I have a 5000 SQF raised bed garden 12" high and I approve everything this man has said! Not only does his mixing recomendations hold onto water but equally it holds onto the nutrients that wont leach into the ground! Before anyone starts and and alwys remember growing healthy soil and incorporate compost every year to replenish what the plants take away and you will the the best garden and less challenges each and every year also be sure to rotate your crops....I use composted cow manure and very little fertillizer...
Great advice. When I began my garden long ago, the nursery recommended triple mix. By the third year I lost about 25-30% of the soil in the garden so I had to amend it with top soil with the addition of a smaller amount of compost and now I have less of a problem of soil loss. Wish I would have seen this video long ago. Great info! Thanks
Thanks for sharing your tips and thoughts on filling raised beds! I just listened to your interview with my local 'Growing For Market' podcast and headed to your channel! I just built and filled a couple of raised beds - did start with some sicks (well dried blackberry canes from last year) grass and dogwood flowers, then native soil, coconut coir and compost (both from our heap, and purchased. Some of the compost came from Ramsey McPhillips, who started out Edible Landscaping group, it includes biochar and was worked by worm and black soldier flies. I've mulched with grass clippings, and intend to use cover crops (including fava) and do winter gardening, as well as adding more compost. - I set a compost in place pitcher into the longer bed (holes in the sides below soil level) near a squash and tomatoes - I sprinkle in a little native soil or add small pieces of cardboard after adding a layer, of kitchen scraps. In the bottom, there's a handful of partially worked compost with worms, and added a piece of two of the biochar. I placed a strawberry in a pot on top, so I just water that (inspiration from Robbie and Gary's garden channel)
I tried to use as much dirt and clay and garden soil from my property as I thoguht I could spare for my huge raised bed. The thought being the native soil and clay would be a great source of minerals and biology while also helping to absorb and hold onto some of the moisture in my all too well draining soil. Also it was free.
Totally agree with using soil to fill beds. Not compost or potting soil or peat moss. I will, however, state that organic matter is a good thing in small quantities. I use aged cow manure bi annually. Sometimes compost, and I cover my beds with chopped leaves every fall.😊
thank you sir you make great knowledgeable informations and im trying my best to learn as much as i can from you so i have some questions if you don't mind. 1st we have 2 main type of peat moss 1- potting soil which is peat moss with nutrations & PH ~ 6.5 & crystal soil . 2- inert peat moss without any nutrations and PH around 4.5 ~5 . which one well work ? 2nd question in my country(riyadh ,saudi arabia) most of the soil is desert sand & salted soil with PH around 8.5 ~ 9 what is the best way to reform the soil & lower or remove the salt 3rd question desert sand can't hold water so what is the best mix well work with it 4th question are humic acid & gypsem (CaSo4.2H2O) realy lower the salt or is this a myth ? best regards 👋
I would blend together “sand soil”, organic matter/compost/manure and a lot Of peat to make it hold water better. About which peat to buy, just buy the cheapest one. The ph is going to return to neutral after a season or so when mixed with compost and native soil. Mulch heavily. It could be a good idea to make some charcoal for the soil to make it hold onto more water. You can also look into mixing in a lot of wood and logs in the beds to help with water retention. I see some use a special pattern bed when growing in the desert like a waffle garden.
It seems to me that you're concern over having to top of a raised bed each year is a bit overblown. Break down of organic material adds nutrients to the soil that top soil doesn't have. A bed with just top soil is going to need more fertilizer and you will have to add fertilizer every year, so either way you have to buy something to add to the bed. Or, you can just makes your own compost for free.
That’s the beauty of gardening, just like cooking and baking, everyone follows the recipe they like, and it usually works out for everyone! Happy gardening :-)
Who says you can’t mulch with compost in the real soil one. Overall I think you will need to use less fertilizers since clay can hold onto more nutrients. The best would be to to get some mostly real soil, a little compost and Biochar in there to make it store even more nutrients.
Yup, need some clay to hold moisture. I mix 1/3 clay topsoil with 2/3rd premium bulk potting mix. Gives a reasonably easy-to-dig soil that's good for veg, but also holds on to moisture a lot better in my 10a climate.
