THE ULTIMATE RATIO OF SOIL - COMPOST/MANURE FOR STARTING A NO DIG GARDEN. A SOIL SCIENTIST BREAKDOWN

[@mjsoskie]

Thank u for standing ur ground. Thats why we love you. You are amazing!

[@GardeningInCanada]

Hahah thanks so much! That’s a huge compliment

[@davidhoward2412]

Good for you for not apologizeing whe you know your right. Their comments say more about them than about you 👏👏👏

[@tripudium17]

I just CACKLED at the 40 second mark. Thanks for engaging in this discussion and standing firm in what you know.

[@russellradwanski5771]

Good for you for trying to educate the masses and standing your ground! It’s not like you’re ignoring the benefits or saying anything is “bad”, it’s looking at things through our best current understanding of science and analytics, which change as we learn over time. Remember, the intelligence of a population is going to follow a normal distributed curve, and that means there’s just as many ignorant people out there as there are those willing to listen and learn

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thanks so much! And exactly not bad just ways of refining

[@leahjackson3786]

I am new to gardening. I live in west Texas where it's hot the majority of the year. Our ground is mainly caliche/sand/red bed (shale) out here. I have been a wellsite geolgist for several years and have been trying to learn how to garden for several months now. You have been such a blessing in helping me understand what I've done wrong and how to fix it based on science. I love your videos. I love your attitude. I love your reasons and values behind doing these videos. Keep it up doll, don't let the haters bring you down. You are fabulous.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thanks so much ❤️ I’m glad you’re learning and enjoying. Both very important to me.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Hope you enjoyed and it wasn’t too intense! For anyone just wanting the answer a ratio of 3 parts soil to 2 parts manure/compost is reasonable. Meaning 3 lbs soil to every 2 lbs manure compost. There are so many variables to deciding each value and I played it conservative on most of your wanting to run your own math trial use the link below. I wasn’t able to find any garden “sized” formulas I was confident in unfortunately but if you run across one you’d like me to look at please post it in the comments and I’ll check it out. www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/epw11920/$FILE/6-1.pdf

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thanks for all your input on the community tab of the channel! Remember if you want connect on a more personal side come join me on Instagram instagram.com/gardeningincanada

[@saphire82]

So if your adding compost to soil, what exactly do you mean by soil? Do you mean peat moss, etc?

[@omeshsingh8091]

Are you a Dowding Thomas?

[@slaplapdog]

I love your take, but claiming to question everything while putting out a video that presents "the ultimate" anything is eye roll funny at best. Plenty of no dig advocates use mulches instead of composts, in fact the majority of growers actually no dig practitioners probably use black plastic mulch, not without some angst, but it is what it is.

[@LearnToGrow1]

Wow, sorry to hear about the name calling. Always appreciate your insights and the amount of information you share. Ignore the haters. Lol Great video, Ashley!

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thanks! I’m sure you get them sometimes too!

[@GardeningInCanada]

Very true!

[@LearnToGrow1]

@@GardeningInCanada Yup, it’s unfortunate, especially when we are just trying to help and teach others. They don’t have to like what you put out there, but have some respect, it’s common courtesy. We can’t please everyone. 😜

[@pplusbthrust]

There's so much diversity in the natural process of plant growth the 'right' way can be very, very elusive. Only Mother Nature knows for sure.

[@GardeningInCanada]

It’s so true

[@pplusbthrust]

@@GardeningInCanada However as rulers of the universe we will persevere too Mars & beyond.

[@myfitstoreuk5608]

Very helpful, thank you! Haters will hate, just ignore them, They still watch your videos, that says something

[@Brokersong]

I like how you blast back: with facts and with more facts. Seriously, my gripe with searching for content with quality information with emotional intelligence to know what people are missing when it comes to educational content. So.... thank you!

[@GardeningInCanada]

❤❤

[@mrittenb]

your math is astounding! I’m just a plain patio gardener, plenty of flowers sort of thing but I love listening! I just love your level headed, analytic, practical approach?. Thanks for your input.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

I agree completely, the thickness of the rotting plant matter determines the speed of it's decomposition, so it's self regulating. That doesn't mean we should pile it on and cause it to waste itself in three weeks, only to starve the same bacteria immediately after because the compost is "done". Always remember that what we focus on expands, and we are here to teach and learn and expand the garden, what nobler cause is there~

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea! Exactly

[@lisakukla459]

This is so fascinating! Thank you for figuring all of that up! I read an article over the summer about the world's phosphorus mines being depleted soon, and the idea that we don't need to apply nearly as much as we have been. Application was completely halted on several sites growing various crops and the yield didn't change for several years. Last spring I put a garden in a friend's yard, and had basically no budget for fertilizer or amendments. I lucked out and got two 5 gallon buckets of rabbit manure for free from a neighbor, and that's it. After a few weeks of tarping the area, I planted through cardboard and tossed a handful of rabbit doots in each hole, and ended up with the absolute hands-down best harvest yet. I'm convinced that stuff is magic. The same tomatoes I grow every year were 30% bigger, plants grew like crazy, and I had no real issues with pests or diseases. It was nuts. I've heard that aphids can be a sign of too much nitrogen, and I'm beginning to think there's something to that, as this was the first year I've not battled them (only one plant had them - and it was one I'd purchased 😮). After that, even in high intensity growing, 12" a year does seem excessive.

[@GardeningInCanada]

That’s awesome! And yea aphids can be a sign of to much nitrogen, it’s actually because excess nitrogen can result is excess upper biomass growth. The excess is developed so quickly it makes for nice soft tissue bugs like to chew on.

