Back to Eden No Till Organic Gardening 101 Method with Mulch VS Leaves Composting Garden Soil #2

[@marionhenshaw7973]

Hi! California Zone 9b here. Last year I went wild, discovered I could learn from KZbin, and could be seen collecting cardboard to smother grass, loading up leaf piles next to sidewalk curbs into black bags & into the back of my van, begging friendly neighbors for their green waste. I learned about smothering the lawn with cardboard, woodchips and suddenly realized I could add some dirt (horse manure if I could get it) and start cover crop over the cardboard where the veggie beds would go. Turned my whole backyard into a giant garden. I got a lot of veggies for my first year, but I learned more about all the bugs that eat 'em. I found your videos last week and I'm absorbing them as fast as possible, this is amazing, I think it took around 10 of them before I realized you were saying don't add any amendments (manure, minerals--organic or otherwise) that it's all already there. What?!!! Why didn't they tell me before?!!! Grow the soil, get those fungi in, and keep the roots alive, and nature will do the rest. I'm finally gathering that the fungi naturally gets attracted to the plants through providing mulch/wood chips or leaves? I cannot wait for the next truckload of free wood chips. I see your challenge on the East Coast is cold winter, but over here in dry Mediterranean climate, where it barely freezes in winter, and a hot dry summer, the challenge is water, water, water. I guess that means mulch, mulch, mulch? Some issues: pesky tiny ants brought in aphids and there went my zucchini. Squash got my green beans, no green beans at all, but we're still eating the collards that I couldn't bear to chop down from my cover crop mix, it's become our salad supply. Also, I'm now understanding once that my previously dry, grassy soil heals and has those fungi/roots system working together, perhaps I won't have such problems with veggie-loving pests? Wish my kids wanted to eat greens like harlequin bugs. Praying mantis finally came along and helped. Still learning and counting on an even better job next year. I can't get enough of this info. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you, sir, for explaining all this to us wannabe farmers even though I live in the city. Our land needs to grow real food. Thank you, again.

[@williamharmon2158]

It just shows how wise god is in designing our wonderful home, the earth.

[@iamorganicgardening]

I fully agree with you.

[@BrianGay57]

I can vouch for this method. We have very heavy clay soils here. One year I decided to lay out some beds for ornamental plants along a fence. I used a trick I had learned to lay out the bed, cut out the edge and toss the soil (clay) into the bed area. Then you just cover the bed area, grass and all with several layers of newspapers, and top that with 4-6 inches of mulch. An easy, almost I instant bed. The plan was to come back and just move the mulch and paper back, then improve the individual hole and plant. Being a fairly lazy gardener, I didn't get back to the bed until close to a year later. When I pulled the mulch back to put a plant in, it was no longer heavy clay! It was a dark rich crumbly soil, teeming with earthworms and other life. I continued adding compost and mulch to the bed and planting in it, amazed at what my laziness had wrought. Several years later we lost the fence to a hurricane, and I hired a really good fence company to install the new one. They dug 4' deep holes for the posts (most only dig 2-3' deep). I was concerned that they weren't going to dig that deep when their gas auger broke down on the second hole and they had to switch to post hole diggers and do it all by hand. I went out to check and see if they were actually digging as deep as they said they were going to (and to apologize for the gumbo clay), and they were. When I mentioned the clay, they said "it's not that bad" and I looked into the holes, I was shocked! Simply laying heavy mulch down for a few years had improved the sticky, stinky, lifeless grey sludge into decent soil at least four feet deep! I've moved since then and need to start collecting leaves here and start improving this clay with heavy mulch.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, for watching and sharing...

[@bamanature5258]

I don't know much. I just started but it seems the more we mimic nature the better your soul and garden gets.

[@gregabrams5792]

Thank you for sharing! That is what I'm in the process of!

[@tomlandon209]

We cover raised beds with 4" of leaves in fall. In spring, there's not much of that left, but the soil is soft and full of worms, which create passageways for water and air. We use wood chips for perennials and paths. Our original soil 8 years ago was mostly compacted clay with a little sand and pebbles.

[@iamorganicgardening]

So GREAT to hear,, THANK YOU.

[@lovemila08]

Thank you for your comment. I will definitely be doing it your way. Leaves for the veggies garden and wood chips for the trees and pathways :) I’m starting my garden this spring. Preparing the soil now.

[@johnkulcsar5801]

Extremely interesting. Went to NO-TILL gardening in 2016 for my backyard garden (15x35ft) and was really surprised how well it did. I must confess that I've been adding 75+ bags of mulched leaves & pine needles to it every for the last 10 years. I also put cardboard down before re-mulching after planting to inhibit weed growth, maintain soil moisture and lessen soil temperature extremes. Thanks for your input.

[@iamorganicgardening]

That is great NEWS. Thanks fore sharing. I will always believe that the owner of the garden chooses the best way for their area. What is fantastic is you are using your free natural resources. THANK YOU...

[@ThahnG413]

How much has it changed your soil John?

[@mercedesbenzs600bash]

​@iamorganicgardening Free natural resources huh,im gonna have to try that method instead of buying all these costly fertilizers...

[@lewisnelken1966]

I love how we've come full circle with all the tilling and the dustbowl and other agricultural calamities all just to come back to the way things worked in the first place. Power to you for teaching the way!

[@iamorganicgardening]

I feel the same way you do. Nature is SMARTER then us. THANK YOU.

[@AiRTaCoS]

The leaves of the trees are for the healing of nations!

[@iamorganicgardening]

YES, get saying.. THANK YOU.

