Transforming Garden Soil: COST-SAVING Regenerative Solutions for Healthy Gardens!

In today's video, we get into regenerative gardening techniques I use to revitalize our garden soil in our backyard homestead using cover crops, broadforks, organic matter, and mulch--and how they each play a crucial role in transforming depleted garden soil into a nutrient-rich environment. Learn the benefits of cover crops in improving soil structure and fertility, and the benefits of broadforks in aerating clay soils without disrupting the soil food web.
I also discuss the power of incorporating organic matter in both clay and sandy soils to enhance soil health, boost microbial activity, and provide nutrients for plant growth. We'll end with some overall tips for getting started with cover cropping so you can avoid some potential pitfalls!
LINKS:
Related videos:
Tips for using compost: • Garden gold: key consi...
My top mulches: • My favorite mulches fo...
Spring pea cover crop planting and inoculation: • Planting a spring cove...
Cover crop termination: • Garden cover crop term...
PRODUCTS:
BROADFORK: www.treadlitebroadforks.com/?...
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Our FULL regenerative gardening course: blossomandbranchfarm.teachabl...

[@BBDD.]

Your dirty hands make me so happy! 😊💚

[@brandynash1409]

Me too!!!

[@gardentours]

That's a real gardener 👍🏼

[@kittybyrd9635]

I thought our soil was heavy and compacted so I planted big ole daikons and oats. The daikons grew about 3 inches into the soil and about foot above. It was ridiculous. Then we had a plumbing issue and the crew used large machinery to pull out 4 massive rocks to get to one line in the yard. Then we also tried to put up a basketball hoop for the kids. It took 3 hours with an auger on a tractor to dig a single hole for the post. Turns out it's mostly rock. I was really sad and frustrated. As a LAST RESORT we ended up bringing in a truck load of soil from a local company. We haven't added anything since. Ours was an extreme case, otherwise I would not have done this. Great video! I'm a fan!❤❤❤❤❤

[@Blossomandbranch]

Ha you’re the ones I mentioned who live on a granite rock then 😂 glad you’re up and running now!! 🥰

[@maryelrod8163]

I live in a new build neighborhood, so my soil is clay, rocks, and cheap fill dirt 🙃

[@WeArePoleGem]

Cheap ez way to improve soil!!! This Spring...... Dig a hole 4 inches deep big enough for a tp roll and fill with mix of half your soil n half organic bagged soil... plant 2 cosmos seeds in each tube...make them 6 inches apart.... after one season.... the soil will be loose n soft... quite different. Cosmos break up soil and tp rolls feed worms n worms feed soil. In fall cover with ground leaves! Next year, spread compost n plant what u like! Good luck! ​@@maryelrod8163

[@hibiscus-dreams]

​@@maryelrod8163 And over the years, as you work in the yard, you'll be surprised what the contractors dropped on the ground when they were on site (rather than putting in a trash can/dumpster bin).

[@B.Harper7]

​@@hibiscus-dreamshahahahahaha oh my God yes, my sisters yard is an interest 'treasure hunt' 😂😂😂

[@RussHjelm]

My biggest available resource is lawn clippings. I use them as a mulch, particularly for our hot summers. It's amazing how quickly they break down and help build the soil.

[@Acts-1322]

Definitely! Just be careful of those persistent herbicides that are in most people's lawns for years. That's why I only use my own clippings, and even then I skip the outside couple mower passes

[@ausfoodgarden]

It was so great to see the dirty hands as you talk about garden soil. I've seen too many channels where the presenter looks like they just came from a beauty salon. Not believable guys! It's Autumn down here in Melbourne AUS and I just got a tonne of used coffee grounds delivered (for free!) I'll be mixing that with lots of Autumn leaves and whatever garden waste we have to try and get some nice compost to use in the Spring. The soil here is pretty much dead so it needs all the help I can give it. Cheers!

[@peterellis4262]

Amen Sister! Really, thank you for hitting this issue. People are being convinced that they need to buy dirt and it's just almost never true.

