How to Transform Bad Soil Into Good Soil

Good soil is necessary for garden success and gardeners can easily transform poor soil with free material and time. Gardener Scott shows how he uses a large amount of organic matter like leaves, pine needles, grass, manure, and wood chips to begin creating good garden soil. (Video #322)
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[@carltaylor4942]

Five years ago my garden was a pile of builder's rubble and clay, baked by the sun in the south of Spain. I adopted a no dig approach and piled dead leaves, cardboard, kitchen waste and green leaves on top. I planted mustard as a cover and kept cutting it down before it flowered. After two years I planted beans and potatoes. It's now a thriving vegetable garden. No dig, no chemicals.

[@nesq4104]

Really. I'm encouraged. My yard was covered by artificial grass for well over a decade until I bought it. I just pulled it up to plant trees which suffer from deficiencies. The first thing I did was keep the dead leaves on top. So I'm encouraged by your outcome that in a few years things will be better

[@NoelMantes]

Just wow I had also clay soil

[@verawallace9055]

Thanks for the advice I will be dumping a lot of stuff there from now on

[@carltaylor4942]

@@nesq4104 - It takes a while and of course you have to remove any stones and level the area but within a couple of years it starts to recover.

[@carltaylor4942]

@@verawallace9055 t takes a while and of course you have to remove any stones and level the area but within a couple of years it starts to recover.

[@shineyrocks390]

Paul Guatschi said "as we get older our body begins to break down and we don't want to work as hard anymore, the best thing about this is as I decrease the garden is constantly increasing making my work load easier and my harvest amazing" Back to Eden and also hours and hours of watching Paul. Scott is going back to Eden 😁

[@arnoldreiter435]

i have what appears to be the same poor soil that you have. my first attempt to improve soil was with expensive bags of garden soil, peat moss and compost mixed in with the south central montana prairie dirt. Then i went with raised beds and brought in amended top soil, this worked better but again was expensive. This summer i used my pickup to haul in feed lot manure and wood chips. They have been sitting quietly in my back yard and today, after watching this i am motivated to use this system. A neighbor has plenty of pine needles and leaves that i can pick up, he has been filling his greens garbage can all fall and still has dozens of bags that he is happy to give me........thanks for the timely video. Now to the grunt work......lol

[@carltaylor4942]

Probably too late for you but just to warn people that pine needles can turn your soil acidic and kill other plants.

[@simplifygardening]

Great way to build quality soil scott. love this video shows that it doesn't matter who you are there is no excuse to have poor soil. Sorry wasn't on live but the kids and I all have Corona and in lockdown

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks, Tony. Sorry to hear that your family is stricken. I hope you recover soon.

[@brianseybert2189]

Hang in there, hope all goes well.

[@riverdalegardens544]

My family went through it last March. Strong Tony! Positive waves heading your way

[@johnjude2685]

Tony I've have a handicap wheelchair bound son also wife had 3 foot surgery and the week she got the last surgery all got covid and I was almost all the help for several weeks at meat at 70 years we were weak dizziness and I'm lucky we didn't want to eat ,Popsicles was or power food. Prays sent and good luck with your family to.

[@conniedavidson1807]

I see Mala is becoming a big help in preparing the bed. It's always best to teach them when they are young.....haha.

[@brianseybert2189]

Did the same thing 2.5 years ago in what is now a very productive potato bed. Once again, great advice Scott.

[@empresskimberly4410]

Your dog was in heaven with all the scents🤣

[@melissab8500]

I just did this last fall, the plants are loving it

[@carltaylor4942]

Fabulous! Happy 4 U.

[@kittiew260]

Very good video. Loved your pup trying to help or play. He reminded me of a little kid seeing leaf piles 😉

[@paulelliott7373]

Definitely enjoyed seeing the co-star. Kind of reminded me of my granddog🐶

[@johnjude2685]

Having a "garden shovel " now for my last 2 seasons is a complete turnover in my rocky clay base hard packed suburban yard..I did great improvements in my garden like you are showing. But wish I had the foresight to start 3 years back with cover crops.Your garden will be nice.

[@mthokozisisomblaq6503]

I have the very same rocky hard yard... How did you fix yours?

[@mindypereda9660]

I have started 2 medium Ed's just like this. Wasn't sure I was doing it right. So happy to see yours. Thanks for all you teach me.

