The Art of Nutrient Harvesting

[@carolinescrivener7783]

Great video! Mother nature doesn't think twice about dropping perfectly edible food/fruits on the ground to enrich next years growth, and neither should we!

[@QuizRox]

I love the "nutrient bank" analogy. Makes so much sense.

[@HuwRichards]

Awh thanks Dennis!

[@ThoshaMoodley]

Really it’s incredibly effective!

[@barbsnyder1352]

I do "bokashi" . When it's ready I simply bury it in my beds. It's all kitchen and garden scraps. Works beautifully, my soil is wonderful.

[@pedrosgarden]

Absolute great tips! Looking at gardening as a constant movement of nutrients really puts food waste in perspective. Throwing edible stuff in the compost bin or feeding it to the chickens is completely different to throwing it in a waste bin and seeing it end up either in landfills or badly managed municipal composting. The cost of transporting food waste to treatment facilities has an environmental cost as well as an economic one, don't forget. The best nutrient circularity we can have is the one where the nutrients don't leave our property. The one that doesn't leave our neighbourhood, the one that doesn't leave our municipalities, etc...

[@clairemcconway6266]

what's also relevant is the growing process and what went into that...things brought in from outside, irrigation, etc. In Huw's case he uses rainwater and recycles nutrients in the form of compost, so there is no wasted water used in growing something that wasn't eaten if it goes into the compost pile and no poisoning of the earth with chemical fertilisers/fossil fuel powered farm machinery. The elephant in the room though is the wasteful municipal sewage process and nutrient loss and water wastage that involves.

[@pedrosgarden]

@@clairemcconway6266 Well said. That's exactly right!

[@richardfrankland8183]

Just like to compliment you on not only the content but also the presentation. You have the gift of making things easy to understand and do, it's always inspiring to listen to, wherever we are in the world. This one in particular is great. Thanks so much.

[@eve66able]

Not just regular compost, but also vermi compost and BSF composting are wonderful help with all the garden needs.

[@anahidkassabian4471]

I completely see your point about composting edible produce, and if I were gardening in another setting, I would wholly concur. But in my setting in NW England, I'm not close to making all the compost I need, so I'd rather give my 'overages' to a food bank. That seems to me the best way to feel good about the time and resources that go into my garden and the abundance it gives back in return.

[@Reindeer_jay]

I think as long as it’s not going to landfill you’re all good!

[@ml.5377]

I live in the Peruvian Andes, so I can grow food all year long. Once you learn how to work with the dry and rainy season and the sun, a constant garden is possible. Compost is a challenge so I am a lazy composter who relies on worms and gets nice humus. Coarse particles after sifting are used as mulch. Rice hulls and wood shavings are used to cover seeds and seedlings or as mulch. I also ferment weeds, rabbit poop, etc. for fertilizer. I do direct seed unless the birds are too much of a problem... and they can be a real nuisance. Have a 2x2m greenhouse for basil, peppers, tomatoes, hierbaluisa, etc. Having a garden is an adventure filled with constant learning and adapting.

[@cynthiamartinez5884]

I completely agree with composting some of the harvest. I came to this conclusion early this year when I was worried about having too much when a plant produced at it's peak. Then I reasoned that the worst case scenario is I compost it and have those nutrients for next year. It's not waste if you compost rather than going to the landfill.

[@RoboticsJoe]

Was preserving not an option?

[@cynthiamartinez5884]

@RoboticsJoe Where did I say that I don't preserve at all? I just said that some of it ends up in the compost bin. Sometimes the harvest comes in so heavy and I don't have time to preserve it all. If it can't easily be thrown in the freezer this will likely happen. Sometimes I preserved so much I have enough for a 2-3 years so I don't want to preserve anymore. Sometimes I have intentions to cook it but it goes bad before I can get to it. If I didn't have a business to run or a family, I guess I would have the time to preserve 100% of my produce that I don't eat fresh. Since that will never happen, I'm not going to worry and or feel guilty for not eating 100% of my produce. The whole point is that it is never wasted if it goes back into the garden cycle. I don't ever want to hold back on how much I plant just because I didn't want any of it to be "wasted."