[@user-qr2zy8cj8q]

I have recently found your channel and obsessed! Thank you, you tube algorithm gods! I have learned so much in a week of watching your videos wishing I could start my garden (still snowing in Buffalo, NY) and not equipped to do much indoors. What you have taught me is to be patient and not buy all the things, learn and start small. No reason to spend a small fortune that one doesn’t have. Your 4x8 gardens are giving me life right now! Sending love and so grateful, you have a subscriber for as long as you keep posting! I adore you Mrs. Bri! Take care ❤

[@stephanie1460]

I've been gardening for nearly 10 years and I was so scared to cover crop because I was under the impression that you want to save all the nutrients in your soil for vegetables/flowers, not "waste" it in a cover crop. I had NO idea about the soil food web and about how plants can improve the soil. I did a fall cover crop last year and am excited to see if its going to make any difference in the soil!!!

[@SydnieT912]

Holy moly, you have so much knowledge! I have never farmed or planted but i'm almost 30 and have no idea where to start, on a budget.

[@MyFocusVaries]

I'd suggest googling, and plant things you can direct sow. It takes the least amount of equipment and effort. And only start things you love to eat and to prepare (eg, I discovered I don't like shelling peas, so I grow snap peas instead). Start small and do some reading about your local area's conditions.

[@annalynn9325]

I get really great knowledge from this channel because of the focus on soil. Also David the Good because he’s very low budget, not going to get you into a bunch of complicated equipment and amendments. Also if you are in the US check with your county ag extension office, they frequently will have a list of varieties that do well in your area. Best gardening advice comes from someone who grows in a climate similar to yours.

[@Acts-1322]

​@@MyFocusVariesAgreed!

[@gardeninginthedesert]

I'm 56 and I would say this is my first successful year. I live in West Africa and the soil is sand. I have to add loads of cow and donkey manure, both cheap or free and in plentiful supply. Also leaves, kitchen scraps, garden cuttings chopped up small. I collected old plastic food tubs from shops, they sell portions of mayo, ketchup etc from them and then throw them out. I planted seeds in them then plant the seedlings in the garden. I can plant squash seeds straight in the garden, they grow like crazy here. Just try one or two things and watch lots of videos to get more ideas. One more thing I enjoy is a tub of spring onions from the market. They still had roots, a bit dry so I soaked them for a day then planted the white part after removing the green. I'm taking cuttings from them every few days, they keep growing. 😊

[@WesternMONo-TillGardening]

I primarily cover crop with oilseed radishes, cowpeas, and sorghum sudangrass, but I did do some oats and peas this year. I've found that planting oilseed radishes around my cucumbers helps keep cucumber beetles away. I just let the radishes stay there all summer and love the little white flowers on them.

[@paulacothren3591]

100K, congratulations!

[@elainedoudna2054]

Im just sitting here 😂 n Colorado Springs with a broadfork that I bought about 5 years ago and packs of covercrop seeds that I was hesitant to plant. You, kind lady, have just answered enough of my questions that I feel comfortable with the concept for the first time! I had all the components and feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. She had the solution to her problem from the beginning!

[@marybendfeldt9596]

Please do more videos on cover cropping. This is year 2 for us but the bed next to the house near our brick didn’t experience winter kill…so now we have a jungle in March, and yes this includes rye! You may enjoy the podcast, 4 the Soil, by the way! I am biased, but I think it is wonderful 😊(editing to say I am in the Shenandoah Valley in VA)

[@lynnhuntington3498]

You are so articulate and are probably the only you tube presenter who can successfully talk about rhizophagy. Great job!

[@ebgstuff]

Is compost the best way to get rhizomes?

[@bvvv.v.gdfffc2403]

gold mine of a video. Learned so much.

[@mariahjuhl702]

You're so knowledgeable! I'm so glad I found your channel in time for this years garden season! ❤😊 thank you for sharing!

[@QuebecUrbanhomestead]

Great video, thank you for sharing this type of information! Can’t wait for the snow to melt and get started on my bed prep for a good summer harvest❤

[@marinasnetkova473]

Thank you, it so educational! I just go back and listen again if I missed something.

[@katarinapinosa1356]

Well said, Peter.

[@tamisauer2402]

Wonderful video!! Thank you!!

[@honeydew4576]

This video earns you a new subscriber! I love your aesthetic as well as your presentation and knowledge. Glad to see that you understand the correct way to use nitrogen fixing plants and cover cropping. A lot of people don't really understand how to get the benefits, so glad you shared that correct info. Keep up the good work you are doing, and thank you!