[@samartinez1988]

"It turns all your bad feelings into good feelings."

[@nates2526]

Good tip with the pine needles to reduce wind blowing off the leaves! I’ll have to give it a try. My technique has been to lay cattle panel trellises on top of the leaf covered beds, but I have been trying to find a better solution.

[@FloridaGirl-]

Super dooper vid ! I am all about cardboard! I save big sheets and cut down boxes I’ve ordered things from. I think of the earlier years when I would hand dig all the grass off etc! I have been doing this for years. And it is so successful! That pile is going to be awesome even by next summer! I do the same and just keep layering and looking for any free resources I can get my hands on in big volume, so I can continue to layer and compost! You are super good in explaining. “It’s all about the soil”. You should have that on one of your Tshirts! You are my favorite gardening channel. Because you are such a good teacher, and you get straight to it! 👍 Thanks for all your great info! It’s nice watching your garden grow! 👍

[@xikano8573]

Gardner Scott, you're my hero! 👏🏽

[@tpen891]

My Christmas present this year is a Vac/Mulcher for my garden. We have a lot of leaves and I plan on using them in my garden in the years to come. However, I do need to have my soil tested.

[@stebarg]

Thanks for sharing, Scott! :) As long as we can get organic material as a waste, we can make great soil.

[@kmiller6002]

I'd love to see what you end up with Gardener Scott... Can't wait. Mala was trying her darnedest to help 😉😉🙏🙏 Kendra

[@kevinbossick8374]

I just started doing this in a bed at work. I am using leaves with dirt mixed in, and grass clippings. All of this would of been put in the trash bin. I am trying to have it ready by spring. Keeping it wet and mixed every now and then. Letting it decompose in place. About three weeks in, and it is coming along well.

[@cindynielson4231]

Great video! Thanks for explaining the difference of using cardboard over weed fabric. 👍🌱

[@johnjude2685]

Bad soil, don't it matter what it is to grow? Yes I to prefer the loamy top soil as you are improving towards. Thanks for your teaching

[@thenaturalhuman9568]

Our soil is almost all clay, there’s earthworms though so im hoping it’s not too bad..

[@practicingpreparedness100]

If you have worms your doing good , my soil is so hard it bends shoveles .. and nothing lives in it

[@stixglass8442]

Weed cloth is bad! As a Landscaper I've ripped up tons of weed fabric. Im always amazed at how dead, compacted and weird smelling the dirt is. Even though on top of the fabric the mulch is breaking down to a nice humus. Its an unnatural separation, and honestly sad to see how dead the dirt is.

[@vcvcvc9216]

Would love to see a one year update video on how the patch is looking! I know it wouldn't be fully ready by then but I'm hoping to do this to a particularly baren patch in my yard and would love to have a metric to see if it's working.

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks. I am planning some videos on soil and will try to fit that in.

[@heidiclark6612]

Cool project! I look forward to watching the progress of this area.

[@thomaswilmoth757]

Long time lurker of your channel and podcast. Can’t wait to see your updates , I have a similar lasagna style site in my garden going . Your content is great and I think some of the best on KZbin. Thank you for your contributions and gardening inspiration.

[@eliandkate]

It'll be really interesting to see how your bed progresses. We've had to do the same thing in our garden but fro. The opposite end. Our soil is very heavy clay, which is great for nutrition but given the rainfall we see, not great for drainage.

[@ColoradoTodd]

At least pine needles are easy to come by in Colorado! I agree with them as a wind guard - I use them in several of my beds as a top mulch for just that reason, and I pile them over some of my less hardy roses (and rosemary) since they're not as likely to blow away. Side note: I hope you get some snow tonight. Your forecast looks about the same as mine farther north, so it's a roll of the dice... So tired of this crazy dry season!!!

[@ColoradoTodd]

Ack! All we got was a dusting...

[@GardenerScott]

Looks like the snow will pass us by. Maybe a dusting later. :(

[@rickthelian2215]

You may of considered putting coffee grounds on the lowest level, if possible mixing it in with the poor soil, as it helps with water retention as poor soils don’t absorb the water, this is where the coffee grounds work in holding moisture as the also break down.

[@hugelpook]

Such sweet dogs, coming to help. Mine does the same when I sweep.

[@jenbajackson]

Love the garden helper. Great tips.

[@Benham_Design]

I can't wait to see your design thoughts on your mandala garden design.

