How to Start a No-Till Garden from Scratch

[@lizcopic]

Found your channel a week or two ago and love it! I’m a Star Trek nerd who loves to see other nerds geek out about science that helps make the world a better place, so I’ll be binging all your videos & plan on getting the book!

[@originalwoolydragon8387]

I can attest that mulching with compost can improve hardpacked clay soil. Seven years ago, I had tilled 3 strips in my backyard, each about 2' wide by 20' long with 2' grass paths in between that I mowed (i have subsequently changed to wood chips because of Bermuda grass pressure). The first couple of years were iffy with plant growth, even though I fertilized. The next winter, and every winter since then, I covered the beds with 1-2" of compost. I am now able to dig down at least 12"; I was lucky if I could scratch the surface with tools before and the plants are much happier; including 3 fruit trees, roses & other flowers (annuals & perennials) and herbs. I'm definitely sold on compost mulching. Now if only I could make more compost... As for sun, I live on 3+ acres in NE TN. The land used to be pasture/hay fields and only had 2 silver maple trees growing on it when I moved in. The sun beats down on my plants, especially in the afternoon during the summer and I HAVE to use shade cloth for cool season crops and peppers.

[@SecretPlace91]

Thanks for sharing. I'm in Middle TN and yes, the clay. I'm looking forward to learning more about using compost to improve the soil and am encouraged by your results.

[@UsurpedLettuce]

I'm going in to my second year at my (urban) home in Appalachia, about 3/8 of an acre total. It's an 82 year old home that had a backyard that wasn't really used before, just a patch of lawn and overgrown with invasive plants and grasses. We have pretty typical Frederick series soils down to about 12" on its own, and my own particular soil is well drained, although at a slope. Last year, I cut a 10' x 11' plot for a garden basically by utilizing my archaeology experience and gridding off an area and stripping the turf, shaking it out, and putting the grasses in a compost bin, before amending the soil with compost. It worked really well at keeping the seeds down. Late in the season, I solarized a 10' x 24 long stretch with the intention of doing a true no/never till and covered the plot with the leaves I raked up in the fall, but I've gotten the usual opportunistic growth as we've warmed up (dandelions and onion grass). I'm not sure if I'm going to try to plant directly into it, or dig it up a bit in order to plant this year. Suffice to say, I appreciate the video. It helps having a lot of options.

[@jonsimpson6985]

In my area 311 is for complaining about your neighbors. 811 is for a utility locate. In all areas don’t plant your seeds a foot deep.

[@jonsimpson6985]

If it’s an emergency call 911.

[@notillgrowers]

311 is also a 90s rock band who may be willing to come help but youd have to ask them.

[@Grow-all-year]

Diggers hotline

[@smhollanshead]

If you have a telephone number dedicated to inform and betray your neighbors, you must be in a blue state.

[@smhollanshead]

What state is that? What state has a 311 telephone line to complain about your neighbors?

[@cobococreek1224]

I run an 18" single shank ripper behind a small tractor to start. It's amazing how many huge flat rocks are lurking beneath the surface here in Kentucky. Then like you said, as much "stuff" as possible goes on top, mainly consisting of leaves and aged wood chips. I go through with shovel and rake to fine tune, and try to get some chunky wood chips in the aisles. From there it's all hand work which is basically a broadfork in spring or fall and that's it! 3 years in and seems to work so far - but now I feel the need for cover crops to maintain with less labor...always something to try and learn :) thx farmer Jesse!

[@Grow-all-year]

Glad to finally hear amount of sunshine is very important. I feel like its never mentioned. I squeeze out about 8 hrs in my garden peak sunlight hours. Wish i got more, but cutting down 60 yr old trees my granparents planted is just too hard to do seeing as how i do get production. Never have success with melons though.😢

[@brittanybland8380]

Thank you for calling attention to the garbage that call themselves rich! ❤️❤️💘

[@tanyabelanger7169]

I ordered The Living Soil Handbook about a month ago and it is my growing bible, along with your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and making it fun as well!

