Keep the Soil Covered

Hey all, this is the first in a mini-series we are doing on the 4 principles of soil health. This video was made possible in part through a grant from Southern SARE, and answers the following: why cover the soil? How does covering the soil help? What are some forms of mulch for covering the soil? And more!
The Living Soil Handbook:
United States: www.notillgrowers.com/livings...
OUTSIDE OF United States: Our shipping is ridiculous but the book will be out in late August, just preorder from your favorite local retailer 🙌
Support our work at notillgrowers.com
or
Patreon.com/notillgrowers
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2020-38640-31521 through the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under project number LS21-348. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.” The goal with this grant is to provide context and technical detail for the four principles of soil health.

[@eugenekaufmann1]

You mention the perfect combination mulching for me ! Galicia , Spain, long hot summers, but very wet coldish winters, so I mulch with compost, but put hay on top, but take it off for the winter for salads etc otherwise it becomes Slug Country.

[@briansakurada2823]

I've been geeking out on Elaine Ingham lectures lately so the timing of this series couldn't be better for me.

[@birdbird7965]

💯

[@thomasclark5247]

Keeping seed out of grass clippings is not just about timing, although late spring and late fall will always be seedy times, it's also about the long term maintenance of the site. Regular, high mowing trains the grass without stressing it. This, especially after a couple years, will give you completely seed free clippings all summer. Assuming enough precipitation to justify mowing in the summer of course. Just thought I'd put that out there for anyone thinking of using grass clippings long term, it really is a great mulch and well balanced organic fertilizer.

[@notillgrowers]

Thanks, Thomas, great addition! Also high mowings on the grass is better for soil organic matter building. Win win

[@annesuess2272]

This year we deliberately let our grass grow and go to seed and mowed early summer and left it to lie on the lawns to dry and break down in order to catch the seed and fertilise the lawn and we've had much improved lush lawns this year. We don't usually keep them super short. It makes sense now that if we mow in early spring before seeds form, we can also get a grass mulch for the veggie beds and then we'll try letting it grow again for the seed mulch for the lawn. Thinking about it though, we are in cooler climate and don't want to cool the soil for our veggie beds, so may stick to the beech tree leaf mulch for them, which seems to work.

[@danielturner9832]

I love grass clippings for mulch. AFTER dandelions have stopped blooming.

[@hyacinthABC]

If we add green grass clippings as mulch in the south I fear they would heat up too much as they decompose. I spread mine out in the sun to dry - but as we had a spate of daily rain that was a real challenge!

[@n7predator147]

Love the channel. I have access to hay in my back pasture to use as a mulch with wood chips in between the rows. I started out with clay soil but I can already see after a year how much top soil I'm adding to it during the decomposition process. I just simply cannot believe how much less work it is. People need to keep spreading the word of permaculture to sustain our soil health.

[@mezenman]

I have a similar set up. When I used the grass from the pasture I had a ton of white mildew, mold, not really sure, stuff that formed. You have that problem? Had lots of issues, but I’m new to gardening and just figuring stuff out......

[@notillgrowers]

Hay is a really amazing resource. The weed seeds are a challenge, but the nutrient content is exceptional.

[@richfiryn]

Raleigh NC had the best leaf mold operation we ever saw. Literally mountains of it and it was free to the public (at least in the late 90's)

[@littlewhitedory1]

My thoughts: Jesse, your a powerhouse of information! I particularly like the presentation style you use when making your videos, the fast edit and condensation of dialog to trim time is a pace I can enjoy. I especially like the snarky comments as they do make the point and break up the data with humor and sarcasm. I’m also fascinated to hear how much slower and deliberate you choose to speak while being interviewed and have the luxury of more time. Thanks for the info, thanks for the entertainment!