I have always used native soil that is topped with a thin layer of bark and some aged manure. Works great because it contains 30 to 40% Montmorillonite clay, the rest is silt and very fine dust size sand. Some of the best loess mineral soils that holds 1/3 water around the soil partials. The compost deal is best for the stores.
What would you recommend for fabric grow bags? I have no concerns about leakage or erosion--they are in saucers with tall sides (& not exposed to downpours). Thank you
Only bad thing I heard about them is that the roots of the plant can grow into the fabric and get stuck. If it is a really root sensitive plant I would avoid it, otherwise it is fine
But I WANT the soil level to drop as the organic matter decomposes - how else would I have room to add fresh compost every year? And if I didn't add fresh compost, where would my plants get their nutrients once the existing soil got depleted? I'd have to resort to chemical fertilizers, which do work of course, but which are complicated to figure out the dosage, timing and composition of, and which will never contain ALL the good stuff your plants might need. It's just easier to get good results with compost. It's slow release, it has everything in it, and you can never add too much. Expensive, yes, until you start making your own.
Great video - native soils offer advanatges when mixed with compost. Wondering though what you recommend for dealing with root-knot nematodes when they get into a bed. we are in florida so it's almost a given that nematodes will be a problem. Will be trying solarizing and cover-cropping with Merrigolds, but wondering if you have any other advice for this issue.
I’ve battled root knot nematodes for years buddy and the only solution I found was to cover the bed for 1 month with a clear plastic sheet in the hottest time of year, and make sure to wet the bed well and tuck the sheet under some soil to keep it in place and to let the heat bake that topsoil. It’s the only way that worked for me. Good luck :)
That was a great video. This might seem like a dumb question but… When you talk about “compost” - aside from home made - if I only want a bag for a small project , what should I be looking for at the garden centre? I have never seen a bag of “compost”. Are we talking composted sheep or cow manure - or something else? Thank you!
It's similar to the finished compost you'd make yourself, a mix of organic matter. It's more sterile than homemade owing to the heat it's been exposed when it's produced.
@@Schuyler501 thank you for your reply. Do you live in the GTA? I know it is readily available in the US, not sure about other areas in Southern Ontario. Here, in many garden centres and nurseries, I have only seen manure and mushroom compost. Can buy bulk compost or get a couple of bags from the city on Environment Days. We do make leaf mould but it is not always ready when I want it. A compost pile is out of the question where I live due to urban wildlife and space constraints. I know I could get a rolling composter but sometimes just want to buy a bag.
I'm getting my garden ready. I don't want something massive, just want to be self sufficient. I know I need good soil, and I know different things will require different types of soils. I want 3 types if potatoes, yellow onions, red onions, coriander/cilantro, mint, a few types of peppers, green chillies, spring onions, garlic, ginger, cucumber. Spinach, but I also need ti find out about pests, and natural way to rid of them verses pesticides, so still gathering info. Thanks for all you advice.
Getting rid of pests is a lot different than managing an insect population. Lots of different flowers blooming for as much of the season as possible helps a lot. For more information, search for polyculture.
"different things will require different types of soils." - not really true for vegetables. I grow over 3,000 different varieties of plants in the same soil.
@@Schuyler501 thanks for the reply, I will keep this in mind about soil, because it's mostly vegetables I'll be growing, and yes you're right about herbs in containers, it's only the two of us, how much gardening will I be doing, it's been my later life goal, since I'm already doing the other two hobbies I love I can now delve in gardening & be self sufficient at the same time, and grow organically. 🤍🤍 I don't have that book, I'll deffo check amazon now, thanks again 💗🙏🥰😘💞💗💖💕💙💜💜
I built my first raised beds last year and I layered rotten logs wood chips to fill in the cracks then layered chicken manure dusted the chicken bedding with rock dusts and char then leaves after I added my top soil and compost it did sink after the first season but to build soil you need a diverse cover crop feeding the the biology of you leave it fallow the biology will devour your top soil keep a diverse mix of roots in the ground at all times only way to build soil
Does anyone know how that particular Mel’s Mix recipe came about? I have his first edition (1981), and the original recipe was equal parts topsoil, vermiculite, peat and compost plus some minor components. Did it get dumbed down to make it easier? The book sure did! The current recipe is also very acidic. If a gardener really want to learn the whys and wherefore of Square Foot Gardening, try find that early edition. I’m going to put mostly native topsoil in my new raised beds- it makes sense to me. It’s reasonably good, a bit sandy, but free. And I have a rancher friend who raises organic beef, so I know where my manure is coming from!
