I’m so happy to finally hear the rational behind tilling certain soils. I have clay soil in my yard and it has wet areas that do not grow grass. Now I understand how to treat the area.
Subscribed. You are so stinking knowledgeable. I'm a homesteaders who is trying to do right by the Earth and my animals. Thank you so much. Who knew dirt was so fascinating.
Here's what I've been doing. I know this is going to seem like an over simplification, but I've had great results. To start, a friend of mine gave me a couple of tractor buckets of a cow manure pile that is at least 50 years old. That's where they put all the manure when they were kids on the cattle farm, and it's just sat there. I took that and put it in a 1 yard, 3 sided bin that I built in the yard. All summer, I bury soft fruit and vegetable "matter" in there. It could be from peels from the kitchen, spoiled veggies, apples from my neighbor's tree. You name it. I don't use grass or leaves from the yard because we have dogs...that's a whole other thing though. Anyway....I even took about 30-40 corn stocks, ran them over with my lawnmower over and over again until they were basically shredded puree. I take whatever soft organic plant material that comes my way that isn't hard stem material, grind it up, and then mix (not just bury) it into the pile really well. I turn it over regularly, and add water if it seems too dry. I take that, and remove about 6" of soil from each of my 2ft high raised garden beds, and refill them with stuff from the pile, and mix it in. I take the soil I removed from the beds, and chuck it back in the pile. I also grow in buckets, and in the fall, I toss all that stuff into the pile and grind it all together and fill the buckets back up in the spring. I don't know how much damage I'm doing to the bacterial/fungal life every time I mix up the pile either to just mix it, or to add new "matter", but it's working for me, and I have great results with veggies in the raised beds and buckets.
Understanding soil science it becoming a hot topic! Thank you so much for explaining this! As well as the difference between till and no till. I was beginning to think no till was the absolute way to go but now I understand what to look for and when it's necessary to go back and forth. Looking forward to hear what you have to say about composting and cover crops.
Like everything in life context matters! I hate when gardening channels give you one solve it all solution because everyone's soil and situations are different! Thanks for another great video. It's hard to get science based knowledge in this hobby sometimes.
It’s so true. One size does not fit all. & I wonder if the reason gardening channels do that is because they have a book or are selling courses on a “tried and true” concept. In my field experience this is not the case way to many variables
In the South East side of Texas it can go dry for up to 40 days in the summer. If it helps I use pine needles as a mulch it really helps my veggie beds stay moist like a bacterial filled sponge. I have also used cover crops between my “rows” which you can chop and drop before they seed and use it as mulch. Most of the time I turn it into the soil....kinda tilling oh oh. I also harvest it before my cover crops go to seed since I read some paper explaining clover had the most nitrogen before going to seed but I aint no scientist. Oh my soil beds are right on top of clay but on a slope so I don’t believe they pool which is a great thing to take note of so thank you for that. Sorry for the long comment this video reminded me of my environmental microbiology class. Always nice to hear from a Soil Scientist.
Yea! So the slope will make a huge difference and I imagine keeping moisture in your soil would be really difficult 😥. I don’t mind long comments! I read every word
Oh, this is fascinating! I seen so many no till vids on TH-cam but I haven’t clicked to watch any. I kinda leaned towards thinking there is observational evidence that all the farmers before us were going by but I’m always open to new info and better ways if there is evidence. I just didn’t want to get my info from a no till person who hasn’t studied the science. I’ve noticed that in general people really dislike pulling weeds and digging with a shovel. 😂 So of course they would like no till. Thank you 🙏🏼😊thank you for being here and sharing with us. I wish you patience and strength with the commenters who don’t believe in the science. Warm wishes and virtual pandemic hugs.
Thank u for clarifying this! I have been mixing my clay soil with peat moss and Coco peat and perlite with amazing results! My potted plants and soil bed feel fluffy and airy ! I feel the microbes and plants are getting all the water gas exchange they need! Also have been fertilizing with neem meal ! Does wonders for the soil!
Had to rewatch after soil food web video! Great explanations debunking all these "only one way, or devastation" people. Like you say "diversity and balance" Microbes are amazing AND tough.
Interesting! The take home message for me was one size doesn’t fit all, a good gardener needs to adapt to their set of conditions. I’m amazed that microbes can double their populations every 20 minutes! I reckon my heavy clay soil I got from the builder benefits from tilling once a year and then cultivating from time to time. Klaus
I thank you for addressing an issue I thought I had. My no till soil has a slight crusting on the surface. To hear that this is the way nature works is a confidence builder in my set up. THANKS Ashley.
Ty for explaining this so well:] I have been using good practices to keep my microbes alive and having great success gardening even at my new place using simple methods such as mulching. I do like to make compost teas a few times a month and try my best to set up there future homes hehe
Good introduction of power of soil microbes for a gardening audience. A couple thoughts from 1st viewing: 1. Since soil microbes largely responsible for soil aggregates & they co-operate & co-habitat w plant roots, introducing plants w roots that can push thru some layers of compaction is sometimes good alternative to tillage; 2. Pesticides - even some “organic” ones - do cause soil microbe demographic & population shifts for extended periods of time. Many herbicides are nutrient chelators that bind nutrients from being plant available. Glyphosate & related chemistries are actually antibiotics.
I think the real issue with pesticides is the fact that they end up in our food. I don't want to eat harmful substances. It is obviously ideal to keep them to a minimum whenever possible. Also, from what I understand, healthier soil makes healthier plants in the long run. It's not entirely ridiculous to be focused on microbial health as opposed to the final product. There is also info to suggest that soil with higher microbial activity offer more nutrients to plants. That means the crops that are produced are more nutritious. There is something to be said for food quality. People can end up being nutrient deficient even though they're eating a balanced diet. I remember reading that you would have to eat like 20 oranges to get the same vitamin c value of an orange from 100 years ago.
