How Our No Dig Garden Has CHANGED - #16

Our no dig vegetable garden in the interior of Portugal (Zone 10a) has changed a lot since we started it back in November 2020.
We started with 2 beds - each measuring 80cm wide and 5m long. They were made by layering cardboard (from packing boxes from our recent house move) and 600 litres of shop bought compost. In the paths we added a layer of homemade wood chip .
6 months later we increased our growing space to 5 beds and started adding our own homemade compost into the mix. A further 6 months later we refreshed the whole area with more homemade compost and used pine bark in the paths.
In this flashback video we take you right back to the beginning and show the evolution of the garden over our first season of growing food. In the next video we'll show you our most recent - and biggest - expansion for a selection of summer crops. If you're new to our story (or just like to reminisce) then this flashback will catch you up with what's happened so far.

[@StephenSmith-ge1qf]

Spring time - you put in all your seeds and plants. You nurture them through until the summer and autumn harvests. Then comes the time to start the preserving, canning, drying, fermenting, jamming and freezing it all for the winter months. Takes a lot of time but it's so very rewarding. I'm in the Italian pre-Alpine area and now I'm almost at the point of self-sufficiency with fruit and vegetables. (Just picked 10 kilos of wonderful black cherries so there's jam to be made, bottled cherries and cherry liquor for next winter). Takes a little while to get your soil working but then it's wonderful.

[@embee3050]

Genius move with the "flashback episodes" I loved all your original videos so this is wonderful to go back and watch it all over again! 🌟😀🌟

[@debbiegarza1287]

Yes, really enjoyed this. You should be proud of how far you’ve come. Good job!

[@desirepflugbeil8986]

I too enjoy the views from the past. Well done!!

[@followeroftheway9861]

I like the flash backs as well. Good job.

[@lorimontcalm9086]

My favourite part would be the eating, then maybe the watering. All the rest seems like a lot of work. You guys have proven hard work does not deter you at all. Great flash back, even the part where Kylie was ready to shove the camera where the sun don't shine in exchange for some help!😉 Hugs from 🇨🇦

[@LiLBitsDK]

well do the prep work properly then it gets easier the following years

[@markduncan6690]

There is some True Power Work going on! Well Done!

[@joelanning4322]

If looks equal success then your no dig beds are a great success. Watching a garden come alive, is a real joy.

[@agatheslv6478]

That garden looks amazing 😍 A tip I've learnt from a gardener pal : if you don't want ink/glue on your cardboards, wet them - thoroughly - beforehand, then all the unwanted bits can be cut out easily with a knife ! A bit longer, but it works ! All the best 😁

[@kofManKan]

I like the flashback episodes too. You're doing great!

[@deidrespencer5467]

It's so rewarding to see all your hard work coming to fruition, and to top it off with all that fresh organic food! Great job, you two. Love from Australia 🌿

[@raymondmills9377]

I love to garden and I must say you too have come a long way.

[@judiehavard4903]

Add some worms to the raised beds. You can purchase some fishing worms and scatter them in the raised beds. And can do the same to the no dig garden. The worms will help decompose everything and leave their castings for fertilizer. Don't skimp on the worms. These work really well.

[@HagarSunana-bb9ii]

I think I've learnt something new about the lovely gardening beds. Should I say so creative 🤔, right? Aw, awesome. And I love watching your videos. Hagar from Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬

[@keithaspin5160]

Your Garden looks fabulous!!! You must be very satisfied with the results!!!!!!👍👍👍👍

[@cheryldoorbar7187]

Time flies. I remember when you were putting in the garden. Such amazing progress!

[@jeniceowen5184]

Enjoyed before and after.

[@andrewmullen4003]

I hate gardening, but I'm happy to watch others do the work, much like you Guy!! only joking, garden is looking very productive, enjoy.

[@julianarevill6166]

You've come so fare, it's looking beautiful. So productive. Xx

[@celiasnyman2885]

gosh you guys are really not scarred of work. What a great video. really hoping you can get into your house soon.

[@andreacrashe9894]

*kia ora Kylie & Guy.... awesome to see the flashbacks to where you are now... well done*

[@ninemoonplanet]

Small suggestion, the growing area on the slope might work far better to retain moisture if it's done across the slope, plus it adds moisture to be used by adjoining areas. I'm glad to see how well the raised beds worked with the trunks. Experimentation is fun, especially if you don't expect perfection. Cheers from 🇨🇦

[@nancibishof6462]

The jobs never end! There is always something more to be done. Life never gets boring.

[@markduncan6690]

Good Piece of Work! You two are definitely on to something!

