Dealing With Mistakes and Discouragement in the Garden

[@theresaanndiaz3179]

We learn the most from our failures. As hard as admitting this mistake was, it makes you more credible. I wish you hadn't had to learn this lesson but thank you for sharing with us.

[@lesliee6721]

My neighbor has a saltwater pool and decided to Rinse his filter. His backyard is next to my rose bed. When he cleaned his filter all of the salt and debris from his filter drained into my rosebed. I quickly searched and found that there are plants that help remove salt deposits, sunflowers being one of them. I now have tons of sunflowers in my rose bed and they seem to be doing well. Plant lots of sunflowers.

[@jam_is_jammin]

Wow. I’ve been learning a lot about sunflowers and phytoremediation, lately. I didn’t realize it worked on salts as well. Never underestimate the power of an appropriate cover crop.

[@pantameowmeow.s.1149]

We have an old cesspool like pit, covered, near the pool. We use it for the backwash water. Well, I had to drain the pool and the air head I was, use that old cesspool pit. Suddenly my perfect juicy plums looked shriveled... Hmmm..... I bet the roots hit the chlorine water. I really blew it, the cesspool even over flowed, washed away sand and there was chlorine water on the lawn. I too learned a lot... Ha! I hope the plum tree has beautiful plums again.

[@cindyspiess9963]

Good to know thanks for that tip

[@billchesnut5852]

Never thought of,salty poo. I was tought to try the dirt first. Simply use a pot of dirt and plant acouple of seeds and give to 2weeks and see if the seedsj sprout and what condition they are in when they sprout. I still do this with bagged stuff. Maybe a waste but it works. This has been a very thought provigating video. Thank You Brian

[@CURVYBLOND2580]

I have just purchased five bags of commercial mushroom mulch I have put them around all of my plants in the garden this week how will I know if this particular brand has salt in it

[@ajrichardson3871]

Brian, I can see in your eyes how heartbroken and upset you are with yourself. Don't be. We understand, we know you're doing your best and your honesty shows! You teach us awesome things, good and bad. Now, let get growing! 🌱

[@thecatguy4301]

I stated gardening 5 years ago. I've made every mistake known to man and even unknown. But I have learned so much. This is an ongoing experience and don't nobody get discouraged. Just keep moving forward folks.

[@j.b.6855]

The perfect attitude to have. We have been gardening for about the same amount of time. Mistakes, iv made a lot. But like you I looked at it as a learning experience. I dont think I will ever learn everything, but to me the trick is not to make the same mistake again.

[@aileensmith3062]

If you aren't making mistakes, then you are not trying hard enough. Best of luck and remain positive!

[@thecatguy4301]

@@aileensmith3062 You got that right!

[@Nancy-zk9dj]

I've been gardening for 60 years, you really never stop learning! I find out something different every year, it's great! 😊

[@thecatguy4301]

@@Nancy-zk9dj What would be your best piece of advice?

[@GardenerScott]

This is a hard lesson to bear, but it's great you're sharing your discouragement. I've had this happen a couple times as I've built new gardens. Now, I try to leave delivered piles of compost and soil blends for months before using and then let the soil rest in new beds over the winter before extensive planting. I wish you the best in your recovery and look forward to the lush gardens of the future.

[@TheProdigalGardener]

I built a new raised bed last fall and let the soil sit with straw over it. I removed the straw and started to dig around in the soil. The soil is beautiful however, it now has grubs all in it. Any ideas on how to prevent?

[@lucidiusdonovan3807]

@@TheProdigalGardener dealt with these grubs myself last season (theyre like the grubs from beginning of Blade Runner 2049 if you know what I mean) anyways I had no problems with pests/harvest that season related to em - I think they are moths but not sure. They probably help the soil with their excretions much like earthworms

[@TheProdigalGardener]

Lucidius Donovan Yes they do look exactly like them! That is good to know! Thank you!

[@AlpacaRenee]

@@TheProdigalGardener the grubs eat the roots of your plants. Hand picking them for chickens, or let your chickens in there for a day, or get Milky Spore.

[@TheProdigalGardener]

AlpacaRenee Thank you for this advice! I have chickens and I like that idea better than having to kill all of them.

[@kathleenm3282]

Brian, this is why we love you…..and learn so much from you. Your honesty, transparency and humility are rare. I am so so sorry this has happened. I actually was trying to find mushroom compost here in Northern MI. It was unsuccessful and now I am grateful. I will go back to my original plan of using compost from the city. Chin up….we are behind you praying and encouraging you forward. Blessings.

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you 😊

[@shawncarr8699]

your humility and honesty are an inspiration to us all! thank you for taking us on the journey!

[@ME-kr7sm]

Very true

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you

[@susanhenley8240]

Well said,... and ditto.

[@juliannegrahn4374]

I have mad respect for you for sharing this. So many content creators feel the need for an airbrushed perfect presentation. Your honesty is appreciated. I hope your continued efforts show positive results.

[@flyer7707]

I’ve been a teacher most of my adult life, a good teacher is transparent. Thank you Brian!

[@donnalawrence8593]

Thank you for the hard job you have with this crazy world.

