Back to Eden Organic Gardening 101 Method with Wood Chips VS Leaves Composting Garden Series # 8

[@cherrydowns7745]

I'm 79 years old and for five years I have been building a no work garden. I use a combination of logs on bottom then a lasagna of hay, fresh cut grass, leaves and wood chip mulch. I discovered leaves under wood chips works wonderfully. The year I tried it in a part of my garden I had okra and tomatillos 7 feet tall and very productive. I knew as I aged I would be less able to do the hard work of making a garden so now I'm at the point I can relax after two more loads of free wood chips from the city. Now, thanks to your very informative videos, I'm going to start cutting down weeds instead of pulling them up. And I've just planted some potatoes in a bunch of leaves. Thank you for all this useful information. It is very much appreciated! May God bless you and your family.

[@DespiteMyself7]

I realize this comment was left 5yrs ago, but thank you for confirming my suspicion! I am now planning on building my beds with leaves (hard to get) top dressed with chips (I have an abundance). The first of these will go directly on my weedy lawn this winter, with a mix of annual and perennial herbs and shrubs planted in the spring.

[@dereka8041]

I've used fall leaves and my own grass clippings, going on 3 years now. It is wonderful. I live in zone 6B, southern Kentucky. My soil color, tilth have completely changed for the better. I have few weeds, rarely water and don't have to worry about fertilizing. I rotate the location of my plantings, though I don't think I really have to do this, but that's about all I do. My main work is during planting season and then harvesting season. That's all I do with an organic cover of about 8-10 inches deep.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Very nice to hear,, WOW. THANK YOU. And Yes, you do not have to rotate the crops any more.

[@allenedvideo]

This is an outstanding analysis. Local agricultural schools should take note of the kind of detailed and lengthy studies you do and the lengths you go to film, edit, study and explain. I'm so lucky and blessed to have found your channel Thanks for all the hard work

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK FOR WATCHING. I just what to Know the truth about how thing work..

[@allenedvideo]

+I AM NJ ORGANIC:farm:garden Yes indeed. You have no idea how many of us are in the same boat but don't have the know how or the knowledge to do the what you do

[@judyalexander]

I agree with Ed Allen totally! I just found this site and I believe I have become obsessed! It appears I have been doing it all wrong......

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU very much...

[@davidunger7425]

Judy, I agree with you totally. This has now become my default site for organic gardening information. Mark not only has a lot of knowledge, he also has the ability to explain it to others. His videos are the greatest!

[@CJFarm]

Mark. I am so sorry for your loss. You have indeed been thrown some intense curve balls! It's apparent that you put your heart and soul into finding resolutions for the problems that come up. I am inspired by your persistence and your commitment to growing beyond organic as well as your commitment to raising your family on your own. I continue to be amazed by the quality of detailed information you share with the world through your YT channel! I look forward to watching more.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. It would be nice if everyone had a garden, it would keep us down to earth...

[@GreenLove1]

I am so glad I watched this video until the end. What a poignant personal story. May you and your boys be always blessed.

[@iamorganicgardening]

I am blessed due to kind beautiful people like yourself. THANK YOU.

[@scottcurtis1425]

We've been following you for a year. We now have a very nice food forest garden in our backyard. I just wanted to share that what you are doing with your garden is getting out there. In Southern Oregon I have a huge Ash and Maple tree so we don't bother to chop up the leaves, they disappear by the following spring. Because of you, we have rare butterflies and bumblebees in our back yard, wild kale, chard, and borage that comes back on it's own and so far, 15 varieties of birds. The neighbors had hawks nesting in their tree. We are also....in the middle of town....three blocks from the hospital. Thank you!

[@iamorganicgardening]

That is so great to hear about your garden. Sharing info is the Best thing about gardening , Plus the vegs. THANK YOU so very much.

[@larryanderson599]

Hello Mark, I want to thank you for your videos, you explain things excellent. My wife did our gardening for the last 15 years or so, the typical gardening till in the spring and fall. It was old cow pasture so we did good, for a average garden. My wife 2 years ago said she had enough she was not strong enough to garden anymore. I told her I would like to take over. I would like to experiment with the garden. Try things we’ve never done before. We still had success, but I was fed up with weeds and I put the wood chips in the rows this last summer. My son is a landscaper, excavator and gets all the city of Ludington‘s leaves dumped on his property for years. I seen how dark the compost was so I thought what the heck I’ll throw it on our garden. Both these methods were done last summer and fall. During the winter I have time on my hands and start watching videos. By accident, I came across Back to Eden Paul’s videos. His videos brought me to your videos. By accident I’m on track doing a Back to Eden method I am learning so much through your videos. Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge to the public. God Bless

[@arnoldsmit1978]

Thank you so much for this upload! In the first 15 minutes I wasn't sure where this vid was going to take us! And felt also a little negative! ( What i can Imagine) ! But the last 10 minutes It slowly changed and what a wonderful explanation! You really made this a wonderful (learning) documentaire! I also use the Garden Of Eden method this year for the first time, and have also more questions then answers! But I really Believe with the world today and the ammount of people , that This is the way to go not only for " small" farmers/people like say you and me, but also for really big farmers! I'm really sorry for what happened to your family and I have great respect for you; the way you Handle the whole situation! Thanks for the video

[@biofuel66]

Mark, God Bless you. Thank you for doing these videos for us. You're a good person, a great dad, and a very knowledgeable farmer. Thank you.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU..And THANKS for watching too.