[@lisakukla459]

@@GardeningInCanada That makes perfect sense.

[@GardeningInCanada]

😊😊

[@lynnee7780]

Adorable you and your 🦜 ...Your math calculate is easy to understand. 👍

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thank goodness! I was waiting for the comment about the math hoping I was going to get the it’s understandable!

[@tracywaller8445]

Thanks for giving the 3:00 to 5:00 ratio in your description right away I appreciate that a lot

[@edreviews47]

Woot!Woot! Keep up the great work!:)

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thanks! 😊

[@janicesgarden5748]

Good for you. You'll go down in history as debunking Dowding. Finally!!

[@GardeningInCanada]

Haha I don’t think so 😂 he has lawyers I might be getting a cease and desist order as we speak 😉

[@janicesgarden5748]

@@GardeningInCanada thats why this world is so mixed up. The truth is covered up so often, by "big wigs"

[@GardeningInCanada]

It’s so true 😂 if I become a “big wig” I solemnly swear to never lie and only use unobscured science too give you answers. I have nothing to sell methodology or product wise so I don’t have anything to push

[@chesterhobbs7244]

Wow! This was another great learning experience. Thank you for the great effort you spend for our benefit.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@tobruz]

Please try this with adding how much yearly volume in inches of home compost to an established bed the compost consisting of leafs, grass clippings and some kitchen waste. Using a standard home hot compost mix of greens vs browns by volume 2 parts brown to one part green. How many inches to add on top yearly to a no dig garden to sustain good plant growth. BTW Thanks for the shout-out! Bruce

[@GardeningInCanada]

I’m reaching out to fellow soil nerds to figure out what the general consensus is on a home compost value wise.

[@HealthyBodyBySophie]

I like the birds’ sounds in the background ✨😊

[@GardeningInCanada]

Miss ella :)

[@johnndavis7647]

I'm the first to admit that I don't know what I'm doing. But here it is. I live in Florida. We have a thin layer of topsoil over sand. When I first started gardening I would water and the water would go right through it. So I started adding organic material to catch and hold water. I have built five raised beds out of concrete blocks 12" deep. They are 4x12'6". I am increasing that to seven beds this year. I have built a lightweight chicken coop that fits inside the beds. I move the coop every few months to a new bed. I have a place where tree trimmers have dumped chips for 20 years. In the oldest part of the dump the chips have rotted down to a foot thick layer of black crusty soil like material. I have no idea what it's nutrient value is. When I move the coop I shovel out the top two or three inches of soil And I fill the bed with this rotted wood chip material. I take the chicken coop soil and mix it about 50/50 with sifted rotted wood chips and I use it in my container garden. I have had good success. My question is how do I get my ratios right? Should I add some sand or charcoal to the mix? What sort of testing should I do? Thanks for your videos. I really appreciate what you are doing.

[@GardeningInCanada]

I would grab a liquid drop to see where stuff is at. I would not be shocked if your nitrogen is to low.

[@MrsV03]

I did not see your last video that you keep referring to but I will go look at it now. I like 3/5 ratio. What I gathered... So for every 3lb inorganic to 2 lb organic 5# mixture. I loved the math! I have about 20-30 lbs of compost. I want to add my black Angus manure and my gardening soil (10# bags) to my compost and mix this all up for a raised bed garden. Would the ratio work for raised bed as well as no dig gardens.

[@TheAsadJK]

Thanks for the vid! although its raised a lot more questions in my mind. I know you said this is a simplified calculation so maybe the details will provide the answers but I'm still curious. Maybe you could answer them in another video since it may be too long to type. 1.You mention that microbial factors will be negligible, but if the soil conditions of no dig are favourable for microbial and fungal life, would the increased populations not increase the usage of nutrients such as nitrogen? Would it not lead to a greater nutrient requirement in the soil or will nitrogen fixing bacteria balance it out? Additionally, increased soil life will lead to greater yields so wouldn't that also lead to a greater demand on nutrients? Also with more mycorrhizal and other fungi in the soil, would the nutrient holding capacity of the soil increase? 2. You mentioned cat-ion capacity in your previous video and how inorganic substances such as clay have a high cation exchange capacity. Does organic matter in compost not have a high capacity? 3. If the manure is used in the production of compost and it is the compost that is applied, how much of a difference would be seen in nitrogen levels? Going back to Charles Dowding, he may have said you could use manure in videos but I'm pretty sure in his own use he only uses compost and any manure he has is used as an addition into his compost piles. 4. How would your 2:3 manure to soil ratio be affected by the native soil? e.g I live in area with clay heavy soils so cat-ion capacity should be high, however organic material levels/ percentages may be low, so should the addition of compost/ manure not factor in native soils? I know you mentioned that native soil will already have nitrogen in it but the volume of any addition above thee soil would be vastly smaller than the volume of soil below. 5. Would the physical structure and makeup of soil affect capacity and requirements? E.g pores in organic material, bio char, formation of aggregates and micro aggregates etc etc

[@GardeningInCanada]

