We Have Been Doing it Wrong! - Making Healthy Soil is NOW easier than ever.

[@heyphilphil]

As a farmer....I agreed with 98% of this information. The only thing missing from the gardening/ farming community.....we love our compost....and we are learning to add or learn about cover crops.Thats all great keep doing it. The only thing missing is remineralization. Just because you add the bacteria and the biomass that it eats( compost)....if there are very little minerals ( at least the 8-20 we know are needed for plant growth) your plants will be lacking in health....and so will you. If the bacteria is there but the mineral isn't there for it to chelate and turn into a bioavaiable form...then it's just not there. So when you are building your compost piles try and use things that don't just add the NPK back but the other crucial minerals that are taken up by the plant....and usually not returned back at the rate they are taken out. Things like leaves, spent alfalfa hay, egg shell dust, peels and rinds, wood ash, manure, rock dust, Quarry dust, Seaweed. Comfrey, Clippings from Prarie land with a mix of weeds and grasses that accumulate minerals all will make great compost but also have the minerals needed to give you nutrient dense crop...making nutrient dense humans. Then you didn't have to buy fertilizer.....you have the microbes in the compost....but you amended with certain items in your pile that add back the minerals. That leaves and grass clippings and a few buckets of food scraps just don't provide. The minerals should be in the sand, silt, clay but maybe some are not in your soil in your area....and if you've been farming the same plot of land for 10-20+ years.....you better be concerned about remineralization. You can actually have healthy looking plants, eat fresh from your garden and still have nutrient deficiencies. Mineral rich Compost Cover crops Mulches Worm castings Is all you really need to build a mineral rich food forrest.

[@marylowther8495]

Have you read Nigel Palmer's book on Regernerative Gardening?

[@garthwunsch7320]

And the absolute BEST source for remineralization informations is Steve Solomon's book... The Intelligent Gardener.

[@dreed1058]

Excellent info! Next, we need a video from YOU😂❤!!

[@gerrywaneck377]

I also follow Steve Solomon. The main minerals that determine soil tilth are calcium and magnesium. Steve tells the story of how he was unhealthy despite the soil being rich in hummus. His health improved when he moved to a place with volcanic soil. That's how he discovered the importance of minerals.

[@robertl.fallin7062]

Trace minerals matter!

[@jdawg1835]

I love how this just keeps getting easier. You want "living" soil, put a plant in there. You want it to be more "living", put more plants in there.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

It also lets us buy more plants :)

[@zackeryshackelford3864]

Actual life hacks

[@DeepStinker]

​@Gardenfundamentals1 would molasses increase necromancer? So the sudden burst of micros gives a short term boost, followed by a longer term necromass boost afterward?

[@JohnWalker-mi6bw]

4⁴pppppppppllĺĺlĺlĺlĺĺĺlĺlllĺllĺĺllllllĺĺlĺlllĺĺĺlĺĺĺĺĺlllllllllllĺĺllllllllĺllĺĺlĺlĺlĺllĺĺĺlllĺllĺĺllllĺllllllllĺllllllĺllĺĺlĺlllĺĺllllllllĺlĺlĺlllĺĺĺlĺlĺllĺĺllllĺlĺllllllllllĺlllllĺlllllĺlĺlĺlĺlllllĺlllllllĺĺllllllllllllĺĺllllllĺlllĺlllĺlĺlĺĺllĺĺĺlĺĺlĺl​@@zackeryshackelford3864

[@NudePostingConspiracyTheories]

I agree. Im new to this channel and to gary. And watching this channel im finding things easier- not mote complicated. I came away from this clear-minded and not confused. Bea. Im going to do this. And see what gappy, And if i can leave the weeds, all the better.

[@agenticmark]

where i live the soil is dead - clay and rock. lots of rock. i tried for years to dig out the rocks and improve the soil. Finally I got sick of the work and started just building the soil up with animal by products and compost. instead of digging down, I just build up. I dont use raised beds in the traditional sense, but concrete blocks to make it movable and durable. I plant, harvest, then cut off at the base and leave the root system untouched and untilled. great advice here.

[@HoboGardenerBen]

Sounds like Charles Dowding's system

[@janetrush8340]

You method of teaching and the tone of your voice is so comforting. No background noise. Thank you for the time you invest in educating your rollers.

[@polywog9591]

I so agree. Tired of people yelling at me, thinking that their faux enthusiasm is a replacement for content.

[@Davefinney370]

Starts to get to the point around 8:48 and succeeds in getting to the point at 11:40. (For my time-constrained Brothers and Sisters😮). All-in-all, great video. Liked and Subbed!

[@ambersmith6517]

Thanks for thinking about others Jesus said by doing two things you for fill ALL of Gods law Loving the lord god with all your heart soul mind and treating/loving others as your self anything more goes off the deep end into religion of man Theses nut jobs is who Jesus called serpents and spoke out against Loving God comes over time as you truly get to know him First thing to doing this is getting past all them lies we all have been told all our lives about God and the bible Thanks again my brother!