[@sulynlam3562]

Your gardening observation and analysis is satisfyingly detailed and your thoughtful consideration of your viewers continues to be truly inspiring. All the very best to you and your sons - they are lucky to have you for a father.

[@iamorganicgardening]

That is very kind of you to say...THANK YOU.

[@selfsufficientnic7112]

This series has been brilliant. I love the way you explain things, thank you so much. In fact, all your videos have been so interesting. I have a 20yr old orchard on a slope, and plan to use the wood chip/whole tree mulch. I also only have about 20 inch rainfall, and of the 20 years I've been here, there have been numerous years below 15 inches of rain. You have really helped to set up all the trouble shooting that will help this to be as successful as possible! (I would add, if I had leave mulch I would use it, but we really only have eucalypts here) I'm forever envious of your deciduous trees! All the best to you and your family!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU so very much. And Thanks for sharing.

[@atripa645]

God Bless you and your boys.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THEY SAY THANK YOU....

[@floriebrown2089]

Hi Mark I have watched this video again, I mentioned I have lots of leaves on my property the previous owner about 41 years ago grew many herbaceous on this land in leaf mulch. I always felt this sandy soil on a clay pan was never rich enough to growing vegetable. Last year I added about 6inches of wood chip to my veg patch and planted squash and kept watering them when I thought they were dry. Your experiment showed me my mistake. I will opt for the leaf mould as wood chip is very expensive in the UK. I also wish to point out Paul uses a mixture of wood ash from his wood burning stove, mixed with chicken manure and rotting vegetation all mixed in which he sieved and added to his kale, beet, cilantro, and cabbages, yes the base of his vegetable patch is years and years of rotted down wood chip. I have learned a lot from you thank you very much for taking the trouble to carry out such experiment brilliant thanks again.

[@ebradley2306]

I am sure your son working outdoors with you gives him a lot of joy along with the sunshine, fresh air and exercise. He is very lucky.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Yes, thank you

[@samjardavid6160]

The love of dad is beautiful... Thanks for sharing these information..

[@iamorganicgardening]

So nice of you to say. Thanks

[@cindybroadus3277]

Appreciate your knowledge and experience and also I live in a very forested area and took a nature walk today and found leaf mold everywhere! It’s smells like the best rich organic soil that I have paid $$$ for I am so excited. Perfect time to find your comparisons Bless you!

[@mickhegarty7508]

Mark, thank you so much for this video. We live in Colorado, and you've helped us figure out what's been troubling our wood chip garden. We love your videos and are so touched by your story. You're an inspiration. Sending you and your boys all the best!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU. YOU made my day much better...enjoy.

[@intuitiveinspiredart4366]

How tragic! So sorry to hear of your loss. I lost my father to cancer, and a good friend just got a stage 4 diagnosis. Food is our medicine and we need to do all that we can to bump up it's nutritional value. Life is short, health unappreciated (until it's lost). We all need to value both... a great deal more. So happy to see that you have found a way to be able to spend more time with you son, and quality time at that. Peace & Blessings. L.

[@anand_naik]

This is such an amazing documentation! Thank you so much, Sir, for sharing your knowledge, research and analysis! This has been very educational!

[@sowgroweat6987]

Wow those roots in the Leafmold, I am well impressed. I have failed 2 years in the row with Back to Eden woodchips and will not try again and I'm on a slope so no real waterlogging. Time to give the Leafmold a try and confine the woodchips to the paths. Bless you for being a great Father, all credit to you.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, it will do just great with the leaf mod. Enjoy.

[@PhilKJames]

I can’t tell you how much time and effort this video saved me in 2021. I would’ve drowned 40 pepper plants without this info.

[@iamorganicgardening]

VERY glad to hear this. THANK YOU for sharing. Happy New Gardening Year

[@fastfreddy80]

Just a thought about the wood chips. I used wood chips along with leaves and grass clippings on my garden last year with fantastic success. However I only used about an inch of wood chips. This year I only used grass clippings and now last years wood chips are nearly gone. Also, you never want to work wood chips into the soil because they will suck the Nitrogen out of the soil as they decompose. If you leave them on the surface they will decompose apart from the soil and slowly drip a high nutrient compost tea into the soil. Now my soil is very sandy so drainage is not a problem for me. Maybe for clay soils you should only add the wood chips an inch per year and layer it with leaves. That way the wood chips and leaves both hold moisture while the wood chips are not so thick they won't allow the soil to dry out a little. This method will build the soil cover slowly but after about four years you will have a very good cover that continuously sends compost tea into the soil. It just takes awhile to build good soil. Remember what Paul says about humble beginnings. Good luck.

