NEW TOOL for Breaking Clay & Compacted Soil | The PRONG

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Everyone, go here for more info on the Prong range of tools: www.gardentoolsnow.com/ The inventer (Peter) lived down the road from me (same street) in my home town of Toowoomba. By chance, he came across my videos and reached out requesting that I give his range of Prong garden tools a try. Peter is a great guy and a true professional small businessman trying his best to market a top tool he invented out of necessity to dig out rocks in his own backyard. This invention came runners up at the National Innovation Awards in Australia 2013. Cheers :)

[@wild-radio7373]

I hecka appreciate you!!♡♡♡

[@wild-radio7373]

Also, thank you for the links in the drop-down description box♡ I am seriously considering a purchase of these tools for my garden in Oregon, westcoast USA ♡♡♡ thank you :)

[@wild-radio7373]

You are brilliant♡ gypsum! I learn so much here :)

[@DoctorMeatDic]

Stick it up your greedy arse.

[@rjs69]

Could do with that here in UK

[@lucyjane103]

OMG This is exciting for a 68 year young lady !!!! I love this !

[@lkeeble]

I have been digging a long trench for drainage (French drain) in Indiana, USA and there are roots, hard clay and buried pieces of fencing. I broke my shovel dealing with this so I ordered the long prong. It has been a huge time saver (and back saver). Congratulations to the inventor for coming up with such a great tool.

[@litaholloway2721]

And for a small person like me, I could use something like that tool to make my gardening easier. Thank you Sir for showing that tools.

[@emilegoguely4032]

Smaller human myself, looking for tools to break frozen soil, this looks like it could work but the bloke is built like an Ox

[@manvasser8320]

У нас в России лесники используют специальные, тяжелые в виде мечей, ломы. Втыкают и радвигают почву. Спасибо за видео.

[@puttinxyilo]

​@@manvasser8320who cares

[@aaroncole7736]

You are thorough with your videos and attitude. We love it.

[@jayw5789]

I hugely appreciate the video mate. Here in Thailand my 15acres is riddled with heavy clay. Perfect tool and technique for planting. Locals place most citrus trees in concrete rings to avoid the clay soil and aid with drainage but I always thought it’s an unnecessary cost added, especially when planting large amounts. Thankyou

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks Jay! Yeah, citrus are pretty forgiving in clay once given a good start at planting they will spread the feeder roots out almost on the surface and this allows them to escape some waterlogging in the wet and suck up water faster in the dry. Keep them well mulched! Cheers :)

[@jayw5789]

Self Sufficient Me thanks mate. Will keep that in mind.

[@kimkirby2615]

I just ordered mine! I saw you use it digging up the stump and had to get it to combat my hollies. Thank you for all the education!

[@sentwistle4325]

I need to get 1 of those! Here in the southwest in the US, our soil is full of clay that looks just like that. This would come in handy!

[@billcereske7211]

We recently moved to Idaho, and we discovered that the clay soil really is like pavement! I ordered a "son of prong" and it really IS one solid, well made tool! I appreciate having it and should make quick work of the soil, come spring. One tip: If you recently moved, make sure PayPal has your new address! They ship very fast, and mine went directly to my former home. Fortunately, the new owner is a good guy and was able to redirect the shipment, which we got in good time. Cheers, Mate!

[@YensR]

Great video, I like that you are showing the effort and make clear that even with the right tool , this is still effort! As of 2022 it seems the website is down. I am in the UK and have been unable to find this product. There are "digging bars" but they lack the step and I don't think they would work for me. Our problem is gravel and rubble in parts of the garden. I might have to resort to a pick axe.

[@keithwilson6060]

THIS is exactly what I need here in hard-clay North Central Texas. I’ve bent even the best quality turning forks in this concrete-like ground. Thanks for the recommend, Mark.

[@gabbyrico4877]

I think it's way worse than the clay he has 😭( Mansfield, Texas)

[@ericpettyfishing]

@@gabbyrico4877 I am also from Mansfield. What a beating

[@keithwilson6060]

Gabby Rico Right. Even after adding a lot of compost and lava sand, after a long dry spell, the soil is STILL like concrete. Does the compost just disappear?