[@Davefinney370]

@@ambersmith6517 Aw Shucks. It weren’t nuthin. Still, always good to know I’m in compliance with God’s Law!

[@lydiamclaughlin7100]

Watch at 1.5 speed as well. Thanks!

[@ebblesr]

If you want to miss everything sure

[@DavidMFChapman]

I grew winter rye in a 4’x4’ raised bed I use for potatoes. Last spring I just cut it down to the ground. I did not till it in, I just laid the seed potatoes in it and covered with a bit of soil and leaf mulch. I had the best potato harvest ever from that bed.

[@TheQwuilleran]

I've heard the butter/margarine argument for and against tilling soil. The For being that you want to get the good plant matter into the lower layers of dirt. The Against argument being that it destroys mycelial nutrient highways.

[@roflpill]

​@@TheQwuilleran mycelium is an incredibly robust organism. When you break it up it just grows back stronger from all the broken pieces. It's not destroyed by physical disturbance (tilling), just temporarily slowed while it rebuilds. How well it bounces back depends on the nutrition available in the growing medium.

[@jlseagull2.060]

@@roflpillbingo!

[@Chris-kf3xd]

I actually compose directly into my garden with great success.

[@Davefinney370]

@@Chris-kf3xd What exactly? Music? Sonnets?

[@Yaqeen2013]

I compost near a citrus tree and it bears plentiful of fruits and the ground in my garden is fertile. I mulch my garden with harvested leaves, twigs and all sorts of green waste too. There are endless ways to feed microbes.

[@abc_cba]

Here from India, been watching your videos and I am amazed with the treasure of information you have and share it with us all for free. Thank You.

[@HoboGardenerBen]

Go check out Andrew Millison's channel. He has a bunch of inspiring videos about large-scale regenerative projects happening in India. I read The Vision of Natural Farming about Bhaskar Save some years ago and was deeply saddened by the huge negative impact the "Green Revolution" of mechanized chemfarming had on India's soil. India used to have a super advanced sustainable farming system and in a few short decades lost trillions of dollars worth of top soil to erosion. Hitting such a low has created a massive grassroots response, so many villages are digging earthworks and installing underground tanks and slowing\sinking the water and all sorts of other stuff. Had me in tears of hope pretty often.

[@lukaslambs5780]

One of the very few videos I’ve seen on KZbin that understands how microbes work. Once you understand this gardening becomes much easier.

[@arielog1941]

OMG . . . My Gardening just entered a new dimension, all with Joy, Grace, and Ease. I am so grateful.

[@phoggee]

Finally a gardener that talks some sense!!

[@zimasha5403]

Where am I with my single flowerbed? :) I didn't expect it's so complicated! It's like a healthy body, you don't wanna know where your heart, lever, or kidneys are. But when there are problems, you learn! Great presentation and great comments here! Thank you!

[@joanfrellburg4901]

A new way to look at weeds. They're actually helping. Until I find something native to put in their place, I'm going to leave them alone, and thank them for building my soil. I feel better for having watched this video. Besides I'm lazy. :-) EDIT: Buckthorn you are going to want to remove as soon as it shows up from my experience, probably a few others in your area. Learning to identify these plants in their early stages can be a bit of a challenge but it's all part of the fun. Enjoy folks. Nice to hear your success stories.

[@markthompson180]

That sounds like a good strategy to me. :)

[@summcunt5421]

I read a book about doing exactly this. I've been embracing weeds ever since and it really has improved my soil. I've even purchased clover and dandelion seeds and planted them in my yard. I prefer them to some of the other weeds that were growing. I'm hoping to replace the spikey weeds so I can enjoy walking barefoot in my yard. That's my rule about weeds, if it hurts my feet, I pull it out.

[@johac7637]

Cover the areas with edible covercropping.

[@johngalt97]

Dandelions pull calcium up from deeper.

[@StonedWandererAZ]

That's what I did for my first garden. Not much grows in the desert, but I have noticed that there are spots in my backyard where the weeds grow vigorously. I chopped and dropped the weeds and planted a few crops in their place and have beautiful plants that have not needed any additional fertilizer or soil remediation.

[@honeydew4576]

What an absolute treasure! Thank you so much for teaching so well. I love how you debunk so many common gardening myths. Where I really started trusting your knowledge was when you talked about the myth of powdery mildew being caused by damp leaves. After watching your video on that, I did my own research and confirmed that you are right. Since then, I go to you for the scoop. God bless you Robert.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

You are so welcome!