[@lauragarmon6969]

Thank you for showing the “dirty” side of gardening. You’ll be showing us how to have success despite setbacks and how to troubleshoot garden challenges. I had something similar happen in 2020: Brian, in 2019 and 2020, I bought soil from a local landscaping company. The same thing happened with my seedlings. They sprouted looking pale, misshapen and generally sickly. The only plants that did moderately well were my sweet peas and beans. I figure the reason those survived is because I topped off their beds with bagged potting soil since the beds needed a little extra. At the time, these were my first raised beds and I thought I must have done something wrong and didn’t see the correlation between the potting soil success and the raised bed soil failure. My husband suggested I send off soil samples to our extension service. They discovered that the soil from the landscaping service was “dead.” No nutrients, no living microbes, just dead dirt. It was a hard lesson learned. We replaced the soil early in 2021, and got a sample before we purchased it. My garden was lush and abundant. I’m happy for my family’s encouragement or I might have stopped in 2020. The dead soil became part of my compost pile. It is now full of life and has had a reincarnation in parts of this year’s garden. I’m happy to report my plants are doing well.

[@sbffsbrarbrr]

That's really interesting...dead soil. I try to do as much composting as I can but you don't get much unless you're able to do it on a large scale. After over a year of composting, all I got this spring was 2 wheel barrels, enough to only top off a few beds. Pretty scary to know that a bulk purchase of compost/soil might turn out to be useless, at least initially. I never knew that.

[@lauragarmon6969]

@@sbffsbrarbrr I did talk to the company and the owner reported back that others had complained of the same issue. They offered me $35 off my next order😡

[@matthewjbauer1990]

I've been container gardening since I purchased my house a few years ago. I can say I've made quite a few mistakes. The 2 mistakes I'm not proud of are failure to adequately keep critters from eating my plants and, with the addition of my hoop house, over watering to the point where mold and mildew grew in the soil and the plants turned brown. I use the hoop house to keep the plants from being eaten and I have a moistness meter to help me judge when to water... And I drilled more bigger holes in my pots to help with drainage. So far so good now that I learned from my mistake.

[@thinkingclearly24]

I am a chronic over waterer too. I also learned to use a water meter and have made good use of my drill to make lots of drainage holes in pots. This year I also added just a little organic perlite to my soil. I am learning the difference between soaked and moist! Whenever I look at one of my plants, I think, you just need a little drink! 😂

[@nanchesca3950]

I just bought a moisture meter for this very reason!

[@susanriggs8896]

I tend to over-water, too. Can you recommend a water meter?

[@raeannsartcreations9285]

Thank you for sharing. You have saved a lot of people from the same heartache. I pray everything works out well. 💙

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you!

[@melsinTN]

So sorry you had this happen, but your honesty is admirable and very helpful for us as a teaching moment. Thank you!! Keep growing :)

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you 😊

[@lanecockrell9718]

Thank you for posting this. This year for me is very discouraging for reasons similar to what you describe, I needed to hear that it’s not just me

[@eh6363]

@@NextLevelGardening Brian, it could be Grazon contamination instead of salt, for your sake I hope it is just salt.

[@lisaferschweiler4474]

This is why you are my favorite gardening/ homesteading channel. You’re humble, transparent, honest, caring and encouraging. You are relatable. I can see how devastating this is in your eyes, but it will all work out in the end, and you will have gleaned much wisdom from this “mistake,” which actually could be a blessing in disguise. Thank you for your teaching and encouragement to keep going in the garden and not giving up. Hugs!

[@justinez6857]

I bought my apartment last year in the summer and was so excited to have a big patio in the middle of Stockholm, that I spent a good amount of money on flowers. Roses, butterfly bushes, you name it. Three days after that I found out that there are deer in my area when I came home to 500 Euro worth of plants eaten ;) This year I am on a mission to grow not only flowers but food too. It’s me against the deer (and squirrels, and birds and giant ants). Yes those things hurt… but it all depends on how you react to them. Having a little sad moment, but then coming back with even more determination. And that’s what you are doing :)

[@synergy2222]

Use Tulle netting over your plants. Sun will shine through but pests and rodents and deer don't want to touch it.

[@melissasullivan1658]

@@synergy2222 aphids will really appreciate the protection too, so beware. I learned this lesson the hard way this past winter. 😏

[@mandemoto]

Thank you for sharing and not trying to hide this! In this world where everyone is trying to present a "perfect" image it's refreshing to see genuinity. We need to internalize the idea that IT'S OKAY TO MAKE MISTAKES. ❤️ You did great, Brian! You didn't fail, you learned. ☺️

[@suzannemathes8775]

I’m so very glad you didn’t hide the setback! I’m still learning and this will be huge for me going forward! I don’t have the funds for trial and error and spend every minute in the evening researching to learn from other’s setbacks! Thank you, thank you!

[@pamsmith7369]

Not only is gardening not perfect, LIFE is not perfect!

[@terry902]

I have been gardening for decades. Things happen and we learn and move on. That’s part of life. Doesn’t mean we are not sad and discouraged. It is an important life lesson. Weather wrecks havoc, critters demolish, mistakes happen but still down the road seeds sprout, flowers appear and the harvest comes, year after year. If we give up, we never learn and never enjoy the fruits of our labor. I had a fungus gnat infestation this year. You and others on KZbin got me through that. Half my seedlings died, but the ones that survived went to dozens of seniors and families who now have plants in flowers with fruit and you should see how happy that has made them. We gardeners are a community and it makes a difference. So thank you for this video, it is such an important topic and part of the process. Good luck with your garden. Keep us all apprised of your solutions! 🥰❤️💕🌱🌸

[@rhodaneader9008]

I also struggled with fungus gnats.