@@agdayem oh, I agree with you- but what I mean is where I do use topsoil, it will be mostly native. According to the Mel’s original mix that I mentioned above, that’s only about 25% of the total. It’s a terrible idea to use mostly topsoil in a raised bed- among other things, it would become terribly compacted and poor draining.
Some people have problems like arthritis in the spine and hips which makes getting down and dirty at soil level extremely difficult and painful. A raised bed can make gardening a lot easier. Aside from that I don't know why.
Ask yourself, do I really need a raised bed? I use a broad fork to get compost into the soil and scavenged edging to keep people out of the beds. Watching TH-cam videos can give the impression that you need raised beds. Not that my back doesn't envy those tall, raised beds.
I just don't bother with extensive raised beds. I do some containers for certain plants. but I mostly grow in the soil, and build the soil itself - the problems described here are foreign to me. A lot of people will start howling at this point about those with disabilities, and how raised beds are good for them - and that is probably true. There are bound to be some folks in wheel chairs, and those who really suffer with total disability. And for those folks, God bless 'em... and raised beds are probably a real boon. But I have a disability and I went a different route... I just made all my garden tools longer, by lengthening or affixing handles. And there are maybe a few that are forced to grow on cement, or those who complain their soil is "terrible" for whatever reason. For those an enclosed, raised wall bed may be the right choice. But I am willing to bet that 80% (or more) of raised bed gardening today is done for three reasons: 1. People have been indoctrinated to believe they need to grow that way. 2. Consumerism - they think they have to spend big money for this 3. It looks nice So many problems and anguish over raised beds that I see on the internet, from normally healthy and average gardeners with average soil conditions, could be eliminated if one simply grew in the soil and did the basic work of developing simple, above-grade beds.
There are lots of reasons for using raised beds. I live out in the country and there are lots of critters. The worst are the voles. They decimate a garden by eating all the roots and plants. Then there's the raccoons that pick your strawberries and various other plants. Deer also love gardens too!
@@cheriweber4 Yeah the voles. Archenemy number one! There aren't even words to express the amount of damage they can do. Plant their favourite food in open spaces away from anything they consider to be sheltered. The won't wander out in the open to eat lettuce and cut off beans. Plus they run too fast to catch them in a trap. Which is a waste of effort since they produce a new litter every month. They are cute but never heard of sharing.
I have a 5000 SQF raised bed garden 12" high and I approve everything this man has said! Not only does his mixing recomendations hold onto water but equally it holds onto the nutrients that wont leach into the ground! Before anyone starts and and alwys remember growing healthy soil and incorporate compost every year to replenish what the plants take away and you will the the best garden and less challenges each and every year also be sure to rotate your crops....I use composted cow manure and very little fertillizer...
Great advice. When I began my garden long ago, the nursery recommended triple mix. By the third year I lost about 25-30% of the soil in the garden so I had to amend it with top soil with the addition of a smaller amount of compost and now I have less of a problem of soil loss. Wish I would have seen this video long ago. Great info! Thanks
Thanks for sharing your tips and thoughts on filling raised beds!
I just listened to your interview with my local 'Growing For Market' podcast and headed to your channel!
I just built and filled a couple of raised beds - did start with some sicks (well dried blackberry canes from last year) grass and dogwood flowers, then native soil, coconut coir and compost (both from our heap, and purchased.
Some of the compost came from Ramsey McPhillips, who started out Edible Landscaping group, it includes biochar and was worked by worm and black soldier flies.