[@notillgrowers]

Super awesome to hear! Appreciate that feedback 🙌

[@howyacuttin9087]

Except for his continuously waving hands

[@donnamartz6361]

​@@howyacuttin9087 at least Jesse isn't holding a beer or other spillable drink. My husband also talks with his hands. Holding a Heineken while doing so leaves little beer in the bottle! 😅

[@GrowCookPreserveWithKellyDawn]

Great video. We used bagger on the mower to shred fall leaves mixed with grass clippings to overwinter in our raised beds for a decade now. Results in very productive soil.

[@tylerk.7947]

Just a lil reminder to keep a small area of bare dirt exposed on your property! Many native bees need bare soil to either nest in or to mine and build a hive elsewhere =] otherwise keep doing what you’re doing you guys are the best

[@jhum71]

I am not a bee expert, but we do thick mulch in our garden, and the bumble bees still dig in it to build their nests. I have noticed them tunneling in and out. So at least some species of bees do fine with mulch.

[@TheSamba37]

@@jhum71 bumblebees form hives undergrown. This is different than how the bees I believe Tyler K was speaking of act. Ground nesting bees are solitary and utilize bare or nearly bare soil for their small nests, often preferring loose loams that can easily be dug into, but are stiff enough to hold tunnels without the glues of humus. Personally, think the more important thing is untilled soils with easy access to the surface, whether covered or not it should be fine as long as there isn't a thatched sod preventing access.

[@hyacinthABC]

I didn't know that, thanks! Love my 🐝🐝🐝.

[@rmkadish]

As a northeastern grower who hills potatoes with old hay 1) to avoid tillage and 2) because it's our most accessible mulching material, your "digression" is 1000% on point. Planning to transition to growing potatoes in established beds with a dark mulch in the spring, followed by lighter mulch in the summer (or maybe a dark mulch the whole time if we can afford it).

[@samanthachapman818]

Excited for this series; THANK YOU!

[@inezvasquez8104]

Happy to have come across YOU! Looking forward to following you and applying your lessons!

[@woodinthewoods6520]

Keep spreading this great information! Great content!

[@farmindank3479]

Just got your book, I know most the stuff in it already but there’s always more to learn and wanted to support you any how. Thanks for your work dude

[@RewiredforJoy]

Photosynthesis is pretty badass 😂 Excited for this nerdy series!!

[@rootcraft3269]

Wow! Great conversation, very interesting. The placenta thing peaked my interest somewhat! Can’t wait to hear more. Thanks

[@agb6330]

Just started watching your channel a few days ago and I am binge watching! Trying to educate myself on the best way to improve our soil..I added mushroom soil compost to the garden this year. Now want to figure out a fall through winter cover crop for my little plot. Thank you very much, thoroughly enjoy your channel here in northeast PA.

[@susankarpuk7347]

Wonderful episode! Thanks

[@charlescoker7752]

Paul Gautschi BTE founder, has been using woodchips for over 30 years. He has no nitrogen tie ups. You do not want to till the woodchips into the soil. If you are starting out with a lawn. You need to put compost, and fertilizers. Until the chips start breaking down. And the soil is transformed. Paul says 3 years. I have tried hay, grass clippings. They let the soil dry out. Where 4 inches of wood chips will hold the moisture. I also in the deep south. Tilling uncovers more weed seed.

[@blackberryhillfarm1084]

Great and Informative video Jesse looking forward to the next one

[@sethf4385]

Great content. Always enjoy how well he explains concepts so even the most rookie plant enthusiasts can understand the “why.” This video has killer content. Thanks for sharing your mulch magic sir.

[@rostamkocholo]

Bring it on! Great episode Jesse!

[@billherrick3569]

Excellent video as always. I like to use winter rye after harvest and then as a mulch next spring. The struggle here in zone 3 is the cover crop in the spring keeps the soil from warming enough to plant so I have to cut it early and rake it off and then put it back on latter as a mulch. Our soil is usually to cold to plant before June 1st.

[@matthart722]

you guys are amazing! thank you

[@cksmo6122]

I love the content that comes out of this channel especially as of late. Thank u for all u do for the community and spreading great knowledge and wisdom to the world. Currently living in Florida and trying to build and grow the .25 acre we are on.

