My chickens do most of the work for me. I have five garden beds with concrete blocks around them. My chicken coop fits down inside the blocks. I move the coop from bed to bed every few months. I make charcoal by burning a pile of wood then hosing it down when the fire dies down a little. I wait an hour then stir it up and hose it down again. The next day I sift it through 1/2" rabbit cage wire to Remove the nails etc. I store the charcoal in metal trashcans. Before I move the coop over onto the next bed I spread about an inch of charcoal over the bed. In a few months the charcoal has been pooped on, scratched in and broken up. My hens are the hardest workers around my place.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Here too... except for my wife!
@sharinnature6 ай бұрын
I have never heard of biochar...so the first half of the video I have been wondering how it's made and decided to check comments and bam , second comment and now I know ! Thanks for putting that in here because I don't have time to go back and watch other videos today.This video and your comment taught me much .Happy growing 🌿🌱🍃
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
@@sharinnature And we're here to answer questions as well!
@sharinnature6 ай бұрын
@@LiveOnWhatYouGrow I actually ended up watching your video on making it in your wood stove 😃👍👍👍 Inquiring minds want to know lol
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
@@sharinnature Next to compost, I believe it's the most important thing you can do for your garden!
@kellymahan8617 ай бұрын
Came to you from "David the Good' I have a 10K sq. ft. garden and live just south of KC, Mo. Thanks for your encouragement and inspiration. I have some worms, use compost, and do 'back to eden' no till gardening. I am 68 years old and keep learning all the time. I will be sharing your channel with others to help you grow. Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Awesome! Thank you!
@CoolBreeze6406 ай бұрын
10k square feet sounds like a farm rather than a garden. 😊
@inventor12146 ай бұрын
Is there a way you keep chiggers down? Moves to MO a year ago and they were horrid in the yard! Hoping I can reduce them this year!
@greencraftingandrecyclings22226 ай бұрын
@@inventor1214is this not dealt with chickens unless im mistaken chiggers are tics im sure i heard that chickens are the force to remove tics from a yard. Youd need to look into it bud here in scotland they enjoy long grass keep it short and they move away to find food else where
@inventor12146 ай бұрын
@@greencraftingandrecyclings2222 I'm not sure if chickens would be able to even see chiggers. I think chiggers are a species of ticks, but chiggers are nearly invisible to the eye.
@useupwearout50297 ай бұрын
I wish I had found these biochar videos sooner! Here it is, almost spring. I run two woodstoves all winter...imagine all the biochar I could have made! Well, I'll get started now anyways, to get a little bit, and be ready for next heating season. I have two sons that aren't so much into the gardening, but do love making all the things I need....a solar dehydrator, water catchment and storage, trellises galore etc. This will be another project they'll enjoy. They are learning a lot. Everything I learn, I pass on with action AND words and a prayer that it'll all sink into their minds and they'll be well equipped for whatever difficulties arise. Thank you for sharing your tips.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Make sure you watch Dr. Elaine's videos. I watch one a week at least. www.youtube.com/@soilfoodwebschool
@ninemoonplanet7 ай бұрын
I have watched Dr. Elaine Ingham for at least a year, Geoff Lawton too. The amounts of knowledge are immense yet practical.
@vancamerawoman73996 ай бұрын
I agree with you, to live on what you grow is a fabulous way of life, a bit of sweat producing work at times but well worth it 😊
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
@@vancamerawoman7399 And "well worth it" is an understatement!
@CinnamonBear-xv4eq5 ай бұрын
I want to add that I have some left over “potting soil” from a few years ago and I was watching half moon gardens who was turning his old potting soul into rich soil by mixing in biochar, so I tried it- not only did it turn that soil rich and dark but it is working great as a seed starter. The other thing I noticed is that when I transplanted into the ground I added that mix and my transplants never showed any signs of shock- I attribute that to the biochar because I have never seen that before and the only difference is the addition of biochar
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow5 ай бұрын
Fantastic!
@keithnotley2440 Жыл бұрын
Thanks again for giving us your time and knowledge! Like you, I am in a steep learning curve of seeking information and methods of improving all my growing beds/containers, to maximize our AND our soils long term health! I am 68, so my timeframe is a little more condensed than yours! Great health and good fortune to you and yours! 😊🙏🍀😊
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Жыл бұрын
Hi Keith, one of my secrets is that I take notes on every KZbin video I watch. There's so much out there and without writing something down it seen gets forgotten!
@ricdaphree77599 ай бұрын
Aren't we all. Autodidactic initiative. Personal ambition and Need for Essential Knowledge Search and Acquisition
@johnliberty36477 ай бұрын
I am off grid, although I have a small solar generator, I pretty much live like the system went down. Working from sun up to sun down is rewarding and it’s not back breaking. It’s the easiest work I have done in my life.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
I don't know if you do it or not, but adding biochar to your beds and woodchips to your walkways will make it even easier! I don't have weeds. When I do go out to weed, it's to pick out 5 or 6 in my whole garden... and then they go to the chickens! Any weeds in my garden are the ones I WANT to have in my garden! Biochar could be your most important asset because it helps your soil hold onto more nutrition like I talked about on the video. That way you can spend more time doing other things because your soil will require far less nutrients... and whether you like it or not YOU ARE going to get older. By establishing regenerative soil, you'll hardly have to do anything at all on your homestead gardenwise, except start your plants, set them in the soil, harvest them, and preserve them! Your soil will get better each year... with less and less work each year!