[@stevieM82]

You can be proud to raise those two boys on your own! Thanks for the great video.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, The years have flown by as they say..MY BOYS are my best friends. We are a team.

[@michelewarner5166]

God bless you and your sons an thank you for the wonderful information in all your videos. Much appreciated.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thank you kindly. Happy gardening.

[@TheSpiralout11235]

Mark thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge and wisdom as well as your personal story. All of your videos are an absolute treasure. I wish you success and peace.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU and the same to you and your loved ones.

[@FairlyInconspicuous]

As a fellow father let me just say: Thank you for sharing, you're an asset to the planet.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, FOR YOUR VERY KIND WORDS...

[@tomhill1713]

I agree that the problem you are having with the wood chips is holding too much water. I'm in utah zone 4 desert area. The native soils here have only 2% - 3% OM. And we only get 11-12" natural rain fall per year. Here I recommend people add well rotted compost and till it in as deeply as possible. This is just a one time thing. Then don't use more than 4" of wood chip at a time. Straight wood chips in a tree orchard works great, but with ornamentals and vegetables, leafs and rotted chopped hay topped with 1/2" sized works best. The other areas in your garden are fantastic. Your tomatoes and squash Great. And all organic? Wow! Thank you for sacrificing this one area so we can see what is going on. I believe this is where people are having problems and failing. Then they get discouraged and give up. Keep up the good work. God bless you and your family. I believe through Christ you and your wife can be together forever in the eternities.

[@iamorganicgardening]

I would enjoy finding a solution to help you.. First what is your soil like..? just sand, clay and sand and of what % each. And how well does it drain? AND THANK YOU for your kind blessings..My beautiful wife smiles down on us every day.

[@AlexNielsenNJ]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Please keep it up. And thank you for sharing your personal story too. You're a good man.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU..

[@williamwright9440]

hi mark, just wanted to thank you for what you do, i now look at gardening a whole different way(thanks to you).have applied many of your techniques (with great success) also on a personal note you are one heck of a father, your boys are very lucky. thx WWW

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for your kind words. Just kept at it and enjoyed being around my 2 sons when they were not in school.

[@ocalicreek]

When I had a BTE garden in Western Washington near Tacoma, we had the opposite problem. The topsoil was only a few inches thick with gritty sand and round rocks for several feet below that. Drainage was not a problem - retaining enough water through our dry summer months was. The woodchips made enough cover to retain the winter moisture and protect the soil through the summer. I visited Paul's garden and was blown away by the delicious produce and his generous spirit. Likewise I am impressed with your thorough methodology and logical approach to finding the truth. I hear Elaine Ingham, Masanobu Fukuoka, Emilia Hazelip and others in your teaching. The idea that plants build soil is a Synergistic approach. Looking forward to finishing this series and seeing future updates. Blessings to you and your family.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU.. I hope one day to visit Paul's garden. I am glad you got to see it and share. And many thanks to continue the series and you will see the very same point you express.. WOULD love to hear what you think at the end of the series. PLEASE write back. MY SONS and I THANK YOU for your blessings and the same you and yours ..

[@sobeyssobeys7876]

You are a great dad and a great organic gardener!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU...so very much. And you have a great heart of joy.

[@sobeyssobeys7876]

Thank you! You have a great mind as well as a great heart! You are an inspiration to the world!

[@JoanDenoo]

Thank you for sharing your personal story as well as the excellent studies you conduct to find effective methods of gardening. I agree with you about the woodchips vs leaf mold as well as the importance of mycorrhizal fungi. I especially appreciate you asking questions and seeking solutions to problems, instead of relying on tradition and superstition as do both Gautschi and Salatin.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Hello, have you seen my video on Talking with Paul Gautschi....? Paul understands but can not explain it. THANKS

[@marysolinski7683]

Thank you for sharing your personal life. You are a good man, and I will keep you and your boys in my prayers.🙏 🤝

[@iamorganicgardening]

I THANK YOU in advance for you prayers..

[@HeidiCancelleri]

Great grace to you and your boys. Our son is raising a 3 year old son and 7 month old son by himself now too.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Many Blessing.

[@ericegriffith]

Thank You for posting! I was deeply touched by your motivation. I will carefully consider before designing my own garden. Again THANK YOU for posting your AWESOME videos!!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING...

