🥰 Love your videos. I am in Alabama USA. Thank You for your treasure trove of knowledge. 💕 Simple is better as as we enter Golden years and slow down. 👵🏼
If you've got any dairy farms nearby, try what we used to do on our farm when we were kids. Get a large bucket, (5 gallon is good size). Fill half with slurry from the cowshed yard at milking time or slurry pit, filling the rest with water for dilution. Sling it down the rows of the vege patch or flower beds approximately once a fortnight. Everything grows like the clappers.
The only problem with this method today is the potential for pesticide and herbicide residues. Livestock fed on hay will be being fed hay that (90% of the time) has been treated with herbicides and pesticides, it doesn't break down through digestion and condenses in the slurry. The end result, dead crops/ plants, and tarnished soil. Often farmers aren't even aware their animals are consuming it. It's best to source manure from a greenwaste free and organic certified source.
@@jfreeman2047 You make a good point. We almost never used any chemicals on our farm and it was virtually an organic operation long before most people had head of the term; we certainly hadn't. But then again, Kiwi farms in general, aren't normally treated with herbicides or pesticides.
Great info! We have mushroom compost in our area, I buy several loads every year, love it. Our raised beds are a mix of mushroom compost, leaf mold, lime stone(in the bottom) and a bit of top soil, and any worms I come across. I add aged chicken litter from our chicken coop as well.
I started a "Ruth Stout" garden last summer. Laid down cardboard right on the grass. Then used my grass clippings and my neighbors grass clippings(no pesticides) and spread them over the cardboard. Then I took leaves and mulched that over the grass clippings and so one. Also saved coffee ground organic eggshells, organic veggies ends and piecses and incorporated that. This spring I put on straw and grass clippings. I have compost, mulched leaves, potting soil, worm castings and all organic which will go in this fall. Since I started with clay soil I am hoping by next spring that when I go below all that to the soil underneath I will have achieved a very wormy good soil to plant in. I keep building the plot up and it keeps sinking down so I think what I am doing is working well. This year I drilled big holes in big pots and did potatoes, carrots, radish, bush beans, tomatoes, summer squash and herbs. Will continue with pots as well as garden for more produce. Thanks for your help!
Thanks for bringing up Ruth Stout. I've used her method for years also. Recently watched Charles Dowding from the UK on 'no dig'. It reminded/encouraged me to use this method as I reclaim a neglected flower border.
Have you done a video on the guinea fowl behind you in the video (see about 1:33)? Those seems to be useful creatures to keep around gardens since they eat so many insects.
@@bunnyguinness Oh, no! I saw a fox last night on the road near my sister's new home. I thought how pretty it looked crossing the road. I half forget foxes can be pests. Sorry about the guineas.
If I managed my leaves I might also have less ticks (upper NY state - to k country) I wonder how the tick population is in Great Britain? I love leaf mold but always afraid of not catching the tick bite in time...so I avoid handling the leaves...
We have an increasing problem with Lyme disease and ticks here, so you should wear gloves when handling leaves etc and always check for them afterwards. A good point. Having had Lyme disease I am making a video very shortly on how to avoid catching it, Lyme Awareness month starts in May in Uk as that is the beginning of the tick season🐇
Love and enjoy your videos Bunny.... Question for you please... My garden has no earthworms... at all.... Nothing, no bugs, zilch... I have come across the odd wireworm... This years brassica's were "attacked" by cabbage root worm... Question, where have all the worms gone... Thanks Keep smiling
Good to hear from you and many thanks for your comment. You can use cardboard or tarp but I use glyphosate. I know many disapprove of this but for the tiny amount I use (and I use correctly) I think it is the most effective method by far. If you have perennial weeds or grass in my experience, this may well not be killed totally with cardboard and tarp. I am going to do a TH-cam video on killing perennial weeds in the next few months and then fully explain my methods and reasons!