[@notillgrowers]

🙌

[@lovemybabygoat]

Love all your videos. I learn plenty and smile a lot. 😁👏

[@salewhriiyio2501]

Ur words makes me smile again 😁

[@anitamariapaula2899]

Muito legal transmitir estas informações! Gratidão!🙏

[@johnsonr9]

Great info and don't mind nerdy. Good video work too.Thanks.

[@johnjude2685]

About the mowing of walkways my son mentioned that someone builds a 3 wheel electric that might fit better in walkways. Always trying to learn so I love your videos thanks for helping me be a better Stewart of my surban garden and home.

[@ronaldcummings6337]

Enjoying digging into the book, love visual reinforcement.

[@notillgrowers]

Awesome, Ronald! I definitely believe it's critical to offer a myriad of media for the same information--we all have our preferred ways of learning, for sure

[@charlesbale8376]

Great info, appreciated the video.

[@Lauradicus]

Thank you!! We really do need to take more heed of things that improve soil microbiology, not just for carbon sequestration but the reduction of pests and diseases etc are such a benefit.

[@later_daze_4080]

Preach on brother! Loving the book as well!

[@notillgrowers]

Thank you 🙌

[@TheSzymonc]

Awsome news! Whole lotta love

[@waynesell3681]

Great series. Have been reading your book heavily thru winter. Backyard gardener here only heard of NoDig notill in the last year. Will be trying some of these techniques. Thank you!

[@paxtianodirtfrog8947]

Yall are killing it with the new farm/living experiment. I think this video format is great, especially for folks working their way through the book along side of this. My ideas and plans for a future farm evolve with each page, seriously. A lot of this stuff I haven't even thought to think about and some of t I've experienced in my own beds but couldn't sort out all the rhyme and reason. Good work basically

[@notillgrowers]

Thanks, Paxton!

[@makersoutpost]

Great video Jessie! Your book is wonderful

[@notillgrowers]

Thank you 🙌

[@jlingviolin]

Great information. Smartly is definitely a word.

[@bethgarrison1879]

Btw- this is exactly the type of content I really want to see! School me! Yes!

[@Michael_McMillan]

Great video.

[@Marshall_Weber]

Awesome Video!!

[@ThriveGarden]

Thank you brother!

[@karenbarthold1777]

I so need that book. I’ve become a dirt nerd! Now I am fascinated with all the new things I am learning and want another reference material, YOUR BOOK!🫶

[@natefox1496]

Thank you🙌

[@Ohelojam]

Great info for me regarding why my seed germinating is not always successful- possibly too much heat! (Zone 11) Light color mulch! I just ordered your book! Lots to think about! Thanks!

[@cajunmilkcows6491]

Love the book and this video. I’m in south Louisiana. Heavy, clay soils and huge rain storms really compact the soil. It’s hard for me to get ANY organic matter deeper into the soil. I am digging into the soil to bury limbs and tree branches in a Hugelkuktur type bed building that seems to work. I dig down to the clay layer and pile that top soil to the side. I dig out the clay and pile it up to the other side. I layer a bunch of green and brown plant materials, cover it with the clay soil. Cover that with a layer of good, living compost, and cover that with the topsoil. Then I mulch and plant with cover crop seeds such as rye and clover in the winter and buckwheat or millet and cow peas in the summer. It is hard work and slow going for a 26 acre silvo pasture food forest with grow beds, but I am working a 4’x50’ area at a time and probably for the rest of my life! I’m hoping that it helps create a good soil structure. Any thoughts on the long term outcomes for my type of river basin heavy clay soils?

[@notillgrowers]

These types of soils can definitely be remediated with some work! I think you could simplify your system a bit and save some work by planting cover crops and broad forking or subsoiling DURING their growth to get those roots as deep as possible. That has helped in our compaction. Add mulch as well. Hope that helps!