[@ambersykora352]

you know you're a horticulturr/agriculture freak when you watch videos just to see someone farming up north dig into their garden with a spade, just to remember what live healthy soil looks like. going from northwest Indiana back to the San Antonio area, boy how I miss the ease of just dropping a damn seed and watching it grow into a massive plant.

[@iamorganicgardening]

I can send you a jar if it if you wish..LOL Just keep adding coffee grounds

[@chines68]

Thank you so much for these videos, which I just found! You have answered so many questions for me, and I can't wait to look at all of your videos and discover even more. You have obviously been through your share of heartache, and I hope things are going well for you and your sons now and into the future.

[@LittleCrittersFarm]

Sending blessings to you and your sons. Thank you these amazing videos and for sharing your knowledge.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, that is very kind of you..my sons are very lucky to have nice people like you thinking about them..and many blessing to your loved ones.

[@mrdeleoco8702]

Thank you again for doing this, I saw the video before but this time I want to comment because you are a tremendous inspiration. God bless you and your family and the great work you do. Appreciated the clear explanations.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU so very Much. Happy gardening.

[@pwhoisd]

I'm learning so much from you! You explain things so clearly & you have depth and integrity in your study.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU so much..that is very kind of you to say.. If you have any question, PLEASE do not hesitate to ask..

[@good4jim]

I stumbled onto your channel just by luck and am so grateful that I did. All your explanations are detailed and make biological sense to me (e.g., "diversity" [vs monoculture] of planting sunflowers, strawberries, and tomatoes, etc together and next to each other creating mini "edge effect", etc. I wished I had discovered your channel earlier and the technique you used to build your raised beds using cattle panels, wire cloth and wood chips around the outside to better aerate roots in the centralized soil area where you plant. I know that would have saved me time, effort, and money. Your personal comments at the end touched my heart. I too am lucky like many others to have found your channel!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for your kind words.. Very glad that to hear that my videos help you to Enjoy gardening.

[@Im4hm]

I'm slowly working through your video. I so enjoy and appreciate your analysis. Thank you!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU FOR YOU KIND WORDS...

[@vinnettepope8255]

This video was very informative 👌 to me. I have woodchips in my yard for a few years now. I was getting ready to reconstruct my yard to harvest the rain water. I am not sure if I should do that after watching 😅 your video. My yard is on a slight slope. Thank 😄you for sharing 🙏this wonderful video 🙏

[@Teddy.King2008]

Fantastic education for us rookie back to Eden starters. Appreciated.

[@iamorganicgardening]

We all have started that way.. I just learn from my mistakes. THANK YOU for your kind words and watching also.

[@nangp5884]

Thanks for the tips! May you be blessed with luck and happiness 🙂

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for your kind blessing...

[@UltimatePaperMache]

Mark, thank you so much for doing this experiment and teaching the science behind these techniques. This winter, when you 'don't have anything else to do,' will you be writing a how-to book? If you do, I sure would like to read it!

[@iamorganicgardening]

SORRY. I donate my time in the winter at my son's special ed school. He is Autistic..THANKS for asking

[@jsullivan1082]

Outstanding comparison! I am changing what I am planning for certain now.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Glad it was helpful!

[@paulleblanc3614]

Thanks, very informative. I had the same issues this 1st yr back to eden garden. You just showed me everything that I saw and couldn't explain. Next year will be better!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU so much for sharing your garden progress.

[@BuckeyePrepper]

God bless you and your boys! You accomplish so much! I stand in awe of you!!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for thinking about my sons.. Many Blessing to your family and friends..

[@dadmezz4024]

I have all sandy soil. Wood chips work well for me to grow and build humid in the soil. Thanks for the info. I will add more sunflowers for cover crop. Love them.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Sounds great!

[@Rosesinbloom-qu1sc]

Thank you for sharing your story. Blessings upon you and your boys. And thank you for helping me understand why I'm having problems with B2E method. This is first year I've used wood chips. Its been a learning experience though not successful as I hoped. I may continue a section of my garden with wood chips next year (with amendments) but also plan to use some of the methods you have demonstrated in your videos. You are not only knowledgeable but have the heart of a teacher (I borrowed that phrase). You are much appreciated.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for your kind blessings,. I think I can solve this problem for a lot of gardeners. I will be showing how in my next video after i check my facts twice. THANKS AGAIN. PS: my MOM was a teacher.

[@fredmanfv]

I found the best way to grow vegetables is in plain old home made compost...50/50 bacterial/fungal, cover crops and light mulches. Woodchips works better for perrenials that prefers a fungally dominated habitat.

[@richardthehandyman6348]

Very detailed, I am also having difficulties. I found that not only was the soil staying wet, due to poor drainage and over watering, but our ph was at 5. Once we fixed the drainage and ph, the plants took off. Still not as good as we hoped, but better. We use a combo of chips and ground leaves.

