I'm starting to think that Charles Dowding and his no dig grift is a sort of cult. Not that I disagree with not digging ... I know that minimal intervention with soil structure is better for growing plants ... but sorry perennial weeds exists on most allotments.
He says with a smile that 6 inches of organic matter will smother perennial weeds ... firstly over a whole traditional allotment that is a HUGE task ... and if you but the compost/manure in it would cost you around £1000 ... secondly ... does it work? Nope ... they just grow up.
I'm not doubting that adding a few inches of organic matter every year would improve my soil and its capacity to grow more. But at some point you have to ask what it's costing you. You can never hope to make enough compost in a compost heap to cover your beds like he suggests.
With a compost heap the average allotment creates enough compost to cover about 2-3 beds out of 20 a year to the depth of 1-2 inches he suggests. It's a cult designed to sell books and get clicks on YouTube.
You have to remember while he's wobbling his head about grinning and telling you smugly why not digging is the best method and how he can sell you a composting workshop retreat at his digs is that he gardens in a huge site that he controls. Weed seeds rarely blow in to his beds.
But on the average allotment ... your absent neighbour may have a bed of nettles you cannot control which seed and blow across your site each and every summer. Just as you might border a farmers field like I do who sprays glyphosate when it's too windy and kills your raspberries
When I complain of my gardening woes someone will pipe up "have you tried no-dig?" as if it's some massive revelation and panacea only they know ... like the stupid and possibly illegal sign outside the health food shop in Sidmouth claiming turmeric can cure cancer.
@squeezyjohn I hear you! I spent a couple of hours today digging out bindweed and ground elder. At least the chickens like to eat it. I'm also limited by our "no composting at the allotments" rule. I worked out how to fix 2 trugs to my pushbike to carry it, but I bet CD does it by machine.