[@AiRTaCoS]

I AM ORGANIC GARDENING thats a verse from the book of revelations

[@ddt0889]

In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:2 You have taken a part of a verse completely out of context. It is obviously referring to the Tree of Life, not current terrestrial leaf mulch.

[@MrGuy-cp1gt]

@@ddt0889 and the wise one said , HOW DOES THOU READ? a man reads something by the spirit it is led by . One is a lieing spirit , and one is the HOLY SPIRIT .

[@zackscott8636]

do plants talk to bugs and fungi tell you they’re comfortable, dude?

[@SamuelDavidAdams]

I can't figure out if you are more like Baxter's world or Bill Nye the science guy but I truly appreciate your time and effort you have taken to teach me about gardening and why these methods work. Blind faith with planting is interesting but riddled with anxiety, but knowing the science is empowering. Thank you thank you thank you.

[@iamorganicgardening]

More of a frontier man Samuel Adams type... THANKS

[@blueskye991178]

I felt like I was in class again. I’m 60 and was sitting up straight listening. LOL. I knew adding wood chips and leaves would break up my hard pan but now I know how and don’t have to just hope it works. Thank you, thank you, thank. Great class. Now I’m headed outside to shovel more wood chips. !!!!!

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thank You.. Plus you also have to have a living rot in the ground also to feed the soil food weed. Paul does this by his trees and perennials. You can do this by using winter cover crops like winter rye planted every other square foot. Plant roots build and grow soil

[@petermenningen338]

It does work well, In a past life I had a plot in No.Ill. we needed more garden space for our Pumpkins and Squash and I had an area 40 X 40 in the center of a grass plot in the yard that was overgrazed by our Geese. It was hardpack clay over glacial till. Not even weeds would grow. I decided that this would be my test plot. Since there was no life at all I tilled it first to soften the surface and increase surface area, Then I added 4" of chicken house compost to replace nutrients and jump start it, This was in the fall so I added 6" of leaves/grass clippings to help with the carbon and nitrogen amounts. On top of that I added 6" of recently chipped wood mulch. I let this settle over the winter By spring outdoor planting time (Late May) the soil was filled with earthworms and pillbugs I did not disturb the surface after this I surrounded the plot with snow fence for the winter and for the garden (helped keep the free range chickens and geese off) Bumper crop first year vine crops tried to escape the garden second spring volunteers and mushrooms arrived another bumper crop including volunteer tomatoes from the compost. moved from property before third season. I still had escaping vines that set fruit so my rule was if it set fruit before I mowed the grass around the garden I let it be otherwise it would be trimmed by the mower Brutal but necessary. if I did not do this it would have self expanded to my entire front yard. Over the 20+ years I was on that property my regular gardens (50 X 60') soil height had risen over 9" with the addition of organic matter ( compost ,leaves, wood chips) Again it was an area that was waste land between buildings when started. I started that garden by conventional methods ( tilling but no weed suppression products) But incorporated the Organic matter from the start tilling in the fall to incorporate the previous season top dressed organics. Once my tiller died i went back to eden method (I did not know it at the time) I do have original Rodel books on organic farming from the 60's and I use those as my guide.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Peter Menningen I THANK YOU SO MUCH for writing and informing me. This is beautiful. I hope everyone gets to read this. Thank You for caring about the soil. Enjoy

[@dent247]

Peter Menningen I

[@douglochart1720]

Mark, Thank you so much for this easy to understand presentation which we will be watching this evening as a family. Please don't think you need to temper your excitement and enthusiasm while presenting these videos because those of us that are looking for the same thing feel it too ! Looking forward to more of your educational uploads.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Doug Lochart Thank You Doug, for those kind words. It means a lot. Enjoy

[@erlitacollison7253]

Me too

[@ncalimendo]

Thanks for this insight. There's so much mythology around soil fertility and "depleted soil minerals" and such. We are standing on the ground, full of minerals... Seems that feeding the microbiology and building humus is not so complicated (for us), and we can let a distressed soil remake itself by giving it a little help, nothing too expensive or rare at all. Less is More!

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Salty Very well said, THANK YOU. And everyone can grow Healthy food and have fun doing it.

[@ncalimendo]

yes!

[@przybyla420]

Most Westerners have very little concept of ecology. Will the little critters like a miniature forest and buffered humidity and temperature swings, or will they like a barren desert that is either too hot or too cold?

[@przybyla420]

Why is this relevant? Because topsoil is created (and maintained) mostly by the little critters!

[@maccliff2115]

You explained this far better than any other video on you tube. I very much enjoyed this and the visuals were so helpful. I live in north Texas with hard red clay soil. I’ve slowly been amending it with grass clippings and fall leaves 🍂.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Awesome, thank you!

[@0731mm]

Even though 8yrs ago. Spot on. The earth giveth the earth taketh . Watching the series now. Very interesting thank you

[@iamorganicgardening]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@DmnSpawn1]

Great info. I watch all my neighbors blow there leafs and put them in a can for the city to pick up and I just shake my head. I leave mine where they are and I have all sorts of random things growing in our yard now where the neighbors can't grow weeds. (We have incredibly heavy iron clay here.) Every year it gets better and better on its own and I don't do a thing.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+DmnSpawn1 THAT IS FANTASTIC. Thank you very much for sharing that with us.

[@tomlandon209]

I pay neighbor kids to bring me bags of leaves in fall. Then in summer I let 'em pick raspberries!

[@joanfernandez4072]

Tom Landon I am going to try this. I also have raspberry. I am going to fill my patch with leaves. Thanks for sharing your story.

