Does no-dig growing really work? How To Manage Your Soil!

[@shivajuice]

I’m a fan of everything you have mentioned. I have clay soil in the U.S. I’m an old man. I don’t have 7 years to grow soil. Next door cows provided huge amount. I also added truck loads of wood chips on my 1 and half acre. Yes, I have sinned. Tilled them right into manure and clay soil. Winter Rye held everything in place over Winter. I tilled, hopefully, the last time in Spring. Now I am using a hand shovel like a warm knife through butter. What doesn’t mix ...clay and being old. Respects. Loved your presentation.

[@marissaalonzo7997]

I really appreciate your pros and cons and levelheaded approach. We are in pure clay in the mountains of Colorado arid and cold climate. There are no live worms in our compact clay. There is no soil breakdown at 0% humidity with 10 inches of rainfall a year. I failed with compost, no dig, cardboard and other weed control methods. We had to literally auger holes into the ground, then tractor till the ground AND we have to start plants in a poly tunnel in early spring, then plant into the ground after 6-8 weeks of growth so that their roots can punch through the clay. We have to weed by hand anything that gets by us. We do do mulch at the base of the plant and allow purslane to grow as a ground cover. We do amend our soil with fish oil, molasses etc. Our clay is PH balanced and has high mineral content, so we don't have to amend alot, just right after planting and before flowering. It was great to hear your experiences.

[@mominthe209]

@@marissaalonzo7997 I read or watched, don’t remember, to put oatmeal in the dirt to attract worms. I found some cheap oats and put them on the ground and put hay on top. I was surprised that within a couple of months there were so many worms. Our soil is better and it is clay that will bake like a brick.

[@marissaalonzo7997]

@mominthe209 Thank you for this! What a great idea! I tried mulching by itself and it just fossilized vs breaking down. This should work for both because they oats may mold as well. Good idea 💡

[@levenscott645]

I like the balanced, experience-based information and your clear, non-verbose presentation. Many thanks and good luck.

[@lorellstoneman74]

If you look at your old videos, and now you are getting younger and more refreshed looking with time...you have found your peace of mind..way to go.

[@riki2404]

I am here for the dog😊

[@mariahsmom9457]

Moss is a star! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@taspaddebourgo]

These videos will end up in lectures in agricultural colleges on the subject of sustainable farming. They will name some building in your honour, maybe in Galway. We are all looking forward to your videos on the restoration of the cottage.

[@kitchenworker446]

My grandad had a small holding in Yorkshire and he and his wife (my grandmother ) lived pretty much off the land and my mum and her two sisters and brother grew up with this lifestyle. During his lifetime the railway company decided that they had to have a track running across his land. He had no choice about the matter. However, he got his revenge - he made one of the tracks slightly bent and as the trucks rolled across carrying coal - the small defect he made in the line meant that there was a small bump as the trucks passed over his land. He never bought coal again as of course a small amount of coal would fall from the trucks!

[@sineadmcardle2248]

Same thing happened to my grandparents in Ireland! They weren’t quite as clever as yours to get coal tho! Props to them 😂

[@jameswaterhouse-brown6646]

That’s brilliant

[@ramonexs9bm769]

thats a great example of "improvise, adapt, overcome"

[@crossnthistle]

Amazon prime members have an unlimited supply of cardboard! 😂

[@flatsville1]

Admire your practical approach. Not all methods work in all enviroments under all circumstances. Recently had a crazy conversation with someone who thought you could grow a field of wheat using woodchips.

[@marthameadows9013]

Excellent tutorial. Give Moss a hug from me. He's a great digger. Blessings

[@tk3326]

Literally the kindest face I've ever seen. Ever.

[@mariahsmom9457]

💯

[@lisakilmer2667]

Very nice, instructive "Intro to Gardening" type video. I was taught by my mother-in-law, who turned barren red clay into a rich, highly-productive, organic, small vegetable plot for a family of 9. The first thing she taught us was to toss away the shovel and use a mattock for the first soil turning (we have dark, rich clay like yours). It's really good that you are telling people that "no-dig" can be a myth, because soil structure is the key to success.