Bunny Guinness thank you so much for your reply! I recently purchased my first home and have been doing a lot of landscaping. I have a new area I’m preparing for a flower garden. I’m going to give your recommendations a try and see what happens! Looking forward to your upcoming video! Many thanks!! - Spenser (from Iowa, USA)
You are incorrect....There is no period in time that you can say was when Adam was around. Its all fable Depending on the farmer some dig some don't. As new information is made available, people adapt to new more efficient methods. Left to you, we will still be ploughing with oxen.
Tilling may be detrimental to the soil health but I don’t eat the soil. Do you? Tilling is done to allow roots to grow easier, produce bigger plants, more food. It’s for plant health. For thousands of years people were tilling the soil simply for their health and fitness and that of their oxen and horses because they hadn’t gymnasiums. They weren’t tilling based on observation of increased food production or anything.
Doesn’t the fact that you don’t know what kind of pesticides have been used in the green waste bother you? I don’t know if I would feel safe using it for vegetables...
No-dig doesnt work if the soil is hardpan and the roots can't penetrate. Then, you will need to till for it to be at all workable. Plenty of people are starting with poor soil that needs amending and barely any earthworms are to be found (which, even in soil with lots of earthworms, the process of them taking the compost down into the soil takes years). So I think Charles Dowding is lucky he can "just plant" but keep in mind he's choosing not to dig on the same plot of land that he previously DID dig for decades on and added in loads of manure and compost along the way too. By the time he decided not to dig he was working with rich loamy soil and lots of critters to help him break it down quickly.
Many thanks for your comment. We have had this discussion a few times on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. Some panelists agree with you in the need to dig a plot over first before practising no dig.I think they take this attitude as they have never tried without digging! I don’t dig with a very few exceptions. With respect to a soil pan, I have worked on many building sites which have had the soil consolidated and compacted with big machines and it has been necessary to use deep tines to rip the soil to allow drainage initially. Now we tend to use the aeration technique - using a small machine to blast air into the soil to a depth of around a metre which creates the necessary fissures to allow drainage. Much more effective and less invasive. This has pretty miraculous results . I stress this is used for extreme conditions of soil panning and compaction. I don’t think the average gardener would encounter this except possibly on a new build housing plot. Then if he can’t hire a soil aerator I would push fork tines in as deep as he can in dry conditions and then add the organic matter on the top. The earthworm and microorganism populations will increase. Working in Japan we add effective microorganisms (EM's) to boost microorganism levels in very poor soils, in the UK I have not found it necessary. In my experience of over 40 years working on many soils in quite a few countries I find that adding organic matter to the top works quite fast in improving the soil structure. The layer ‘disappears' very quickly from the top through the result of the microorganisms and worms. The worm population increases incredibly rapidly. With respect to Charles Dowding’s garden - this is fairly new and having just had a quick chat with him, he says he did not dig it over initially, but went straight into No Dig. With his previous garden (on a heavy clay soil) again he did not dig it over but went straight into No Dig. Hope this helps. No Dig is not a religion and every soil and situation is different, and on a short video you can not cover everything, but in my work I find it makes gardening more productive and definitely more fun
Hi Bunny. For some reason TH-cam has only just notified me of your reply... after 3 months! I saw a video recently and in re-watching your video it has reaffirmed my belief that an initial til is very beneficial if you have hardpan and I hope in your spare time you can watch it: m.th-cam.com/video/goUfl4x8URc/w-d-xo.html Apologies to Charles Dowding. I didnt know he went straight into no-dig on his property, I took my statement from something he had said on Gardeners World. I'm happy it works so well for him.
@@bunnyguinness yes Bunny you definitely need to watch this th-cam.com/video/goUfl4x8URc/w-d-xo.html. This lady is showing direct evidence of her experience. I’d guess that you know many soil scientist and take their theories to heart. But university is no substitute for real life.
@@elsagrace3893 40 years of experience of real life is what this is based on, and you still think you know better than her, that is breathtakingly arrogant.
