I really like that you explain the concept of the video first, then actually go out and show it in 'the field'. A lot of youtubers bumble about and show/explain little to nothing.
It'd be great if Pinball would send you pictures of the melon bed. Maybe 1/2 way thru the growth cycle, then of course a harvest video. Good job once again, Nate!
Zone 6B. Yes Nate. We left roots from our veggie crops in the garden last season. Covered with tarp silver side up. We uncovered last month and the soil under the chopped leaves was moist. 1/2 the garlic cloves I planted in November were up and now developing stalks. They were directly planted in compost. 10 swiss chard came up early too and one has to be 12 inches across and outer leaves are larger than my hand. Thank you Nate. BTW Of course more cabbage lettuce etc planted plus all seedlings are planted except Bell Peppers and Roma. Much love from Ct. usa
I'm jealous of the other "Just me's" melon patch! I absolutely LOVE watermelon but haven't had any success, yet. Will definitely try implementing these suggestions. May have to have a consultation or visit in the fall to supercharge my gardening. Definitely need to make things easier as the hard work with little yield is getting depressing.
Now I know! I was very defeated at the end of last season when the butternut squash failed. However I see it in a different way now. I failed the squash. It didn’t fail me. I didn’t learn about how to properly plant. I didn’t learn what a good growing bed is made of. I didn’t learn what other plants would protect the veggie plants from pests. I have my manure ready, I just started composting, and I have the flowers that will help deter pests. I remember my parents getting seaweed from the shore and washing the salt off it and then using it as fertilizer. Next year I will experiment with the seaweed. Thank you thank you!
Another great video, I wish I found your channel last year. I would be in a better position than I am in right now. I'm 30 minutes south of Chicago similar if not same garden zone as you!
I had to chuckle as you described the root systems wild growth… something like your amazing beard… which I can never grow. My whiskers are like summer, some r here and some r there! LOL! Great video.
That's some extensive prep. and set up. I worked a farm for three years after having worked on one. There are many things that transfer from farming to gardening, but none transfer the other way around.
yes but once the setup is complete you have a weed free garden for several years to come... so far 5 years and counting from several of the tarp garden plots... just plant and pick
Thanks Nate, I like the way you casually stroll amongst the various beds, here I've got a foot or so between mine, compact and bijou my friend, the neighbour's would probably phone the council if there were too many bees and birds making a noise as they watch TV and poison themselves.
@@gardenlikeaviking There's plenty here too but the government seems to think its theirs, that's changing very soon, time for them to start running the people aren't too happy here, when they discover what's really been happening they're going to erupt.
For my squash, I do the tree sister method grown abundance of squash successfully last year plant my corn, then I wait two weeks afterwards then plant beens and squash with the help of electrical culture
I'd recommend using a shredded hardwood mulch in the future rather than cypress on any bed that's going to be worked again. Cypress is rot resistant and will sit there for years without decomposing if you're not actively composting it. I use shredded cypress in my pathways on top of landscape fabric, because it lasts for years. I can tell you from experience, it's not fun picking pieces of cypress out of a bed to reduce what gets mixed into the soil next time you want to amend it. Shredded hardwood decomposes much faster, and it also gives you the opportunity to inoculate with edible mushrooms like winecaps.
@@gardenlikeaviking crookneck, blue hubbard, acorn, and some stacking squash i saved from market that were tasty and kept well. Really going for it with squash this year. May dig more mounds...
I concur with you on planting time. We will be hosting two sister in laws from overseas this summer. My wife was insistent that we get melons started early. I did. They grew well in the soil blocks I made. I hardened them for plus a week on the back porch. Planted them . Got a couple of days hot weather followed now by cool weather with lows in the lower 50’s. Not looking so good. What do have going is that my beds are buried in hay mulch. In the words of Ruth Stout I don’t till, just add more. That keeps the ground cool below and all my melons thrive here in the mid south.
I definitely got excited this year and planted my tomatoes and peppers too early in the ground. Good thing I have spare seedlings ready to go and haven't even thought about starting the squash yet. Can't wait for full swing summer and growth!
Same. Just always be sowing some kind of seed and replace plants no matter the casualties! Lol. Luckily my zone 9 stayed JUST warm enough to sustain my pepper and tomato transplants from about 3-4 weeks ago Slowed growth but looking good.
Excellent is not enough to explain. I am from Sri Lanka. My country is going through a rough patch and very tough period. I am trying my level best to adopt your theories /practices to my garden. Right on the money. Thanks a lot!
thank you my friend!!... I have been to Sri Lanka in 2009... I stayed at the Kotte Temple in Colombo then went and toured the land to Galle and Kandy and Anuradhapura and many others... I love Sri Lanka and the culture!!