[@eliseintheattic9697]

I'm in North Texas too. Please respond if any of you try this tool. Would love a good solution to planting here.

[@gnarlytreeman]

Caliche requires a pickaxe... its almost a weak limestone.

[@Ohtaror]

According to recent research it is significantly better to put the plants in square holes, in stead of round ones. The angles force the roots to break the new soil / old soil contact.

[@JamieBainbridge]

That sounds really interesting. Got a source?

[@Ohtaror]

@@JamieBainbridge an article in the guardian by James Wong, a botanist.

[@JamieBainbridge]

Legend, found it, thank you! www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/dec/08/james-wong-garden-plant-trees-in-square-holes-for-establishment-resilience

[@yathatisgood]

Jamie Bainbridge look up Gary watson roots on google if you want to learn deeper

[@ME-vk6tv]

@@Ohtaror Thank you so much for the reference!!!! Very interesting article. I will apply this.

[@whalesongservices]

Thanks, My son bought me a long-prong for Xmas! Outstanding! Thanks!

[@Nadyamantra]

Very helpful information about clay soil which I have in abundance throughout my property in central Canada, and now I see why I am not having as much success with my planting technique. You put a lot of work into it Mark much more than I have - good lesson and example you set.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Hi Nadya and I'm glad you found the info helpful. Yes, it's a bit of extra work to dig and add the organic matter etc but it will help the tree get off to a better start. All the best and thank you :)

[@Matt-pr7kw]

​@@SelfsufficientmePlease Mark, do a video focusing on clay soils. I've recently bought 5 acres of land that has a foot of sandy soil with clay below. Any advice on this situation would be appreciated.

[@TinaThevarge]

This is exactly what I needed to see today. My property ranges from a sand box to compacted clay with very little organic material in either. I struggle to grow grass. But I want to put in some small swales to start water harvesting. I might be stuck with my husband’s pry bar, but it will be a better start than my back breaking mattock.

[@spywroe]

Thank you thank you thank you!!! I've been looking for something for my QLD clay soil, this is amazing! I did go asking around, but everyone just told me to use gypsum on it. They didn't even tell me HOW to use it.. So this was amazing!

[@paulleisureman6189]

See, this is why I watch your channel. I'm in Oklahoma, USA, basically on a rock shelf. I do more digging with a large crowbar, chains, and come along tan I do a shovel. Thank you for promoting this product, it's just what I've been looking for for my garden

[@Selfsufficientme]

Awesome Paul and good on you for persisting in your garden even though it's tough! All the best :)

[@janicemorelock5791]

I love how you teach, Mark. I live in USA...Colorado. All the stuff you do for clay soil wont work for sand...but still a great video. AndI do learn a lot from you. Thank you

[@aytviewer2421]

So wish I had known about that tool when planting trees in rural Nevada. Ground there is like concrete most of the year.

[@Matt-pr7kw]

What other trypes of fruit trees are better grown on mounds in regards to very sandy topsoil?

[@cathysanders8485]

Ooh. I want one. I live on hard solid limestone and I can never get through the compacted stuff unless my son helps. Thanks for sharing.

[@MC-gt6yp]

You are lucky to have limestone. It’s full of minerals and prevents ants.

[@qbmac2306]

My entire plot of land is sitting on compacted clay. Not only does it put up a fight when you want to dig it up, but plant and grass roots can't penetrate it and when summer rolls around, most end up dying off if you don't water them every day. I've added 1.6 Ton of sand and gypsum to the soil over 4 years and it's helped quite a bit, but it's only penetrated about an inch down. The best way I found to dig through clay was to soak it, and dig out the saturated soil a little bit more every day. But that is time consuming and this tool looks like it may be a much better solution to the problem. Thanks for sharing.

[@peanutbutter7357]

this looks really good for woman or elderly people, I used bars/long crowbar when I worked the rail and remembered how heavy they were but how handy they were for clay digs you'd have to do by hand where the excavator couldn't get to

[@dianesorbello6714]

This is exactly what I have to deal with..I will def buy a prong..thankyou so much for this very helpful video.

[@benjimenfranklin7650]

We got a 1 1/2 inch steel rod with a 4 inch foot . It's kinda heavy but you get use to it as you dig. It can dig through assault and works good on most soil too. The rod is 6 foot long .