[@devp700]

Congratulations on having 100k subscribers 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@risamateo8003]

This is so helpful! I'm a beginning herb farmer and your videos and soil science help so much

[@ThePosyCo]

This is so good! I bought a Cover Crop mix once that never germinated. I’m now glad that it didn’t… I’ll be focusing on peas as a cover crop. Thank you for everything you share!! 🌻

[@jennjessup1050]

Such great information! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I'm so happy to have found your channel.

[@dawnreynolds519]

You are soooo intelligent with gardening and soil improvement..I just love how you teach us from everything you have experienced and tried(successes and failures). Please continue putting out videos so we can have successful gardens. Have a productive spring and bless you and your family.❤

[@selenanieto8152]

Very helpful thank you! I have not done cover cropping yet, but would like to try.

[@sbffsbrarbrr]

Wonderful video. Always enjoy learning about soil. I've been in my home going on 6 years this summer. Weeds and grass when we first moved in. I've converted about 2/3 of the lawn area into garden beds by putting down cardboard, leaves, grass clippings and mulch in the fall when I start a new areas. It's worked well for me and now there is mostly nice, rich black soil, especially in those areas that were started five years ago. I have better access to wood chips than I do to leaves and the soil almost always gets a new layer every year. I can now grow much better vegetables and flowers in the ground than I can in my raised beds. I've learned so much over the last few years do to channels like this one, even though I've been "gardening" for over 30 years now.

[@Plantandpeoplecarer]

I have heavy clay! To start my garden I’m tilling first year only! I have weeds and green grass, going to chop and drop then turn it over and planting cover crop over winter! You’ve inspired all this!

[@jcb8668]

Obsessed! Love your delivery and thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Like having a friend in my…garden!

[@terranentity]

Thank you for sharing! Great video!

[@Blossomandbranch]

You’re so welcome!

[@kfaulknerstudio]

I’ve been using cover crop on my home cutting garden for several years. I’ve tried peas, oats, hairy vetch, clover, and mustard. Thank you for covering this topic.

[@redshift5050]

Composting in place. I love this. I do it with wood chips.

[@mistygeller3193]

I love it!! Excellent information and the more I learn about the soil, thanks to and inspired by you, the more excited I get too!! It’s simple to do and it makes sense! I have all sand, any previously existing topsoil has been long since stripped away by careless snow plowing by a neighbor year after year before I became the custodian of the property 😖😖Now I am trying to work with what I have to grow a little bit of joy in my yard 😊

[@olgadm2241]

Thank you! Please talk more about healthy soil🙏🏻🙏🏻 like everything you do to keep your soil healthy. And everything about cover crops.

[@creatinghanley]

Thank you for this information! I always learn something new from your videos. Your presentation is well planned, succinct, aesthetically pleasing, and abundant with important details. I will add that for small-backyard city gardeners, like myself, our lawns at the beginning of the home building process was a construction site, so when I dug up areas to plant vegetables and flowers, I found all sorts of buried debris/garbage, and tons of shale/rocks in this clay hard compacted soil. I built raised beds to combat that, but this year I’m planning a hugelkulture too. I’ll incorporate your cover crop suggestion and perhaps choose red clover. Thank you for being fabulous.

[@PetrasGarden]

Great info! 😊

[@Supersmile330]

That's really cool, I learned something new today! I knew about cover cropping as, like, a vague idea, but it's really interesting to see a more practical expmanation of it

[@karenr7931]

This is such valuable information due to the increasing difficulty in accessing products we can trust. And it makes so much sense. I'd much rather use what is readily available and learn to become even more self-sufficient. Thank you for showing us the way and encouraging us to get our hands dirty!🥰

[@DylanShumway-hs3mm]

Fabulous video! I always learn so much from you. You are a natural teacher!

[@Blossomandbranch]

I'm so glad! Thank you!

[@peoniesanddahliaz]

Thank you for the very informative and simple to follow video. I have packets of cover crops sitting in my kitchen drawer since the last two years because I have felt a bit nervous and diffident about using them because I e never done it before. I’m going to do this in my car few n beds now zone 6. Thank you!