[@ChadnRanda]

I need to let you finish.😂 I was in the middle of commenting that you don't have to let the Lasagna beds rest. As long as your top layer is a thick layer of compost.(as you later state haha) I've done a lot of great ,weird, and professional sounding things. Lasagna beds(not rows) work FANTASTIC!! From my experience, go to a lake pond or creek and get wet soggy Green material for the very bottom layer before you put cardboard. And then also on top of the cardboard as the first layer. Try a million different things in between not much changes, but that first layer is very important. You want your indigenous microbes breaking the stuff down more than The different microbes you brought in for your layers.😊

[@ChadnRanda]

Sorry if that doesn't make sense anyone

[@JayDay-v1z]

Il make it make sense eventually

[@amyk6028]

We just had a soil test done at Clemson University as we are in SC. So interesting finding out the specifics on our soil health. We have a 17 acre farm but did samples on roughly about 5 acres that the Cattle mainly graze on. Thank you for your awesome videos! My garden grows a little bigger and better every year thanks to you ❤

[@tinkeringinthailand8147]

I have heavy clay soil so I opted for 1 foot high raised beds. This is year 5 and they just keep on getting better year on year :)

[@aileensmith3062]

We are now in year two of our No Till Gardening "experiment" checking the soil out and we are happy with the progress that we see. Tuesday we will be putting out all of our Brassicas. We have four 4X8 raised beds that we made about 8-9 years ago. Metal might be a better way to go but we got what we got and so far happy with them. Also we are now using about 60 mineral tubs plus about twenty tractor tires of different sizes. So yes we are happy and we believe in No Till Gardening!

[@davej7458]

I did double dig a garden once when I was starting it out. I didn't bury the compost though. I used compost as a top dressing. The plants really loved the double digging but I am never going to double dig a garden again.

[@stephenbeck6410]

When I converted 1/4 acre of lawn into a garden, I used a sod cutter to cut long strips. Then I started at the end of each strip and twisted it upside down. This exposed the roots to the sun and I left it this way for a month. The I built lasagna beds on top of the flipped sod. I figured the top soil and organic matter in the sod was good and I didn’t want to throw it away. Yes, I realize I could have just used cardboard to cover the grass first, but this worked great, and I didn’t have to obtain a boatload of cardboard (and make sure it has no tape, labels, etc.

[@oldauntzibby4395]

I was in a hurry once and was sick of digging out roots and stones to make a garden bed. I cut out a square of sod, flipped it upsidedown, put on a little compost and planted zucchini seeds without waiting at all. I probably mulched it heavily, especially after the zucchini sprouted. The zucchini grew very well with very little work. Now I'm switching to no-till regenerative soil building so no more digging.

[@d.-beck7205]

I did the same last week and dug up and turned about 7 square meters of lawn growing on heavy clay soil, added 10 cm of compost and sowed pretty annuals to look at something beautiful during the summer. Hope it will work! The digging and tzrning was meditative, I liked it. My back not so much. 😅

[@redhen689]

I have been doing a hybrid of the raised metal beds and hügelkultur. My beds are only about 15 inches deep, but i filled them 3/4 of the way with logs and sticks, then add saw dust, shredded leaves and composted chicken manure, and whatever other organic matter I have handy. Because I used so many logs and sticks, it wouldn’t work for carrots and other root crops, but I have had success with tomatoes, and I’m attempting one bed of garlic currently. (I bought a couple bags of garden soil to top that bed before planting the garlic last fall.)

[@juliesyarnshoppe9052]

I do this too. I bought roofing metal cut to the desired lengths. My husband cut each sheet in half lengthwise. I dig 1 ft out the bottom of the bed and save it in a wheelbarrow. Then I put rotten logs, sticks, leaves, then the soil I removed. I top it up with compost. I grew amazing parsnips and they were easy to dig out - bonus!

[@CherrieMcKenzie]

I did this with all my wood raised beds and it seems to be paying off. I need to water less I'm finding as the soil holds moisture a lot better. The best part seems to be: throw in a seed and in no time something sprouts!!