@johnliberty36477 ай бұрын
I use urine charged biochar. With the Florida sand I have it’s needed. I also collect mushroom caps every morning and through them into my biochar. Not sure it helps but I am estimating that spores will get into the biochar that way. I subscribed to your channel to see how to apply it. I like the idea of mixing it into my mulch. Lately I have been mixing it with mushroom compost and storing it clay pots. Of all the amendments I have used I noticed that mushroom compost makes for the healthiest plant here in the Florida sand biochar will give it some staying power
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
That's great!
@timbotideКүн бұрын
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this video. Gotta start making some biochar for my flower beds and potted plants.
@louisbrentnell2551 Жыл бұрын
You are absolutely correct to say that it takes a while to be a good grower. I made 50 tons of compost last year. Biochar is next. Thanks for sharing.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Жыл бұрын
Well said Louis. You must have found it to be as hilarious as I did when Bloomberg said that it was, "EASY to be a farmer, ALL you have to do is dig a hole and drop in a seed." What I'm trying to teach is, to get started now and learn how to build regenerative soil while you still can. If there's a food shortage, not only will there not be any food, but you won't be able to buy seed, or canning jars, or anything like that!
@milkymeats8 ай бұрын
What's your large scale composting method friend?? I'm somewhat responsible for soil regen on heavy clay, heavily logged land that looks like bush now but I'm convinced it was tropical Forrest roughly 150years ago. We need bulk compost and I think doing it by hand is ... Questionable. ❤
@louisbrentnell25518 ай бұрын
@@milkymeats Here’s what I did and I hope it helps. I made friends with the tree trimming company that trims the power lines. I would often get 5 truck loads per week and if I had to guess how much that was, about 5 tons per load. We always have to create a win win Relationship for something to continue. They brought me chips for years and until I had to tell them thank you for the last time. Making compost- I am using a tractor to turn the pile once a week. The pile will immediately start to compost because there are green leaves and brown wood chips. You are turning the pile so that it stays aerobic, oxygenated instead of Anaerobic which has the negative pathogens. Expect the process to take 3 to 6 months. You will know when it has fully composted because it will stop going through the heat phase. Prevent anyone climbing and playing in the large compost pile. It will hit 160 degrees in the pile and people have had the pile collapse. Your garden is going to love you!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
@@louisbrentnell2551 Louis is the best!
@lofm6213 Жыл бұрын
I love your videos. Thank you for posting them. I live on a small suburban yard and my current goal is just to make biochar using our wood stove like you do and to charge it up with compost and then add it to our lawn. The goal is to make the soil in our lawn to be like your garden so that the ground will be ready if we ever needed to plant food. The other reason I want to do this is because before our home was built, all the previous topsoil had been removed. I want to deepen our current topsoil depth into the clay that is below us. Your videos have been extremely informative.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Жыл бұрын
That's a great idea!
@GrandmomZoo7 ай бұрын
Saving cans now to dive into your biochar teachings thanks to finding you via DTG. 😊
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
I can't wait to see your next post... that you made some! Thanks!
@ninemoonplanet7 ай бұрын
I'm older than both of you and still learning more each day. I just built the retort using old wire cutters to crimp the edges of a tomato can. I have a can opener that removes the rolled edges, so crimping is much easier.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
The only 2 problems with removing the rolled edge are that It is sharp, and that the retort won't last as long!
@ninemoonplanet6 ай бұрын
The edge actually doesn't end up sharp, but you're right, it won't last as long. Thank you.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
@@ninemoonplanet After you've burned it in the fire a few times and the metal gets thinner it does get ragged and sharp. I've done it that way.
@gonubada2 ай бұрын
I love your goals. And you are right, you are not old 😊. Keep your spirit
@LiveOnWhatYouGrowАй бұрын
Well..... I broke my foot and haven't been outside in the garden for three months. I haven't even been able to sit at a computer! That's why there's no new videos and I haven't been answering comments! Last week was the first I've even stepped into the garden! I am so glad I've been building my soil fertility in my "mostly" no-work garden because we've been harvesting food from the work we did early in the spring. The process works! Build your "mostly" no-work garden now so when you become older the amount of work will be drastically less!
@kimsousa64203 ай бұрын
I learned on one video on bio-char, they recommended soaking it in unchlorinated water treated with liquid kelp for two weeks before using it. They stated bio-char sucks nitrogen from the soil, so this way, it won't do that. I am finding your videos to be extremely informative and helpful. Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge. You and your wife have a beautiful property.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrowАй бұрын
You can use ANY organic material with water to charge up your biochar!
@elisemenne87586 ай бұрын
So clear and full of all the knowledge I need!! Thank you so very much, and God bless your young heart and gardening soul! I am a 73 year old veggie growing girl, and yes!! even though I am getting a bit dilapidated, one is never to old to learn and grow in all aspects of the word. Love your videos !! God Bless!!!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
Thanks for encouraging all of us!
@bariaissa173711 күн бұрын
Thank you so much Excellent information
@venugopalbalijepalli80813 ай бұрын
I enjoyed watching your video. For the last 14 years I have been eating What I Grow.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrowАй бұрын
Fantastic, in the future (maybe NEAR future) it could be that people will HAVE to but won't know HOW to!
@scupbarron8 ай бұрын
i just started using it ..i was wasting my char for years outa woodstove in winter as i screen the ash when need some for garden and end up with buckets of coals i didnt use . now i smack it a bit with 2x4 and soak it in fish fertilizer and alfapha tea. and add to soil in beds and containers when can work it
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow8 ай бұрын
I think we all gardeners have had a moment just like yours. Thanks for sharing!