1. I’m going to do a video on Microbes because it seems like most subscribers have a true interest in this. But microbes does not eat nitrates and nitrites like plants do they eat sugars. So what the microbes are feasting on is in no form bioavailable to the plant & therefore there is no direct competition. Now the excessive amount of complex sugars injected into the soil by heavy use of composts/manures will cause a huge spike in microbial activity and therefore a spike in bioavailable nutrients. The byproduct of the microbes digesting organic material is ultimately bioavailable plant food. So the demand for nitrogen isn’t higher but the amount of nitrogen will increase. With the mycelium web the ability to store isn’t what helps the plants capture more nutrients it’s actually the fungi’s ability to also decompose and breakdown 2. CEC. Yes organic material has a very high CEC equivalent too clay 250 - 400 meq/100 grams. But the issue is that manure and composts aren’t depleted of nutrients and the battery is full. So anything lost through processing is a result of simply of the battery over flowing. It isn’t until plants are added that the nutrient backlog begins coming back down. Now the flip side to that is we have a backup battery in manure/compost & that is the sugars we spoke about in number one. As those sugars are broken down into molecules we end up with the initial battery recharging. It’s estimated that cow manure for example can hold a nutrient giving value for approximately 8-10 years obviously decreasing year after year and the rate/duration is based on the environment. 3. Yea so this is a good question and honestly in the field do this correctly we would actually test the organic additions levels before deciding how much to add. So the value I used for solid beef cattle is the industry standard based on testing. So to get a true and accurate (less theoretical) value you would need to test the addition because the available nitrogen in the first year will fluctuate based on plant biomass, how long it’s been composted, type of composting, what was added, etc. 4. So another good question here and again probably deserves it’s own video. But as I mentioned you would typically test your soil prior to even doing this calculation and use it in the net requirements factor. Now within a landscape the nitrogen levels will fluctuate, bottom of a hill will have more then a hill top for example. What’s of interesting to a gardener is what nitrogen is found within the root range particularly above the bulk of the root biomass. This is mostly due to a known concepts such as leaching and volatilization. Now with the CD no dig method I’d ignore a large portion of the parent material makeup especially in that first year. The reason being your actually creating a separate soil system due to the cardboard divide. This hard stop actually causes the perched water table effect I spoke about in my rocks video. However because the connected soil volume is so much smaller, we are growing actively growing vegetables and our evapotranspiration Rates are relatively high due to wind exposure, no pot side protection; I’m not as concerned about this as I am with potted plants. Now in the years (or months) again based on your decomposition rates in your area when the cardboard has decomposed the soil may or may not factor into the over properties of the no dig plot. So in a sandy soil it’s going to aggregate the soil and bring some huge benefits to the physics of the soil. If we are looking for the ultimate spot for a no dig garden is respects to remediating old soil it’s hands down sandy soil I would expect to find the greatest results. Now for a clay soil it’s also hugely beneficial because it’s going to allow a person to start a garden without the $$$ of remediating a clay soil. However, with the clay soil (depending on what % of clay we have based on the textural triangle) we may establish a low key hard pan in the initial setup with the cardboard/ lack of incorporating the top layer. This could in theory result in two separate systems for some people. The best way to ensure this doesn’t happen would be planting vegetables/plants with taproots in hopes of opening some channels to the clay soil beneath. Anyone in Regina area of Saskatchewan has soil I could see this happening with, it contains the amount of clay that cracks when dry and sticks like glue when wet. 5. And this answer is going to really confuse you because it frustrates me 😂😂😂 but no. While in theory it should factor into the “prescription” in practice it’s completely impractical. The reason for that is because there isn’t a soil scientist who works/help gardeners achieve high yields and soil management on a backyard garden scale. All these management techniques are based on large scale agricultural fields and therefore huge variability in these factors over an entire section.

[@TheAsadJK]

@@GardeningInCanada Great! thanks for taking the time to respond. I actually did know microbes consumed sugars and not nitrates but for some reason it slipped my mind when I was typing my original comment lol. It's interesting finding all this out and I look forward to your other videos. Have you ever listened to Diego Footers podcast @Insearchofsoil ? He invites soil scientists and other experts on to talk about soil. It's super interesting. Also its interesting seeing what soil scientists say because like you said, research and funding is usually focused on an industrial agricultural scale and not on the scale of individual gardeners so I wonder how advise would change. For example, I doubt that any amount of added nutrients to my garden would make much of an environmental impact since its on such a small scale. Obviously best practices should still be observed but I feel like a lot of the fears would be significantly reduced for small beds surrounded by grass lawns

[@GardeningInCanada]

No I haven’t I’ll have to find that podcast! & I agree about the environmental impact/stewardship. I mean on a technicality you could take the number of homes in a country and say everyone has one garden 10 x 4 feet and get an idea of how much acreage that is. But other then that I’ve never heard of someone testing backyard garden runoff to see if it’s excessive

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

We finally got another yogurt cup packed with eggshells, filling it with water was insanely difficult because they repel water so well, so 100% eggshell would be a silly soil medium. In contrast, the fired ceramic cat litter absorbed the water immediately and bubbled for about a minute. Eggshells are about a quarter heavier than ceramic cat litter. I'm not sure how to process this information just yet. Will prolly mix each heavily with dirt and compare the properties of each with water and plants.

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

Here's a puzzle, when soaking soil in water to measure its material content, the larger particles fall out first, but does that imply greater density or is it related to surface tension?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Surface tension mostly I want to say. Mostly because organic material can by hydrophobic at times despite the density and therefore floats. Once it’s “water logged” then it sinks.