[@jamesreynold6711]

Important distinction to make between no dig and no till Good video - one I always come back to

[@idahogardengirl942]

I really enjoyed this video! About 20 years ago I bought a small tiller like the one you have. The house that I had just moved into had just been built. There was no landscaping whatsoever and heavy equipment had driven across the soil many times. The soil was heavy clay and thus it was compacted heavy clay! Like tilling through bricks, but I managed to get it ground up. I added bales of peat and bags of well rotted manure. My first year garden was not that great. I added homemade compost in the autumn and by the next Spring, the soil seemed not to need tilling. I kept thinking, "I must be doing something wrong! I am supposed to be tilling the soil every year!" But all I did was rake the soil out of the paths and into beds, and then plant. I kept the same beds and paths from then on and my garden did really well with just additional compost and leaves added to the top of each bed every autumn! I sold the tiller and haven't missed it. I had no idea I was practicing no-dig gardening, but that is what it is. Thank you again for the video!

[@Starlight22215]

I'm a no dig but I had to dig to get beds in the first place and remove stones, bricks and general rubbish. I do love hoeing it's so relaxing so I hoe the top off of the weeds I don't pull out. It works well in my experience as long as you mulch. I add grass cuttings and the contents of my chickens coops. I'm sure that adds seeds but as I like hoeing it's not been a problem. I now have polytunnel envy. 😎

[@ogadlogadl490]

I watch the commercials to help get you that 10 cents. The lady in your life is extremely lucky. Beautiful videos, thank you

[@holdmyyarn]

That dog is a love pit. You can give it everything you’ve got, and he wants more🥰🐕

[@flowerchild7820]

I wish I could be touching soil in Ireland. TC, stay safe, healthy and happy ❤️☘️☘️☘️☘️❤️

[@davidevans3175]

So happy to see you. My favorite YT channel.

[@robertmedzai8163]

Good video again Mossy, I have watched loads of videos about gardening here on KZbin but if I'm honest people have made gardening TOO COMPLICATED. I'm 56 yrs old and before I came to Ireland I always had a garden to work in . I had a small vineyard too up in the hills in Hungary. I always dug my gardens by hand how my dad taught me and would never change that method . Manure from animals is always the best but home made can be great too . Back in England I used to take away all the waste from the fruit & veg shops near us they and put it in bins to rot away then dig it into our garden once ready . I used to sell the extra veg to my neighbours for a bit of pocket money . I like the fact that you were honest in this video . Mossy that machine you have in your hands is rubbish it's like a tooth pick in that garden . My relative had 1 made for me it had a 50cc motor bike engine on it and the blades were a meter wide , it had 3 gears but I could only use 1st and that was a job to hold it back. Ye to be honest digging the garden over is the best as long as you use manure or compost and for clay soils you need ash and some sand to mix in . I don't know about you but i've notice that everything as in vegetables are generally getting smaller in the shops and what used to be the normal size is getting called extra large which is a joke . Keep up the vids they're great.

[@biulaimh3097]

Congratulations on everything you have achieved and thanks for these videos.

[@melindastclair]

Your hair is looking great!

[@gsdbellaoneone9325]

Soooooooo glad you posted this! Thank yoouuu! I've got compacted clay garden soil and wasn't convinced about how to improve it until I saw this.

[@andymancan6476]

Very good! Many very good points and a well thought out and refreshing analysis. You cover issues that most no dig people avoid which is very helpful. Thanks

[@jasonhatfield4747]

I did my first no dig garden this year and so far, it's worked okay. I used a compost that ended up not being the best quality and things were kind of slow to take off. However, now that we're in mid-July, things are growing quite well. I think next year will be even better since the soil will have had time to fully mature and will be amended with new compost as well.