This is so helpful! We live in northern BC and are struggling to just grow grass in the front yard under the mature birch trees....i'm not sure that tilling would be safe for the trees. I even tried seeding when we had ground heave since its the softest it gets. Aeration didnt make a difference when we tried that. Is it a lost cause? 😂 I dont know if the advice changes for grass specifically or a grass alternative but I'd love any idea to try! Even the dandelions and hawkweeds dont grow there which is likely a bad sign. 😂 Even if it's just, mulch it and put some chairs out 😂😂😂 The raised boxes are doing famously though so its not all a lost cause. 😅
I certainly believe as well as know that my microbiol/fungal species are the reason my organic garden works. Really, really well. Without them I'd be damned.
16:10 exactly right. I built a soil bed out of a large plastic container and I noticed there was a layer that went completely anaerobic because I thought I could layer soil when I was building it the first time. I mixed everything up then so I could go potentially at least a year or longer without having to do it again. I suspect it’s the same way with soil as you said.
Speaking to your drawing (not bad BTW) I would think that broad forking might be a good option along with a good and healthy top dressing of leaf mulch of something similar... Just a thought.. Solid Video.. Great Job and thanks for the info...
Indeed microbes are vital. And when we feed them, they feed the plants. Sounds good to me. So, top dress with alittle compost, and I'm wondering if aerating the no tilled area is a good idea., maybe with a garden fork. Ashley, when you covercrop...do you just mow it down and leave the roots in tact or do you turn the roots over and dig them in?
Am wondering if you've heard of the broadfork yet, as you were saying tilling is only way to address hardpan. This is how no-till growers try to avoid fully tilling hardpan/inverting soil situations and still aerate the soil and break up the hardpan. They seem to be happy with this.
I love my broadfork. I appreciate that it loosens our clay soil with less disruption than full-on rototilling. Spading fork is great for small beds. Seems to scare the worms up out of the soil though.
Loving the science behind all this! Just started reading Teaming with microbes. Trying to get a better understanding of hmmmmm ot this works and be applied to my garden. It's great to find people with scientific knowledge willing to share what they have studied. Thank you!
Add a thin layer of leaves around the top of the pot to increase the microbes and enrich the soil. Also fox farms has a flowering food thats great for microbiome
So much value in a short video,thankyou If possible make a video or a series of videos explaining knf inputs , same way you explained lab serum. And when you do video on this topic pls don’t forget to take my name 😎✌️
I do not believe it is possible to apply too much compost.(practical experience). My garden and poly tunnel is growing produce almost continuously and on the occasion when I scrimped on my application of compost the result was self evident in the reduced yield. In organic gardening you feed the soil organisms which in turn feed and nourish the plants. They do not produce too much of anything but just what the plants require. But then I’m not a scientist 😊
Please make a video on soil for dirted aquarium tank .It would be really helpful for hobbyist like me who are using Walstad method for their planted aquarium.
Could you please till us more about bokashi? There is mostly information about how to do it and that it is so good. Good to a level of too good to be true. What actually happends when the bokashi stuff is mixed with soil and soil microbes? Do any of the anaerobic bokashi microbes survive in the soil and if so what do they do? What is the deal with the "effective micro organisms"? What makes them so amazing and are they really?
@@GardeningInCanada yes please! I came here to ask about bokashi as well. I used to use bokashi composting, but I have heard that the bokashi starter can be added straight to garden or houseplant soil. Not sure if it is true?
I think microbes and fungi are important to the soil , it makes sense. So you know approximately how many microbes/fungi are in a pinch of soil and how fast they reproduce but during reproduction do they simply repopulate the die off or populate accordingly to food supply ? Cheers , thanks for the data .
I have bought several cans of mackerel in water from the dollar store with the intent of burying it 6 inches below my tomato plant seedlings along with some crushed egg shell. Then I thought to pre-compost the fish with the egg shell along with actual compost at the same time as I start the seedling. Now, I'm thinking to just put the fish in the compost bin to apply next year. Thoughts?
@@GardeningInCanada That is part of the reasoning in option 2: Pre-compost/decompose it. All three address the biological sag (probably not good terminology) by time delaying the contact with the roots. I have seen videos where people put the fish directly contacting the roots and it causes the plant to slow its growth until the nutrients become bio-available and presumably the bacteria count rebounds.
Hello from France. A great and well explained content. I really enjoy your explanation. A no till living soil is the key, as you said. Personally, I use KNF methods, such as IMO or JMS to ´´build’´ and ´´maintain ´ ´ a healthy soil food web in my soil . I use also mulch (any kind of organic material) to feed the soil and to keep a good moisture. KNF methods seem to work great for me…. I would like to know your thoughts, as a scientist, on these practices …what do you think about KNF ? Thanks for sharing your knowledge… Have a nice day
Hi ya, I'm still loving your channel, I would like to hear, about cover crops that benefit soil through bio tillage (as well as those that contribute to nitrogen sequestration ) which you discussed would be in your future videos. And if it is in the scope of your channel I would love to hear the theory of how components of compost or wood chips are broken down to simple and complex sugars, and what is known about which microbes are responsible is it a sequence of fungi 1 followed by fungi 2 followed by bactreia a etc as fungi one can produce enzyme a etc or is this unknown? And why fungi are more dominant on pure wood chips being broken down vs a more balanced mix containing more nitrogen for example a ratio of 1 part cattle poop, 3 parts wood chips.or is this a myth that I sort of believed was fact? Thanks Ashley I really appreciate your work making these videos.
The more information you give me the more questions I have. My watering tank has nutrients - EC of 1.6 . My substrate is coco-peat and pumice with 10% compost. The idea for putting compost was the microbes. By using nutrient enriched water, am I killing my microbes as I am watering twice a day ?
How to increase soil microbes. In the fall, a layer of shredded leaves, a layer of compost, drench with compost or worm compost tea. Cover with landscape material. Black plastic can work but material will let the microbes sink deeper, which is what you want. Let it sit all winter. Very early spring drench again with compost tea keeping the landscape material on. Do this before a good rain or water it in deep. In 3 to 4 weeks you can start planting. Do this every year and after 3 Years if your soil was compacted before it won’t be. Living soil…….
I do everything with a shovel and a rake and whatever hand tool is handy. Am I right to think that shoveling up my heavy clay soil and mixing in organic materials and adding in air at the same time will be as good as tilling, or at least good enough? Or should I really consider renting a tiller? I’m doing 3-4 foot wide beds, different lengths as my time and energy allows. I’d wait till the soil was drained enough the break up as I went along. Would this be a lot of work for little return?