[@Joanna-hw2ss]

I have a willow tree in my backyard that drops leaves like crazy! Covering my lawn I'm so tired cleaning up all that mess 😮‍💨 I guess I should use those leaves to get good soil.

[@grannygooch706]

I made leaf mulch and place it on top of my Hugo culture I made and a big hand full of composting worms so far so good , I'm in Texas surrounded by sand and gophers and moles. So that is why I did the Hugo. Thanks for the education on building soil. I did the Hugo because I had so much Dead wood on my property and I didn't want to burn it or go to waste. Knowledge is power.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for sharing your great garden technique.

[@SusanSmith-hl3iv]

I love that you explain the science of the no-till method. Your diagrams are very helpful. Thank you for another well-done and informative video.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thank you very much!

[@ColoradoKrone]

Wonderful. May God bless and keep you. You are providing the best teaching on the web. It is understandable to the layman, while providing the scientific evidence.

[@fredflintstone6163]

Nature knows best help her 🤔

[@brentonvalentine7198]

I never thought someone could make composting so interesting. The explanation behind this was next level intelligent. Thank you for sharing. Please keep up the good work.👍

[@mercedesbenzs600bash]

It really was,I'm a newbie so I was using all these different expensive fertilizers buy now I'm gonna just use leaves and wood chips with my soil and see what happens...

[@WarriorGnome]

I can say that it works--- HAD clay soil in Northern Illinois. Years of taking peoples bagged leaves in the fall and having a tree service drop off a dump truck load of rotting chipped limbs every Spring and I have soil that is amazing to grow in. I can crawl on my hands and knees and Soil is like a fluffy sponge!!!

[@iamorganicgardening]

This video is a start of many steps. The final key is a living plant root all the time in the soil. All 12 months Plants feed the soil microbes that loose the soil. The bacteria and fungi do that.

[@TheSeedsower107]

This is a superb demonstration Sir and great news for me as well ! I was able to get one load of fresh cut wood chips last year to get started but I'm having trouble getting anymore. Your leaves vs mulch method has shown me that I will be just fine in my no dig garden using my own leaves which I have plenty of . Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us new gardeners ! Your a blessing !

[@iamorganicgardening]

Very Glad to hear that this was helpful to you. My pleasure to share with a another kind gardener. THANK YOU.

[@hectorvasquez690]

The professor is in! This is the best explanation of how the relationship between fungi and bacteria work. Thank you so much!

[@AcornHillHomestead]

Thank you! Awesome demonstration and explanation. We are creating a very large garden on top of very sandy soil which we have wanted to do for decades. We decided to use leaves and wood chips because our new home has an abundance of them and I know what is in my soil and plants. Its also very economical. Tree trimmers will usually drop them off to you for free if gardeners do not have enough material on their land. We also use compost because being vegetarian we have so much of it. Thanks so much for all of your time on this!! I love knowing the science behind the information. Much appreciated.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for watching and you kind words. There is more to this. Please watch the other parts, you only watch part two..Again if you have any questions PLEASE ask..

[@KaquolMeliReno]

You did well! I understood what you said, I’m looking forward to moving and getting my new homes earth done as you suggested!

[@hezra3957]

Thank you. I am so encouraged by this! I love starting gardens but know so little about how to garden successfully. I'm going to binge watch your videos!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, for watching and your kind words too.

[@raydevinejr2017]

I used leaves for about 4 years now . I just keep adding more as they compost. All the rest of the leaves I put in a pile and use some in my compost and the rest compost on their own then next year I add them to the garden. I am glad you made this video so I now understand how it works.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU so very much for sharing this.

[@thereseboogades8498]

Great teaching video! Your thoughtful preparation, testing, diagrams etc. really drive these lessons home! I just found your channel today and am thoroughly enjoying your content & engaging personality. Of course I subscribed. ;-) I also teach, utilizing my property for field study with environmental engineering students, eager gardeners & young learners too. Easy to see you enjoy each aspect; you are contributing to so many people - thus, our environment benefits greatly. Thank you so much for your dedication. From a new fan in Virginia Beach, VA.

[@adaredmond]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Now I understand thoroughly the power of wood chips and leaves.🙏🏻

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thank You so very much.

[@mrkfldsnd]

Mark! That was the best explanation I have seen to date and I've been watching a lot of videos about building and improving soil. I'm learning myself and hope to be able to acquire a piece of land to start a food forest from scratch. Thank you for this amazing video, it was the first of your videos I have seen and I subscribed already. Going to check your other videos now 😉

[@iamorganicgardening]

Great to hear! And THANK YOU for the sub. Always here to help.

[@jamievega4160]

It's always encouraging to see someone getting so excited about soil structure and the soil food web, but when farmers implement it, it's beyond refreshing!

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Jamie Vega THANK YOU. I call it the big game changer. Farmers can use a lot less costly inputs and be much safer for our planet. Restore soil health by taking the CO2 from the air and putting it back in the ground. Grow healthy food to help everyone stay healthy... Enjoy

[@kathrenlittle]

Wow! You put a lot of work into this video. I throughly enjoyed it. I subbed and laughed at your screwdriver pointer😂

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Kat Lofton Thanks, I will have to try to use it again in the next video. Let's see if someone else points it out... I am here to make life a little happier..Enjoy

[@ashcash111296]

Thank you in advance for your help. The beds have not been worked since the summer of 2015. I filled the raised beds with 50/50 garden soil and organic compost, originally when constructed in 2013. I have added my own compost made from grass clippings, coffee grounds, chicken manure, and chopped up stalks and leaves of vegetables. Last summer due to health issues, I was unable to plant/work my beds. Now, in the past year they are filled with weeds. I live near Houston, Tx. Earlier this summer, we had a long session of flooding rains from May through almost the end of June followed by very hot humid weather. We have just begun experiencing temperatures in the 50s and 60s in the last 1 1/2 weeks. I am committed to organic gardening only. The weeds have taken over the soil in the garden beds. I have never used cover crops in the past, but I will in the future. What would you suggest--I live 20 miles south of Houston, TX?

