Composting 101: Four Types of Compost to Know & Making Compost Tea

[@richardgreer1578]

PBS should reach out to you, Jacques. You’re like the Bob Ross of gardening. Your videos are calming, educational, and enjoyable.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I'm game!

[@freewaybaby]

@@jacquesinthegarden OR…you contact them! Ya’ never know.😊

[@Molly.Rocket]

PBS treated Bob Ross like absolute trash and paid him little to nothing, yet now they sell his paintings for big bucks. PBS sucks nuts

[@irma_brenton]

Totally agree! #pbsjacquesinthegarden

[@ericarose3486]

Excellent post! Thank you for driving home that we won’t be able to make 100% of our compost at home, I have been feeling really guilty about that and now I don’t!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Its really just not possible without bringing in tons of external material, no need to feel bad and plus the compost makers need jobs anyway.

[@gaylestegall7239]

I am an old gardener, and the one thing I have learned over the years is to never feel guilty about anything I do in the garden. We all have our own styles and likes and dislikes. Compost can be complicated. Just go with the flow and enjoy your garden. 😁

[@artstamper316]

@@gaylestegall7239 Maybe, but Hubby makes me feel guilty about how much money I spend on gardening stuff. 😂😂😂

[@ILoveTheMoodyBlues]

It was great to hear your explanation of why the compost would become hydrophobic. I live in a dry area and yes my compost is usually on the dry side so now I understand I need to make sure to keep it more moist. You’re the first person I’ve heard mentioned the hydrophobic problem !

[@JWHealing]

Also the beneficial soil life in it needs moisture.

[@simonem.3092]

Absolutely loved the content and way presented. You have a gift for explaining things and know just what we need to learn. *Also, loved the intro. You are finding your groove. 😬

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Much appreciated!

[@geraldineheywood1728]

Thank you. This was the best explanation of compost I have ever heard. I learned so much. Look forward to updates.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

Here's an easy compost calculator for raised beds: Most people compost roughly a cubic yard at a time. 3x3x3=27 cubic feet. The average raised bed is 4x8x12" deep or 32 cubic feet. Since most people don't quite fill the bed to make room for digging and such, one cubic yard will fill each bed perfectly. This will help you calculate how much compost you need to get started, and how many beds you can add each year with the amount you can produce.

[@bc-guy852]

Nice of you to point that out. You're almost correct in my case too; I made mine a bit deeper and I added free horse manure by the wheelbarrow. I first removed about half the soil and mixed that as well in a different area. With the 16" deep beds half empty to start the mixing it's much easier. And I have a worm tower in each raised bed.

[@jodibraun6383]

Thanks for that! 😊

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

@@jodibraun6383YW! I hope it helped.

[@rufia75]

Jacques: You'll NEVER be able to produce as much compost as you need. Me: Challenge accepted. Haha, but for real, I make alot of my own compost from these free external resources: starbucks/local coffee shops used coffee grounds, municipal arborist woodchip pile, driving around neighbourhood in Autumn and collecting bagged leaves. Using these 3 sources you can get a pretty good blend going, though don't use more than 25% coffee grounds, I'd say and you need to shred the leaves. Takes a bit of time, but once you have a good cycle going, you can produce ALOT of compost with a simple 3 bay pallet system.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

That is awesome to hear, I wish we had more leaves in our neck of the woods. That is cool to hear you are able to freecycle so much into great amendments for your garden.

[@janew5351]

Me too! But my municipality compost from the Green bin program has a lot of plastic in it!

[@earlshine453]

@@janew5351 Also a lot of people spray their green bins with anti-smell and insecticides to kill the flies. Had to use it to kick start my raised beds but had to do a lot of sifting. Not for me anymore. Now I make compost from kitchen scraps and garden waste (also from family). In order to getaway from the never enough compost I set up my new raised beds with a mix of local dirt, compost and a lot of not composted stuff (also cardboard and shredded paper) and grow beans as a first crop in order to get around an eventual nitrogen shortage. It's something like a mix in hugelkultur, composting in place, lasagna beds, and mulching. Yep, Jaques missed the in place composting and mulching possibilities as a compost source.

[@ronniebrace2917]

I’ve watched a lot of videos on composting and this topped the list! Looking forward to seeing your future videos and do include clips of you smiling with your dog. It may be a little thing but because you come across as quiet and shy those clips really helped me to connect with you as a person and not just a information station. It makes your channel personable. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and honesty!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I get very focused on what I am doing and so I tend to come off as more serious than I truly am!