You should collaborate with top farming TH-cam channels like millennial farmer, Cole the corn star, and farmer Dre, etc and have like a soil health webinar or something. Use them as influencers!
I am using raised beds with a 6 species cover crop following root vegetables. After a killing frost, I mulch shredded leaves heavily in the six inch range completely covering the bed. Removal in spring reveals a 99% cover kill. Mulch is reserved for re-application as necessary. You had mentioned a light mulch possibility after cover cropping. My question is am I doing any harm in a heavy mulch? Thank you. I do so enjoy your videos.
Are dead chickens mixed with sawdust/chicken manure 50% ,well composted...(6 months) good to apply to soil, and rotovated? Planning to plant raspberries
Hi, I was chatting with my mom. She has had an increasing case of plants turning yellow and not producing.( tomatoes, potatoes mostly). She has compost bins near the garden and dumps old jars of pickles in it, they roll the compost bins down the garden and spread it out. Do you think the pickles could do something the soil causing the poor plant growth?
It’s mostly likely the vinegar & salt that’s causing the issue. When you say yellow and no fruit production I immediately think of the nutrient deficiency’s caused by salt I spoke about in my bottom watering video last week. The other possibility is that the compost isn’t aged enough so you have a combination of high acidity combined with a nutrient “sink” in organic material.
I don’t think there is any need too add fertilizer the nutrients is there it’s just “tied up” because the plant wasn’t able to access it. Let me know how it goes. It’s not on a new patch of land or anything right? My only other concern is whether or not the original soil is contaminated.
There is a sodic soil, saline soil, both the same in a sense, but also different, get a compost soil sample, it's important, but I suggest, it's a salt (table salt, pool salt, road salt, ice salt) are killers, vinegar is OK unless you are already to Low PH. So do a test, even in her garden. I use Midwest Labs, Omaha Nebraska, great price, service, and I've done tissue sampling too.
I rewatched thos recently, and remembered to to ask about pesticides. I believe it was mentioned that insectidal soap etc. can reduce the microbial count temporarily. What about Neem oil? Does this disturb the microbial count in any way? Thanks!
It will yea. But it’s temporary, I think something that people forget about is the fact that microbes multiply at a rate that’s unfathomable to us. There isn’t much out there that will completely sterilize an entire soil system. The exception would be if you places all your soil in the oven.
@@GardeningInCanada Okay, yeah. I have a bottle of Neem oil, but have experienced it being applied onto by others and it leaving a sticky residue- so have been hesitant to crack it open if it would essentially temporarily reduce the microbe count; just like when I use Safer's insecticidal soap. Do you have any recommendations on how to apply this sprays to minimize lead burn? I find certain species can be more sensitive.
Yea so nighttime applications are better. And they water (hitting the leaves) in the morning. To help with absorbing you may want to water before applying. If you do that then consider apply and wiping down the leaves after a few hours.
Lol, last one I promise. Kinda related to both videos. I received a 'soil inoculant' as a sample, which features Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens, suspended in molasses. I can send you a picture of the product. I'm not holding much hope that it really works, but would love to hear your thoughts- I'll send a pic to your ig.
Hi Ashley! I noticed you stated in another video that you would throw out fungi when it reached a certain temperature. I keep my soil and compost bags outside. is this foolish? Am I killing off microbes and fungi by doing this? Thank you!! Love your channel!
Have you seen the rice ball method? You take a snowball size of mostly cooked rice put in cheese cloth and bury in woods. Dig up later and get microbes.
Hi sorry I am not sure if I understand the till/no-till part. Do you mean that, for soil that is hydrophobic with water pooling on top instead of penetrating deep, tilling should be done? And what about soil that is not hydrophobic, is tilling also good? I'm a bit confused when you first seemed to suggest that tilling is bad because it breaks up the soil structure with mini pores and tunnels created by dead roots, but then you went on to say that after tilling, there will be rapid growth of plants because of the injection of oxygen.
It’s a tool I would use to get a garden started or to break up heavily compacted soil. But if its long term microbes your are trying to build/have loose soil then i would skip the tillage and go straight into a low till situation.
I’m in the turf-grass fertilization and pest control industry. Would spraying a lawn with beneficial bacteria products be worth it? Would it make a noticeable difference in controlling bad fungi and promoting plant growth? If so then it would be a great way to wean off of the toxic chemicals that are Commonly used.
Regarding the section on moisture: You mentioned microbes dying if the soil dries out. Do you think that the microbes that are found in arid landscapes are better adapted to prevent some die back during droughts?
I want a video on how to grow fungi either in a brew for a tea if possible or in compost. Its easy to grow bacteria by adding a starch or molassis. You tube is full of lets add molassis/sugar which grows more bacteria not needed for most gardeners who compost without much talk about growing beneficial fungi
any chance you have tried or heard of using malted barley grains from a local home brew store? i top dress with it and the mycelium goes crazy. worms seem to love it. it has a bunch of enzymes and amino acids, chitinase, silica, some micronutrients.
Hi, just discovered your interesting channel and subscribed. May we see the references to the publications you briefly showed earlier in the video, please?
Absolutely! Do you have a university login for anywhere in particular? Just so I can send you the links from the proper journals you could have access too
at 9:34 you say the lowest you want the soil to be dry is "a sponge that has been heavily wrung out. you know that base mositure that is there. that is where you want your soil at , at all times . so do i want the heavily wrung out sponge effect at all times? or was that the lowest moisture i should have? thanks for your assistance and further clarification. also sometimes the cool temp from the AC (i live in florida) makes it seem like the soil is more moist than it is too. thanks for the clarification.
@@GardeningInCanada hey there thanks for you help! i asked my question wrong. i am sorry about that. i mean in your video it was unclear if the soil moisture in potted plants should be like the heavily wrung out sponge you so brilliantly described all the time or if i should not let the potted houseplants get past that heavily wrung out state. your description was brilliant and understandable. i am sorry to trouble you with this detail. i appreciate it. thanks.