[@tracemyers1275]

learn what baking soda does, and understand its role in ph balance, fruit trees can help offset this

[@tracemyers1275]

think simple chemistry its so important in food growing and cooking

[@watermelonlalala]

I've been adding organic material for a couple of years to my clay, compacted soil and I have the same experience. Not much result. I dug a little trench across the too wet part of my lawn and threw in wood, leaves, grass clippings, vegetable scraps. After a year and a half, the trench has closed up on it's own. If I dig there, I find the wood. I thought it would be nice soil. I still dig up clay and replace it with organic material, I guess because I like digging up clay. I mix the clay with grass clippings and try to patch other problem areas that are eroding. Sometimes it works.

[@bkelly970]

I would think there is a way to build the beds without digging first if you have enough compost or can take topsoil from another location. I know washing away is an issue if you have such frequent heavy rains but if you try and design them so the sides are more gradual than steep and get those cover crops or thick rooted cash crops growing quickly (as it sounds you are) I would hope there is a way to avoid it. The digging aspect sounds like it would be the most time consuming and disruptive to soil microbiology. Can't say I've tried it though. I thought I understood hugulkultur, but this site gave me a better idea of what it could be: richsoil.com/hugelkultur/

[@wildedibles819]

I use stones in my potted plants My cacti love them so i collect pretty ones ;) Mulch love xoxox

[@uncommoncents2152]

Great videos as always....love that intro music

[@notillgrowers]

Nice to hear that because I was afraid it was a bit dramatic haha

[@bethg4238]

The intro music is awesome 👌

[@TheVigilantStewards]

You asked our favorites.... I have always used wood chips, straw, or living grass. Living grass seems to suck a lot of stuff away from my garden in Texas in my past experience, not too good of results with potatoes in a yard

[@davidbass7593]

Talking about mulch I've used pine straw for years here in the deep south where summer temps get pretty hot it insulates and keeps the ground much cooler but by fall most of it has broken down but it's plentiful around here and easy to get and of course has no weed seeds like most straws ...not to mention it attracts lots of earth worms which we know is a big plus

[@NorthernThaiGardenGuy]

Great stuff.

[@paulsalvaterra]

Oh lord I no tilled a lot of ground, oh lord I used a lot of compost. But one thing I never did lord was till the ground, Damm the tiller man. Another great vlog, btw, liked the new music too, change is nice, ty

[@rubiccube8953]

In the Uk . Combine spring bulbs , comfrey , blackberries , Tay berries and raspberries on ground topped up with fresh wood chips each year. In the autumn add coffee grounds to wash down into soil through the wood chip. Whilst cropping the comfrey every month in the summer pull out the odd stray weed. I look for permanent crops and combinations that work.

[@sharonwittmayer1221]

First, I just got your book and appreciate it! I haven’t made it all the way through. I am a Southern California Gardener (zone10a). What are your thoughts on mulching with Pebblerock? I have some well established fruit trees that are planted in decomposed granite. Water flows through them pretty quickly. But they are thriving quite well. Other parts of my property are mulched with traditional mulches but I think the pebble rock will look amazing under the fruit trees.

[@SerRegenera]

Amazing! thank you :) one question, if you use hay as a mulch on a temperate climate on winter it doesnt get the soil protected from the cold? or it make it colder?

[@RedFernFarmVA]

Congrats on the grant. I'm looking forward to this series (and in general all of your content). I employ woodchips in the walkways and compost on my beds. Something I had issues with my first season was trying to balance out how much compost my beds needed. I think transplants can deal with a deeper mulch because the root systems will be very close to the soil after transplanting but direct seeding can be an issue, like you said due to heat and hydrophobic tendencies of compost (at least the stuff I have access to). Looking at a soil profile, how deep do you think the compost mulch should be especially for direct seeded crops?