That was a beautiful set up , I don’t have that much room but i am going to try a version of the layout im always fighting weeds with my cantaloupe and watermelon hopefully this year will be better ! Thanks Nate 👍🌞
That's what I'm facing with onions we direct sowed. We heavy mulch around our zucchini. We got a bore that broke a piece but found a fix on line. easy. We got watermelon, small variety to put in a bucket. Keep learning. All glory to God. And an honorable mention to Nate. BTW. We need a lot of fleece to cover everything just in case of a freeze. Maybe some more pvc pipe DIY hoops over our garden rows. zone 6B and our green basil transplants got nipped.
Thanks Nate for the many details for melons, my greenthumb grandpa Charlie just told me to put a lot of cow manure. It didn't work very well because I tilled it into the worn stubble field.
this has your name written all over it!!... it will be beautiful starting in about a month when the whole thing becomes covered in greenery and it looks like a lush carpet of green... then in the fall the green dies back and you see so many beautiful squash ready for winter storage!
Love videos like this, this year im using a similar methode yet its still very diffrent. In the winter months we pile up a row of horse manure, its sits there for 7 to 9 months and then when its planting time we make holes in the manure pile fill it with compost/pottingground/ground from the garden and then plant into that seems to give amazing results. The digging with hands in the manure pile is so easy and lovely to see all the life forces in there.
Hi Nate. Many thanks for the video a great source of info. Question❓️Crop rotation vs planting in the same space every year. Can you please pass on some.of your experience regarding this?
First year gardener in Louisiana zone 9. What are your recommendations for squash vine borer? My crop of squash and zucchini just got decimated. I’m such a newbie I didn’t even know this fantastically heinous bug existed. I confess I did not have wetting agent on my plants but making it this weekend. Fortunately, the season is long down here and I have time to start more seeds. Thank you for any advice it’s appreciated.
German butterballs are my absolute favorite!!... they keep all winter in the basement!... yes I'll try to do a video on them what would you like to know about them?
Any thing you can share that will help me and others to be successful in growing and storing. I have purchased certified potato seed like you said in one of your videos. I'm trying to make this potato my yearly go to from now on. Anything you can help with would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and have a blessed day.
This is really helpful, thanks. What I'm not so clear on is whether you recommend some kind of trellis or growing on the ground... I don't think I have the luxury of an entire vast area just for melons... I have a big area that I will grow as three sisters, with winter squash on the ground, but for melons and cucumbers, I will need to grow vertically to fit them in!
cucumbers yes always trellis them to keep the plants nice and healthy with good airflow and they easily climb trellis by themselves.... to vertically grow melons you have to be more particular in choosing the right variety... the Ali Baba for example (my fav watermelon) is way too massive of a fruit to grow vertically it gets 30lbs easy... so grow a smaller melon like the Madhu Ras from Baker Creek Seeds its nice and compact and easily climbs a trellis
It's been decades since I had a really good honeydew. Most of them, at best now are like a wet potato with a little sweetness. The last time I remember having a fantastic one was 1982 and it was the garnish on a honeydew margarita. My mouth just watered thinking about it. I could be screwed.. about 5" down in my crappy sandy clay is a hard pack that breaks shovels when standing on them and bends tines on tillers and long forks. Naturally, I have a completely different question than you went over. What do you think of those boots? comfort/durability/keeping them looking you didn't just plant in dark compost.. they look nice and flexible.
brother I cannot recommend these boots highly enough!!... I searched far and wide for many years before finally settling on these boots due to extreme lightness and breathability yet insanely comfortable and rugged... last year they had a sale and I bought 4 pairs so I will not be without them for many years! lol thats how awesome they are!..... here they are amzn.to/3HEf81I
yes you will still have success if that is what you have available to you... just be sure to leave the bottoms open so the roots can penetrate the native earth if possible and also make sure the raised bed is filled with something very rich like manure.... also try to choose varieties that don't get jurassic in size!
Hi Nate, thank you for another awesome video! Question: why don’t you put the lumber squares towards the outside of the plastic cover perimeter, they’re all many feet inside of it. I’m asking because if I go this route, I’ll have to put them close to the outside corners and only be in the direct center.