[@wmpx34]

I’ve found that double digging super deep once then going no-till / broadfork after that works good for my compacted soil. It is a ton of work initially though unless you have a machine

[@natecus4926]

I hadn’t thought about digging a trench around a raised bed before, that is a really good idea. You could fill the trench up with wood chips to reduce weeds too

[@nininoona]

For my raised beds, I used 50/50 (50% compost/50% topsoil) from a local supplier to fill them 3/4 of the way and then topped them off with 8 inches of straight compost. My first batch of 50/50 was extremely heavy so to mitigate that we had to incorporate some sand and hand mix it. It was a lot of work but I am glad we did it, because in the pots where I didnt use sand the soil ended up being pretty compacted over time. Ive been contemplating putting in some in ground rows but my native soil here is mostly sand and clay and I only have about 6 in of topsoil. So we chose to start with raised beds, first. Its going to take quite a bit of work to make a viable row garden here, and honestly I just dont have it in me this year.

[@KyleRevives]

0:15 no tie farming! Haha I’ll try to contain my excitement better! Thank you so much dude, didn’t wanna get to excited but I’m halfway through my windrow and at the same time halfway through the 30c/yrd’s of compost I prepared last year, I can’t celebrate yet tho lots of work to go, none of this would be as easy without your guidance, this KZbin is truly and asset for KZbin and a blessing for us no till green babies

[@bwammes4191]

Ive been really enjoying these. Had to comment that hügelkultur doesnt have to be hard work... if you already have access to wood. We produce more wood than we can burn, so I use logs as weights, borders, posts and stools around the garden. When they start decomposing they end up in a hügel. Ive noticed it really reduces the need for irrigation.

[@maggietaylor9713]

Silver lining story... Central Portugal burnt out in October 2017.(325,000 h) My farm burnt and 10 years of chop and drop mulch and compost disappeared in smoke and I was left with hard pan burnt clay. Dragged all the burnt trees placed them in rows and pulled up the broom shoots as and when they appeared. Mucked out my goats and blended manure with ferns and hey presto... Highly fertile, low maintance huglekulture that takes less watering. Adapting to our circumstance is always the best approach.

[@waynesell3681]

First time trying nodig notil by covering with cardboard a 10*26 ft area of and divided into four 4*12 ft beds. Challenge for sure putting compost in various states of decomposition. Been reading your book, it's great! Thanks Farmer Jesse!

[@michelleleko5330]

If you’re worried about how the garden looks plant flowers with the garden! It makes it pretty, brings in pollinators and can confuse pests. I ringed my garden with marigolds and put nasturtiums and calendula between rows. I plan on adding Shasta daisies, zinnias, and more this year.

[@d.-beck7205]

Love that (and am doing the same). Did you think of also adding Cosmos?

[@michelleleko5330]

@@d.-beck7205 yes! I have some seedlings growing right now.

[@TraumaQueen65]

We're making our raised beds with cement blocks. They're cheep, the don't deteriorate and we made ours with hugelkultur (fill from the forrest on our property). You can make them as high as you wish too. You need to make sure they won't leech tho, the only drawback

[@efkurtz82]

I was just thinking about how I was going to terminate my cover crop so this video is perfectly timed. Thank you

[@marythelen2796]

I really enjoyed this video. Thanks so much! Please make a video on gardening on a hillside without terracing or less expensive ways to terrace. I want to garden so bad, but stuck on a heavy clay hillside.

[@Icummings09]

Okay I have watched this video 3 times and I just realized that you are the Ryan Reynolds of gardeners/farmers. Serious with a sprinkling of humor.

[@MansterBear]

I did raised beds for 2 or 3 years. Much more watering, and I made them out of wood, and so after a couple years they started rotting out. Converted them to a 4 oddly placed, different direction (for some reason I'm not sure of) single beds last year, about 3' x 10' each. This year, a couple months ago I went and covered a 30'x40' area with a tarp. I should have done it at the end of last year but I still killed most of the grass off. I'm laying cardboard/wood chips around the border and installing my fence right now. Will probably plant right into my current soil this year, due to the fact that I don't have enough cardboard or compost to cover/fill every bed. So this year will be cardboard + wood chips for my border / center path. Next year will be cardboard/compost for beds, and more small wood paths between beds. I'm already collecting all the cardboard I can lol But watching videos, I'm wondering if I should cardboard + compost / wood chip everything in the late fall, and let it sit all winter that way. If I do that, should I recover it with a tarp for the winter/early spring?