[@notillgrowers]

I like thin layers of compost (4 inches or less) and I like throwing a tarp with the white side up or really thick row cover over beds to get direct seeded crops to germinate in the summer. That moisture is key. As you said, the hydrophobic side of compost is really tough.

[@claud1542]

great video thx. What are your thoughts on using horse manure that possibly came from horses that were given deworming medication? How does that affect the compost. Will the heat from the composting take care of that? If it doesn"t get to hot temp will the soil food web manage it over time. thank you.

[@TheMujiFuji]

If you like this video you need the book. Rock on Jesse...You’re awesome!

[@notillgrowers]

🙌

[@dionvh]

Love the info. Please be nerdy, share your knowledge with us.

[@jameskniskern2261]

Nerdy is good!

[@gojkosimovljevic]

Nice video and nice music cover. 😉

[@fouroakfarm]

Hypothetical Canada, my favorite Canada

[@jpage1331]

I ain’t lying 🤥 I need one of them chiropractors after yesterday work in the garden.. I’m hurting so bad today 😂💯🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

[@cpnotill9264]

Leaves are my go to and also our own cut grass during hot weather to hold in the moisture. Have NEVER had better garden than this year. The leaves though have really done a terrific job and I've never seen so many worms. Thanks for sharing Jesse. 🌱👍❤

[@sbffsbrarbrr]

Can I ask how you are using your leaves? I'm a home gardener and am trying to make some leaf mold from leaves that I raked and piled up last fall. But I really haven't come across any good info on the best way to use.

[@cpnotill9264]

@@sbffsbrarbrr I chopped up the leaves real good with mower then every fall cover my raised beds with about 4-6" of leaves. I also have some chicken wire around an area about 10ft by 10ft. I just pile the leaves into that area in the fall and the fencing keeps the leaves from blowing about. In there I planted peppers and never had healthier plants with such abundance! I also have a geobin full of chopped leaves that I keep adding too and one inside the greenhouse. THE WORMS!!!! Just have different area for different experiments and may you be blessed with abundance my friend. 🌱 Catherine🌱🌼🐦 ps I also have saved 20 bags of chopped leaves to use as mulch around transplants for the upcoming season. 😁

[@sbffsbrarbrr]

@@cpnotill9264 Thank you so much for getting back to me. Many great ways to use the leaves! I was fortunate to find two very large wood packing crates for free on Facebook Marketplace, and filled both with leaves. I definitely need to do a better job of covering my raised beds at the end of the season and will make sure to used shredded leaves this winter. In the meantime, I hope the center of my two crates are decomposed enough to use as mulch around transplants this spring! Hadn't considered that. Thank you again and happy gardening in 2022 😊

[@cpnotill9264]

@@sbffsbrarbrr Thank you and you're very welcome! 🌱👍

[@krisbaker9427]

I am new here and am very impressed. Where is this being filmed, please? Thanks

[@heatherjolly8389]

Buckled up!

[@GCVestingGroup]

With regards to mulch materials, for garden beds (not necessarily acid loving plants) what are your thoughts on pine straw mulch?

[@BryceDixonDev]

I've found lithic mulch is good for extremely small scale container plants. Eg: succulents and personal container citrus trees

[@AnthonySNY]

Hey @notillgrowers im in upstate NY where the weather is unpredictable at best. weeds are a nightmare. 90 degrees today, 55 tonight. Im thinking of covering my 1/4 acre in woodchips. is this advisable? how deep should the wood chips be? I'm also thinking beds will be covered in alpaca manure. thoughts?

[@TheVigilantStewards]

Congratulation on the grant! I look forward to more research from you on living pathways. You commented to me before about Texas being drier and maybe not being worth it... but I really wonder - exactly how much more water could it take! It might be worth it because our irrigation hit the wood chips anyway.... you wouldn't be feeding fungal with the pathways if their living so you won't get the edge though. Do you think about these points much? I know you get a lot of rain

[@notillgrowers]

I mean, if you feel like the pathways are getting adequate moisture than try a few and see what you think! In really arid climates, though, I hesitate to support the idea because they would require some water somewhere along the line and it's probably better to simply cover them to preserve any moisture.