[@ronniebrace2917]

@@jacquesinthegarden I saw that in this video, you’re definitely moving in the right direction. Shout out to Kevin too, glad you two are working together, love both channels!❤️

[@haventli]

Definitely don't want to derail you from all the very informative content, but whenever I see your pets in a video I always want to know their names. 😊

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Tephra is the best dog who is featured here!

[@Yowhatsupman]

Great video - just some personal recommendations- use an old sock and put your compost in it, also use some unsulphured molasses about 1 tbsp per gallon of water. This will give the microbes something to eat, as they will double every thirty minutes or so. There are a lot of other additives like kelp, bat guano, etc - find what works for you and start small like you're doing. I also like to use it as foliar spray for roses, bushes, grass, strawberries - basically anything can benefit from compost tea.

[@chronicposer]

Came here to suggest the same. old sock or even old panty hose doubled up. Tie it to a stick so it hangs in the bucket without touching the bottom. And yes add molasses for the sugars. This will help multiply your bacteria and other microbes many times over. Don't let the tea hang around though. If you have to store it for a couple days then put it back in the bucket with the bubbler and some more molasses or the microbes will start to die out.

[@Yowhatsupman]

@@chronicposer I'll try the pantyhose it's cheaper - thanks. I think you have about 4 hours before the brew starts to go anaerobic without a bubbler.

[@chronicposer]

@@Yowhatsupman yeah when you brew the tea the number of bacteria reproducing is crazy so it can use up the oxygen fast. I read it was about a day before you really lose the benefit of brewing though.

[@gaylestegall7239]

Great idea!

[@AmallieGames]

lol this is really dumb but I've been trying to make all my own compost. My garden hasn't been very productive and I've been frustrated. Hearing you say you buy compost and will *never* be able to make all your own was very profound for me, as simple as that was. I'm going to go buy a lot of compost now!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

It is really impossible without hauling material in or dedicating massive portions of your area to producing the materials. Also, local compost producers need our business anyways!

[@erolgns]

You can also use a tap water conditioner for aquariums to remove both chlorine and chloramine from the water.

[@stlynch675]

Love your videos. One mistake that I was making with my teas was leaving the filter in my sprayer. Make sure to remove those to get the most biology out of the sprayer. Also makes it easier to clean the lines after applying. Keep up the great work!

[@shirleytaves9545]

Such a nice time learning from you in this video! I've been gardening and composting and mulching and watering for years yet you were able to frame your message so I could understand compost so much better THANK YOU Garden Hermit!

[@rlslingwine]

Jacque: You can never make all of your own compost Horse guardians: Challenge accepted, hold my pitchfork! Seriously though if you're not able to have your own horse to meet all of your homemade compost needs then most horse farms and boarding facilities will give away manure for free, so if you have a trailer and ask nicely you could easily get a bunch of composting material! I would ask a little about where their hay comes from and if it has any pesticides, chemical treatments, etc. but it's something to consider.

[@barbstcyr304]

One also has to consider not only hay but the worming medicines etc horses are given. Bigger the horse facilities the more meds in the manure. We only have one horse now and he still makes a fair amount. We also have turned our chickens into composter workers. We made a 6x6’x18” bin where we throw grass clippings, leaves, horse manure, chicken house clean out, kitchen and garden scraps, garden clean up etc. The chickens get extra nutrients and they do an awesome job of digging and churning it up. Happy chickens! I’m thinking it will warm their little feet in the winter. ☺️

[@kyana566]

best video on composting I've seen. simple and straightforward

[@steve.the.farmer]

Fantastic video. Jacque you are the best garden teacher on KZbin -- clear, concise, easy to follow.

[@shairyjd]

Thank you so much for this video. Please update us with any new info! I love this kind of videos.

[@pagandragon830]

I'm new to gardening so I'm late to the party. However, as a previous aquarium enthusiast you can get check valves that will keep the water from back flowing into the pump in the case power goes out. I truly appreciate Jacques teaching methods!!!

[@tristavanengen6466]

I appreciate that you explain everything as if we are beginners that don't know anything but don't make us feel stupid. I really need help with dealing with pests, how about a video on that

[@rebeccasanderson8661]

Fantastic video, very informative, definitely saving this one to be rewatched at different times during the season. Looking forward to part 2 😊

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful!

