We have a place called the Texas sludge and get compost for $20 a yard. I have added 6 yards and still need more for my yard and gardens. I keep 3 compost bins going, and I am going to add a smaller one to make it quicker in a black trash can with a lid.
Our soil is so sandy and our extension office said we have the worst soil make up in our county…..no wonder we struggled for years. So we have gone to a raised garden using compost we have made from our kitchen scraps and chickens. Worked well this past growing season but I miss the long rows. Enjoyed your walk through time.
I find the past history of your property fascinating. Thx for sharing . Here in south-central Indiana we have Clay and limestone scenarios on our property. And our house was built in '65 ( when I was 3 😉 ) hubby and I moved here 6 yrs ago and have never soil tested yet, but started gardening right away with different set-ups and so far , been reaping crops ok. But, we're using compost and worm castings and chop & drop and no-till and rotating so all is ok so far. Great subject matter and informative video , thank you !
You can solve a lot of bad soil issues with lots of organic matter. A buttload of cover crop can help, but compost and mulching are more effective methods in my opinion. I put as much mulch down as I can get my hands on every year, plus I keep composting and worm bays/bins. This year I'm going to try to bury some 5 gallon buckets to dump kitchen scraps and compost in and kind-of have a worm farm in each garden bed.
Your out there in Georgia in a short sleeve shirt, and I'm over here in Texas with a hoodie on in the house and the fireplace a blazing. Happy Gardening.
This is extremely informative. I never see the depths of my soil unless I plant a tree or dig a post. That tool would be good for soil samples since you would want the test to be at the root level. OR, interesting to see what the soil test is at the different layers, but same spot. The nice thing about tilling was that it homogenized a uniform mix of the soil. Which is the reason it was, and still is done. Maybe you do need to mix in what's below with what's mixed above - not just for tilth, but for returned nutrients. Test that lower layer?? Nonetheless, that tool is informative. Ideas and thoughts remain free to share.
Yep. That's some of that leftover cover crop that was in that plot during the fall months. I don't like to mow too close to the tarp because there's a chance of getting it caught in the mower. But we'll get it all knocked down soon.
@@LazyDogFarm even though it’s a more expensive test, it can save you a lot of money because regular soil tests only show you the inorganic(available immediately to the plant) levels of nutrients and the Haney test shows the inorganic and organic levels of nutrients…it also quantifies the bacteria and fungi in the soil so it can predict how much of the organic nutrients will be made plant available during the growing season and gives you recommendations based on that….normally a Haney test will save you about 50% on fertilizer as long as you haven’t decimated the microbial population through tillage, spraying, and high salt fertilizers…and with certain countries cough cough (Russia and China) stopping fertilizer exports until mid summer 2022, it’s going to be more important than ever for farmers and gardeners to not use more fertilizer than is necessary
I’m grateful to live in The Muck! An area in South Florida, Southern tip of Lake Okeechobee. Because this was “swamp/wetlands the natural process of composting has made our soil very fertile. For a 20 mile radius there are commercial farms and Big Sugar. The soil I use in my garden/yard was purchased for $100 per dump truck. I’ll be ordering more tomorrow because I see the need to expand my garden!
Trav I got a soil sampler years ago...I've tested acres with and it has no foot pedal.... it is the diameter of a magic marker.... you can shove it really easily in the dirt... looks like that one was hard to get in there.... mine also has a 14" window to see way down there....
@@LazyDogFarm I got mine from a company called agri-fab.... another really good place to find suff like that is gemplers.... and a place called Ben meadows.... lots of stuff... even full bore fertilizer kits and micronutrients kits for soil
@@LazyDogFarm sometimes you can call your local municipality and find free/cheap wood mulch that way. Or could have called around to some landscaping services. Oh well. Keep up the good work dude.
Can't we conclude the obvious from the samples? 1) All soils benefit from cover crops and also from compost. 2) The soils where the compost and cover crop amendments were "incorporated" (a.k.a., TILLED IN) are more uniform and homogeneous. and the layers slowly transition from one type to the next. But then there's this big discussion on how no till retains soil structure, soil life, and is "better." I think if you can find a sustained means or method to use chickens, cover crops, and not buy anything externally, you've found the magic formula.
