How We Make Soil on The Big Island of Hawai'i

[@BigIslandLavaPioneers]

Glad I’m not the only one who gets excited over beautiful dirt! 😁🤙

[@benwinkel]

Well, it's a rare and precious commodity where you live so i can definitely understand. Especially on fresh lava, it can take decades or longer before a good workable topsoil layer develops, so helping nature is a necessity and can be expensive if you don't do it right.

[@paultorres8995]

Excellent video Michael, black Cinder is a tremendous help it is the correct balance between moisture and oxygen which is so crucial for any root system then comes the compost which grows the beneficial bacteria during the Heat and breakdown of all organic materials in the mix, a high urine count or nitrogen count is like mother's milk to a baby it is the Kickstarter of baby roots then as you get into the Taproot the nitrogen is lowered and the potash potassium and 52 other trace minerals kick into play, about 10 years ago I came up with a bucket inside of a bucket growing method, half soil half hydroponic where the plant has its choice on what and where to draw from, I grew 9 and 1/2 inches of roots in 6 days I will show you this method if you are interested when Jill and I arrive. PS proud of you guys and glad we were in your first 10 subscribers...Paul

[@SmoothCinnamonX]

That sounds fascinating!

[@DovidM]

12:17 Michael is correct. While wood initially will rob nitrogen from the soil, it releases this nitrogen back to the soil as it starts to break down. On a forest floor, you will see wood in all stages of decomposition. Plants often will be growing roots into the decaying wood, and this is an indication that decaying wood is not negatively affecting the growth of plants.

[@liv3127]

I really enjoyed this video. Very helpful

[@billcole6609]

Great video.

[@geographer3693]

Love seeing your healthy smiles

[@OffGridHawaii]

Gee thanks 😊

[@guillaumebeaudet5334]

Again, nice video guys and yes super good soil I'm using that mix too on my coffee plantation now and it's awesome !! I vote for tools ! A hui hou ! 🤙🤙

[@irmary429]

I would love to learn more about Cassava

[@rosslumayko5182]

U2 Rock🎸🇨🇦🤗

[@kuuipoteeters5717]

Thank you very much. Helpful tips.

[@teamcautiouslyextreme8072]

You're back :)

[@vladimirmorton7579]

Awesome video! Your trees are looking nice :) My vote: Tools

[@ValsLife1]

I want to stop by and buy some plants and cuttings, but I forget to call you on my way home from work. I'll try to remember to call you tomorrow afternoon to set up a time to come by. Mahalo for the video!

[@OffGridHawaii]

👌🏽

[@benwinkel]

This video was awesome, very informative and presented as usual with lots of humor! Since i'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, i'd like to see the cassava video next. =)

[@OffGridHawaii]

😄 thanks

[@troywolfgramm2189]

Would love to see a video on the tools you’re using.

[@rtaboodz8083]

Right on gonna try this 🤙🏾

[@CraigOverend]

I remember seeing a giant vegetable grower from Hawaii that grew only in black volcanic sand and fertilised by throwing buckets of compost teas over the plants weekly. Your soil looks like a slow release version of that. :)

[@OffGridHawaii]

Black cinder is magic

[@threegreengenerations]

I'd like to learn more about Cassava.

[@kainoaho4287]

Use the promix as a base. Add compost.. coco coir.... chicken manure...

[@joesoutdoorplaces]

Congratulations on nearing 10K. I do not need to vote as I enjoy all your content. I am a tool nut though. Take care.

[@OffGridHawaii]

Thank you joe! Your vote counts as 2 😉

[@jameswatts7720]

Love your videos. The 2 things I miss the most from living in Puna (HA area) are Apple Bananas and Starfruit. Keep up the great informative vids. P.S. Michael is pretty easy on the eyes..lol

[@OffGridHawaii]

👀👀

[@lisazeha9116]

I vote for Cassava!

[@mironyuk]

Humanure & wormcasting are the answer

[@Ethelred966]

Thanks for the info. What ratio of black cinder to mulch do you recommend for potting soil?