[@everythingrecycled]

Hi Jacques 👋🏻 I’ve just started vegetable gardening on my balcony in Australia and recently read a book called “Soil”. It was totally eye opening and it’s really cool to see practical ways of developing microbial life on your channel. I’m about to put my first Bokashi bin into a “soil factory” (essentially burying it in garden ready mix to turn it into dirt hopefully). I’ve been a bit nervous but I think tomorrow is the day. 🤞🏻 🍃

[@jacquesinthegarden]

That is awesome soil is a fascinating topic for sure!

[@cheeezy26]

What i needed!! I’m so excited for spring I’m gonna have so much compost!!!

[@PossumPityParty]

Love your channel. I’ve been binge watching it today and learning so much. Your chill demeanor and even voice is really relaxing. Excellent content. Hi from Texas!

[@Leitz_kraft]

nice! It makes total sense to discern the traits of a compost and use it accordingly... i like this idea.

[@growthyselph]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, I’m a big fan of your teaching style.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Thank you, I really appreciate it!

[@sparrowsknow8491]

Keep ‘em coming, Jacques ! I love your videos and learn so much. I know this one is old but I’m binging on your channel right now 😂❤

[@syster9700]

Never knew there was so much to think about in terms of composting.. Thank you for your clear explanation!

[@wdsjrmd1]

full of useful information. thank you for this. your videos are great

[@lilal3753]

Wowza, that was a lot of information. Thanks so much for educating us.

[@theresaanndiaz3179]

I read John Jevon's book over 20 years ago. He really influenced me as a gardener. Great resource.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

That book really got to me and made me want to dive in head first

[@MsArtistwannabe]

Thank you. I’m enjoying your videos and learning a lot as well.

[@Notthelizard]

Interesting. Awesome that you got your first sponsorship

[@ClaytonSummers]

Loved the video! I really appreciated you both talking about the product people can buy as well as a method to DIY with the caveat you haven't tried it yourself. Thanks for the information!

[@a.l.a.7847]

a list of all the special connectors, timers, etc. and links to your amazon affiliate would help folks buy the right stuff that you have on your hoses and drip irrigation for the great inoculation project you showed us today. thanks!

[@pattibrown1809]

Awesome video, thanks so much! You made it so simple and easy to understand. There's so much information out there on composting it can get overwhelming. Good job!!

[@suekuly4723]

Always so informative. Thank you. 🙌🏻

[@jeannechin5052]

Thank you! I love the the thorough information.

[@umhebes]

Once again previous cannibas growing experience related directly to vegetable gardening 👩‍🌾 Bokaski Tea is a big hit in my space

[@mooshow]

love this channel! came from EG and love to get this in depth look

[@madclouds]

Loving your video's Jacques! (or is it Jacque?). Your explanation style, and speech cadence is so great. Easy listening. Anyway, I'd love to see a video more in depth on how you sow your different seeds. Keep up the great work man.

[@juliewhite6887]

Thanks so much for such a great and informative video! I know I will be putting my new knowledge to improve my garden soil. Once again, great work Jacques!

[@2mustange]

Your fertilizing contraption is exactly what i need for my deep watering stake.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I've had it for over a year now and its a wonderful tool, this is how I apply liquid fertilizer like fish emulsions across the garden!

[@MsQuantized]

I have a rain barrel with goldfish in it that I use that water for specifically for compost tea. No need to worry about water filtration and I bet they like the fish poop too

[@RVBadlands2015]

So you don’t need a filter with the fish.

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

Quickly becoming one of my favorite gardening channels. Do you have any estimates on how many sq ft your garden takes up? How much food does it provide for you guys, and what are your goals within that regard?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Oof, I have measured it before but I can't recall now. I will try to remember to measure it again at some point, I would estimate that it is ~2000, but I could be way off! We grow all of our herbs, and use a lot of them. Depending on time of year we could be growing 40-80% of the veg we consume but it gives and takes. The goal is to provide as much as we possibly can but we like brassicas too much to not buy them in during the summer months when it is challenging to grow them here.

[@lindaparshall9276]

Thanks for the easy breakdown of how to...so enjoy your channel...thx for bringing me along

[@clarencesmith9882]

Great discussion! Quite thorough, informative and practical. Thank you for sharing!

[@kellyk7482]

I love that your best friend is always around!