[@MrsV03]

​@@GardeningInCanadalike the miracle grow with the just so you don't screw it up overwatering value. Lol

[@vincentdarius5763]

Thank you for the follow-up; nerdy details are great! I always appreciate when something highlights what I don't know so I can ask better questions. I'd be very interested to see what (if anything) changes about this analysis with garden compost instead of manure--I know nailing down an NPK value on compost can be hard, but that would be a cool video. I'm curious if the density of garden compost vs manure would be different enough to make a noticeable difference (given that the application is by volume). Also curious if volatilization loss could play a significant role, since the compost isn't being incorporated. Looking at the pdf you linked, I think CD's climate would qualify as a "Cool Wet" environment, which the pdf table suggests will lose ~40% of inorganic N. If the N residual table you're using assumes the fertilizer was incorporated that might make a noticeable difference in the residual over time, especially if someone in a hotter/drier climate (or who is irrigating) is following the method. Since compost has a different proportion of mineralized N (University of Maryland extension website lists it as 5-10% inorganic N in garden compost, vs the ~12.8% in the average solid beef manure from the pdf you linked), I'm curious if this would balance out the volatilization difference from not incorporating the compost. Thank you again for this video! And I'm sorry you got such vitriol on the last. When people want to believe something will produce easy success they can be very defensive about any negatives. That's on them, not you.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Those are AWESOME questions! So yes I can do compost but unfortunately I’m not going to be as confident in my official answer. Mostly based on the factor you bring light too the huge variables between everyone’s home compost. (Im working on getting a value based on general consensus) Volatilization is an issue 110% and i didn’t factor it into this video or the last one because it’s a concept I’ve never ever mentioned & thought it would just come across as another layer of defiance. So with the PDF incorporated is kind of misleading in my opinion so typically the manure would be broadcasted which is a fancy word for placed on top. And then the drill would do the planting overtop, it’s rare that anyone would actually truly till the manure in. Running tillage equipment on a Farm is expensive/an extra cost that most people do not want to incure. So the drill is the equivalent too a knife being dragged along the soil at a set depth based on the plant (no more then 2inchss on average). I could do an entire video on volatilization! I will just for you!

[@vincentdarius5763]

​@@GardeningInCanada Interesting--that makes a lot of sense. I'm excited for new videos! I really appreciate the detail in your comment responses and the time you're dedicating to helping others understand! Hope you're setting aside some time for yourself too.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Haha I don’t mind it makes me happy

[@jessletteer8430]

When you start to get major haters that’s how you know you are reaching people and doing well lol ur awesome. Haters always gunna hate ❤️

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thanks so much!

[@HzFvr]

I will call you names - INTELLIGENT HARD WORKER RESEARCHER EDUCATOR SCIENTIST GREAT TEACHER!!! Thank you ❤

[@GardeningInCanada]

Ahaha 🤣 love it

[@Jenny-bc5kz]

Should we be turning over home made compost into raised beds? I struggle getting enough compost in my veggie garden but this year I have about 1/2 inch to 1 inch that i put on top, i accumulated that much because i didnt grow veggies last year (only cover crops of buckweat to choke out any weeds). I don't want to destroy my soil tilth causing compaction by turning the compost over but if you think it's smart I will do it. ❤

[@MUKESHDHANRAJ-x2u]

Loving ur gardening

[@kyote_unleashed]

i enjoyed the technical mathy bits - great video!

[@GardeningInCanada]

That’s awesome! Loveeee a fellow nerd 🤓 and loyal subscriber I might add ❤️

[@kyote_unleashed]

@@GardeningInCanada you post interesting and informative videos, i watch and learn 🤓💚

[@GardeningInCanada]

Awesome!

[@teac117]

I came for the maths, but stayed for the adorable green lecture TA.

[@BigDaves-FarmLife]

I know this is a little different than the video topic. I run a cattle farm and recently bought a tractor with front loader. I have scooped up many tons of wet,very rich manure laden hay. I took it from where I fed hay to the cattle over the winter. By weight,the vast majority of it is manure. I also have a source of free hardwood saw dust. I am going to try composting for use on pasture. I've never composted large scale like this. Can you give me an idea of weather I should compost the manure laden hay by itself or mixed with sawdust? If mixed is the better option,can you give me an estimated ratio?

[@KacieMccracken]

Sorry for commenting on an old video but how do you feel about premixed soil from landscaping companies? That have top soil, compost and mushroom soil together. I plan on getting some this year. Should i be worried?

[@GardeningInCanada]

It should be fine. Just make sure you do a bioassays test kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGjUcoGwfdCUnJo

[@michaelmarchione3408]

Two Large Thumbs Up! So as I mentioned in my commit of your past video, was I wrong with what I've been doing? Considering I never use the same area and the rabbit manure breaks down to dirt in a couple of years. It does help the very sandy soil we have. We only have 1/2 to 1 inch of top soil and it is very sour in some areas. There is still moss in some areas where I plant. It has not seemed to bother in our raised beds for the veggies or the flowers either. Mulching it up with the lawnmower where it gets very spread around into a powdery substance. Thanks for your videos. Take care, stay safe!

[@GardeningInCanada]

I don’t see any issues with what your doing. if anything your soil system as a whole in your yard is probably doing really well.

[@michaelmarchione3408]

@@GardeningInCanada Thank you Ashley.

[@krisyallowega5487]

Happy New Year to you my gardening guru! Yet again, you have piqued my interest in gardening. Now, I may be off-base a little (as normal) but I believe that there is a difference in the meaning of compost. I think that those in the U.K. use the term compost loosely. It has been a few years since I have viewed Dowding's content so I don't recall much of his work. I believe that chicken, rabbit, goat, sheep, steer & horse manures need to be put through a compost system with plenty of woody residues. Now with hog waste that is a totally different scenario that I care not to delve into. But I digress, simply piling up the manure to age is inadequate. The concentrations of salts alone may still be too toxic. Your theory is quite plausible given the plethora of variables in a given environment. There are a couple other content providers that I frequently view; Dr.'s David Johnson (Johnson-Siu Bioreactor) and Elaine Ingham. Their methods may be a little different but they believe the compost they produce is an inoculant rather than a fertilizer. So when they try to "fix" the soil that has been "nuked" they use tonnes per squared acre.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Oh that’s really interesting

[@deborahtofflemire7727]

Thank you I was bullied too.