[@carib9168]

I have been very intimidated about doing cover crop during late fall. My fear was about having a really big mess that wouldn’t die off or keep growing back. However, I believe you have inspired some confidence in me. Look out clay soil!I’m in southeast Texas. I will try some peas this winter 🤞🏽thanks

[@hibiscus-dreams]

I felt the same. I tried a winter kill cover crop last autumn/winter. I will try a different variety next yr bc the type I got last time didn't seem to work. I'll try a different CC mix next time. Probably should have gone with a clover mix. It's like any good recipe though, it might take a couple "test" batches to figure out what works best.

[@jimkingsland1645]

Excellent content and presentation as always. I’m taking your suggestion to watch and take notes. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and passion. Soil and microbes are such mysteries to me. So YES, would you please do a lecture on soil science? Most appreciated!

[@olgapustovoit8330]

obsessed with your videos. You are a wonderful narrator and such detailed instructions. Love. And I love how you talk fast!

[@sarahdavidson9294]

Ditto!

[@tamararobinson2069]

Thanks Bre!! I really want to do this but struggle with weeds so much adding more things to the soil that’s not veggies etc is scary. This helped move me along👍🏼💚🐑

[@rootedinjoy8821]

Hey Bree, long time sub….I recently treated myself to a soil fertility class at Harlequin Gardens. I talked up your channel to folks there! Thanks for all you do!

[@Blossomandbranch]

Oh thank you so much, I love harlequins so much!! Wish it were closer to us!!

[@sonnysome3201]

This was so useful, thank you! I've been a follower for a while and I'm so happy to see your channel swell. 100K! I love it!

[@Blossomandbranch]

Thank you so much!! Just glad so many are interested in gardening greener!!

[@sonnysome3201]

@@BlossomandbranchIt's a thing of beauty! this channel has been an eye opener. I have to say that while the state of our Earth can have a detrimental effect on our mental health, your channel has given options on how we can all have a bit of power in how we go on forward from here. Thank you.

[@adriana6992]

I'm in the low desert, zone 9b and our dirt is pretty rough. The first 2 years I tilled and added lost of organic matter and compost. Since then I just build soil on top of the beds without tilling. I'd love to learn more about cover cropping, but I'd have to figure out the right times to do it here. We don't typically get a "fall" our fall is still 100 degrees. Our first frost date is around mid December and our last frost date is February 14th

[@MyFocusVaries]

Another great video. I am very near my last frost date, but I'm going to start a cover crop in the beds where I haven't yet planned what I'm planting. Thanks for the instructions!

[@Blossomandbranch]

You can do it!

[@MyFocusVaries]

​@@BlossomandbranchI did it! Spring field peas sown. Since I can't put much in the ground until the third week of May, they'll get their 45 or so days to flower since I planted them last weekend!

[@OneAtomicJenga]

Thank you for educating me! I love your philosophy, style, and presentation. It's wonderful to follow someone who is in a similar zone to me and I hope that my flowers will someday thrive like yours with healthy soil.

[@OneAtomicJenga]

so, if I'm planting shelling peas to eat, are they not fixing nitrogen since they are using it to make peas? (vs. cover cropping & terminating before that point)

[@Blossomandbranch]

Thank you so much !! And yes that’s correct. There may be some residual left in the soil but it mostly goes to seed production!

[@lynndifer4163]

One thing you didn’t mention that helped me a lot- preventing RE-compaction of soil. Once I stopped walking on top of my beds, especially in the winter when they are empty and it seems easier to cut through than go around, my beds improved a lot. Other than that I totally agree with everything you said. I tilled my garden the first year and got rid of many rocks and the hardest chunks of clay. Every since, I just maintain it and sometimes broadfork it, and it continues to be a nice, cheerful soil that gives me lots of food

[@Blossomandbranch]

Great tip, I like permanent beds for this reason-clay is especially good at recompacting itself!

[@gretahancock4725]

This is so helpful! Thank you! Also- where did you get your sweater? Love it!

[@Qotus]

Love this video! Our allotment area was "improved" last year, drove back and forth with heavy machinery and as one of the last things they did, they removed 30cm of top soil and left pure clay. Like make a pot out of it clay. At the end they put back 10 cm of new compost. We will have a huge struggle to improve this clay mess, but I have hope!

[@brandynash1409]

My yard is like this! Our boots are covered in globs of sticky mud when it rains. There is definitely hope because the red clay in my garden is becoming “crumbly”.... just give it time and keep working at it and adding organic matter!