I may have missed it, but what about soil conditioners/surfactants? Will that help if you have water pooling? My back yard is half moss due to soil compaction and heavy clay soil.
Surfactions will only help if it’s a hydrophobic soil. If you’re having water pulling on top of Clay it’s likely due to compaction or a high water table. Or the ground is still frozen.
@@GardeningInCanada I assume it was from time and location? I just know when I dig, I hit really hard dirt a few feet down. So I guess my next question is, do I have to worry if the compaction layer is that far down? I assume most plant roots are much more shallow. So will that still cause an anaerobic condition over time that far down if I begin to no till the soil?
I do not believe it is possible to apply too much compost.(practical experience). My garden and poly tunnel is growing produce almost continuously and on the occasion when I scrimped on my application of compost the result was self evident in the reduced yield. In organic gardening you feed the soil organisms which in turn feed and nourish the plants. They do not produce too much of anything but just what the plants require.
What would you recommend to add to coco coir, which comes neutral, to infuse it with good bacteria and fungi. I use it for microgreens so my growing media cycle is 10 days. I looking for a way to increase my yield in a natural (organic) way
I COMPOST anything i can , i use carbon inline filter to scrub smell of my tents exaust , once a year i remove the end cap of the filter and dump the carbon and replace it with activated carbon for fish tank , my question is will the carbon hurt or benefit the compost
What kinds of products would you recommend to create biomes in already-potted houseplants that used sterile mediums? Do I need to get the bottle of fancy linseed capsule cow poop, or would top dressing with a small amount of compost or worm poop work? I've essentially taken ownership of some neglected plants that had both sterile mediums and several bone-dry cycles and I want to switch them to the happiest plants in the world. So far I'm just watering consistently and using a 1-1-1 each time.
Are you looking to get more decomposition action? What I would do is compost and potting soil and then simply water every month with lactobacillus mix. You can easily make it at home and it will activate decomposition www.gardeningincanada.net/diy-bokashi-bran-compost-accelerator/
If I do have some pooling water, do I need to till the entire bed or can I core drill holes every couple of feet and fill with compost? I’ve heard core drilling and replacing with compost allows water to travel and then spread nutrients to the surrounding clay soil which helps break it down into “good” soil over time. Any truth to this concept? Thanks in advance
It may work the issue is the lack of air flow in a clay soil can cause an anaerobic environment and decomposition can not take place. There is no harm in giving it a shot.
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Thanks for watching! Do you believe in the power of microbes?
Yes yes yes!!!!!!
HahH love it
Microbiology is half the universe...
I completely agree
I always wanted great biodiversity in my garden, and microbes are the most diverse part of that. I will do everything in my power to nourish them. :)
I’m so happy to finally hear the rational behind tilling certain soils. I have clay soil in my yard and it has wet areas that do not grow grass. Now I understand how to treat the area.
Glad it was helpful!
Subscribed. You are so stinking knowledgeable. I'm a homesteaders who is trying to do right by the Earth and my animals. Thank you so much. Who knew dirt was so fascinating.
In Ohio, we call it garden soil.
I like how you explained the till vs no till.
Here's what I've been doing. I know this is going to seem like an over simplification, but I've had great results. To start, a friend of mine gave me a couple of tractor buckets of a cow manure pile that is at least 50 years old. That's where they put all the manure when they were kids on the cattle farm, and it's just sat there. I took that and put it in a 1 yard, 3 sided bin that I built in the yard. All summer, I bury soft fruit and vegetable "matter" in there. It could be from peels from the kitchen, spoiled veggies, apples from my neighbor's tree. You name it. I don't use grass or leaves from the yard because we have dogs...that's a whole other thing though. Anyway....I even took about 30-40 corn stocks, ran them over with my lawnmower over and over again until they were basically shredded puree. I take whatever soft organic plant material that comes my way that isn't hard stem material, grind it up, and then mix (not just bury) it into the pile really well. I turn it over regularly, and add water if it seems too dry. I take that, and remove about 6" of soil from each of my 2ft high raised garden beds, and refill them with stuff from the pile, and mix it in. I take the soil I removed from the beds, and chuck it back in the pile. I also grow in buckets, and in the fall, I toss all that stuff into the pile and grind it all together and fill the buckets back up in the spring. I don't know how much damage I'm doing to the bacterial/fungal life every time I mix up the pile either to just mix it, or to add new "matter", but it's working for me, and I have great results with veggies in the raised beds and buckets.
Understanding soil science it becoming a hot topic! Thank you so much for explaining this! As well as the difference between till and no till. I was beginning to think no till was the absolute way to go but now I understand what to look for and when it's necessary to go back and forth. Looking forward to hear what you have to say about composting and cover crops.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Like everything in life context matters! I hate when gardening channels give you one solve it all solution because everyone's soil and situations are different! Thanks for another great video. It's hard to get science based knowledge in this hobby sometimes.
It’s so true. One size does not fit all. & I wonder if the reason gardening channels do that is because they have a book or are selling courses on a “tried and true” concept. In my field experience this is not the case way to many variables
I really enjoyed your video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!! I so enjoy time in the garden and the yard. Thank you!
In the South East side of Texas it can go dry for up to 40 days in the summer. If it helps I use pine needles as a mulch it really helps my veggie beds stay moist like a bacterial filled sponge. I have also used cover crops between my “rows” which you can chop and drop before they seed and use it as mulch. Most of the time I turn it into the soil....kinda tilling oh oh. I also harvest it before my cover crops go to seed since I read some paper explaining clover had the most nitrogen before going to seed but I aint no scientist. Oh my soil beds are right on top of clay but on a slope so I don’t believe they pool which is a great thing to take note of so thank you for that. Sorry for the long comment this video reminded me of my environmental microbiology class. Always nice to hear from a Soil Scientist.
Yea! So the slope will make a huge difference and I imagine keeping moisture in your soil would be really difficult 😥.