[@Ultimatefitness360]

I think u should plant green manure in this land and add gypsum to make soil loose

[@LoveandPeace1971]

Mala is too funny!! 😊. Gardener Scott, I have never gardened for food only, landscaping when we lived in Texas (which was easy…lol). What is your favorite compost to use for a veggie garden (not brand, only type)? We can only use raised beds in our space because we xeriscaped when we moved here. Thank you.

[@GardenerScott]

I like a basic straw in the veggie garden. I usually mix it with grass clippings and crushed leaves.

[@OShaughnessysPub]

Would really enjoy a “how to” video on worm casting “tea”...thank you for all of your information!😁

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks for the suggestion. I am planning a worm castings video early next year.

[@Angie-ci1lp]

Awesome way you did that👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Smart!

[@madkeypad9108]

Smart gardening tips.

[@ATAPORGANIK1502DKS]

ORGANIC way here😉👈👈👈👈

[@HippocratesGarden]

I've never seen a soil test, from any lab that didn't say nitrogen was low. As to weed barrier cloth, my experience has been... anything that inhibits weeds coming up, inhibits roots going down. Then it's a pain in the lumbar to remove later, so.. just don't.

[@dwaynewladyka577]

Thanks for sharing this. Very informative. Cheers, Scott!

[@InterWarp]

Just found this video! Would love an update on how the soil has turned out after 2 years

[@GardenerScott]

I recently planted a tree in that space and the soil was dark and loaded with earthworms. It's a big improvement.

[@CharliePFoogo]

Can't wait to see that area explode with nice plants. Thanks for posting.

[@emptynestgardens9057]

Dog in manure heaven. 😁

[@GrowLLLTigeRRR]

Great video. I'm doing something similar and removing many wheelbarrow loads of rocks. I'm confused about the importance of the cardboard. It seems to me that it would interfere with the passage of water and nutrients.

[@milkweed7678]

Wonder what has happened to the soil you built up at the school? Does soil built up like that go back to the condition it was in before building it up? Thanks, great video! This will be interesting following this.

[@GardenerScott]

The soil will stay productive for years. It doesn't take much effort to keep it good.

[@milkweed7678]

@@GardenerScott Wow! That's great to know. Sounds kind of like accelerating. Once you get the speed built up you can back off and maintain. Thanks!!

[@timt6860]

Good advice but why is it so dry there? Looks like it hasn't rained in months.

[@GardenerScott]

It's because it doesn't rain for months. My part of Colorado is on the edge of the Great Plains. We typically get less than 18" of total precipitation per year and most of that is snow in winter. Our rain in spring and summer is light and irregular.

[@bennywalsh2038]

I have a similar yard, centuries of silt laid down by the flooding from the river that my property is on. I have a couple of Johnson Su bioreactors going to hopefully add life to the area. My question is, is there any benefit from doing this but initially tilling in a load of leaves, manure and compost as well?

[@GardenerScott]

I think an initial tilling with organic matter can give a quick boost to the soil. Adding the composted material from the reactors will enrich it more.

[@KennyG233]

That ground break up easy after a good rain

[@GardenerScott]

Sadly, I don't get much rain and when I do it doesn't help much with my soil.

[@philemonsibanda3694]

Good. Go

[@lindadavidson2237]

What do you eventually plan to plant there? Love the dog helper!

[@GardenerScott]

I'll focus on flowers and edible landscape when it comes to planting.

[@jaybailleaux630]

I would think using a bull doser or back hoe to remove the native soil 12 inches deep in the area of your garden. Do the lasagna thing from the bottom up by composting the first bottom layer. Then cover with a layer of native soil . Compost over that . Then cover with native soil . Repeat until satisfied with soil depth. I would use all the native soil. It of course end up being a raised bed. Nothing wrong with 18 to 24 inches or more.of rich fertil soil.

[@carolinebrett2634]

Nice green house

[@erbauungstutztaufgnade1875]

Thank you :)

[@machogan85]

I did something similar to this, this Fall, and collected enough leaves to cover roughly a 150 square foot area with around 12 inches of various leaves, pine needles, and just a slight amount of compost which I know had some worms colonizing. My plan was to buy another few yards of compost in the Spring to bury it all, then have it tilled into the existing ground, which is extremely compacted clay. I guess my question is, do you think tilling is the wrong thing to do to accelerate the time to where I can start actually putting my perennials into the ground, or should I wait another year for things to happen naturally?