[@lisawoods9391]

It all looks amazing! My husband and I are also thinking of moving out of the USA. So much going on here, that we just don't want to be here any longer! lol. . I've always wanted a small plot of land that I can grow veggies on, have a goat for my own milk, to make all my own dairy products. . Hate what's in the foods these days! I pretty much can up everything, or make it myself. (bread, rolls, burger and hot dog buns, pizza dough, and so on. ) If I happen to eat anything now that has any preservatives, or additives in it, I can actually taste it. And it gives me a head ache. Your channel has inspired me to do something like this myself ! I don't have a lot of life left, (64) but I surely would like to extend that as much as I can! lol. . Thanks for your inspiring video's! :)

[@ceceliamcgarvey5817]

You two are fun and you make fun videos. That's why I like them so much!

[@leestimis9264]

Gardening is such a joy in my life also. I love to see how beautiful I can make my yard. I would much rather tonever see grass ever again.

[@jmwoods1428]

What lovely gardening beds you two have created and so successful with your plants. Gardening goals.

[@ciaraclarke1488]

Looking so well

[@carolleenkelmann3829]

The secret garden. At last we get to see the Veggies of your labours. Love the size of those leaks. Mine don't get past the skinny, straggly stage - maybe because they keep coming up in the compost heap. I read somewhere that to get the long white stems one has to heap the soil about it, I suppose much like white Spargel ( Asparagus ). Tres Bien.

[@sandratweedale2579]

Thoroughly enjoyed that episode through your garden journey. Loved that hat you wore and yes the bark looks smart! 🇨🇦👵 new subscriber

[@sandratweedale2579]

I’m a new subscriber and I’m just enthralled by all you’ve done! I love your gardens and the experimentation. I used my bags from the topsoil I added to my gardens as a cover to kill off weeds. I cut the bags open and spread them much like you did with the large sheet of plastic. I piled much on top and gradually removed the used bags out after a year or so. Man, the soil under them was so much better after that. Big fat juicy worms all through the garden. It is a shame that the good soils and mulch etc. come in plastic bags. I agree hessian etc. should be used. Like the way potatoes used to come in cloth bags ( back in my day)

[@carolbulmer8253]

Wow! You two have worked really on the gardens and it shows! Well done👏👏❤️❤️

[@luminyam6145]

I like videos like this as well. Wow, what a lot of work you have done. Amazing couple.

[@T_Barb]

I started my no till last fall to be ready for spring, but I just didn’t have enough compost for on top. So I went ahead and tilled it this spring with the compost I’d tried to build up all fall and winter. My little plants look extremely happy. Thank you for the new way to look at things though because this year is only my 3rd garden and I knew nothing.

[@anitaklamer3360]

Really enjoy the flash-back videos & all the others you have time to make. Lovely to see how everything is flourishing & you both seem to enjoy gardning. Well done and thanks for sharing🌺👍🌺

[@francespassman168]

Your veg garden looks so good. It looks so mature. Knowing the amount of heavy renovation works you were doing on the house at the same time, it's stunning progress. Love to see these flash backs.

[@franciscanoe1522]

excellent to see at one the whole process. Thankyou

[@susbs]

Great flashback video, I also enjoyed it, thank you. 💖

[@jasonalaounis6223]

Awesome Evolution of your garden.🙌👊🤙

[@blackmonday738]

You both are damn brilliant and use resources with trial & error. I enjoy all yr content. 💕✌

[@carstenesbensen450]

Very nice music, you've chosen in this video. 🙂

[@markt.3685]

Outstanding to see this! Amazing regarding those roots structures of the weeds, that was a lot of nutty work! Last summer, after losing my father in 2020, I started back to gardening and put in a small one on my parent's property, sort of the initial size of yours. It was also for my mother to have something to enjoy as well, since she hadn't done this in quite awhile. This helps give her something else good in so many ways to do, and preps me for what we got going this year with a bit of an expansion, yet not as much as yours. Cheers!

[@lannagifts1]

18 months already. Time flies

[@518pablo]

Wonderful to look back and how far you have progressed in your gardening journey 😀 now about that building work 🤔 I have my wine 🍷 on standby please do not keep us waiting, thank you 👀 😁

[@MAKEDOGROW]

😂 don’t worry, next weekend and you can enjoy that wine 😀

[@518pablo]

@@MAKEDOGROW lovely 🍷😀

[@ChristineKelly1000]

Removing theses fern roots was more like an archaeological dig. Fair play to you both, you are such hard workers. It probably wouldn’t have done such a good job as your selves but I would have just used a rotivator.

[@lewih7135]

Well done!!