[@sunbugg]

Thanks for sharing. It’s hard when you guys as the content creators have it all figured out and we’re just beginning. It’s nice you share the mistakes w us, transparently! Thank you 🙏

[@gardendilemma3275]

OMG. Thank you sooo much for posting this. I wanted to go get mushroom compost from the same place you got it this week to put on all my raised beds. I will still get it but now it will go in my compost bin until next summer. Know that your honesty has helped me so much and I am sure will help so many more! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

[@CJ-LagunaBeach]

Me TOO!! I am going next week to get the mushroom compost! I would have done the same thing. Into the compost bings it goes.

[@debbyd5729]

Where did he get the mushroom compost?

[@danellefrost5030]

To have not shared this mishap and instead have hidden it from your followers would have been a missed opportunity to teach an important lesson. Thank you for being so transparent. I would not have made the connection between the horse manure/hay and the possibility of high salt and therefore would not have been extra careful about using it if I had not seen this video. You are a good teacher.

[@ellenc.1685]

Thank you for sharing your challenges. I love that you didn't throw your hands up but have persevered with a solution that sounds very promising. I never considered the salt factor in horse manure. Good info.

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you 😊

[@GreenfieldsHomeplace]

I learn more from people when they share their successes and failures. There are plenty of YT channels that always show the good, but rarely the bad and the ugly. I’ll take realistic over that content any day! You’re awesome and a great teacher. 👍🏼

[@gabincharge]

Hey there! I’m sorry for the heartbreak you’re going through. I feel for you completely. I actually own a landscape materials yard in Central Florida and sell a lot of mushroom compost. A couple of tips that I can give to you before you give up on using mushroom compost is to ask your materials business that you get it from if they have had a recent soil analysis done on the product. We annually have a soil analysis completed on our mixed mushroom compost and offer the results to our customer so that they are able to see the levels of nutrients that our product has! If you are unsure you can always take a sample of it and have a soil analysis done on the product yourself as well, it’s cheap quick and easy. Totally worth the peace of mind for Gardner‘s like you and I

[@mk-yb8tt]

I had a similar problem with compost. Unbeknownst to the farmer who sold me the rich beautiful stuff, who created his compost from dairy cow farming along with the county's yard waste program, the county's trimmings had an herbicide mixed in it, which took a year+ to break down. My garden was utterly useless, and not a single plant I'd put in survived that year. It actually took a couple years before things began to come up normally. I am pretty shy of buying compost anymore! You just never know.

[@danbolton3180]

I'm dealing with my own mistakes now. After 30 years of transforming our previous yard into an oasis we moved to a coastal open field with more space, ample sunlight, and gale forced WIND! During March and April I lovingly grew pepper and tomato seedlings while I laid out the garden area. I hardened the seedling off and transplanted a portion of the seedlings in the beds just to have a wave of winds roll through. The seedlings are destroyed! I thought placing tarps on the deer fencing would block a majority of the wind, but I was terribly wrong. Now I'm halfway through the process of building hoops over the 7 raised beds. I still have seedlings left, but the sacrifice was avoidable.

[@jacquelinewilliams9488]

Thank you so much for your transparency, life is a journey and boy are we reminded of that every time we enter our garden. I have never felt more fulfilled and empowered than after watching your garden videos and course correcting from a heartbreaking garden fail. Dancing in my garden gleefully on the other side of my setback has given me so much joy and resilience. Keep your head up and I look forward to you coming back with an update of your own rebound celebration. Dance included, of course 🤸🕴️🕺🎉🎶

[@NextLevelGardening]

Love this 😀 ❤️

[@kapitanivanov]

Oh man,how I understand what you're saying. This year I had successfully grown seedlings indoors and they were so perfect to go into the beds. First mistake,I planted them out 1 day before our last frost date-and that night we had frost. I can't still believe I did such a stupid thing. Second, I used aged horse manure and mushroom conpost like you say and couldn't figure out why my plants survived the frost but got all yellowy,curly and weird looking after few days in that soi😭You live,you learn. I wish you the best! Thanks for your video! I learn a lot from them. Even from the ones with mistakes

[@cgd1125]

It's nice to see someone that really knows what they're doing have issues too. Don't get me wrong I'm sorry this happened and I wish it didn't but it shows us that we're all human and we can learn from our mistakes. Last year I planted my tomatoes in cups like you and all of a sudden they didn't look good and I couldn't figure out why. I decided to get a water meter and see if that was the problem. Yes! I was drowning them even though the soil didn't feel wet. This year they're doing great and I only water when I see they need it. Lesson learned. Looking forward to seeing all your gardens in full bloom.

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you 🙂

[@anahidkassabian4471]

This is just one of the many reasons that I love your channel. Thanks for being honest and brave about what happened.

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you !

[@markhaynes9442]

You mean you're not perfect, Brian? LOL! Thanks for giving hope to those of us who don't know nearly as much as you do! Your transparency is refreshing and very much appreciated!

[@reginafetty6374]

We let our horse manure set for a year. We knew it was strong but we controlled our horses salt. I never thought salt would have been the reason for problems. Thanks for sharing, we live and learn, but it is nice that people share the problems with others so it can be controlled. Good luck with your fix. I hope your garden produces a plentiful bounty.