[@TheVigilantStewards]

@@notillgrowers We are probably at 38-46" of rain per year, and eventually want to have swales up hill on a property where we have gravity irrigated impact sprinklers. Kind of curious for the living pathway what constitutes arid. I would love to test it out myself, I want to start putting up Texas permaculture content online for people since there is little research here on these methods. If I were to do that next year at our new property, what would I look for to see if there is too much competition for water? What are your indicators that you've got adequate supply other than good green growth and easily perceivable success?

[@elliottmackay4650]

Hi, maybe it is a bit overkill but this video got me thinking that I may want to make my own compost vs purchase it. I just don't have faith in commercial composters but then I don't know any yet so I should say it is not a judgment. LOL. I grew microgreens for a bit and was amazed at how much greenery they created and especially how fast they grew. Is it reasonable to select and grow a cover crop plant with composting the greens an intended outcome? For the carbon side, would biochar work as the sole form of carbon given and if so does the high temps of biochar solve for any contaminants that may be present?

[@mekaremaurin8580]

Yay for nerdy content!!!

[@DJSAYBR]

Fun fact in the Canadian prairies it gets super hot and dry in the middle of summer that a light mulch is preferred. The benefits of a dark much does not outweigh the heating effect it will have mid summer in my opinion.

[@barrybr1]

cool music too

[@indica_dogo868]

Great video I will be watching all the videos coming out! I do want to say that you mentioned 4 principles, but you left out animal integration, planned holistic grazing. Why did you leave out animal incorporation? We have neighbors with goats that we "borrow" to come in and mow down our plots after harvest.

[@notillgrowers]

It's a good question. I actually don't think animal integration is always a good idea, especially in a market garden context. We had sheep for years and I could never find a way to integrate them that didn't add compaction (our beds are very loose so they animals literally sank even if moved out quickly) or create food safety concerns. That said, I like starting plots out with chickens, or ocassionally letting them refertilize a plot, but it's not a big part of our systems personally so I don't focus on it here. I think the best way to incorporate them is through compost generally. Animals work better in a large-scale row cropping system in my opinion.

[@gardeninggrandma5247]

I'm new to the concept of no-till and I'm trying cardboard boxes on a small piece of my property that has been problematic with weeds. I placed the cardboard on the ground only (with a few rocks to keep it intact) but I think what you are saying is that I now need to cover it with mulch? I really just want to get rid of the weeds -- I was thinking after a while after the weeds have died off I could plant grass seed. Am I on the right track?

[@msplantscapes]

I am using cardboard on my rows and putting compost on top. Used an auger to plant the plants. So far pretty good I’d say. It just doesn’t look neat n tidy along the edges where the cardboard sticks out. I’d like it to be like in the pictures I see with other growers. Am I nutty?

[@tcotroneo]

I needed that mulch tip about 3 weeks ago.. I had two nice rows of carrots come up and slowly vanish in thin air! This was a new established bed, so it was deep in compost.. burned those little seedlings right up

[@flatsville1]

Carrots are a pain in tge @ss to get started with. I did two things that helped. I stopped growing long carrots & switched to ox heart & short french chanteney varieties. I got some scrap peg board & used it in place of a solid carrot board to cover. The peg board let in light, air & water. Kept birds off the seedlings.

[@tcotroneo]

@@flatsville1 They are also difficult to grow because they are slow growers.. I started in early spring in the greenhouse with a mix of soil and compost, since I just got a new greenhouse. They were Napoli variety and did great! I should have planted successions every week, but instead waited until summer.. Way too hot to start carrots in a greenhouse! I’ll wait until fall or even winter

[@trishgreydanus7004]

It was 32c (90f) here in non-hypothetical Canada today with humidity making it feel like 40 (104).

[@notillgrowers]

Yes through amazon, and it should also be out in Europe in a couple weeks!

