Preparing Beds on a No-Till Farm

[@markwisdom9869]

If anyone comes on here to complain how this successful market Gardner does is stuff, you need to spend more time looking in than projecting out. Nice Farm @joshsattin

[@wndmiles]

Thank you! Much needed video. I’m starting new this year. My first trial was a big flop. Everything came up beautifully and then died!! I gotta test my soil again bc I can’t figure out what I did wrong. But I’m learning. Not giving up just yet. Keep on teaching us!!! We need all the help you can give! Love your videos.

[@justinemcguire4926]

The B roll in the beginning of your video is great.

[@JoshSattinFarming]

Thank you!

[@JMo268]

Yeah what's the song?!

[@songha5566]

I love how you break down. It look very professional.

[@countdown.moments]

Happy summer solstice, thank you for sharing all of that content for free. Here we amend our beds only in the winter where we harvest a lot of organic matter that we let cold composting on the beds. Then mulched with leaves and let mother nature do the work.

[@aprilleithleiter1929]

Love this.

[@brianrawlings575]

That's 10 litre of compost per m2 of bed. To save anyone having to do the conversion.

[@agdayem]

Thanks though i saw your comment after i had gone through the conversions :)

[@jase265]

As a keen Horticulturist from new Zealand , I will subscribe

[@Jason_Hermann]

Just what I needed, served up by the algorithm ;) Thanks Josh, learned a ton!

[@barbaraotter2356]

I so appreciate your instructions! You were very thorough yet focused. Happy gardening!!

[@donwilliams1193]

Thank you for your videos they sure help me. God bless everyone

[@AFramedHOAmstead]

Would you do a vlog on securing a high tunnel from wind and storms? I know you get a lot of damaging weather and it would be helpful if we knew what to look for when purchasing a tunnel. Love the channel. Blessings

[@FAISALKHAN-ts5lf]

You are absolutely outstanding You doing amazing job Making a videos is very helpful Superb God bless you

[@JoshSattinFarming]

Thank you!

[@Toobfree]

Hi Josh, thanks for sharing your processes. I’m new to gardening and your videos have been very helpful. Keep them coming!

[@JoshSattinFarming]

You're welcome. Glad the videos have been helpful and thanks for watching!

[@eunahthinwa8308]

Great lessons learned and much appreciated. I am a beginner

[@jackiekitchennowordsneeded587]

I learn so much from you videos Josh! Thank you! Your a world of knowledge for me.

[@JoshSattinFarming]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@jamesfields4149]

@@JoshSattinFarming Where do you purchase your compost ? I live in Lumberton and Im looking for some for my small garden 15x50

[@daniels100teachingfarm6]

You’re hustling! Keep up the good work!

[@edwardguzik4282]

Love my Tilther "Tiller" another tool I feel in love with this year, is the Wire Weeder, if you don't have one, make one or you can all ways buy.

[@alveygardens]

Wonderful information Thankyou! Working with our the local conservation office and the equip program to get a hoop house financed and then growing for our local farmers markets. This was very helpful

[@amandahartung6287]

Did you have to own the land for them to work with you? We are renting 5 acres and every program I find that has grants and such requires that you own the land.

[@dirtdiggerjerry]

I noticed that you're using a landscape rake to dress your grow beds/rows. I have the same rake but I cut 3inches off of either side to create a 30inch bed rake. Works great!

[@aprilleithleiter1929]

I was thinking same thing. Wish the tilt her came in different widths, with stronger side panels to keep soil on the bed.

[@patriciahogg5763]

Enjoyed your systematic approach!! Nice!! 🌻🌻🌻

[@paxtianodirtfrog8947]

Thanks Josh! I have been struggling with the baby green bed flips and this answers my questions using pretty much the same tools I have to work with. Lots of great stuff going on at that farm that I hope catches on else where.

[@MrMockingbird1313]

Thank you for showing how you use your broad fork. I have never had a real technique.

[@abilitylemur112]

Cheers mate. I greatly appreciate your videos. Always something new to learn.

[@JoshSattinFarming]

Thank you!