[@marchettejw]

3:10 "Put the thing in your front yard" -- me: Hell yeah already on it this year! I've got 3 border collies, 2 that like to dig. and I don't want to block off their running space. We had a major drought in 2022 here in northern utah. I let my lawn die and last year I decided that I was going to start a garden. So I have a blank slate in the front yard that has no grass.

[@marymccormick7806]

I’ve got BCs too. Back yard is theirs Manage some planting (raspberries, potatoes, squash) Vegetable garden is intermixed with flowers in front! 4 years now. Side of house is cut flower garden

[@SarahK-d6o]

I love nerding out 🤓

[@doncook3584]

Love your handle. Tomatoesforbrains

[@teebob21]

Great video. Here in heavy clay country, tillage is the only way to have a soil that will accept transplants or seeds. I'm 5 years in, and even with cover crops and loads and loads of compost and continuous mulching, we still need to till in order to have friable soil for planting. Maybe in another 5 years we will be able to go full no till/never till.

[@paulasmith-d9x]

You're in Kentucky! Me too!

[@derekdaugherty3611]

Me as well

[@Dwer172]

showtout to all nerds

[@ajb.822]

On raised beds, bending over, and back pain etc. . I have had back issues of a range of severity, and I have had a few different raised beds in a range of heights. IMO/experience, unless they're basically waist-high (for you), they are often MORE painful or at least, awkward, to work in, esp. harvest in. Esp. for something like picking bush beans, where you're taking some time to comb over the plant, getting all the ripe ones, and also trying not to smash or rip out the plant, vrs. grabbing a couple zucchini, or pulling carrots ( carrots is pry the one crop I would grow in a raised bed for awhile, when starting a new garden/new property on poor or iffy soils for carrots). I'm fairly tall for a woman (5'9" , although this also depends on where most of your height is at, lower half or above the waist, like my husband. I think he may have one of the longest backs for a 6' ish man.... makes me mad when people out there assume everyone can fit into any ol good gas milage vehicles... my hubby only fits in beetles and motorcycles, that I know of that fit that category, but I digress.. ). So, yeah, in my ex. it's actually easier on the back to have most things in-ground, in rows less than 4 ft. wide , you can scrouch, kneel or sit if u have to. The idea of sitting on the edge of a raised bed ( pry not a metal one !) didn't work for me ! You're facing the wrong way ! It quickly gets old having to contort around, trying to do much sitting sideways ! Also, if still want raised beds, I recommend less than 4 ft., wide if they're not waste high anyway. Just my 2 cents ! I SO adore your humor, Jesse :).

[@d.-beck7205]

Bending down and at the same time leaning forward is awful for me too. I feel your pain (almost literally). ❤

[@tolbaszy8067]

It's been my experience sod is difficult to deal with in new plantings, so I remove it with my favorite gardening tool, the sod lifter. Then I spread compost and use a fork, or broadfork, to loosen the soil, but not turn it. I think compost should be a surface treatment. Contour row cropping or bed making is imperative for garden success. Feng shui dictates one should "dam" the chi flow (think water) to trap its power, and that means rows and beds perpendicular to the slope.

[@kristyscosmicgarden]

Thanks for another great video!

[@tomyoung8563]

Carrots, beans and potatoes grow like crazy in my old/ used mulch pile. It’s no till/ no tend and it produces Next year I’m going to layout rows of mulch and let it go

[@Majc19951]

Haha I broadforked a 20 ft x 18 foot backyard garden and ultimately ended up splitting a fiber cable with a fence post I used for a compost bit.. definitely recommend calling 311 or whatever your local number is to save you that replacement cost

[@willdatsun]

v useful info , to someone like me who is dreaming of starting something in the UK, hopefully most principals apply.. and has absolutely zero experience.

[@camilovallejos9462]

Bouble dogging can be done with a tractor and a subsoiler. Make the beds after the tractor pass.

[@neophytebutterfly]

Im looking at slowly converting my no-till beds to raised beds because of vole pressure. They’re tenacious little buggers! Oh, and the cute bunnies have discovered my veg bed, too.🤦🏻‍♀️ So the raised beds will need hardware cloth on the bottom. I’m hoping to someday grow beets, carrots and potatoes.