[@lesliewatts2878]

This is an excellent video...….it all begins with soil. I have a roto tiller, a Mantis. With the soil type in my current garden, it is useless in that it pulverizes the soil. Creates a flour like consistency. One month after using it the soil level drops two inches. For the last two to three years, like you, I have been using the log handled, 4 tined fork with wide tines, inserting, moving it back and forth, covering all with an inch or two of compost and lightly raking it over the surface. The compost drops down the holes 6 to 8 inches deep. Structure isn't destroyed. Wonderful ! Thanks again. Continued success to you.

[@diane5522]

I really love your videos, it’s always a treat when one pops up. They are the happiest videos on you tube 🙂

[@rainbowpony3999]

Hi, I stumbled over your vid and was hypnotized by your kind eyes and positive energy. I also admire your love and enthusiasm for creating something beautiful. Also you are speaking from my soul. I am planning to buy a piece of land in the next weeks and live in a caravan with solar and rainwater collection. All the best to you. Love from Austria 🌼, Nicole

[@soniarose1387]

Very interesting! Love the idea of more videos on permaculture, thanks ❤️🙏

[@soniarose1387]

Oh btw, I am a huge fan of the no-dig method and of the person you mentioned who is huge on KZbin 😁

[@magicsupamoggie]

I was so excited to see your new video. I can’t wait to see the next one. Love to you and Moss and all the other animals.

[@dmk_games]

Dowding tries to make it clear in his videos that not dig just means to minimise soil disruption. E.g. he specifically mentions in many videos that you have to dig out woody perennial weeds for new beds.

[@guyjulius8078]

I would have a blast in your garden. So peaceful

[@KolyaV]

Excellent no-nonsense experienced-based information.

[@Greennoob2]

This is so interesting. I'm in no way a farmer but I'd love to keep hearing about the Irish geography. I'm finished my leaving cert and i don't know where else to find this kind of content. it's very unique

[@SC-fk9nc]

Thanks for the info! Moss is such an affectionate doggy.

[@zenden6584]

I just love all your videos I get excited when I see a new one pop up 💚

[@1Phedre]

Your hair is so beautiful nowadays! 😁

[@pureenergy5136]

Maybe from all that healthy air and organic nutrition....

[@summersun3745]

🤣🤣🤣

[@tomthumb2062]

Yes I was just thinking that 😀

[@jigsey.]

Most beautiful hair on KZbin

[@sarahstrong7174]

Its the spring water!

[@pureenergy5136]

It was curious at first until the tutorial went on... Then I just felt overwhelmed and exhausted. And I'm not even the one doing the digging tilling ploughing weeding collecting carting planning prepping or planting... Just listening and watching. Good on you guy, you're definitely a keen and hard worker. Thanks for the info. And Moss is sweeeeet. The place is so green and lush. There's something very exciting and beautiful about that. You planted clover!? And have grass that's growing and blooming pink!? With some untamed kale mixed in!? Nice... I like that. Besides being great nitrogen fixers...is clover edible? OK I won't keep you. But I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Very informative entertaining and refreshing... And a bit thrilling.... Literally Cottage Country in the Old Country... ;-).

[@frankkoenig1411]

@@marygunning5121 Sorry but Clover is edible for humans. It's not the best wild edible out there but the flowers are very nice in salad especially if you pick them early in the season before the bees get to them. Clover btw. is in the pea family.... Also some other weeds mentioned in the video are edible like Nettle (one of the most nutrious plants on the planet) and Thistle as well Dandelion and Chickweed. All cultivated plants that we grow these days have their ancestors in the wild and it's well worth knowing them....

[@therealtoni]

Gardening well is very hard work!! That's why most of us only putter a bit! Do what you can and you'll be happy

[@thisorthat7626]

@@frankkoenig1411 Yes, we should learn to embrace "weeds" and eat the edible ones since nature is providing free food. Clover jelly is great! I was thinking if Daniel ate the nettles, he wouldn't be as unhappy with them growing in his garden. Pigs work too. Cheers!

[@xyzsame4081]

@@frankkoenig1411 Clover is beloved by bees.

[@xyzsame4081]

you could set up one raised bed. Or only one small garden bed. Borders ! (wooden planks for instance) watch a Charles Dowding video how to set up a no dig bed and keep down weeds. He explains it well. Daniel did not follow the method to a T. And he gets more rain so that may promote the weeds. There is also squarefoot gardenening. A small area but tightly planted. Different plants so pests have it harder. and no space left for weeds.

