Soil Amending Simplified

[@JannikVonTeck]

"I've read a lot of research papers and consumed a lot of beer too ultimately come to some reasonable conclusions..." You sir, have quickly gotten me on your side! +1 regular viewer

[@ptrain9020]

I have just recently been taught that calcium is a huge amendment or nutrient that plants need. My tomato plants had turned yellow on the new growth and I asked my dad about it and he said whenever that happens on my plants I hit it with calcium so I'm like OK so I bought some cal- mag plus and with 2 applications of it via foliar spray about 6 days apart from each other those plants turned green and have been healthy ever since. Thanks dad.

[@smhollanshead]

I believe in the big three and little two. The big three are N, P, K. I like alfalfa pellets and blood meal for the nitrogen. The little two are calcium and magnesium. For the calcium and magnesium I add bone meal and epsom salt. The Icing on the cake is green sand and rock dust.

[@GanjaBreadman]

@@smhollanshead I would consider calcium a macro. So more like the big 4 and little 1

[@smhollanshead]

@@GanjaBreadman While you say it a bit differently, you say it well. Calcium is an essential nutrient for any garden bed. Thank you for reinforcing my point. My response to your comment is, it all depends. If your soil lacks calcium, then calcium is very important to your garden, so it is the big four little one. If you have healthy soil with plenty of calcium, it’s the big three, little two. If you know your soil you will have a happy garden.

[@RAM-ft3gk]

What a weird comment to make. No one in your life to talk to? Lol

[@clairedgaia3626]

I like adding crushed egg shells down around roots where microbes can break them down so roots take calcium Up into plant..

[@notlouella]

What a fantastic video, thank you! I'm new here but have been gardening for half a century -- and learn new things every day. I'm currently gardening in Detroit, in dirt and debris that filled the basements of the houses that got knocked down to create the empty lots I now tend. Mostly clay and old sinks. Not exactly fertile or good drainage. Forage (daikon) radish are absolute MAGIC. Just sprinkle the seeds like fairy dust all around your garden in late summer/early winter (in among what's already growing). The radish germinates, sends down thick roots, but that's not all. Over winter, when they freeze, they turn into radish mush that is soil critter elixir. The first spring, the soil's much improved, by the second spring, it's amazing, rich and loamy. I'll come back next spring to report what happens the third spring. (Probably by then I'll shift to a more varied cover crop, but desperately needed to address the compaction.) Meanwhile I'll be watching your vids and getting more ideas. Best to all!

[@naomiroyle9637]

I broadcast daikon seeds last year. Several came up. Great stuff. Its a half acre but the grass was a little tough to allow anything else. I'm going to plant more but open the soil up because I do like eating daikon. All the best.

[@notlouella]

@@naomiroyle9637 , it sounds like you broadcast into grass. I haven't tried that yet, though it's top on my agenda for this year. Any tips before I try? (I was just planning to mow low and then broadcast fairly thickly.) All the best back at you!

[@astrosoup]

That's such a cool tip! I am completely fascinated by exactly what you do.. gardening on reclaimed in Detroit. I've subscribed in case you ever put out a video!

[@notlouella]

@@JanineMJoi, good idea! I'll add some buckwheat to the daikon this fall.

[@TheTrock121]

I grew several crops last Winter and most did fine, but I was dissapointed that the Daikons turned into mush. That bed is very fertile this year though.

[@rasserfrasser]

If the soil is not being fed, it's feeding on itself. What an axiom. Love it. TY!

[@mrsmcs93]

I came across a study done on mineral content of fall leaves. According to what was found, fall leaves provide a much higher rate of availabe minerals than any rock dust. I've been collecting, shredding and using leaves in my garden ever since and have seen impressive results. I would really appreciate your opinion on the subject matter.

[@yoursoulmatters9600]

I'm no expert but I once heard a man lecture on compost and he said we should only compost leaves and give the kitchen scrapes to our worms. Your idea here makes sense to me, what root is more impressive than a tree root for mining minerals.....

[@beareroflife]

Natives of the Americas can give u great details on that Ancient practise

[@meledmondson9020]

Please push over the fallen leaves that have yet to break down, then lying beneath those very leaves is the rightous nutrient dense packed compost! You can start your seeds with it or add to garden. Take the "fallen" leaves and add to your walking rows as they will break down and become future amendments

[@agdayem]

100% agree! Leaves saved my soil!

[@mountainmade4094]

I remember being little and my grandpa would have is get on the barn and clean out the leaves from the gutters, but we'd save it in buckets to put in the garden. I remember it being so black and rich looking. Garden always did well.

[@bjblitz5448]

I like it when nerds spew info 👍

[@Anon-xd3cf]

THIS... All day this. This is the level of detail and of "why" that is missing from my life. Thank you.

[@tomjensen618]

Not ill growers is one of the better youtube channels. Keep up the good work.

[@OnTheCommon]

I'm an old gardener who won't live long enough to know if rhizophagy is more than a theory. My vote for a fifth amendment is a farmer's shadow on the soil.

[@Thee-_-Outlier]

I like that saying, good one

[@toastiesburned9929]

They said the best fertilizer is the footsteps of the farmer. I wasn't sure, but I figured I'd try it. I spent all day in the garden weeding and watering, and right before I came in, I gave all my plants a good couple of stomps. 🥾 🥾 Wish me luck! 🤞

[@MrKen-longrangegrdhogeliminato]

@@toastiesburned9929 Bare footed, go bare foot in the garden.

[@victorsr6708]

Sir I hope you don’t mind if I use that term “a farmers shadow” brilliant! My son and I (29 year olds son) both have gardens and he reads all the books and watches all the videos, he’s at the I’m smarter than dad stage hahaha but I take some blame for that I encourage it. As for myself I learned most of my gardening from watching my father and trial and error. When my son goes on vacation for a week or two I tend his garden, it never fails when he comes home his plants look much better than when he left and he always asks what I added to the soil and plants? My response is always the same ‘just a little attention”. He is on vacation now and his plants are already almost as nice as mine after a few days hahaha. When he gets home and asked what I did I’ll just use your term and say “just a little farmers shadow on the soil” : ). I’ll say I love the fact that he’s a gardener and we get to have a little friendly competition

[@OnTheCommon]

@@victorsr6708 We are both lucky men, are we not?