[@iamorganicgardening]

That was a great start..You are on the right path.. You need to grow soil next. THANKS

[@elvirebus7472]

LOVE your videos! Back to Eden gardener myself since last year, but there's much more than only woodchips laying down. Love to learn from you, thanks for all your work to make all those videos! :) Keep up the good work!

[@gwencrawford9617]

Thank you for your time and effort to conduct these studies. I am a first year gardener here in GA and I used woodchips as mulch. I too want them to work but I see clearly what the problem is with the chips, my soil! We have hard clay soil and until that is worked loose my plants will struggle! Thank you! I will be composting with leaves next year

[@iamorganicgardening]

Glad to hear that is is helpful. Enjoy gardening.

[@Subterraorganics]

Hi Mark great job! I have had great success with the squash in 1st year BTE in zone 6b. I don't believe I have received nearly as much rain as you've indicated receiving however they are planted in a flat area at the bottom of the hill. Hence water drains to the area where they are planted. A couple thoughts for you...reduce the thickness of the chips to allow for better evaporation and oxygen exchange as well as planting the squash on hills...your peppers have shown the benefit. I have also noticed the contents of the chips does make a difference. Things I have covered with chips received in the winter are not doing as well. I believe it is because the chips didn;t have much leaf material and were more woody. Whereas summer chips have a higher leaf ratio which of course brings the nitrogen element as well as starts off the decomposition process faster. You can see the fungi in the pile (with high leaf content)in a matter of days. Two questions I have. The leaf mold group has inter-plantings of sunflower and nitro fixer where as the BTE group didn't...were they not planted in the BTE or didn't grow? I would guess the nitro fixer would have a great bearing on the general health of their surroundings. It seems like you inferred squash bug problems in the BTE group but not the leaf mold? Potentially the sunflowers and flowers from the legume were beneficial attractors for parasitic wasps and such who kept the population to a minimum in that area? I have squash bug issues (kept under control manually) with very healthy plants....plants that have even overcome borer damage!

[@iamorganicgardening]

Hi Tony. Hope all is well. Glad to hear about your great success with the squash. I understand Paul says 4 inch. But that is only due to the fact it make it easy to rake back the chips to plant in the soil. He have 16 inch of wood chips in orchard where he plants vegetables. Drainage is very helpful. Yes, the peppers show that KEY. I have a foot of wood chips add a foot of soil/leaf mold on top of the hard ground soil and then cover with chips 2 inch thick. That is why my raise wood chip bed that is 2 feet tall is working so well. My chips this fall had more leaves and twigs then wood chips. YES, in you go back in the other videos you will see I planted winter rye, crimson clover, and sunflowers. Even added in pine trees and strawberries so the roots help support the mycorrhizal fungi. Just the sunflowers did not grow due to 5 groundhogs I have that ate them. OH and LOTS of field peas in with the potatoes. BUT FULLY AGREE WITH YOU THAT YOU ALWAYS NEED SOMETHING with a FLOWER to bring in the GOOD BUGS. But Paul says nothing about this. My next video will solve all these problems that I and a lot of other people are having the first year with BACK to EDEN gardening method. IT will work. THANKS for your suggestions..Blessing

[@Subterraorganics]

I can't wait for the all revealing next video Mark! I think Paul doesn't talk about IPM and bugs because he claims the general health of the plants is the deterrent to bugs...he says there is such a high water content the bugs would drown if they bit into the plant lol.

[@p0ln]

God bless you sir, thank you for sharing your wisdom.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Glad to share and Help. THANKS

[@Jakearrian]

Touching story at the end.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU.Wish my wife was still here to see all for my sons..

[@RussellBallestrini]

Thank you for sharing it man...

[@solomannivasa3232]

God Bless you and your sons. Thanks for all you do. Great videos. We are blessed by your presence!

[@sabinekatsavrias4422]

Your personal story regarding your son sounded so much like what happened to mine.. Keeping him physicaly active outdoors is great for him im sure! also calming. great detailed video on the ins and outs of woodchipping.

[@Master.blaster1212]

Bless your heart. You're videos are amazing and inspiring. Thank you SO much.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for your kind words and watching too..

[@russellhays2355]

That was great information. I think I'll use leaves in my beds and wood chips in the walkways.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Glad it was help full to you. Enjoy & Thank You.

[@stevestrahan8347]

Thank you for the wonderful teaching videos! I have enjoyed them. I hope all is well with you and your boys.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for your kind words. All is well. Have a fantastic gardening season forward.