[@SonniReign]

We've got the same soil type and conditions (weeds up to our shoulders in heavy clay soil) ... We are growing spuds in the weeds we cleared (piled up) working perfectly ! - getting a crop from pioneering raised bed mounds ... We've found that if we dig up weeds (with roots) - we get more coming back than if we snip them off just beneath the surface (leaving the roots behind) . Apparently this is because weeds (as we call them) are actually triggered to grow by digging as they are the soils first line of defence when exposed by the removal of whatever plants were growing in it . Our soil is really well structured though as it had 8 years without agriculture for the worms to create their caverns within it . I'll never dig or leave soil bare ever again for any plant - just grow carrots in deep raised beds full of compost ! - works amazingly ! Get rid of that rotivator ! U don't need it ! Digging generates weeds, breaks fungal networks and causes soil erosion - digging (tilling / ploughing) is humanities greatest act of vandalism against nature - what were we thinking ?? Probably not very hard . The Greeks grew in raised beds and word on the street is that they had thinking nailed ... oh and we're moving now to agroforestry / forest gardening - tending seeds and planting (year after year) is so last century ! ... all the best fella . X 😁

[@xyzsame4081]

Charles Dowding recommends that as well in one of his videos - Title weeding in a no dig garden or something like that. Borders around the beds and exhausting the weeds if they keep creeping in from the side. He does try to uproot them if he can, but if they have extensive root systems, he doesn't bother. It has to use extra energy to cover the distance and he says consistency is key. It is not much work once you are set up, but every time they shoot up you take it away and that exhausts the roots over time, they give up ;) he got rid of most of the weeds in year one and one super persistant one needed another year when he developed an adjacent plot he was able to buy.

[@sashawilkinson6978]

Thank you for those tips, I was really struggling with the no dig method and now I really understand why ❤️

[@sangeetakalani5522]

Extremely important information regarding soil.Such an important aspect of eco system restoration.

[@DianeD862]

Will be watching tonight after a busy day doing our own garden .We watch mossy and your self for any tips we've picked up a lot .We love your videos and channel we love Ireland all so we like to see what are up to you've been our saviour in time of lock down so thank you for all you do . Peace to you both Diane Colinxxxx 🙏🙏🙏 🙏🙏🙏 🌈 🌈🌈

[@wonderwhy6133]

I love seeing your hard work for years is paying up! I’ve been following you since the beginning. Your cottage and the surrounding where you live is heavenly! God bless & take care from Hong Kong ❤️ Where your beautiful dog??? He’s so handsome 👍

[@martinfletcher6250]

This video has perfect timing for me as I am just about to take over some land

[@fionagrows1848]

Thanks! It’s great to hear both sides of the argument for “dig” and “no dig” . I’ve come to pretty much the same conclusion as yourself. There’s really no need to hold , militantly, to one method or the other....a bit of a mix of methods works well for me!

[@katipohl2431]

Here in Germany we have around 39 different types of worms in the soil. The compost worms Eisenia foetida and E. hortensis are living in different ecosystems than the other worms and will not survive in an average soil. When I took over a garden on sandy soil this year I mulched with cardboard for three months, removed the cardboard and then put vermicompost on top of the dead weeds. Now I digged small holes planted seedlings inside and covered with a modern material (permeable foil which allows air and water to circulate but prevents weed growth, durable for 20 years). Everything is growing fine.

[@flatsville1]

Can you please provide a link to the permeable foil? Thanks in advance.

[@xyzsame4081]

10:30 Bordes (Charles Dowding talks about no dig and the importance of borders, wood boards). I would have used less manure maybe but would have grown something right away - maybe rye or barley as cover crop. Animals can eat it. Or oats. If the manure is too intense - well then it becomes green manure. Or I would have just thrown on a highly robust cover crop or something that grows like a weed. Could be tompinambur. Or a robust pea, or a mix of grasses. Comfrey as cover (it also grows wildly so it can outcompete the weeds. I seem to remember that John Seymour detected that method. Plant topinambur, drive in the pigs, let them uproot it, if you do that 2 years in a row it costs the weeds a lot of energy. You exhaust their roots.