[@HumbleLittleHomestead]

You did an amazing job explaining this! I'm so excited because I put a bunch of leaves on my garden. It was a lot of work to get them. The town we live near will pick up bags of leaves for free one day in the fall. So the weekend before that day, when every one had put their bags of leaves out at the curb for collection, my kids and I ran to town with a stock trailer and stuffed as many bags as I could into it. Also a few weeks prior to that I posted on a local buy sell trade page that I was looking for leaves. A lot of people raked, bagged, and saved their leaves for me. When I went to town i had people asking me if I was the one wanting leaves and they would tell me they had some I could pick up. The kids were so embarrassed and were saying I was becoming known as the crazy leaf lady around town. Lol. Any how, I collected over 400 bags of leaves altogether. Wishing I could have gotten more because they've broken down quickly so I don't have a very thick layer in spots. I will probably hay or straw in those spots to prevent weeds for this year and then plan to collect even more leaves this fall.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THAT IS SO GREAT TO HEAR.. Your garden will love it.. And THANK YOU so very much for sharing your story with me. I am sure in the future that other people will be doing that same thing and saying how great it is.. And your kids will be proud of the fact you were the first to start it in your area... P. S. That is a lot of leaf bags .. MANY BLESSING.

[@zackscott8636]

careful, hay has weed seed

[@davidfishell4998]

This is the first video of yours I have watched. Your garden location, time of year, usda zone, and a soil temperature, PH, and moisture tests on a conventially farmed plot as well.

[@iamorganicgardening]

My farm and Garden is in NJ. Zone 6 B,

[@patticooper8703]

I love your enthusiasm!

[@JamesGreen-hd4ux]

Fantastic

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thank you so much 😀

[@onedazinn998]

You did a great job explaining the science! Never really understood it before but now I do. Thanks :)

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU. I had a lot of very smart people teaching me...

[@cheyennehummingbird676]

Back when I was in high school I took a horticulture class and I was given the same break down of 25%x25% water air and then the 50% soil. Over the past 40 years that visual break down has kept me on task as to the need of my garden. You have done a great job with this diagram and I bet it will keep, many who watch this, on task as well. Thank you so much.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Cheyenne Hummingbird THANK YOU, for taking the time out of your day to write me this. I think it is fantastic the when we are in the garden that we are walking on just 50% real soil...Truly Amazing.

[@kazzana9013]

Brilliant garden lesson, thank you for taking the time to demonstrate.

[@iamorganicgardening]

My Pleasure, there is lot more to it than that, But it is the first step. THANK YOU.

[@kazzana9013]

We have to pay for wood chip in New Zealand, as it is in high demand. The leaves I have to rake up myself from a local park. I do all those things, plus culture lacto bacillus that you said you don't do, lol. It also helps keep things tidy, and recycles.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Question: I use a lot of New Zealand white cover in on my farm as a green living much.. Do you use it also or do you do something else with it? THANK YOU.

[@kazzana9013]

I used to use green cover crops, including white clover, now as I am getting older, hence, lazier, I tend to use straw mulch, at the moment I have pea straw covering all my gardens. The autumn leaves are just starting to fall now, so I will soon have a supply, which I will just throw on top. I also use cardboard under mulch. I haven't tilled a garden for more years than I can remember. About the time when permaculture first came out. But I do use tons of compost, as I take all the vegetative matter I can from the neighbors. My soil has a ton of organic material now; you actually can see life jumping, when you pick up a handful. Starting to see signs or more fungus activity, but suspect not enough, and am trying to add more leaves and wood material.

[@kazzana9013]

OH, one of my favorite cover crops, I used in the past was lupins. I just find it less work now to use wood chip and leaves when available and straw otherwise.

[@mrstn123]

I love this!! This explains why BTE says not to till. I also use leaves, straw, and wood chips. I also use Goat poo. But, you really explain why and how it works!! Thank you so much!!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, for watching too..

[@whatsthedealoneill1]

You are living my dream. I would love to have an organic farm one day. Thanks for all the knowledge. I have been trying to add stropharia rugoso to my wood chips this year.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Brian THANK YOU, for your kind thoughts..

[@gogotrololo]

I've never been more excited about what's happening in soil, this is incredible!

[@iamorganicgardening]

WOW.... THANK YOU.