[@johnjude2685]

Seems like a great way of doing things,Sir, Thanks for showing

[@ALEXort2007]

Till - Verb - to prepare and cultivate (land) for crops. Tilth - Noun - cultivation of land; tillage. Tilther = Tiller I'm not sure I agree with the "No till" label, but I do enjoy the videos.

[@stevehatcher7700]

A hand rake, stirrup hoe, wire weeder, broadfork, any hand tool, really, is soil cultivation = tillage. If you want to get that technical. What really matters in the no-till system is minimizing soil disturbance. The tilther only goes about an inch deep. You can do the exact same job with a rake, and only disturb that top inch, just a LOT more time and effort. That top inch is naturally highly variable in soil life populations over time. Baked by the sun, dried out by the wind, soil life is transient in this zone. Our disturbance here has minimal overall impact. Deeper than one inch is another story and is where no-till really matters. Some prefer to call it low-till. Others call it no-dig (yet still dig small holes to plant transplants, go figure).

[@MrDuLac]

Thanks for doing what you all do!

[@JoshSattinFarming]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@HerEcolife]

The broadfork really saved my soil. Its just like butter now. Havn't been here in a while. Been busy on my own farm. I'll be back!

[@operatorblack]

Thank you so much for making this video Josh. I’m using this information to literally feed my family. It means a lot.

[@ksquish16]

Best of luck to you mate. I'm hoping to do the same

[@aNaturalist]

Terrific to see manual no-till ways of incorporating amendments. I saw Neversink Farm do this pretty much the same on video. My own guess is that root crops being dug will help some of the amendments fall in deeper and not just stratify on the surface, over time. I'm also in a high PH area. I've been thinking of adding elemental sulfur. So, it was great to see someone using it that isn't amending a big broad acre farm. What about soil tests? Of all the organic vids and podcasts I listen to, very few seem to get soil tests done, or talk about soil testing, except for people that like Steve Solomon's book The intelligent Gardener. Maybe more than just a PH test was done there?

[@bellal4406]

Hi your garden so nice

[@philandhannahslittlefarm1464]

I always enjoy your videos! One day I will incorporate your methods here on our Farmstead!

[@lastcastproduction4030]

Whow all these yrs ive been doing it right? 😂 Im just too lazy each fall so i cut from right under and keep the roots in. Thanks for the info bro👊🏼

[@parkerbender9189]

Another awesome video! Thanks Josh.

[@JoshSattinFarming]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@plasmaticmedia518]

Farming has many rewards

[@TheAdventuresofDrewandAmanda]

So glad I found your channel> I live in Cary! We got 300 sq feet of raised beds. Planted a cover crop last year. Now wondering what the hell to do with it!!

[@NarrowWayFarm]

Very informational video! I would love to do market gardening a little to phase out of the grind!

[@Darkyvarg]

Again informative, thanks, great video! But rip for chickens..

[@TourUser9630]

6:30 - Roughly 5/16" deep? (25 gallons at 231 cubic inches each spread scross 18000 square inches of bed space -> 0.32083" average depth)

[@Im-just-Stardust]

Thanks that was very helpful

I liked the tilther. It appeared to be battery powered, but I saw no brand name or reference where I could get one. Just wondering? The same for the broad fork- my local stores don’t seem to have those but I once had a neighbor that had an antique one- at least it looked like an antique!

[@robertschroeder1978]

Josh, thanks for the video as I am just starting this year and hope to garden in much of the style that you have exampled. Need to know more on composting and how to get started. Will research your video library.

[@idkkero999]

Serious question: doesn't the broad fork and tilter go against the whole no-till thing??

[@markharris5544]

Don't know what Josh would say but my answer is as regards the broadfork. It doesn't invert the soil but only loosen it so that water, roots, earthworms and other biology can penetrate more easily. A plow would invert the soil layers, a rototiller pulverizes and destroys biology however if its only on the top inch then that top inch becomes like mulch that protects the biology underneath it.

[@bernardosax]

Low-till

[@ThePorktornado]

The broad fork is pretty much the equivalent of a ripper in farming operations.

[@bonniebon5378]

After a season or two it isn't necessary. It takes roots in the ground for the air to lift the soil naturally. The key is to always have roots in the ground, but ya gotta air the soil for the first few plantings in certain soils, like clay.