[@nagasvoice8895]

In 30 years of managing very heavy clay soils (like, wow, down the street from a pottery clay pit) I discovered that it works better to fork/build wide shallow beds for everything, including trees, not deep. Lets the roots spread out and forage. Deep holes make little clay pot bath tubs that will kill roots in our rainy winter months. I also learned I had to add organic material in huge proportions relentlessly, constantly, adding 6 - 8 inches or more at a time to keep up with the subtropical munching of our microbes taking it back down to nothing in a year or less. I also add whatever mulch I can on top in a wider shallow area, which helps the soil pores give the water somewhere to soak into during droughts, and also somewhere else lower to drain in times of torrential rains. Coffee grounds from restaurants, shredded cardboard and junk mail paper, kitchen compost, spent potting soil, *anything* I can. I used to scavenge big trash bags of kelp off the beach (different house now) but I don't think that's legal now. I have sometimes brought in big loads of commercial compost, but now I'm hearing about gardeners having issues with persistent herbicides like Grazon. Some KZbinrs suggest getting a compost sample and testing it with bean sprouts, very quick reactions. Scoffing a few cups at the local suppliers might be unpopular round here. I know this would be a different video subject, but do you have any other suggestions on how to prescreen this stuff safely?

[@hyacinthABC]

I had the same question.

[@lilolgreyhairdlady4093]

I'm starting a new garden from scratch in heavy clay (moved after 35+ years with a great organic garden). Not able to get samples of compost to test, either. I'm planning to order a load of compost, test it, and if there's issues I'll use it where I want to grow corn or grass... Hopefully, I'll have no problem - but if I do, I am making my own compost & (fingers crossed) should eventually have enough.

[@tonydoggett7627]

In Australia, some agricultural areas have deep cracking clay soils and the soils are not tilled. The only machine work is to plant a seed, stubble and straw is left alone. The cracks are kept because when it rains the water goes down the deep cracks and secondly the wheat roots go down the smaller cracks to access the moisture. Annual rainfall in some of these the areas is 450mm. 🦘🇦🇺

[@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123]

I’ll trade you some of my sand for your clay 😅 I live on the edge of a pine forest….sand and pine needles 😘

[@nagasvoice8895]

@@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123That would be a great deal for me! We're alkaline and need all the pine needles we can get!

[@mimistrawberry8051]

Amazing! I am starting my small 5k sq ft garden soon, on my own on a compressed land that hasn't been touched for at least 10 years, and this channel helped me a lot, lot.

[@ericraymondelmore]

I am a novice trying to turn my sand into a garden. You said so many words that I've never even heard of that I watched this twice. #Florida

[@nancyfahey7518]

I'm an hour north of Tampa. Fighting a drought right now where it's starting to rain but the heat is just drying up everything too fast. Still, I'm hearing reports from Missouri to Alabama that their weather is worse. Keep your soil, when you establish it, covered. David the Good (youtube) uses small fruit trees and chop n drop. And he wrote some great little books on growing in Florida. Good luck.

[@magsterz123]

@ericelmore Look for the “soil food web” video on the Canadian Permaculture Legacy channel. Excellent tutorial on some of those terms!

[@ericraymondelmore]

@@magsterz123 cool, thanks!

[@barrygysbers5632]

No problem with the length of the video. As long as you keep on with the rational, reasonable sounding tone, and provide additional, possibly accurate and useful information, you can talk all day long, and I'll still watch! Thanks for the great effort(s)!

[@sethl3702]

Keeping the soil covered is key. Tarps helped a lot in the beginning. Woodchips and cover crops with occulation creates worm castings in my beds. The exciting part of that for me is I don't have to move them there the worms do the work. Knox TN area

[@notillgrowers]

Absolutely. Soil coverage FTW

[@bele28]

@@notillgrowers please take a look at "back to eden", speaks on this very subject.. wanna hear your opinion, thanks

[@enna4986]

When do you cover and for how long plz Ty

[@TheSteve0583]

I have never laughed so hard, and then been so amazed by the density of information in a talk. I could watch this 10 times and still be hearing new things in new ways that I hadn't considered before.

[@MsCissyBlue]

Solo homesteader on two acres central Texas and I really appreciate all your expert explanations. For once, in 67 years, I finally understand soil. Thank you for that. Awesome.

[@annalawler6970]

👋 hi, I'm a solo homestead on 1/3 acre of clay on south Texas bay. Tip ...I lay down strips of old carpet between my actual growing spaces. It not only keeps weeds away but helps retain moisture and nutrients from escaping. Others know to only walk on the carpet so there is no compaction of soil for plant beds. I get the old carpet free when the store does a job, they don't have to dispose of the old...they call me lol. Carpet also helps slow down erosion in bare spots until grass cover can get established. Happy independence day to you ❤️

[@Blaculo]

We’re seven cycles into our living soil, using Hemp to put root mass into the Florida sand. Great video!

[@Brian_Allen]

It’s amazing to see God’s creation at work and the glory is apparent every time I step foot in a garden. Thank you for the time and effort you put into your content. Every video is well thought out and informative. I will continue to pray for you and your family.

[@glassbackdiy3949]

Best soil tip I have is about compaction. When you have soil so compacted you can't get a regular fork in, let alone a broadfork, get a bulb planting auger bit and drill baby drill, every 6" as deep as you can get, fill the holes with compost, build the bed on top of that

[@YoooItsRex]

Love that idea!!

[@FourLowAdventures]

Good idea I'm going to give this a go

[@classicrocklover5615]

I wonder if I could modify a drill press to do this? Place it on a platform with wheels, long extension cord, etc. It would save pressure on my wrists, lol

[@glassbackdiy3949]

@@classicrocklover5615 there's a few auger on wheels designs out there, billy goat does one, and a few like a wheelbarrow with an auger on the back between the handles, next level would be multiple auger bits in a row wide enough to cover a bed, paging Mr. MacGyver lol

[@judithmcdonald9001]

Plant tiller radishes. Plant bulbs. My problem here is being an ancient river bed. I have to get rocks out of the way. I find that an auger type post hole digger ( not drill--the big T-handle kind), if you're lucky enough to have one, will cut through everything and push up rocks. It's like making flower pots in the ground. Of course, with all the rocks comes great drainage, but you could improve drainage by digging deeper and using humus. I find worms and plant roots like to help.