because the vines are going to grow like crazy and go way off the plastic sheeting so in order to keep the whole thing manageable we placed them closer to the center.... even still the total diameter is going to be 50ft or more... if you have limited space you could opt for bushier varieties like the ButterBush or the Acorn squash
Hi NATE, One question pops to my mind. Won't the black sheet burn the plants that will be crawling over it ? Also, don't melon need trellis of some kind to climb on or are you going to let them grow on the ground, crawl over the black sheet? Thanks
no it will not burn them because the leaves shade the plastic and the moisture from below keeps the plastic cool enough for everything to just sprawl out on the ground... melon do not require trellising only if you are trying to save space do you trellis them... they do just fine crawling on the ground
Damn, I wish I saw this before I set up my 200 gallon smartpot to grow some watermelons... I guess I'm going to change things up and go straight in the sand then, which is what watermelons prefer. Maybe I'll use the grow bag to grow the potatoes and peanuts instead, and use that space I was going to grow the peanuts and potatoes in, for the watermelons... Which is actually in a shady spot which might be good for the watermelon roots, since I've heard about the shade before. I just wonder how much it will affect growth if they don't have full sun all day right away?` From what i read Potatoes and Peanuts don't need that deep of a space either.... do you have experience with either(I believe I saw you growing potatoes before?)? How deep do these tubers grow? Maybe I shouldn't even use the 200 gallon growbag anymore? I have 2 Passionfruit plant in it as well. So the roots ` of Watermelon really do not go that much deeper than a foot or so, besides the taproot? Damn, what a waste to get a bag that is 24" deep then....` It's kind of funny, because I am having all sorts of pest issues DECIMATING my leaves in this bag. I notice leaf miners, but there is `definitely something else, because the entire leaf is being eaten whole, and just a stem remains. I also lost a 3-4 day old watermelon fruit that was just starting off.... I couldn't see any cucumbers beetles at night, but I saw a black bug off to the side on a `passionfruit leaf which i looked up maybe is a "Squash bug? I noticed today that I don't see any issues on the watermelon in the ground that I planted months ago, having any issues... It was next to a smaller 30 gallon growbag with a watermeon plant in it, that was also growing for few months now, but I put that whole smartpot into the 200 gallon bag to give the passionfruit and watermelon more room, and now I'm having the issues with the leaves `being eaten whole with some having a lot of holes in it. Just he last couple of weeks. It is next to a Hong Kong Orchid, an Orange Tree, some Aloe plants, and a Bougainvillea tree. I did try Garlic and that did seem to work, but after watering the next day it seemed to wash it all away, so I have to try it again tonight and see if Garlic will work. I'm trying to buy some Jerusalem ARtichoke (Sunchoke), but haven't found a good organic source. One place was sold out, but the garlic, and hot pepper, might work. Fer'mented urine doesn't seem to work, even though that is touted as an incesticide. Thank you.
Question about manures... Many horse owners feed their horses from commercial feed stores... Feed stores buy from commercial growers... Commercial growers use pesticides and herbicides like paraquat and others to maximize profits... Paraquat is one of those nearly forever chemicals that pass through the digestive system of the animal... Giving your garden a poisoned handicap right off the bat. How does one avoid that...
yes i understand exactly what you are saying here!... please watch the recent video i've made titled "Why I'm Done with Manures"... it will give you my insights on this topic
Question ❓. Would you use the same processes for the gourds? I would very much like to grow some for the grandkids to make a DIY Birdhouse. Awesome video as usual. Thank you 😊
my problem is my soil .. once watered, it kinda crusts over .. i have noticed that most of my plants roots are having a tough time multiplying and spreading .. we even added years old cow manure (dried), it had been under a lean too where the cows gathered fromthe rains, been there for many years .. and my friend is letting me get as much as i want .. kewl huh .. we put atleast a 2" layer on a 16'x45' in ground garden area, tilled it in .. ground is still too (thick?) to get much growth from my tomatoes .. my potatoes seem to be doing just fine lol .. and last year my zucchini did decent in this same spot .. it is going to take a couple of years of doing this to get a loose soil i have come to realize ..
in your situation I'd definitely suggest a vigorous cover crop in the early fall like the tillage radish or the winter rye it will go deep into the soil and break it up naturally but you don't want to till anymore after you start that kind of treatment for best results
in the home garden there is no need to crop rotate and in fact using natural methods we make the soil custom tailored to each specific plant by composting and returning all unused parts of that plant to that exact soil... always leave the roots in the ground
Wonderful, just when you do get heavy rain will there be enough drainage for excessivewater, or do you make extra holes between the boxes? Thanks for all this wonderful knowledge 🙏
no need for extra drainage here because its on a nice slope... if completely flat you may wish to poke a few small holes in the spot where the water is pooling... or just leave it because its no problem at all and will provide humidity for the squash plants
Does cow manure ever get too dried out? I have a source but it can sometimes not be very fresh. I realize you don't want wet, but is there a point it gets too dry? Congratulations on the growth of the channel!
thank you my friend and the cow manure will stay good for a long time if its dried out and sheltered but if its exposed to the elements then yes it will become not so rich in nutrients after a while... that being said if its one or two years old thats still going to be effective
@Garden Like a Viking thank you kindly! I have all I want of rabbit and chicken but horse and cow takes a bit more effort so when I expend the effort, I need to know it's going to be worth it. 😃
if I want to grow the small ones up a trellis then I'll prune the ones on the ground... but if growing in the field with plenty of space then no I don't prune at all... I do thin for sure though so only one of the biggest strongest plants per hole so about three per "hill"
You have done videos about making different fertilizer...you say to not use tap water, which i do understand, but would river water work? I have not gotten a lot of rain here in Wisconsin yet to fill my buckets with water, but i live on a river and have been wondering if using the river water would actually be beneficial?