[@gogotrololo]

@@iamorganicgardening I'm actually watching your videos pretty hard since finding your channel. I'm moving into my first house here in January and it comes with an acre of land that I plan to cultivate.... And your info on soil is being super educational / giving a lot of extra confidence in the plan to do no dig :)

[@janiceb4679]

So educational! I've believed soil needs tilling for aeration, though I understand it makes nematodes and mycorraziah go away. Because of your clear explanation, and extensive research and experience, I now understand. Nature is always best left to its own devices. Though we endlessly try to duplicate, we fail to replicate its beauty and perfection.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Janice B . Thank You for your kind words. I guess we were always told when we little that we are better then nature. Look at all the things we could buy in the store shelf's that can fix all our problems in gardening and farming...I spend no $ on products except to buy seed to grow. Thanks for watching

[@sazji]

Duncan Crow I recently moved into a new place and didn’t have much time to prepare beds before winter set in (in Seattle). The area was lawn that had been fairly well maintained and the soil wasn’t too compacted. I was considering no-till but a landscaper-horticulturist friend of mine suggested that I try “one-till” instead. So I got out there with a hydraulic rototiller, which made a very roughed up surface. The result is that just spreading the chips did mix things together a bit, though I didn’t go digging them in per se. I also added a thin layer of chicken manure to offset possible nitrogen loss at the transition zone. It’s been about a month and a half with lots of rain, and the fungus is growing visibly at the lower levels of the chips, which also contain a good share of green matter. Its the first time I'm trying this method (both perennial and vegetable gardening) so however it pans out, it should be educational. I’m considering adding coffee grounds to the surface and letting the rain carry those down as well. We’re a city of coffee addicts, so gotta use those. :-)

[@FrankEdavidson]

Tilling kills the soil if done repeatedly and you risk creating a pan.. Let worms and roots do the aeration.

[@MultiTlp]

really great vid!! I think i sort of understand now why our garden is so amazing after switching to Back to Eden! One thing I'd like to point out with BTE is ideally, you use 90% needles/leaves for your BTE garden. So, it's like the best of both worlds with what you're describing. Paul (the author of BTE) says use anything organic you can get your hands on, but IDEALLY use 90% needles/leaves to wood. That's what we did, and man, does it work!! God bless!!

[@iamorganicgardening]

+kathe garden God Bless you. Thanks for cleaning the air we breath and keeping the soil alive to clean our water. Thanks Kindly.

[@janienewatson4925]

So you just cover the soil with leaves and pine needles and very little wood chips?

[@iamorganicgardening]

Hello, some fields are leaves/pine needles only. And other fields are just wood chips. I have 5 fields that range fro 2-3 acres each.

[@tmdavidson1478]

I am just learning about this method. Your video was very edifying--thanks!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU that is very kind..

[@tmdavidson1478]

👍

[@bayoutown1990]

this is AMAZING! thank you very much! i will be sharing this with my viewers. I used to work with the USDA in my state. I wish every farmer could learn this and believe it!

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Ron Schadl THANK YOU, SO VERY MUCH...I just use three things on my farm. Cover crops,fall leaves & wood chips and no till. Nothing else. The USDA is great, Thank you for working for them.

[@bayoutown1990]

You are doing a great thing for homesteaders! I have already shared your video through my own network. It's going out right now to USDA offices all over the place. I had my husband watch your video as well and you just made us MORE excited about what we believe God has been telling us all along. We discovered mulching through the USDA many years ago and have been using leaves all these years, but I already see a considerable difference using wood chips in one year. We had the gift of a large load of free chips from power line maintenance about 2 months ago. We are adding them on top of all our gardens which have leaves. I can't wait to see the results! I am also making videos of what I used to teach for the USDA districts in my community. My videos will be used in classrooms. You can be sure, I will be adding on this teaching you've made, by sharing your video. Excellent! You can see our channel and Facebook page at: Facebook.com/bayoutown. You'll find us on KZbin at Bayou Town Productions. We've just started making videos at Christmas time. You can also see us at www.bayoutown.com.

[@bayoutown1990]

My name is Cherie! 😃

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thanks I will..From Organic farmer Mark

[@NubianQueentv]

Thank you, that was fascinating and very educational.

[@Traveler1226]

This was a great video. It shows that using even the most basic ingredients that nature has to offer is much easier and sustainable than many of us ever thought. I have a combination of raised beds and have started planting a "food forest" of sorts. I do compost. But 80%-90% of my compost is fallen oak leaves and rotting oak limbs. The white fungus grows throughout and even on top of the ground under my oak trees. And as you say, once this microbial life is in the garden it will keep regenerating as you feed it with leaves and/ or other organic material. And all this is free.

[@GardeningWithPuppies]

I'm so glad you did this video. I've been using the BTE method for three years in Florida. It turned my beach sand into a black loamy soil. I now live in the North Georgia Mountains where there is nothing but hard orange clay and rock. I've already begun incorporating the BTE but it is going much slower than when I was working with sand. I am trying to find out if I can get someone to start dumping chips here.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Gardening With Puppies Thanks. I watch your videos of BTE in FL. Just a thought can you get some short old logs from the woods and put them in garden. It will speed up your chips to decay and start feeding the soil with all the fungus from the old wood. Hope this is helpful.

[@GardeningWithPuppies]

+I AM NJ ORGANIC Also should have mentioned that I am originally from Jersey. Anyway, I have been sort of doing that. We are in a valley so all the water from the mountain washes down to us. Plus, this area is a temperate rain forest. Number one problem is too much water. So, I've been building the level of my veggie garden up by adding limbs, along with the chips, hay, manure. I have found by adding manure the chips break down quicker. Once it decomposes, no need for supplements. I'm also creating a garden area up near our cabin on top of the gravel where we were parking our cars. I'm going to fill it up with woodchips and add soil where I put in the plants for the first couple years while the chips are breakiing down. I have done this before with success. I've got lots of challenges here but I'm very excited and looking forward to the spring growing season.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Gardening With Puppies It will be great to watch on your channel what you are planning on doing... Thanks Again. Do you miss paying NJ high real estate taxes..lol

[@GardeningWithPuppies]

+I AM NJ ORGANIC Not one bit, but I do miss those Jersey Tomatoes.