[@OwlMoovement]

I've been binging hard on Kempf and AEA's podcast recordings on KZbin and cannot echo the recommendation hard enough. It's amazing how accessible Kempf, his colleagues, and guests make the pioneering science of Ingham and so many other researchers to growers and other non-agronomists. Although AEA sells products to help people build good soil and crop health, I love that their apparent mission is to work themselves into obsolesence by empowering growers out of needing external inputs, be they material or informational.

[@caparis79]

Very interesting. I now know that I know next to nothing about gardening or soil amending.

[@nailbendert4569]

If you want to see beautiful, healthy soil just go into the woods and brush away the leaves and grab a handful. You know the spot its where we haven't been "helping" it.

[@bretsaksa631]

Literally what I did yesterday while transplanting a peice of bamboo i found growing wild 🤣 you aren't wrong!

[@Still-Learning]

It's literally the definition of composting...It falls to the ground, it's then broken down, it's then taken up by the roots, and then becomes our food. The gardening "industry" has complicated creating and maintaining soil health by catering to undereducated gardeners seeking the "magic" grow pill. In this case, nature outperforms nurture.

[@candygarfield1479]

Create a food forest!! Mine is going to POP this year.. I picked up fallen branches in 8 acres , dragged downed trees to make raised beds along winding paths leading to "Hollars" that get full sun 8 hours a day and low spots that won't require daily watering. I have piles of dead tree matter, branches in hard wood piles and pine piles I'm tossing in a chipper this year with biochar I'm doing in winter. Fish meal mixed into what I'm transplanting with. Fruits berries beans corn squash. Cut offs I let have a freeze for seeds, or just put in the ground last few years coming up as food now. I have established garden spots, and random growing all over. The soil is amazing. If I don't feel good, I go dig in it, barefoot, next day I'm right as rain. I've cleared maybe forty bags of poison ivy.. gets bagged and labelled for dump. And NOT IN LEAF PILE!!! PEOPLE! otherwise, find a back 40 spot to let it wilt and die. Don't burn it!! And don't use the tools for this project for anything else.. get old tools at yard sales and use them only for poison Ivy. I use old tube socks n cut fingers n thumb, gloves over them , pull up to armpits,over a long sleeve T, too big old jeans I'll throw away after, a piece of tool around my face head and neck, The better you're covered, the faster the job is.. Then just peel it all off and discard with your poison ivy. So use cotton or other natural fabrics that will break down.

[@johnm.515]

My family owns 600 acres of forest and this how my soil gets regenerated. Just pick a spot out of 600 acres.

[@joshuamedina7292]

I just make my own compost and i add pot ash and charcoal to my compost. I also buy bait worms and add that to my compost. When it's all said and done my compost is a living echo system that i add to my soil

[@ainabearfarm8075]

Great content! When I taught urban farming in DC, people would always ask for the simple version and I’d say: “add organic material, wait and watch. After a long enough timeline, your plants will be as healthy as anyone else’s.” Now I’m in Hawai’i and biochar has been the magic ingredient. 🤙

[@selecttravelvacations7472]

Are you creating your own biochar or purchasing it? Just curious.

[@ainabearfarm8075]

@@selecttravelvacations7472 we make our own. We had a bunch of problem trees that were tangled in power lines and had to come down so we’ve had an abundance of material to burn. 🤙

[@selecttravelvacations7472]

@@ainabearfarm8075 just recently started using a bagged biochar, curious to see how well it does adding to the addition of amendments to a new no dig, cardboard lined bedding. Im thinking it would help decompose it and amend with the compost well. We have new property in the mountains we will be moving to part time before my husband retires. The tree worker that cleared the trees chose to burn a bunch. I look forward to using all the charcoal or biochar created from it.. where he left a big burn pile is where garden 1 will go. Thank you for the info.

[@ainabearfarm8075]

@@selecttravelvacations7472 that sounds like you will be in good shape with some very healthy soil. Happy gardening! 🤙

[@MikeV607]

I inherited 'parking lot soil'...heavy clay with lots of rocks...top soil like subsoil. When I tilled it was like tilling a roadway! One fall I coiled a 12' snow fence in the garden and filled with leaves. In the spring I removed the remnants and tilled the garden. Tough going, but when I hit the spot where the leaves had been, the tiller sank effortlessly to it's maximum depth - nature had already tilled it for me. So 'No Till' might be called 'Nature till' when enough organic matter is used. 😊

[@beverlyrolon2186]

I love your sense of humor… and consumed a lot of beers. Thanks for sharing this knowledge. I don’t think I’ll be a grower to the extent some of you are just trying not to grow weeds intentionally if I can help it. Mother Earth sure loves you!!

[@kengrow3992]

Your video could definitely be 10 hours longer, you’re easy to listen to cause besides writing down a couple of names. I was able to follow you all the way through. I’m just trying to get started in this, so your insight is very valuable to me. Thank you very much.

[@benvoliothefirst]

Watching this video at the beginning of spring here in NH has become an annual tradition for me. Always helps to go back to basics and remind myself what's most important. Thanks so much!

[@jessmills5737]

Just found this channel and happened to be looking specifically for how to fix my terrible Kentucky soil lol. (I’ve only been here a few years and I know nothing about Kentucky soil). So glad I found your channel; I love your energy!

[@johnwymer1525]

It is amazing how complicated the soil is !!!

[@barronriverblues4462]

Great video! For us an essential amendment is a Protozoa infusion especially on any new beds to really get nutrient cycling going. We use a 55 gal drum filled with water and 10 cups of alfalfa meal. Brew that for 40-50hrs depending on weather and check under the microscope before applying.