[@gafrers]

Absolutely perfect for working hard dry Clay soil.

[@michaelhutchinson9565]

I've had the long prong for a while now but I cut the foot bit off as it's very restrictive to get down deep. The bent end is helpful though.

[@johnjude2685]

Hey nice tool,Prong makes sense to me I have clay and know what clay is like. I took a garden shovel witch is a more narrow longer and less diameter than the standard shovel. On mine about three inches above the shovel I put a piece of 5/8" steel bar that was bent 90 degree to serve as a kicker and now I can dig about six inches deeper and pull rocks out easier than anything I have used.

[@jaystanford7853]

Your a legend mark. Just what I need for digging pits in.

[@barbll000]

Interesting video. I live in a suburb that was originally a farm and then a gravel pit before it was developed for homes over 60 years ago. So the soil here is very sandy and after digging down about six inches there's lots of gravel. When I put in my flower beds I brought in a lot of topsoil which has made a huge difference. So my soil is the opposite to yours.

[@Buttergirla]

Gosh this man is a KING! I can't believe all the vegetation rhis man has😳

[@sandrakennedy4877]

I have the pink (ladies) and the larger purple one, both are tools that I love for digging up clumps of agapanthus and similar plants. They also get borrowed a lot by family and friends for just that one or two items they can't move otherwise. Also great for digging up paving that is stuck.

[@GodsGreenPlanet]

I love you. You're giving the world great knowledge... GOD BLESS YOU...

[@ClaLu]

Clay pebbles are a sustainable way to incorporate air in that clay soil... They're like perlite or vermiculite but done from low quality mud ❤

[@kb1236]

Looks like a useful tool. I have red clay too, except all the way to the top with no topsoil. All my weight on a shovel will not break it up so I use a Mantis. I pile leaves and add gypsum on my garden all winter and it now has workable soil. Amazing how much difference one winter of leaves can make.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Leaves for mulch must be one of the best I reckon - maybe even the best you can use in the garden. Good on ya! Cheers :)

[@clubgus07]

Yep that’s my pitch fork with its bent forks and my mallet head loose from all that clay digging in Brisbane, this prong is definitely a great idea I have backyard that the grass refuses to grow. The prong though does a small area looks more durable to break the clay and mix gypsum i shall consider this handy tool in future. Cool

[@ghendar]

I just got one of these for my wife. She loves the prong

[@blackprincegt]

Does she like long prong the best? 😉

[@Selfsufficientme]

Cool! :)

[@ghendar]

@@blackprincegt Oh yeah!

[@lindsay3793]

Hahaha

[@orangefacedbuddah1776]

now now,lets keep it clean😂

[@saraschoen9818]

That was so helpful! I’m in the south eastern US and it is just straight orange clay through and through. Thank you!

[@ClaLu]

Ok, i bought it! I'm from Chile (South America) so the travel was very pricy...I bought a long prong and the transport plus taxes cost like a whole long prong :/ still i'm super excited because it's silent (using motored tools for an autistic person is quiet awful) and hopefully my elder parents will be able to use it as they wish...without pulling something :)

[@rogerramjet7246]

Looks like a handy little tool as most of my yard has clay layers at various depths . Gypsum helps break it down once I dig to my required depth to start the plant .

[@allenlewis5689]

Yes, I was just trying to dig a post hole in clay (the starter pull-string on the auger broke) and I thought "I wish I had a giant chisel for this dirt!" Fantastic. The only problem for a post hole is that the foothold would get in the way.

[@aidanbrooks7236]

Thanks for this Mark! We have really heavy clay soils at our place and breaking it up with a big steel bar is a total pain. I've got the exact problem with my grape vine that I planted - even though the hole was really big, the clay around it ended up acting as a sealed container ... and you can smell the anaerobic reaction after the vine gets really wet. This tool should allow me to at least dig a drainage trench away from the plant. Cheers!

[@maryt8184]

I had not heard of Brazilian cherry, so I googled, and it is what we knew as Surinam cherry when I lived in south FL USA. It was grown widely there as a landscape hedge plant. We ate them when I was a kid. It is an acquired taste.

[@gregs9534]

Thanks!

[@jadeswormfarm]

What happened to the website/company ? Doesn't exist anymore ?