[@creative227]

That’s not a mistake anyone could have predicted, it’s a mistake anyone could make! Now that you have more land you can build your own compost! I have five acres outside Atlanta and it’s a mix of grass and trees, most deciduous, so I’m collecting both browns and greens. I double mow the leaves to speed things up. I scoop up the manure from a grass feed horse across the road so I’m in good shape with raw materials. Next year I hope to not have to buy any compost! I get free wood chips through Chipdrop, and do Bokashi in the winter. I just checked the temp of my main compost bin and it’s at 130 degrees! Thank you for sharing the cautionary tale, it’s lemonade for those of us who could potentially come across the same situation. Using seaweed without rinsing could create a similar situation I suppose.

[@Michael-qp5ke]

I have been garden for 40 plus years, its a mistake when if you knew, but you didn't know. However it's a great lesson for us, we need to investigate the composition of the things we put in our gardens is what I learned from your humbleness in sharing aa to what happened. Stay strong.

[@jamesandrew5338]

That would be extremely discouraging for sure. But take refuge in the fact that you help thousands of others like myself who was a commercial farmer for 35 years to transition after commercial farming back to a bigger and better gardening system and ideas than the huge garden we had on our farm when i grew up in Wisconsin. I now live in the country on a 2-1/2 acre mostly wooded lot north of houston 1 hour on completely different soil type and and climate than what i grew crops in and garden in. So all the success amd failures help me make the best decisions i can and pray through the rest and be grateful for everything I do harvest. Keep up the great work ! Btw. When i got my compost in january the guy inwas referred to for compost told me to not get mushroom compost which he sells also if i planned to plant into it in the next 3-6 months. But he didnt say why not to use it if planting soon The straight compost i got from him has done great thus far. I think your thought process on the fix is a good one. Mix in the gypsum first throughout the entire bed then come in a create good sized buffer planting rows that will get the plants off to a good start while the gypsum hopefully has time to work on the rest of the soil before the plants roots spread out and take in water and nutrients from the treated soil areas. Best wishes always you got this !

[@amyparker1762]

I can relate and empathize with what you just shared. Last year I was having the exact same issue. I eventually corrected the soil to get a small harvest but nothing like I was hoping for. The good news however is that all my efforts weren’t lost and this years seedlings are thriving in those beds! Enjoy the journey everyone. ❤️

[@michellewelch6013]

Your “mistake” is mine too! Identical issue with my new raised bed garden I started this past spring, especially my green bean seeds. The compost I used is from a farm, was supposed to be composted. I assumed it was good to go as it sat at my home since January. But it doesn’t rain in Bakersfield, not enough. I should have been adding water to that sitting compost, and I did not. Thanks for helping me understand what went wrong. And we carry on because what else can we do? Chin up, friend.

[@theorangetreehomestead6660]

it could also be persistent herbicide from the cow/horse manure. they spray a lot of feed with something called Grazon, its kills broad leafed plants but not grasses and survives the GI tract of horses/cows.

[@troyhofmann]

My initial thought is the leaching process is a sound solution to getting rid of your salt problem however because the soil under the raised beds is basically clay with a little sand I think you may have a drainage problem when it come to getting rid of the salt in the short timeline you are shooting for. My recommendation would be to remove the compost one bed at a time and build a system you can transfer the soil onto that allows for rapid drainage as you leach the salts out. You also need a way to collect the salts and get them away from your garden area otherwise you could end up with a more severe salt issue as it drains and pools in other areas of future garden areas at higher concentrations. You should also test your soil first to determine the concentration of salt present at the start so you can measure your progress and the concentration levels once the leaching process is complete otherwise it’s all by trial and error… I would do one bed at a time and not move to the next bed until the measurable salt levels have been successfully achieved. Good luck.

[@melissasullivan1658]

I was doing a bit of research on salts last night and I found a study that suggests you can still grow through that soil but you’d want to spray a plant hormone called Kinetin, also known as blossom set spray (Bonide), as it works well with any poor/salty soil. So that’s always an option. It seems to work by encouraging the splitting of cells as if they are getting normal soil nutrients. Science is so neat. :)

[@Cowtownmama1951]

@@melissasullivan1658 wow!!! that is fascinating!!

[@Famcke]

Wow! Stand strong my Friend. You can do it! 💙🙏

[@melissasullivan1658]

@@Cowtownmama1951 I thought so too! The downside is that if you’re expecting fertile seeds from kinetin ‘inspired’ growth you’re out of luck, so choose which plants you use it on wisely. :)

[@joshhensley4246]

Thank you for sharing, it's good to know none of us are perfect. God will provide my friend.

[@rowenakotelniski2603]

Thank you for not trying to hide this mistake. You turned it into a teachable moment and showed that even experienced gardeners can make mistakes that have devastating effects. I’m sorry it happened but look forward to future videos showing those beds full of beautiful plants!

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you!

[@lorettamaddox2700]

Exactly , it's gardening ,that's all you can do ,share with other gardeners ,and learn from our success and . mistakes.

[@HTNPSullivan]

I think the setbacks and serious mistakes we make in our gardens also give us more understanding of what small farmers who rely on their crops for income and to feed their families have to deal with when things go very wrong (not enough rain/too much rain, an influx of insects, critters, etc). I'm going to feel discouraged, but I can still pay the rent and won't starve. In this case, you do rely on your homestead gardens for multiple reasons, so I think we all feel for you. I'm currently really torn about how I am going to address a major problem in the community garden I built and have been running since 2008, where lots of groups bring volunteers to give them gardening experience (such as a summer camp for the developmentally disabled, incarcerated people doing community service, etc.) and the neighbors who use the garden because last year a family of raccoons moved here and ate everything as soon as it emerged from the soil. We have a 6 foot, buried fence. They climbed it. Then Mr. Woodchuck burrowed in. I've never killed an animal larger than a mouse, but this year, the thought has crossed my mind. I mean, how can we plant anything knowing it will never have a chance to mature? So yeah, gardening is definitely full of lessons and sometimes pain. I'm going to figure this out (I hope). And I wish you success with your remedial plan, and do appreciate your integrity.