[@bc-guy852]

Congratulations on 100K subscribers! New subscriber here who likes your ideas. I'm researching chickens and have done somewhat-organic gardening with reasonable success. Always learning. I'm having good results with local horse manure and it's free! I think it's on the lower end of nitrogen (as far as manures' go) and won't burn. Great video!

[@billhartman8217]

I just started following you. I love the relationship that you and Kevin, as well as the whole team at Epic Garden have. I watched 2 of your seed starting videos, and the direct/seedlings video this morning, before this one. I'm wondering about hot, or how you use the compost pile. I used steer manure compost when I potted up 50 Gamble Oak seedlings, and I might have killed them all. 😬 I tested water after soaking some of the steer compost in it, and it was super high in nitrates. After 2 weeks, I repotted those seedlings and so far only 1 is showing signs of coming back to life. I now know to mix steer compost with soil or potting mix. Not sure what percentage though. Thank you for helping us understand the processes of backyard gardens.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Glad to hear this and to have you on board! With compost I tend to make sure it's a blend of manure and green materials if I plant to incorporate it into pots or in the ground as it is stretched out more and less likely to be too strong. My most common compost use case is simply spreading it over garden beds to refresh them between planting out the next plant

[@stevenlehmann4432]

Glad you mentioned the compost tea, that was an old school canabis growing technique before companies started targeting the community.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Those old schoolers for sure knew how to make healthy plants!

[@synnveskaaheim8283]

Love the way you explain things! Looking forward to learning more about this 😁

[@deecooper1567]

Thanks Jacques for a good explanation. Several yrs ago I tried compost & water w/o having a setup like your & it stunk really bad 🤢🥴. But I just used cow manure 🐄 This year I’ll try to set up as you did. 👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

[@ClassicallyMish]

In my containers I used organic mushroom compost, peat and some garden soil. It has been great for my green beans, cayenne and collard greens. I haven’t added a manure yet but I have some on standby incase I want to make a fertilizing tea.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Nice, as long as plants look good and produce what you need there is no need to push it!

[@andrewpugliese9927]

THAT WALK IN INTRO!!! lol love your content

[@munchkin5674]

Would you use this as a foliar application? If so, would you dilute it with water and use it in a watering can and/or pressure sprayer?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Foliar feeding is something I am still slowly getting into, I can't provide sure fire advice for now when I try it I simply just water from above but a pressurized mist would probably be more efficient in terms of making it last longer.

[@fatherofchickens7951]

Thanks! I learned quite a bit from this!

[@huzbum]

I have that same hat, it's awesome for being in the sun out in the garden! If you make your way up to Miramar you can get as much compost as you can haul for free. I'm up in Escondido, so I'm getting a load of mushroom compost delivered from the mushroom farm for like $75. The compost is free, but they charge per mile for delivery. They will dump up to 10 yards for that price.

[@gloriaenciso2917]

I’ve gotten the mushroom compost before. I like to use it in my pathways first. Still lots of large lumps left over from the mushroom growing process. I also add it to my compost pile so it adds bulk and has time breakdown more.

[@atnoahshouse]

Great video. A real breakdown of type. Also explains some of my fails. Where would you put mushroom manure/compost. It is sold at many places where I live in bulk. You have great tone and rhythm in your videos.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I would consider it to be basically mulching as it is usually devoid of nutrients but it does provide carbon!

[@Rachel-ju5vt]

I appreciate these informative videos

[@panko97]

Great video 👍🏼 Now I know what to do with my piles and piles of cow manure. I already buy my Bokashi from them so now I’m excited to know that they have the inoculant too! Thank you.

[@christythompson6692]

Wonderful video, so much helpful information, I'll be coming back to this one often. I am really curious about the water filtration system. I have to use city water cause having a well dug is prohibitive. I know you said you would do a video in the future but think about bringing us along on the journey, it's a learning curve for a lot of us.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I chose a filter from the website "Friends Of Water" but someone else suggested a Boogie Brew filter which seems to accomplish the same task at a much better price

[@racebiketuner]

To check for chloramines, you need a low level ammonia test kit. They're inexpensive and easy to find at any place that sells aquarium supplies. You want to get the ammonia below 0.25 PPM. You can't do that with an inexpensive filter, even if you put two or more in series and run the water very slowly. (Putting a Camco KDF filter upstream of a Boogie Blue Plus will give about 70% reduction when the filters are new.) The only practical way to do it is with ascorbic acid. One gram will treat 42 gallons providing the water is within the legal limit of 4.0 PPM.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Thanks, this is useful info that I will keep in mind, makes sense that the aquarium stores handle this.