[@nudebikergirl]

I think it does, from what I understand about no dig from Charles Dowdings channel. He emphasizes minimal soil disturbance. The broadfork is doing nothing for the health of the soil.

[@sydneywoodyard6541]

Thank you Josh! Awesome video

[@JoshSattinFarming]

You're welcome!

[@Leeofthestorm]

Great stuff. I was thinking that pulling the baby kale seems like a pretty time-intensive process. I would think that just digging holes in it and planting the pepper transplants would be fine (saving all the soil community relationships, and time), and then just use sheers to hack the kale that is potentially competing with the peppers. Or if you want it clean, just shear the whole bed right from the start. I find cardboard an effective medium to kill weeds. It's free from the waste stream and compostable, and worms particularly thrive under it. I was wondering if the beds would improve faster with those amendments being added before you broadfork, preceding the planting of a deep-rooted crop? Just my thoughts. Clearly you are doing great, and I wish you success with your project!

[@pawelkapica5363]

Isn't broad forking like tilling, maybe not quite as radical, but you still disturb the soil.

[@kevinaldridge1080]

Thanks for info.

[@JoshSattinFarming]

You're welcome!

[@lmrmay244]

Great video

[@مواطنعربيمصري]

Thanks my friend for your ideas my regards

[@amakiridikoru8393]

Great content. I was wondering Josh is you can share details of how you make you compost. Thanks

[@JoshSattinFarming]

Thank you. We buy commercially made compost.

[@PrepperDana]

Suggest renaming video 'flipping beds' vs building beds. Thx. 🙂

[@kelleyfarm]

Take an angle grinder to that rake make it 30 inches and make bent handle so u can work from the side works good

[@aprilleithleiter1929]

What shape do you bend the handle?

[@kelleyfarm]

@@aprilleithleiter1929 you off set it to a side makes it easier made one while ago never use it as much now but works good

[@chichitex1252]

I love this channel.

[@JoshSattinFarming]

Thank you!

[@thecountrypeasanttcp1573]

You use a broad fork then a tilther... How is that no till??

[@thecountrypeasanttcp1573]

Ahhh... Yes nuance(I had to look that up... A subtle difference of meaning) You mean to till rather than no till, nuance. Gotcha. It looks like hard work your no till system compared to mine. I let earthworms and nature do my tilling so I don't have to. That's a nuance as well.

[@pietervanderwesthuizen2319]

@@thecountrypeasanttcp1573 . I am keen to understand more about this. How much food do you produce with your system of no-till? Can you quantify as well as indicate what crops you produce? I would like to do as little as possible, providing it is a viable option.

[@thecountrypeasanttcp1573]

@@pietervanderwesthuizen2319 it is most definately a viable option. If you are truly interested in no till then the best place to look for inspiration is Charles Dowding. He has written books and has many informative KZbin videos. If you are a larger scale farmer then Gabe Brown has a great book called "dirt to soil" and also features on many KZbin videos. I cannot explain better than either of these people, I base my garden and farming on their principles. Hope that helps you out. 👍

[@thecountrypeasanttcp1573]

@@pietervanderwesthuizen2319 to quantify the results... I forgot, you will do less work and improve your soil structure, increase organic matter and soil life that will result in healthier plants that require less chemical inputs and in return provide better yields and more nutrients. There are always dips and troughs, it is a learning curve, but an exciting one.

[@pietervanderwesthuizen2319]

@@thecountrypeasanttcp1573 what are you growing and in what climate zone?

[@lamonki1214]

Thanks for the sharing, very helpful. How would you deal with the soil spilling over the wood chip pathway?

[@JoshSattinFarming]

We keep the beds and pathways roughly at the same height.

[@whitelighthealer7901]

Hey Josh, thanks so much for your videos...really great! One one of your videos you showed burning weeds. Could you give me the brand name of that torch attachment. I'm having difficulty locating one online. With thanks

[@JoshSattinFarming]

I bought a cheap one at Northern Tools, but something like this would work amzn.to/3jmoD7N

[@xxxrst]

Thanks mate

[@tompowell6723]

Where can I get ground feather meal? We do not have any poultry farms here any longer because the waste run off creates brown tide and messes with the marine environment which surrounds this island. At one time and for multiple decades we were world famous for our Long Island duck.