[@veronicabalfourpaul2288]

Your place is beginning to look established and productive. So impressed!

[@nancymathisen9707]

I bought a house with, unbeknownst to me, enormous quantities of landscape fabric and black plastic buried under a ton of mulch. There was an electric dog fence wire buried all around the perimeter under plastic. There were multiple layers of plastic and mulch sandwiched between, topped of course by mulch in every bed, and pathways too. I wouldn’t have bought this property had I known I’d be pulling up plastic for a year and more, but I remind myself that I’m here to restore this bit of ground to fertility, verdancy, and the accumulation of organic matter.

[@noproblem2big337]

I was just thinking about mossy bottom recently and here comes a new video, great content 👍

[@Alexandre-cr2if]

lots and lots of great and usefull information. Perfect!

[@englishrose4388]

Thank you for your candid thoughts on no dig. I have clay, and very established grass, so…this broke my heart (or is it my back?) that didn’t want to dig. But you saved me time in the long run… The part of Moss digging on command cracked me up.

[@ukqwerty999]

love the vids mate, your doggie loves you so much, he gave the camera an amusing sideways look in this one "not this again" ❤️

[@bradlafferty]

Best summary of no till, forking, and tilling a new garden space I’ve ever heard. Thank you! I’m going to place my compost beneath the soil as you did, as well. Go, roots!

[@suecordingley538]

This is great to know, I’ve just got myself an allotment and I have been digging. I am going to try a small no dig bed as well to see how it goes 🙂

[@BenniLkitchengarden]

Very interesting content. Thank you. I’m looking forward to your next video.👍

[@suzannewalsh72]

We have one of those Organic Tillers too, he's the reason the veg garden is sectioned off from his own area 🙄🤣 You may want to look into using Japanese Daikon Radishes as cover crops too. Planted in July, Minowase are a great crop as they are slower growing, go upto 24 inch deep, are frost hardy... I've seen them being dug out of a couple of foot of snow... and they pull up nutrients usually locked away from other plants. They are great food for us, wonderful roasted, in soups, but also great for animals too, so your pigs should love them. Left in the ground though, they act as a soil improver, most especially for clay soils, bringing in much needed organic matter, and air :)

[@Cate7451]

Ha ha. Read this many times before I got it.

[@xyzsame4081]

in the U.S. daikon radish is sown by planes as a big ag cover crop. The large fields are likely compacted from the machines (I assume they use a little different seeds they are not meant for food but left in the soil to decompose, but a gardener could work with the regular seeds that are more easily available ). Cotswold Seeds sells seeds to UK farmers for Green manure and cover crops, and they do webinars (see youtube) also interesting for a gardener. They of course cover daikon radish which is as staple for soil loosening, but also recommend chicory for deep, deep losening. That is a perrenial it needs 2 years. And mixed cover crops.

[@xyzsame4081]

Daikon radish can also be fermented, and it is good raw on bread and butter with a little salt - like the radishes. Or grated as a sald (like kohlrabi).

[@msbauer1687]

I am so enjoying your experiments and experiences. Thank you for sharing 🥰

[@ladylexiea3084]

I have watched u from the beginning. Lovely to see you looking so healthy and content. All u need now is a partner to share your life with and you have Nirvana! Bravo. Thanks for all the info.

[@upendasana7857]

why assume someone needs a partner ? maybe some people just don't want or need one...I mean maybe he does but its pretty presumptuos to say such a thing

[@ladylexiea3084]

@@upendasana7857 yes maybe. Nothing wrong with wishing someone the fullness of life.

[@billieh.5938]

Great information, thank you.