[@RoboticsJoe]

@@cynthiamartinez5884 Chillax. Neither you or Huw made any mention of preserving excess produce & then still having excess. There’s also the option of donating your excess excess to food kitchens or the local food co-op. Totally get composting damaged produce or veg that goes bad before you get to it. But there are folks who could use the food you don’t want to eat yourself.

[@RoboticsJoe]

@ Chillax. Neither you nor Huw mentioned preserving excess. Totally get composting veg that was bad or that you didn’t get to eat before it went off. But there are food kitchens & co-ops good excess produce could be donated to. Plenty of hungry folks about, even in Wales.

[@HuwRichards]

You've completely missed the fact that I covered these points you're making, in the video.

[@cynjader1914]

Great info, as always! I'm glad you mentioned tossing surplus harvest into the compost when other opportunities for 're-homing' are exhausted. I have felt a little guilty about that in the past, but ever since your video where you connected weeding to nutrient harvesting I'm no longer reluctant. It's all good :) So grateful I found your channel!

[@mariaroost5231]

Ciao Huw! Thank you for each and every video you make. Your channel literally changed my view of gardening and my life. I live in a very different climate but I apply many of your tips and they work just great. The videos you share about other gardeners are also extremely inspiring and stimolating! Well, I just want to THANK YOU for making my life better!🤩 Greetings from sunny Sicily!

[@jackriver8385]

One of my neighbours has a salad patch right outside her garden, next to the street, using space that would otherwise not be used, and adding more green to the street. I cycle past it almost every day and it's so wonderful to see the plants grow 🥰

[@BigManjr]

This is one of your best video's so far! Thanks so much Huw! I LOVE your holistic approach! Just brilliant🙏

[@HuwRichards]

Wow thank you that means so much!!

[@GentrysGarden]

Great video. I started chopping up extra veggies from the garden and adding them to the compost. Glad for a confirmation that it's a good thing. I used to throw away tomato, potato, and squash vines. I bought come long handled shears (so I don't have to bend over). I put the vines in a tote and chop them up then add them to the compost. Great way to use garden waste.

[@josiebridges3583]

What a wonderful episode, Huw, making it simple for me, at least, since I garden as a hobby but lately to limit buying produce grown with pesticides. No more experimenting and I will be keeping it basic, an area for salad, for example. Thank you.

[@51rwyatt]

Totally agree with the winter veggies point. In the summer I don't even pay much attention to the pests on them because by fall the pests are gone and the plants really get going. Except cabbage, the pests during summer can really take out the head.

[@keithnotley2440]

Happy NO DIG DAY Hew..... and everyone! Always look forward to and appreciate the content of your vids. Your presentations, have evolved over time to be now, of the highest quality....... congratulations on all your success due to the outstanding effort you "produce"! All the very best Hew, from Melbourne , Australia. 😊👍😊🍀

[@PhilC74]

Bank accounts and a nutrient bank! What a comparison and so perfectly right. Very good analogy that Huw. Well done and it really hammers the message home.

[@Marra7777]

A great all rounder video. This video can probably save someone loads of time reading and digesting several books. A master gardener

[@Slenka]

Huw! I found in local bookshop your latest book translated to czech language (my birth language), I´m totally blown away, congratulation!

[@HuwRichards]

So pleased you found my book! Hope you enjoy it! Thank you :)

[@UnitedCuisines]

Man, watching you makes me wanna start gardening! ...yes, if only I had more time.

[@that_auntceleste5848]

Maybe start with just a couple plants in containers for an easy win without much time invested. ♥️ It feels great to grow even a bit of what you eat.

[@UnitedCuisines]

@@that_auntceleste5848 I tried it with two pots of tomatoes last year: they didn't make it, due to a few days of really heavy rain and them not being covered, I think. Made me sad.

[@that_auntceleste5848]

@@UnitedCuisines aww that can be such a bummer. Did you have holes drilled in the bottom of the pots so the water could run out? That's key. Lots of water is okay then. Maybe try herbs like oregano and thyme next year, they are easier than tomatoes!