So for 1000s of years people were simply tilling the soil for their health and fitness. They weren’t doing it from observation of increase of their food production. Silly people. I’m sure that the health of the soil is better with no till but we don’t eat the soil. At least I don’t.
@@Kirtonberg2 my guess is that you will not question no-till because you are following it like a cult. Do you think that’s a good way to go? Experience coupled with observation and measurement of the results you want seem like a better bet to me. Learning from all available source including past practices too. You don’t know-it all and you never will.
I didn't comment on no-till but your way of communicating. It absolutely fine not to agree with the method but base it on facts and experience. She explained why it works better for the plant if you don't dig your soil. You just said it a rude way that we have done it differently in the past, so it must be better. And that is just stupid. But I will not get into a discussion with you, so have a good day
She didn’t say she used glyphosate. She said she killed the turf. All you have to do to kill a own is stop watering it. You are a triggered idiot. Triggered by your own hyper reactive imagination of doom.
Am just so loving your channel! ❤
You've provided a wealth of knowledge regarding soil in under 8 minutes. Now I want to know more. Thanks so much. 😊 Happy Gardening!
Another great video. If I wasn't married, you would be getting a proposal!!
Haha
🥰 Love your videos. I am in Alabama USA. Thank You for your treasure trove of knowledge. 💕 Simple is better as as we enter Golden years and slow down. 👵🏼
Thank you Bunny, again brilliant and very informative! A lady after my own heart! Doesn’t mind to get dirt under her fingernails !!
If you've got any dairy farms nearby, try what we used to do on our farm when we were kids. Get a large bucket, (5 gallon is good size). Fill half with slurry from the cowshed yard at milking time or slurry pit, filling the rest with water for dilution. Sling it down the rows of the vege patch or flower beds approximately once a fortnight. Everything grows like the clappers.
The only problem with this method today is the potential for pesticide and herbicide residues. Livestock fed on hay will be being fed hay that (90% of the time) has been treated with herbicides and pesticides, it doesn't break down through digestion and condenses in the slurry. The end result, dead crops/ plants, and tarnished soil. Often farmers aren't even aware their animals are consuming it. It's best to source manure from a greenwaste free and organic certified source.
@@jfreeman2047 You make a good point. We almost never used any chemicals on our farm and it was virtually an organic operation long before most people had head of the term; we certainly hadn't. But then again, Kiwi farms in general, aren't normally treated with herbicides or pesticides.
Best garden channel.
Brilliant explanations!
Great info! We have mushroom compost in our area, I buy several loads every year, love it. Our raised beds are a mix of mushroom compost, leaf mold, lime stone(in the bottom) and a bit of top soil, and any worms I come across. I add aged chicken litter from our chicken coop as well.
Estoy muy feliz de ver tu video, y gracias por configurar los idiomas para que podamos elegir el que mejor nos va. Te deseo muchos éxitos.
🤷🏼♀️thank you! My Spanish is not so good! 🐇
Leaf mold, "it looks good enough to eat'. Yes, indeed it does and smells like the woods.
thank you so much for these videos Bunny, really practical and full of knowledge. Really useful and no digging! yeah!
Glad you're enjoying the videos Bev. I've been doing No Dig for over 30 years now. Spread the word!
Great information! Thank you 🌸
Wonderful videos! Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
I started a "Ruth Stout" garden last summer. Laid down cardboard right on the grass. Then used my grass clippings and my neighbors grass clippings(no pesticides) and spread them over the cardboard. Then I took leaves and mulched that over the grass clippings and so one. Also saved coffee ground organic eggshells, organic veggies ends and piecses and incorporated that. This spring I put on straw and grass clippings. I have compost, mulched leaves, potting soil, worm castings and all organic which will go in this fall. Since I started with clay soil I am hoping by next spring that when I go below all that to the soil underneath I will have achieved a very wormy good soil to plant in. I keep building the plot up and it keeps sinking down so I think what I am doing is working well. This year I drilled big holes in big pots and did potatoes, carrots, radish, bush beans, tomatoes, summer squash and herbs. Will continue with pots as well as garden for more produce. Thanks for your help!