[@mikeanderson2037]

Ufdah! You lost me when the pen came out! 😂

[@frankwilliamsjr.5250]

This is the info I needed in the fall and not what I wanted to hear today hahahaha! I think I way overdone it on my raised beds and I added wood chips. I get conflicting answers about the chips. Any tips?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Haha ugh I need to do a video on wood chips it’s honestly a double edged sword and the decision to use it is completely based on what you’re trying to achieve. I’ll do a video on this for next week!

[@frankwilliamsjr.5250]

@@GardeningInCanada thank you very much I would greatly appreciate it! I mostly put it up until half of a 2 foot bed and was hoping to attract microorganisms to eventually culminate the soil. Also added leaves at the bottom but lots of peat on top. Somewhat rotorilled to mix. I knew I was jumping in blind but just kinda rolled with it and hoping for the best! Terrible garden practice I know 🙈

[@gardenforrent4872]

Nice trigger 🤣 Is this the black cow fertilizer bag with 0.5-0.5-0.5? How many black cow bags with 0.5-0.5-0.5 should i apply after the next season assuming i filled it with a 3/5 ratio the previous season in a 4x4 bed with a 1ft depth using the hypothetical 10-10-10 veggies plot? Thanks again!

[@GardeningInCanada]

So you’re looking at 16 square feet which means you need 9.6 bags of manure and the rest would be soil. You could just do 10 or 9 bags that’s not going to make for a huge difference.

[@GardeningInCanada]

So all you’ll do to Calculate this is take your cubic footage (length x width x height) Then we know we need approximately 5lbs of “soil” to fill a cubic foot. Therefore we can take 5 lbs x 16 cubic feet to five us a total of 80 lbs for all 16 cubic feet. We know 3/5 the of the 80 lbs will be manure. So that’s 60% total volume. So we can take 80 x 0.60 which gives us 48 lbs. This is the total volume of manure needed out of the 80 lbs needed to fill the bed. We then for connivence sake can take the 48 lbs and divide it by the total pounds in a black cow manure bag (5lbs). This gives us 9.6 bags total needed for your plot. The remainder being soil. So you can simply take the total 80 lbs and minus 48 lbs (your manure value) to give you 32 lbs soil. For the soil a loam is the ideal.

[@gardenforrent4872]

@@GardeningInCanada thank you very much for taking your time to answer my question. I will keep this in mind if i start a new bed.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Awesome!

[@jontaylor4511]

I really couldn't find a decent figure on how much manure to apply on a large bed. Only did a rough estimate. I'm used to wrestling with clay beds, haven't looked into no dig. You're always going to have fans that are jingoistic about it, they're the ones I've encountered, will see if it stacks up scientifically and practically.

[@joniboulware1436]

I know this is old, but I am wondering how to use this when the compost is homemade without manure. There is so much diversity of material. In last year's case it was roughly 50% fall leaves, 10% used coffee grounds, 10% pumpkins and the remainder general garden trimmings and weeds. The first year of use is top dressing/mulch which I blend after summer crops are done. This is used in raised beds consisting of all soiless potting mixes like Miracle Grow coir based blend. I guess the question is whether there is really going to be much nitrogen?

[@lindadevuyst9311]

Wow…so I garden in raised beds on the west coast, we get a lot of rain so I’m assuming my nitrogen needs are higher due to the leaching…would this be correct or not??. I alternate compost and manures to keep my beds topped up

[@AndYourLittleDog]

I have a small urban garden and grow woody ornamental perennials and annual edibles and flowers side by side. I’ve been layering wood chip and alpaca manure and bedding along with the prunings from my willow tree. Note the manure is from an animal rescue I volunteer at and the animals are fed hay and pasture that is not treated with herbicide. I would like to apply seaweed to these beds. I’ve checked with the authorities and it is legal to harvest seaweed washed up on the beach in my area and I intend to hose it off before using it. My thought process is a diversity of free, locally sourced inputs beats synthetic additives. I’d welcome your opinion.

[@g.n.adkisson9486]

God bless you. I have a target to shoot for now. I'm not smart enough to understand how you got to your result, but I can understand 2 manure for 5 soil.

[@BigDaves-FarmLife]

Great video

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thanks for the visit

[@tobruz]

If your looking for a generic home compost by volume mine is 60 to 75% shredded leafs (depending on availability and storage) up to 40% cut grass clippings (late spring to winter) and at least 20% green kitchen compost (that’s pretty constant) and NO manure. I add at least a 2 inch compost layer total to the top in season and fall. Will this provide all the nutrients for plant growth for an average garden? Keep up the great work! Thank you, Bruce in Ontario

[@GardeningInCanada]

How degraded would you define the mixture as when you add it? Is it relatively fine?

[@tobruz]

@@GardeningInCanada yes all undecompsed and large items removed then screened through a 1/2” screen, so 1/2” or less in size ... if I add garden waste it’s cut up first, no mildew ect or weed seeds

[@GardeningInCanada]

Okay! I’ll see what I can turn up values wise. I’d assume that the first year would be low in available nutrients but every year after that it would obviously compound. I think the biggest “concern” which isn’t really a huge concern is with a deep mulch is that is you may not have much in the way of photosensitive & anaerobic microbes until you get farther into the profile of the soil. Now is this an issue or a detriment to your garden? Most like not. How long have you ran this system? Do you leave your mulch after the season is done or do you remove it?