[@bluejay3945]

Curious why you brew for longer than 24 hrs .Also is this straight alfalfa or do you add other ingredients? How often do you apply? Thank you

[@tesha199]

Not only am I strengthening my knowledge a lot from you, but also taking many notes about video production! Would love to see you get to 100 million subscribers, from the fact that many more folks are growing food. Keep up the amazing work

[@Val-ee4hd]

I mow leaves and use them for mulch. Oaks mainly. They go deep into the ground and bring up nutrients and then release them in the fall to feed the soil. Just like was intended all along. If you have ever walked in a forest you will see what loam soil is.

[@robertling9872]

Thanks for this video on a very interesting topic. They give you new insights. I myself make compost according to the 'Charles Dowding method'. And I mixed vegetables and herbs in the vegetable garden. This helps for the necessary insects and the plant roots feed each other. The plants are growing well and are healthy. Until then, the harvests are satisfactory.

[@DiAshTray]

Funny how the title has "Simplified", but I have so many more questions now. In the good way of course. I really appreciate your informed approach and willingness to accept that the views of others may be beneficial to the bigger conversation. Excellent talk.

[@pamelafox2208]

I am a beginner have been watching KZbin to learn what I need to know. Sir I enjoy watching u the best. Love the way u throw in humor. Love your jokes lol I am jumping all the way in. Vegetables,fruit,fruit trees have a few Honey bees and fresh eggs and yes fresh chicken What is the name of the took that looks like a pitch fork and u step on it. Well it looks like u r riding U speak over my head at time. But will catch up lol Going to Order your book Loves your jokes. Wonder how many people miss them u throw them fast. At times not excepted. Love it I live in Tn mountain top am a widow. Going to sell the blessing I am growing. I have got to where I am just watching u. The jokes keeps me on my toes. And u challenge me when u talk over my head. I will catch up Want a tool like u have God Bless u Laughter is wonderful U do a very great job. Know u r high informed with gardening. I am buying green house ( large) Have a business plan I am going to call it Pamela’s Blessing. So Blessed have extra to splash around Have big plans Thank u for sharing your knowledge I need a tool that u look like u r riding in the dirt Keep up the jokes Keeps me on my toes lol

[@eugenio1542]

What the Earth needs now is a a good sense of Humus ☺️

[@esfromec1]

Tremendous explanation, thank you man. These are the folks I want to buy all my produce from.

[@Ben.McNeilly]

I would give just about anything for a chance to have a beer with you, nerd out about plants and soil and pick your brain for a few hours. 😅 I've never come across anyone else who can nerd out about this stuff as me until you!!! You have so much knowledge! And I love your open approach to improving your list of tools and strategies with regards to farming

[@notillgrowers]

I've threatened for years to do a nerdy farming brewery tour. Will have to make that happen one of these days.

[@Ben.McNeilly]

@@notillgrowers I'm in Ireland, the land of lovely beer and stout 😜 hit me up if you ever come over and need a tour guide! There are some cool farms here too

[@notillgrowers]

Well we may be in the UK later this year so 🤷

[@Ben.McNeilly]

@@notillgrowers Ireland is not in the UK, but it's only a very short flight over if you feel like visiting the emerald Isle!

[@tokyotipster]

@@notillgrowers Please do a world tour. We have a craft beer brewery here in Kochi, Japan. And sake.

[@urbancaping]

Just starting my small organic garden at home and got a ton insight from your awesome video. Greetings from Indonesia.

[@harrykersey3181]

The more diverse your organic materials for making your compost the better you can usually find out if sprays have been used on the smaller grassés and shrubs for your green matter or grow your compost materials if you have the room use them along with the leaves of preferably hardwood trees and the mold under pines as well as oaks are great for your soil I use pine mulch ( needles) for my walkways . It is a wives tale that they cause acidity to the soil .

[@kearstinnekenerson6676]

One of my friends got me your book for my birthday and I love it and I always look at how dense the soil is and then brake out my microscope. I like using my worm castings with a watering from the water change water from my turtle tank, everything seems to love the tank water

[@mahtay2000]

You speak so well. You obviously have a deep interest and experiential understanding of the subject. Imagine if you lived for 400 years and could do all the Phd's you want to do! Keep up the awesomeness

[@pinkmonk999]

So nice to have someone who doesn´t promote expensive, useless practices. Top grade on this one! I´m still not convinced that compost tea and foliage sprays will give my plants any benefits, but i have to test it more I think.

[@johac7637]

Great presentation, balanced, I have gardened all my 64 years, as a 2 year old crawled down a hill, crawled back up, was in a doghouse with our dog and a cob of corn, they after panicking I was lost, we were surrounded by forest, they relaxed, dog gone too, found me following the corn husk trail, used the dog as a nap pillow. So I grew up in a garden too. Have had many garden locations, my most difficult right now is Arizona, .71 organics, very high sodium, high Boron, high calcium, 8.3 PH on amended soils, now with alfalfa, wood chips I now can grow trees, gardens, at first a big fat nothing. My levels are coming up or down to balance the macros, micros, PH, organics, deep tilled 6 " chips to get drainage , and organics for worm, lots now BUT. SALTS grrr Now I'm going to try Humics, liquid, solids, as the salts are killing me. Cover crops, 2 seasons worth, I'm going to kick it's butt, I hope, any suggestions ? Anyone.

[@Anthonybrown-no9ll]

Am loving this video, I have taken so much on from it. We have a 40 acre farm that's gotten way out of hand, so this vid has helped massively.

[@tomh4591]

nice alternative to a penetrometer for DIY soil compaction, study the native plants in said soil. Fluffy roots, loose soil, long tap roots, nature is already working on loosening it. There are certain species to look for in any given grow zone that will tell you exactly the state of your soil compaction

[@endurance8910]

Dandelions.... compacted soil .. thats about all i know so far 😅

[@FloatingFire358]

YOUR VIDEOS ARE NEVER TO LONG FOR ME !!!!! THANKYOU FOR YOUR WISDOM

[@tompowell6723]

I truly appreciate your fellow thinking man delivery. I am also on the same page with local microbes, earthworms castings, adding aged manures. So glad that I subscribed always looking forward to more of your clearly and well expressed point of view. So similar to my own. Kindly keep them coming. Be well, Tom.