@yusufalbalooshi27233 ай бұрын
Thank you dear for good information 👍
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow3 ай бұрын
Stay connected
@lindawillenburg66265 ай бұрын
Thank you for sharing all of this know how with us!! You and your wife are greatly appreciated!!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow5 ай бұрын
Our pleasure!
@garthwunsch Жыл бұрын
The tall comfrey is very different from mine, and from some of your other plants which have leaves like mine... very long and wide, often 18" long., but they do grow tall... over four feet. Monster fertilizer plants. I grow only Bocking 14 strain so as not to have it seeding all over the place. if I want new plants, I dig up an old one and take root cuttings. What variety is that tall skinny-leafed one? Any idea why I can't grow dill? Yours is gorgeous! My daughter, an avid accomplished gardener, thinks I may have too much mulch for them to sprout through. I think I'll try starting them in pots. I tried your carrot planting regimen and it's working very well. I did treat the surrounding area for slugs with my homemade remedy. I believe they were eating the seedlings as fast as they emerged. Enjoying your videos very much... I'm 78 and still learning, after 68 years of gardening practice.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Жыл бұрын
Hi Garth, I don't have any idea what kind of comfrey I have. But it doesn't spread by its seeds. The dill just comes up on its own every year. I think we planted it once about 16 years ago. I'm not sure about your mulch theory. I spread about 4 inches of compost over that particular area last year and they still came up. Maybe you could try casting some dill seed on the ground in the fall and see if that works. It's worth a try!
@lrmsmrls166 ай бұрын
You have a nice channel. You're spot on about learning to garden. It's something everyone CAN learn, but having experience takes time. I do the same, learn to grow something new all the time. Corn, or wheat, small scale grains, or even learning how to grow UP, it takes time to really learn it all. Nice job!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
Thanks very much!
@kazzana90138 ай бұрын
Enjoyed your content. I grow enough fruit and vegetables to feed me in tough times. I am carnivore, so unless things hit the fan, I feed my chickens, my family and neighbors, and even leave boxes of fruit and veg at the gate for passerby's to help themselves when is there is abundance. I think meat is the proper human diet, but it is great to build resilience into our lives and my soil is now unbelievable.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow8 ай бұрын
Good stuff! The best way to build resilience in your soil is to make tons of compost the way we do, and to incorporate as much biochar as you can to at least a 10% amount in the top twenty inches. There's lots more to do than that but those two things are the essential but time consuming ones.
@AlsanPine3 ай бұрын
my 1 acre orchard/garden/food forest soil was coarse sand with no organics. before i started planting, i knew i had to add a lot of humus and organics as the soil then was essentially a sieve. i would water plants in august and the soil would be bone dry in an hour! i did it with wood chips. i allow arborists to dump their chips and let them age for 3yrs. the birds love the bugs and they poop all over. after 2nd yr i plant deer food all over them and the deer come eat and poop. by 3rd yr i have the best composted wood chips. i rake the coarse chips for bio-char and have 2' of aged chips over my soil. took me 10yrs to change the entire acre but i did it in sections so i was able to start growing after 3yrs and kept adding area every year. that was 20yrs ago. i just add bio-char and compost as i have it each year. i grow most of what i eat. aged wood chips are far easier way to do large volume, then you can add the bio-char as well. i mix the char with my compost and top my beds each year. every year, i have better yields. i never buy fertilizers or sprays or other stuff. i make my raised beds out of reused discarded metal roofing or just piled compost. i have tons of fruit trees, bushes, along with beds of food everywhere. i wake at dawn and start working and grazing in the garden until it gets too hot. it is better than any therapy. it is better exercise than any gym membership. it is healthier than any exclusive club membership. and it is free. i have lived on less than $10K/yr and each year i become more independent. i cut off focil gas on 2011 and have heated with wood only. i hope to have my solar up fully soon and will cut most and eventually all electrical use as well (currently i use about $40/mo). but i started this whole thing in mid 80's. you can do things well, you can do things quickly, you can do things cheaply, choose any two! i am incapable of not doing things well so that option was not there and i was never rich so that left me with my project taking time. regards from n.idaho 🙂
@LiveOnWhatYouGrowАй бұрын
Thank you!
@fizzofnz45856 ай бұрын
I’ve been enjoying your videos and learning a lot. Thanks for making them! I find the clip transitions difficult though (the page turns, diagonal slides etc ) Don’t know if you could do those more simply, as I’m not a vidder. But anyway, thanks for all the biochar info.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
Yeah, I hate that one too, but they can't be changed. if you notice all the newer ones don't have that.
@TheTamrock20077 ай бұрын
David the Good showcased your video on Biochar, and I'm working through all your videos on the subject. I just moved to my forever home and this information is extremely valuable to me. My budget is tight after this move but I'm going to start making biochar, and set up a compost area. Not sure I can get a garden planted by spring but I'm sure going to try. New Subscriber.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Sounds great!
@heathermacdonald64045 ай бұрын
Love your channel. Thanks for sharing your work. How do you manage voles? I find them difficult to control; they take a terrible toll on my root veggies. They love sweet potatoes!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow5 ай бұрын
The only thing I found to work was the Gopher Hawk. You can see it on Amazon here: amzn.to/3xYjPOE There's a video on that page showing how it works.