[@gwendyrose8905]

Trapping critters and having your local conservation dept. move them to another location (or advise you where to move them to) may help. Planting garlic and onions (or other alliums) around the fence may also help to deter "furbearers" in the area. Good luck! :)

[@iu.5146]

Planted Caladium bulbs for the first time this Spring. Nothing happened for 7 weeks. Thought the bulbs were dried up, couldn’t find the receipt/packaging to return them. I just didn’t have the heart to toss the pot. Finally after 7 weeks they started to sprout and are now 10” tall, beautiful chartreuse green and raspberry red. It seems they need very consistent, warm temperatures to germinate. Big lesson learnt. Gardening requires patience and research. Good luck with your seedlings. You pour so much love and effort j to your garden and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the second batch will thrive.

[@ericjolene]

Live and learn, thanks for sharing. Letting compost sit for 6 months was not on my radar. I would never have expected the results you’re seeing! There should be a warning label on that compost‼️ Thanks for sharing with us the good, the bad, and the ugly of your gardening efforts, it really helps.

[@deewinston5651]

Really sorry for your troubles but thank you for sharing. In gardening there are so many things that can go wrong, but even in your troubles, you’re teaching us. I would have never thought about the salt content, so I learned something. I have every confidence, your gardens will be thriving very soon. Thanks Brian.👩‍🌾

[@prayerwarrior424]

This was totally out of your control. The fact that you were able to figure it out makes you the pro !! I’m listening and reading all I can bc in MA our season is so short and it looks like we will need the produce more than ever before! Thank you for helping and I referred you to a young newlywed who is venturing into gardening:)

[@allison5363]

your the most honest guy i watch and gardening is a life long improvement course take heart ❤️ best wishes from uk

[@tiffanyhooley5052]

I have been very discouraged this season so far! My seedlings have not thrived as they normally do and I’m fertilizing regularly … I don’t know if I over watered at first and they’re just having a hard time coming back or if it was a bad batch of seed starting mix. I’m so grateful for your honesty!

[@theorangetreehomestead6660]

overwatering is very easy to do with seedlings

[@eilenetoomey-balas3479]

Thank you for your honesty and sharing. Hope tour plan works . Weather in Ohio 6B very discouraging. It's rain and more rain. Hoping for some sun and warmer weather soon. Wish me luck.

[@susylopez9308]

This is what separates you from other gardeners, you are a true teacher. Thank you for sharing this humble - im sure frustrating for you- moment.

[@lynnmoore7438]

So glad you shared your oops moment and way forward. I have learn so much from yours Chanel.

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you!

[@vickieswindling8104]

Thank you so much for sharing this. I am a new gardener trying to learn how garden while living on the road. I have already had a lot of issues that have felt overwhelming and discouraging. It helps me a lot to hear that I am not alone and that even the experts sometimes have issues. Thank you for helping me learn!

[@NextLevelGardening]

You're welcome 😊

[@kittiew260]

Failures are opportunities. It's hard but we all learn. Don't be discouraged because we are human & great lesson for us all. I want to get mushroom compost but now know do it in fall so thank you for sharing your experience. I will hold off adding until I put beds to rest for winter

[@nomoreqcraptruth8742]

Have you thought about the possibility that the horse manure / mushroom soil had hay that was sprayed with a pesticide or herbicide like grazon or something else ?

[@Yusufjarsia]

Thank You for searing this. The bests teacher is also the best learner…To be able to teach what we learn is the best knowledge that can go around. You got this. 👍

[@tracybellmar3357]

I’m glad you talked about this. I’ve always bought Kellogg’s raised bed soil but was thinking about buying a pile of compost for next fall. It would not have occurred to me that it wasn’t ready to use. If I decide to do this, I guess I need to understand compost better so I know what I’m looking for and what questions to ask the provider. Sorry for your heartache but really, thanks for sharing. Awesome as always. 👍

[@domesti-city]

Maybe buy the compost a good 6 months before you need to use it, and give it time to completely cure?

[@theorangetreehomestead6660]

If its good compost its ready to use right away. some composts will have leftover herbicide residue that can kill your crops.

[@wmluna381]

@@theorangetreehomestead6660 Yeah, that's why I make my own. I know David the Good, Deep South Homestead, and other channels had bad issues with Grazon being in either hay or delivered compost. I live in an apartment and do it in 5-gallon buckets. I don't trust straight hay or straw either.

[@theorangetreehomestead6660]

@@wmluna381 Yep thats where I learned about it, David the Good. Great channel

[@DS-bg9fl]

Your honesty is what keeps me coming back. Thanks for showing your mistakes.

[@karen_james]

It’s a good thing you made this video. I am in the process of sourcing out bulk compost for my own garden. I had no idea that mushroom compost could contain salt. Don’t want to end up hurting my garden because I have tons of healthy seedlings that I grew and are ready to be transplanted out into my beds. Thanks for sharing this video. It’s a valuable piece of information. Hopefully things will turn around for you in your new garden Brian. ❤️

[@elizabethelliott5478]

Thank you for sharing your mistake. Yes you are human. I am new to gardening so I have made many mistakes but with your help I finally have things growing. No more black thumb as I used to say. I am still extremely impatient waiting for things to produce vegs, flowers etc. Your videos encourage, inform and teach. Thank you for making it possible for me and so many others have a successful garden.