[@gmwell1]

i want one of your beautiful Durion!!! my wifes fave!! Please....🤗

[@yeshuaisthewaythetruthandt515]

THANKU GOD BLESS YOU CURIOUS HOW OR WHERE DID YOU PUT THE COMPOST TO HEAT YOUR WATER? IT WOULD HELP ME SAVE MONEY

[@chriscaporaso442]

pro mix is for green house use

[@OffGridHawaii]

More specifically for sprouting.

[@ukidi]

Welcome. I would love to watch a movie about your banana trees and other trees giving tropical fruits. He could say something about bananas, for example: after what time they bear fruit, whether they are easy to grow or difficult.

[@OffGridHawaii]

We have one all about bananas and fast growing trees, check them out on our channel 😊

[@daniellesingh8486]

Handling my own county mulch/compost piles now... How long do you let it cook in the first pile? I'm finding such varied results month to month.

[@anelatayan1043]

Aloha! I am returning back home to the Big Island next month (grew up in Waimea, then moved to mainland) and I was wondering what your guys opinion is on selling my car that I have now, and buying a road bike there? Saving thousands of dollars, and the bus system is a plus for further trips. Thank you!

[@OffGridHawaii]

For us not having vehicles would not be an option. We both have jobs that require us to have vehicles but it all depends on where you live and what you are willing to sacrifice.

[@cl5473]

Awesome video! I vote cassava, I'd like to see if I can grow it where I am in Oceanview. Thanks

[@OffGridHawaii]

Pretty sure it will grow there

[@mmmmmmmichaelvids]

Aloha, saw you at Nat this evening! 🤗🤗🤗

[@OffGridHawaii]

Were you the one that said hi, looked at the plants then left?

[@mmmmmmmichaelvids]

Yep! I ran into you guys in HD about a year ago. My Wife and I enjoy your videos. Honestly, I wasn’t stalking you🤷‍♂️🤙

[@gracehig8235]

Can a future video be about what plants, palms, shrubs or whatever grows fast and are good for privacy and road dust?

[@rogermannering]

Michael, we think that your new soil mixing is kind of cool. We would like to try to do it ourselves. Would you please tell us the place to get the black cinder?! We appreciate it very much!

[@OffGridHawaii]

You can get it from Sanford

[@gmwell1]

Did you guys have your land ripped before you moved onto it?

[@OffGridHawaii]

No, it had been ripped 30 years prior though

[@kuuipoteeters5717]

Tools you use 👷‍♂️

[@handimanjay6642]

Mylasian seed? You just told on yourself. Good luck with that. Thanks for the soil tips.

[@OffGridHawaii]

🙀🙀🙀

[@solosano5692]

TOOOLS

[@shamanking5195]

what is black cinder ????. is it lava sand ????

[@OffGridHawaii]

Black cinder is small bits of lava rock that gets spewed out of the volcanoes. It's very porous

[@shamanking5195]

@@OffGridHawaii some people uses lava sand here in Arizona, hard to find . I had no idea was also called cinder,you might be seating on a gold mine.

[@SvetlanaTam]

Great video! Thanks! My question is if cinder is only for the air than what’s the difference between black and red cinder? The black cinder is farther from us and more expansive to bring in, so we are using red one...

[@OffGridHawaii]

Red has too much iron and poisons the soil

[@teamcautiouslyextreme8072]

We will be over this summer and looking to get some tree starts for our land in puna. We might even be over on spring break to cut in our driveway. Will you have anything then? Looking forward to finally starting our build 😎

[@OffGridHawaii]

Yes we have some baby trees and cuttings for sale. Send us an email at [e-mail] to connect!

[@danielnaberhaus5337]

Can I buy some plants from you soon? Sent ya'll an email 🤙

[@AmandaDevik]

Hey there. I've been watching your videos pretty much all day. Trying to catch up on likes etc--you can get me on Facebook Amanda Devik or instagram @beautifulbohemian. My fiance and I are planning on moving to hawaii big island, it would be nice to have like-minded contacts. I lived in SF bay area for like a decade and left an orchard worth of trees started from seed out there with friends. With my fiance and our daughter in MA right now--he lived in Hawaii and had a business, can't stop talking about going back. I'm a grower for sure, don't mind learning new things, and he was a landscaper for years. I adjusted from gardening in CA to working with the seasons here in MA and don't mind starting over again, learning new climate and getting orchards going. Not sure where you two are in your journey right now but happy to network. 💕

[@lisazeha9116]

Again, thank you so much. What is the name of the place you bought your black cinder from?