[@chichestermaritime8174]

Hi from S. Portugal. I can't compost in quite the same way as you with bins as the work in turning it is too heavy and the long droughts and high temperatures make it almost impossible to retain the necessary moisture. So I take one bed and into it go all the kitchen scraps mixed with straw, cardboard, paper towels etc and then in spring I cover the compost bin with a layer of soil that I take from another bed and into it I sow butternut squash seeds. They adore all the nutrients and the bed doesn't require as much watering as others. I then use the bed from which I robbed the soil as the next compost bed and so forth. For garden waste I chop and drop or place the old plants under a straw mulch where they fast disappear. If I have too many veggies I barter them for eggs, milk, cheese or different veggies to those I'm growing. It's a different sort of nutrient harvesting. Thanks for such interesting videos.

[@jeannamcgregor9967]

What a brilliant way to see the big picture! Thank you! I try to think that way when I put anything that would be hard for me to compost, like woody bits or thorny rose clippings or seedy weeds, into my city compost bin. I can then go to the spot where the city returns those as finished compost and load up my car for free, so nothing is wasted!

[@tinkeringinthailand8147]

Spot on Huw :) My home made compost is so good I almost want to eat it myself LOL.

[@HuwRichards]

I understand the feeling...like earthy chocolate cake haha!

[@hadassahhaman7550]

😄

[@dudeusmaximus6793]

We are doing many of the same things you cite here. We've made a big effort to organize and simplify the garden into a more efficient setup like you discussed. With that and the perpetual loop JADAM and KNF principles we picked up from your channel, we are consistently producing top notch, very nutritious food in abundance without working ourselves to death during the garden season.

You´re back!Glad to see your garden is still goiong strong, even in November.

[@michaelcarter7027]

Huw, you're brilliant. And generous without constraint in your advice. It's a pleasure to watch you, and your advice is very helpful :)

[@HuwRichards]

What a lovely comment! Thanks so much :)

[@riverdalegardens544]

Excellent video! I like the bank account analogy! I live in upstate NY 5b and your content is actually quite applicable for my garden. Thank you 😊

[@HuwRichards]

That's awesome! A lot of tips are applicable they just need to be perhaps slightly adapted :)

[@melindaedgington9925]

I run a daycare so I never have a glut of anything. Thanks for the time saving tips. It is also nice to know about the winter crops. I am still experimenting with these.

[@HuwRichards]

You're very welcome! Best of luck with your growing :)

[@Randeb86]

So thankful for your videos, I’m learning so much, you’re the best!❤

[@HuwRichards]

So glad you are finding them useful!

[@ourcozygarden]

Thank you for these very helpful tips Huw.

[@HuwRichards]

You are most welcome!

[@margieperse9490]

Excellent advice.

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you!

[@deanablythe9394]

Thank you for all your thoughts on this video, you make a lot of sense which helps me and others look at things in a different light, keep up the good work.

[@paulettagyurik2644]

God bless 🙏🙏🙏

[@cherylhowker1792]

happy no dig day .... I actually understand most of what you said today,and it made sense to me.which I agree alot of stuff people say I don't always get or I get part of it wrong. But I thing I fully understand this and I'm gonna save it to watch again so I can do more of what you say. To make my garden better and more food for my family,not at my house but we grow here as others gardens are not the size or face south like mine does so my garden is the best for growing veg and fruit. Its only new to us in this last year really. So hopefully we will learn more and get better as we do. Thanks Huw

[@David-xh9cw]

Seems so simple but I love the idea of the mixed salad bed, I struggle to sow enough successions of salads in modules, it gets very faffy! I could probably just keep direct sowing throughout the season and would always have abundance even once the slugs get their share. Will be doing this next spring.

[@dn744]

Excellent advice 👌 👍

[@HuwRichards]

Thanks!

[@lysmalls658]

Huw you give me the knowledge I need to garden with Confidence

[@winterkonig4684]

Your garden is beautiful, Huw, i envy you and your tips are excellent. The new garden year could start tomorrow with the sowing. I can barely wait for it. All my vegetable plots in my little garden are planted with winter vegetables. I look forward to it every day, when I see how it is still growing. Best regards and all the best from Austria, Vienna.🌷

[@irishcottagerenovation9900]

Great video, I love the bank account comparisons, that has been lodged in my mind now. Totally agree with your composting surplus food how right you are. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@HuwRichards]

Awh great I really appreciate that thank you!!:)

[@Andromeda2976]

Thankyou so much for your valuable info, such an inspiration and all the blessings for your beautiful garden. In Amsterdam we have Seedbanks, however they are only for weeds. 🙏

[@KatesGarden]

Happy No Dig Day!