@MP-hv5tp11 ай бұрын
So glad to have found your videos. The knowledge and experience that you share is invaluable. I'm about to incorporate activated biochar into my raised bed garden for the first time. I hope to study all of your videos and convert the Yazoo clay in my back yard into a rich, living soil for growing better fruits, vegetables & herbs. Many many thanks!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow11 ай бұрын
Wonderful! I've got some new videos I'm working on that should be of great help! Thanks for subscribing, it helps out a lot, and I appreciate it!
@Maelstroma6 ай бұрын
Here from David The Good as well!❤ My goal is to live off what I grow, fish and gather. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
Awesome! Thank you!
@greencraftingandrecyclings22227 ай бұрын
I reckon by utilising jadam fertilisers and bio char you can superboost your nutrients to your plants. So if you do the top dressing method but put JLF through the water it will turbo charge the nutrients available to your plants and possibly speed up the decomposition of your grass. Thanks for making the video bud its been good learning how you utilize bio char in your garden.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
That's a good idea!
@ThomasG-og4yb Жыл бұрын
Thank you for the interesting content! My property has lost almost all of the topsoil and is full of rocks. A friend advised me stop trying to revitalize the rocky soil, but rather I should bury it in countless tons of biomass! I tend to agree...
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Жыл бұрын
Add lots of biochar and keep us updated!
@1fly2fly24 Жыл бұрын
I am in nearly the same situation as you but with my case, the garden use to be where a house trailer sat so, lots of gravel and in my case very acidic as well. I have been working on the soil for the last 5 years putting all of my compostable material into the garden as well as having fires for evenings and gathering the rock, at first for my driveway, then to make piles for small zones to help moisture stay instead of evaporating off in the morning sun. At this point, I can finally grow corn that gets to around 5' tall and useable ears but am constantly making batches of " weed water" in 5 gallon buckets and feeding every 2 to 3 days.
@joancolandog17777 ай бұрын
Thanks Sir for your info about biochar. It is a big help for me for my small garden. Watching yout channel from Philippines here in Guiuan E. Samar.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Welcome!
@KennyMcCoy7627 ай бұрын
Thank you Sir. Found your channel through David the Good and I greatly appreciate your content. Your method for generating biochar will be implemented by me ASAP as I too am on a learning journey of intensive gardening. If you’re not already familiar with it, may I suggest that you look up Joseph Lofthouse and Landrace gardening.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Thanks for the recommendation and welcome!
@judyrobertson556411 ай бұрын
Very good video. I appreciate your time and effort I do have a garden it is 100‘ x 30‘. I do have a knowledge about gardening like so many still learning been watching videos on bio char. You did a really good job. Thanks for your time. God bless you and yours. I hope people listen to you better than they listen to me
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow11 ай бұрын
Hi Judy, thanks for posting. Biochar and Compost are the king and queen of soil fertility. I'm completely emptying all my half-finished compost onto my garden beds today. I'm just putting it on top... not mixing it with the soil! In the spring it will be perfect!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow11 ай бұрын
A LOT of people listen to me, unfortunately, no one that I know does! So don't feel alone!
@Personalized_Workshop18 күн бұрын
No dig gardener. I’m interested in you watering system. This might be the only channel I need.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow17 күн бұрын
I wouldn't say that. There are people a lot smarter and more experienced than me in certain subjects. Dr. Elaine in my suggested sites list for one, but many others. The whole key to a sustainable regenerative soil is the microbes. If you can keep them alive and happy, they will do most of the gardening work for you. So I suggest learning a LOT about that! Thanks for all your kind words!
@deronaldbaggett38284 ай бұрын
Excellent Videos my friend!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow4 ай бұрын
Thank you too
@canelrachon7 ай бұрын
Thank you. It is very clear.
@MGBranco8 ай бұрын
Thank you for the knowledge! Watching from the central mountains of Portugal trying to live the off-grid way!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow8 ай бұрын
Our pleasure!
@kenfarley9576 ай бұрын
I'm 70 and still doing this work, and it's getting hard. I'm struggling with a 50 lb (ca. 23 kg) bag of feed. I used to toss those around like nothing. Thanks for the great info.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
I feel the same way! I'm glad to see that you're still doing what you can! That's what I'm doing at 63! I'm trying to build as much fertility as possible, because 10 years from now I won't be able to do as much, (but I'll still do AS MUCH AS I CAN at that age), because 10 years after that, I will be able to do still less! So I guess my goal is to always do as much as I can, whatever my age is. Seems like that's what you're doing too!
@kenfarley9576 ай бұрын
@@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Yes sir. And I really enjoy your explanations, you are a good teacher. Made some more bio char this morning, I use the trench method, it's a lot of work, as you well know.
@Ratsny6 ай бұрын
I've watched your biochar videos but i must have missed the bit saying how long it takes the cans in the woodstove to complete the task - say using standard baked bean cans, how many hours would it roughly take? Thanks for the inspiration - I've been growing most of our food for a good 5 years, and getting the soil right is huge. Some beds do much better than others. We're coming into woodfire season here, so I'm keen to try this - it makes a lot of sense!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
It all depends on how hot your fire is and the moisture content of your feedstock. I use woodchips that have some natural moisture still in them but have not been rained on and it take from 45 minutes to an hour to complete the process.