[@PermaPen]

Wonderful video and analysis, thank you! I'm deeply touched by your love for your sons in such difficult circumstances. I've learned so much from your experimental 'failures': know your soil and your drainage for a start, before launching into a popular approach. One of my plots has quite good soil, the other is a disaster of pebbles and clay. I'll be thinking more closely about how to treat each after this. I can't plant trees there, but I've put in a few blackcurrant bushes on the 'good' plot, so I'll see what that does. I'm puzzling at the moment why my two identical beds of winter squash right next to other are faring so differently: one variety seems to like BtE, the other doesn't. Or just doesn't like my soil. Ten thousand more videos like this please!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, I FULLY AGREE WITH YOU. You have to look are the soil first before applying the wood chips. or leaves. NOT just add them on top and all is done. You can us anything with a root all year long..like comfery , strawberries, your blackcurrant bushes. I think the next one is how to do a free soil test before covering with wood chips.

[@RJSoftware2000]

A neighbour friend of mine solved this issue by underground drainage system. He's heavy into the aquaponics but that is separate system. Very similar to septic drain field but oposite. The excess drains from the soil into the rock bed then into holes drilled on the sides of the pipe. I dont recall but think he employed a solar powered pump drain the collection tank. It was very nice of you to take time to explain the root cause was lack of roots. A strange sentance... I dont think I will be using wood chips now. I have been converting a big section of my front lawn (grass only) to a Ruth stout style garden. Interesting but an exercise in patients. I tilled the section of lawn which is not RS style but wanted to speed things up. After tilling I put a few bails of coastal hay bought from feed store, supposedly organic. Then I started reading about mulching and the Lasagna method (green, brown, green, brown, etc..) I found I had lots of old leaves, so I raked them up and covered the hay. I dont know if old brown leaves count as a green but this the point of where I am at now. Also forgot to mention I put some bags of cow manure with the tilled lawn. Any suggestions appreciated

[@iamorganicgardening]

You will find out all that mulch matter works wonders to cover your soil. ENJOY and THANK YOU for sharing.

[@lucikalu4334]

Wow! This is great info. I’ve been trying to follow back to Eden and like his zucchini sample, mine were stunted. I tried growing cucumber & they were pestered by borers. I’ll try a different approach

[@Dabigez829]

Thanks so much for the your thoughtful video and help with understanding the difference between the woodchips and leaves. I to had to raise two boys on my own after their mom passed away from cancer after Hurricane Katrina mold problem. I just put in a layer of woodchips this pass week with a layer of leaves. I'm hoping that it works out. I'll find out more next spring.

[@iamorganicgardening]

VERY SORRY to hear. Fully understand.. Let me know how the chips and leaves work out PLEASE...

[@allthingsgood4083]

Thank you so much for posting this, such great information!

[@iamorganicgardening]

It was very hard to me to see.. BUT, BACK to EDEN does work..with a little help. THANKs for sharing.

[@Jackiepoodle1]

Great info once again Mark! I'm learning a lot. Would love to know your sons names. You're a great father to have raised a son to serve his country and another one to feed us. A big thanks to both of your sons!

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thanks for asking JOHN...oldest Matthew ...youngest.

[@wilmagregory8967]

thank you for enlightenment, I have been troubled with a very wet area that's hard as rock. this year we kept all our leaves and put them on this area. hopes for the best. bless you and yours. love your videos.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, for watching and glad to hear this might be of help to you...

[@scottmac007]

God Bless you brother! Thanks for the very informative video

[@iamorganicgardening]

My pleasure! THANK YOU.

[@delphzouzou4520]

Interesting video and analysis of the situation. It's clear that your soil is very clayish and needs to be broken, even the healthy plants have long horizontal roots which can't go vertically, also, generally the micro nutrients are deeper in the soil. I'll see if you have an uptade on this plot. I like all your experiments and trials, that's very interesting, and beautiful...

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU.. hope you found the other parts to this garden series..THANKS again..be well.

[@fadestylestudio]

I had the same problem you had and fixed it in a new area by tilling the ground first by irrigating it first then applying the woodchips and that gave me a headstart until the woodchips fixed the soil. you cannot be anti tilling the soil because it works if you do it first.

[@AmerijamAcres]

fat jack I am trying something similar. My soil is so bad I had to till it once. I mixed in compost and organic matter when tilling. then I planted it out and put a thick layer of wood chips. it's a food forest so it has different needs but I think it's going to work. I planted a section of food forest last year without tilling and it is still not as good as I expected it to be. we will see next year when they have both been growing for a while. I don't think one till is necessarily a problem. especially if you've got really bad damaged soils like I have.

[@ZaatarGardens]

Very moved by that ending, subscribed

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for the sub and watching also. ENJOY

[@constancelovejoy7308]

Wow! Touching story about your family. Can you show us more details about the raised bed wood chip technique you used to actually make the Back to Eden approach work for you? How much soil do you need for it? How deep should the soil be over which you put the wood chips?

[@iamorganicgardening]

GREAT IDEAL, I will try to take a picture of it and post it on goggle explaining it better in the next few weeks. THANK YOU

[@lindacole5000]

I have tried the wood chips myself this year and my sqush are so huge a growing all over and looking better than the leaf mulch you showed. You might get that blue plastic away from your plants and that black paper so the plants can drain right. that might be your problem. We have had a lot of rain and is very hot this summer.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANKS...