[@iamorganicgardening]

That is amazing you say that.. Ever where I go in the USA they always say the same thing. NJ got the best tomatoes... Thanks

[@GinaSiska]

Wow! I just found your channel and subscribed!!! You’re a great teacher...I knew the back to Eden worked and now you’ve explained it in detail and I get it now...thank you!!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU very much for the sub. I am just a farm that enjoys sharing.

[@amykinnell2837]

Great explanation of why this method works. I haven't figured out how to get the city to pay me to take their leaves, but I drive around my town and collect about 150 bags of leaves each fall and spread them on my city garden (80x20). I let my chickens run the garden all winter so they break down the leaves and spread them all over the place. They enjoy all the extra worms & microbial life and it's free food for them. Plus their manure helps break down the leaves. This has been an easier, free cover for me than woodchips plus it keeps all those bags of leaves out of the landfills.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Amy Kinnell WOW.. THANK IS AMAZING, good for you and your hard work. Love the chicken Ideal. It would be just fun to watch. THANKS FOR SHARING... This shows that everyone that to use what is available in their area and be creative. Again, THANK YOU.

[@MyChilepepper]

Lol I thought my neighbor has been the only one doing that trick all this while. She has the best garden in the neighborhood. No kidding.

[@cassityart7001]

What an awesome example of the Back To Eden method! Thanks. I love to see how science via your gage measurements proves that. I have been growing BTE gardens for the past three years and plants that I've been told "don't grow here". We live in South East TN where there are all seasons except winter where hard freeze lasts only a few days. I will never go back to traditional mid century gardening again. I am going to direct folks to your channel by passing along your videos. Keep up the good work! Blessings. ACass.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Cassity ART THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. I will always enjoy hearing about how well the BTE method works. IT really is so easy..Thanks for watching and sharing. Blessings. What was your soil first like? And what is it like know in 3 years?

[@sammiedog4]

great greatly teacher, damn wish I had you in the 7th grade would have made my 8th grade. fabulous. I am subscribed

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU...

[@svetlanikolova7673]

Welcome to the jungle. A whole new world opened up for me when. I started researching natural farming. Thank you for this video

[@iamorganicgardening]

Nature is never wrong. Thanks for writing.

[@svetlanikolova7673]

@@iamorganicgardening No problem

[@wadenicholls1859]

this video has the most amazing likes to dislikes ratio i have ever seen. awesome mate well done

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for informing me of this..Very Grateful.

[@joanfernandez4072]

This is what l needed , the video has made it clear to me. Now l know what my SOIL REALLY NEEDS. .... THANK YOU.

[@iamorganicgardening]

And THANK YOU ...

[@BigDave1125]

good info, i plan to combine this with huglekulture, im working on a hugle bed with tons of fungus covered wet rotted logs buried under the soil, covered with compost and leaves and chips, then a green mulch to fix nitrogen and keep living roots in the soil

[@iamorganicgardening]

Perfect.. That will work very well over time. THANKS.

[@kgs2127]

Davey Face We are going to try the same at my Daughter‘s new home/property this year (purchased late Aug 2016) as there is an abundance of 1/2- 3/4 rotted wood (in piles & rows) in the sunniest & "flatest" spots of her mostly wooded & fairly hilly property (mature trees are predominantly white oak & white pine w/a few maples, aspen & ?, the understory is predominantly sassafras, witch hazzel, young silver maple groups, & ?, w/various bramble type berries and wild grapes). There is a alot of moss and many types of fungus on the property along with piles of old leaves & pine needles so Huglekulture seems to be her best (least expensive & time consuming) option for a garden this year (otherwise she'd have to get an area of forest cut & dozed!) Glad I've been studying these methods of growing (eden, huglekulture,straw bale etc) for the last couple years! This series of videos will be perfect to bring my Daughter up to speed on this method of growing so THANK YOU I am organic for the content!!!!

[@s.c7639]

Well explained. I spent hours earlier today mulching bags and bags of leaves i collected from neighbors. Achy but having seen this, i am one happy gardener.🤠

[@pinalo2009]

amazing. Thank you for the presentation. Now we know!!!

[@iamorganicgardening]

+pinalo2009 THANK YOU for watching and writing. There is more in part 3 coming soon. Thanks

[@matthewleewillis]

This is one of the most incredible videos I have ever seen. So we'll explained!!! Thank you

[@iamorganicgardening]

Wow, thank you!

[@patisol6]

Hi, I really liked this video,very interesting info. Thank you!!!

[@wmo1234]

Fantastic research and knowledge. I'm putting this to work. Fungi rule!

[@prayerangel1]

EXCELLENT VID!!!!!! Best I've seen in a long time. I'm saving and sharing. Thank you in a huge way!!!!

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Mountain Woman Thank You for your kind words. I am trying my best..Enjoy

[@carolberryhill4504]

@@iamorganicgardening l would to learn how to plant and grow a garden,also when to plant & what to plant.

[@carolberryhill4504]

@@iamorganicgardening short cuts

[@Ceodayone]

I took all the leaves last year and composted them. I did add some food scrapes. And I do like a rough compost. I don’t screen it or let it break down totally. And I’m having the best growth ever . Leaves are real magic. It’s super loose. Easy to work in. All my seeds popped up within a day or two . I’m in NYC suburbs . I haven’t tried wood chips. But if you have abundance of leaves in the fall . Let that compost over winter. Mulch it up real good and keep it wet . Also the compost from leaves retains moisture very well. I dig down a couple inches and it’s always wet

[@bonniehoke-scedrov4906]

Can I add coffee grounds on top of the wood chips to increase the fertility of my soil, or would that be detrimental? Curious about your stand on adding amendments such as coffee grounds from Starbucks. Thanks!