@denislosieroutdoors Жыл бұрын
I'm almost out of biochar going to put the rest of it in my compost pile did a garden update video the other day check it out thanks
@Gepajay8 ай бұрын
I JUST DISCOVERED YOUR VEDIO , UPON LISTENING TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE I WAS REALLY AMAZED COMPARE TO THE OTHERS WHO ARE ALSO INTO GARDENING . I’M ONE OF YOUR NEW SUBSCRIBER . THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERTISE IN GARDENING. Watching from California.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow8 ай бұрын
Thanks and welcome
@randyhamilton83255 ай бұрын
You can plant the sweet potatoes first and then the bio char and mulch
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow5 ай бұрын
Yes
@Revolusionist3214 ай бұрын
Greetings! This information is AMAZING!!! I have question: If the charcoal isnt completelly black,does that mean that ut shouldnt be used because it maybe has some white spots on it? Thanks in advance!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow4 ай бұрын
You can use it at any stage as long as you don't bury it in the soil. But you get the best quality charcoal when it has been heated to 1500°F
@ninemoonplanet7 ай бұрын
I've got a worm farm (in the kitchen, believe it or not) and will make compost tea to charge the biochar once it stops pouring down rain. I'm a renter so the small barbeque is my fire, and obviously I can't make a lot of biochar each time, but it's worth trying.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
You would be better off making a fire on the ground and putting the retorts in that fire, if you can. you need temperatures of up to 1500°F and you will disintegrate your grill at those temperatures!
@ninemoonplanet6 ай бұрын
Thank you, I definitely hadn't thought of that extreme temperature.
@judyrobertson55649 ай бұрын
I love your videos do you do a very good job on education that’s what I had to start off small see what you can grow once you start growing learn how to keep them healthy and use your pesticide correctly also, with pesticides, you need to learn how to make them worst case scenario if the grid goes down it’s also going to take down so much gardening supplies, and the bugs will still be active. stay away from petroleum based fertilizers and pesticides. If you start producing these yourself, you will not only benefit your health, but you’ll be taking. money out of big brother pocket Garden like a Viking is another real good video to watch. He teaches a lot about organic gardening, including making pesticides, bio char, amending soil, and I like to watch both of these guys work. They’re both great teachers.
@gardenernotdecoder8001 Жыл бұрын
How long do you leave the biochar rest with the activator in it before you consider it charged?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Жыл бұрын
I just do it as long as I can over the winter, generally 2-3 months. Because I don't mix it with the soil but rather put it on top and cover it with compost it really doesn't matter much if it's fully charged or not!
@jerry.williams916311 ай бұрын
Thank you for posting . I agree that we must really learn how to survive .😎
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow11 ай бұрын
Absolutely!
@gordonmitchell7296 ай бұрын
Just what I needed to see today. Many thanks 🖖
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
Glad to hear it!
@RootandElevate7 ай бұрын
WoW! your comfrey plants! I usually put the Biochard with the compost right when is 80% ready.. and just mix it. Then I let it be for a month or so and then use the compost with the Biochard. What do you think?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Sounds perfect!
@kenmiller43746 ай бұрын
Making Comfrey Juice 1. In a barrel with a spigot place three bricks in bottom spaced around and then place a grate on top of this. 2. Fill barrel to top with comfrey or nettles and then place a weight on top of this. I use a 5 gallon bucket with 3-4 gallons of water. 3. Place cover over top of barrel to prevent rain from entering. Allow to sit four to six weeks. 4. There is an odor but nothing like that if water is added. It’s a beautiful deep green liquid. Add one pint per gallon.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
Thank you so very much. Would you like to tell our readers how you personally use it as well? I would appreciate it very much!
@kenmiller43746 ай бұрын
I inoculate my Biochar with the juice after making in my 7 gallon stove. I also use it as a foliar spray on my plants. This year I’m going to use more nettles as they are loaded with good nutrients. Keep up the good work you are doing.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
Fantastic, thank you! I love both those weeds comfrey for compost and mulching and we dehydrate nettles for consumption, mostly in my smoothies!
@elijahsanders35477 ай бұрын
Great video :) I like the no till idea. You might want to check out Skill Cult's biochar experiment bed, he mixed in varying percentages, I think up to 50%, in a test bed. David The Good recomended seeing what he was doing with biochar, if I remember currectly.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Thanks for the tip! I'll take a look.
@lw21315 ай бұрын
Just found this channel & subscribed. Looking fwd to discovering your other 'how to' vids. Thanks for content!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow5 ай бұрын
Welcome!
@brucejensen308110 ай бұрын
I put my humus on top of the soil due to my observation that the deeper it is the faster it breaks down into smaller particles. It will get down into the soil fast enough, especially if you are pulling up root vegetables
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow10 ай бұрын
I agree, (as you already know!)
@belieftransformation7 ай бұрын
Great information; thanks for sharing! 🤗🇨🇦
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Our pleasure!
@johntheherbalistg87566 ай бұрын
My soil is very sandy and loose. I do all my amendments from the top, cuz everything sinks through it. When I apply char, it goes between woodchips and chicken poop. I see no need to precharge it, personally
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
As long as you put it in the layers of chicken manure and woodchips!
@tarawilliams63759 ай бұрын
Love the video. Your delivery and inflections could get you on a Ted Talk.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow9 ай бұрын
Maybe one day!
@happyhobbit84507 ай бұрын
Yes 'Do not disturb the soil' is a principle of permaculture
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Amen to that!
@Majc19951 Жыл бұрын
19:52 Have you tried using a reciprocating saw with no blade to crush the biochar? Legitimately curious. I haven't tried making biochar but have been watching all of your videos in preparation for it. I also just started my first garden this year. Love the videos!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Жыл бұрын
I haven't tried it but it sounds like a great idea! You probably should wear a mask though because a lot more dust will be produced!