[@nancylarson9026]

Thanks

[@Free2flyjj]

I added this book to my cart and then came to YT to see if there were other recommendations. It looks like I nailed it 😅

[@kentuckygreg4725]

First I want to compliment you on your knowledge of soil health and all the schools of thought on it. I live in Oldham county was curious how you market your produce. Your intelligent approach to growing does a lot to dispel the stereotype of the ignorant Kentucky hillbilly.

[@notillgrowers]

We sell almost exclusively at the farmers' market, though we are also slowly developing a farm store. We spent several years developing our social media presence so that helps. And at market being certified organic is a huge marketing tool. Selling something like a CSA (which we did for years) is a much harder thing, and takes a lot more hand selling at first.

[@InnerSunshine]

@@notillgrowers 🙂I think you are correct. CSAs seem to work well if you have a "captive audience." A good example of this is the CSAs which spring out of and serve a Waldorf school parent community. The other good example is agrihoods, new home developments built around an active farm CSA. Light to you for your service, sharing what you have learned. I recommend John Kempf also.

[@Felco6]

Even though I listened carefully throughout, I’ll watch this again. Very well done. Thank you for your time in making this presentation.

[@feirmebeardonn4597]

I live in Kodiak, AK and our soils here are very shallow with a very thin organic top layer that sits on top of really rocky clay mix. To boot where my house is, the river used to run through and when you dig you hit big ol rocks that were deposited. The soils here suck. The access to compost is limited to either buying it by the bag at the hardware store, or from the waste treatment (biosolids). We have been making our compost with the largest free resource we have...Kelp. We collect throughout the winter and spring let it rinse off then in the fall we layer all the beds with it, and within days earthworms are thick. We blend the kelp to feed our chickens and use the "goo" to feed the plants. We mix in some horse manure with the composting kelp and make tea with that. We have been experimenting with biosolids and have had great success, but we still employ all the other things as well. In the two years we have been building the soils here the yields have been higher, and the plants just seem healthier. Your vids have helped us so much to implement a lasting soil regime that it will last long after we are gone and for that I thank you.

[@InnerSunshine]

Amazing work. I recall the original Findhorn in Scotland had no compost. They used seaweed similarly to how you describe.

[@feirmebeardonn4597]

@@InnerSunshine yeah, I actually got the idea from walking around on Inis Mor and talking to some of the older gardeners about what they use to fix their soils. Also, they feed it to their sheep too since grass is hard to come by there. Where there is a will there is a way.

[@trethehunter]

Soil?? If I was you I would be panning that dirt for gold.

[@DustyWall]

Thank you for including the science behind why these methods work. I for one need that kind of background in order to better understand why I should be doing something a certain way.

[@4given-c5h]

Just starting my regen ag/organic journey for my personal veggie garden here in Western NC zone7B. Early results look very promising. Using some of AEA’s products. John Kempf knows his stuff. You and he have opened my eyes to what the real soil and plant health needs are. Thanks so much for sharing your hard earned info with us all.

[@gail3073]

I've grown tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers every year for a lot of years (30+). I've grown other things from herb gardens to potatoes to turnips, but I am no expert. I have found a formula that works for me: compost most important - next leaf mold, therefore I have both compost piles and dry leaf only piles. After these two, 3rd, never walk in rows (compact soil once fluffed) 3ft minimum of no compaction. Raised beds solve this issue and I both ground grow and have raised beds. Once you got these down, feed soil with organic plant food and 10-10-10 fertilizer, a micro nutrient supplement, and humic acid, and gypsum. I also add bio-char and wood ash and homemade liquid fertilizers and microbe solutions. I seldom spray for bugs because marigolds rock. If I must spray, I use habanero pepper spray. The seldom times that's not enough, garden season is over for me. Don't want harsh pesticides in the food or soil. Mulch once plant break ground. That'll save on watering. That's about all I do. It's a lot but it's not that much and totally worth it.

[@tcotroneo]

Here’s a personal tip.. I had great soil in an area.. It looked like rich cottage cheese full of soil aggregates.. It was nearby a paver patio and was prone to Japanese stiltweed seedlings. So last fall I decided I was tired of pulling weeds out of my pavers and pulling up Japanese stiltweed in my garden area. I heavily mulched with woodchips and I sealed the paver gaps.. A week later I saw pooling from a heavy storm on my pavers.. This occurred all season.. When spring came along and I transplanted my flower starters and veggies, I noticed my soil was very slick, like a wet paste.. That garden area had been soaking up all the paver water and the heavy woodchips mulch wasn’t helping evaporation. The soil didn’t have an anaerobic smell, but it was on its way… Always be mindful of major changes in your landscape..

[@TheEmbrio]

Yikes. Nothing quite like living roots and drainage, huh ?!?

[@kimkerley4218]

My dear, wood chips doesn’t help drainage, they hold the moisture in the soil. 🌞🌞🌞

[@yuppers1]

@@kimkerley4218 It sounds like the OP was trying to stop the weed growth, not improve drainage

[@bele28]

@@kimkerley4218 it actually helps but after some time, because with time it helps brakes compaction in soil underneath.

[@EDLaw-wo5it]

Again I learn. All the comments are a huge help also. Havagudun all of you and especially Jesse.

[@kj_H65f]

Thank you for the science based analysis. It really helps to cut through a lot of untested or ineffective methods.

[@allencaruthers867]

I know you kept saying how long you were running and just talking, but I rewatched it 3 times because I felt I didn’t catch it. You’re not rambling on, we’re over here trying to soak it all up… see what I did there? Thanks for the info. I need to go and break open your book again. I started reading it and we had some MAJOR family changes, so this will give me time now to prepare for next year here in zone 5. Thanks for the humor and sharing your knowledge with us.

[@jksatte]

This was really interesting and just what I need to keep off the garden while I figure out my sandy soil has nothing and I am basically starting from scratch lol. It's really good info. There is so much going on in the soil. I don't know how you guys figure all this stuff out, but I thank you for doing so and sharing.