[@robine916]

When we built my 4x8x2 raised beds, we forgot to put wire fencing or something underneath to prevent critters from digging up from underneath. A new development was being excavated/built behind us, through the woods. Apparently a bunch of rats needed to relocate and rehoused in my grow beds, tunneling under the bottom edge! They ate my potatoes (+) and created a lovely home in the hugelculture of logs, sticks and yard waste I had filled the bottom with. Glad they found a great new shelter with a grocer above! LOL!

[@karenwhitley7211]

There are no mistakes in gardening, only lessons. Some BIG and some small. We learn and move on. Thanks for all you do you are a great person.

[@happysandyh]

Thank you for sharing your experiences - good and bad - as you said they will help us all learn! I'm so sorry you're having these problems and I'll be praying that it resolves quickly and you will have a beautiful and bountiful garden soon!

[@tammybutler44]

Thank you for sharing this with us, Brian. I am not new to gardening, but I am new to watching videos from seasoned gardeners..( LOL, 35 years makes you "seasoned",) Yours is my favorite channel because you are straightforward and honest and I can see how much you love gardening and sharing. I have never grown onions from plants but I want to try that this year if it isn't too late. (I am in zones 5-6). You will make it through the compost catastrophe with ease. I would have been ready to give up gardening altogether! 😊 Please keep sharing because even though I am 66 and have gardened since I was 10, I know there is still a whole lot for me to still learn!

[@janeodom3671]

Thank you for being honest with us new to gardening and trying to learn from you. Question: how do you know if the mushroom compost you are buying in the bags has a high salt content?

[@hannahhodoba1401]

Brian I just want to thank you so much for posting this. I went through almost the EXACT same thing this year. Extremely low/almost nonexistent, slow germination, plants that did germinate were weak, some had no leaves, etc. I’ve been gardening my whole life too and felt like a failure, and then realized the only thing I changed this year was my soil. Thank you for posting and making me realize that I’m not alone and not a total failure.

[@tracycouture3955]

Omg,Blessings. Now I know why nothing is germinating 🤦‍♀️ Thank you so very much for sharing this. I did the exact same thing by getting a load of mushroom manure 😕 And now I know what to do 🥰 Thankfully I used bags of manure in my greenhouse so everything in there is rocking. Sending loving strength and positive energy from B.C. Canada 🙏🌹🌱

[@susiebrown7553]

This my first year of garden beds. Last year we did containers. My husband and I work at home but can only do much on weekends. So since January we have been killing ourselves to be able to plant in Eastern North Carolina. We have always done old-fashioned gardening, tilling, hoe. I had to have an emergency appendectomy a month and half ago. Our last bed will have to wait till fall or spring. I truly feel ya. I got compost and soil. The soil was so sandy, globs of clay and just nasty. I was down hearted but bought big cubes of peet moss and amended it that and most lots of bone meal, blood meal and other foods for my plants. They seem to be doing well with it. I plan on getting more compost next year to add to it. I know you will get back on track. Learn and move on to fix it, is now my garden mantra.

[@tinab7791]

I'm sorry that happened. I'm pretty new to gardening but every setback is like a stab to the heart so I can only imagine how disappointing that is. Thank you for sharing though, I definitely learned something from this.

[@NextLevelGardening]

You're welcome 🙂

[@Dwade6894]

Brian, something my Mom used to tell me when I would go thru painful mistakes: : “Life is the only teacher who does not tell us what lesson we will learn tomorrow”…. You said it right: “you will never make that mistake again”, and that is the purpose of our mistakes: to learn from them.. Luckily the only loss here is time and money. Time cannot be replaced, is gone, lost, but money “can be replaced”… We really appreciate you honesty in sharing your mistake and frustration….That gives us encouragement in our “gardening adventure” and realize that any unexpected issues can happen any time.. the best thing is that even as your feel disappointed, you and your family are in good health and I know you will plant again and we will see you showing us a beautiful garden with all the veggies growing just as expected…. Remember: IF we fall down six times, we will get up SEVEN times…

[@bethdevitt6956]

So sorry to hear this. I know how hard you've been working trying to get things going again. Keep the faith is all I can say you do inspire us all so much.

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you

[@mishkabrownley5039]

I'm so sorry that you are dealing with this. last year was my third year gardening. I poured blood, sweat and tears (not to mention dollars) into building a huge no-dig garden. Turns out that my compost was too hot to plant into and I had exactly the same issues as you described 😭 My beautiful starts all yellowed, stunted and withered away too. It is absolutely soul destroying!! I hope that your plan buys you enough time to get some stuff growing and redeem this season 🙏

[@skittlesrainbowprincess]

I love your honesty! It's missing so much in every aspect of life. Without mistakes we can't learn so thank you 😊

[@stressed365]

Don't get yourself down, I went through many seasons of failure until I saw your channel. Since then I have followed your advice and I have the best tomato harvest since. And yes my neighbors and family are jealous lol.. thank you for everything you do for the community.

[@jeil5676]

Amino pyrelids are a broad leaf plant killer sometimes used on grains including horse or cow food. They can persist through to their manure. Many youtubers have had issues like this including Dowding, David the good etc., who made a couple videos about it. I was unaware of possible salt issues with manure. I suppose one way you could test for this is trying to grow a quick grass vs a bean vs a control, as amino pyrelids shouldnt affect grasses, I think.

