Charles Dowding (born 1959)[1] is an English horticulturalist and author who has pioneered modern no dig and organic soil management in the UK since 1983.
[9] At Homeacres, in Alhampton near Castle Cary, Dowding now lectures and runs courses on no dig gardening methods, writing for assorted newspapers and the BBC.
He proposes that if the soil is left unmolested, the community of biodiverse microbes, insects, invertebrates and important fine fungi can thrive.
Fungal proteins, such as glomalin from arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, are left intact to spread and thrive, benefiting the soil, and leading to a reduction in erosion.
[15][16] Traditional garden methods suggest that soil should be dug over each autumn in order to aerate it, aid drainage and add growth improvers like manure.