I've mulched with grass clippings, and intend to use cover crops (including fava) and do winter gardening, as well as adding more compost.
- I set a compost in place pitcher into the longer bed (holes in the sides below soil level) near a squash and tomatoes - I sprinkle in a little native soil or add small pieces of cardboard after adding a layer, of kitchen scraps. In the bottom, there's a handful of partially worked compost with worms, and added a piece of two of the biochar.
I placed a strawberry in a pot on top, so I just water that (inspiration from Robbie and Gary's garden channel)
I started using 2cf happy frog mixed with 3cf Kellogg’s garden soil. Easy peasy.
U hit the nail on the head ive thought about this issue before thought the cost was too high to garden because of this... 👏
Agreed. Apart from the shrinkage it seems strange to offer a totally different medium than you'd usually find when planting into the ground.
I used topsoil in one of my raised garden beds against very TH-cam channel I watch advise.I guess I done good! 🌷💚🙃
I tried to use as much dirt and clay and garden soil from my property as I thoguht I could spare for my huge raised bed. The thought being the native soil and clay would be a great source of minerals and biology while also helping to absorb and hold onto some of the moisture in my all too well draining soil. Also it was free.
Thank you! I needed this video for some questions I had. It was very thorough and easy to underatand.
Totally agree with using soil to fill beds. Not compost or potting soil or peat moss. I will, however, state that organic matter is a good thing in small quantities. I use aged cow manure bi annually. Sometimes compost, and I cover my beds with chopped leaves every fall.😊
Thanks for the tips. Have a great day.
Very useful information for new gardeners like me! But I have a question. Is 'garden soil' the same as 'top soil'?
thank you sir
you make great knowledgeable informations
and im trying my best to learn as much as i can from you so i have some questions if you don't mind.
1st
we have 2 main type of peat moss
1- potting soil which is peat moss with nutrations & PH ~ 6.5 & crystal soil .
2- inert peat moss without any nutrations and PH around 4.5 ~5 .
which one well work ?
2nd question
in my country(riyadh ,saudi arabia) most of the soil is desert sand & salted soil with PH around 8.5 ~ 9
what is the best way to reform the soil & lower or remove the salt
3rd question
desert sand can't hold water so what is the best mix well work with it
4th question
are humic acid & gypsem (CaSo4.2H2O) realy lower the salt or is this a myth ?
best regards 👋
I lived in california for 16 years, didn't realise it was so hard to grow vegetables in that dry dirt, I wish I would've known about soils back then
I would blend together “sand soil”, organic matter/compost/manure and a lot
Of peat to make it hold water better. About which peat to buy, just buy the cheapest one. The ph is going to return to neutral after a season or so when mixed with compost and native soil.
Mulch heavily. It could be a good idea to make some charcoal for the soil to make it hold onto more water. You can also look into mixing in a lot of wood and logs in the beds to help with water retention.
I see some use a special pattern bed when growing in the desert like a waffle garden.
Discuss pine needles please as mulch.
This makes perfect sense to me.
It seems to me that you're concern over having to top of a raised bed each year is a bit overblown. Break down of organic material adds nutrients to the soil that top soil doesn't have. A bed with just top soil is going to need more fertilizer and you will have to add fertilizer every year, so either way you have to buy something to add to the bed. Or, you can just makes your own compost for free.
Thank you
That’s the beauty of gardening, just like cooking and baking, everyone follows the recipe they like, and it usually works out for everyone! Happy gardening :-)
Who says you can’t mulch with compost in the real soil one. Overall I think you will need to use less fertilizers since clay can hold onto more nutrients. The best would be to to get some mostly real soil, a little compost and Biochar in there to make it store even more nutrients.
@@Rocketman0407 Plus if there's a healthy population of worms, they will take the compost down into their tunnels and mix it all up for you.
Yup, need some clay to hold moisture. I mix 1/3 clay topsoil with 2/3rd premium bulk potting mix. Gives a reasonably easy-to-dig soil that's good for veg, but also holds on to moisture a lot better in my 10a climate.