[@tobruz]

Three full years running this on top of 2 6x6 - 30 year old raised beds that were dug yearly and begun with much double digging. I also have a strip 1x40 along a fence line to vertically grow that I am starting to convert as material is available. I will have more compost next year as I have two large piles over winter making and more shredded leafs in waiting. No dig bed prep in the fall of possibly 2” over the season and end and level the compost/ mulch. Then cover beds with fab landscape cloth (water perm and protection from diggers) I cover the beds in mid April with clear tarps to thaw and then remove the fabric but keep covered plant transplants later and cover with fleece till mid May tomato time. I have had no noticeable issues other than normal rodents mostly voles and mice. My compost is usually dark and finished but even if it wasn’t completely finished it would be considered a mulch as it’s on top I also plant deep through it. I know you advocate digging/ mixing in organic but since I have virtually zero weeds I can’t and won’t turn back now it’s a joy gardening to be weed free!

[@GardeningInCanada]

That’s pretty awesome! I don’t advocate for it I just think people should keep options open if they have something heavier then a loamy soil.

[@alexmckeown123]

Did you ever do a more examples video, i love the content and binge hours for hours

[@WarGardensForVictory]

What are your thoughts about mushroom compost?

[@GardeningInCanada]

I like it! It’s a bit on the pricey side but you’re introducing a lot of good stuff. Garden Soil is typically low in fungi so adding the compost which is likely to have spores is important

[@WarGardensForVictory]

@@GardeningInCanada it’s free down here, they can’t get rid of it fast enough. In one of my videos I show a quick shot of the pile at the mushroom farm, it’s about 20 feet tall and 200 feet by 400feet of compost. The mushroom farm grows so many different types. I assumed it was good stuff. Last year 7 zucchini’s grow 1140lbs of zucchini. But I talked to a small mushroom grower who told me farmed mushrooms don’t have immune system‘s and that I’m not likely to see those mushrooms growing in my rows. So that made me question if it’s really diverse or just really broken down organic matter.

[@GardeningInCanada]

No there are most likely fungi in the mix, now if it’s heated compost then maybe not. The thing is that fungi are one of the first microbes to start the breakdown process of OM for bacteria. Without compost that’s already at that state you have more work on your hands. The other nice thing is that it won’t leach like a composted manure

[@WarGardensForVictory]

@@GardeningInCanada that’s interesting I always thought bacteria was first in the break down and then fungi showed up. Either way they have a symbiotic relationship. When we do go and get it the piles are so hot, I will move the top layer and it’s crazy steam clouds. My favorite thing to do is get fresh hot mushroom compost mix in 2/5 (finished) horse manure, cook it tell for two weeks, turning it constantly, the whole time it stays around 160F (71C?). Then add in 50/50 fresh wood chips from a tree arborist. Then I’ll leave it to sit and become fungal dominant for a few months. I would like to think it really helps when ever I plant a new tree, and mix it into the soil around n on top of the root ball, but who knows!

[@GardeningInCanada]

The cooking is important it gets rid of weeds and disease

[@JoanEvangelista]

This is really cool thanks. I've watched a few Charles Dowding vids and I do remember him mentioning that he'd sometimes have soil tests done on his acre garden but I'm not sure if he is publishing those numbers somewhere. Also curious how the calculation would be affected if say he plants 3-4 crops per year before adding another layer of compost? Wouldn't that increase the baseline requirement of 10-10-10?

[@GardeningInCanada]

I’m not sure what crops he’s planting to get 3-4 crops on but I would assume they are low resource plants like lettuce or radish. That only gives him four months to produce something. Unless he’s starting seeds indoors but even then he’s not in a tropical climate so it not going to be peppers and tomatoes three times.

[@JoanEvangelista]

@@GardeningInCanada he starts the plants on seed cells first. He plants lots of brassicas, tomatoes, peas, eggplants, carrots, beets and potatoes iirc

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea, regardless though you want to apply then amount the crop needs at the time. one heavy application in the spring is just going to result in high levels of leaching for the first six months and adequate nutrients need the last. Nutrients doesn’t sit and wait for the plants it’s very mobile

[@JoanEvangelista]

@@GardeningInCanada I found one video where he compiled one year of succession planting in one bed: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3ivYn-eZsioqdk I live in the tropics so I'm not really familiar with how most of the plants in the vid take up nutrients. So I guess the safer route would be to have the mixed soil and compost added on the bed only after planting a heavy feeder, to make sure that excess nutrients wouldn't be wasted on run off? I have to figure out how to properly apply this in my situation where we get plenty of rain all year round except on summer XD

[@JoanEvangelista]

@@GardeningInCanada Just want to say thanks! I got into a rabbit hole of reading about bio availability in compost and how it leaches off over time. Sometimes I feel like I picked the wrong course back in uni, soil science, ecology etc is so damn interesting

[@pmc9088]

This video and the 3/5 ratio make sense to a layman soil builder. Can I request a video on remineralization with compost containing leaf? Specifically maple leaf as that is the predominate specie that I'm composting and of course Canada :). Any tree species that do a better job than others mining minerals for incorporation into soil? Maybe a scientific discussion of compost and manure's value in a garden as a mulch layer for moisture retention and weed control? I think this latter subject goes to context and labor inputs for gardeners. My home was built in 1941 on a .38 acre lot and in spring 1942 there were 48 chickens and 5,000 square feet of victory garden on this property. I met the little girl who at age 7 worked the chickens, garden and 5 acres of raspberries with her mother back then when she came by to see the house again some years ago. The tragedy of that beautiful 18-24 inches of friable soil turning back into clay hardpan under the lawn is just sad to me. If you used a sod cutter on that part of my yard today you would get most of the friable soil when you rolled up the turf. She was very proud of that garden and told me that because of the thorns she still won't eat raspberries.