[@timreynolds2643]

Looked like tilling to me

[@chefgiovanni]

You sir are a Master of your domain. Thanks for sharing ! Let's get cooking with Master Chefs .......

[@smeedgar]

Broad fork isn't tilling?

[@franksummerlin3422]

Nope. Not even close. The broadfork pokes holes in the soil and loosens it. It's not meant to turn the soil over (tilling), or to break up the top layer (tilthing).

[@JB-ps5bu]

prevents soil compaction. Even a BCS tractor with tilling will create a dense layer to deep to break up. Broad fork ensures you wont have roots freaking out when they hit hard soil at depth.

[@lovelyrainflowerfarm]

Broad forking is soil disturbance. But to understand the value of the “no till” concept, you have to understand what soil needs. Soil structure gets ripped apart by vigorous tilling - kind of like putting a layer cake in a blender: who wants to eat that? A broad fork is like slicing a cake - yum yum. The living microorganisms in soil need air. Broad forking helps with this without utterly destroying all the life in the soil. Frankly, worms 🪱 do the same thing 😉 as they move through the soil they create air pockets. Soil that has no oxygen becomes anaerobic. This also kills much of the helpful microorganisms in the soil. So broad forking is a happy medium to get your soil what it needs.

[@smeedgar]

@@lovelyrainflowerfarm , I have a no till garden, for 5 years now. I only dig a hole to put the plant's in. And add about 3 to 4 inches of raw woodchips, Every spring. And see no need to fork it. But to each their own...

[@lovelyrainflowerfarm]

@@smeedgar it may also have something to do with the efficiencies of growing for market. I don’t broadfork either, but then my context is different. Either way, it’s not harming the soil.

[@berghauss]

10:50.......my OCD can't be calmer. You can throw the seeds from an airplane into that bed and it will grow like crazy.

[@edwardschneider2716]

Can 4please discuss in a video your ferlilzer you use during the growing season. I know you use soil tests but what specifically do you use in between

[@r37l36]

Would you do the same process if the beds were outdoors or does anything change? Love your channel. Thanks

[@Dave-bt8bz]

Josh, I really enjoy your videos. You have great presentation skills and you keep it simple to digest all the information. One question, I am new to gardening, I would think that leaving the lettuce roots in after simply tearing off the leaves would cause them to sprout? back?? What did I miss? Thanks in advance -- Dave

[@ewjorgy]

Hi Josh, Thanks to your videos I decided to try something different when I flipped my lettuce bed last night. Instead of pulling them out like I have always done, I cut off my lettuce just below ground level, left the roots in place, added a bit more compost and amendments on top and only had to pull one out when I transplanted 46 new lettuce plants in my raised bed (all started from seed)! I am excited to see how it works out! On a different note... is there any particular types of lettuce that do better as cut and come again? I would assume head lettuce like iceberg would not do well whereas loose leaf types might be ok with it but I was curious if you have seen any general indicators that might allow you to make an educated guess as to what would work well. I am here in the San Francisco bay area so my climate is very different from yours so I imagine I would be looking at totally different varieties compared to what you grow there. I have had good luck so far with paris island cos. Thank you for everything you do! I really enjoy watching your videos not just because I always pick up new tidbits of knowledge but because it keeps me inspired to expand my own gardening skills. Stay safe, be well and all the best from California 💛

[@JoshSattinFarming]

Glad to hear the videos have been helpful. There are so many varieties of lettuce out there and I have only grown a few. For my context I like the Muir, Cherokee, Magenta mix. Salanova is grown by most market gardeners and is an awesome cut and come again lettuce. It also comes down to what type of lettuce you like to eat.

[@ewjorgy]

@@JoshSattinFarming Thank you for the info! It is much appreciated! I may have to try Salanova if I can find it. Thanks again!

[@larryseals1827]

@@ewjorgy I believe Johnny's Selected Seeds is the only company that sells Salanova. It's good lettuce, however, the seeds are expensive.