[@fluxilla]

Very informative! What are your thoughts 5 months in?

[@ritalr15]

My avocado 🥑 pits always break down in my bins. My question to you besides making sure it stays moist. Is do you cover it or leave open? I have 1 bin that I keep the compost in. I have 3 set up and try and keep 2 of them full.

[@karenvanhooser2976]

thanks for the info, very helpful. where do you get your compost here in San Diego?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

San Pasqual Valley Soils! The Nitro blend

[@williamfitzgerald3812]

good lesson on types of compost and how to use the compost.

[@JPPL]

Thank you Jacques for this and the other videos posted. I am already a huge fan! Could you please indicate the output of the air pump you recommend for the 5 galon bucket? They are so expensive, dont want to overdo on the power if not necessary. Thank you!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I can't recall the exact output but you can't overdue it really, under doing it will create more issues

[@AlyxGlide]

Our worm bin makes tea. Thanks for talking about different composts

[@frozengardens5803]

Really surprised you didn’t mention alfalfa or kelp for its natural PGR’s that increasing potential growth. Also another easy available Inoculation for beneficial microbes is fish tank water. Cheers.. as always Epic video! thank you for all the educational content for are fellow green thumbs out there 😊

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I have some fermented alfalfa extract from SD Microbes which has been interesting to play with but in this case I focused on just compost!

[@andrewdevries8932]

Hey @Jacques, what are the best types of mulch to use in the garden in your opinion?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I like straw the most as it breaks down relatively quickly, holds tons of water, and worms love it!

[@andrewdevries8932]

@@jacquesinthegarden Do you only use it in your raised beds or do you put it on your in-ground beds too? You should do a video about different types of mulch!

[@adub893]

this into is adorable please bring it back

[@Nigel_Tufnel_11]

The detail on chloramine was very interesting. But one but confused me. You filtered it out to make the 'juice'. But then don't you just put it back in using the eziflow with (I assume) unfiltered town water on the other end?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Yeah sorry I brushed past this point but I have a garden filter inline, I didn't want to dwell on it because I just set it up and wasn't sure if it was something I would recommend until I used it further.

[@edwardvergara5642]

Thank you for the great info about compost. Question: When you make your own compost, do you protect it from rain? Thank you.

[@thuthiehiker]

I haven’t started composting yet. I want to grow potatoes in a grow bag. First time for me. You suggest using potting mix and compost. What can I use to replace compost. Peat Moss, Amend, chicken Manure. Love your channel. So much to learn.

[@MariaSanchez-zf9cs]

Interesting. I had just made an alfalfa tea for my raised beds. The alfalfa I have left over, I'm drying out to spread on my in ground beds for the winter. I used a miracle grow sprayer hooked onto my water hose and watered my plants this past summer with fish and kelp fertilizer.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Nice! I have a fermented Alfalfa extract from SD Microbes as well which I have been diluting and giving to my seedlings which seem to love it

[@juliehorney995]

Just got about 2, 5-gallon buckets of composted chicken manure from an organic chicken farmer. I have an active compost pile going already with greens and browns, ready to be sifted and used soon here in zone 5b/6a. Do I add the composted chicken manure to the compost pile or directly onto my plants and beds? TIA.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

If it's fully composted (no heat and broken down to mostly unidentifiable parts) it should be safe to spread around the garden. If in doubt just add it to your current compost pile and use it together with that one it's done.

[@JacquesPayan]

I have an old but powerful blender and have been thinking of liquefying vegetable and fruit scraps to add to leaves and grass clippings or even existing compost, based.on the theory that it will speed up decomposition and maybe help reduce rodent interest. Since I've never heard of anyone else doing this, I'm wondering if it's actually a good idea. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[@rachelstark2391]

Greeings, It would be great, if you could do a tutorial on the quick release system...plz. Cheers

[@PrettyAliceNight]

Great video! What is the name of the catalyst you used in the compost tea?

[@Imjetta7]

This is great, thank you!

[@umaumalei14]

Excellent video. Could you please do a video on using a filter for removing chloramines? Thanks.