[@veemcg3682]

Moss is like our Springer spaniel Snoopy. Isn't it nice to be loved unconditionally! I needed to hear all about no-dig because I had the same difficulties on my clay soil. Maybe I'll get a rotavator/tiller. Please show more of the pigs and other livestock. Thanks

[@colly1952]

Some people likely won't like this comment, but this is not to put down this wonderful young man. But I just can't stop myself here. First, second, third, etc... are adverbs deriving from their respective number, and as such do not need the suffix "ly". I've noticed that most young people and a lot of older ones make the same mistake. It just seems to grate in my ears. But young man, appart from that, I just love to watch your videos as it has been my life long dream to live the kind of life you live.

[@joellesharples4762]

Hello Daniel. The way I was told (Geoff Lawton) to do no dig gardening using cardboard was to soak the cardboard very well before laying it. It makes all the difference to kill the weeds. Over the weeds I place worms and compost to help the worms establishing themselves. Then the cardboard being wet it is easy the place many layers. I soak it a while in a wheelbarrow. Then more compost and mulch. For planting I make a whole in the cardboard to help the roots. When the crop is finished I do the same again over what is left. After 2 or 3 seasons there is a few centimetres of top soil. My soil a pure clay I am sure I can use the clay straight for pottery. Thank you

[@joellesharples4762]

I get the cardboard and shredded paper for free from the local school.

[@Brisbanegardener]

I agree with you... about no dig on year 1 of gardening. Still struggling

[@OrtoInScatola]

This was definitely one of the best videos on the topic! As usual you never disappoint, my friend. Having a very clay soil as well I have had the same exact experience as you did. You did forget to mention one of the major benefits of no dig which is that it gives the ability To do succession interplanting using better the growing season. I gave up on doing all the hard work you did and decided to use raised beds, since I don’t grow as large of a space as you do, but now I have the issue that the good soil is leaking out of the beds from the bottom and from the sides and I need to keep refilling the beds a lot every year. On top of that the beds when untreated do not last very long and being timber quite expensive they make the whole ordeal quite expensive. I still enjoy doing gardening but I wanted to share my cons as well. Take good care of yourself!

[@MissGretch14]

When you started talking about your potato crop I got really distracted by your doggo, and the way it was gazing at you with a look of total admiration, so I had to rewind! What an amazing companion you have there

[@veemcg3682]

I'm so relieved to hear your experience with no dig as my brother and I have struggled in our garden. Our heavy clay just doesn't seem to respond to the method. We are gardening in Northern Ireland and at present have a lovely big black and white Springer spaniel and are thinking about chickens but I don't expect them to be helpful in the garden

[@xyzsame4081]

Broadforks. And planting daikon radish for a season. Maybe it is a harvest and maybe it is only soil improvement (leaving it in the soil to rot). Big holes and worm fodder. Chicory is even better. The guys of Cotswold Seeds claim it even goes through hard underground that is clay. But it needs 2 years. Of course one could interplant to not lose one or two years.

[@iwonahunter3350]

I have also tried "no dig" technique on my plot. Card bords and old juta rugs + soil on a top of that. Next I have sown mustard to provide quick nitrogen fix. It was a disappointment. My plot is a small field size wise like yours situated amongst the pastures. Grass self seeded everywhere and supressed mustard seedlings plus the old covered roots grew into the new plants. Enough to say, I no longer use this method. I believe it may on the allotments but not on an exposed site E.g. a field. Thank you for sharing your experience.👍

[@lynnfomison3935]

I am sure this will be really helpful to people on clay soil. I gardened on clay for 16 years. Hard labour. But on good loam for the last 37, 10 years no dig. Wish I had known about no dig in 1968! Really well made video. Will look forward to watching more. I can always keep learning...

[@tamitng]

Your gardens look great! 🍀

[@valoriesmith8875]

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you. After 4 years of a very poorly producing garden in clay soil, this old woman finally had decided to break down and rototill one time. Will get someone to do that for me, then compost/manure heavily and be ready to plant in the spring. So glad for the confirmation!!

[@Oceancurve]

Fantastic and informative video on your experience with no dig. Really enjoyed that one and the place looks great.

[@katana2665]

He's back!