[@briananders7358]

I’m in LA, I know it’s not quite SF weather but I had good luck with buttercrunch lettuce. Worked as a good cut and come again. 3 cuts from container garden. I also started from seed. Hope that helps. Cheers.

[@phatalextran]

What is the yellow powder stuff you put down at the beginning of the video. Thanks

[@robshaw736]

Another great video Josh! When you covered the arugula, would a silage tarp work too? Wondering the difference in using landscape cloth and a tarp

[@JoshSattinFarming]

Silage tarp would be great. I had some 3 foot wide landscape fabric already so we used that.

[@indersaini6381]

Hi good farming bro

[@dougreynolds2813]

Josh are here any type of trellising i can put up in my new farmers friend gothic caterpiller tunnel?

[@rufia75]

I'm confused how it's no-till if you are broadforking the soil.

[@cdavis5832]

rufia75 tilling disrupts the soil structure a lot more...

[@ryanswink1431]

How do you get your feather mill and other additives for your soil? We are new and getting started

[@BFETile]

Nice...where did you get greenhouse? How much? Thanks

[@ThisIsGoogle]

DO NOT FLIP BEDS. watch Charles and Richard Perkins videos on flipping beds and why creates more weeds in no till gardens. You do not flip the soil or aerate it in any way, so throw away that pitchfork.

[@jeffenglishsetter8339]

Not sure, but it seems his results counter your statement

[@ThisIsGoogle]

@@jeffenglishsetter8339 Just watch charles explain it, he is the man behind the idea. Josh is just regurgitating what Charles has already done, but he is really bad at following Charles' updated books and guides. Is it true that aeration used to be done by Charles as well, but he did an experiment and proved that it was not a productive practice to flip beds.

[@j.reneewhite915]

I know you've changed a lot of things since this video. However you still tend to make 30" rows right? At the 10:36 mark on the video where you explain that the landscape rake is 36" wouldn't it be advantageous to trim (and finish the edge so it's not sharp) 3" off each side of the rake?

[@CaseDadToo]

II’ve found that those landscape rakes pull the dirt level better when pulled like he’s doing it. When pulled straight like you are suggesting the rake tends to dig in randomly leaving a ‘cut’ in his level surface making him have to back up and rerun it, which would defeat his purpose which is to level the surface in one pass.

[@regeneratearth2137]

“Tilling” must become shorthand for flipping the bed so that deep microbes (and seeds) end up near the surface and surface microbes end up deep, which = dead microbial profile through soil. Broad forking aerates and breaks hardpans + assists water and root infiltration, but doesn’t (deep) flip. Tilthing, creates a fine soil structure in the first inch or less for planting. I think “no-till” here means no tractor with a tiller flipping over a foot of soil, destroying the microbial balance while compacting the soil to make hard pans. So yeah I can accept calling it “no-till”. I’m just being pragmatic though, not a purist.

[@nebojsademir739]

We need that light machinery handdrill plough where can you buy them??????

[@shaungarbry88]

What are the valves you use to connect your drip lines to the main line? I have not had good luck finding an effecient way to disconnect the lines AND have a valve to turn off the water to individual beds.

[@Anjit_shorts]

Informative video

[@manmohanchoudhary1576]

Josh sir I m from india and my english language is weak so plz can you provide hindi dubbed version of your videos.....Plz sir ... Love from india.......

[@susanzification]

Josh, Where did you get your particular broad fork - it looks like a good size and proportion. Thank you for all your wonderful ideas and advice.

[@michaelworley7517]

Hey love the Funky music themed but also consider building a treehouse over just a house that tears down the forest. Trees should be building blocks no tearing blocks. It can be funky and swirlyio just needs a bit of adjusting imagination and blueprinting and there we go and inventive you might get more followers because your not just helping humanity but your helping the World. We are not only making channels grow but It inspire others to experiment and KZbin Channels will grow when we choose to help the world 2 ways in one stone. Building a tree house and putting gardens in it. It can maybe make new species

[@NoahTheFree]

Hey Josh. Love your content sir. May I ask, what camera, mic and drone do you use? Do you like/recommend them?

