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.
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.
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.
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
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.
My understanding of the soil microbiology is that the plant produces exudates for appropriate microbes in exchange for nutrients those microbes help produce. If you are supplying synthetic nutrients the plant doesn’t have to work to get its requirements and appropriate microbes that once helped feed the plant are no longer needed and their populations crash. So in the big picture you are probably over supplying soluble nutrients that cannot possibly be used by the plant hence runoff or you are short circuiting a complex system by supplying nutrients directly to the plant. I agree that a plant doesn’t care whether potassium is synthetic or organically sourced but surely the microbes that are responsible for making bioavailable potassium for plants care if they are being screwed over. Every synthetic advocate uses that same argument about N is N no matter the source but will never provide a soil sample to show me that the soil biology between a synthetic fertilizers environment is equivalent to an organic environment. I have been organic for years now and people constantly stop at our house to find out what we do for our turf because it’s America after all and grass is king. They were amazed this year when I tell them my last organic granular fertilizer application was last fall and the only thing I have done as of July 2022 is liquid applications of compost tea, kelp and humic acid, or worm castings. I will say that I still have to use herbicides occasionally to address some tough weed but I truly have to search to find significant weed issues.
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.
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.
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.
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
Hey, don't plants also help themselves too? Meaning they exude certain "sugars" to keep these bugs happy? Whenever I have divided or transplanted something in my gardens there are always worms all around the root ball or in the mess of roots. My lily garden had been chewed down by scarab beetles and their slimy children for a couple of seasons. They would hide in the soil over winter then hangout until everything got green and lush. Then WHAMMO ! It was Biblical in nature, no APOCALYPTIC! It was to the point of almost giving up. Since increasing the amount of compost on the garden each year there are fewer and fewer. In another section, adding ground cover with pansies and sedum has made the colours just pop. The pansies just showed up somewhere along the way. I am guessing there may be a wild pansy here in Manitoba. Or it was hiding in some annual I planted at one time. I argue constantly with my Dad, the old guy thinks that there is too much competition for water and nutrients and these ground covers will choke out my lilies. I say, well the lily stalks are a meter and a half tall and the sedums and pansies are at ground level. It doesn't really look as though anything is being choked out. lol
No ground cover is the bomb! I’ve ran clover in my gardens for years now. And yes they do! They are called Exudates, I’m going to do a video on that soon!
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 😊
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've used it. It works. But it is expensive. If you have the money go for it. But I wouldn't use it exclusively. I use it as an ingredient It will run out of nutrients over a season. Ammendments are a must. For pots or containers I use 1/3 soil, 1/3 aeration, 1/3 vermicompost. For in ground growing I will add some in the hole I'm transplanting into.
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
Hey Ashley, thanks for this science based video... One thing I’ve seen said by many permaculturist is that they refuse tilling not because of compaction (I don’t think many of them even know this is a problem), but because of their belief in mycorrhizal fungi, and that it is THE WORST thing you can possibly do to a mycelial mat (ripping it apart). I personally combine initial tillage when first building a bed and transition to no till when possible... I’m curious what the reproduction rate of fungal mycelium is? It would be good to be able to respond to permaculturists who are ZERO TILL at all costs! I think we need to be able to bring these dichotomy’s of thought together a bit more...
agreed! I completely believe in balance (I talk more in-depth about pros and cons for both tillage and non tillage in a ton of different videos) But the rate is variable based on species & environment. So in the field when I worked with mycelia fungi for research the expansion under ideal conditions (moisture and heat wise) was relative to any expansion you would see in native soils. I think when people think about the web they are comparing it to highways when they should be thinking about it as a cobweb. Highways once destroyed take years to come back, cobwebs once destroyed pop back up quickly. Every year when the ground freezes fungi dies & sets into spores. In theory if you leave the fungi undisturbed in the fall allowing it to set spores then when spring comes if you choose to till then you’re only redistributing the spores before the hyphae form and therefore not harming the web. The web needs to regrow every spring regardless, it’s about preserving & ensuring new growth in the spring. Of course there are zero papers looking at fall vs spring tillage in regards to soil fungi 😂.
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.
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 wish you would clarify when you speak about soil, mixes. Microbes that you would qualify your discussions before hand. What I mean is if you're talking about potting soil or mixes for indoor plants. The treatment and applications are completely different than for outdoor plants. And if you don't think so you're not as soil scientists!!!
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.
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?
@@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?
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.