[@jekesainjikizana9734]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 a link to the powdery mildew video would be most welcome

[@dragonfireink139]

Jeez that's such a confusing topic. I read that dryness actually causes it but 99% of gardening websites still operate under the assumption of it being too moist. I'll have to watch that video and hopefully find some actual science before trying to educate people 😅

[@marklawrence76]

21:19 ​@@Gardenfundamentals1 I just subscribed. You turned off the option to leave my own comment.

[@MrTonybonez]

This is why comfrey is so beneficial in the garden imo. Makes tons of free leaf mulch, doesn't bother other plants, and provides a ton of shade if you don't cut the leaves. Bees love them too!

[@paulhaynie7258]

So do DEER! 😡😡😡

[@patriciacole8773]

I have many in my berry bed

[@TrickleCreekFarm]

@@paulhaynie7258It’s so high in protein and nutrients it used to a fodder plant for cattle; deer & elk love to make use of those fields too. Good thing the root pieces make it easy to plant more, a 2” pice here, and there- give it some of those deer droppings when planting and soon you’ll have more than they can feast on!.

[@brent9516]

Had to check to see if I posted this, I use comphrey bocking 14 for all the reasons plus food for chicken snacks

[@paulhaynie7258]

@TrickleCreekFarm There is no way I could out grow the rampaging deer. The ONLY thing that works is 8 ft tall barbed wire fencing around everything.

[@joeyjoejoejrshabadu]

The findings here seem to be fully compatible with the concept of food forests where plants are observed to grow faster despite planted much more densely

[@tauceti8341]

Man it just seems so obvious given that rainforests have such a plethora of fauna that grows and dies and how healthy it all is. This is awesome since I just love growing and admiring plants.

[@lorrainedurgee1761]

This is a great concept - plant plant plant --something I never thought about .. thanks ..

[@juneshannon8074]

Best gardening tutorial I have watched. Thank you so much Robert. You’ve saved me so much work, time and money. Can’t wait for rain to stop and put your advice into practice 🇦🇺

[@jeannegow2144]

Hear, hear 👏👏👏👏

[@YoniBaruch-y3m]

Got galoshes? ❤🎉

[@coolhandluke1503]

Companion planting is great just learn what plants are allelopathic

[@davidkreimer2970]

I discovered Garden Fundamentals this year, and instantly knew that this series was the best tutor available to me. Many thanks. Please post lots advice on cover crops? I'm you will, I am merely anxious to learn.

[@johnwright6403]

This guy is a great teacher! I think adding perennials to my property is going to be step one!

[@aprilmiller6767]

I work for a company that sells sea minerals which are the natural trace minerals that has been leeched from the soil. They take 100 gallons of sea water from the Great Barrier Reef and bring it down to 1 gallon of pure minerals (minus the salt). The results are amazing, and the Amish absolutely love it. It totally recreates bad soil back to its intended state. Even the animals that eat the grass from this soil do better.

[@nancylucas4231]

Name of your product/company, please

[@trevorstrope4549]

Please give your product name

[@nadoushable]

CAN you tell us the name of that product , and the company , please ?

[@woodsghost9088]

I don't trust posts like this. But there is enough information you can probably do an internet search and find it if you are really interested.

[@ChristineKing-i5c]

Anne of all trades has a good homesteading channel and bases everything with her soil after how the forest works her garden is amazing

[@jonnyappleseed190]

Nobody cares about her. This is ROBERTS channel. Now put some SPECT on his name!

[@JohnDaBuilder]

I am so glad I went the regenerative route when creating my food forest. My mistake was not planting more support plant species and with these new soil science, I am trying to accelerate planting those support plants. Thanks for the video.

[@RDubdo]

I am doing a good job of having plants always growing everywhere in my garden. I do this because I am so lazy. Quack grass and tangle weed is always growing everywhere in my garden and they sure have a lot of roots.

[@hiroyopoetker]

I have noticed the phenomenon of having lots of cover crops to help improve your main crop!

[@BenjaminT.Minkler]

I use much of this knowledge from these videos for my grass lawns ....a lot of people think a nice cut green yard is bad; maybe because of chemicals like weed killers and fertilizers plus over use of water, but actually very little of those things need to happen in my high performance grass lawn spaces - what matters the most is growing the right type of grass in the right areas - once that is happening, healthy, and mowed often enough that you only cut off less than a third of the grass blade; not much more than mulching in the clippings is needed(instead of heavy fert) to keep the soil productive, then this last season we had enough rain that I never was forced to water at all, and a good full yard of grass will out compete most weeds if you keep it mowed(before it looks bad! and "needs it" as that is too late) ....yes, the key is healthy soil, and nothing is easier to grow and maintain keeping the soil alive than grass!

[@jeannegow2144]

Thank you for the fantastic explanation on exudates. And the rhizosphere....the hidden world we have had no idea about.....such an AHA moment....and it makes so much sense...natures intelligence...cycling and recycling....just beautiful....