[@tonyfranklin2179]

I grow sweet potatoes and peanuts and I'm starting this year and growing sugar Cain for dry land growing summer time til December

[@ShimmeringHillsFarm]

Looking forward to more details growing on a hill. I have a ~7% slope that otherwise is wonderful southern exposure, good soil, growing space. It has swales built at intervals up the slope through the land such that each slope is mostly convex with high keylines. The information on the interplay of hills and no-till systems, is exactly what I am looking for. Terracing, discussion of keylines and bed positioning, etc. It's a muddled mess of "hey anything works with No-Till" I'd rather have someone discuss the pros and cons of approaches and things to consider.

[@davidakerlund6296]

when i first started i went hard on no till what so ever but with my soil ive found tilthing lightly has helped on my now established beds its broadfork,tarp, compost, tarp, light tilth and then bed rake to start the season followed by only bed raking for the remainder of the season. Which has resulted in going from crying over my dam carrots to doing a work csa for all my co workers When i say light tilth i mean not pressing down on it not adding weight not doing it backwards so it digs in. Just letting it run over on its own speed and weight down the bed so only the top inch does anything

[@joeyharris67]

Always look forward to seeing your vids Jesse! Thanks brother

[@MikeV607]

👍👍So was the fall in the end because of the untied shoes??? I agree...No-till can be a dogma, but there are tough soils where tilling, at least initially, is pretty much a requirement. I inherited 'parking lot' soil and had I not tilled and tilled under green manure cover crops, I likely would not be growing food today! 🙂

[@joduval]

Mr. Farmer Jessy I so can’t wait for a video on terraces. We are on 15-20% sandy loam. It is so difficult to grow veggies.

[@VictoriousGardenosaurus]

I'm a little frustrated that these techniques have proven so effective. Instead of trying to keep a few plants alive, like years past, I'm struggling to find space for everything! Cheers Nerds 😎

[@rickthelian2215]

Hi Farmer Jessie😁🇦🇺 In Australia they say “Think Before You Dig”😊

[@timblackman892]

Pretty sure it's "Dial Before You Dig" 1100. Is in Victoria anyway. 👍

[@calebfast8088]

I've got a steep hill behind my house that I've been terracing with bushcraft terraces. Ton of work, but it's fun to take useless space covered in blackberries that give us nothing and make it into something! :)

[@michaelgroce966]

Listening from upstate SC. 90-100% clay- so long way to go- but excited to start!

[@ltridge504]

For people interested in raised beds, check out Self Sufficient Me or Epic Gardening. Both are primarily raised beds and have a ton of good info. We have a mix of raised beds, in ground, and trying Ruth Stout for potatoes this year.

[@StephanieSomer]

Jesse, I will be starting a small homestead in the very near future and will be using a lot of the information I've learned from you in your videos and your TRULY valuable book. Concerning silage tarps: from everything I've learned I realize that if an intended garden space has notoriously hard to kill weeds in it that the tarp will need to be in place for an extended time. My question is how does such an extended covering, with its greater heating of the soil, affect the soil biology? I'm concerned that killing the weeds may sometimes also kill the beneficials already in place. Any suggestions from your experience on this would be greatly appreciated.

[@milol3893]

If you r in south teas and use metal beds, it will create an oven. Don’t think it will work. Could be wrong but it gets real hot down here.

[@buttonenfuego]

9B and it gets so hot and burning sun, that I need to build shading tunnels with cloth from Mid July until Sept

[@MadamKsTarot]

I have my garden about a block back from my house. There are small beds along the way. But I spend more time in the back gardens than anyplace else. I had to put in a well because it was so far back and hauling water became a chore. So I disagree. But my yard is full of trees so the back field was the only place to go large scale

[@oldman1111]

We're running with the lasagna method and going off of 30ftx4ft beds and piling 6 inches of compost and soil. We're starting with 30 total beds with a plan to run 155 beds over the next few years. ... And we're on a slope. :( multiple slopes, in fact, but we're working around that.

[@mcohen8025]

That’s not a garden, that’s a whole farm!

[@oldman1111]

@@mcohen8025 haha eventually.