Thanks for bringing up Ruth Stout. I've used her method for years also. Recently watched Charles Dowding from the UK on 'no dig'. It reminded/encouraged me to use this method as I reclaim a neglected flower border.
Thanks for that great explanation! You are brilliant!
Have you done a video on the guinea fowl behind you in the video (see about 1:33)? Those seems to be useful creatures to keep around gardens since they eat so many insects.
No sorry I’ve sadly lost them now the 🦊😒
@@bunnyguinness Oh, no! I saw a fox last night on the road near my sister's new home. I thought how pretty it looked crossing the road. I half forget foxes can be pests. Sorry about the guineas.
If I managed my leaves I might also have less ticks (upper NY state - to k country) I wonder how the tick population is in Great Britain? I love leaf mold but always afraid of not catching the tick bite in time...so I avoid handling the leaves...
We have an increasing problem with Lyme disease and ticks here, so you should wear gloves when handling leaves etc and always check for them afterwards. A good point. Having had Lyme disease I am making a video very shortly on how to avoid catching it, Lyme Awareness month starts in May in Uk as that is the beginning of the tick season🐇
Love and enjoy your videos Bunny.... Question for you please...
My garden has no earthworms... at all.... Nothing, no bugs, zilch... I have come across the odd wireworm...
This years brassica's were "attacked" by cabbage root worm...
Question, where have all the worms gone...
Thanks
Keep smiling
Do you still need to spray with round up ? I can't imagine just seeing into a bed of weeds
Wow! So interesting!! Really love your channel Bunny! This might be a silly question, but how do you like to kill the turf? Cardboard? Tarp?
Good to hear from you and many thanks for your comment. You can use cardboard or tarp but I use glyphosate. I know many disapprove of this but for the tiny amount I use (and I use correctly) I think it is the most effective method by far. If you have perennial weeds or grass in my experience, this may well not be killed totally with cardboard and tarp. I am going to do a TH-cam video on killing perennial weeds in the next few months and then fully explain my methods and reasons!
Bunny Guinness thank you so much for your reply! I recently purchased my first home and have been doing a lot of landscaping. I have a new area I’m preparing for a flower garden. I’m going to give your recommendations a try and see what happens! Looking forward to your upcoming video! Many thanks!! - Spenser (from Iowa, USA)
What is the best way to kill the grass then?
Voice from 6:15 onward ?
For me it went into my left ear until 7:17
Brilliant common sense.
Digging and tilling has been around since Adam. Bad idea from the very beginnng
You are incorrect....There is no period in time that you can say was when Adam was around. Its all fable
Depending on the farmer some dig some don't.
As new information is made available, people adapt to new more efficient methods.
Left to you, we will still be ploughing with oxen.
@@emiliarose18lol as the 5 billion year bs no one can prove or has evidence for.
If people did as their fathers, we would still be living in caves.
@@Octavius1870 And yet some do live in caves and hobbits and have no bills. Which do you think is free from bills and gov BS?
Tilling may be detrimental to the soil health but I don’t eat the soil. Do you? Tilling is done to allow roots to grow easier, produce bigger plants, more food. It’s for plant health. For thousands of years people were tilling the soil simply for their health and fitness and that of their oxen and horses because they hadn’t gymnasiums. They weren’t tilling based on observation of increased food production or anything.
Lost the sound when you went to the greenhouse🫤
Doesn’t the fact that you don’t know what kind of pesticides have been used in the green waste bother you? I don’t know if I would feel safe using it for vegetables...