[@debbievaughan4053]

I really enjoy your videos. I live not far from you, so I’m glad for the info from someone in the same zone. I love gardening, but can’t plant in the ground (HOA), so I plant everything in containers. Curious whether you have any suggestions or resources for testing and amending container soil…it gets expensive buying bags. Although, this last year I covered all my pots with leaves, including strawberries that I also surrounded with bags of leaves and it’s the first year my strawberries survived the winter. I’ve bought beautiful flowers from your stand and so glad to see someone doing something lovely with the land rather than more buildings. I long for a place to really garden, but for now I live vicariously through you and others on KZbin while growing my container veggies.

[@louisapdjones]

Sorry, not sorry 😅 100% agree ❤ I am a backyard gardener, meaning, I take my risks in th backyard. Thaank you for inspiring me to take more risjs 😊

[@jennyyamamoto8080]

I just love your videos! I didn’t even start gardening on our new property for 7 or 8 months bc I was going down the rabbit hole with questions about chemicals in my soil. It’s an old house so I was worried about lead based paint chipping off and getting into my veggies. we found so many strange things like batteries in the ground when I tried to dig in certain areas. We also have a sump pump that takes overflow water from under our house that will drain out to a garden area we have. Do you have any resources on where to test for chemicals or contaminants? I found a soil testing company that does it but it’s very expensive (around $800). Thank you so much for all of the valuable information you provide!

[@catreeves963]

We’re using wool as a mulch - the soil is aaaaamazing. We may not continue to use wool every year but it’s what we have and so far so good - it think even one application should really help esp with our sandy soils

[@Blossomandbranch]

Wool is AMAZING for both clay and sand, plus it’s renewable! ❤️

[@catreeves963]

@@Blossomandbranch exactly!🥰

[@gardentours]

Leaves 🍂🍁🍂 and covercrop 🌱🌱🌱 👍

[@ourportuguesehomestead]

Thanks! This is really helpful, as most videos just show one or two steps of the process. I've been wanting to cover crop more, but have a hard time visualizing it. I'm in zone 9/10, would you say sowing a cover in spring would be better? Winter doesn't kill much here.

[@erinsylvester6601]

Intrigued to hear more about molasses!

[@marielagosheva1882]

Hi! Firstly, thank you for all the information that you share. I would like to ask you for advice about how to improve the soil in fruit trees cultivation. What kind of cover crop we can use for this part of the farm? Thank you

[@EllenMommaPunkin]

Thank you for breaking this down so nicely! I’ve been hesitant to cover crop because it seemed hard but your explanation has inspired me. Big question though: I’m also in Denver area and have horrible weeds in my beds from last summer when I was too pregnant to stay on top of them. I’ve spent the last few weeks weeding as best I can, but can I plant cover crop over those beds now? I know I haven’t gotten all the weed roots and seeds :(

[@pattiamaya4671]

Your so cute with the green tool going into the ground to loosen the soil. I am in Austin and Clay is the way. That beautiful tool wouldn’t even go an inch down. It a tiller and shovel and good back that does the trick. 😂

[@Blossomandbranch]

This tool is made for clay! That being said it will go in much easier when soil is moist (not saturated), not dry. Nothing gets into dry clay. :) this is also 5years into these methods, bear in mind. You can see how much the soil is improved over time with these efforts.

[@SouthCarolinaTransPlant]

When I first saw your dirty hands I was hooked! I immediately subbed!

[@maryannfloydlangston2164]

I live in Little Rock. All the rocks are not little. The biggest rock that I have dug up weighted 10-15 lbs. I used all the rocks to make a border for my flower bed. I bought my home 27 years ago.

[@samanthajahnig521]

This is so helpful, thank you! I am in the interior of BC Canada very zone 5 - it is April 16 and I am wondering if it is too late to do a spring cover crop?! how many weeks ahead of planting should the cover crop be sown? Also what kind of peas are you using? I so appreciate this info!

[@caitlinvongaertner9153]

Hi there! I Absolutely love your channel it's helped me so much. I have a couple of questions. Where we live we don't have leaves- (it's a high desert climate so where we live its mostly juniper and sagebrush) - I've used straw as mulch to retain moisture but it tends to just blow away... do you have any other thoughts on how to keep my soil moist while getting the cover crop up? (Typically I am using drip through the season and that doesn't seem to make the cover crop grow very well). The other question I had is when to plant it- we have late frosts here- wondering how sensitive the oats and peas are to frost. I have now tried to plant them two seasons without much luck- I think in the fall it just gets too cold too quickly- and in spring, it frosts so late...