[@GardenerScott]

Tiling can accelerate the process and is often a good way to start. I've done that in other beds so I could plant in the first year. Because I'm developing a number of beds at the same time I'm willing to have patience with this area.

[@austinreese420]

What a good older removal for soil

[@He4vyD]

It is basically a flattened compostheap? Wouldnt it be much quicker to just put a thick layer of compost down, like Charles Dowding does?

[@GardenerScott]

It isn't compost because I'm not adding much nitrogen or turning it and I'm not interested in quick for this area. It's closer to leaf mold.

[@Stynkyvision]

This was very helpful! Thanks!

[@serrielu8025]

8:25 puppy gets a face full of chicken poo dust. What a tremendously rich layers of compost. Jealous.

[@fawazqasim6674]

Thanks for great info in all your videos, I have a question about starting my own garden, I have a slope area I post three loads of wood chips and a load of horse manure on top that I am mixing with wood chips, do you think I need to add soil on top or I can plant into the wood chips directly? Also is there is any way I can send you some images and questions to get your opinion?

[@GardenerScott]

You shouldn't plant directly into the wood chips. Plant roots should be in soil so until the chips and manure decompose to enrich the soil you can add soil or amend the soil you have. If you join the channel membership you can post pictures and questions on the members' facebook page.

[@indujadiasnanayakkara7832]

Using some Bio char that has absorbed the nutrients good for plants from the cow dung and urine apart from the compost you have used can help the plot of land you are in permanently even.

[@flynnfogerty6402]

The dog gets a grammy

[@geeyoupee]

Ideal organic matter is 5%? What if you go above that? What if your raised bed are mostly compost and peat moss (>50%)?

[@GardenerScott]

More than that can be okay, but too rich and plants can suffer from nutrient imbalance.

[@geeyoupee]

@@GardenerScott How does high organic % in raised bed compare to potting mix? Isn't that mostly organic material?

[@ashbalci6808]

Thank you for the extremely helpful video Scott. So once we prepare the soil as you instructed in the video, could we add some slightly rotten fruit such as pomegranates in large quantities to attract and feed the worms- if yes, should we work the fruits under the mulch? I live in an area full of pine forests, olive and pomegranate trees! ( South West Coast of Turkey) Thanks again 😊

[@GardenerScott]

Yes, adding rotten fruit can hasten the process and attract worms. Under the leaves is better. On top, they will probably be eaten by birds, will dry out, and will be less effective.

[@elizabethc9832]

I was very interested in this topic because I just built two concrete block beds and the only soil I was able to get for them was topsoil. I filled the bottom1/2 with organic materials I had been saving, but am so disappointed that I am now going to have to ammend the top soil, and as quickly as possible. One question I had was about the worms...will they find their way to a raised bed, or will I need to actually put some in there?

[@GardenerScott]

The worms will find the organic matter in the soil. It's pretty amazing. I've found worms already this year in poor soil that I just covered with mulch.

[@elizabethc9832]

@@GardenerScott That's great news! I will be so excited when I see my first worm as that will let me know I'm heading in the right direction. Thanks for your quick reply :)

[@Scott3387]

Sorry I have a problem I assume you never have. I spread a thick layer of what I thought was great looking homemade compost at the end of summer. Now after a lot of rain, it looks like it was too heavy with 'greens' and it's a bit sludgy in comparison to the bed with commercial compost. What can I add to the soil to keep it aerated with minimal digging? Thanks

[@GardenerScott]

It should continue to decompose. Covering the bed with mulch can help maintain consistent moisture levels and allow it break down.

[@oreolov3r]

what happens to the cardboard? does it always stay there or do you have to remove it at some point?

[@GardenerScott]

It decomposes as it is eaten by soil organisms.

[@user-dg4yy3mr5r]

no cover crop? hmmm

[@SOCORROGM]

I like to get a load of sand as well

[@invisiblesurfer]

Scott, this a great video, thanks for taking the time. I am based in Greece and hope to have my own farm in the immediate future, so will likely face the same dry and dead soil issues you describe. To remedy that, and with the aim of "jump starting" my soil, I was thinking of starting out with a very mild tilling, then adding some manure on top (as much as I can get my hands on), then seeding easy growing plants (sunflower, corn, beans), and covering with any leaves/cuttings/wood chips I can find. That, in theory, should give me some green that I can then use to create the foundation of a bedding that can regenerate the soil faster than the two year wait you anticipate with the method in this video. What are your thoughts on this approach? Thanks so much!