[@rufia75]

Jesse, I'm curious. Was this video part of your grant? Nice video. Had not considered colour (yes, I'm Canadian) of the mulch before.

[@notillgrowers]

Yes it was. Jackson filled out the details though, so I can't be of much help there, but they do award some grants for educational resources.

[@ddgamble2199]

Great video! Thanks. 1. What is that fantastic music? My toes kept wanting to tap, to the annoyance of the cat on my lap. 2. What are those beautiful orange flowers to your right at the opening? I could not see them close enough to find out. 3. At 9:08-the cat!

[@notillgrowers]

1. Music is "sunrise" by Northside and 2. Marigolds!

[@raywharton9425]

So the farm I'm helping at is across the street from an aspen mill. We have an arbitrary supply of the stuff for less than $7 a yard, and that counts hiring the dump truck. We have a couple plots where we go really deep mulch for potatoes and squash, which are doing good, and we expect to rotate in transplants and such until the saw dust is absorbed into the soil over a couple years. The thing I am trying to figure out is for the more shallow rooted crops which cannot take straight sawdust mulching, I want to partially compost the saw dust just enough to mitigate its nitrogen suck. I got pelleted chicken manure, and am trying to figure out the minimal amount of manure to negate the carbon of the saw dust. Does any body have a decent notion? Basically I just want an excuse to go ham with the sawdust with out N draining the guy's fields. Dry climate, wide temp swings, heavy clay, many weeds.

[@ajb.822]

I would love to have a T-shirt with those 4 principles on it ( on the back of it, and maybe just a little logo, quote, phrase - something about regen ag or permaculture- small and over the left chest pocket area, on the front. Except, I'd prefer the "disturb as little as possible" to be tweaked to somehow incl. the knowledge about how sometimes disturbance is good. Like Alan Savory demonstrates. Like those using pigs to do occasional disturbance in woodlands, and resulting in new ( so to speak) species popping up and more grasses/grazing plants growing in the woods. Which is good for wild herbivores like deer, too, not just good if you have cattle etc. . To my limited knowledge and understanding of all this. Anyway, I'd love a shirt like that, in some heather-type green color :).

[@NedDenver]

i love mulch!

[@shifschiffman6778]

When are you going to be on Rumble?

[@petalandposeboudoir]

Just ordered your book! I'm turning a forest into field. I've had the stumps removed and working on the loose roots, what next steps do you recommend?

[@soilentgreenhomestead3933]

Leave the roots, plant around em

[@notillgrowers]

If you feel relatively comfortable about how well it was cleared, simply start turning it into a garden. I spend the first few chapters of the book talking about starting a garden, so just follow those ideas for what makes the most sense in your context.

[@petalandposeboudoir]

My main concern is the compaction factor from the bulldozer and backhoe that had to come in for the stumps. There's no way I'll get all the roots.... ever, lol. This is a half acre that will be cut flower production. I'm thinking I should broadfork it and maybe get it tilled initially?

[@Railwaycreekfarm]

I worked in sorghum 5 months prior to planting garlic and the results were devastating! 40% reduction in bulb size! I wonder what else it will affect.

[@DriftmanX]

Great great great.

[@TheTrock121]

Lithic materials are great to protect perennial plants in the chicken yard.

[@ml.5377]

Rice hulls for direct sowing or transplant.

[@haroon1874]

Hi.great work I'm in Pakistan I m growing citrus what kind of mulch is best for citrus . currently using hay

[@notillgrowers]

Hay is one of the best mulches for orchards (in my opinion) because the weed seed element is less detrimental around perennial crops. Stick with that if it's affordable! Great nutrients there.

[@heidiweinert3260]

I have a question. How do you prevent slugs and rolypollies off of your transplants and seedlings when you are providing excellent habitat and cover for them with your mulch? I panicked and moved all my mulch far away from the seedlings 🌱 this year because last year I lost so many.