[@IVMRGREENXX]

always a pleasure to watch Huw thank you

[@annettemartensson4523]

Thanks Huw, so pedagogy let’s hope more people follow this good way of living👩‍🌾

[@CormacHolland]

Happy No Dig Day everyone!!

[@HuwRichards]

And to you! :)

[@hbrws813]

Another excellent, informative, professional video for us. Thank you, Huw!

[@littlemogocreek]

What a great video, packed full of tips. I've been feeling overwhelmed while just in the planning stages of my future vegi' garden. There is some much information out there of what to grow, when to grow and how to grow that it can just seem to hard at times. Knowing there is a more refined approach is very refreshing. Thank you Huw. Cheers. Duncan.

[@tammybyrd1054]

Great video! Thank you! I agree on composting what is not used in the garden. It's not waste. This is evident in nature. Not everything is used and it falls to the ground and becomes nutrients again! I grow somethings I don't even care for so others may have but it there is more than anyone wants it goes into the compost. It's not wasted at all! It's money in the bank like you said! I can save seed (trying to get better at that!) so free, my soil is enriched without buying things so free, I am feeing myself from my garden so free! All involved is time and some work and that's my therapy and exercise to no need for a gym and a psychiatrist so free!! lol What more could you ask for?! And if you can harvest rain water also, all the better and free!!!!! It's a win win all the way around! The garden is beautiful! I will start to focus on seed saving and more Winter veggies next year too! Love the potatoes in a bag idea! Thank you!

[@joaniestraw5075]

Such a beautiful video - a visual feast for each of your viewers. I just love the way you break down and share important points in such a clear, concise way.

[@HuwRichards]

Very glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching :)

[@cassieoz1702]

I use my chickens as an intermediate step in nutrient cycling. It particularly reduces my guilt at not eating everything.

[@MrSteen12]

I really like this video, mainly because of the many idéas about saving time. I can see, why the metal containers are good, but the old ones made out of wood are so much nicer, better looking, prityer.... :-). Steen, DK.

[@rowanwhite3520]

Another awesome video! Thank You!

[@tamrahawkes3170]

Freezdried zucchini is amazing to add to so many things.

[@bhalliwell2191]

Benjamin Franklin observed that time is how we measure life and if we love life we therefore ought not squander time. I observe it's *the* very most precious resource and the one we can't produce more of, so we'd better, as Franklin also stated, "...be up and doing, and doing with a purpose for industry does not wish, and those who live upon hope shall die fasting." And I believe firmly that gardeners, whether career gardeners like yourself or "hobby" gardeners like myself who are aiming for as much food autonomy as possible and the most healthily and safely grown foods as possible, are in the best of positions to comprehend this and to integrate it into their thinking and their philosophy.

[@marking-time-gardens]

And if we are in no position to grow a garden it behooves us to support those who do. Not everyone can cut hair or build houses but we all can share our gifts with one another. Bartering is a good thing too.

[@EljNorton]

A fantastic and informative video, Huw. The slow motion segments were entertaining as well, haha. All the best to you. I have been enjoying your work for years. Cheers from New York.

[@HuwRichards]

Thanks so much! So glad you enjoy my videos :)

[@de.moslimagids]

Thanks again for such a a lovely video! Tips I really needed

[@HuwRichards]

You're so welcome! :)

[@rickthelian2215]

Happy No Dig Day😊

[@potagermalo]

Superbe vidéo bravo 👍 👍 👍 👍

[@drcbeartooths]

Another terrific story of flowing with and for the most important aspects. Thanks. And Huw: did you really slip in "winter crops are CHILL?" LOL! from southern USA.

[@steve20664]

Oh no I've been digging the dancing queen all day .....

[@sarith2658]

Your videos are inspiring 💚 Thanks a lot

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you! :)

[@pretty-lil-cowboy]

Great tips!

[@peace4peaceful]

I put straw on top of my compost. If not the compost gets dried out..in Oz. Should I compost on top of the straw mulch or move it aside when adding compost during bed prep There's no break for me. It's 12 months a year flat out veg. 👍

[@jack-ye6pc]

I have no problem putting 'good' food on a compostheap. In fact I grow stuff especially for compost, like broadbeans

[@Ihsn422]

MashaaAllaah.. love it

[@cepamoa1749]

hi thanks for a new video but FYI the volume is particulary low on it. I must raise to the max to hear you.