[@vegbalcony]

Thank you so much 🙏 this information is gold. I have a balcony garden and issues with soil are much more obvious when you have containers. I tested everything you said and I agree 100%. All the compost tea and stuff like that only works for a moment but then it's all about the food that microbes get. I always add fermented foods and alfalfa pellets to my soil, and also use those pellets as a mulch. and my plants feel amazing, soil is fluffy and rich. Thank you for information about healthy soil

[@mano3867]

Great information, thank you very much. I'm a small farmer and try to learn to grow food occasionally for my family. I wish you the best

[@dawngingerich6471]

Oh my goodness! Thanks so much for this one Robert! This may be one of the best gardening vids I have ever seen!

[@GARDENER42]

My compost bays are packed solid with bacteria & fungi. Every year, I give my soil a 2.5-3cm surface dressing of that compost. My soil supports exactly the amount of bacteria & fungi which can be supported by the food available (decomposed organic matter). In seven years of working this plot, the first three needed additional fertiliser & the next three saw me reduce this but the harvest increased. This year, I added no fertiliser, yet still have an abundance of vegetables, so I guess I've reached the point where sufficient nutrients are now becoming accessible from all this compost. I also do all I can to _always_ have something growing in my beds by successional planting - even my asparagus bed hosts lettuce & spinach over winter (I'm zone 8/9 so mild winters).

[@sistergoldenhair2231]

Good to know about asparagus. Zone 9 here👍

[@GARDENER42]

@@sistergoldenhair2231 Just don't dig deep for planting the seedlings. I had asparagus spears coming through in between Grenoble Red lettuce & Medania spinach last spring, with no apparent detriment to either.

[@markharris5544]

What form of fertilizer did you apply? Do you think there aren now sufficint nutrients in the compost you have applied or is it that perhaps there are now sufficient fungi and bacteria to mine the nutrients from the insoluble particles in the soil.

[@GARDENER42]

@@markharris5544 I was using Growmore, a 10:10:10 artificial fertiliser but switched to blood, fish & bonemeal in 2020. I think there's now sufficient organic material for the soil organisms to break down allowing plant roots to access what they need, plus the soil structure is _much_ better. I'm sure 'no dig/no till' has played a part on the latter.

[@sistergoldenhair2231]

@@markharris5544 worm compost

[@michelemarble6799]

This has been the most interesting video I have seen in a long time. I most of it is true. It makes sense by how you explain it. However I don’t understand putting or knowing weeds around your plants. Don’t they steal all the water that plants need. Most average gardeners don’t have irrigation in their gardens. Help me balance this factor of weeds stealing water because I have never noticed that plants surrounded by weeds are healthier and bigger.

[@NordicMushroom]

Brilliantly explained

[@AskYouTubeDad]

Great info, I've been using some of these ideas in my Garden! I've done several videos of what I've been adding to my soil

[@andywilliams7989]

I just learned that human consumerism continues even into packaging and selling microbes. Stunning..thanks for the video,

[@StuartRamsing]

I'm a believer! What might you recommend as a living ground cover for a home orchard area of 20+ trees. Chips and bark mulch works great for access, maintenence and weed control but alas, you've demonstrated the benefit of a living mulch. Suggestions?

[@dragonfireink139]

Diversity is the key concept. Different plants have different root systems and will attract not only diverse microbes but diverse insects as well. The problem with monocropping is that if you have an orchard of just apple trees, for example, you're going to support primarily a disproportionate number of pests that feed on apple trees. And where are their natural predators? They can't survive in the environment created. With more diverse plantlife, the area supports more diverse insect life as well (and microbes 🙃). That being said, the books I've read still say to leave the fungal duff of the tree (below the canopy) relatively weed free. And to compost leaves, trimmings, etc. in place.

[@OfftoShambala]

Well this was great and i have recently acquired land that was allowed to grow ‘weeds’ all summer… my neighbor suggested I get goats to take care of it.. and that’s a good idea… but I knew to leave the roots in. And I’ve started to chop some and am utilizing the plant material.

[@ThomasTheTankedEngin]

If you can, avoid the goats for awhile. My understanding is that roots are largely associated with the above ground bits. When the above ground bits go, the plants tend to slough off the associated roots. The deeper the roots are allowed to grow, the better the more water infiltration, the more soil microbes, the faster the soil growth. We did massive earthworks and scraped away a lot of our top soil when we bought our property. 4 years (of largely leaving the land to heal itself) later and we've got at least 6 inches of top soil from the combination of our practices (leave it all alone except where we're specifically gardening) and our ideal climate.

[@scoty_does]

I love how you over-complicate the problem then simplify the solution. Complex problem, just makes sure plants are growing all the time in all the soil.