So she is wrong about tilling. You don’t need to till every few years it might help but you can use fungi and other microbes to condition the soil so it breaks up.
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.
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
If you have solid hard pan, as in your drawing, that deep, I don't see that you can roto till or even dig your way out of it. That's mole plow territory.
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.
Points still remains that if you can fend off disease by natural competition using microbes, why do you want to use toxins that can make it into the eco system and possible into the food you eat... I also agree that its not the end of live in soil using it , but if i have to choose they way nature does it and the way humans have done it in the last 100 years... i pick nature.... Look what we have done to this planet. Forget about the pop culture peeps that can get a bit passionate and start thinking about sustainability... Cancers and illness is on the rise .. we need good nutrition to help combat this.... most of its because of our poor diet and lack of exercise, basically poor life choices... but for me , if i can go without fertilizer and pesticides, all the better .. Im starting a veg garden in my back yard and i want to see if i can go 100% organic, will see how it ends... at least i know what i eat then ..
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 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
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.
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
I think this is my favorit of your content. You are aferming things I have believed for years. This quoet is gold "the only time you will nuke your soil is if you bake it or solarize it". I have occulated not impressed with the results. I do not have time to solerize I would loose the whole season.
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.
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.
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 😎✌️
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 ?
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.
slightly confused still, but if you have a 10gal tote of older soil with no plants, should i leave it to sun soak to sorta reactivate it? or will i need to attract nematodes? thx
What I do for old pot soil is start fresh. Meaning don’t throw it away but if there are Grubbs or other critters that may feed on small roots use boiling water to kill off the biology and then after it has cooled mix in fresh compost and compost tea with fish fertilizer. Cover with a dark material, porous material like landscape material is best. This will give it extra oxygen and will build it system back up.
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 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.
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/
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!
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.
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.
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 that you bring up the deadpan/ compacted layer and say that you need to till in that scenario. I mentioned a podcast a couple of videos ago and in one of the episodes they were saying the exact opposite, that tilling the soil can actually create these compacted layers. Would love to know your thoughts if you listen to it. I'll link it below th-cam.com/video/8Belml6ZWJY/w-d-xo.html
So I listened to every single podcast on the channel 😂. And the folks in the podcast would be considered “fringe” similar too vegans relative to the majority. It doesn’t mean they are wrong but they tend to over exaggerate the benefits of certain setups while ignoring the issues. So their look at compaction is the when you till you break up natural soil aggregates. This destruction means you have lost all the tunnels that have been made by roots and arthropods. What you’re left with is a powder and the powder has no structure until all the tunnels are remade. Which is correct in theory. However, in practice equipment & certain soil types compact regardless of the aggregate formation. And this is due to the force or water movement in the profile, gravity, or pressure from equipment, rain, snow. If it’s a clay soil for example it’s a fine powder regardless of tillage or not. This fine powder via gravity and pressure over time can cause the aggregates to collapse on itself. Especially if there is excess water in the soil for a period of time. The other thing is natural chemical structure of the soil. So for example a soil high in lime or calcarious factors will form almost a cement. This is completely based on the makeup of the soil and has nothing to do with tillage. The only way to reclaim and make those patches of land productive so top reclaim them. All these soil profiles naturally occur in nature without any human intervention. You can find hardpans and compacted soils in natural untouched grasslands and forests all the time. So the idea that they don’t exists in nature and therefore we don’t need to worry about them if we simply do not till is completely false especially if we are placing equipment on the surface. In the forestry industry cut blocks are tested before, during and after harvesting. Zero tillage takes place during the harvest. However a large portion of the time the soil is compacted in some areas after the harvest is done due to equipment. This happens even though there are roots below the surface, the soil has never been tilled, & the harvest takes place when the ground is fully frozen in an effort to prevent or lessen compaction. It is required by Canadian law that the soil is restored back to its original density & this is done in various different mechanical ways. For the theory of “compaction won’t happen as long as we are growing plants, feeding microbes and not to tilling” to hold validity untouched old forest stands should hold up.
@@GardeningInCanada Oh wow, didn't expect you to go and listen to every episode! It's always interesting to listen to different opinions on a topic! So in your opinion you don't think it has as much of an effect as claimed? That seems reasonable to me especially with heavy machinery being involved, however would these practices still not be more beneficial than the alternative? Also what do you make of the studies regarding soil nutrient levels/ bioavailable nutrients and increased yields due to these methods?