[@OffGridHawaii]

It comes from Sanford

[@kilipoheikekanilehua4049]

Great video guys! One question, I dont really have much grass. How could I add nitrogen to compost another way?

[@OffGridHawaii]

Anything green really. Food scraps, weeds, pee 😜

[@benwinkel]

There are nitrogen fixing plants to help with that. Any member of the leguminosae en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabaceae

[@garymingy8671]

Peas or pee , leafs dead fish ,algea , cow dung , takes a year...compost!

[@this-is-slammin-549]

I forget how many acres you guys have?

[@OffGridHawaii]

Three

[@barelymaps]

Tools video! :)

[@danielnaberhaus5337]

Do you use the compost from your toilet to make soil?

[@OffGridHawaii]

Yes

[@valeriewaite1929]

Do you use earthworms in your compost pile? What about fish waste? And are either readily available on the island. I'll be out there soon. Got my property here in TX up for sale. 🙏🏽. Praying it all happen soon!

[@OffGridHawaii]

If you build it they will come 😉 the worms that is. There is a place to get fish emulsion but we haven’t used it yet.

[@christinkham7602]

Pro mix sux

[@nicoleinhawaii]

What size black cinder?

[@OffGridHawaii]

I just get the 1 1/2 minus it’s cheaper and most pieces are 1/4 in. there are usually just a few big chunks. We are also adding the pepeekeo top soil now to our mix

[@nicoleinhawaii]

@@OffGridHawaii Cool, mahalo! Got the cinder per your recommendation and so far so good. What would you use to affordably fill raised garden beds?

[@hollysvec2363]

Hi 👋, i saw pigeon pea on one of your vids. When did you guys plant the seed? My husband thinks he saw you at the hilo dump the other day 😊 thank you, holly

[@OffGridHawaii]

We planted lots of pigeon pea about three years ago. They produce with in the first year but we don’t really eat them we just use them as a mulch crop/ companion plant. He probably did see me I was there every morning last week. 🤙🏽

[@hollysvec2363]

Cool 😎 actually i was wondering what month you all planted them. He was that handsome man in the yellow truck shoveling mulch 😍

[@OffGridHawaii]

I’m not sure the exact month but I’m pretty sure it was spring time.

[@hollysvec2363]

Thank you 🙏

[@thomasreto2997]

I will watch ANYTHING you 2 decide to do...but if I must chews...do the vid D o of the too🌈🤙😃

[@greenblood3708]

Do you guys ship your plants to the mainland?

[@OffGridHawaii]

No, sorry 😐

[@marinakukso]

thank you for the video! where is the sanford quarry? i'm on their site & see a "service center" in pahoa by malama but a quarry closer to kalapana: sanfordsinc.com/locations/ just wondering where you went to get your cinder. thank you!

[@OffGridHawaii]

There’s different locations depending on what material you need. The black cinder we got near upper Leilani

[@marinakukso]

@@OffGridHawaii wonderful, thank you! i'm also in puna & soil has been our main challenge. so i'm grateful for your video! ^-^

[@kbenjamin2532]

How much did you pay for the land ? Very curious thanks in advance !!!

[@OffGridHawaii]

35k

[@kbenjamin2532]

Me and my girl started watching your videos not too long ago and love it. plan on moving to big island around January, idk if we have the money to be buying land and all the dope shit y’all do.

[@lisazeha9116]

How may I get some cuttings please?

[@OffGridHawaii]

Email us 😊

[@yosefwebb-cohen7352]

This video is pure soil porn! Love it!

[@mironyuk]

County mulch may contain Roundup weed killer which is a cancer causing agent

[@OffGridHawaii]

Round up is the worst ☹️

[@CoteziHikes]

[@m.mickeypayne9811]

A tool video, please. 😂

[@ancientlovesong369]

tools

[@nolansentrepreneurialjourn5874]

oh so now there smuggling plants from Mylasia

[@OffGridHawaii]

WE didn't smuggle any plants from Malaysia 🤐

[@liv3127]

Tools