[@WholeMoonFarm]

Excellent video. This is a large reason why we are converting our pastures into silvopastures. The trees provide a lot of above ground nutrients, but the tree roots offer a unique "home" to many microbes that would otherwise be missing in a pure, grass pasture. Not to mention all the biodiversity trees bring to the farm in regards to birds, bugs and the likes.

[@ml9633]

As a gardener it is 100% of what you explain that we do. Yet we did not know the science before hearing your Excellent Video. Thznk you :)

[@slapster69]

“Just like nature.” My best gardening mentor would say this all the time. I finally get it.

[@barbkrienke8400]

Great advice! So many people bring home a new plant and immediately repot it. Much better to wait!! One thing to think about when repotting is for when the roots are circled at the bottom. Before putting in the new pot, doing a little gentle work to pull the roots out of circling can be helpful.

[@avrilneilson8005]

If I have a pot bound plant I usually slice off the bottom half of the root ball before planting or re-potting. Works best for me

[@jonnyappleseed190]

It doesn't harm the plant?

[@avrilneilson8005]

@@jonnyappleseed190 Not so far, they'll grow more new roots bedding themselves into their new garden spot

[@jumbe]

THE BEST EXPLANATION OF SOIL HEALTH PRACTICES EVER.

[@ChristiLynnOutside]

Kinda like the No-Till approach to gardening. Leaving the roots behind to decompose in the soil naturally.

[@johngalt97]

And not disturbing the fungal systems.

[@MyFocusVaries]

Exactly. This totally reinforces the no till method.

[@milesfromnowhere1985]

I moved to a piece of land that's now used as a semipermanent campground, where the landowner scoffed at me for not building raised beds and instead just doing a few no-till beds where I just mixed a bunch of compost and biochar with the soil (actually closer to dirt at that point) I dug out of my pathways, and have not taken a shovel to since and only layered amendments on top. What was once rocky red clay with zero vegetation is, after three years, a thriving, loamy garden with, yes, several weeds, but also many native wildflowers and grasses, all of which return to the soil as mulch at some point, their roots intact and pushing into the layer below where I started. The only roots that get removed are the ones I eat 😊

[@brianseybert192]

Dr. Ingham 1st introduced me to the importance of living roots in the soil 12 months out of the year. Several years ago started thyme and oregano in my garden beds now have added things like yarrow, sage and bee balm. Trying to figure out a living mulch for onion, carrots, garlic and potatoes in my zone 5a garden, right now just cover cropping.

[@jennobrien3590]

Red cover

[@mddoit]

I planted potatoes where i put rye down as cover crop. I took shovel and tilled where i planted the potatoes. I kept the rye mowed/cut around the potatoes. And started them under a row cover in April. I harvested potatoes directly under the roots of the rye. The soil was poor too. As was a new garden.

[@brianseybert192]

@@mddoit interesting! Planted a mix cover crop of hairy vetch, daikon radish and buckwheat where I harvested my potatoes. Have an additional problem here with Asian jumping worms, the JW's remove all the soil aggregates creating a soil that can not hold onto moisture. Think I will give the rye a shot in the spring. Stay Well!!!

[@brianseybert192]

@@jennobrien3590 I had planted red clover the pervious fall, but I terminated it before planting the tomatoes. I have some beans and cucumbers going in my onion bed, think I will throw some clover seeds in there today. Thanks for the advice. Stay Well!!!

[@bogtrottername7001]

@@jennobrien3590 Red Clover ?

[@PachamamaGLORY]

Im using tons of woodchips, mesquute, palo verde, moringa, castor bean, cucumbers, pumpkins, watetmelon, sunflowers, rye/wheat. And of course i chop and drop EVERYTHING plus compost.

[@gerrywaneck377]

Regarding living mulch, loss of water from the soil is due to transpiration by leaves of the weeds. Keep the weeds mowed and leave the roots alone. I've seen planted seeds germinate next to a weed seedling, but not in bare soil.

[@aok2727]

This makes sense. When I dig up soil that has been grown with plants or weeds, that soil is better, richer, more crumbly than that patch that has laid bare.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Exactly.

[@TinaWindham-r3n]

Wha? You have naked yard ? You got to throw some seeds out there🛒

[@jacquelinemccully912]

Such great information in this video. Thanks so much for your time and knowledge in sharing this video. 🙏🏼

[@fanjiang9317]

You have changed my mind after this video. I have been focusing on making compost for my small garden, now I should concentrate on planting. The only problem is now enough lights since my vines , like beans and squash completely covered the tops of my beds. I will try low lights required plants Thank you very much

[@lksf9820]

A very well thought out and put together video, thankyou.

[@IowaKeith]

I took an old weed bed in the yard and started planting vegetables in it. I dont till, I dont weed, and I dont worry about the bugs. I almost never have to water it which makes it truly a lazy garden. My vegetable harvest is far better than the veggies I used to grow the "modern" way. The only thing I do is add my overwintered compost to the area and plant my seeds. Then I just let it go wild until harvest.