[@jennymoco674]

It looks so beautiful all the best 👋🇨🇦🇵🇹🇵🇹

[@d.j.robinson9424]

Absolutely Love your garden, and videos. It's looking quite luvely. 💚👍👍

[@Bernie5172]

An excellent revue well done folks

[@gaynor3976]

Love the no dig method and all the veg looks healthy and delish to eat. Love the flashbacks xxx

[@IPC0101]

Great progress in the garden despite all the work on the house plus earning a living

[@vickidecker9923]

I love the way that you like to make things aesthetically pleasing. Your garden and whole homestead is looking so inviting. I would want to live there. Love from New Mexico, USA

[@footplate0]

Now this is exactly what I hoped for when I made a comment a few months ago. Its no mean feat what you have accomplished since you bought your property and hopefully it was a fairly easy edit for you as well. I know what it is like just work work busy busy bang bang all the time. Thanks for posting

[@kevinmatthews2620]

fantastic, you have me addicted :)

[@daskasspatzle2396]

Nice progression, thanks for sharing 🙂

[@LCamp-cr7fs]

I like the learning curve you present. Flashback videos give the necessary background and context.

[@dianeleirer9878]

I’m living vicariously through all of your hard work and successes! The community gardens in my city annually apply wood chips for the paths. It is amazing how quickly the wood chips decompose. I’m guessing the wood bark might decompose at a slower rate?

[@margaretstanton7567]

Love the flash backs & your analysis of what worked and what didn't work--very little of the latter it seems!

[@kathybaugh3823]

Enjoyed this video again. I look forward to every video and you never disappoint. Your hard work in the veg garden pays off. I bet your crops taste amazing. 👍🥦🌽🍊🌶🍅

[@tejolisboa]

Good to remember how it started. I hope it’s still fun. Bravo!

[@duartemonteiro7463]

😀Beautiful! 👌

[@thisorthat7626]

I really enjoy seeing what you can grow in your garden because I am in the same zone but halfway across the world. Your garden is fantastic! The big drawback here is water so I use a lot of grey water on my garden. After watching your videos I think about new veggies to grow. The weather has been crazy this spring, super hot then overcast, and some plants are growing slowly. Still, there is enough to graze on each day. Wishing you great success with your garden!

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Water is an issue here too. We’ve got the plumbing in place for grey water and rain water collection .... but won’t have the tanks/pumps in place until next year. We’ve equally had some strange weather, a week of 30C+ (crazy temps for May) followed by days of barely 20C. We’ve had seedlings struggle and others grow like crazy and then bolt. Weird season!!

[@snackums996]

One way to save on weeding is to use hay/straw to cover the weeds when they grow up. See a weed, then drop a clump of hay/straw on it. That way the hay/straw breaks down and becomes humus that the worms love. Kills two birds with one stone. Been doing my garden this way for years and its so simple.

[@anapaulalopes2862]

beautiful vegetable garden... loved... good job determined couple 👍

[@mk-xq1tt]

Your garden has come a longgg way. Really lovely piece of ground.

[@goodtogo3]

glorious

[@shellywelly30]

Loving the flashback videos. I only discovered your channel recently so it's really great to see your journey from start to current day and all the hard work you both have put into it. Also really informative. I'm a Brit living in Australia and aspire to this kind of living.

[@louisecooper4803]

Loved the recap. You must be pleased with your progress.

[@aidenjohns8248]

absolutely brilliant well done you guys, very very impressive and great to see results..

[@Arthur-Silva]

This place is looking amazing! Good Job!!!

[@TomaszWalasek]

Great job!!! Great garden!!!

[@brettn4337]

G'day again from downunder The veg garden is really going well. Do you use the companion/beneficial gardening method ? It's surprising how some plants benefit each other and how some shouldn't be planted together. Keep up the good work 👍

[@janp7943]

This was interesting to see the progression of your garden. I love the way it looks so neat and tidy! I am wondering why you haven't added irrigation to the beds. Thanks for sharing your life with us! See you next time.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

We installed irrigation just this week ... we’d been waiting to finish the garden expansion

[@elizabethtoet1113]

Another great posting, thankyou. It was good looking back. You must be more than happy with what you have achieved. ou garden is looking good, hope you have good crop this season. How are the chickens going, getting eggs?

[@MAKEDOGROW]

We have three of the chickens laying now .... already too many eggs 😂

[@stevecashin]

Great gardening and outdoor projects guys . When are you back inside renovating the home again ?