[@suzannedavenport6298]

It's not salts from manure. It's salts from the mushroom compost! Here in Chicago several friends, including a landscaper, learned the hard way through 'failure to thrive' in the 2nd year of mushroom compost. We are always telling more friends NO! to mushroom compost.

[@GardeningWarrior]

I truly appreciate your openness,honesty and transparency. These are the main reasons I have watched you for so long. Thank you for sharing this.

[@christijones7814]

Thank you for sharing this Brian. We are new to gardening, this is our 2nd year. We put in a greenhouse last fall and although our nighttime temperatures were still getting into the low 30’s/upper 20’s, the temps inside the greenhouse were in the mid to upper 90’s during the day. I started tomato seeds in solo cups with coco core and perlite as per one of your videos. I watered and put the cups into a “under the bed” type storage container with the lid on. After 10-14 days nothing was happening. Turns out I likely cooked the seeds! ☹️ I started over in peat pods and had them in a container on a heat mat and under a grow light in my garage. They sprouted great and a few days ago I planted them into cups. I’m having to keep my fingers crossed 🤞🏻 that they continue to do well because the day after I replanted them we left for a 2 week trip and I’ve had to entrust them to a friend to water and look after. Hopefully I won’t have to start over a 3rd time! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

[@Brineytoes]

Oh, Brian, I’m so sorry you had this setback, but your honesty is golden. Don’t look back; just forge ahead with the new plan. Everyone who grows anything has things happen beyond their control. I grew up in farm country, and saw hail wreck an entire crop in minutes, floods rotting plants in the fields and severe drought burning up what was a year’s income for a farm family. Planting is always a leap of faith, and sometimes it goes awry, but you will persevere and you will be fine. We do learn more from the craziest unintended consequences or accidents than our successes, and as our teacher, you have given us the gift of knowledge. For that, thank you! Keep growing! 🌱

[@janetdannenmann7310]

Brian, do you test your soil? Maybe a video on doing soil testing would be great for us to see and learn from. I amend my beds and fertilize based on the crop I'm growing in each but never test and know I should. My plan was direct sowing this year because in the last few years our springs in Vancouver WA have been amazing. This year now so much. Go figure.

[@kathrynepaul]

This is what I love about your channel! You are a REAL person and a great teacher. I taught art photography for years and made mistakes so big they are painful to even think about, let alone talk about. But these mistakes in no way diminish the accomplishments; mine, yours, or all your “student’s”. And the biggest accomplishment is the joy you bring to others. I will say a little prayer for you: a little prayer because in the scheme of things it is a little problem we will all learn from.

[@AlvinMcManus]

Bummer about the compost. Our mushroom farms here (five) don't use any horse stall muck so our stuff is pretty awesome. Most give it away year round. Wish I could help you with the salt problem. Dang good video, being real and it goes to credibility and shows that you have that. Too many on social media are all about the superficial. I'm just glad that the gardening channels I follow are real people with real life stuff! Yeah, stuff happens dude and then you move on. Like a friend of mine likes to say, " Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted." (sidebar comment: it's also frequently expensive!) Hang in there Brian, it will work out and we will all learn from it. Bye! ✌

[@alysasankar6974]

A good teacher knows and admits to their mistakes... I appreciate all the things you have taught us

[@TheSpottedBoot]

So sorry you were blind sided with this. I swear my anxiety exponentially increases during garden season. It's stressful to me, like bad dreams kind of stress. I often wonder if it's worth it. So far here, this year, all is well.🤞 Hoping you get it resolved quickly and things get back on track just as quickly. 🙏🏻

[@bjbrown6884]

Hello Donna, try to keep in mind that your garden is a place where anything may happen but the most important thing to happen is that you are connected to the weather and the dirt and hopefully the plants you want. Have flowers mixed in with your food plants so there is beauty amongst the production of food. It's hard work but very rewarding. When I am done I sit back and watch the bees and butterflies doing their job and enjoy what I have done. Gardening is always a challenge so put your gloves on and get dirty, break out in a sweat and grow yourself some food!

[@sbffsbrarbrr]

@@bjbrown6884 I also interplant lots of flowers in my beds. Watching all the pollinators buzzing from plant to plant is one of my favorite things!

[@bjbrown6884]

@@sbffsbrarbrr life at its best!

[@christyw2010]

Almost cried 😢tears💔 for you as you shared your massive disappointment. Boy, life’s lessons can be hard!! I so admire your taking on the challenge of new homestead. Don’t get down!! 🆙⬆️🌻😃 Just look at EVERYTHING that you have done so beautifully!!! I will be praying for your garden and your family’s success. ☀️🪴🌺🙏💕

[@joanies6778]

This is a tough thing to swallow, but it is MOST DEFINITELY a teaching moment. I hope the leaching works for you. I had a small scale incident and had to leach it before anything greened up when I grew my first potatoes in big tubs. The leaves were yellow and it stunted growth. This was disappointing but a learning experience.

[@TheTeknoroker]

You're amazing Brian. We appreciate the transparency. You're experience also teaches us as well. This video is admirable. 👍🌱

[@daviddunagan4185]

This happened to me last year. Planted in fresh compost and had bad germination. Didn't know about the salt issue. Thanks for sharing. Sorry about your setback. 😪

[@warrenzager1170]

Thanks for your honesty. I too had a salt issue with fruit trees, using water from my (salt) water pool during our drought in the southwest usa . It was a flat out stupid move. Best of luck, I look forward to your video's.-W

[@johnl8738]

Sorry to hear about all your hard work. I was always told you had to mix Mushroom dirt with top soil, and never had an issue. Using it for 10 years. Keep pushing forward, sure you will come up with a solution. Thank you for sharing, and your honesty to help all of us, wish more people were like that.