I don’t mind long comments! I read every word
Oh, this is fascinating! I seen so many no till vids on TH-cam but I haven’t clicked to watch any. I kinda leaned towards thinking there is observational evidence that all the farmers before us were going by but I’m always open to new info and better ways if there is evidence. I just didn’t want to get my info from a no till person who hasn’t studied the science. I’ve noticed that in general people really dislike pulling weeds and digging with a shovel. 😂 So of course they would like no till. Thank you 🙏🏼😊thank you for being here and sharing with us. I wish you patience and strength with the commenters who don’t believe in the science. Warm wishes and virtual pandemic hugs.
Thanks so much!
A Saskatchewan Channel. Thank you SO much. I'm a new gardener and I so needed your channel in my gardening journey!
That’s awesome! Where abouts in Saskatchewan are you?
@@GardeningInCanada I am in Melfort and may I say thank you for such a prompt response
Thank you for this, very interesting. I garden in northern Montana. I shared this video with my brother, who lives and gardens south of Saskatoon.
nice!
Also thay last part about synthetic fertilizer and bacterial colony was super helpful! Thank you so much
Thank u for clarifying this! I have been mixing my clay soil with peat moss and Coco peat and perlite with amazing results! My potted plants and soil bed feel fluffy and airy ! I feel the microbes and plants are getting all the water gas exchange they need! Also have been fertilizing with neem meal ! Does wonders for the soil!
I absolutely love your videos and how you explain the science behind everything. Thank you for the knowledge
Glad you like them!
I agree 💯
Had to rewatch after soil food web video! Great explanations debunking all these "only one way, or devastation" people.
Like you say "diversity and balance"
Microbes are amazing AND tough.
100% true I’m all for different road to the same result
20:52 I come from a biology background (but not micro). What you’re saying is 100% and I love your pragmatism.
You just got a new subscriber! Yay your Canadian :)
Hey! Welcome where abouts in Canada are you from?
@@GardeningInCanada New-Brunswick
Nice! That awesome
@@Hatarue Norland, Ontario here
I keep saying this but I swear neighbours are going to start finding each other on this channel 😂
Man you need to go on mr. grow it podcast! Your knowledge is brain food i love it!
Wow. I wasn’t expecting you to say that at the end. But when push come to shove, we’ll all want want food!
Interesting! The take home message for me was one size doesn’t fit all, a good gardener needs to adapt to their set of conditions. I’m amazed that microbes can double their populations every 20 minutes! I reckon my heavy clay soil I got from the builder benefits from tilling once a year and then cultivating from time to time.
Klaus
Exactly!
Following along. Mighty interesting.
I thank you for addressing an issue I thought I had. My no till soil has a slight crusting on the surface. To hear that this is the way nature works is a confidence builder in my set up. THANKS Ashley.
Absolutely anytime! If you even have ofd balls stuff pop up don’t hesitate to ask!
Cover the soil with landscape material all winter it will help prevent sun and erosion. Keep the wigglies happy.
love your channel!! my ""Tomatoes"" are growing fantastic with your advices
Haha that’s awesome!
Ty for explaining this so well:] I have been using good practices to keep my microbes alive and having great success gardening even at my new place using simple methods such as mulching. I do like to make compost teas a few times a month and try my best to set up there future homes hehe
Glad it was helpful!
Love to see how the microbes can be encouraged and kept alive in a very tall raised bed.
The cover crop idea is interesting to me... haha we have guinea pigs so this could be a win win
Oooo you’re going to like my video on cover crops then
Same!
Hahah yay!
Good introduction of power of soil microbes for a gardening audience. A couple thoughts from 1st viewing: 1. Since soil microbes largely responsible for soil aggregates & they co-operate & co-habitat w plant roots, introducing plants w roots that can push thru some layers of compaction is sometimes good alternative to tillage; 2. Pesticides - even some “organic” ones - do cause soil microbe demographic & population shifts for extended periods of time. Many herbicides are nutrient chelators that bind nutrients from being plant available. Glyphosate & related chemistries are actually antibiotics.
Amazed that soil micro organisms could be so interesting!
I think the real issue with pesticides is the fact that they end up in our food. I don't want to eat harmful substances. It is obviously ideal to keep them to a minimum whenever possible. Also, from what I understand, healthier soil makes healthier plants in the long run. It's not entirely ridiculous to be focused on microbial health as opposed to the final product. There is also info to suggest that soil with higher microbial activity offer more nutrients to plants. That means the crops that are produced are more nutritious. There is something to be said for food quality. People can end up being nutrient deficient even though they're eating a balanced diet. I remember reading that you would have to eat like 20 oranges to get the same vitamin c value of an orange from 100 years ago.
This is so helpful! We live in northern BC and are struggling to just grow grass in the front yard under the mature birch trees....i'm not sure that tilling would be safe for the trees. I even tried seeding when we had ground heave since its the softest it gets. Aeration didnt make a difference when we tried that. Is it a lost cause? 😂 I dont know if the advice changes for grass specifically or a grass alternative but I'd love any idea to try! Even the dandelions and hawkweeds dont grow there which is likely a bad sign. 😂
Even if it's just, mulch it and put some chairs out 😂😂😂
The raised boxes are doing famously though so its not all a lost cause. 😅
Thankyou for all this information. I appreciate your objective approach.
I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
I found this information very helpful.
I certainly believe as well as know that my microbiol/fungal species are the reason my organic garden works. Really, really well. Without them I'd be damned.
Thanks again Ashley
Anytime!
16:10 exactly right. I built a soil bed out of a large plastic container and I noticed there was a layer that went completely anaerobic because I thought I could layer soil when I was building it the first time. I mixed everything up then so I could go potentially at least a year or longer without having to do it again. I suspect it’s the same way with soil as you said.
Speaking to your drawing (not bad BTW) I would think that broad forking might be a good option along with a good and healthy top dressing of leaf mulch of something similar... Just a thought.. Solid Video.. Great Job and thanks for the info...
Indeed microbes are vital. And when we feed them, they feed the plants. Sounds good to me. So, top dress with alittle compost, and I'm wondering if aerating the no tilled area is a good idea., maybe with a garden fork. Ashley, when you covercrop...do you just mow it down and leave the roots in tact or do you turn the roots over and dig them in?