I have always used native soil that is topped with a thin layer of bark and some aged manure. Works great because it contains 30 to 40% Montmorillonite clay, the rest is silt and very fine dust size sand. Some of the best loess mineral soils that holds 1/3 water around the soil partials. The compost deal is best for the stores.
What would you recommend for fabric grow bags? I have no concerns about leakage or erosion--they are in saucers with tall sides (& not exposed to downpours). Thank you
Only bad thing I heard about them is that the roots of the plant can grow into the fabric and get stuck. If it is a really root sensitive plant I would avoid it, otherwise it is fine
Thanks Mr. P 🌷💚🙃
But I WANT the soil level to drop as the organic matter decomposes - how else would I have room to add fresh compost every year? And if I didn't add fresh compost, where would my plants get their nutrients once the existing soil got depleted? I'd have to resort to chemical fertilizers, which do work of course, but which are complicated to figure out the dosage, timing and composition of, and which will never contain ALL the good stuff your plants might need. It's just easier to get good results with compost. It's slow release, it has everything in it, and you can never add too much. Expensive, yes, until you start making your own.
Great video - native soils offer advanatges when mixed with compost. Wondering though what you recommend for dealing with root-knot nematodes when they get into a bed. we are in florida so it's almost a given that nematodes will be a problem. Will be trying solarizing and cover-cropping with Merrigolds, but wondering if you have any other advice for this issue.
I’ve battled root knot nematodes for years buddy and the only solution I found was to cover the bed for 1 month with a clear plastic sheet in the hottest time of year, and make sure to wet the bed well and tuck the sheet under some soil to keep it in place and to let the heat bake that topsoil. It’s the only way that worked for me. Good luck :)
Have you tried using tobacco water? Buy a pack cigarettes of cigarettes. Soak it in water. Use the water to douse the soil.
That was a great video. This might seem like a dumb question but… When you talk about “compost” - aside from home made - if I only want a bag for a small project , what should I be looking for at the garden centre? I have never seen a bag of “compost”. Are we talking composted sheep or cow manure - or something else? Thank you!
It's similar to the finished compost you'd make yourself, a mix of organic matter. It's more sterile than homemade owing to the heat it's been exposed when it's produced.
@@Schuyler501 thank you for your reply. Do you live in the GTA? I know it is readily available in the US, not sure about other areas in Southern Ontario. Here, in many garden centres and nurseries, I have only seen manure and mushroom compost. Can buy bulk compost or get a couple of bags from the city on Environment Days. We do make leaf mould but it is not always ready when I want it. A compost pile is out of the question where I live due to urban wildlife and space constraints. I know I could get a rolling composter but sometimes just want to buy a bag.
composted manure is compost - but some brands include a lot of wood products.
th-cam.com/video/aONjPeJ-2vM/w-d-xo.html
I'm getting my garden ready. I don't want something massive, just want to be self sufficient. I know I need good soil, and I know different things will require different types of soils. I want 3 types if potatoes, yellow onions, red onions, coriander/cilantro, mint, a few types of peppers, green chillies, spring onions, garlic, ginger, cucumber. Spinach, but I also need ti find out about pests, and natural way to rid of them verses pesticides, so still gathering info. Thanks for all you advice.
I highly recommend reading Robert's book on soil science. It will save you a lot of time and money.
Getting rid of pests is a lot different than managing an insect population. Lots of different flowers blooming for as much of the season as possible helps a lot. For more information, search for polyculture.
"different things will require different types of soils." - not really true for vegetables. I grow over 3,000 different varieties of plants in the same soil.
@@Schuyler501 thanks for the reply, I will keep this in mind about soil, because it's mostly vegetables I'll be growing, and yes you're right about herbs in containers, it's only the two of us, how much gardening will I be doing, it's been my later life goal, since I'm already doing the other two hobbies I love I can now delve in gardening & be self sufficient at the same time, and grow organically. 🤍🤍 I don't have that book, I'll deffo check amazon now, thanks again 💗🙏🥰😘💞💗💖💕💙💜💜
@@racebiketuner thank you kindly.