Brill
No-dig doesnt work if the soil is hardpan and the roots can't penetrate. Then, you will need to till for it to be at all workable. Plenty of people are starting with poor soil that needs amending and barely any earthworms are to be found (which, even in soil with lots of earthworms, the process of them taking the compost down into the soil takes years). So I think Charles Dowding is lucky he can "just plant" but keep in mind he's choosing not to dig on the same plot of land that he previously DID dig for decades on and added in loads of manure and compost along the way too. By the time he decided not to dig he was working with rich loamy soil and lots of critters to help him break it down quickly.
Many thanks for your comment. We have had this discussion a few times on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. Some panelists agree with you in the need to dig a plot over first before practising no dig.I think they take this attitude as they have never tried without digging! I don’t dig with a very few exceptions. With respect to a soil pan, I have worked on many building sites which have had the soil consolidated and compacted with big machines and it has been necessary to use deep tines to rip the soil to allow drainage initially. Now we tend to use the aeration technique - using a small machine to blast air into the soil to a depth of around a metre which creates the necessary fissures to allow drainage. Much more effective and less invasive. This has pretty miraculous results . I stress this is used for extreme conditions of soil panning and compaction. I don’t think the average gardener would encounter this except possibly on a new build housing plot. Then if he can’t hire a soil aerator I would push fork tines in as deep as he can in dry conditions and then add the organic matter on the top. The earthworm and microorganism populations will increase. Working in Japan we add effective microorganisms (EM's) to boost microorganism levels in very poor soils, in the UK I have not found it necessary.
In my experience of over 40 years working on many soils in quite a few countries I find that adding organic matter to the top works quite fast in improving the soil structure. The layer ‘disappears' very quickly from the top through the result of the microorganisms and worms. The worm population increases incredibly rapidly.
With respect to Charles Dowding’s garden - this is fairly new and having just had a quick chat with him, he says he did not dig it over initially, but went straight into No Dig. With his previous garden (on a heavy clay soil) again he did not dig it over but went straight into No Dig.
Hope this helps. No Dig is not a religion and every soil and situation is different, and on a short video you can not cover everything, but in my work I find it makes gardening more productive and definitely more fun
Hi Bunny. For some reason TH-cam has only just notified me of your reply... after 3 months! I saw a video recently and in re-watching your video it has reaffirmed my belief that an initial til is very beneficial if you have hardpan and I hope in your spare time you can watch it: m.th-cam.com/video/goUfl4x8URc/w-d-xo.html
Apologies to Charles Dowding. I didnt know he went straight into no-dig on his property, I took my statement from something he had said on Gardeners World. I'm happy it works so well for him.
@@bunnyguinness yes Bunny you definitely need to watch this th-cam.com/video/goUfl4x8URc/w-d-xo.html. This lady is showing direct evidence of her experience. I’d guess that you know many soil scientist and take their theories to heart. But university is no substitute for real life.
@@elsagrace3893 40 years of experience of real life is what this is based on, and you still think you know better than her, that is breathtakingly arrogant.
So for 1000s of years people were simply tilling the soil for their health and fitness. They weren’t doing it from observation of increase of their food production. Silly people. I’m sure that the health of the soil is better with no till but we don’t eat the soil. At least I don’t.
That comment is just stupid and rude.
@@Kirtonberg2 my guess is that you will not question no-till because you are following it like a cult. Do you think that’s a good way to go? Experience coupled with observation and measurement of the results you want seem like a better bet to me. Learning from all available source including past practices too. You don’t know-it all and you never will.
I didn't comment on no-till but your way of communicating. It absolutely fine not to agree with the method but base it on facts and experience. She explained why it works better for the plant if you don't dig your soil. You just said it a rude way that we have done it differently in the past, so it must be better. And that is just stupid. But I will not get into a discussion with you, so have a good day
using glyphosate to kill the turf...i just unsubscribed.
She didn’t say she used glyphosate. She said she killed the turf. All you have to do to kill a own is stop watering it. You are a triggered idiot. Triggered by your own hyper reactive imagination of doom.
you didn't listen carefully did you.