I don’t think it’s as miraculous as they think they are. I’ve worked in no till systems on a production level and of the soil type is compact-able isn’t going to compact regardless of what you plant, don’t plant, add or don’t till. Gravity and weight are very powerful forces.
They are more beneficial especially in regions where the soil is exposed to the elements and not covered with snow. If you don’t have snow fall I fully believe a cover crop or “green manure” as the industry likes to call it is added
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
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!
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!
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.
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 😂
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
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.
My understanding of the soil microbiology is that the plant produces exudates for appropriate microbes in exchange for nutrients those microbes help produce. If you are supplying synthetic nutrients the plant doesn’t have to work to get its requirements and appropriate microbes that once helped feed the plant are no longer needed and their populations crash.
So in the big picture you are probably over supplying soluble nutrients that cannot possibly be used by the plant hence runoff or you are short circuiting a complex system by supplying nutrients directly to the plant.
I agree that a plant doesn’t care whether potassium is synthetic or organically sourced but surely the microbes that are responsible for making bioavailable potassium for plants care if they are being screwed over.
Every synthetic advocate uses that same argument about N is N no matter the source but will never provide a soil sample to show me that the soil biology between a synthetic fertilizers environment is equivalent to an organic environment.
I have been organic for years now and people constantly stop at our house to find out what we do for our turf because it’s America after all and grass is king. They were amazed this year when I tell them my last organic granular fertilizer application was last fall and the only thing I have done as of July 2022 is liquid applications of compost tea, kelp and humic acid, or worm castings.
I will say that I still have to use herbicides occasionally to address some tough weed but I truly have to search to find significant weed issues.
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
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.
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!
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
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!
Hey, don't plants also help themselves too? Meaning they exude certain "sugars" to keep these bugs happy? Whenever I have divided or transplanted something in my gardens there are always worms all around the root ball or in the mess of roots.
My lily garden had been chewed down by scarab beetles and their slimy children for a couple of seasons. They would hide in the soil over winter then hangout until everything got green and lush. Then WHAMMO ! It was Biblical in nature, no APOCALYPTIC! It was to the point of almost giving up. Since increasing the amount of compost on the garden each year there are fewer and fewer.
In another section, adding ground cover with pansies and sedum has made the colours just pop. The pansies just showed up somewhere along the way. I am guessing there may be a wild pansy here in Manitoba. Or it was hiding in some annual I planted at one time. I argue constantly with my Dad, the old guy thinks that there is too much competition for water and nutrients and these ground covers will choke out my lilies. I say, well the lily stalks are a meter and a half tall and the sedums and pansies are at ground level. It doesn't really look as though anything is being choked out. lol
No ground cover is the bomb! I’ve ran clover in my gardens for years now.
And yes they do! They are called
Exudates, I’m going to do a video on that soon!
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 😊
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
can you break the hard pan with dakion radish?
It can but I think the moisture levels need to be adequate
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!
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!
Are the fancy soils like fox farms worth the all the extra money? Am I just buying someone snake oil?
Ohhh that’s a good question and those have made their way into my city. I will buy a bag and let you know.
I've used it. It works. But it is expensive. If you have the money go for it. But I wouldn't use it exclusively. I use it as an ingredient It will run out of nutrients over a season. Ammendments are a must. For pots or containers I use 1/3 soil, 1/3 aeration, 1/3 vermicompost. For in ground growing I will add some in the hole I'm transplanting into.
How much is it?
@@GardeningInCanada my local indoor growing store sells it for 25 bucks for a 2 cubic feet bag
On Amazon.ca it ranges from $72 to $110. The hydro store near me sells it for 43.99. It's cheaper to just mix your own soil.
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!
I absolutely love your videos and how you explain the science behind everything. Thank you for the knowledge
Glad you like them!
I agree 💯
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
love your channel!! my ""Tomatoes"" are growing fantastic with your advices
Haha that’s awesome!
I wish I could mulch. Too many slugs. Weeding is not that bad if you keep up with it.
Oh! What mulches have you tried? I wonder if hay or something to that effect would chase the slugs off. Or cover crops
@@GardeningInCanada I've tried everything. Hay/straw/leaves you name it. Slugs love the cold, dark wet environment underneath the mulch.
Oh that’s not fun.
Hey Ashley, thanks for this science based video... One thing I’ve seen said by many permaculturist is that they refuse tilling not because of compaction (I don’t think many of them even know this is a problem), but because of their belief in mycorrhizal fungi, and that it is THE WORST thing you can possibly do to a mycelial mat (ripping it apart). I personally combine initial tillage when first building a bed and transition to no till when possible... I’m curious what the reproduction rate of fungal mycelium is? It would be good to be able to respond to permaculturists who are ZERO TILL at all costs!