[@theclumsyprepper]

Time is definitely an issue for me as I work 40-50 hours a week (on top of my other obligations). It's difficult to find time for all the garden work, harvesting and preserving food.

[@trish3580]

Thank you for this video - putting the 5 steps of gardening abundance all together in one place! I would love to keep the winter harvest in the ground but...we have rats (forest rats) in BC so although the weather allows us to keep things in the ground year round, I've carrots, beets, potatoes, etc...and once they find a source they totally clear it out in a night :) Maybe in the future you will have a video on how to devise covers that are impenetrable to them. Also the beds etc you sell on your website are amazing...will you have a distributor in Canada any time soon? thanks so much

[@melindaedgington9925]

Rats oh my! I hope they don't find my garden.

[@daviddeininger2938]

You need some cats to keep the rats in check. Lorraine

[@Su-du7pm]

Hello Huw. Some videos ago, you shared the use of wood from sheep in your garden, specifically in your compost or around some plants to prevent freezing. My question: how long does it take to compost the wood? Now I have 9 sheep and 9 lambs. Thank you very much.

[@ninemoonplanet]

Weather this year (no temp above 10°C until late June) meant I ended up having to completely change what I could grow. Unfortunately peppers still haven't produced fruits. Drought throughout August, into September, meant those types of plants just struggled. They ended up becoming compost. Planning for next year is creating havoc with seed purchases. Are we going to see a warm spring or another one where it remained so cold that even starting or direct sowing wasted much? The compost bin got well supplied, I didn't.

[@dannygooyer5926]

Also the appletree feeds itself with its own leafs and apples

[@anna_boston]

What zone is your garden in? We are in Boston, USA, zone 6b. Thank you for the super informative videos.

[@zat6442]

Extra veg can be shared with neighbours or food banks ?

[@paulinemorris5186]

What are your thoughts on supersoil?

[@Robbo0090]

@15:30 would it be a good idea to let any fruit or veg or salad that you cant consume go to seed then harvest the seeds then compost the material for optimal nutrient recycling and genetic familiarity with the garden and local climate conditions?

[@ermidacabrera8796]

Hi, not sure if it’s been asked already. When u said keeping the potatoes in the container in the wintertime, do u leave the container outside? We have a pretty cold winter with snow. Just want to clarify. Thanks. Great video

[@hollydimig3998]

You mention that you can cut crops at the base and leave the roots to decompose. I didn’t know this. Question: is it ok to put roots of plants in your compost bins too?

[@heatherpfeil2939]

Give edible food to a local soup kitchen or leave on a table at the curb with a free sign, this allows others to enjoy garden fresh eating who may not be able to grow (or who’s harvest didn’t turn out like mine 😂).

[@derek-press]

I am actually 50/50 on huw's views about composting edible food ,it's a bit of a "oh no don't do that "thing,.. where we live (we are only 5 houses on a small lane) we give share and take garden produce from each other and there is ALWAYS a way to preserve most vegetables my wife just last weekend made about 20 jars of red cabbage and apple,cooked and preserved,they will be passed around the family and friends, great for Christmas dinner

[@theclumsyprepper]

@@derek-press I agree Derek, there are many ways to preserve food rather than chucking it in the compost.

[@belly3778]

Do you now recommend direct sowing? I thought you used mainly modules to plant out stronger plants, I have followed your advice on this. It makes sense what you say about direct sowing but in my experience everything gets eaten 😳. What’s best please?

[@HuwRichards]

I never didn't recommend it, there is a time and a place for both:)

[@georgespiropoulos4892]

Hi Huw I have a question regarding your compost bins, what material are they? Treated Pine? Over here in Australia they say arsenic levels in treated pine leach out into the soil and affect crop, your thoughts on this? Cheers, new subscriber btw😊

[@GARDENER42]

I remove roughly 400kg of produce from my beds every year, say 800kg with the unwanted parts (which go into my compost bays).. From elsewhere, I add 200kg of shredded cardboard, 200kg seaweed 1,000kg of lawn clippings, 200kg of shredded hedge clippings/wood chips, 200kg of assorted weeds/spent bedding/stuff other people don't want. That adds up to about 2.2m³ of finished compost plus the wood chip I put on the paths, spread over 125m³ I seem to add far more than I take out but what I get is absolutely better tasting than commercial produce from supermarkets.