[@musaadfelton3909]

Wow this information is amazing and it makes so much sense. If we grow cover crops. The soil is always much better. We dont remove the entire plant. I cover the cover crops until it breaks down and then we just plant on top of that. The soil has turned into dark rich soil that stays moist for longer. Also adding grass on top of the soil makes a huge difference to my soil. So i totally agree with this and it logically makes so much sense

[@calenlight6817]

Creek Willow, has a growth hormone in it that expands root systems exponentially. I soak cuttings for a couple of days and spray it all over my plants and their roots. Makes the root system massive! Adding phosphorus from ash helps even more.

[@123WorryFreeGardening]

Yes for sure! Growing things - any thing can help that soil.

[@vinivv]

This year my living soil is potting soil- compost- steer manure and worm castings- 444 organic fertilizer- extra perlite-kelp meal - neem meal and some langenite then i let it set for 2 months to cure so far its working like intended i cant add nutes or i get burn so its just a little hot plants seem to love it so far huge growth in 2 months. Im going to be checking my soil with a microscope soon I want to see how its doing thats unseen. Im using cover crop outside this year and will use it after i get my crop out of pots this winter for next winter grow, seasoning the soil .

[@mbion001]

Fantastic video. Straightforward. Clear. Science based. Thank you so much. Liked and subscribed!

[@garygarski]

I always till in my garden in the spring using lots of unfinished compost. Over the summer, I put cuttings and kitchen scraps in my compost pile. I do not turn my compost pile. In the spring I till in my as yet unfinished compost from last year into my garden. It seems to have worked for me for the last 25 years or so. I also add some 10-10-10 fertilizer just for good measure. Thanks for the information you provide over the You Tube.

[@leksraamat1722]

I’m curious as to how this is best employed for those in colder climates- given that several months are in sub freezing temperatures when nothing can grow. Thoughts? Thanks for the informative video.

[@chermonfils]

I second this question. As a WI gardener, what kind of cover crop can I grow in the winter months that is not so invasive that it will make planting in the spring difficult? 🤔

[@Grass2Farm]

Thanks for the tips mate! Will definitely work on improving the soil in my yard!

[@wizardsongs5409]

I'd like to point out that there are some situations where both mulch and living mulch can be used simultaneously. There are trailing types of groundcover and other shade loving/tolerant low-growing plants that will sprawl on top of mulch as an understory plant to taller crops. I allowed the ground ivy to grow in between rows of corn years ago and I liked the way it worked so well I do it for as many kinds of plants as often as it will spread itself. And it will root down or shoot up through mulch if it isn't too deep. You only need 2 or 3 inches of mulch anyway so it can easily be done. I just used the ground ivy because it comes up everywhere and it's probably in most people's lawns as a ''weed'' so you don't have to bother planting it. I encourage everyone to observe what's growing already in the area where they live and study how the plants fit into their gardens, the weeds and things, some maybe native, some not. In the short term it doesn't matter that much as you can always replace it with something more native to your area when you find it.

[@LarsUriel]

I have great success with my raised bed by just tossing the leaves and even the weeds I pluck back, just pull and leave them there. We put coffee grounds and eggshells and used tea leaves too, and after eating oysters the shells go to the tomato bed. The only thing I do is a morning maintenance and 2 waterings on dryer days. I only got 2 raised beds 1 ground garden, and like 20 potted plants, so not huge but still easier than we are led to believe

[@ChristopherPatton-r8n]

Smaller garden plots can use interplanting and companion planting instead of cover crops to increase necromass. I plant tomatoes, etc in between the early spring garlic, for example.

[@alexandriatempest]

As someone who did brewing, follow me on this a moment. Brewing is about making the best environment for yeast. If the yeast starts with everything it needs and the colony is coaxed to be strong, one set if flavors us created. If it is left to fend for itself, another set is created. So the talk of microbe tending us fascinating. I was wondering if something like nutritional yeast has been used? Its just dead yeast that is ysed to feed a new or existing colony. Sounds like it could be used to bump some microbe food dource

[@ppacal1098]

Fantastic explanation of complex subject

[@Andy-vh2ue]

I just turned (plowed) a smaller hay field that I haven't used in 20 years, used to grow tobacco in it, and I'm getting ready to sow winter rye for a cover crop for next years garden to get more nutrients in the soil. One small plot in another field I just did the same to sow turnip greens for the same, plus deer eat them too. I live in rural Tennessee and I'm excited to see how it comes up next year

[@myronp243]

All I do is use well rotted compose.My garden is great every year.