[@katemason4925]

I live in Virginia and this looks exactly what I've been digging in! Thanks for a great tool suggestion!

[@nicolemagaric706]

Hi Mark, that looks awesome.....I also bought a new tool for planting my fruit trees.... It's called a power planter... It's a small auger that goes into an 18v drill...I have found it very awesome.. Would be great to see u show this to Ur viewers... It's also great for turning compost . Or just disturbing the weeds on top of the beds. Great all round tool for ppl who struggle with injuries.. Thanks fur Ur great vids I watch them all....

[@MrSpektyr]

You should invest in a spade tipped shovel for digging down, that flat tipped one you started with will do nothing for a hole. I really DO love that nifty tool you've got going on there though, here in west Washington USA the soil is mostly clay and that would do wonders in some areas.

[@robertus7260]

i fucking love how humble you are

[@Charlie_Bravo_Echo]

I appreciate the honesty

[@JamieBainbridge]

We got something called a "power planter" which is a tilling tool, like a metal spiral but goes in the drill. This has been good for breaking up the clay here.

[@NotMuchHere]

Yeah, we have clay in carolina. We have a tractor with an auger. It can drill 3 feet deep. We backfill with a mix of rabbit poo or sheep feed droppings. It helps,

[@JJLewin1]

The Prong looks like a great idea with ground that hard. Great video.

[@ashimpathak4816]

In Assam we call this tool as "cipraang" a solid iron rod with a flat end that cut and digs through even toughest soils.

[@missdarque]

Ashim pathak In Hawai’i it’s called an o’o.

[@kerriefaichney4901]

I live in the goldfields victoria and wish I had of known about this tool as we are on clay! I do now so thank you Mark!!

[@robmorete8629]

Awesome helpful video. You confirmed & enlightened a few things for me cheers 🍻

[@carlinkay1151]

Going to need that tool soon...thanks for the info!

[@mylesadams1662]

hmm cool tool i also have clay like that i feel your pain. in my own case apart from mounding i have had alot of success using Eco organic brand liquid gypsum really can see the break up difference even before break the soil up.i fill up a watering cans worth in the planting hole and let it seep in and drain before i plant.

[@earthkeepinggreen7763]

I also always used a spade shovel. Breaking a few because of clay soil and made of wood. I love that this tool has wide foot placement and made of metal ! Thanks for introducing and showing us an innovative tool for us gardeners that we can use making are gardening more pleasant and safe.

[@Ryukuu1]

This thing is amazing.Just ordered one.Greetings from Germany to Down Under : D

[@dannyhughes9874]

Always educational and down to earth.

[@janeteholmes]

I definitely need one of these. But what I really need is a thing like this but with more fork in the end for levering out huge weeds. I wonder if your mate might consider producing such a thing.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Peter (the inventer) does have a "weeder prong" and it does a pretty good job too. Not sure where he sells them or if they are special order but I encourage you to use the "Contact page" on his website to ask him. Cheers :)

[@thizizliz]

We have a weird combination of clay with sand & not much else here. For desert plants, its perfect but for food it must be heavily amended. Home compost plus bags of composted manure seem to be a good addition. One of these might be a good addition to my tools. Thanks.

[@BlakesNaturelife]

I like that type 👍 solid bar makes it not break. Plants 🌱 will be real happy. Good video.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thank you Blake and all the best mate :)

[@BlakesNaturelife]

Self Sufficient Me thanks Have wonderful day 🌱🌱🌱

[@tristanculpepper5627]

We have clay under the swampland. Soooo wet all the time gotta love southeast Virginia

[@charliemac9057]

Long prong just ordered and free delivery for December!

[@chrisdarry-roseelrod4481]

My soul looks exactly like yours. Thanks for showing this item.

[@vtbn53]

You ARE soul LOL

[@ezraorlofsky7809]

looks great for a variety of purposes, such as digging rhizomes out of a wetland

[@Selfsufficientme]

That's right Ezra it has many uses besides breaking clay and digging rhizomes is another good idea. Thanks :)

[@ezraorlofsky7809]

@@Selfsufficientme Ordered! Looking forward to use this "groundbreaking tool" in the Holy Land!