[@GardenerScott]

That is an approach I've used with good results. Regular tilling can lead to problems with the soil becoming more compacted below the loose soil layer, but tilling once in the beginning to incorporate organic material can be a great jump start. It can regenerate soil faster. I think you're on the right path.

[@jo2sj490]

Hello Gardener Scott, I have a question: can you please let me know how much you pay for your greenhouse and where do you buy it, Thank you and God Bless you

[@GardenerScott]

It's a Planta greenhouse. They're prices vary by size and shipping. You can see at their website: plantagreenhouses.com/

[@jo2sj490]

@@GardenerScott Thank you so much for your kindness. Many Blessings

[@jonniricard5383]

My soil looks like yours.

[@wyodutch7992]

I Laugh every time your helper entered the video

[@msscamp100]

8 to 12" of organic material is enough to suppress everything except Brome Grass! Speaking from personal experience here. LOL

[@coveyking]

this takes too long for most people.... i would have 1) thatched and or removed the stones 2) tilled or aerated 3) added biochar 4) added a manure, hummus, and soil mix. this would bring about beautiful soil

[@mckowals]

Soil related question. Our vegetable garden beds were exposed to ash and soot from the fires in Colorado recently. A neighbor suggested that I remove the top six inches and replenish with soil amendments. Do you think that is safe enough? I was planning to send soil samples to CSU Coop Ext. before the fires per your recommendation to assess nutrient levels. Now I’m considering heavy metals testing, too. What prudent measures should I take? Thanks for the video!

[@GardenerScott]

A soil test can be a good idea. Most Colorado soils are alkaline and the ash can raise the soil pH even more. You may not need to remove six inches, but if you're concerned, removing and replacing the soil is an option. Adding organic material is a good way to buffer some of the adverse effects.

[@michaelplunkett8059]

Just add organics. Wildfire ash is a natural part of soil formation.

[@nkc9788]

Why wait two years?!? Till once and add organic matter. Their no life in that soils to kill in the first place.

[@binyaminroscher4516]

Thanks for the video. What do you think about adding organic charchoal (biochar) into the mix? Is it worth it?

[@GardenerScott]

I like the idea. Biochar is best for poor soil and can provide benefits when trying to create good soil. I add it to new raised beds when I first fill them. I usually add it to in-ground beds when I first amend them.

[@TheSwoosh101]

Any updates on the soil?

[@GardenerScott]

It is filled with earthworms and much easier to dig. I'm waiting for the results of a soil test to show changes in nutrient levels.

[@marcuspowell2510]

👍🏾

[@garywaddle5421]

Where did you get the greenhouse in th e background?

[@GardenerScott]

It's a Planta greenhouse. plantagreenhouses.com/gardenerscott

[@garywaddle5421]

Thanks

[@MM-sq5pf]

So how'd it go?

[@GardenerScott]

It is great with earthworms everywhere. I'm planning a followup video in a few months.

[@shineyrocks390]

Is Lasagna and sheet composting the same method?

[@GardenerScott]

Basically they are the same.

[@shineyrocks390]

@@GardenerScott thanks

[@DM-kt8rd]

Can you share the brand and source of your new greenhouse?

[@GardenerScott]

I got it from Planta Greenhouses.

[@RandyFelts2121]

Would s winter ground cover help?

[@GardenerScott]

Yes it will. My plan is to add groundcovers next year after the material has decomposed more.

[@bhiei]

What’s the name of the company you used for soil analysis?

[@GardenerScott]

I used the University of Colorado Soil Lab.

[@david88va]

Would this work well with clay soil?

[@GardenerScott]

It can. Organic matter above and within the soil improves it for both clay and sand.

[@david88va]

@@GardenerScott ty!

[@33rcarley90]

Mala

[@johnhonest7811]

Where is he from

[@oliverbruce1702]

I disagree. Weeds are good for one reason. The first year should be a cover crop which is turned back into the soil for the next year.. Something like Lucerne works really well. I've used blackjacks because they are an excellent green manure. I've even used beans like speckled beans and black beans. The roots break up the soil and the leaves provide extra shade and the mulch holds the water in the ground.