it will during the first part of the season and that will speed the plant growth but by the time the real heat sets in the vines will shade out 90% of that surface and the roots will stay cool and moist
@@gardenlikeaviking so the vines aren’t negatively effected by the heat of the plastic while they are growing? Seems like it could get real hot for the young vines. Thanks for the education!
depends what you're growing... only the vines need to be spaced that far apart but if growing other things you can go much closer with only 3 or 4 feet between beds... even the vines you could get away with 8 or 10 feet but it will be so crowded you won't be able to walk without stepping on plants
@@gardenlikeaviking Based on what you said, I'm thinking of going single row of 4x4' beds (instead of doubling them up like you did), 3 plants in each, and spaced 10' apart between them. Since the area is 12' wide, that'd leave 4' on each edge covered in plastic for sprawl and subsurface moisture draw. I'll be growing a combo of short-season watermelons (blacktail mountain, etc) that get about 10' long, and small to medium winter squash (red kuri, delicata, honeynut, f1 crown prince).
if you have the space definitely let it roam free because thats what they love to do and produce the biggest fruits IME... trellising them you have to gently and tediously hang each fruit to keep it from splitting the vine from its weight
Is this method good for pumpkins too? I'm trying out some little pie pumpkins this year along with my melons. Also, have you had any problems with cow manure being contaminated with the Grazon herbicide. They use it quite a bit out here. It goes right through the animal with no effects on them, but it remains in the manure and will poison your garden plants.
yes this is fantastic for pumpkins as they are a type of squash really... you have to be very selective with the sourcing of the manure for sure I've experienced the Garzon but this was from the same ranch as the garden so no chance of contamination
never... it leaves them more open to infection... but I do thin them so there's only one or two plants per hill... a family will only need one or two plants maximum of the Tahitian Squash
I really like that you explain the concept of the video first, then actually go out and show it in 'the field'. A lot of youtubers bumble about and show/explain little to nothing.
WOW!! I'd love to see the finished product. I bet it was really great. Thanks Nate!
It'd be great if Pinball would send you pictures of the melon bed. Maybe 1/2 way thru the growth cycle, then of course a harvest video. Good job once again, Nate!
yes definitely I'll be getting pictures and probably go back to TN to visit the garden and make a video mid summer
@@gardenlikeaviking ThanQ! I think that'd be wonderful to see the progress and harvest! Motivates people to see the results of the techniques.
My friend!!!
Thank you for your great videos 🙌🏽
Nate thanks for the reminder of melons liking cooler roots so buckets aren't the best way.
no they are not the best way... you will get far more bounty from placing them in the nice cool earth
Zone 6B. Yes Nate. We left roots from our veggie crops in the garden last season. Covered with tarp silver side up. We uncovered last month and the soil under the chopped leaves was moist. 1/2 the garlic cloves I planted in November were up and now developing stalks. They were directly planted in compost. 10 swiss chard came up early too and one has to be 12 inches across and outer leaves are larger than my hand.
Thank you Nate. BTW Of course more cabbage lettuce etc planted plus all seedlings are planted except Bell Peppers and Roma. Much love from Ct. usa
Wonderful!
I'm jealous of the other "Just me's" melon patch! I absolutely LOVE watermelon but haven't had any success, yet. Will definitely try implementing these suggestions. May have to have a consultation or visit in the fall to supercharge my gardening. Definitely need to make things easier as the hard work with little yield is getting depressing.
Wow my brain just got electrify with so much good info my friend thank you!!
Great ideas. I'm growing squash and melons this year. I will have some questions for you Saturday. Thanks Nate
So informative! Can't wait to try growing the clover 😊 Thank you for taking the time to make these videos! It's greatly appreciated!!!
great info! Also Hello from another NW Indiana gardener.
Thank you for this wisdom Sensei 🙏
Thanks for sharing your knowledge 😮❤
I have been waiting for this video!!! Thanks you so much!
Now I know! I was very defeated at the end of last season when the butternut squash failed. However I see it in a different way now. I failed the squash. It didn’t fail me. I didn’t learn about how to properly plant. I didn’t learn what a good growing bed is made of. I didn’t learn what other plants would protect the veggie plants from pests. I have my manure ready, I just started composting, and I have the flowers that will help deter pests. I remember my parents getting seaweed from the shore and washing the salt off it and then using it as fertilizer. Next year I will experiment with the seaweed. Thank you thank you!
yes my friend you have the correct mindset for success!!!... now you know!!
Another great video, I wish I found your channel last year. I would be in a better position than I am in right now. I'm 30 minutes south of Chicago similar if not same garden zone as you!
Wow, that was a great way to do it. Wish I had the space .
Thanks a lot! Keep the great videos coming!
I had to chuckle as you described the root systems wild growth… something like your amazing beard… which I can never grow. My whiskers are like summer, some r here and some r there! LOL! Great video.
LOL LOL thats the first I've heard that summer pun but I'll be sure to use it!!!