[@cheeezy26]

I have a question 🙋🏻‍♀️ my compost is shredded paper fruits and veggies and I’ve added manure before i plan on adding more just gotta get it from the barn but my question is how fertilizing do you think it will end up as a home compost?? I’ve also added fire pit wood ash /“coals” I also have bokashi to add when my bucket fills up 🤗🤗🤗

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Its hard to tell but if it is less thank 1/4 manure then probably safe to use in large quantities

[@sandrasherer8779]

My husband and I are trying this for the first time. This year.

[@lisag9752]

Do you water your vegetables with tap water, or do you set a bucket aside for 24 hours to off gas? I have rain barrels, but I've been told that everything running off the roof isn't good either. What do you think Jacques?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I do use tap water but I am now experimenting with a garden water filter, to cut the chlorine and chloramine (doesn't off gas) out at the source! I would say rain water is the perfect ideal as long as you have a first flush setup on your water collection.

[@lisag9752]

@@jacquesinthegarden Thanks for your response. Can you explain more about first flush? Is that keeping the valve open to let the first rainfall drain straight through?

[@bearhandies4646]

Great video, super informative! I was wondering how long you can store a bag if the inoculating compost for and in what conditions? Should it be kept in a bag, or in a pile? And what is the best way to compost your own chicken manure? I have a tonne!

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Hmm that is a good question, I am not sure on the timeline, but generally you want to at least ensure it doesn't dry out so I opted to leave it in the bag. For chicken manure I am only just now about to get my first batch so I can't speak to a good method just yet!

[@geeyoupee]

How do you feel about the free Miramar landfill compost? How much did that 3 yd. of compost cost you? For a raised bed, what happens if you use 50%+ compost? Thanks!

[@suzukistrings7054]

And, how did you get the compost to your house? Was it delivered?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I have used it numerous times but overall I have decided to stop using it in the edible vegetable garden for a couple of reasons. 1) The amount of plastic and trash in there while not sizeable is enough that I don't want to use it. 2) The grain size/texture is challenging, there are way too many fine silt like particles which makes it hard to rehydrated and very heavy once wet which makes water management a challenge. 3) You have no way of knowing if people have sprayed their green waste with herbicides or pesticides before throwing it away which then ends up in the compost. The main annoyance is the watering issue, its so hydrophobic when you first get it that it becomes a nuisance to use. The compost is from San Pasqual valley Soils and this one is called "Nitro Blend" and costs$22 a cubic yard so the materials here was $66, really a bargain for what you get. The delivery is variable, I live about 40 minutes away from them can be as low as $100 if you find someone on craigslist with a trailer or up to $200 if you have them deliver it. It should be ok yo use that much, but it may be very heavy in the sense that it will hold a lot of water and not drain very freely. A classic no-till bed is often 3-6" of pure compost so that gives you some perspective that it definitely works for in ground raised beds.

[@geeyoupee]

@@jacquesinthegarden thanks for your response. I do agree with your 3 points after using it. I used a mixture of Miramar landfill compost(about 50%), Kellogg's garden and raised bed mix, steer compost, perlite, and peat moss for my raised beds. I had issues with curling/twisting leaves on my peppers and some of my plants not doing well such as beans. I was trying to figure out of it was amloid poisoning, too much compost or something else. It's hard to figure out when you have so many unknown factors of your material. Do you think a compost tea or KNF microbial solution will help the soil get rid of residual herbicide/ pesticides? I'm a first year gardener from SD. Thanks!

[@simonem.3092]

@@jacquesinthegarden Thanks for taking the time to answer those great questions! I am in SD too and was considering using the Miramar compost and other products so now I won't! Thanks! I never thought to ask you. Thanks Eric N!!

[@shazzbotz]

super hydrophobic, water just runs away instead of going down.

[@terrivance8750]

@ the end, when you watered, you used manicipal water. Doesn't the chlorine/chloramine in the hose water defeat the inoculation from the tea? Ditto for the drip water?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I had a simple water filter in place, I just didn't delve into it much as I wasn't sure if I liked it, still unsure!

[@TeenTaco]

Jacques, That’s why you use the teabag from the beginning so you don’t have to do the straining. It’s just compost water. It allows your plants to uptake the nutrients from your compost faster. Dump the leftover stuff from the teabag into your garden or back into your compost pile.

[@lilhemy1008]

Very clear explanation

[@Nikki-mx5my]

This was a great video on the types of compost and what makes a compost high quality. Two often, I have come across gardeners that have instructed others to use a “high quality” compost without really explaining what that means. It often translates to “most expensive” which makes me wary. I’d love to know how to select a good quality compost from the garden nursery as someone growing on a small scale. What should we be looking for?