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you 🙂

[@onemoredoll5791]

My local nursery mixes 40 mushroom compost, 40 top soil and 20 sand. I was planning on using 1/3 of that at the bottom of my raised beds and about 10" of mels mix on top of that. Should my seeds be ok?

[@Sherry8172]

DON"T GIVE UP! We learn from our mistakes. Keep the good work going! I so enjoy your honesty and telling us a mistake was made. That takes lots of courage to film yourself and tell us. Thank you for doing so. I have gotten so discouraged and you help me get back up and keep going. It's kinda like learning to walk. If we didn't get back up and try again, we would not be walking.

[@AlpacaRenee]

Thank you for telling us! I’m dealing with similar issues. Off to buy gypsum! Thanks!

[@NextLevelGardening]

You're welcome 😊

[@MelbaSee]

I am so sorry for your setback. I am thankful for your taking the high road and sharing the experience with us instead of trying to hide it like many KZbin channels would have. I often see other channels canning or saying look what came from the garden, yet, we never see that magical garden. Thank you, I could have seen my eager self making this mistake. Good luck on the gig in 3 weeks ❤️🙏

[@debbiep7419]

The best teachers never stop learning themselves.

[@wingrdr21]

So sorry for your loss of your seeds but thank you for keeping us newbies encouraged and informed to just another garden problem to look out for. All the best in the next plant.

[@wendyray6120]

Brian. I'm sorry for this to have happened. I re-listened and heard that the mulch had straw in it from a horse racetrack. I wonder if it is salt in the straw or the straw itself that is causing the problem. If the straw has been treated with aminopyralid, glyphosate, clopyralid, 2-4-D, pyridine, primidineherbicides or Auxinie any of these can also cause similar problems. I know that Jill Winger "Old Fashioned on Purpose" Your Compost May be Killing Your Garden post, and Scott Head " Black Gumbo Southern Gardening" Warning About Hay for Mulch post have dealt with similar issues. Wishing you the best in figuring out what caused the problem and the best ways to correct it. Happy Gardening Wendy

[@75Bigsistr]

It's definitely not wasted effort. Thank you for sharing. I seem to make a new mistake every year. I'm always in awe when things come together and I get a good harvest!

[@nanarose3496]

Oh Brian, my heart hurts for you. It’s so wonderful that you have, as always, been so open and above board and given us the opportunity to learn from this. I think I am going to have to pass on gardening this year…too much happening. I so understand the discouragement you feel. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed. Patience has never been my strong suit. When I pray for patience, I ask for God to give me patience NOW. Sending you, Emilie and Noah love and hugs. ❤️🤗❤️🤗❤️

[@gwendyrose8905]

I'm right there with you on the "patience" concept! :D I tease my mom all the time that, "While patience is a virtue, it's NOT one of mine!" :D hehe Thus part of the reason why I garden. It helps to remind me WHY patience is a good thing. ;) ;)

[@SF-po3ql]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I just came home from picking up mushroom compost from the place near you. Watched your video and realized what happened to my first planting this year. I had gotten compost from there a couple of months ago, mixed it with soil and planted very healthy large veg plants in it. They have been doing very poorly since then. Like you, being new to this home, I thought it is the wind, etc. your video helped so much and I am grateful to have seen it before ruining my next large planting. 🙏🙏🙏

[@prayerwarrior424]

Any recourse for you and Brian from the supplier?

[@kayelarberg7361]

Am VERY discouraged in my garden. I’ve been a gardener for years. I think I bought a bad batch of soil. Everything looks so anemic. Same thing for a friend of mine who bought soil at the same nursery 😢 Your seedlings look like mine.

[@joanies6778]

Two seasons ago I bought organic raised bed & potting soil that I had used for several seasons successfully. I figured out was contaminated because everything potted with it turned yellow. Not all of the bags were that way, but enough to know the difference. I watched another channel where the homesteaders bought a pallette of the same soil. They were so excited to plant tubs filled with this in their new greenhouse. I held my tongue because I thought... maybe a different lot, they may be OK. They were not. I don't know what happened to that brand other than accidental contamination, or not fully composted materials. It happens.

[@joanies6778]

Yes, I had to leach my soil before anything greened up, too.

[@kayelarberg7361]

@@joanies6778 did you use a product or just water water water?

[@joanies6778]

@@kayelarberg7361 Heavily watered. The plants were ALL stunted and yellowed. The potatoes never got big, but they greened up eventually. The rest were in smaller containers, so it was easier to leach and I used fish emulsion for the nitrogen. Once they started growing again, I transplanted them and then they thrived. That pretty much confirmed my suspicions.

[@compmom42]

You are so right, It's gardening. Nothing is guaranteed. Thank you for being transparent. I have been gardening for years and each year is a gamble. I built two new beds last year and filled them with what should have been good raised bed soil and compost. The plants I put in those two beds suffered the entire season. So like you say, we learn. This year I amended the fool out of the beds. So far my Sungold tomatoes (awesome tomato the way!) are producing and growing like crazy. Unfortunately we are destined for 100 degrees here in Texas, so who knows how the plants will do. Always a gamble. We learn, we adapt and we carry on!