[@naughtyskyline]

congratulations on 100k, you are so deserving, the information you prepare kindly and the time you use to make these videos out of your heart, thank you thank you !

[@melissamcgrath5255]

Hi! Would burlap coffee bags be a good solution for covering cover crops til germination? I don't have leaves and I don't want to use tarp but I have a surplus of coffee bags.

[@rebekah517]

I'm in zone 5 in the high desert of Nevada. We have soil that is clay and alkaline. Is it to late to do a spring cover crop? I'm so intrigued and excited. I have been impressed with how much my little garden plot has improved but I have been so intimidated by cover crops. We have just over an acre on a south east facing little slope. I'm excited to try this!

[@allisonreynard159]

Hello, I'm planning on planting some native lupine around my apple trees. Do you happen to know if I will need to innoculate those seeds first? They are supposed to be good nitrogen fixers too.

I used tillage radish as a cover crop,planted in fall. It grew well, how and when do I terminate

[@pamelavandyke9666]

Hi, I just cut down some Fava beans I cover cropped with over the winter(zone 9b, California) I was just wondering how long I should wait for the roots to break down before planting my next crop?

[@reneebulkley1333]

🙋‍♀️Granite Rock here! (Bedrock)

[@Blossomandbranch]

👋 good news is you can incorporate all this in your raised beds too!

[@jessicamoran8962]

I live in a subdivision with a small backyard and a couple of raised beds. I use them for Spring, Summer and Fall veg planting. What is the best way to replenish them?

[@SiriusScientist]

How do you time the spring cover crop so the oats are at milk stage? How many weeks out from last frost does that normally take? I purchased an oat and pea blend I intended to plant in the fall, but life got away from me and now I’m hoping I still have time this spring (last frost isn’t until May 10th for me). I’m in the same hardiness zone as you, and similar growing conditions overall, though we have a wetter spring here in Northern New England than you in CO, but the temps look similar.

[@thepavels325]

I want to try cover cropping this spring, my first time plan on using weed whacked to terminate, what do you recommend I use ? New to gardening 😅

[@Blossomandbranch]

I’d stick with field peas :)

[@user-xi8rt1my6e]

Can u use just any kind of pea for the cover crop?

[@miriamtong8808]

I’m getting older, and hauling bags of compost is really exhausting. I’ve also bought some fertilizer. Can I cover crop in my small garden beds and growing containers and not have to buy all this stuff every year?

[@Blossomandbranch]

That’s exactly what we do. Much easier to haul seeds :)

[@miriamtong8808]

@@Blossomandbranch 😁 I’m going try it in the Fall, plus what you do with the leaves 🍂 Thank you 🙏🏽

[@brandynash1409]

Where can I find the inoculate for the peas? I need some for beans too.

[@agnesfabiszewska6494]

I really like your work pants. I’m looking for something similar. Where can I get some

[@CupoTress]

I watched this and your other cover cropping videos. What do you use to innoculate your field peas and oats? Neither video says and it isn’t on your Amazon account. Do you use rhizobia and mycorrhiza interchangeably? I’m also interested in how you use buckwheat and crimson clover? Would you companion plant these with your annuals? In one of your videos, you use blue gramma for walkways. Does that need to be terminated? Also, one more question, how do you keep budworms out of snapdragons?! Thank you!

[@Blossomandbranch]

You need to use whichever rhizobia is specific to your crop-peas have a rhizobia, when you’re ordering it it will tell you which one is for certain plants :)

[@WildThyme69]

I have mulched with leaves a few times, but my leaves tend to blow away! What do you do to prevent that? I've tried mowing the leaves to shred them, watering them in, but I've started putting sticks and wood on top of them in my raised garden bed (which I remove in the spring), which feels like it defeats some of the benefits for pollinators to overwinter in...

[@LisadeKramer]

My local seed company recommended Cereal Rye for a fall cover crop. When I cut it down in the spring it did not die off. Now I have to get that cleared out of my area. Bad advise.

[@Blossomandbranch]

I hate hearing about companies recommending rye for home gardeners without that warning. It is very hard to terminate in my experience!