I think we need to be able to bring these dichotomy’s of thought together a bit more...
agreed! I completely believe in balance (I talk more in-depth about pros and cons for both tillage and non tillage in a ton of different videos)
But the rate is variable based on species & environment. So in the field when I worked with mycelia fungi for research the expansion under ideal conditions (moisture and heat wise) was relative to any expansion you would see in native soils. I think when people think about the web they are comparing it to highways when they should be thinking about it as a cobweb. Highways once destroyed take years to come back, cobwebs once destroyed pop back up quickly.
Every year when the ground freezes fungi dies & sets into spores. In theory if you leave the fungi undisturbed in the fall allowing it to set spores then when spring comes if you choose to till then you’re only redistributing the spores before the hyphae form and therefore not harming the web. The web needs to regrow every spring regardless, it’s about preserving & ensuring new growth in the spring.
Of course there are zero papers looking at fall vs spring tillage in regards to soil fungi 😂.
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.
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. 😅
Hey would chicken poo fertilizer be good for micriobes in soil ?
Yup! Just make sure it’s composted ❤️
🖤🖤
😊❤️
Also thay last part about synthetic fertilizer and bacterial colony was super helpful! Thank you so much
I wish you would clarify when you speak about soil, mixes. Microbes that you would qualify your discussions before hand.
What I mean is if you're talking about potting soil or mixes for indoor plants. The treatment and applications are completely different than for outdoor plants.
And if you don't think so you're not as soil scientists!!!
I really enjoyed your video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!! I so enjoy time in the garden and the yard. Thank you!
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.
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.
20:52 I come from a biology background (but not micro). What you’re saying is 100% and I love your pragmatism.
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?
Please talk about collecting and utlizing chitin-eating non-fruitbody forming fungi as IPM, please!
"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"😄
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?
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
The plants supply the surgur to the microbes and then the microbes break down
And supply the plant with food though chemical reactions
So she is wrong about tilling. You don’t need to till every few years it might help but you can use fungi and other microbes to condition the soil so it breaks up.
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.
And I had just decided this morning I was done with my tiller, way to make another person indecisive. Lol jk
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.
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
If you have solid hard pan, as in your drawing, that deep, I don't see that you can roto till or even dig your way out of it.
That's mole plow territory.
What about using a fork, and just pierce through that compact layer? It would not destroy mycelium.
Why is this stuff so complicated? Can I just go to the biggest hardwood tree and harvest my own microrisia?
FunjI and aljay lol
❤️❤️❤️
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.
Points still remains that if you can fend off disease by natural competition using microbes, why do you want to use toxins that can make it into the eco system and possible into the food you eat... I also agree that its not the end of live in soil using it , but if i have to choose they way nature does it and the way humans have done it in the last 100 years... i pick nature.... Look what we have done to this planet.
Forget about the pop culture peeps that can get a bit passionate and start thinking about sustainability... Cancers and illness is on the rise .. we need good nutrition to help combat this.... most of its because of our poor diet and lack of exercise, basically poor life choices... but for me , if i can go without fertilizer and pesticides, all the better ..
Im starting a veg garden in my back yard and i want to see if i can go 100% organic, will see how it ends... at least i know what i eat then ..
My concern with insecticide is not so much to do with the soil, but with the fear of harming predators and pollinators.
Wow. I wasn’t expecting you to say that at the end. But when push come to shove, we’ll all want want food!
I bought a five gallon bucket of unsulfered molasses...waiting for the soil scientist to weigh in!
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?
You should make a book simple for people that did not study that I would buy it sense you know alot
What about starches to feed microbe. Innoculate your covercrops
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
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 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
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.
Man you need to go on mr. grow it podcast! Your knowledge is brain food i love it!
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!
I think you should redo all your videos in Mandarin and Bulgarian.
Haha oh man I can’t speak those
I think this is my favorit of your content. You are aferming things I have believed for years. This quoet is gold "the only time you will nuke your soil is if you bake it or solarize it". I have occulated not impressed with the results. I do not have time to solerize I would loose the whole season.
Haha yea zone three we don’t either. But organic growers in California etc VERY common. Completely kills everything... arguably worse then pesticides
Great discussion... I have thousands of mealy bugs .. how do I decrease population?