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Look for a variety of ingredients, so many different plant inputs, mix of browns as well not just wood if possible, and that it isn't just wood chips and manure as that is the most common form sold by nurseries.

[@Nikki-mx5my]

@@jacquesinthegarden Thank you! That makes sense.

[@sherrybrown4340]

Great information - thanks

[@digsindirt4490]

Just curious… If you aren’t going to reuse the compost, can you just scoop it with the water and put it in the garden when you water? Obviously you wouldn’t put it in a sprayer, but a scoop or cup would work, right?

[@NatureLover-ss4ef]

Hi, love this video. I learned so much. Thank you. May I ask you where would I buy the nutritional compost from? And is nutritional compost the correct terminology I should use to ask? I called several nursery and they have no idea what I mean when I asked for nutritional compost. TIA.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

I got mine locally from SPV Soils. The name is more of a classification to think about different levels of compost but I would say most places don't categorize them as such. Instead I would ask what goes into the compost and determine it from there. You want diverse greens and some amount of manure while the browns are not just straight wood chips.

[@skynet40433]

I think I've been killing my plants unknowingly with a hot soil blend... back to the drawing board🤦🏻‍♀TYSM, Professor Jacques!

[@judy2942]

You should have watched Robbie and Gary gardening in so. California bcuz she has been doing compost tea for years and without the machine. She uses totes containers and 5 gallon containers. You should look at her.

[@lornaj3310]

I need a video on how you make your compost, Jacques! So many compost videos online are made by people who live in humid places and they're like, "aww just pile it up, turn it, and next year it will be compost!" that is NOT the case here (New Mexico) because it's so dry, keeping a compost bin as moist as it needs to be takes a tremendous amount of water. Since you mentioned San Diego is dry 10 months a year, too, maybe you've got better advice for creating compost in a dry environment! Please and thank yooooou

[@7thsluglord363]

Ive been making compost out of like 75% horse and goat poo, 15% sticks and leaves and such, and 10% food scraps. For about a decade. I just started gardening a month ago. Glad to know ive been making compost right this whole time just by instinct of what to do with all this dang poo! Ive been suddenly struck with the indomitable desire to become a food and medicine farmer. Making a mad dash to get a zillion things growing before winter entombs me. If fortune favors me, perhaps i will have greenhouse, low tunnel, something, by winter. Damned zone 5.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Its a very quick slippery slope that's for sure, a healthy addiction at least!

[@MatthewC117]

The catalyst could be replaced with just molasses or by what I've seen fish emulsion. It's a food source for the microbes. If you were just making a nutrient tea it's not needed. Love the content btw! One of the few channels I don't wait for my work week to watch. Lol

[@jacquesinthegarden]

My understanding was that since this was a particularly fungal dominate compost that molasses was not the ideal choice as its better for propagating bacteria. However, I am entirely new to this so I am not 100% on any of it yet. I am glad you have been enjoying the videos!

[@MatthewC117]

@@jacquesinthegarden oh good point on the fungal tea. I wasn't thinking about the type of microbes! I use oatmeal for fungal teas. I also want to point out I wasn't talking bad on the product. I'm all for more things being mixed into my teas and soils.

[@Oktopia]

Hey! I have an almost unlimited source of horse manure near me. I'm wondering what's best to combine this with in my compost heap to get a balanced compost for my garden? I'm growing only edible plants. I also get grass clippings, cardboard, leaves, and food waste.

[@jacquesinthegarden]

Be sure to test the manure for any persistent herbicides, you can do this by trying to grow some beans in it and see if they emerge all twisted with damaged leaves. But before you can do that it has to be fully composted and broken down. If I recall horse manure is balanced enough to compost on its own without additions. But adding in other things like organic waste and more carbon can make it a more balanced compost in terms of nutrients. Just make sure to add water and turn it frequently to help break it down fully.

[@Oktopia]

@@jacquesinthegarden I didn't consider damaging chemicals. Thank you for the insight! I'll be sure to test and treat it appropriately so I can get the best possible results.

[@barbstcyr304]

You also want to be aware of residual medications in the manure from worming and other meds when getting it from a horse facility.

[@veronicadoggone5660]

That bucket was like a magician's hat , lol!