular and valued.

Although the book is not a manual of vegetable growing, it has two chapters with detailed planting plans for small spaces based on what Charles has grown and how no dig helped to achieve these outcomes. He uses the results of growing trials at his Homeacres market garden in Somerset to show how no dig works, and questions the need, or not, to grow vegetables in a different place each year.

There is a chapter on site evaluation and planning your layout, and a section on clearing weeds by mulching, with all the associated details. Readers will also learn how to:

  • Use no dig on different soil types
  • Ask questions and recognise gardening myths, to save time and unnecessary effort
  • Create and look after beds and paths, with a whole section on paths and their value
  • Recognise and reduce different types of weeds
  • Understand and use different types of mulch or soil cover
  • Know the differences between soil, compost and various types of compost
  • Make their own compost
  • Grow an abundance of vegetables using the no dig method. There are growing plans for one bed and for a small garden, with photos and tables to illustrate the results.

The book has 19 chapters, 85,000 words and 900 photographs. Each ‘lesson’ is comprehensively illustrated with sequences of before, during and after photographs from Homeacres. Lessons finish with a multiple-choice quiz to consolidate learning. This is the ideal book for anyone wishing to learn and garden with the no dig method.

Charles Dowding’s Vegetable Garden 2021 Calendar

Monthly calendar A4 opening to A3 – £10 inc VAT 

Available nationwide in stores and via www.charlesdowding.co.uk

Illustrated calendar with photos from Charles’s garden and handy vegetable growing tips. Charles gives a vegetable growing summary for every month, plus his favourite sowing dates for each vegetable at their best times of year, based on decades of fine tuning. Use these dates to help you enjoy a regular supply of fresh produce through all four seasons.

Enjoy the seasonal beauty of his famous vegetable garden, as seen on You Tube and BBC TV Gardeners’ World, in magazines and newspapers. 32 pages printed on 200gsm Premium Gloss Paper, with 350gsm cover. Hole-punched, for hanging on a wall.

ENDS

For further information contact Emma Mason on emma@emmamasonpr.co.uk 07762 117433.

Charles Dowding has made no dig popular and is a world authority on the subject. His productive and weed-free garden illustrates the benefits simply of mulching soil to feed its microorganisms. They “turn on the tap” of making food and moisture available to our plants, as well as improving soil structure.

  • Drainage and aeration improve, in an easy and long-lasting way
  • The method is simple and requires less work
  • The result is fewer weeds and healthier, more resilient plants
  • Carbon is retained in the soil

Since 1982 he has created and cropped four no dig market gardens on different soils, from stone to silt to clay. In the 1980s he cropped 7.5 acres (3ha) of no dig beds. In the 1990s he farmed in France.

Currently he grows vegetables on 0.25 acres/1000 square metres in Somerset, SW England zone 8. He sells £20,000 of harvests locally, mainly salad leaves, and vegetables are served on courses at Homeacres.

There are two crops a year from beds which are cheap to establish and quick to maintain. Charles’s methods are easy to understand and work on small areas as well as large ones. No dig scales up and down easily.

He has written nine books and an annual calendar of sowing dates, runs a You Tube channel with 21 million views, writes for national gardening magazines, and gives talks and courses at home and abroad. He has created online courses in no dig gardening and on vegetable growing.

More information can be found at charlesdowding.co.uk

Twitter @charlesdowding 

Instagram charles_dowding

You Tube Charles Dowding

Facebook Charles Dowding No Dig Gardening