[@ihopeugrow]

Thanks for this video! A lot of good info. I know somebody who’s also from New Jersey and he says wourder too.

[@iamorganicgardening]

That's awesome! THANK YOU so very much.

[@summerbreeze3198]

I hope you can get some branch chips in your area and give this another go, I believe you will have much more success and some amazing food for you and your boys to enjoy. Good luck.

[@iamorganicgardening]

All work out fine. This is only part 8 in a series. Please watch the rest. I talk to Paul G. in the last video.

[@tanya6909]

I'm not sure if this has been brought up or not but in the documentary the couple put newspaper, compost, fall leaves, then wood chips. With you having an abundance of both fall leaves and wood chips. Try a smaller plot with the wood chips on top of the fall leaves and see if you have better luck, minus the newspaper since your plots are clearly already established. I'm doing four 4x8 raised beds this year with the back to eden concept. The area my garden is in is a low spot in our yard but with the most sun. I decided raised beds would be better since they dry out faster than your normal in ground garden. However I still plan to use the newspaper to kill the grass, compost, my leaves fall leaves from the yard I've been saving, then wood chips.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Hello, Thank YOU for your information. The video you watch is only part 8 of a 12 part series. If you have some time please watch the rest...Back to Eden method has to do very little about wood chips more about mycorrhizal fungi and the soil food weed with a living root in the ground at all time,,just like Paul's garden...just giving you more information.THANKS again.

[@combinesawmill]

sometimes if you don't plant in the ground the plants will not do as well. planting directly into the wood chips will result in stunned growth. Thanks for you hard work.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for sharing this..

[@atripa645]

Yeah, I think you have too have some inorganic matter in there. I dug a new bed and sifted rocks out then added almost finished compost with the native soil witch contained a lot of silt. I did it this spring and planted squash with some great success. Giant dark green plants with probably almost 20 fruit on it. Did have a couple get blight thought I think it was the rain. I did use a little organic fert though. Love your videos. Cheers

[@scientificexplorergirl3374]

Terrific analysis and lots to think about. Thanks and best wishes.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, Just trying the simple nature ways to repair what is broken..

[@JoshScandlen]

Mark, as always, love your vids. This time, it was personal in hearing your personal story. Man, don't know how you did it my friend. I know you want the BTE method to work, but not sure I got the connection to why you want it to work in regard to your boy. Can you elaborate? Thanks and blessings to you! I learn a lot from you and knowing more about you, makes you that much more interesting.

[@iamorganicgardening]

MY youngest handsome son IQ is very low, HE has downs and is autistic, does not speak. And he needs 24/7 care. Walking on flat surfaces is very helpful for him to move. Wood chips he understands to walk. LEAVES he will just stand there because it is to soft and feels unsafe. THANKS

[@tannenbaum3444]

Grew Golden Squash in 1-1/2 month composted straw last year....the plants (2) where so vigorous and harvest was so bountiful...we were eating squash for 2 months, as much as we could, but had more than we could possibly eat, and gave many of them to neighbors. Will do same this year.

[@truthseeker6384]

tannenbaum -- Could you please elaborate on how you made your straw compost, (as in what else you added to it) and how long you composted it?

[@PhilippinesFarmLife]

Thank you, watching from the Philippines

[@iamorganicgardening]

Very NICE to meet you.

[@pwhoisd]

I'm so touched my your personal story

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thanks. miss her everyday...

[@lastniceguy1]

God bless you.

[@VOTE4TAJ]

One my friend and a business partner encountered exactly same issue with his roses, propagated very well and then all of sudden start dying, upon inspection we found that it was hard clay underneath. In my own small yard, I recently lay an additional inch or so of aged horse manure, I am going to add another inch or so and top dress with couple of inches of wood chips as my family will travel to USA in few days and I will travel to Asia for couple of weeks and like last year I don't have to worry about watering over the remaining summer months. Taking your advice, I did grow sunflowers for early living roots, it seems to work really well, lots of life around it, asparagus and lupin will provide permanent fix.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANKS for sharing... Wishing you and your family safe travel..

[@Hutchy45445]

Great informational video! I was going to dump wood chips this year, but now I know there's much more to consider. Thanks for sharing this experience! 👍

[@iamorganicgardening]

Always my pleasure to share and learn from others. THANK YOU.

[@grahamsibbert2412]

Hello. Maybe it’s the area you live. I live in North Buckinghamshire middle England and decided to try this method last October following reading several items on this type of growing. I can only say that my Potatoes were a very good success. I also tried growing Cabbage and Turnips, again both doing extremely well. I am having insect problems attacking the leaves of my Turnips, and seem to have an Ant problem. Apart from that I am happy. Oh and my Butternut Squash is rampant.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Thanks for the info! I love Back to Eden also.