[@parkwayconcepts8758]

Skip ahead?! Who skips ahead on your videos?! 😅

[@theahalme]

The only advantage to wooden raised beds I can see is when they break down you've got a compost source✌️😎👍

[@PMGGeorgeLiferBanterson]

I am a Gardener in our farm from Philippines 2 years ago and to address compaction on my soil, I dug up the soil, laid organic matter 12+ inches and returned the soil back on place, then mashed Carbonized Rice Hull with the dug up soil, and ever since (for 2 years now) i had no issue with compaction (all by hand, and shovel, cuz i dont have broadfork). I hate the dogs and chickens who dig up my hard work, tearing the garden ups all over again. And the neighboring goats and cows chew on my greens. Should I kill them and steak them all?

[@kannmann97]

I have video production questions! Your videos are super beautiful. I’m curious what you shoot on, what you edit with, record audio with, any LUTs or other stuff like that. Is that all you? Also great video as always. Love that I can watch them before farmers markets on Sunday

[@jvin248]

Future Jesse: When you do the Grow Bags video, remind people they can find an old sewing machine and use Landscape Fabric to make their own flat bottom grow bags for low cost. I've found the larger two or three or more gallon size have the most success. ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKKWknWdncx6nNE ) ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHfUZoSOnKtnrJo ) and you never know, you might get into a new hobby in the winter when you can't garden very much ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/eH6xmHycga2ZoM0 )

[@79PoisonBreaker]

I think this is the first of your video's I see without your mascot kitty hahaha.

[@kristyscosmicgarden]

Thanks!

[@notillgrowers]

Amazing, thank you!

[@clementbellande8720]

Cheers from France ❤❤❤

[@ChadnRanda]

Also have found Is that a light till under the Lasagna Bed does not make it any better. Just a really wet green material then cardboard then really wet green material and then whatever you choose finally top layer compost you'll be golden🎉

[@blanknoriega5726]

In the first year how much compost did you use to create all your farm beds?

[@peelingoffthelayers]

Thank you.

[@adventurecreations3214]

Central Kentucky here. I recognize your clay.

[@ThriveGarden]

This is awesome

[@Randomiz500]

09:30 if you are willing to double dig, you might as well dig it all up at once and fill it with compost…?! That’s my plan at one spot at least, ohh joy ohh joy to be done with 😂

[@shanemillard608]

Please do some on terraces. I'm over here near La Grange in Kentucky. I am about to purchase a property with pretty serious slope at some sections.

[@TheRoadfarmer]

Is it really a "No-Till" garden if you plant in deep beds of fluffy loose organic material thats non native and really non-natural?

[@oregonfelder1]

My front yard is entirely garden. Trying to decide how to use the strip between the sidewalk and street now.

[@willbass2869]

With double digging you remove the top "X" inches of soil (topsoil?) and reserve it. Then you loosen the subsoil in that initial hole. ....then, you use the top "X" inches (topsoil?) from the next trench to cover the loosened subsoil. You can then apply compost on top. Compost/mulch should not be deeply incorporated into soil profile. Its a surface dressing. Double digging is *NOT* digging a hole and filling with compost!

[@northsidedork_3043]

My situation: i bought a home fully knowing there was a home owners association. I did read through what was allowed and what was not allowed. Gardens were allowed with out any stipulations. An unfortunate situation happened where the Vice President had passed and the HOA was looking for a new one. No one was willing to take to spot so after some time passed i volunteered. This was a backup plan because i knew my plans of a garden may be a problem and sure enough it was. That summer i lined both sides of my driveway with grow bags. I companion planted in the bags with a tomato in the center, onions, garlic, peas and beans, and flowers even tall flowers to try to mask the tomato plants if anyone gave issue to it. In a recent meeting the topic of my gardening practices came in question and there was a vote to ban potted plants. The vote was tied and I was the deciding vote. Im so happy that I joinded the board because that would have been taken away from me. This spring i will be putting in raised beds in my front yard and am so excited!

[@lilolgreyhairdlady4093]

Woah, did Kitty Cat ambush you ‘cause she wanted air time? Naw, it’ spring she’s too busy with all the wildlife out & about - I know it was the shoelaces.

[@sydneypeverley1089]

Hey Jesse Any idea how to get rid of tillage radish. It doesn't Winter kill and now it is noxious. The roots are extensive and I am losing my ground and my mind! Thank you Syd

[@BalmBeach]

Thanks!