[@Donna_G]

The Prong looks more efficient than The Claw. Thanks for the demonstration.

[@wildchook745]

It's worth investing in one, ta for the prong info, Mark. That's my favourite growing mix and it's cheaper too. I just love the look of your orchard. Mine is coming along nicely and I continue to add more fruit trees.

[@buckaroobonzai2909]

One time for a tree, I gouged out a bunch of soil, put sticks in a deep, wide hole, then charcoal, then old potting soil, then broken pot pieces, then a layer of cardboard, then native soil, then more cardboard and then wood chips on top. I surrounded the area with spring bulbs to keep burrowing rodents away from the roots of the tree. I put a comfrey plant near it that I cut and use to fertilize. I put the tree in and watered it with a mixture of water, beer, and urine. Seems to have worked. Cost me nothing that I didn't already have on hand.

[@AriffAffendi]

agree with you mate. that tool (Malaysian version of it ) does comes in handy when involves in heavy clay soil. been using it for the past 8 years now and still solid steel (almost 5kg in weight) . my avocado tree now as tall as a 3 storey building . yikes!!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Nice size avo tree! We've had a hard time growing them here... Early on I made the mistake of planting them into the soil without any improvement or hilling up and this wasted several years of growing as they slowly died anyway. Good to hear about your Malaysian version of the Prong! All the best :)

[@AriffAffendi]

@@Selfsufficientme ah mate.. everybody has to learn from experience. even i have my fair share as well when started gardening years back. no worries mate, i reckon yours is gonna be all taken care now. cheers !

[@caldog3012]

Hey mate, great videos. Brand new aspiring veggie grower here. I've just filled in an old pool with soil from around our place. Its clay soil as we are around Brisbane, same as you. I added some fertilizer and compost then hit it with the rotavator. Should i do this a few more times? Should i cover it with mulch? How long before i should start planting?! Any tips would be great thanks mate.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks mate! Do the squeeze test with a handful of some damp soil in the area you want to plant and if the the result is sticky clump that doesn't easily crumble apart then you need to add more organic material to breakup the clay or the plants will suffocate. Crumbly soil that holds some water but easily drains through it what you are after. Yes mulching and fertiliser will help too. All the best :)

[@linak7155]

👁‍🗨 Liked the prong! 👍

[@UndefinedBailiwick]

We have digging bars in the USA that essentially look like a huge chisel. They're a long solid piece of iron that's even longer than the largest prong you have. The downside of them is that the iron is untreated, so they can bend fairly easily. Those prong tools look like they work in moist clay soil, but I doubt they would perform well in dry clay soil. I personally use a demolition hammer with a serrated spade attachment.

[@SA-ju1zu]

We have invasive species buckthorn in my area of Minnesota, and removal is necessary to keep my native trees healthy. I have a feeling that this tool could remove some of those young shallow rooted buggers! Thanks, I will have to check this tool out!

[@Selfsufficientme]

I reckon it would be a good tool for that Sarah - I've used the small one for removing nasty weeds and saplings. Cheers :)

[@tshaika9165]

Haha, you worked hard for your commission! That prong looks like a cool tool to have! I've got a very heavy, sharp and indestructible iron spade for that job, but the clay needs to be a little damp for it to work.

[@robertbuckley2108]

A similar tool that I find indispensable over here in Florida is the Meadow Ceature broadfork. it is quite a bit bigger than the tool you're showing here but in my experience it requires relatively little upper body strength to use

[@littlebuddha4]

next year i will be planting vetiver grass with every fruit tree i put in .like you i am on clay and rock with in very shot time the root can brake up 2m or more lot deeper than i will ever dig allowing the fruit tree to get it root down fast . and may be less work

[@bendredge6947]

Hey Mark, great idea . But if your serious I reckon a mini digger and some drainage. Don’t we all wish we had that!

[@aussiesoapgirl3378]

Where can I get this in USA. This tool looks amazing. I need it for my North Carolina clay soil.

[@lovehorses2669]

Is adding coarse sand to clay to make it loamy not recommended? Do you have any experience with sand?

[@carolg.1424]

You might want to try driving some branches, dowels, or something similar down into the soil at the bottom of the hole to aid drainage and to give the roots a path to follow.