Am wondering if you've heard of the broadfork yet, as you were saying tilling is only way to address hardpan. This is how no-till growers try to avoid fully tilling hardpan/inverting soil situations and still aerate the soil and break up the hardpan. They seem to be happy with this.
I have yea! I can do a video on that
I love my broadfork. I appreciate that it loosens our clay soil with less disruption than full-on rototilling. Spading fork is great for small beds. Seems to scare the worms up out of the soil though.
I use cover crops like peas and left over bean seed. Great ideas.
that’s honestly perfect!
Ash, you make me want to glove up! Just a guess but I should save my molasses for cookies!
So, use a broadfork to gently break holes in the hard pan?
Haha I mean I would be gloved up if the ground wasn’t frozen 😂
And yea even that is going to be enough to let the microbes & roots do heavy lifting
Loving the science behind all this!
Just started reading Teaming with microbes. Trying to get a better understanding of hmmmmm ot this works and be applied to my garden.
It's great to find people with scientific knowledge willing to share what they have studied. Thank you!
Nice! Who’s the author for that book?
@@GardeningInCanada Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis
Nice! I’ll have to look it up
@@GardeningInCanada ISBN 987-1-60469-113-9
That book took me over a year to read. It's like trying to read phone book. But it is definitely an essential read
Add a thin layer of leaves around the top of the pot to increase the microbes and enrich the soil. Also fox farms has a flowering food thats great for microbiome
What’s the product’s name?
I believe in the power of microbes in my soil, 100%.
So much value in a short video,thankyou
If possible make a video or a series of videos explaining knf inputs , same way you explained lab serum.
And when you do video on this topic pls don’t forget to take my name 😎✌️
Yea absolutely
I do not believe it is possible to apply too much compost.(practical experience). My garden and poly tunnel is growing produce almost continuously and on the occasion when I scrimped on my application of compost the result was self evident in the reduced yield. In organic gardening you feed the soil organisms which in turn feed and nourish the plants. They do not produce too much of anything but just what the plants require. But then I’m not a scientist 😊
Please make a video on soil for dirted aquarium tank .It would be really helpful for hobbyist like me who are using Walstad method for their planted aquarium.
Ok sure
Your video is very informative, yet, I would like to know how to increase microbes in soil...
I have a few videos on that! But I can talk about it a bit lore
Good video but just a tip for new viewers...1.5 speed is your friend 😂
I have ESL subscribers so speaking too quickly is not an option.
Have you tried making IMO3? I've seen some of the best results innoculating my garden soil with it, nature does wonders
I haven’t!
Great discussion... I have thousands of mealy bugs .. how do I decrease population?
I like using predatory mites and nematodes
Could you please till us more about bokashi? There is mostly information about how to do it and that it is so good. Good to a level of too good to be true. What actually happends when the bokashi stuff is mixed with soil and soil microbes? Do any of the anaerobic bokashi microbes survive in the soil and if so what do they do? What is the deal with the "effective micro organisms"? What makes them so amazing and are they really?
I’ll look into the data on this and make a video forsure!
@@GardeningInCanada yes please! I came here to ask about bokashi as well. I used to use bokashi composting, but I have heard that the bokashi starter can be added straight to garden or houseplant soil. Not sure if it is true?
I grow organic cannabis and would like for you to do more that way. And TY for the microbe information.
can you break the hard pan with dakion radish?
It can but I think the moisture levels need to be adequate
I think microbes and fungi are important to the soil , it makes sense. So you know approximately how many microbes/fungi are in a pinch of soil and how fast they reproduce but during reproduction do they simply repopulate the die off or populate accordingly to food supply ? Cheers , thanks for the data .
Please talk about collecting and utlizing chitin-eating non-fruitbody forming fungi as IPM, please!
I have bought several cans of mackerel in water from the dollar store with the intent of burying it 6 inches below my tomato plant seedlings along with some crushed egg shell. Then I thought to pre-compost the fish with the egg shell along with actual compost at the same time as I start the seedling. Now, I'm thinking to just put the fish in the compost bin to apply next year. Thoughts?
Yea you could if your able to keep critters out. No reason why not
@@GardeningInCanada That is part of the reasoning in option 2: Pre-compost/decompose it. All three address the biological sag (probably not good terminology) by time delaying the contact with the roots. I have seen videos where people put the fish directly contacting the roots and it causes the plant to slow its growth until the nutrients become bio-available and presumably the bacteria count rebounds.
You should make a book simple for people that did not study that I would buy it sense you know alot
Hello from France. A great and well explained content. I really enjoy your explanation. A no till living soil is the key, as you said. Personally, I use KNF methods, such as IMO or JMS to ´´build’´ and ´´maintain ´ ´ a healthy soil food web in my soil . I use also mulch (any kind of organic material) to feed the soil and to keep a good moisture. KNF methods seem to work great for me…. I would like to know your thoughts, as a scientist, on these practices …what do you think about KNF ?
Thanks for sharing your knowledge… Have a nice day
Hi ya, I'm still loving your channel, I would like to hear, about cover crops that benefit soil through bio tillage (as well as those that contribute to nitrogen sequestration ) which you discussed would be in your future videos. And if it is in the scope of your channel I would love to hear the theory of how components of compost or wood chips are broken down to simple and complex sugars, and what is known about which microbes are responsible is it a sequence of fungi 1 followed by fungi 2 followed by bactreia a etc as fungi one can produce enzyme a etc or is this unknown? And why fungi are more dominant on pure wood chips being broken down vs a more balanced mix containing more nitrogen for example a ratio of 1 part cattle poop, 3 parts wood chips.or is this a myth that I sort of believed was fact? Thanks Ashley I really appreciate your work making these videos.
Those are great video ideas! Love them all thanks so much
Love this content!
Glad you enjoyed!!
What do you suggest for garden beds over very compacted soil and / or layers of sand at the bottom about a foot to a foot and a half down?
The more information you give me the more questions I have. My watering tank has nutrients - EC of 1.6 . My substrate is coco-peat and pumice with 10% compost. The idea for putting compost was the microbes. By using nutrient enriched water, am I killing my microbes as I am watering twice a day ?
Not necessarily. It’s not the nutrients that’s that issue it’s the salts.