[@notillgrowers]

Thank you!

[@BalmBeach]

@@notillgrowers No, thank you, Farmer Jessie. Your videos are excellent. I'm only a backyard gardener, but really enjoy the info you share and the fun way you share it. Inefficiently farming in my large backyard is my happy place.

[@caitlynsmith2589]

Ok maybe someone can tell me if I’m understanding correctly. I live in south Kentucky and have heavy compacted clay soil. Even if I start a plot covering with compost, top soil and mulch, and plant cover crop over the cold months, my soil still won’t be ready for spring next year? I was reaaallllyyyy hoping I could go no till completely.

[@jerrywayne4887]

Jesse, I have access to free sawdust from a local sawmill. Does it have a purpose in gardening as a soil amendment, mulch or another area? Thanks for the videos!

[@clarkansas6590]

Good job

[@161metalworks]

what is that paper you are putting under the compost called?

[@Golahkonibla]

Any suggestions for VERY sandy soil?

[@BalmBeach]

Is there any way to get a copy of the book to Canada? We're not really international... Even a pff? Who's got the audiobook?

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

It's misinformation to say that you need an equatorial-facing garden. It helps in boreal (me! technically we're hemiboreal here), temperate and subtropical climates with growing more different species and varieties you may otherwise be unable to grow, but it's incorrect to say it's needed. For a pole-facing garden, assume your last and first frost dates are a couple weeks closer to each other, and if the sunlight situation is bad enough, also reckon for each day being effectively shorter - in summer, you have the sunlight times of a place further equatorial (i.e. shorter), but reduced intensity, so the plants cannot photosynthesize as well and they may show signs of shade avoidance syndrome (including bolting in some species).

[@jeshurunfarm]

Jesse 😂 shoelaces!

[@ancient_gamerr]

Are there any plans on making a digital copy of your book? Getting it delivered to Sweden is almost as much as the book itself 😄

[@redhen689]

If it was 2 years ago I could have brought you a copy. I’m not planning on going to Sweden again for a few more years.

[@notillgrowers]

Yeah not much we can do about shipping costs but you should be able to buy it locally! You can (I think) buy it digitally through Amazon but the way the rights work we (no-till growers) can't sell digital copies 👎🏻

[@ancient_gamerr]

Found it at amazon. Thank you for the tip ✌️

[@johngroves8994]

can i plant in 6 inches of mushroom compost

[@flyfishdr]

811 is Miss Utility

[@johntheherbalistg8756]

Back around 2010, I was tilling my garden, which I did at the beginning of every season back then. In a 250 ft^2 space, I saw 6+ frogs come out the back of my tiller in pieces. I haven't used a tiller since then. In the first 5 years, I didn't really do anything special. I just grew my stuff and put out what we compost at home. During that time, my garden got to where it was doing so much better. In recent years, I've started doing more, until last year, when I cut back on plants to get chickens. Probably next year, I'll get back to plants, but until then, I'm just getting the asparagus + the potatoes I do in containers (I refuse to dig for potatoes)

[@jamesgribben7024]

On year five of prep on my 20m x 20m plot. Hard landscape last year.Only started making horse manure compost last winter. Made compost on plot. Using rotavator to improve clay soil this year. I aim to be no till by 2028

[@notillgrowers]

Goals like that are great! Good luck to you

[@elusive323]

Nerds !

[@y0nd3r]

How do the organic regulator people feel about the cats pissing in your gardens?

[@Dogbreath42]

you say you want to put your garden in as much sun as possible then start talking about putting it beside your house, my property goes mainly east west with the house next to the road on the west most end, putting the garden near my house compared to farther would mean that it is shaded by all the morning sun, isnt that bad?

[@nickgardner6340]

It wasn't safe!! 😂

[@slaplapdog]

I'm

[@cuznclive2236]

Just go barefoot; cuz, untied shoes are bad news.

[@jarredkushnerd13]

Wealthy people are always the enemy😂

[@Jake.lapointe]

311 in Celsius depends on your province. Could be One Call (Ontario, BC) but if you google "(province) One Call" it'll come up!

[@ryanamys5125]

We just found you on the IA Homesteaders Facebook page. We have a spot we are working in Page County. Just wanted to reach out and say hello!