[@KyleRevives]

9:26 “if the soil isn’t being fed, it’s eating itself” love this, simple yet effective.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Hello Farmer J. Love your channel. To my understanding if bacteria or fungi dies after eating any organic matter or rocks, sand, silt and clay that it does release nutrients. The only way it does release nutrients that is plant available is that it has to be eaten by nematodes and protozoa, That is why worm casting are plant available because protozoa and nematodes live in side the digestive track of the worm. Thanks

[@notillgrowers]

Ah, so that was perhaps too oversimplified on my part. When the microbe is decomposed either inside of a larger microbe or by other microbes the nutrient is released. But like I do say, there are actually many ways nutrients are made available to plants including (potentially) the rhizophagy cycle, the absorption of amino acids, and several other ways we do and don't yet fully understand or know about. Nematodes and protozoa are just one part of the story--a story that I believe is still very much nascent.

[@indica_dogo868]

@@notillgrowers Potentially!? Lol

[@iamorganicgardening]

@@notillgrowers THANK YOU for making it more clear. Your the Best.

[@InnerSunshine]

😀 the most common way microbes release nutrients derived from rocks and soil IS BY POOPING OUT THE EXCESS. Microbe poop. Plant roots exude carbs, to feed the microbes they wish to "cultivate." Then the roots wait for the microbes to poop out the minerals the microbes etch with their enzymes. Then probably secondarily roots benefit from dead microbes and microbes eaten by other microbes.

[@phillaflamme9952]

I'm a fan of propagating microherds in compost teas, but have different methods for different goals. For high phosphorus and calcium eating plants like tomato's I have my own technique adapted from other techs. Take cooked brown rice and mix with a handful of bone meal and place in a Tupperware uncovered outside. Leave it outside until a visible fungi or bacteria presence is there, it may be necessary to wet the mixture so it doesn't dry out. Them bring inside, cover loosely and allow whatever inoculate that has taken hold to propagate. By taking indigenous micro organisms that can tolerate or grow on high calcium/phosphorous environments and making teas with them you can more fully utilize the phosphates and calcium that are naturally present in your soils and compost.

[@patrickglaser1560]

Not bad, I just buy mycorrizae

[@phillaflamme9952]

@@patrickglaser1560 I also buy mycorrhizae as you can't really propagate it from air spores and only grows on root structures, but for the other thousands of beneficial out there it's a pretty decent tek

[@jontaylor1365]

I would love a video on what amendments/foliar feeds/whatever you use on specific crops and at what stage of growth or symptoms. That would be fantastic, even if it is specific to your soil and climate. Great work. Greetings from Northern Germany.

[@Fibers-Art-Food-Fundamentals]

I read about a study where they discovered that the plants grew so much better when exposed to the sounds birds make in the morning. Even plants in greenhouses will open the stomas on the under leaf and absorb nutrients far better when they hear bird song in the mornings. Just FYI, because I found that so fascinating-nature is incredible.

[@amandapryar4675]

Have you written any books? I have just found this person ( you! ) Who has introduced me to something I didn't really know about, I knew that we need to feed the soil and I knew that I have heavy clay, but how to find out how compact it is, was an eye opener! Now that I know I'm going to have to rethink the way I have to open up the soil! Hang on! You've already told what to do! Thank You so much; I don't have a very big garden but as long as I do as you say my soil will repay me with amazing vegetables!😊😊👍

[@momgram5743]

worms, ants, ground bees, etc open the ground for breathing, till the soil without harming it, farm it with living microbes, eat distructive bugs, at times even add healing to plants and soil. but dont forget voles, moles and field mice. they may nibble a few roots and leaves, but they also eat grubbs, beatles, etc that would eat more, even kill your plants. they too till the soil, eat distructive pests, and defend their smorgasbord until all are gone, then they move on to a more rich menue somewhere else leaving tunnels full of compost droppings. lab chemicals make the plants more desireable as their matabalism is increased and are dieing. salt and sugar do the same to us, just saying. also the chemicles get composted deep in the root systems to prey on the plants and you later.

[@selecttravelvacations7472]

In one video you covered an enormous amount of info that the beginner gardener really needs to know. Great Job. Just ordered your book. Can’t wait to devour it.

[@peter.knupffer]

I liked AND subscribed before the intro even finished (which i've never done before) and didn't regret it by the end of the vid. Very informative, and very entertaining, a rare combo. Thanks, Jesse!

[@etiennelouw9244]

Over here in Cape Town, South Africa I have this tough Kikuya grass so I have to dig it out and put in a barrier (cement slabs) to keep it out. This and sifting the soil to get rid of junk that previous people buried in my garden really knocks the soil. After this I dig in compost and cover with cardboard, I cut holes in the cardboard and grow my plants inside the "grow tubes" (soda bottles cut into short tubes) that I put in the holes. I always leave a cleaned out patch fallow from time to time to get the soil to regenerate, My soil is improving as I found earth worms coming back over time.

[@franzinauen8443]

You can feed the worms with a bit hey from time to time. Cut some grass, let it dry and then put it on top of the fiels. The worms pull the hey then into the ground, and you are getting more worms.

[@md61211]

Curious as to why you put soda bottles into the holes. Couldn't you just put the plants/seeds directly in the ground where you make the cardbiard holes? I always worry about petrochemicals leaching into the soil, albeit small amounts. But none at all is even better than small amounts.

[@etiennelouw9244]

@@md61211 Yes, that's so, I am cutting that out now

[@md61211]

@@etiennelouw9244 👍

[@md61211]

@@etiennelouw9244 👍

[@bmotroll2768]

Play music around plants. The vibrations through the air stimulate the plant cells on a molecular level making them grow more. I also go around making sure the in ground plants are not in compacted sand by sticking a metal rod in the ground. I love the fork tool that covers loads of space. A lot of people don’t understand that plants breathe through their roots and need aerated soil

[@erichkruger]

I'm learning about no till. I have a lot of clay. Used a fork for my 1st bed. Finally got an old Tory Built Horse working which I love. I'm geeking out on the compost also. Can't wait to try one of your aeration tubes! Thank you!

[@stonehold42]

Well, that was informative. Someone does a bunch of homework, talks to folks and learns a bunch. I don't actually garden though I suppose I should learn things first. Good stuff, thanks.