@Semi0ffGrid76 ай бұрын
Hi thank you for your videos. Very interesting! I live in Grimsby, UK. I live in a semi detached house and my back garden is about 170 feet X 30 feet. Do you think that is enough land to grow most of what you would need to live on?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
This is the most interesting question! The answer depends on you, and specifically if you're willing to do a lot of work upfront... studying growing methods, learning how to build microbiological life, researching for the most productive varieties, learning how to succession crop, how to interplant, save seeds, how to start seedings in your house, how to preserve food for the winter, how to grow food in pots on your windowsill, how to grow vertically on trellises and in stacking planters, how to grow crops that will give you all of the food groups, growing plants that can feed you through the winter... This is what this channel is about. I personally think IT IS possible to grow MOST of what you need to live on, as you asked, but if you absolutely HAD to live ONLY what you could grow, you probably would have to be able to harvest some form of meat like chicken, rabbits, wild deer, etc. And you'd have to grow things like LOTS of winter squash that could be stored all winter with no processing or electricity. Hopefully, I'll be making a video this year about how to grow more than a hundred lbs. (45kg) of tomatoes on a single plant. If you had four of those plants, (which wouldn't take up too much space), theoretically they could produce 400 lbs. (181kg) of fruit in a year, (about a pound a day for the year), so you could consider that to be MOST of what you need to survive on. Of course you can't live on tomatoes ONLY because you need all the food groups-- fats, protein, carbohydrates, etc. So learning about growing plants from all the essential food groups can be added to the list. What you're asking is exactly what this channel is about, so I'm always speaking from that point of view. So while I may have mentioned a huge list of to-dos, none of them are difficult, you just need to approach them one at a time. I believe the first order of business for anyone wanting to survive mostly on what they grow would be to make compost... lots of it! Tons to be exact! I use six tons (5400kg) a year. One cubic yard, or meter, is about 1000 pounds or 900 kg. So I use about 12 cubic yards per year on my quarter acre garden. So get some fencing and form it into a rectangular shape, maybe 20 x 6 x 4ft high, and start filling it with compostable materials. Fill to the top and empty it completely every year onto your growing areas! Of course you know that this post can't be comprehensive or tell you everything you need to do, and neither can this channel! But I hope that this will at least give you a starting point and a reference for what kinds of things you need to be thinking about if you want to live on what you grow!
@anncameron3344Ай бұрын
I understand how charcoal/biochar can absorb + hold nutrients but how does it release them to the growing plants?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrowАй бұрын
Microorganisms release them AND turn them into plant available forms. That's what makes biochar so fantastic, it provides homes for the biology AND absorbs nutrients that aren't quite plant available yet, and puts them both in one place!
@jamesstidham41915 ай бұрын
Enjoyed your video very much keep up the good work and God bless in Jesus name.
@donnahudson-q3c4 ай бұрын
question: i soaked my bio char for two weeks in grass clippings, some liquid kelp and bits of dirt from my yard. today I drained it. can I use the biochar water on my plants?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow4 ай бұрын
Sounds like a good idea, but I would test it on a few plants first to make sure it's not too strong!
@donnahudson-q3c4 ай бұрын
@@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Thank you. After I posted this I read an article that said you could use it and should dilute 10 parts water to one part biochar "juice", but I am still taking your suggestion and using it first on an area that has some plants I will be getting rid of soon anyway.
@markread86503 ай бұрын
Do you recommend compost teas?
@veragormley86756 ай бұрын
So glad to find your channel!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
Welcome!!
@VeronicaMist7 ай бұрын
What do you think about charging the biochar with pee? I was thinking of using biochar in the pee bucket down at the barn instead of woodchips we use now. (we compost the pee/woodchips when the bucket's fullish) Im new to your channel and loving it, thank you for your quality content!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
It's one of the best ways to inoculate biochar that no one wants to talk about!
@VeronicaMist7 ай бұрын
@@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Thank you! Good to know! I just* heard you mention it (near the end of the video)😊. I mean I cant imagine an easier/faster way to inoculate the biochar, though I don't know a lot about biochar yet, just that it would also eliminate any odour as well. Right on, I'm glad it's a good thing to do. Thanks again.
@zazugee5 ай бұрын
about urine i used t think in term of nitrogen, but i think more importantly it's s source of Phosphorous which usually is he limiting factor for most plants plants can get nitrogen from atmosphere when they feed mycelium and bacteria in the soil. it's better to not waste it. i mostly use it to feed maize bc it's a heavy feeder an no matter how much compost i use it's not enough for heavy density maize beds.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow5 ай бұрын
Good to know!
@jerry.williams9163 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for posting . It was very educational. .
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@craigsickel55179 ай бұрын
Thank you for this video. A concern I have heard is that biochar will raise the Ph of the soil. Have you found this to happen and if so, what have you done to counteract that? Thanks.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow9 ай бұрын
I don't worry about pH at all. The measure of soil fertility, sustainability, and its ability to grow crops are less dependent on pH than thought, and more on the microbiological life in the soil. Our plants are getting better and more productive each year nd we analyze our soil with a microscope to see the amounts and kinds of soil life. As long as all that is in balance, especially the fungal to bacterial ratio, I don't believe I need to be concerned with pH. But, we garden in northern New England in the US on heavy clay, mostly acidic, soil. The wood ashes provide lots of potassium, calcium, and trace minerals, raise the pH, and help to break up the heavy clay. So as I stated, the garden is getting more productive each year and I'm not going to alter my methods unless I see a change in the garden's output or microbiological life. Here's an article from a lecture done by Elaine Ingham on the science of soil that helps to explain it: sustainablefoodtrust.org/news-views/the-roots-of-your-health-elaine-ingham-on-the-science-of-soil/
@jameskeith93116 ай бұрын
What kind of wood is good to burn for biochar, ex. is pine ok? Thank you!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
Any kind of wood will work!