That's some extensive prep. and set up. I worked a farm for three years after having worked on one. There are many things that transfer from farming to gardening, but none transfer the other way around.
yes but once the setup is complete you have a weed free garden for several years to come... so far 5 years and counting from several of the tarp garden plots... just plant and pick
This will work perfectly in several places on my property, thank you Viking!!!
thank you for the kind support my friend!!
Thanks Nate! Perfectly timed for my far NE Texas garden! Beds were ready, now I have all the tips!🎉
Thanks Nate, I like the way you casually stroll amongst the various beds, here I've got a foot or so between mine, compact and bijou my friend, the neighbour's would probably phone the council if there were too many bees and birds making a noise as they watch TV and poison themselves.
Like Hot Pockets in the microwave. And that would do it.
Short attention spans, oh wait....
I see marsh mellow video over there. See ya later.
lol one thing America has is lots of land!!... when I left this 17 acre ranch I left a piece of my heart with it!!!...
@@gardenlikeaviking There's plenty here too but the government seems to think its theirs, that's changing very soon, time for them to start running the people aren't too happy here, when they discover what's really been happening they're going to erupt.
AMAZING INSPIRING VIDEO!!!!!!!!!
Great explanation. Gonna grow watermelon when I take up my tomatoes. I made the microbial solution from your video to fortify my potato beds.
Beautiful
Haven't been able to watch as much lately. Spring catch-up on a lot of projects.
That is the coolest method for growing melons and squashes that I have ever seen.
thank you my friend and for you it would help to keep the soil warm!!
@@gardenlikeaviking I won't even try here it'd be a waste of time it's too damn cold
Right on man. 😎
For my squash, I do the tree sister method grown abundance of squash successfully last year plant my corn, then I wait two weeks afterwards then plant beens and squash with the help of electrical culture
I have watermelon seeds, and now I have knowledge. I have a garden spot just right.
I'd recommend using a shredded hardwood mulch in the future rather than cypress on any bed that's going to be worked again. Cypress is rot resistant and will sit there for years without decomposing if you're not actively composting it. I use shredded cypress in my pathways on top of landscape fabric, because it lasts for years. I can tell you from experience, it's not fun picking pieces of cypress out of a bed to reduce what gets mixed into the soil next time you want to amend it. Shredded hardwood decomposes much faster, and it also gives you the opportunity to inoculate with edible mushrooms like winecaps.
Thanks, Nate. This is perfect because I want plant squash this season.
Great video thank you. Will be planting winter squash like you said.
good to see you here Linda hope you have a wonderful and abundant growing season this year!!!
Excellent info….thank you so much!
Looks like a great set up, Nate! Excellent plan.
I’m learning so much
Great video, as always, thank you!
good show, cheers Nate
Planting my squash on soil mounds filled with buried alpaca manure, and trellising along my fence this year.
nice!... what varieties on the trellis?
@@gardenlikeaviking crookneck, blue hubbard, acorn, and some stacking squash i saved from market that were tasty and kept well. Really going for it with squash this year. May dig more mounds...
My squash was in the struggle bus last year. A later start will probably help me out!
Could you do a video mountain terrain please terracing and what to grow
I concur with you on planting time. We will be hosting two sister in laws from overseas this summer. My wife was insistent that we get melons started early. I did. They grew well in the soil blocks I made. I hardened them for plus a week on the back porch. Planted them . Got a couple of days hot weather followed now by cool weather with lows in the lower 50’s. Not looking so good. What do have going is that my beds are buried in hay mulch. In the words of Ruth Stout I don’t till, just add more. That keeps the ground cool below and all my melons thrive here in the mid south.
I definitely got excited this year and planted my tomatoes and peppers too early in the ground. Good thing I have spare seedlings ready to go and haven't even thought about starting the squash yet. Can't wait for full swing summer and growth!
Same. Just always be sowing some kind of seed and replace plants no matter the casualties! Lol. Luckily my zone 9 stayed JUST warm enough to sustain my pepper and tomato transplants from about 3-4 weeks ago
Slowed growth but looking good.
What a perfect video! Easy to understand, too.
awesome tips. Will give this a go (in Eastern Germany)
wonderful my friend let me know your experience!
you are very good
Thank you!
What is the plastic you use ??? I missed the link
Crushing it 👊🏻
amazing
Great video with lots of content. Thank you for your hard work in making these videos so good.
OMG so simple it's elegant. Thank you for sharing.
Excellent is not enough to explain. I am from Sri Lanka. My country is going through a rough patch and very tough period. I am trying my level best to adopt your theories /practices to my garden. Right on the money. Thanks a lot!
thank you my friend!!... I have been to Sri Lanka in 2009... I stayed at the Kotte Temple in Colombo then went and toured the land to Galle and Kandy and Anuradhapura and many others... I love Sri Lanka and the culture!!
A+ education. Thanks as always.
Taking in the knowledge my friend, thank you.
That was a beautiful set up , I don’t have that much room but i am going to try a version of the layout im always fighting weeds with my cantaloupe and watermelon hopefully this year will be better ! Thanks Nate 👍🌞
yes this year will be better my friend!!