[@debrashannon5964]

I had the same problem in San Diego. As a new gardener, I enthusiastically bought into the thick mulch (aka “Back to Eden”) approach. A pill bug infestation quickly developed. BTW: Whoever claims that pill bugs don’t eat living plants hasn’t met our pill bugs. My hypothesis is that our winters aren’t sufficiently cold to reduce the pill bug population so they just continue to breed year round. We have an impressive lizard population now (lizards eat pill bugs) but the pill bugs reproduce faster than the lizards. I found only one solution. We cut the bottom from the round plastic containers that fresh cheese comes in, embed those into clean potting soil and transplant seedlings into the center. For onions, I use the same principle but with 16oz crystal solo cups. I wish there were an option that doesn’t include plastic but I haven’t found one. This year, as I scrape off the chips, I’m going to try straw as mulch.

[@liamrudman4916]

I'm struggling to get it right in converting over to complete no till.. My biggest issue is the soil carbon. If I don't till it is like planting into concrete. I'm building up a load of compost filled with a LOT of carbon. However this may take some time. Going to be implementing it one garden at a time. Another thing I'm learning is the fungal count needs to be up in the soil. This is another step I need to take to improve my soil. Is there any info in the Living soils handbook on this?

[@flatsville1]

Nothing beats sorghum sudan grass for root penetration & sheer mass for compost or mulch. Consult SARE on line cover crop guide for when to cut to get root penetration & top growth. You can buy a sterile variery that won't go to seed.

[@notillgrowers]

I talk about transitioning to no-till in the book and give some guidance about that. Generally, just go slow. Address that compaction but start implementing more and more no- and low-tillage techniques until your soil starts to improve. Don't worry about your fungal bacterial ratio yet. Get your soil structure in place then go from there.

[@Anythingforfreedom]

The idea of them having wood-chips 1,000 years ago made me laugh. Making woodchips with an axe would take forever.

[@kyleschutter]

When does soil handbook come out for ebook/kindle?

[@notillgrowers]

Hi, it’s available at Amazon for digital copies!

[@bensiebold8217]

Where do you get your paper rolls at? I’m interested in using them in my garden.

[@notillgrowers]

called weed guard plus. It's an OMRI approved product. If you're not organic, thick craft papers will do.

[@swamidevashunya417]

Greetings from Greece Jesse, you are doing beautiful work. Is your book available as an ebook? Love, Shunya.

[@bencuthbert8915]

I'm loving wood chips i've cycled through my chicken run. Also i'm in Australia, how can I get your book? Don't seem to have shipping options yet! Thanks Jesse!

[@davec1117]

I'm in Canada but ordered a copy through a local book chain so you might try a local book seller in Australia, if not available... your version of Amazon does list it.

[@rosee941]

I noticed it was in our normal book stores list here in Aus... i think its due in this week..

[@bencuthbert8915]

I’d like to buy it from Jesses site so he gets the cash rather than the space tourist Bezos!

[@davec1117]

@@bencuthbert8915 I'd like to have done so as well but it was Jesse or Josh Sattin, that suggested trying local book sellers for those of us outside the USA to avoid now crazy shipping fees. I absolutely share your sentiment on Amazon.dave

[@notillgrowers]

Getting it from us the shipping is bonkers obviously, so yes a small bookstore or ag agency you like who sells books (we have several here in the US like ACRES and Growing for Market ). Anyone who has to go the bookstore route but still wants to support our work, Patreon.com/notillgrowers is a great option! And as low as $2/month!

[@bethgarrison1879]

I can’t find the link for the book??

[@krzysztofflis1847]

❤ hero

[@PascaltheOtter]

Hell yes get nerdy on us.

[@skinnyWHITEgoyim]

Are mushrooms popping up in your garden a good sign or bad sign? I sure hope its a good sign because I get a ton of them. There's probably 100 new ones every morning and they die off when it gets hot during the day and the process starts all over the next morning.

[@TaureanDreams]

It means you have good soil