@denveready34868 ай бұрын
What do you use to crush your bio char up into a even sized medium? Or is using wood chips better because it’s already at a smaller size before cooking ?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow8 ай бұрын
If I feel the need to crush it, I use the stainless steel pot and two-by-four that you saw in the video. But mostly, because I use woodchips that are exactly the size I want, I don't crush them at all! There is no need to.
@KarenCampbell-qh1xt10 ай бұрын
Great video! You know your stuff! Thanks for the tips! God bless
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow10 ай бұрын
Thanks to you too!
@rhondaavasalu72497 ай бұрын
Wasn't the plant growing next to the bed you were working on comfrey?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
yes
@spavle Жыл бұрын
Very good practice and routines. Gz!!
@carolparrish1947 ай бұрын
How long do you charge your biochar with compost before you put it on your garden? I am a new subscriber.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
At least thirty days.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
I charge it for at least 30-days.
@elijahsanders35477 ай бұрын
Did you put holes in the bottom of your compost bin?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
I thought of doing it, but I'm getting great results already, as verified by my microscope. At this point I'm trying to do as little work as possible and get the same results. My compost is a no-turn fungal dominated one, if it were bacterial dominated it would be a different story and would need oxygen to prevent anaerobic bacteria from dominating the pile!
@timkopp22049 ай бұрын
Do you use your wood ash in the garden or compost? Do you worry about PH?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow9 ай бұрын
I put ALL my wood ash into my garden beds, and I don't worry about pH at all. The measure of soil fertility, sustainability, and its ability to grow crops are less dependent on pH than thought, and more on the microbiological life in the soil. Our plants are getting better and more productive each year nd we analyze our soil with a microscope to see the amounts and kinds of soil life. As long as all that is in balance, especially the fungal to bacterial ratio, I don't believe I need to be concerned with pH. But, we garden in northern New England in the US on heavy clay, mostly acidic, soil. The wood ashes provide lots of potassium, calcium, and trace minerals, raise the pH, and help to break up the heavy clay. So as I stated, the garden is getting more productive each year and I'm not going to alter my methods unless I see a change in the garden's output or microbiological life. Here's an article from a lecture done by Elaine Ingham on the science of soil that helps to explain it: sustainablefoodtrust.org/news-views/the-roots-of-your-health-elaine-ingham-on-the-science-of-soil/
@timkopp22049 ай бұрын
@@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Thanks for your input! I've watched many of Elaine's videos. I covered a new 40x40 garden plot a year ago with a foot of fall leaves and my plants were almost a total bust this summer. I'm afraid it was too acidic or low nitrogen. I got almost no tomatoes from 20 plants. All tomatoes (except grape) were diseased. Peppers were stunted
@faramarzmokri91366 ай бұрын
How did you squire your bio chars? Did you make it yourself. How?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
I make all my own biochar, and it's really the only way you're going to know that you have the highest quality. I have a number of biochar videos on my playlist kzbin.info/aero/PLIGRE9iMpAvUnnZEYR8nHvZwlHVFhleWV that shows how I make it, inoculate it, and use it in the garden.
@GeorgeWyatt-u3g6 ай бұрын
Thank you.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
You're welcome!
@hopechannelcat546211 ай бұрын
question? i heard one fellow say to put up to 40% bio-char. what's your take on that?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow11 ай бұрын
That’s hard to answer, not knowing the type of soil, whether or not the soil is teeming with microorganisms, and if so, whether it’s bacterial or fungal dominated, and the percentage of the biochar that is actual charcoal. Another factor is the depth of the soil he's talking about. Is it the top 10, 20, or 30 inches? It's a fact not many seem to mention when they're talking percentages, and it drives me crazy! When people talk about 10% being the magic number, and _without_ saying what depth they’re talking about, it makes me believe that they’re just repeating _talking points_ that they’ve heard from the _experts_ and they don’t _really_ know. I make my biochar to approximately 50% charcoal and 50% organic matter. As you saw in the video, when I spread 125 lbs. (57kg) on that half a bed it was barely 1 inch (25mm) thick. That equates to 10% of the top 10 inches of depth, or 5% of the top 20 inches. When you count only the charcoal content, you cut those numbers in half again-125 lbs. of biochar equates to 5% of the top 10 inches or 2.5% of the top 20! So you’re talking HUGE amounts of biochar to get to 40%! When people do their "testing" in pots there is some value to the test, but I don't believe it's an actual representation of the same "percentages" in the garden, because plant roots, soybeans for example, can extend 25 feet into the soil. So even if you had a mix of 40% biochar in the top 10 inches of your soil within a week the roots will be completely out of that growing profile. Also missing, when testing in pots, is the vast bacterial and fungal network… the very reason for biochar in the first place! Biochar’s tremendous benefits, in my opinion, stem mainly from three things-its ability to increase the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the soil, (which is the soil’s ability to hold onto nutrients), its ability to open up the soil for increasing the water and air capacity, and what I believe is the most important, it provides homes for the bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and beneficial nematodes that make your soil alive and fertile! For these three criteria, when you do your testing in pots, your results will NOT be the same as in your garden! With all of this being said, I think the best approach would be to take whatever biochar you make and spread it evenly across your whole garden, _or mix it into your compost,_ as even small amounts of biochar have been shown to increase the three main benefits I talked about above.