[@JoshSattinFarming]

Thank you. I have been using the Canon EOS R, Rode Videomic Pro+ and the DJI Mavic Air. Everything is awesome. I would like to upgrade the drone at some point though.

[@rynophiliac]

How is using a broad fork considered no till?

[@ProjectWildwood]

Maybe I have missed it in your videos but what are the width of the beds and width of the pathways?

[@josedelacuadra660]

Zveryeducatoional and informative. I hope to have a few plots in my farm so all these are helpful. I am interested in Organic Farming. Those soil amendments you talk about, does adding it disqualify the land for Organic Farming? I have in mind salad greens, so is the open use of Greenhouse a good combination with the open plats. So much to learn. Thanks.

[@JoshSattinFarming]

We are not certified organic so it doesn't apply to us. If you are certified organic then you need to make sure that all of your amendments are organic. You should always check with your certifier if you have any questions.

[@davidspeed4297]

So just curious, what is that powder that he is putting on those beds

[@karlbinger8346]

Ever have any critter problems using feather or blood meal? Or do you know of any other alternatives that will not attract them as much? Thanks for the vid Josh.

[@ToastyTK]

hi josh informative as always what peppers are you planting did you grow from seed ?

[@mattcantrell5640]

Greetings Josh....I'm binge-ing your content! Love it. I'm curious how you determine which crops are grown in the high tunnel vs. outdoors? Maybe thats a video i haven't found yet. Thanks for sharing!

[@JoshSattinFarming]

Glad you have been enjoying the videos. I haven't done a video specifically on that. It's always a case by case basis per bed where things go. It depends a lot on the season too and what I have space for. Thanks for watching!

[@TheRealMonnie]

How is broad-forking not a method of tilling? It doesn't "turn it over", but it breaks it up - so what's the difference and how can you still call it no-till?

[@TheRealMonnie]

follow-up question... you're using what I think you called a "tilther" which literally looks like a mini-tiller. How is this not a tiller?

[@MrPopdacian]

Hey, you mentioned your PH is high? Is that because of the woodchips sometimes get incorporated in and also because of the fact they might mulch in between the beds?

[@miketaylor3408]

Do you leave things like peppers and tomatos and cabbage roots in the ground over winter (cutting off the tops) to avoid soil disturbance? If so, are they gone by spring planting?

[@fredrickson1414]

Hey Josh, can I ask where you get your elemental sulfur in a big bag like that? Thanks!

[@LeoMussa]

How do you mill the alfalfa and the feathers? Or you buy it in that form

[@OldReddingFarm]

your soil always looks so beautiful and fluffy! We need a better compost source. It is hard to find anything around here we aren't really in a farming community at all. Any tips on finding good quality compost?

[@cdavis5832]

Old Redding Farm Equestrian Centers and arborists are great resources where I live. Also if you use in-situ style composting it eliminates many steps. Google that and hugel kulture.

[@aprilleithleiter1929]

Test equestrian farm manure before using it. Pesticides that are used on oats can pass through horses and still actively kill crops because they are engineered to work for several years. Dicamba is one. There have been big problems with this.

[@jeremystone5437]

Please tell me were you git tge drill tiller or how u made it Please

[@BlindJustice]

Bill from HOP farm sent me.

[@Lifegrowsonandon]

Do you think the amendments are needed? Have you tried one bed with and one without? How to you feel about using animal products to grow vegetables that could well be bought by vegan customers. Love your vids, thanks.

[@JoshSattinFarming]

I have had good results from these amendments so we will continue to use them. If you ever want to experiment with not using amendments, the plants will tell you if they aren't happy.

[@kunyfunt]

I’m confused it’s a no till farm but you tilled it with a tiller? Can someone explain

[@adamphilip8984]

my thought exactly

[@Adksnate]

It’s a tilther I believe. And it only goes down an inch or so.

[@JoshSattinFarming]

The tool is the "Tilther" and it only goes down about an inch, not much different than a rake. I have talked about this in many of my videos.

[@yarrafarmsfiji6487]

Hey Josh love your videos mannnn...I'm watching and learning all the way from Fiji islands...pls tell me whats the name of the band or music you played at the beginning of this video.👍👍

[@MistressOP]

Your not using duckweed and azolla as amendments?