[@captainwalter]

incredibly informative, thanks for breaking all this down. i really like these videos where you basically put a whole bunch of these different topics together to suss them out and get perspective on them. would love to see more, including irrigation, greenhouses, and whatever else.

[@madelinerivera7445]

Holy moly, this is DEEP! So much information; he's on a whole different level. But I understood some of the information. Thank you.

[@PeterSedesse]

5. Buckwheat cover crop mowing. If you have the space, after every crop harvest, throw down buckwheat and let it grow 5-10 weeks and mow it down (every bed that isn't going to be direct seeded). It just produces so much mass so quickly along with quick roots and nitrogen fixing. It amazes me that people still use tarps when buckwheat does the same thing and more.

[@harrykersey3181]

On unplanted areas in my yard / Garden I don't grow grass if i can help it , I mulch heavy with leaves mostly oak to o keep the soil evenly temperatured and moist .

[@parkerbender09]

Awesome video. I am also a soil nerd so yes this video was long but I wouldn’t mind if it was 3 times longer honestly 😂

[@ELViGardens]

I have a small (unfortunately) garden of just 25ftx25ft. I’ve been gardening for only 2,5 years and learned a lot from my own experience. The cheapest and easiest way to bring my soil to life was just 3 ingredients. 1. Compost and leaf mulching (free). 2. Coffee grounds from local coffee shops (free). 3. Epson salt (dirt cheap). I know you can and probably should do much more than that. But it works for me.And it’s not a “professional” advice. But it’s the easiest way for me due to lack of time (with a full time job and kids) and limited $ resources.

[@justinman222]

I very much appreciate your b roll “demos”. Makes it very easy to keep up. Subscribed. I’m trying to work with a food forest, a pasture, and market garden. I have goats, poultry, and pigs for compost, I try to be organic when possible (zero fruit in 4 years so far) I found this video helpful. Thanks

[@600plantlife]

Adding a mixture like the one you described to your plants during the revegetative stage can have several potential benefits, especially when growing outdoors in Missouri. Here's a breakdown of how each component might contribute: 1. **EM1 (Effective Microorganisms)**: This can enhance soil health by promoting beneficial microbial activity, which helps in nutrient cycling and disease suppression. 2. **Rice and Lentils**: These can act as organic matter, improving soil structure and providing a slow-release source of nutrients. 3. **Spirulina**: Rich in nutrients and growth hormones, spirulina can boost plant growth and resilience. 4. **Cinnamon**: Known for its antifungal properties, it can help protect plants from fungal infections. 5. **Lemon Peel and Pomegranate Peel**: These can add organic matter and micronutrients, and their acidic nature can help balance soil pH. 6. **Garlic**: Acts as a natural pesticide and can help deter pests. 7. **Brown Sugar**: Provides a quick source of energy for soil microbes, enhancing microbial activity. 8. **Cannabis Stems**: Adding these can return some nutrients back to the soil and improve its structure. 9. **Sweet Potato**: Adds organic matter and nutrients, particularly potassium. 10. **Turmeric**: Has antifungal and antibacterial properties, which can help protect plants. 11. **Cider Vinegar**: Can help balance soil pH and has antifungal properties. 12. **Dill Weed**: Adds organic matter and can attract beneficial insects. 13. **Ginger**: Known for its antifungal properties. 14. **Blue Cheese**: While unconventional, it could add beneficial microbes to the soil. 15. **Clove**: Has antifungal and antibacterial properties. 16. **Comfrey Leaves**: Rich in nutrients, particularly potassium, which is essential for plant growth. ### Potential Benefits for Plant Health and Yield - **Enhanced Nutrient Availability**: The combination of organic matter and beneficial microbes can improve nutrient availability and uptake, leading to healthier and more vigorous plants. - **Improved Soil Structure**: Organic matter from rice, lentils, sweet potato, and comfrey leaves can improve soil structure, enhancing root growth and water retention. - **Pest and Disease Resistance**: Ingredients like garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, and clove can help protect plants from pests and diseases. - **Increased Microbial Activity**: EM1, brown sugar, and blue cheese can boost microbial activity, which is crucial for nutrient cycling and soil health. ### Yield Boost While it's challenging to quantify the exact yield increase without specific trials, the overall improvement in soil health, nutrient availability, and plant resilience can lead to a more robust vegetative growth phase. This, in turn, can result in larger plants with more potential for higher yields during the flowering stage. ### Application Tips - **Fermentation**: Ensure the mixture is well-fermented to maximize the availability of nutrients and beneficial compounds. - **Dilution**: Dilute the mixture appropriately to avoid overloading the soil with any one component. - **Frequency**: Apply the mixture periodically, monitoring plant response and adjusting as needed. Would you like more detailed information on any specific component or how to prepare and apply this mixture? Source: Conversation with Copilot, 10/4/2024 (1) The Vegetative Stage - Week by Week Visual Guide. futureharvest.com/blogs/articles/cannabis-vegetative-stage. (2) The 7 Powerful Health Benefits Of Garlic, Lemon, Ginger, Apple Cider .... plantedwithkatie.com/benefits-of-garlic-lemon-ginger-apple-cider-vinegar-and-honey-combination/. (3) Vegetable Planting Calendar - MU Extension. extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6201. (4) undefined. www.pinterest.com/pin/357402920441789799/?nic_v3=1a23Mg844.

[@agdayem]

After a couple years of organic farming experience, if someone asked me for the number one thing to succeed at organic farming i would say this: FEED THE SOIL (organic matter - preferably decomposed/composted)!

[@bwenluck9812]

@AG Dayem Yes, absolutely--feed the soil first!!! 😉

[@billastell3753]

I came to this conclusion after seeing my garden soil turn into concrete 5 years after starting it. Talked to the neighbours and they all said you can't garden in this heavy clay soil. I began feeding the soil manure, compost, leaves grass clippings and whatever I could get. Now, 20 years later I grow huge crops. The neighbours buy my produce. They still can't understand. When I remember back to my childhood my Dad and Grampa always had great gardens and now I remember they were always feeding the soil. Duh! I was thick but now I'm cured.