@hopechannelcat546211 ай бұрын
@@LiveOnWhatYouGrow thanks for your info and answer.
@joshua5116 ай бұрын
Wow, that swiss chard is tall!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
I never grew it so big before biochar!
@emgeespeaks8397 Жыл бұрын
I saw in one of your videos that you don't use the banana stem in your worm bin. Can fleshy stems like broccoli or banana subs be used in the retort? They are living items
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Жыл бұрын
Hi Emgee, you can put all those in your bin, including the banana stems. What I was saying in the video was, that I didn't put the hard banana stems into my blender. And for the second part, you can put ANYTHING once alive into the retort to turn into biochar, including leaves, dead chipmunks and birds, and even cardboard!
@emgeespeaks8397 Жыл бұрын
Great. Thanks again
@francoiselemeur73255 ай бұрын
Hard to work the ground with a big belly
@LeatherHomestead-io8dt6 ай бұрын
Fine powder can wash and blow away. 1 inch and smaller is great. The larger material that has water in it will hold better when things dry out, bigger mass holds longer
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
Thank you!
@jacobkomnath796110 ай бұрын
So what if you dug like a foot or 2 down and layered char and then compost and repeat?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow10 ай бұрын
You could do that if you want. but I prefer my method of putting everything on top and letting nature carry it down. I don't want to disrupt the mycelium network in the soil. If I was just starting out on heavy clay soil, I would probably dig down and do what you're describing. But I would only do it one year and from that point never dig, till, or turn the soil again!
@Wisconsin_Gardener11 ай бұрын
Great video! Thanks
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow11 ай бұрын
You're welcome!
@crappo84596 ай бұрын
Thanks for sharing 👍👍
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
Thanks for visiting
@AmboAse-o4h7 ай бұрын
Saran anda sangat2 masuk di Akal 👍👍♥️💪💪
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Terima kasih. Biochar luar biasa!
@lindarinke6024 Жыл бұрын
Great video,thank you!!
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Жыл бұрын
You're welcome!
@johnscotland31246 ай бұрын
How do you "Activate" the biochar?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
Watch this video on how I make it and inoculate it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mH-tXoClo5mHgpo
@johnscotland31246 ай бұрын
Thanks @@LiveOnWhatYouGrow
@TJWintheWorld9 ай бұрын
My cousin did a Dry Ject injection. The the data is coming back good. The cost is the problem
@GardeningcanBfree11 ай бұрын
You could also grow potatoes
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow11 ай бұрын
We do. I just didn't do as many last year!
@alanpowell5227 ай бұрын
Just found your channel bro, loved the info 🙃
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Welcome aboard!
@nataliegist201411 ай бұрын
I’m growing plants to feed the birds and the bees.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow11 ай бұрын
Sounds like a plan!
@desmetde7 ай бұрын
Why can't I just regularly empty my ashes from my wood stove into my garden? Isn't that just as good???
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow7 ай бұрын
Wood ashes are good, but they're not biochar and don't contain carbon. They are mainly minerals with a high alkalizing property. There are too many good things about biochar to explain here in this post. The best way to understand it is to watch my other video titled, What you Need to Know About Using Biochar: Here is the link for that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5PSiXurr7J5qaM
@gigabane73576 ай бұрын
New question we need an answer to... Can Biochar filter NANO plastics from water?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
I don't know about that, but I do know scientists are discovering bacteria that can decompose those plastics.
@lindawillenburg66265 ай бұрын
Chicken manure is to strong to add to biochar? Don't have rabbits. Have some leaf mold and store bought peat moss.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow5 ай бұрын
Peat moss is good but not necessarily to add to make biochar because there are very few nutrients. Chicken, cow, or rabbit manure are good if you incorporate it the way I do on the video, by putting on top of the soil and not mixing with the soil.
@99suspects10 ай бұрын
Thank you
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow10 ай бұрын
Let us know how you make out with it!
@mojavebohemian8146 ай бұрын
thank you.
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow6 ай бұрын
You're welcome
@CurlyWirls Жыл бұрын
Is that comfrey behind you?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Жыл бұрын
Yes, it's anon-seeding type that I let grow for the mycorrhizal benefits, as well as being a great compost activator, and we also use it medicinally.
@bobferghe6812 Жыл бұрын
Can you make biochar from charcoal briquettes?
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow Жыл бұрын
If it is a brand that is 100% charcoal with no lighter fluid or other additives!
@kathynix655211 ай бұрын
Biochar is not just charcoal as far as I have learned. It is made under low oxygen conditions. The giveaway is that it clinks when you tap it together. It isn’t understanding that this particular type has an optimum amount of spaces within to hold all the nutrients and microorganisms within. That is why it is important not to crush it to a fine dust. It acts kind of like a bug hotel
@LiveOnWhatYouGrow11 ай бұрын
@@kathynix6552 You're right! But it hasn't always been seen that way, and some very intelligent people still think you need to turn it into a powder! The current research proves exactly what you're saying. Here's one study that talks about this: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466324/