[@nullset560]

What luscious, flowing locks! Most be something in the soil

[@Starlight22215]

The no dig person you didn't mention who's garden I have visited is just a few miles from me. His site is flat. It used to be a market garden so previously tilled at some point. He adds amongst other things £400 worth of sterile mushroom compost plus manure. Outside of most people's budget. He makes over £12k on salads alone so he compares commercial to domestic. It's difficult to replicate that on a small site and make it viable. My field is on a hill, over an old coal mine, covered in rocks, stones and broken buildings. It's lovely soil once you find it. It's also inaccessible to vehicles so I can't have deliveries of compost and manure. I try to follow no dig principles but with my own twist and available resources. Now I have fork envy. Where did you buy the fork? I want one in my life.

[@xyzsame4081]

Raised beds ? (- if trraces ar possible) containers / buckets ? with a turned around bottle to seep out water so you do not have to water all the time ? Adan Jones in Wales grows hte potatoes in buckets and has lots of raised beds (it is too wet). Huw Richards had a video.

[@cynthialouw2970]

Agreed. Have to dig out certain weeds and grass before start!

[@mikeash7428]

Good gardening tips. Thank you.

[@wobblybobengland]

Creeping buttercup is pretty much common here in Germany where it is called Kriechender Hahnenfuß, it just loves damp so that's probably why its very common in Ireland.

[@kawaiikoi1777]

what a sweet dog :) ... I really want to visit/ living in Ireland!!!! also your voice is very soothing (is that weird to say).

[@Cate7451]

He does have a soothing voice.

[@alexandraborscork6269]

I also have clay soil and use the no dig to start with. I had fresh horse manure which I layered as you did and stamped on well after watering. It ended up 30cm high, nextto it we kept adding wood shacings and cardboard on the path to bring it up to at least half the level of the bed which received after the manure an additional 10 cm of compost. I had good yields - as you say weeds kept coming up and I had to look and pull byhand the ones coming through. The path had fairy more weeds and we kept putting cardboard and wood shavings or wood chips. it went ok because we persisted adding once a month cardboard and shavings on the path and on the sides of the beds where the coverage was lower and weeds did get through. I had no brambles... Got some lovely carrots rooted right through the clay (my horsepoo and compost disappeared literally in a year

[@PaulLadendorf]

Thanks for the vid. I love the non-dogmatic and balanced view on roto-tilling and agree wholeheartedly. Roto-tilling has its place. A couple questions. 1. I assume you do chop and drop with the cover crops. Is that right? Also, what do you use for mulch over winter?

[@bristolveggiebeds5310]

Very sensible approach.

[@BacktonaturelivingCom]

Up here on our Rocky Mountain Homestead, we also have hard clay soil with about an 8.0 ph level. I use the no-dig methods as described by Charles Dowding and have had phenomenal success... You had mentioned that you are to lay down cardboard and put compost on top of the cardboard and plant directly into to compost... that is not prescribed by Charles Dowding. He states that all seedlings are to be planted directly into the soil below the cardboard/compost and never directly into the compost since the compost is only for weed suppression and fertility and has no hold in it. Plant roots need direct contact with soil and the mycorrhizal fungi network that is only available in soil. My plants have had no problems whatsoever in penetrating the hard clay and finding what they needed to grow into large, very productive plants. I use a drip-tape system of irrigation which really helps the transplants to gain a good root hold into the soil... I hope you will give no-dig another try... It really does work well with hard clay soil... BTW - digging soil actually releases carbon into the atmosphere...no-dig methods prevent this issue...

[@DriverDean]

Ummm...I just watched charles dowding teach exactly what you said he didn't...here is the link to prove it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zn2rZ2CtapyGotk. Laying down cardboard and planting right into the compost!

[@a4000t]

@@DriverDean you are right,exactly what Charles does. it works well.

[@atroutflycrazy8057]

Very glad to have found your channel and welcome to Ireland 😊 You have answered all my questions on no dig excellently. As you said it depend on your soil conditions , i like the idea of no dig but with a heavy clay garden that hasnt been touched in yrs i think the 1st yr 2 will need the spade. A great point you mentioned about plants toppling over due to lack of root depth. No dig n alot of rich manure method the roots dont need to search for nutrients. Its prob a down side to it depending on the plant your growing. Im sure theres a happy medium between the two methods.