I like using predatory mites and nematodes
6:00 and still haven’t started. Suggest you get to the point.
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.
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.
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!
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
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!
I have powdery mildew pretty heavy.. how does one treat that?
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
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.
I like how you explained the till vs no till.
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.
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slightly confused still, but if you have a 10gal tote of older soil with no plants, should i leave it to sun soak to sorta reactivate it? or will i need to attract nematodes? thx
What I do for old pot soil is start fresh. Meaning don’t throw it away but if there are Grubbs or other critters that may feed on small roots use boiling water to kill off the biology and then after it has cooled mix in fresh compost and compost tea with fish fertilizer. Cover with a dark material, porous material like landscape material is best. This will give it extra oxygen and will build it system back up.
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 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.
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/
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
What does it mean when my microbes pray to me?
Do you pronounce fungus as funJUICE?
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
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
The last time I used molasses in a pot i had a pot full of red ants.
You definitely would lol
Following along. Mighty interesting.
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
Hetter roj en us (how to pronounce heterogenous.) 😊
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!
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.
I recently tested my gardening soil and it appears to be high in nitrogen. What is the best way to neutralize the nitrogen in that soil?
Over plant the soil or mix in some wood chips to lock it up. 😊
Interesting that you bring up the deadpan/ compacted layer and say that you need to till in that scenario. I mentioned a podcast a couple of videos ago and in one of the episodes they were saying the exact opposite, that tilling the soil can actually create these compacted layers. Would love to know your thoughts if you listen to it. I'll link it below
th-cam.com/video/8Belml6ZWJY/w-d-xo.html
So I listened to every single podcast on the channel 😂. And the folks in the podcast would be considered “fringe” similar too vegans relative to the majority. It doesn’t mean they are wrong but they tend to over exaggerate the benefits of certain setups while ignoring the issues.
So their look at compaction is the when you till you break up natural soil aggregates. This destruction means you have lost all the tunnels that have been made by roots and arthropods. What you’re left with is a powder and the powder has no structure until all the tunnels are remade. Which is correct in theory.
However, in practice equipment & certain soil types compact regardless of the aggregate formation. And this is due to the force or water movement in the profile, gravity, or pressure from equipment, rain, snow. If it’s a clay soil for example it’s a fine powder regardless of tillage or not. This fine powder via gravity and pressure over time can cause the aggregates to collapse on itself. Especially if there is excess water in the soil for a period of time.
The other thing is natural chemical structure of the soil. So for example a soil high in lime or calcarious factors will form almost a cement. This is completely based on the makeup of the soil and has nothing to do with tillage. The only way to reclaim and make those patches of land productive so top reclaim them.
All these soil profiles naturally occur in nature without any human intervention. You can find hardpans and compacted soils in natural untouched grasslands and forests all the time. So the idea that they don’t exists in nature and therefore we don’t need to worry about them if we simply do not till is completely false especially if we are placing equipment on the surface.
In the forestry industry cut blocks are tested before, during and after harvesting. Zero tillage takes place during the harvest. However a large portion of the time the soil is compacted in some areas after the harvest is done due to equipment. This happens even though there are roots below the surface, the soil has never been tilled, & the harvest takes place when the ground is fully frozen in an effort to prevent or lessen compaction. It is required by Canadian law that the soil is restored back to its original density & this is done in various different mechanical ways. For the theory of “compaction won’t happen as long as we are growing plants, feeding microbes and not to tilling” to hold validity untouched old forest stands should hold up.
@@GardeningInCanada Oh wow, didn't expect you to go and listen to every episode! It's always interesting to listen to different opinions on a topic!
So in your opinion you don't think it has as much of an effect as claimed? That seems reasonable to me especially with heavy machinery being involved, however would these practices still not be more beneficial than the alternative? Also what do you make of the studies regarding soil nutrient levels/ bioavailable nutrients and increased yields due to these methods?
Haha I listen and read everything my subscribers send me! How else am I supposed to understand where you’re coming from.
I don’t think it’s as miraculous as they think they are. I’ve worked in no till systems on a production level and of the soil type is compact-able isn’t going to compact regardless of what you plant, don’t plant, add or don’t till. Gravity and weight are very powerful forces.
They are more beneficial especially in regions where the soil is exposed to the elements and not covered with snow. If you don’t have snow fall I fully believe a cover crop or “green manure” as the industry likes to call it is added
Thankyou for all this information. I appreciate your objective approach.
I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
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