[@ryanduckering]

I use a crowbar to do the same job for our compacted cattle-paddock clay when i chuck in new trees. I like the idea of being able to use your foot though. :)

[@worstnightmare9772]

Would this tool work for a dirt bottom dump to get the compressed dirt and rock off from the sides??

[@Leo_S94]

Id have to respectfully disagree! I still believe the tools that we've had for centuries for example the Mattock, are the most superior tool for digging compacted soils and clay. Using correct form for your back and knees creates a lot of force which penetrates deeper into the soil without a lot of physical exertion. If you choose the correct mattock with the correct head ( rounded or square) then its by far the best tool. This tool in your video I believe would be incredible for removing tree stumps rotted or freshly cut among many other uses for leverage. This is just my 20 cents though for whatever that is worth. Big fan as always Mark and always looking forward to your next videos :) . Cheers from Brisbane mate!

[@flt528]

I agree. A mattock (aka pickaxe) at 5 lb, dropping from a height of 6 feet or so, plus the down force you put into it, will penetrate hard clay so deep that you can barely pull it out.

[@ewithnall]

Many people have physical limitations that prevent your "correct" form. I cannot use any tool that requires lifting over my head.

[@lynnhendershot5440]

Would love to buy a long prong tool,please,where can we buy one,please supply the stockists in Australia, many thanks Lynn ,South island of New Zealand,-absolutely love your KZbin presentations.

[@ladaminuetkittens5216]

Mark What happens if you dig just that shallow whole and than fill it with water a few times? In my clay garden in California it is the only way.

[@michaelgraham768]

Gypsum also helps bind organic matter to the clay which helps fully, and completely amend the soil, this way there's no way for them to separate because they're chemically combined to make real soil instead of a mixture of whatever you amended it with

[@juliakingmusic]

Can you still buy the prong? The link isn’t working. What a great tool! Would love to have it in my arsenal.

[@yvencia1150]

Great video and thank you for sharing!

[@karenpuschmann4157]

Oh boy love that tool. Can't wait to buy one for my husband. 😎

[@gontop]

Hey Mark, any idea where to buy the prong from now? It seems the website doesn't exist anymore. Thanks :)

[@jimacheson4933]

I like the Prong. Mark you need to invest in a small tractor with a backhoe attachment. Maybe even a front end loader.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Wish some earthmoving company would sponsor me lol... Cheers :)

[@munkeypuzzle5309]

love this channel

[@chriskrause950]

I like the idea mate an seams to work well but im lazy an i use the tractor a post hole digger 😁

[@bubbysbub]

Man, I could have used this thing three days ago. We dug a 4.5 by 1.5 meter bed in our front yard. All we wanted to do was remove the grass and open up the soil a bit to add gypsum, blood and bone, seaweed, coir mulch (the thick mulch, not the peat bricks, for keeping some air pockets) and compost, and it was near impossible!! The grass had dry, loose soil between its roots and that was it. Took five of us about three hours with mattocks and crowbar to get the grass out, and took me about an hour and a half of ridiculously exhausting work with a seven foot crowbar to open it up no more than ten centimeters. It was insane. It's taking us a full week to get this bed ready, which is driving me crazy. The Prong is going at the top of my birthday list, because I WANT ONE. Incidentally, the one spot in the entire bed that was lovely, was where we dug a foot wide and deep hole (I made the kids dig that one, and it took them forty five minutes, hahaha) for all the heads and shells from our Chrissy prawns. They're gone but for one shell I found, but that whole area is so ridiculously fluffy the whole way down, I could not believe it. If I wasn't on a timetable for the Autumn planting, I'd bury a bunch of fish guts and seafood waste the whole way along and wait two months- as it is, I'm doing it now for the fruit trees I wanted to buy in Spring!

[@Fuzzinutt]

Thanks Mark! Great info, so need this where we live!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thank you! :)

[@Qi33Qi]

Hi Mark, really enjoy your videos! Just had a question, this could be.an extremely dumb question but did you plant the cherry in with the plastic pot? Wouldnt that inhibit root growth or does it degrade overtime?

[@rhythmriderful]

For planting dalo (taro) here in Fiji, we use a piece of leaf spring welded to some thick walled pipe. For trees, I pussy out and use my power auger.