[@tlc1718]

Luv your garden wow factor✌

[@glenyscallaghan1195]

It looks lush

[@vickiturner7349]

Are you able to get sugar cane mulch in Portugal?? Here in Australia we buy it in bales like hay. We use cane mulch in between rows and also as a top mulch on gardens etc. we usually only pay $5.00 per bale. Also you can put the mulch in your chicken yard. We had a very large chicken yard and when we gave them 6 bales once a month they just went mad. Love your show wouldn’t miss it for the world. ❤️❤️

[@davidj1684]

Great stuff as usual, many thanks for making and sharing. Only tiny observation I'd make is why do you water the cardboard and wood chip/bark pathways during and after laying? The idea behind watering the cardboard on the beds is to initiate/hasten its decomposition because you put compost (the growing medium) on top... exactly what you DON'T want on the paths. The longer it stays intact, the more it suppresses weeds. Later, with hightower/overhead irrigation it's inevitable that the paths will receive moisture along with the beds but no need to give that a head start. As I said, a small observation, but given you mentioned you had problems with weed encroachment from the borders, just thought I'd mention. Thank you again for sharing your learning.

[@SwimCoach8]

love it. Thanks so much. Well on your way to self sufficiency. How many months, during winter, is your growing season dormant? Thanks again.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

There is no dormant season here, sounds crazy but there’s always something growing. This last winter we were growing garlic, broad beans (actually harvested them today), broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, beetroot and peas. We only saw one frost, though there may have been one or two that we missed seeing (we tend to get up later in the winter)

[@judiehavard4903]

Roasted or boiled peanuts in fall and winter are nice. Some nut trees on no man's land would be good.

[@mariushegli]

I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.

[@kitsurubami]

I think if you ask any no-dig gardener, they will tell you it's totally fine to dig that one initial time when converting raw land into a garden bed.

[@TexasHomesteaders]

Where are y'all getting that massive amount of cardboard from? Y'all have done a great job on the whole property.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Most of the cardboard was from the boxes used to move countries, but we also regularly stop at one of the nearby recycling points and collect any large boxes that have left

[@normaguiteck5364]

if you are in portugal you have same (couves )they are greens and thin you get (bacalhau) cod fish is dry and salted get them in water for a day before cooking with (batatas) potatoes and don't forget the olives for it and wow i m getting hungry

[@carolined3058]

nice one

[@nicholasclark5378]

It’s amazing what you two have accomplished. What beautiful grounds and what a lot of food you have produced. It it possible to grow all year?

[@ottawadigs]

fern sprouts are delicious!

[@WelshVilliageDad]

You are both amazing . Maybe Kylie slightly better . Be well both .

[@rudymazar8666]

Great garden work !! so impressed ! I miss the progress work in the house. any idea when we can see it ?

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Maybe check out the recent community post (in app or desktop)

[@markduncan6690]

A Huge Wheel Barrow full of Gnarled old roots! Isolate them as quickly as possible!

[@Miarcx]

when you removed the black plastic that plant is Fern and that plant only growts in acid land, so you may need some calcium on that land.

[@offgridwanabe]

Has the old body found the new life style yet lol it takes a while to adjust so work isn't as hard.

[@judiehavard4903]

You should wet the cardboard well before placing compost on top.

[@leacruz7311]

you are so neat and precise in your gardens. I was wondering why you are not mulching with hay to conserve moisture in the soil.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

We did an experiment with a straw bale we bought (in our strawberry bed), but it was so full of grass seed we had to pull it all out. Unfortunately that’s all that’s available to buy locally, so we’ll need to grow our own in the future, or find another farmer willing to sell/swap with us

[@raykloetstra8501]

I loved your video and watching the progress you've made. I noticed that you grew a pole bean of some sort ... maybe a broad bean. Are you interested in another technique for making a "teepee" system for growing pole beans? I've developed a method that uses recycled bicycle wheels and wood strapping for poles. I can share more if you are interested. One additional questions: you describe a lot of your cabbage crops as "winter vegetables. Are your winters mild enough that winter is your growing season for these crops? Here in Canada, I'm limited to May to October as my growing season (zone 6a, with occasional -20 C in the winter) .

[@suepumphrey1559]

Do you both eat proteins like chicken, pork, turkey, or beef? I love all these fresh veggies and fruits!

[@jamesrivis620]

I would suggest that you read up on the double dig FRENCH INTENSIVE method of gardening because all you do with so many pathways is compact the roots. FI goes well with COMPANION GARDENING.

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Double dig is rubbish. He’s not walking on the plants, so no worry about their roots, lol.

[@Strange-Viking]

hehe well ferns, living mostly in forests especially humid ones? ferns love shade and darkness, they also love a stable humidity, that was a wonder full habitat you created for them🤣 Well at least it was funny for me, guess you guys cant laugh much for all the hard work you put in. 😝 A big 10 for that same hard work though! p.s. pine bark is one of the best barks to use as mulch, it (and any other bark), also has more nutrients and is actually better at preventing weeds to get trough in comparison to chips