[@iamorganicgardening]

YES, they are great to use. I do it all the time. But the trick is to rake them in about 1 each deep. Other wise they will dry out and become very hard and will no decompose well. THANKS for asking

[@bulankatorse]

I enjoyed your video. So educational and you really put a lot of effort in making this video for people like me who tries hard in making my crop soil better but failed. Thanks a lot!

[@iamorganicgardening]

And THANK YOU for watching....

[@sikamikan]

Great content in this video. just subscribed. thanks for sharing!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for your kind words and the sub...Enjoy

[@thaddousguidry3468]

I Thought that this teaching was very great! Very informative. And I love the name "back2eden". Please keep posting.👍

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thank you! Will do!

[@gilbertslalaland4986]

Thank you for this amazing recipe for good soil , I’m definitely giving this a try with wood chips . And I’m no longer getting rid of raked up leaves 👌🏼

[@iamorganicgardening]

So glad to hear .. You will love your fall leaves. THANKS

[@flowergirl3438]

Great explanation on how everything works together to make healthy soil. Thank you and God Bless you and your family.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, that is very kind of you. And much blessing to all of your loved ones.

[@GardensGuitars]

Great video, I love your channel! I think the weight of the evidence is in favor of the Back to Eden method, as it replicates fungal dominated composting in-situ. I am getting an acre or two soon and will be conducting experiments on this topic! Keep up the great work, your videos are awesome!

[@iamorganicgardening]

Please keep me informed if you wish on your experiments.. THANK YOU for watching..

[@jeffelkins426]

I love this! I have been doing BTE garden for about a year and a half now. I love watching my sandy soil come to life before my eyes.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Jeff Elkins THANKS, I am very happy for you that BTE is working very well for you. THANKS for sharing.

[@DonnaRatliff1]

Just look under a pile of leaves that you continue to keep piling up more leaves there every year. You'll see how nice the soil is. It's full of worms too. So this all makes complete sense. In fact I have a dumping place right outside my kitchen door. I had been dumping my boiled chicken broth water on those leaves almost daily because my dogs eat boiled chicken every day, plus I throw out veggie scraps, all sorts of organic matter and what do you know? My old Celery started growing up through there and extremely healthy under the leaves all winter. Wow I couldn't believe in 8 degree nights that it was growing and not freezing. It was then I realized I was on to something. That's when I started searching the back to Eden method. I'm working on getting a huge garden area ready for spring 2019. It's hard to wait that long but I want it done right. So guess I'll be tilling this year for a small garden but next year it should be fantastic! Thanks for your video. Explains it GREAT.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for sharing your fantastic garden story.

[@MrSteelermania]

How did your garden work out this year??

[@rebeccajohnson1368]

Your dog is lucky

[@j-deezy321]

Great video it's that simple just replicate what nature demonstrates

[@iamorganicgardening]

Nature never wants to fail or needs help like you stated so well. ... THANK YOU

[@johnny0253]

if u don't have woodchips or leaves can you use cardboard boxes??

[@iamorganicgardening]

YES, I am doing a garden series on that. Just click on this link : kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaKWamCjbZqIlcU . THANK YOU for watching and your question.

[@margotbecker9446]

Gorgeous video! So clear and fabulous enthusiasm. I'm a new gardening, building my compacted clay soil with cardboard, compost, leaves, and wood chips! It is so exciting! Thanks for this video!

[@iamorganicgardening]

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing/

[@missdavid8976]

Wow... great vid. Everything you spoke about makes a lot of sense. Thank you... I will be researching for more info on no till gardening, and continue to check out more of your content!

[@iamorganicgardening]

Wonderful! If any question in your search just ask away. Always here to help and share. Enjoy

[@missdavid8976]

@@iamorganicgardening Thank you... 😊 I definitely will stay in touch! Have a great day!

[@memberson]

Good job I have been putting Wood Chips and leaves on my garden. For 4 years Now It's better than before And Have more worms and mushrooms but I can be better.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+MORNING GARDENER'S SHOW. THANK YOU..You have a great channel. I hope to point out a few bad thing also..BUT they can be fix..THANKS

[@williamharmon2158]

I shared your video with 2 of my friends and am quite impressed by it thank you

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thanks for sharing! Very Kind of you.

[@seedaholicgardens9085]

It' is nice to learn the actual terminology in such an approachable manner, Thank you.

[@iamorganicgardening]

I just hope take I say the words correctly.. Thanks

[@kayleenwest]

This is so well explained thank you! I’m visual so your demonstration was very easy to understand. A great argument for more mulching and valuing what falls from our trees.

[@lesliebeaumont9512]

Very helpful, even for us here in England...you explained the science behind leaf mould and chips and the whys and wherefores of this method. Thanks!!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU so very much... I ask why in everything I do in my garden and farm and enjoy sharing this...

[@robx9843]

Mark, Your wisdom is exactly what I've been looking for. I'm a middle school science teacher here in NJ and segments of your easy to understand videos have made their way into my lessons about soil management, weathering, and erosion. My students are amazed at the beautiful complexity of soil. I wish you much success and keep up the great work!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. It is a amazing world in our soil...

[@iamorganicgardening]

Hello, maybe you can help me with this question? How do you explain the difference between compost and soil..? Thank You in advance.