That's what I'm facing with onions we direct sowed. We heavy mulch around our zucchini. We got a bore that broke a piece but found a fix on line. easy.
We got watermelon, small variety to put in a bucket. Keep learning. All glory to God. And an honorable mention to Nate. BTW. We need a lot of fleece to cover everything just in case of a freeze. Maybe some more pvc pipe DIY hoops over our garden rows. zone 6B and our green basil transplants got nipped.
Right on Nate! Now I get it... lol.. I've seen similar techniques but this is the best. Exactly the info I needed.. Thank you sir
Outstanding, as always. I don't have the real estate to grow these vines, but I'm going to borrow the concept to add a 4 x 4 lotus bed to the garden!
Thanks Nate for the many details for melons, my greenthumb grandpa Charlie just told me to put a lot of cow manure. It didn't work very well because I tilled it into the worn stubble field.
Love it.
this has your name written all over it!!... it will be beautiful starting in about a month when the whole thing becomes covered in greenery and it looks like a lush carpet of green... then in the fall the green dies back and you see so many beautiful squash ready for winter storage!
Love videos like this, this year im using a similar methode yet its still very diffrent. In the winter months we pile up a row of horse manure, its sits there for 7 to 9 months and then when its planting time we make holes in the manure pile fill it with compost/pottingground/ground from the garden and then plant into that seems to give amazing results. The digging with hands in the manure pile is so easy and lovely to see all the life forces in there.
that sounds like a very fine way to do it and yes the same principle as this here basically
that sounds like a plan for me.. had a bad year with my squash last year.. i know what i did wrong now. thx
Love it! What an excellent set up :o)
Yaa whoooooo !
In your limited space back yard garden, how is your system setup for vine types?
Hi Nate. Many thanks for the video a great source of info.
Question❓️Crop rotation vs planting in the same space every year. Can you please pass on some.of your experience regarding this?
yes I will talk about this issue tomorrow during the live stream thank you!!
Black tarp will be way to hot for zones 8 and up
Seed packets often say to build a mound and sow in that. I never understood that.
The roots can get water from underground, but how do they get air?
Interesting
First year gardener in Louisiana zone 9. What are your recommendations for squash vine borer? My crop of squash and zucchini just got decimated. I’m such a newbie I didn’t even know this fantastically heinous bug existed. I confess I did not have wetting agent on my plants but making it this weekend. Fortunately, the season is long down here and I have time to start more seeds. Thank you for any advice it’s appreciated.
What kind of seeds are you planting and where should I get them
Great advice thank you have a blessed day. Im gonna try to grow butterball German potatoes this year. Could you do a video on them? I live in NW Al
German butterballs are my absolute favorite!!... they keep all winter in the basement!... yes I'll try to do a video on them what would you like to know about them?
Any thing you can share that will help me and others to be successful in growing and storing. I have purchased certified potato seed like you said in one of your videos. I'm trying to make this potato my yearly go to from now on. Anything you can help with would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and have a blessed day.
This is really helpful, thanks. What I'm not so clear on is whether you recommend some kind of trellis or growing on the ground... I don't think I have the luxury of an entire vast area just for melons... I have a big area that I will grow as three sisters, with winter squash on the ground, but for melons and cucumbers, I will need to grow vertically to fit them in!
cucumbers yes always trellis them to keep the plants nice and healthy with good airflow and they easily climb trellis by themselves.... to vertically grow melons you have to be more particular in choosing the right variety... the Ali Baba for example (my fav watermelon) is way too massive of a fruit to grow vertically it gets 30lbs easy... so grow a smaller melon like the Madhu Ras from Baker Creek Seeds its nice and compact and easily climbs a trellis
It's been decades since I had a really good honeydew. Most of them, at best now are like a wet potato with a little sweetness.
The last time I remember having a fantastic one was 1982 and it was the garnish on a honeydew margarita. My mouth just watered thinking about it.
I could be screwed.. about 5" down in my crappy sandy clay is a hard pack that breaks shovels when standing on them and bends tines on tillers and long forks.
Naturally, I have a completely different question than you went over. What do you think of those boots? comfort/durability/keeping them looking you didn't just plant in dark compost.. they look nice and flexible.
brother I cannot recommend these boots highly enough!!... I searched far and wide for many years before finally settling on these boots due to extreme lightness and breathability yet insanely comfortable and rugged... last year they had a sale and I bought 4 pairs so I will not be without them for many years! lol thats how awesome they are!..... here they are amzn.to/3HEf81I
Hey, Nate! Are extra deep trellised raised beds a no-go? I'm on a mountain of hardpacked clay and rock that is no match for tillers.
yes you will still have success if that is what you have available to you... just be sure to leave the bottoms open so the roots can penetrate the native earth if possible and also make sure the raised bed is filled with something very rich like manure.... also try to choose varieties that don't get jurassic in size!