[@GardeningInCanada]

That is awesome. And yea absolutely can do a video on that. When you use the compost as a mulch how long do you typically let it sit for? A year cycle, 6 months, 2 years?

[@davidhoward2412]

I hate that folks are sensitive to the point to resort to name calling. They should take the information that is given in the spirit that it is given.

[@robertreznik9330]

Manure on my farm can have 32 to 130 lbs NPK to a ton As Is. West Texas beef manure being the higher and dairy lower.

[@alexmckeown123]

I love the content,such good brain food, id love to see a video on all nutrient applications with examples,visuals ect. Maybe if possible convert it to gram per ft (for Fertilisers that are 140g per m/2 type fertilisers not lbs

[@tgahan01]

I like this channel 😊

[@GardeningInCanada]

Glad you’re enjoying let me know if you need anything in particular

[@tgahan01]

@@GardeningInCanada I watched your video about lawn aeration products. I have a dilemma. After extending our home the contractors spread a lot of the excavation sand and parked heavy equipment on it for weeks on end. Used to have gorgeous soil and lawn. Now it’s compacted sand. Bringing in new topsoil is out of the question. Tried core aeration and liquid products. No success. Your thoughts? Thanks

[@kendravoracek3636]

💚💚

[@GardeningInCanada]

😊😊😊

[@Batchat2352]

So 60% soil and 40% compost in no Dig gardening. Thats pretty high level of compost when good soil is around 10%. I made my raised beds with approximatively 30-40% compost rest was clay soil perlite and peat moss. My goal wasn’t to do a no dig bed but to have good decent soil vs clay soil. Im thinking digging a part of the clay soil out from my field and fill it with city compost like one 1vg3 to mix it on my 22x12 feet field. It kept depending on bagged soil to do decent every year until this year. Nothing almost is growing in it our tomatoes are turning yellow and stunted and refuse to grow. With 1vg3 of compost i should end up with 8-10% of organic matter in the first 10-12 inches. Does that make sense?

[@scottsmith507]

Liked the math explanation. I knew this would be small amounts, but this is minuscule. Would be interesting to see requirements garden with just deep mulch, straw/leaves,or wood chips is needed yearly. All this is showing me is, the healthier your soil food web is, the closer to doing nothing to amend soil. Am I wrong here?

[@GardeningInCanada]

I can look into that, it’s going to be a lot different because it’s obviously not as degraded. And I still consider it an over application. An excess of 2lbs per square foot compounded over even say a 4x4 bed is an over application of 32 lbs of manure. And a lot of nitrate and nitrite run off. A common misconception is that microbes in the soil food web eat nutrients and that’s not the case they eat sugars which aren’t bio available to the plant & turn them into nutrients.

[@scottsmith507]

@@GardeningInCanada so my 50x50 garden can handle 5000# of manure? Yes that is my conception of how it works. All the talk is feed the microbes nutrients and they will uptake and feed the plants in exchange for exudes back from the plants. This whole soil food web is new to me and is amazing. Noing nothing in about it works and hearing so many ideas, I have been seeking out scientists of soil and plants to make some sense of it all.

[@GardeningInCanada]

If you’re wondering about yearly additions and not then initial start up it would in cubic inches not cubic feet. So it’s going to be a lot less then that. I’d have to sit down and write it all out for you (I’m not home at the moment) but theoretically ( off the top of my head) with a 2 inch yearly addition in a 50 x 50 plot you’d be applying 2,083 lbs based on a CD No Dig system. With my suggestion you’d be using 625 lbs yearly. Now that’s all theoretical and without an initial soil test or knowing your planting density. It may need to be higher or lower.

[@GardeningInCanada]

For the microbes and nutrient. I’m going to have to do a video on this. I’m not sure which influencer is saying feed microbes nutrients and you’ll gain more microbes which will in turn cause better plants. There is a massive disconnect there isn’t not that simple. And you’re not the only one to explain the soil food web to me like this.

[@freelivingtennessee]

I love how controversial some of your videos end up being. Lol. I think what a lot of people are missing these days are like you said. The scientific method is being lost to consensus. There’s a very political saying now a days “follow the science” and in a perfect world that would mean “follow the scientific method and follow the data and follow the experiments and what the data reveals” but more often than not it means to people to “follow the consensus” and the people that make up the consensus in gardening don’t always end up being scientists like you are. Anyways. I didn’t mean to bring up more controversial stuff in saying that. Only a cultural issue that a lot of people are picking up on. Thank u for making this video I think it makes a lot of sense to break down the requirements of plants and their needs and the economical factor in no dig, straight compost/straight manure ect. Anyways just wanted to say those few things and give u some engagement as always 😉

[@GardeningInCanada]

Hahaha I love this comment I agree with all of it very well put.

[@laurasamford238]

can you do the calculations for mushroom compost?

[@linda-MyLifeAndOtherAnecdotes]

Yep, I think I used no dig and no till interchangeably by accident (in my mind) and had I been paying closer attention I never would’ve purchased CD’s book. Never mind the science, common sense tells me soil is basic requirement for plants, not just loads and loads of compost and manure. 😐. Oh well, won’t be the first time I essentially set money on fire, unfortunately.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Use the concept just mix in soil 🤓

[@chickenjohnny3308]

Staggering

[@GardeningInCanada]

😃😃😃

[@apextroll]

Interesting. Got a little lost in the end how you came up with the ratio, but I got the drift. Prior to your "Dowding Thomas" video (jk), I watched a Diego Footer video where he experimented with 5 test plots, ranging from adding no compost to more compost. Most people thought the most compost would yield the best, but the plants died. The no compost added did the best. Seems there was adequate nutrients available in the relatively untreated soil surface. watch?v=ky0fPXADLds

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea which seems theoretically sound. I mean it’s going to depend on the existing soils values in combination with the compost values. And like I always stress pH, watching to acidity is important

[@apextroll]

@@GardeningInCanada Well I've always been on the less is more band wagon so I don't need much convincing. The compost and cow manure I plan to add to my raised bed/hugelkultur hybrid is from last year and is well aged and I also planned to extend it by mixing in cheap top soil, so I think I'm going in the right direction. I'll have to look into the pH though.