[@VandaliaFlorals]

Oh! Really low on nitrogen. Can we please talk about the molassas to help with adding nitrogen soon?

[@NutNayOQ]

I worry about ticks in the dry leaves. Do you ever worry about that? Thanks!

[@mtnlindama8146]

My frost free growing season is only 90 days here in central CO. I have limited gardening area in raised beds because my soil is mostly decomposed granite. I am unsure how to do cover cropping here with my season being so short. How far before the first frost in the fall do I need to plant a cover crop? Can I plant a cover crop with things like tomatoes in the fall? Thanks for your help.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Cold tolerant cover crops like peas and oats can germinate in very cold temps and grow through frosts which make them a great option for you. We start them 8 weeks before our last frost and they keep growing 8 weeks after first frost if we do them in Late summer. Hope that helps!

[@arilenamay]

I recall a soil expert recommending placing a dark tarp on raised beds to warm up the soil in order to make it workable a bit earlier in the spring.

[@Paravetje]

@@arilenamayGood tip, also the fact that they have raised beds helps, because they warm up faster than the in ground soil would in spring.

[@britt518]

Can you remind us what soil tests you use?

[@sn232]

Your leaves look like leaves that have been crunched up into smaller pieces before applying to your garden. How do you do that? I tried applying leaves from an oak tree and it created one huge mat of leaves vs looking like a mulched mixture.

[@rosaleepruett3433]

I think r really pretty. You have so much knowledge. But it overwhelms me. Lol. I enjoy listening to you.

[@cindyhollings2079]

Excellent video Thankyou, informative, interesting, visually sumptuous, and very approachable and easily applicable for many people. I was ogling your she-shed, very elegant and functional space, and those sheep ❤️❤️❤️. I am trying to work out a winter cover crop whilst having winter veges in, and think low growing ground cover is the way to go. Never enough room in my backyard garden! I have binged on regenerative soil videos, and recommendations are as many species as possible to cover, but my theory is that anything is better than nothing.

[@aganethapeters6316]

❤❤

[@HunterL18]

How long do peas need to grow before terminating? My peas just started germinating a few days ago (planted 3 weeks ago) and I was hoping to plant into the bed around May 4..

[@Paravetje]

I've never done cover cropping before, but to me it makes sense to terminate shortly before you plant in it, that way there's roots actively feeding the soil life all the time, your new plants can take over right away.

[@AnnieN99]

Sounded like right before it starts making peas. When it's in the flowering stage.

[@GrowCookPreserveWithKellyDawn]

what cover crop do you recommend for raised beds?

[@Blossomandbranch]

Same as for in ground :)

[@GrowCookPreserveWithKellyDawn]

Thank you!@@Blossomandbranch

[@christyblankenship1248]

What should I do with my old nandina spot? I tilled it up trying to get all the root, but dang those things are stubborn! I don’t want to plant on them if they’re bad for the food I’ll be growing. Help!

[@justinew4454]

Do you ever have issues with ticks from leaf litter? I want to use the leaf litter and redwood needles from around our property as a garden mulch, but there are so many ticks this time of year I am afraid I may end up spreading ticks into my garden space :(

[@WesternMONo-TillGardening]

I use tons of leaves in the garden and haven't seen ticks in the garden. I usually gather all my leaves in the fall, put them in wire cages to start breaking down, and then use them in the garden the following spring, summer, and fall. I do get lots of ants in the garden due to all the mulching I do.

[@justinew4454]

@@WesternMONo-TillGardening I didn’t even think about the seasonality part.. I could indeed collect in the driest part of the year when we have very few ticks and use them later in the year. Great tip!

[@lorim5289]

How did you inoculate your seeds?

[@tracybhoffman]

Where do you buy bulk pea seeds from?

[@AnnaKincaid]

Do you ever make milky oat tinctures with your oats?

[@angelikapaul2998]

What is ryzobia? Sorry if I don’t spell it correctly. I have no clue what it is unless you’re talking about mycorrhiza

[@barbaravanerp4598]

I used an annual rye but we didn’t have a cold winter and it’s coming back. Any suggestions? I can just clip it?

[@Blossomandbranch]

Wait for it to get big enough and then crimp. Or you can try tarping it for a couple weeks. If that doesn’t work, you may have to till it. Rye is a stern mistress and hard to kill!

[@barbaravanerp4598]

@@Blossomandbranch thanks!