This is just like Herrick Kimball's Minbed Garden system, except he uses 30"x30" frames instead of 4'x4' frames.
Hi Nate, thank you for another awesome video!
Question: why don’t you put the lumber squares towards the outside of the plastic cover perimeter, they’re all many feet inside of it. I’m asking because if I go this route, I’ll have to put them close to the outside corners and only be in the direct center.
because the vines are going to grow like crazy and go way off the plastic sheeting so in order to keep the whole thing manageable we placed them closer to the center.... even still the total diameter is going to be 50ft or more... if you have limited space you could opt for bushier varieties like the ButterBush or the Acorn squash
@@gardenlikeaviking I was planning on smaller varieties, along with cantaloupes on trellises.
Hi NATE, One question pops to my mind. Won't the black sheet burn the plants that will be crawling over it ? Also, don't melon need trellis of some kind to climb on or are you going to let them grow on the ground, crawl over the black sheet? Thanks
no it will not burn them because the leaves shade the plastic and the moisture from below keeps the plastic cool enough for everything to just sprawl out on the ground... melon do not require trellising only if you are trying to save space do you trellis them... they do just fine crawling on the ground
@@gardenlikeaviking Thank you so much for your response! You have given me a great idea for my melon and squash plants
Damn, I wish I saw this before I set up my 200 gallon smartpot to grow some watermelons... I guess I'm going to change things up and go straight in the sand then, which is what watermelons prefer. Maybe I'll use the grow bag to grow the potatoes and peanuts instead, and use that space I was going to grow the peanuts and potatoes in, for the watermelons... Which is actually in a shady spot which might be good for the watermelon roots, since I've heard about the shade before. I just wonder how much it will affect growth if they don't have full sun all day right away?`
From what i read Potatoes and Peanuts don't need that deep of a space either.... do you have experience with either(I believe I saw you growing potatoes before?)? How deep do these tubers grow? Maybe I shouldn't even use the 200 gallon growbag anymore? I have 2 Passionfruit plant in it as well.
So the roots ` of Watermelon really do not go that much deeper than a foot or so, besides the taproot? Damn, what a waste to get a bag that is 24" deep then....` It's kind of funny, because I am having all sorts of pest issues DECIMATING my leaves in this bag. I notice leaf miners, but there is `definitely something else, because the entire leaf is being eaten whole, and just a stem remains. I also lost a 3-4 day old watermelon fruit that was just starting off.... I couldn't see any cucumbers beetles at night, but I saw a black bug off to the side on a `passionfruit leaf which i looked up maybe is a "Squash bug? I noticed today that I don't see any issues on the watermelon in the ground that I planted months ago, having any issues... It was next to a smaller 30 gallon growbag with a watermeon plant in it, that was also growing for few months now, but I put that whole smartpot into the 200 gallon bag to give the passionfruit and watermelon more room, and now I'm having the issues with the leaves `being eaten whole with some having a lot of holes in it. Just he last couple of weeks. It is next to a Hong Kong Orchid, an Orange Tree, some Aloe plants, and a Bougainvillea tree.
I did try Garlic and that did seem to work, but after watering the next day it seemed to wash it all away, so I have to try it again tonight and see if Garlic will work. I'm trying to buy some Jerusalem ARtichoke (Sunchoke), but haven't found a good organic source. One place was sold out, but the garlic, and hot pepper, might work. Fer'mented urine doesn't seem to work, even though that is touted as an incesticide.
Thank you.
Question about manures... Many horse owners feed their horses from commercial feed stores... Feed stores buy from commercial growers... Commercial growers use pesticides and herbicides like paraquat and others to maximize profits... Paraquat is one of those nearly forever chemicals that pass through the digestive system of the animal... Giving your garden a poisoned handicap right off the bat. How does one avoid that...
yes i understand exactly what you are saying here!... please watch the recent video i've made titled "Why I'm Done with Manures"... it will give you my insights on this topic
Isnt bunny manure best?
Question ❓. Would you use the same processes for the gourds? I would very much like to grow some for the grandkids to make a DIY Birdhouse.
Awesome video as usual. Thank you 😊
yes same process with gourds... good luck my friend!!
Thank you so much 😊
my problem is my soil .. once watered, it kinda crusts over .. i have noticed that most of my plants roots are having a tough time multiplying and spreading .. we even added years old cow manure (dried), it had been under a lean too where the cows gathered fromthe rains, been there for many years .. and my friend is letting me get as much as i want .. kewl huh .. we put atleast a 2" layer on a 16'x45' in ground garden area, tilled it in .. ground is still too (thick?) to get much growth from my tomatoes .. my potatoes seem to be doing just fine lol .. and last year my zucchini did decent in this same spot .. it is going to take a couple of years of doing this to get a loose soil i have come to realize ..
in your situation I'd definitely suggest a vigorous cover crop in the early fall like the tillage radish or the winter rye it will go deep into the soil and break it up naturally but you don't want to till anymore after you start that kind of treatment for best results
@@gardenlikeaviking thank you i will deffinitely do that
Do you rotate your crops? Or do you plant the same thing in the same spot, year after year?
in the home garden there is no need to crop rotate and in fact using natural methods we make the soil custom tailored to each specific plant by composting and returning all unused parts of that plant to that exact soil... always leave the roots in the ground
Wonderful, just when you do get heavy rain will there be enough drainage for excessivewater, or do you make extra holes between the boxes?