[@tobruz]

I watched the same video but he may have encountered that herbicide that farmers use to clear grazing-land, he didn’t specifically say it was “clean” compost nor say all were watered the same ...

[@apextroll]

@@tobruz No doubt there are a myriad of variables to control, but one would assume he did use the same compost in 4 plots. He did say the compost was hydrophobic and needed more watering but was that the cause of impeded yield or crop failure?? At the end of the day the non compost plot did the best, whether that was from the soil biology or not being in an over nutrient environment, we don't know for sure.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea compost can be hydrophobic that’s very true. There are surfactants you can get to help with the issue. But there can be entire dead spots moisture wise if you don’t apply the compost properly.

[@VLXMario]

@gardeningincanada Do a Rabbit Manure one! Please 🙏

[@katherinesanchez_]

i feel like if we were in college together we would've been best friends...just saying...had to put that out there.

[@GardeningInCanada]

HAHA perfect! I like friends 😏 in Canada by chance?

[@katherinesanchez_]

@@GardeningInCanada nope... im in phoenix arizona these days...

[@GardeningInCanada]

Oh my I’m jealous of your hiking trails and such

[@Sourman5000]

I mixed some peat with too much compost and the plants are still alive but haven’t grown much at all in 6 weeks. Idk what is too strong in it but my plants definitely don’t like it.

[@jacobclark89]

I didn't know their was a manure police . is that in canda or America ?

[@GardeningInCanada]

Both as far as I know. USA is particularly watchful around the Great Lakes. You need to add nitrogen stabilizers even

[@jacobclark89]

@@GardeningInCanada I wonder why they do that ? If I plant in 100% compost than the worms can continue to produce the fertlizer as the plant grows

[@ienekevanhouten4559]

Here I thought the garden community would be safe from the hate culture. I love Charles Dowding, but I also notice that he has soil to start with. I am on pure sand.

[@geraldblount4159]

How about pigeon manure cuz I got about 300 pigeons that fly my backyard and I can scoop it up on a shovelful

[@GardeningInCanada]

compost it first

[@adampetherick7836]

The reason why people call you names they don't know.science

[@GardeningInCanada]

Ahah that’s maybe the case!

[@wildedibles819]

:)

[@GardeningInCanada]

Here already?!?

[@wildedibles819]

@@GardeningInCanada watching it's done well:)

[@wildedibles819]

@@GardeningInCanada thank you :) very much enjoying the video

[@GardeningInCanada]

Thanks! Hope you enjoy it

[@wildedibles819]

@@GardeningInCanada yes it was done very well I know all too well if you use too much poop even rabbit manure that it starts rotting and can possibly do damage to your plants with pest or disease And too much your plants won't use it all up if you put too much on We have clover with thoes nitrogen fixing nodes in some gardens and i don't have to use as much additives Great way to explain all of this!

[@jordanxfile]

🥰 🪴🐦

[@jacobclark89]

2.5 # per 1000 sq foot is that to grow cactus LOL 🤣

[@adampetherick7836]

It's just like all political views you can't you can't give your . Opinion . If someone wants to challenge a theory and that's the right to challenge. It doesn't mean disagree with have method it means that you like to give more information on the science behind it.

[@GardeningInCanada]

Yea I agree 100% I’m down form discussion and debate but the name calling and slander is a bit overboard. People enjoy discrediting people through essentially calling them wasted skin now. Our world and gardening will never improve without dialogue and different perspective.

[@adampetherick7836]

@@GardeningInCanada I subscribe to ten different Garden channels and so well-known but I do not take one method I guess I'll soon formation in science behind and apply it to my method of works from square foot method Hugo culture.. even the science behind feeding. Organisms beneficial microbes an it's all the same gardening technique but it breaks it down two different units beneficial. 1Channel even showed me how you get elephant garlic sèeds from the roots

[@GardeningInCanada]

That’s awesome those are huge plants

[@The_Garden_Ranger]

Get to the point! My God!!!

[@PointofimpactTV]

You make some inaccurate assumptions in your videos about no dig. The cardboard is temporary, in some cases it starts with 3” of compost. The compost nutrients are made plant available by the soil foodweb as opposed to being in a soluble form all the time like inorganic fertilisers. The level of his soils is maintained by the conversion of soil carbon in to carbon dioxide, he’s only adding enough to maintain in the same way a forest floor reaches an equilibrium with decomposed leaf litter.

[@GardeningInCanada]

The solubility of nutrients in excess is still run off and an over application regardless organic or inorganic status. Ask any producer in the world if they have restrictions on how much organic fertilizer the can apply. You are simplifying a very complex system the only by product being carbon dioxide is not even close to factual.

[@PointofimpactTV]

@@GardeningInCanada Charles doesn’t put a foot of manure on like you say, anyone who did would start building a hell of a mound over time. I think you should’ve spoken to Charles before you started getting the wrong end of the stick.

[@GardeningInCanada]

I’m relatively certain when I’m running the numbers in this video I am using 2 inches. Not a foot.