[@pakyeh9]

Soil structure is critical to sucess of woodchip / back to Eden gardening. IThe soil need to be enriched with roots from weeds then the weed killed off by mowing etc.That is the best way of enriching the soil. My heart goes to you on your personal lfe hardship. May God bless you and your children.

[@iamorganicgardening]

I FULLY AGREE, and THANK YOU for your kind blessing too..

[@vincentlanoiselet4243]

Great video Mark. Very informative. All the best from down under.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, always good to hear from you..

[@jeremiah9028]

Thanks for sharing about your family. God bless you.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for the Blessing. It is very kind and helpful.

[@juneshannon5941]

Last year's wood chip garden had same problem as yours. Thank you for giving me a solution. I saved leaves from London Plane tree but haven't done anything with them yet as I was told they need to be shredded otherwise they will act like a weed mat and suffocate everything besides not allowing water to penetrate. What method do you use to start breaking down the leaves?

[@LifeisAwesomeHere]

this is a great video. we are trying the back to eden garden method as well. good luck to you.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU.. It will work next year. Looking forward to the spring already. HAVE a great garden/ harvest for you and your family...

[@andreajohnsMyPotteryBliss]

Good process of discovery to identify your growth issues. I've done some reading about the types of soils different plants prefer. Woody plants like to grow in fungally dominated soils while vegetables grow best in bacterial lay dominated soils. Woody soils are primarily fungal because only fungi can break down the cellulose. Leaf mold produces some fungus but also attracts worms that can digest the leaves. Worms excrete bacteria in their poop. Bacteria multiply quickly and the soils become bacterial lay dominated.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU for sharing.. Most vegs like a balance between bacteria and fungi.. The best thing is the plant can control this by releasing sugars into the soil...

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

Thank you, sir. 👍👍

[@iamorganicgardening]

You bet!

[@bythesea49]

Thank you Mark for a great video and God bless you and your boys didn't know any of that information.

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU so very much for my boys..

[@joykaluf2629]

God bless you and all you've done for researching this! The information is awesome! Did I miss somewhere why the field peas are not growing as well in the wood chips? Do you think the squash plants would've done better if the field peas grew better? What about if the squash was sprayed with tea from worm castings? I have pine trees lining my property - about 30 feet from my garden and I'm hoping the roots will provide enough pockets and agrigaites (sp?) for my second year of the BTE gardening. I believe I've added too many wood chips on top this fall (6-8 inches or so) I do have a layer of 6-8 inches of leaves beneath it. I have a leaf shredder and I'm wondering if that's the way to go vs the wood chips, so I am anxious to watch the rest of this video series!

[@iamorganicgardening]

THANK YOU, when you watch the rest of the series hopefully I answer your questions you have. IF not PLEASE as again..enjoy

[@ll-qq9qr]

Sending you and your sons love.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Sending it back to you with a BIG THANK YOU. Happy gardening.

[@ohhowhappygardener]

Great video and explanation on why the B2E method isn't working as well as the leaf mold, at least initially. Drainage is important for sure. I'm finding that out with the raised berms I'm using this year. Thanks for sharing!

[@iamorganicgardening]

YES, I am glad to see you had them. YOUR garden is amazing..

[@briangable08]

Thank you for the video Mark, I have been trying to build up a permaculture garden in a 1/2 acre orchard and veg garden, I have read and watched everything from Paul G, Geoff Lawton, and our own Charles Dowding, etc. They all steer away from monoculture and include deep rooted herbs, vegetables, trees and weeds, like the nettle and dock. My woodchips are in rows with grass paths between, and at certain times are covered in a huge selection of mushrooms and I mean thousands of fruiting bodies per m² . The other two things you should consider is companion plants and perennial plants creating a food forest. Happy New Year to you and your boys

[@traiecto]

Yet another outstanding video. In fact, this is exactly the info I was looking for. I have my first patch of garden, with inherited raised beds made out of 80%-90% clay, and they are just lifeless. Plants grow and are producing because we had to put a thick layer of compost on top before planting, but this is not a solution. I want to create a soil food web, I want to mulch and not till. So I need to decide what to do after the summer season is over. I think I'll go for leaf mulch on the raised bed, plant perennial plants (artichokes now in August) and probably a few others to have those root building mycorrhizae fungae. But I think this is not enough, so I'm considering sowing green manure in the mulch (i.e. mustard, clover, or something I can till manually and leave on the ground before the start of next spring/summer season. What do you think? Again, many thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge!

[@iamorganicgardening]

I FULLY AGREE. I am researching easy good way and is low cost to build soil. The more thing you can mix together and plant as a cover crop the better it does.. THANKS FOR THE QUESTION..