[@greeneileen]

I have a small urban balcony garden and I compost coturnix quail manure, kitchen scraps plus trimmings from my garden and neighborhhod. I think I'm missing *soil* in my containers. There's a bit of digested or spilled playground sand that the quails use to dustbathe but that's maybe just a cup a week combined with all of the other inputs. I tried bulking it up with acorn shell remains and inedible acorns last fall. It hatched a lot of insects that my birds loved, but made a compost that seems like it will never finish. I turn compost between bins and sift the finest out using a plastic fruit crate as my sieve at the end. Basically I just use it when it smells right and toss any big stuff back in with the newest compost material. My reults with food crops actually arent' very good. Plenty of vigorous leaves, but not many tomatoes, peppers, melons, etc. Thanks for your video.

[@terrirobinson2935]

Do your plants get at least 6+ hours of sunlight? Tomatoes need 6-8 to set flowers. And planting tomatoes deeply allows them to put out more roots to draw in more nutrients to then produce more fruit.

[@nickreagin9585]

Make sure to leave the compost for a while so it can really brew.

[@ardenthebibliophile]

No sassy end of video quip?! I feel so abandoned. Excellent content as always!

[@albertorodriguez6287]

You are very eloquent my friend. Keep it up. Watching from New York.

[@LightBeing369]

WHEN THE SOIL THRIVES SO SHALL THE QUALITY OF OUR LIVES 🌱SAVE SOIL🌱 🌱CONSCIOUS PLANET🌱

[@sosnatursos]

Endlich mal jemand der das super erklärt, ich weiß das zwar alles schon, aber einigen ist das bestimmt eine große Hilfe👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🤠.

[@CC-lv1ox]

Incredible video for me, a novice gardener as of May. Thank you.

[@urbanlumberjack]

I don’t mean to sound negative at all, but here is my frustration with the “No till” movement. I grew up in the Missouri River Valley where the soil is better than anywhere else in the world. You could stick a shovel anywhere in the ground and find topsoil a foot deep. I have since moved to the south and I’m amazed that anything grows here at all. My land used to be a pasture for grazing, but nothing much has happened with it in the last 50 or 60 years before we bought it. I have gone to “school” trying to fix this soil over the last several years. I have tried everything from throwing organic matter on top, filling in compost, throwing down taproot seed, sod, grass seed, everything. If you don’t establish a baseline, and till in some thing, all of your time, effort, and money will wash right off your lawn at the first rain. Or, as soon as your roots exceed the topsoil you put on they will become root bound and everything dies. So here is my complaint. All of the no till farmers I have seen are in glacial plains. That means, at some point in the past, you had glaciers to tell the soil and turn it over, to mix in organic matter and I’ll kinds of good stuff. So if you are in those areas, you’re no till method isn’t really no till. You aren’t taking bad soil and making it good soil, you are taking already good soil and making it better. In my opinion, and for the money and time I have spent, telling in organic matter to establish a baseline is absolutely critical. If you don’t do that, you will never fix the soil

[@reneethompson8533]

Do you regret moving from that area of Missouri? The soil sounds great there. We are considering moving from Southern California to Tennessee, or a place with more conservative values.

[@AlistairPrimrose]

Many no till farmers are in the UK with a start of poor soils and therefore use No Till. Your argument does not hold.

[@enna4986]

@@reneethompson8533Oklahoma 😊

[@reneethompson8533]

@@enna4986 Thanks for the suggestion. I moved to Spring City, TN in February though.

[@jonrev5630]

Going to need to watch this a few times. Seems like you are condensing a lot of research and practical experience. Thanks for this.

[@SenorGonzo]

Today I learned im a scientist too. Bottoms up!

[@funkqueen1]

Thanks!

[@notillgrowers]

Thank you! 🙌

[@alanhart6197]

beer is essentual, and other great content. Thanks, love your delivery style.

[@annrenee3265]

Excellent video. I grow no dig in SW Britain in a small productive garden. I find yields from different veg vary considerably every year. This year has been so dry, only potatoes broad beans & strawberries have done well so far. Thx for all the info

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

It is so easy to forget that soil is alive and a living breathing thing! Out soil is the worst it will ever be.. next year will be better and the even better the next! The soils is overworked, compacted! But it was the same in my last garden and now it’s amazing!! :)

[@notillgrowers]

Absolutely. Time is an important amendment!

[@zanecrofts7085]

What have you done to fix the compaction

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

@@zanecrofts7085 we add organic matter and focus on long term inricment of soil health. Meaning not pesticides no chemical fertilisers, deep mulch, no-dig. Basically follow the principles of restorative agriculture… it’s worked wonders in out 3rd year bed!!

[@GoGreenYes]

Easy methode, good working. Nice and happy gardening

[@dionvh]

I would like the 10-hour long version please.

[@enna4986]

Agreed

[@mirnavillalpando4719]

Muchas gracias por poner subtítulos en español, vivo en México, tengo un rancho de 10 has con pozo y tus consejos me son útiles. Saludos.

[@TheUltimateAcresllc]

Greetings @No-TillGrowers, I really love and appreciate your channel and all the knowledge you post. I can't tell you how much your channel has helped me tweak my methods. I do not always have help to build my farm, but, I must admit I have decided to go #NOTILL thanks to YOUR CHANNEL! At first, I thought "What kind of lazy ish is he talking"! Then I moved to the Arizona Mountains and BOOM! I NEEDED YOU MORE THAN EVER!!! #Thank you so much for the information, physical example that shows me exactly how to execute and you've given me more confidence to not allow my challenges to consume me. I am a new sub, but, I'm here to stay for the knowledge. I also like your humor. You're my kind of guy. #StayAwesome and #StayBlessed #Keepupthegreatwork

[@notillgrowers]

That's super awesome to hear, thank you! Glad we could help in Arizona!

[@67Lucky67]

I recently started using "swamp Water" that I make from rain water, yard wast & weeds.

[@Picci25021973]

After 31 years of practice I definitely affirm that... yes, beer is essential!

[@nerissaBee615]

Learning farming skills at Sugar Camp Farm in Cheatham county, Tennessee. Thank you for your video and all you do to help educate and share your no till growing experience.