[@xyzsame4081]

It is possible that Ireland is super weed friendly (so they come back after having been covered for 1 year) because it rains so much.

[@sarahstrong7174]

Thankyou for sharing.

[@michaelmcclafferty3346]

My allotment had weeds three feet high three years ago when I took it on. After setting out the beds , my wife and I dug out the weeds. Thankfully, it was sandy soil but like Daniel said, nettles root systems underground everywhere. Since then we have used a no- dig approach which is hugely successful. I don't regret it. The only downside is you need lots of compost. We have three huge bins made out of pallets. You couldn't make compost for a plot of an acre or so. Good video Daniel , thanks, and a wise choice to buy a scythe when you first moved there.

[@cynthialouw2970]

Thanks for your explanations and sharing your experiences. I love Mossy dogs interaction too!

[@christopherswainson371]

Great video, Daniel, if your dog goes missing you will know he is in safe hands with me!! He's just gorgeous. Re-mineralising the soil with volcanic dust could be worth a mention, Thanks a lot, and good luck, Adam

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

I had the same experience laying the cardboard barrier. My soil is a loamy glacial till, right full of stones. I agree with you on digging the perennial weeds out first. I just need to lay compost on top after the initial weed (and large stone) extraction.

[@dyamellecastilleja3103]

I am starting new plots on old farm land. Used to be alfalfa. There seems to be some root systems left in the ground, random too. No dig would not work for me, especially trucking out the compost 20miles out of town. It's always easy to recommend no dig but like you said some of these people just have it good with compost on tap. Thanks for the forking idea, I got a small tiller to work in manure, the little bit I could afford, into the ground. I don't feel I'm getting deep enough, now I know it's well enough if I fork the rest. It's not hard rock clay soil but it's pretty firm. Was in raised bed last year and it just wasn't enough room so big ground plots it is this year. Again thanks for the advice. Very clear.

[@sweetpeapumpkin1923]

Very informative video. So jealous of what your doing. Stay the course. You will be better for it in the long run.

[@tmyersf4]

Great video. Yes the enormous amount of compost needed for no dig isn't practical for most gardeners starting out. Thanks for discussing some of these myths.

[@jenniferbasiji8654]

Have you considered writing a book? You know so much! Thanks for the great advice and clarity of thought!

[@petejohnstone9564]

well presented and useful video, thanks

[@2gooddrifters]

My first year with no dig and I have had amazing harvests. My compost was mainly leaf mold from the massive trees in my garden. I couldn't have done it any other way. Now have lots of good compost.

[@sebastianconrad6142]

Very interesting and enjoyable - thank you. 🌱

[@taraann7753]

Patience is a virtue, you must have loads but I see your little homestead taking shape, all seems to be going well, this is the wettest Summer I can remember, let’s hope we will have a better Autumn.🙄.

[@Cate7451]

I planted things in pots so I can move them into the garage. It's never fully warmed up here so might be an early onset of fall/winter.

[@taraann7753]

Cate7451..It has been a very disappointing Summer and it’s quite cool as well, I think we had our Summer in June all five days of it.. Hope you have luck with your pots.

[@jhadesdev9576]

Thank you for the update, Mossy Bottom is looking awesome. I know you have some much on your plate, but I'm really looking forward to: 2 year updated garden tour, update on the selling point for vegetables, update on the cottage and granary, general life update and plans for the future year. That strawberry wine looks like a delicacy, enjoy the awesome life outdoors I wish I could live in a place like that. Maybe one day I will. Thanks for sharing.

[@johnroddy8756]

Has been a Education Well done

[@xyzsame4081]

"Moss is probably out there terrorizing my new ducklings" lol - he has to show them their place, he is the highest ranking pet on the smallhold. And they better get used to being herded, if his human friend does not provide any sheep to herd, the birds will have to suffer it ;)