[@sazji]

Microbes are important, but don’t forget fungi. Fungi are really good at breaking down lignin. That’s why i’m also a big fan of wood chip mulch on the soil. Don’t dig them in; then you do run into the problem you mentioned with microbes working hard to break it down and using nitrogen to do do. It’s kind of a cliche that “wood chips evaporate”. That’s because those fungi are breaking them down, and a good layer of chips helps maintain the moisture that supports that action. And you can have wood chip mulch and low growing plants that grow over it.

[@johnwright6403]

This is a great video! I am going to have really deep topsoil! Feed it well enjoy the results!

[@mechwarrior83]

I am saving this because I have a feeling I need to watch this video time and time again to mulch (pun intended) all the information out. Thank you so much for sharing this sir!

[@HoboGardenerBen]

I work as a gardener. The worms are always heaviest around the roots of a weed like dandelion. Some soils are chock full, but oftentimes they stay around the weeds.

[@tiggywink1]

I had great success using Biochar, mixing it with white flour, and adding mychorrizal fungi, covering it up for a few months.... The soil held moisture really well... I didn't have any predation....that was strange...But there were a lot of hornets and wasps this last year....

[@billfickling7596]

What are the best cover crops to interplant between vegetables?

[@minimatemasterworks]

For 5 years I've been planting sunflowers close to plants. Besides being a pollinator and food source for birds I cut them off at the base and leave the root mass. The trees or bushes branch line usually hit that the following year.

[@lanettelawrence6308]

I plant in crush ground leaves an old molded gras and saved rain water with great results. My sweet potatoes grow well in this medium. I plant in the disposable brown bags. This message is very good to hear..

[@francus7227]

It's rare a video can grab my attention long enough to NOT use the 10 sec skip button. I watched all of this clip and then tapped the thumbs up button to feed the algorithm monsters.

[@katchinska]

So what are like the top 5 perennial plants to grow as a cover crop in your garden. bonus points for plants that need low amount of water as i use a targeted irrigation system to water my vegtables meaning i dont water the whole raised bed, just sections of it.

[@jacoblenson40]

Hi, nice info. I wouldn't put compost tea in the same bracket as molasses, if you are making good compost tea then you are adding a diverse array of beneficial microbes and not just microbe food. You also haven't talked about difference of fungi and bacteria foods. Also, you've talked about beneficial microbes but nothing about unbeneficial microbes, what promotes their condition etc.

[@bobmiller2281]

Thank you Robert. That video was so refreshing. I really liked your book but then I got put off by a couple of your recent videos. One was about inorganic salts not affecting microbe populations and one seemed to want to find fault with Dr Elaine’s methods. I’m not saying she preaches the “true” gospel by any means but she has started many, including myself to go down a path of gardening more compatible with Nature than our dominant conventional Ag with all its destructive practices and chemicals. Between her and Michael Philips book Mycorrhizal Planet I have evolved from Conventional Ag 12 years ago to a system very much in line with all that you described in this video including being somewhat at peach with so called “weeds” and their role in my 1 acre food forest or jungle as I like to call it. At this point I’m happy with how it is working but I’m totally open to new information as we start to learn more about the extremely complex interactions going on in our gardens that we are just starting to skim the surface of. Again, thank you for this very positive and instructive video. I actually had to force myself to watch it after my first cringe response based on the two videos I already mentioned. I’m glad I did and I’m looking forward to learning more from you in future videos. I am after all a skeptic but at least I’m an open minded skeptic. Keep up the good work. I just subscribed🤪

[@BobRenda-x8o]

Is there any info on what cover crops are most advantageous for specific crops that are planted after them? Is it useful to plant the right cover crop ahead of time when you know what’s going in next?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Matching the best cover crop with a crop is complicated. But any one is better than none for soil building. It makes a lot of sense to plant a cover crop before the main crop. Think of a cool climate where you have to wait to plant a warm growing crop. Might as well grow a cool cover crop while you wait.

[@MyFocusVaries]

This year as soon as I harvest my tomatoes, I'm putting in peas (a bag of dry peas from the grocery store). I interplanted a lot of parsley and will leave that in place as it's still growing.

[@VTO7]

We appreciate your comprehensive coverage of gardening fundamentals. I have root knot nematodes in my raised garden beds and I bought your book so that I might find a remedy to this scourge. To my disappointment there is little info on how to rescue my 5 beds. Please offer a solution as your book simply says they exist and will decimate my garden and no remedy. PLEASE HELP! Thank you...

[@juliepoolie5494]

Look up planting French marigolds. For example Guardian Marigolds.

[@anulaluna]

This is such a great video!! Thank you very much. I have been somewhat chaotic in my gardening style , but I have always intuitively inter-planted and left the roots in when I harvest. Now I just need to find a good source of minerals that I can add! 🙏

[@lofm6213]

I simply topdressed my growing areas with 1" of biochar and our bushes doubled in size in one year. Biochar is a hotel for these organisms. (And that was after a dozen years of the bushes just barely surviving and not growing.)