I built my first raised beds last year and I layered rotten logs wood chips to fill in the cracks then layered chicken manure dusted the chicken bedding with rock dusts and char then leaves after I added my top soil and compost it did sink after the first season but to build soil you need a diverse cover crop feeding the the biology of you leave it fallow the biology will devour your top soil keep a diverse mix of roots in the ground at all times only way to build soil
I was told years ago never to use peat moss because it's terribly acidic?
👍👍👍Thank you
Does anyone know how that particular Mel’s Mix recipe came about? I have his first edition (1981), and the original recipe was equal parts topsoil, vermiculite, peat and compost plus some minor components. Did it get dumbed down to make it easier? The book sure did! The current recipe is also very acidic. If a gardener really want to learn the whys and wherefore of Square Foot Gardening, try find that early edition.
I’m going to put mostly native topsoil in my new raised beds- it makes sense to me. It’s reasonably good, a bit sandy, but free. And I have a rancher friend who raises organic beef, so I know where my manure is coming from!
If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the point of raised beds if you will most of it with topsoil? Why not just grow on the topsoil on the ground?
@@agdayem oh, I agree with you- but what I mean is where I do use topsoil, it will be mostly native. According to the Mel’s original mix that I mentioned above, that’s only about 25% of the total. It’s a terrible idea to use mostly topsoil in a raised bed- among other things, it would become terribly compacted and poor draining.
@@DDGLJ oh ok I understand 👍 I agree that 25% topsoil could be a wise idea
so is the 80% top soil 20% compost ratio by volume or weight?
Volume
If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the point of raised beds if you will most of it with topsoil? Why not just grow on the topsoil on the ground?
Some people have problems like arthritis in the spine and hips which makes getting down and dirty at soil level extremely difficult and painful. A raised bed can make gardening a lot easier. Aside from that I don't know why.
Can add hardware cloth to keep moles from digging
So what is my problem? I used the topsoil/compost mix and it is awful. The soil has no structure.
low sound Again < thanks alot sir
1/3 vermiculite? That's pricey. 100% agree with 80% topsoil. Stick in some earthworms and over time they'll mix it up.
I use vermiculite and perlite for my potting mix for containers.
Ask yourself, do I really need a raised bed? I use a broad fork to get compost into the soil and scavenged edging to keep people out of the beds. Watching TH-cam videos can give the impression that you need raised beds. Not that my back doesn't envy those tall, raised beds.
I just don't bother with extensive raised beds. I do some containers for certain plants. but I mostly grow in the soil, and build the soil itself - the problems described here are foreign to me.
A lot of people will start howling at this point about those with disabilities, and how raised beds are good for them - and that is probably true.
There are bound to be some folks in wheel chairs, and those who really suffer with total disability. And for those folks, God bless 'em... and raised beds are probably a real boon.
But I have a disability and I went a different route... I just made all my garden tools longer, by lengthening or affixing handles.
And there are maybe a few that are forced to grow on cement, or those who complain their soil is "terrible" for whatever reason. For those an enclosed, raised wall bed may be the right choice.
But I am willing to bet that 80% (or more) of raised bed gardening today is done for three reasons:
1. People have been indoctrinated to believe they need to grow that way.
2. Consumerism - they think they have to spend big money for this
3. It looks nice
So many problems and anguish over raised beds that I see on the internet, from normally healthy and average gardeners with average soil conditions, could be eliminated if one simply grew in the soil and did the basic work of developing simple, above-grade beds.
There are lots of reasons for using raised beds. I live out in the country and there are lots of critters. The worst are the voles. They decimate a garden by eating all the roots and plants. Then there's the raccoons that pick your strawberries and various other plants. Deer also love gardens too!
@@cheriweber4 Yeah the voles. Archenemy number one! There aren't even words to express the amount of damage they can do.
Plant their favourite food in open spaces away from anything they consider to be sheltered. The won't wander out in the open to eat lettuce and cut off beans. Plus they run too fast to catch them in a trap. Which is a waste of effort since they produce a new litter every month. They are cute but never heard of sharing.