How to increase soil microbes. In the fall, a layer of shredded leaves, a layer of compost, drench with compost or worm compost tea. Cover with landscape material. Black plastic can work but material will let the microbes sink deeper, which is what you want. Let it sit all winter. Very early spring drench again with compost tea keeping the landscape material on. Do this before a good rain or water it in deep. In 3 to 4 weeks you can start planting. Do this every year and after 3 Years if your soil was compacted before it won’t be. Living soil…….
love this suggestion!
I do everything with a shovel and a rake and whatever hand tool is handy. Am I right to think that shoveling up my heavy clay soil and mixing in organic materials and adding in air at the same time will be as good as tilling, or at least good enough? Or should I really consider renting a tiller? I’m doing 3-4 foot wide beds, different lengths as my time and energy allows. I’d wait till the soil was drained enough the break up as I went along. Would this be a lot of work for little return?
Just putting compost or using compost tea, which is better for increasing soil microbes?
Absolute technicality is the tea only because of the moisture factor
You should collaborate with top farming TH-cam channels like millennial farmer, Cole the corn star, and farmer Dre, etc and have like a soil health webinar or something. Use them as influencers!
Can you do a video on sea weed and kelp extracts and the enzymes within? Are they worth it? Along with your thoughts on aquaponics. Thank you
Sure! I’ll put that on the list
@@GardeningInCanada That list is growing! So many topics. Thanks.
I am using raised beds with a 6 species cover crop following root vegetables. After a killing frost, I mulch shredded leaves heavily in the six inch range completely covering the bed. Removal in spring reveals a 99% cover kill. Mulch is reserved for re-application as necessary. You had mentioned a light mulch possibility after cover cropping. My question is am I doing any harm in a heavy mulch? Thank you. I do so enjoy your videos.
No harm at all just avoid incorporating it into the soil
@@GardeningInCanada thanks!
Are dead chickens mixed with sawdust/chicken manure 50% ,well composted...(6 months) good to apply to soil, and rotovated?
Planning to plant raspberries
Hi, I was chatting with my mom. She has had an increasing case of plants turning yellow and not producing.( tomatoes, potatoes mostly). She has compost bins near the garden and dumps old jars of pickles in it, they roll the compost bins down the garden and spread it out. Do you think the pickles could do something the soil causing the poor plant growth?
It’s mostly likely the vinegar & salt that’s causing the issue. When you say yellow and no fruit production I immediately think of the nutrient deficiency’s caused by salt I spoke about in my bottom watering video last week.
The other possibility is that the compost isn’t aged enough so you have a combination of high acidity combined with a nutrient “sink” in organic material.
@@GardeningInCanada thanks you. What can she do for this years season? Should she add bagged compost, or add something like nitrogen or potassium?
Yea absolutely. use bagged compost and just give her home made compost a year to catch up.
I don’t think there is any need too add fertilizer the nutrients is there it’s just “tied up” because the plant wasn’t able to access it. Let me know how it goes.
It’s not on a new patch of land or anything right? My only other concern is whether or not the original soil is contaminated.
There is a sodic soil, saline soil, both the same in a sense, but also different, get a compost soil sample, it's important, but I suggest, it's a salt (table salt, pool salt, road salt, ice salt) are killers, vinegar is OK unless you are already to Low PH. So do a test, even in her garden. I use Midwest Labs, Omaha Nebraska, great price, service, and I've done tissue sampling too.
"We're going to do a debunking on that... but I'm not going to tell you the answer on that... I think you'll be surprised"😄
I rewatched thos recently, and remembered to to ask about pesticides. I believe it was mentioned that insectidal soap etc. can reduce the microbial count temporarily. What about Neem oil? Does this disturb the microbial count in any way?
Thanks!
It will yea. But it’s temporary, I think something that people forget about is the fact that microbes multiply at a rate that’s unfathomable to us. There isn’t much out there that will completely sterilize an entire soil system. The exception would be if you places all your soil in the oven.
@@GardeningInCanada Okay, yeah. I have a bottle of Neem oil, but have experienced it being applied onto by others and it leaving a sticky residue- so have been hesitant to crack it open if it would essentially temporarily reduce the microbe count; just like when I use Safer's insecticidal soap. Do you have any recommendations on how to apply this sprays to minimize lead burn? I find certain species can be more sensitive.
Yea so nighttime applications are better. And they water (hitting the leaves) in the morning. To help with absorbing you may want to water before applying. If you do that then consider apply and wiping down the leaves after a few hours.
@@GardeningInCanada Okay, thanks!
Lol, last one I promise. Kinda related to both videos. I received a 'soil inoculant' as a sample, which features Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens, suspended in molasses. I can send you a picture of the product. I'm not holding much hope that it really works, but would love to hear your thoughts- I'll send a pic to your ig.
Hi Ashley! I noticed you stated in another video that you would throw out fungi when it reached a certain temperature. I keep my soil and compost bags outside. is this foolish? Am I killing off microbes and fungi by doing this? Thank you!! Love your channel!
If it’s in direct sunshine it’s possible
Have you seen the rice ball method? You take a snowball size of mostly cooked rice put in cheese cloth and bury in woods. Dig up later and get microbes.
interesting!
Hi sorry I am not sure if I understand the till/no-till part. Do you mean that, for soil that is hydrophobic with water pooling on top instead of penetrating deep, tilling should be done? And what about soil that is not hydrophobic, is tilling also good? I'm a bit confused when you first seemed to suggest that tilling is bad because it breaks up the soil structure with mini pores and tunnels created by dead roots, but then you went on to say that after tilling, there will be rapid growth of plants because of the injection of oxygen.
It’s a tool I would use to get a garden started or to break up heavily compacted soil. But if its long term microbes your are trying to build/have loose soil then i would skip the tillage and go straight into a low till situation.
I’m in the turf-grass fertilization and pest control industry. Would spraying a lawn with beneficial bacteria products be worth it? Would it make a noticeable difference in controlling bad fungi and promoting plant growth? If so then it would be a great way to wean off of the toxic chemicals that are Commonly used.
it actually would work really well. and honestly there isnt much of a weening process i would just do an immediate flip
Regarding the section on moisture:
You mentioned microbes dying if the soil dries out. Do you think that the microbes that are found in arid landscapes are better adapted to prevent some die back during droughts?