[@NinosYoukhana]

This was very insightful! What a great explanation! Please you could clarify a few questions: Do you recommend applying Molasses for lawn care? And which product? Do you apply it as a foliar or soil method? And under what soil temperature? Do you also apply it to cool-season grass in late fall?

[@betula-pendula]

Thank you very much for those very interesting knowledge. I always felt that nature doesn't like bare soil. But now I know why.

[@coolhandluke1503]

As someone who lives in Australia, I find cover crop extremely important for soil temperature. I find air temp can be insanely high and no problems as long as the ground is cool

[@BCLouise]

This was a fantastic explanation. Thank you😊

[@mathewwilburn513]

All the crazy people with overgrown yards, and chaos gardens will rejoice after watching this video.

[@dougbas3980]

That's me!🤣

[@skullrose8985]

Yep I'm definitely a little bit of crazy,you have to be in this world these days..It's good to be able to laugh at our selves aswell.. Great video,i don't believe in using all this specialised soil.. I am learning how to make my own compost,we done some,took about 2 years & it is brilliant.. Also i took all the soil out my pots & added veg ,tea bags & oak tree leaves & that is brilliant,my courgette plant has gone mad i wish i could show you a picture..i put it in a big raised bed,its flowing over the side onto the ground & growing aling the ground now,its going mental.. They say your soil is the most important thing.. Thankyou for the great video,appreciate it ✌🏼☮✌🏼☮

[@HollenbergR]

Now, can somebody please get my HOA to watch it?😅

[@summcunt5421]

My garden would look like chaos to most people, but I actually spent a lot of time and effort planning it to be how it is. I am actually crazy, but that's an unrelated matter.

[@ErwinvanHolten]

Are they crazy or those people who want a "clean" garden?

[@BillBoulton-js8ns]

How does addition of "regular" NPK affect the life cycle of the soil micro biology ?? Does "organic" fertilizer have the same effect ??

[@eilenepatrick9319]

Micorhizomes are very plant specific. And there are thousands of different ones that form a relationship with a specific type of plant. If a package of Micorhizomes includes a hundred different types, what are the chances that one of your plants will match? I don't know because I don't know how they were chosen Mayne ten corn micorhizomes and ten beet micorhizomes, etc. Still seems like it would be hit and miss.

[@jamestboehm6450]

Plant material added regularly seems to help my garden immensely. I've also found small amounts of fresh cow manure helps put composting bacteria into the soil.

[@bernie.avtechnician9120]

Well this is interesting, because since time began on every gardening show they always say that you should mulch between your vegetables, but I have never mulched, so if you mulch how would weeds or what ever grow. Also I always thought that weeds and plants will use up my compost, so looks like I was wrong

[@jenhartman5712]

Just grow more plants to improve soil - luv it! Thx 😊

[@Bad_Housekeeping]

Science is discovering what some of us have passed on for thousands of years. Grow your crops together. The three sisters, corn, beans and squash or pumpkin. The beans can climb the corn, and feed the corn, the squash shades the soil. The roots help each other. The plants help each other.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

You are commenting on companion planting concepts - which are mostly a myth. The three sisters planting does not work as well as monocrops for yield, and even indigenous people understood that. www.gardenmyths.com/three-sisters-agriculture-an-example-of-companion-planting/

[@TrickleCreekFarm]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 but it meets the criteria you mentioned about planting as much variety for increased biological diversity…

[@Bad_Housekeeping]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 I was not commenting on companion planting. I was commenting on traditional practices of planing diverse crops instead of monoculture. My ancestors did not practice monoculture. I learned to plant diverse plants together from my father, who learned it from elders in his tribe.

[@Mrbfgray]

Compost everything. Nothing recently living leaves my yard. I also make 'biochar' from burn piles to add to compost piles. Some excellent info here, well done Sir, as usual. Exudates added to my vocabulary.

[@bobz2770]

Do you have a good 'recipe' for sustainable pot soil? For gardening on some balcony within pots. Thanks for your content

[@brudo5056]

Hello, Quite interesting. About those exudates... can you refer to some specific publications about this subject please ? If the microbiological population in the root zone partly evolves and varies according to the type of root excretion (exudates) and this also depends on type and plant species, then combining plants, companion planting, can result in both competition and symbiosis or cooperation. Scientific research or 'testing' of companion planting should therefore also pay more attention to the coexistence/failure of the respective microbiota of the plants.

[@watchful4087]

Very interesting information, thank you. What can we do for the soil in the winter when we have freezing temperatures all winter?

[@happygolucky2012AD]

BRAVO ! i partially knew the knowledge of exudates from famous Dr Elaine Ingram but you Robert explain it thoroughly for everyone to realize don t kill the weeds;; perhaps keep them low height ; OMG ! this changes the entire agricultural preconceptions ; BRAVO again ! WOOHOO !!!