[@robx9843]

I tell students that compost is strictly organic matter which is decomposed by microbes (fungi, bacteria, protozoa) and small animals (worms, arthropods). We also briefly discuss the difference between aerobic and anaerobic decomposition, and C-N ratios. I describe soil as a bigger picture made up of all of the organisms within the soil food web, the decomposed organic material, as well as the inorganic material (minerals, water, air) within the ground. We discuss the difference between soil and dirt, and how dirt can be transformed into soil (using your methods as one example!). How am I doing? Any suggestions? Btw... My 7th graders are currently working on the research topic: Till vs No-Till agriculture. Each student is researching the pro/cons of each method and will ultimately be writing a persuasive essay once they decide on the best practice.

[@robx9843]

Sorry Mark, I have to ask... My students want to know why we never see your face. :)

[@iamorganicgardening]

It is not a happy answer but please explain to them. I lost my beautiful wife to cancer at a very young age. My boys where 6 & 4 at the time. I moved here and bought a farm. My passion is to find the real truth about soil health relating to food. I do not show my face, because it is amazing how many people watch KZbin and when I am out with my youngest son in public he is very shy due to he is AUTISTIC and does not speak. I love to talk about gardening , but a lot of people come up to me and it starts to scare my son. And i do not what to hurt their feelings but most time i have to leave because my son gets scare of to much noise.

[@juneshannon5941]

Wonderful video. First time I've understood the workings towards good soil. Thank you. 🇦🇺

[@iamorganicgardening]

Here to help.. Any question do not hesitate to ask. THANK YOU for watching.

[@kuzmicheff]

Thank you for a great explanation! The diagrams next to soil specimens and props were very helpful.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Glad it was helpful!

[@carmenortiz5294]

This a great experiment that I will be following. I 'farm' in my 1/3 acre backyard, one side (unfortunately the south) so I get a lot of shade. I have twelve 100 year old trees, mostly oaks with 2 pines and one (yes!) maple, so I get a lot of branches dropping and tons of leaves. I've been leaving most where they fall and just started last year to add chips and leaves in my actual garden beds (in the only area with more sunshine). I'm into permaculture so I have planted just about every fruit tree and fruiting shrubs and vines that will grow in Minnesota, as well as a lot of other perennials, including wild edibles. BUT I still have a lot to learn. I also capture water. Nice site.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Carmen Ortiz Thank You so very much for watching and writing. We both will learn from each other. Please feel free to ask any question.

[@carmenortiz5294]

Thanks, I will.

[@Redhackle]

Thank you for educating me to be a better gardener.

[@iamorganicgardening]

It is my pleasure to share and help you grow great food. THANK YOU kindly

[@kendi425]

Thank you for the explaining, you are a really good teacher!

[@iamorganicgardening]

Glad it was helpful! THANK YOU.

[@janicejurgensen2122]

Your best is awesome! Love the visuals too. Thank you.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Wow, thank you!

[@6868faheem]

Sir very well explained, especially role of fungus..... thanks. Enjoying the series.. you make it simple and that is the best way to understand.

[@iamorganicgardening]

You are most welcome. and THANK YOU.

[@darrellhale3657]

I've watched about a dozen of your video's. You put a LOT of hard work and effort into sharing your knowledge. I appreciate it so much. I'm going to put all of your knowledge to work. Starting now (before Christmas) to spread some straw over an area that has never been a garden before. Then this spring I"m hoping for the best and with confidence I know the next year will be even better. THANK YOU

[@iamorganicgardening]

Glad to hear ,THANK YOU for watching all the time

[@josephrodrick6451]

One of thee Best learning experiences I've had yet on KZbin to date . . . Learned so much Thank You Sorry they don't have means for giving two thumbs up here on KZbin, because you deserve it in my book anyways

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU..very kind of you to say.

[@tomhill1713]

Great video Mark. All your videos are great. This one hit it out of the park.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Wow, THANK YOU.

[@drumcrazy72]

Nice job mate. Your enthusiasm is wonderful.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thanks a ton!. Enjoy your weekend.

[@paulfletcher1924]

Powerful video. I have been doing this for two years. I have seen this happen first hand.

[@iamorganicgardening]

+Paul FLetcher THANK YOU. SIR. It is truly easy and amazing. Enjoy

[@TrueCanoe]

excellent video, thank you for the in depth and sincere lesson. Your teaching style matches my learning style.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Here to help always. THANK YOU.

[@kathryngagne5813]

Thank you, Thank you! You did a great job explaining so I could understand.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for watching..greatly appreciated.

[@islandgardener158]

Horse manure works well too. Worms love it and will rise up from the depths to feed on it. Plenty of fungal activity if the manure is at least 4” thick. I cover this lightly with soil then sea weed and top up with leaves. Unfortunately this year our maple trees got a mildew on their leaves and we used arbutus instead, hopefully it works just as well. Just finished that project about 3 days ago, worms and fungus have plenty to feed on all winter. I have raised beds, live on a rock.

[@iamorganicgardening]

If you can add a living root to you beds over you cool season or winter it will grow a amazing fungi called mycorrhizal fungi. This fungi grows inside a living root as a host. Mycorrhizal fungi grows and builds soil and keeps plants healthy by increase the roots by 200%. Please google this or see other video I made about it. Thanks

[@bosquebear1]

incredible! I'm going to have to see it again to make sure i absorbe it.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Nature is Awesome. It works to helps us.

[@surferdude-ll2qu]

This is great information especially the visuals they've helped me understand how healthy soil works making it easy for me to build it. 👍🏻💪🏽🌱

[@iamorganicgardening]

Great to hear. Enjoy.