Thanks for sharing the studies. How can we support your channel besides just watching??
I have a patreon now but only one person is on it 🤣 and then merch but other then that not much
I want a video on how to grow fungi either in a brew for a tea if possible or in compost. Its easy to grow bacteria by adding a starch or molassis. You tube is full of lets add molassis/sugar which grows more bacteria not needed for most gardeners who compost without much talk about growing beneficial fungi
any chance you have tried or heard of using malted barley grains from a local home brew store? i top dress with it and the mycelium goes crazy. worms seem to love it. it has a bunch of enzymes and amino acids, chitinase, silica, some micronutrients.
Oh that’s really interesting! I haven’t but I’ll forsure look into it and see if there is any research.
Hi, just discovered your interesting channel and subscribed. May we see the references to the publications you briefly showed earlier in the video, please?
Absolutely! Do you have a university login for anywhere in particular? Just so I can send you the links from the proper journals you could have access too
@@GardeningInCanada yes I probably can access certain journals through work email.
at 9:34 you say the lowest you want the soil to be dry is "a sponge that has been heavily wrung out. you know that base mositure that is there. that is where you want your soil at , at all times . so do i want the heavily wrung out sponge effect at all times? or was that the lowest moisture i should have? thanks for your assistance and further clarification. also sometimes the cool temp from the AC (i live in florida) makes it seem like the soil is more moist than it is too. thanks for the clarification.
so that is typically (for 80% of soil types) 50% soil moisture. 20% is classically known as PWP or Permanent wilting point
@@GardeningInCanada hey there thanks for you help! i asked my question wrong. i am sorry about that. i mean in your video it was unclear if the soil moisture in potted plants should be like the heavily wrung out sponge you so brilliantly described all the time or if i should not let the potted houseplants get past that heavily wrung out state. your description was brilliant and understandable. i am sorry to trouble you with this detail. i appreciate it. thanks.
I may have missed it, but what about soil conditioners/surfactants? Will that help if you have water pooling? My back yard is half moss due to soil compaction and heavy clay soil.
Surfactions will only help if it’s a hydrophobic soil. If you’re having water pulling on top of Clay it’s likely due to compaction or a high water table. Or the ground is still frozen.
Just a thought. Any reason why blueberries & rhododendrons don’t use beneficial bacteria?
They can if they have the right species
@@GardeningInCanada Do you know what kind? Thank you.
How does water/soil pH affect the soil microbiology? Is there a preferred soil pH range for the microbes?
Yea! Absolutely that can effect microbes. The pH on the extreme side would foster extremophiles for example
@@GardeningInCanada wow that is very interesting! Thank you for your response :)
Anytime!
do i have to till the compaction layer? tilling the surface wont affect the compaction layer 3 feet down, will it?
no unfortunately not. Do you know what caused the hardpan? was it from equipment, human traffic, time?
@@GardeningInCanada I assume it was from time and location? I just know when I dig, I hit really hard dirt a few feet down. So I guess my next question is, do I have to worry if the compaction layer is that far down? I assume most plant roots are much more shallow. So will that still cause an anaerobic condition over time that far down if I begin to no till the soil?
My concern with insecticide is not so much to do with the soil, but with the fear of harming predators and pollinators.
I do not believe it is possible to apply too much compost.(practical experience). My garden and poly tunnel is growing produce almost continuously and on the occasion when I scrimped on my application of compost the result was self evident in the reduced yield. In organic gardening you feed the soil organisms which in turn feed and nourish the plants. They do not produce too much of anything but just what the plants require.
I love your videos! What do you suggest as a natural mulch?
I heard that a few thin layers of grass clippings are ideal, they add nitrogen, and they break down fast .
What would you recommend to add to coco coir, which comes neutral, to infuse it with good bacteria and fungi. I use it for microgreens so my growing media cycle is 10 days. I looking for a way to increase my yield in a natural (organic) way
You absolutely can use coco coir. But I believe having a wide range of different substances that it is always the better method.
I COMPOST anything i can , i use carbon inline filter to scrub smell of my tents exaust , once a year i remove the end cap of the filter and dump the carbon and replace it with activated carbon for fish tank , my question is will the carbon hurt or benefit the compost
that's awesome! and no reason why you can't it will just sequestrate more nutrients
What about starches to feed microbe. Innoculate your covercrops
What kinds of products would you recommend to create biomes in already-potted houseplants that used sterile mediums? Do I need to get the bottle of fancy linseed capsule cow poop, or would top dressing with a small amount of compost or worm poop work? I've essentially taken ownership of some neglected plants that had both sterile mediums and several bone-dry cycles and I want to switch them to the happiest plants in the world. So far I'm just watering consistently and using a 1-1-1 each time.
Are you looking to get more decomposition action? What I would do is compost and potting soil and then simply water every month with lactobacillus mix. You can easily make it at home and it will activate decomposition www.gardeningincanada.net/diy-bokashi-bran-compost-accelerator/
Is there a summary for what to do with clay soil? I'm going crazy dealing with it.
Its a pain I have a few videos on it and some blog posts over on my website www.gardeningincanada.net
will tap water with chloramine totally kill all the microbes or just make a dent like you said
Just a dent, similar to a regular synthetic fertilizer.
If I do have some pooling water, do I need to till the entire bed or can I core drill holes every couple of feet and fill with compost? I’ve heard core drilling and replacing with compost allows water to travel and then spread nutrients to the surrounding clay soil which helps break it down into “good” soil over time. Any truth to this concept? Thanks in advance
It may work the issue is the lack of air flow in a clay soil can cause an anaerobic environment and decomposition can not take place. There is no harm in giving it a shot.
16:00 - why not use a broad fork to fix the compaction layers?
What about using a fork, and just pierce through that compact layer? It would not destroy mycelium.
Hey I have a question I have some happy frog soil will my microbes decrease if i let it dry out
Okay I listened so I won’t let it dry out too much
Haha yea I wouldn’t let it dry out too much