[@pmd7914]

Regarding cutting off at ground level and letting the roots rot in the ground. Are there any veges to avoid doing this with? I've noticed broad beans tend to regrow if cut low. Thanks

[@brandelladoyle]

How do you process seaweed before introducing its nutrients into your garden? I'd love to take advantage of this resource, but have concerns about the potential impact of sea salts...

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

There's also "carbon harvesting" where we grow plants for they type of organic matter it produces.

[@HuwRichards]

Absolutely love that!

[@landaliveourlittletinyhome7958]

Thank you ! We live in the US in zone 5. Our ground freezes solid. Would it be feasible to leave leeks and parsnips in all winter and harvest as we need them? Might be tricky to get them out of frozen soil. Does your ground freeze during the winter in Wales?

[@marking-time-gardens]

North of us some gardeners wait until early freeze up and then they put a heavy cover of leaves or straw over the beds and a tarp over that. From what I have seen it worked pretty well for them. Here I am blessed to be able to do just a light cover over mine. Plus my family eats through everything very quickly LOL!

[@naimac2744]

Could send surplus food to a food bank?

[@emilybh6255]

So iis it just sweet potatoes that need to b e cured after they are harvested to get them to develop the ideal flavor? You wouldn't be able to leave sweet potatoes in the soil like that and take them when you need them would you?

[@dannygooyer5926]

Why do you remove the leafs and dont you let them laying there as mulch? 2:18

[@HuwRichards]

I've got a cover crop sown underneath thar the leaves will block from growing as well:)

[@jcdmobil352]

Just a quick question to other viewers: Even when I turn my phone or tablet on full volume, the audio on Huws videos is extremely soft compared to all other videos on KZbin which I never watch with fully turned up volume. Has anybody else noticed that? I sometimes even need to wear headphones to understand what Huw is saying. 🤷‍♀️

[@HuwRichards]

I'll look into this for you! Thanks for letting me know🌱

[@heatherpfeil2939]

Yes, I have the same problem. I turn the volume all the way up and turn on subtitles.

[@dannythomas5403]

No problem with volume here

[@theclumsyprepper]

Same here. I find it hard to hear Huw as well.

[@SpatchG]

The audio sounded fine to me

[@ArtichokeHunter]

maybe it'll hold me back in gardening but i think i can get enough nutrients for compost without wasting good food. it's an interesting mindset but i don't think i can get there as long as hunger and nutrition continue to be problems in our communities. of course it would also be easier to feel ok composting good food if i were growing a ton of it.

[@Marie-yx5ie]

Hi Hugh, do you grow mini Watermelons? In Wales? I live in Dublin Eire, could I grow mini Watermelons? 👍😉🇮🇪☘️

[@thinker646]

You might find curious and maybe even helpful and interesting, the overall premise in The Humanure Handbook by Joseph Jenkins.

[@janegoodwin1823]

Doesn't the salt in seaweed create a problem for use in your garden?

[@gilbertceballos6734]

can I compost my hot peppers

[@derek-press]

hi, what are your views about brewed coffee and paper coffee filters? I have been putting them on the compost for years after being told by my neighbour and never thought about it, but then at some point I looked/ search it on the Internet if it was actually good or not and some say it's good somebody else say no-,,just wondered what your views are

[@HuwRichards]

Hi Derek - my views are the are a great compost bulking ingredient! :P

[@derek-press]

@@HuwRichards cheers and thanks ,love the channel!

[@HuwRichards]

@@derek-press thank you I'm very happy to hear that!!:)

[@skittlesskittles7577]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@666bruv]

Forget wandering down the chemistry pathway, it's the liquid carbon pathway and the microbiology mutualistic relationship

[@atlaskeeting5408]

What are your thoughts on permaculture?

[@HuwRichards]

Incredible yet often misunderstood or overhippiefied

[@justinharpold2892]

All my extras we can't eat or give away mostly go to our chickens and them back to the garden

[@haseebdailyvlogs2207]

Good joop Like 👍