Thanks for all this wonderful knowledge 🙏
no need for extra drainage here because its on a nice slope... if completely flat you may wish to poke a few small holes in the spot where the water is pooling... or just leave it because its no problem at all and will provide humidity for the squash plants
Does cow manure ever get too dried out? I have a source but it can sometimes not be very fresh. I realize you don't want wet, but is there a point it gets too dry?
Congratulations on the growth of the channel!
thank you my friend and the cow manure will stay good for a long time if its dried out and sheltered but if its exposed to the elements then yes it will become not so rich in nutrients after a while... that being said if its one or two years old thats still going to be effective
@Garden Like a Viking thank you kindly! I have all I want of rabbit and chicken but horse and cow takes a bit more effort so when I expend the effort, I need to know it's going to be worth it. 😃
Did you prune any of the melon vines or reduce the number of melon that the vine produced,or did you just them grow undistured?
if I want to grow the small ones up a trellis then I'll prune the ones on the ground... but if growing in the field with plenty of space then no I don't prune at all... I do thin for sure though so only one of the biggest strongest plants per hole so about three per "hill"
Why was black plastic used and not 5.3 woven ground cover? How long will the black plastic last?
I will discuss this at some point during the livestream today at noon thank you
@@gardenlikeaviking what is the livestream link, or is it a youtube?
You have done videos about making different fertilizer...you say to not use tap water, which i do understand, but would river water work? I have not gotten a lot of rain here in Wisconsin yet to fill my buckets with water, but i live on a river and have been wondering if using the river water would actually be beneficial?
yes absolutely river water will be great!!... so long as its not ridiculously polluted of course!
@@gardenlikeaviking it is not polluted, actually great fishing. Thank you so much!
I didn't see the JMS being used?
not on this plot we didn't have the capabilities for that at the time... but now we have a setup for it!!
You mentioned the squash/melons like cool roots. wont the black plastic absorb a lot of light and convert it into heat, potentially baking the ground?
it will during the first part of the season and that will speed the plant growth but by the time the real heat sets in the vines will shade out 90% of that surface and the roots will stay cool and moist
@@gardenlikeaviking so the vines aren’t negatively effected by the heat of the plastic while they are growing? Seems like it could get real hot for the young vines. Thanks for the education!
How would you space those 4x4 beds in a 12' x 140' allotment? Would you do single beds, still space 12' apart?
depends what you're growing... only the vines need to be spaced that far apart but if growing other things you can go much closer with only 3 or 4 feet between beds... even the vines you could get away with 8 or 10 feet but it will be so crowded you won't be able to walk without stepping on plants
@@gardenlikeaviking Based on what you said, I'm thinking of going single row of 4x4' beds (instead of doubling them up like you did), 3 plants in each, and spaced 10' apart between them. Since the area is 12' wide, that'd leave 4' on each edge covered in plastic for sprawl and subsurface moisture draw. I'll be growing a combo of short-season watermelons (blacktail mountain, etc) that get about 10' long, and small to medium winter squash (red kuri, delicata, honeynut, f1 crown prince).
Great video, Nate. You should write a book so we have all your information during the apocalypse.
Insightful video Nate ! Would you recommend trellising a winter squash or letting it roam free?
if you have the space definitely let it roam free because thats what they love to do and produce the biggest fruits IME... trellising them you have to gently and tediously hang each fruit to keep it from splitting the vine from its weight
How do you protect your soil microbes if your irrigation system is setup with the local municipal water?
it will be ok on municipal water just add the microbes a bit more often and higher concentration they will be fine
@@gardenlikeaviking thank you
Can I use fresh cow manure? I have a milk cow but don’t have much of her poo composted yet.
yes you can use fresh just be sure to layer it on top of the soil and do not mix it into the soil..
@@gardenlikeaviking thank you
Is this method good for pumpkins too? I'm trying out some little pie pumpkins this year along with my melons. Also, have you had any problems with cow manure being contaminated with the Grazon herbicide. They use it quite a bit out here. It goes right through the animal with no effects on them, but it remains in the manure and will poison your garden plants.
yes this is fantastic for pumpkins as they are a type of squash really... you have to be very selective with the sourcing of the manure for sure I've experienced the Garzon but this was from the same ranch as the garden so no chance of contamination
Do you prune winter squash vines?
never... it leaves them more open to infection... but I do thin them so there's only one or two plants per hill... a family will only need one or two plants maximum of the Tahitian Squash
@@gardenlikeaviking Awesome, thanks for the response