I have really hard clay ground I have been adding wood chips for a few years last fall I put in a cover crop of tiller radishes. I also plow it under every year with my tractor and disk it. Honestly it has not seemed to get better yet but still trying.
I noticed a potato poking it's head through the dirt yesterday 😃. I heard a cackling chicken at the beginning of the video, so I reckon you are getting eggs, right? Just as Alabama red clay doesn't consist of the whole state of Bama. BTW I'm not a Bama fan, I pulled for Dawgs but my team is the Gators.
Our local utility company makes compost out of the trees they trim and its free. My soil is a pain. Almost 5 acres that was all trees, and is hilly. Soil is different in all areas and there's areas that have mini creeks when we get rain. Last year I learned about them by losing allot of plants. It's all an experimental project.
i soil sample at least every other year. i make furrows to plant and fill them with homemade compost. we put EVERYTHING we get in our compost piles and i drag in all the free horse bedding and manure i can find! Ky. gold!
What happened to the thornless blackberrys u planted a couple years ago reason I ask I just watched the video of u planting them but I don't see them there now so I guess they didn't make it
I have clay in north ga red dirt in the mountains I lived in Early county once and evrything was sand big differences I love my red dirt even though I do add compost to try and soften it up
In north Ga mountains as well. I'm getting a dump truck load of mushroom compost in for my gardens to help amend my gardens. Only thing good about our red dirt is growing peppers with plant stalks as thick as broom handles! I'm on year 3 with these gardens, and the soil is just starting to loosen up.
@@gabec2494 I add compost every year but my folks gardened the red dirt successfully but oh the hard work I like my garden soil to be softer yes peppers grow so good and okra I have a hard time with beets and carrots finally got a good harvest of carrots in raised beds I added hard wood ashes they were huge I havent seen any mushroom compost we get a dump truck of the co-op compost every year
@@tking613 I'm trying beets this year. It's been 8 days since I've sown the seeds and I'm worried they won't come up. Maybe it's just my impatience kicking in haha. It's warming up this week so fingers crossed something happens! Our mulch yards have mushroom compost here in fannin county. $55 a cubic yard delivered is the quote I got this year
@@gabec2494 well dang Ill have to check them out Im in gilmer they will come up this week it being warm i planted mine last week too and english peas getting ready to plant my potatoes when it stays dry for a week hopefully by the weekend
@@tking613 I'm getting my lacinato kale transplanted this week (150 of them) and my butter crunch lettuce. (Also 150). I hope this warmth sticks around this month, we may hit a bumper crop this year! I'm trying to get into farmers markets, just need to see if I need permits
This video is very interesting. I'm too old to mess with this Texas red clay. I will be doing raised beds. I need to build a couple of bigger ones. Right now our nights are still going down in the high 20s in zone 8A. I'm looking forward to some warmer weather. Stay Safe and have a Blessed day.
I have that red clay here in Alabama. My great grand mother lived south-east of Pittsburgh PA. Her whole backyard was a garden for over 60 years. It was the blackest best soil I had ever seen,. She grew everything, and never tested soil. According to my grand mother, when they first moved there, it was rocky and had a lot of gray clay. She spent years out there gardening, tilling organic matter into the plots, burning, and putting in the ash. I have only been working on my little red clay plot for a few years and it is already looking very different. When I first moved here the clay was so hard and dense I had a hard time even finding a worm that could make it through it. Now I have tons of life and the clay is breaking up slowly. I have been doing a mixture of "limited" till. The first seasons were hard with not much production. I watched Korean radishes grow fine in the top compost and die as soon as they tried to break up the clay below it (even though I planted them to break up the clay). But each year gets better!
heavy clay here in SC as well. I grow in 50x50 and 100x50 plots. Compost only your growing spaces (we use 30" beds and wheelbarrows) x5 wheelbarrows for 50ft and x10 wheelbarrows for 100ft. 30 and 60 cubic yards respectively. Did that for 3 years, twice a year for the first two years and all my soil is black, organic matter rich, and holds water well. Harmony 5-4-3 from SevenSpringFarms, Azomite granular is all I use to fertilize.
Wow! You are making the most of what you’ve got!!! Excellent soil/land management!!! Pine trees are useful for lumber, but then you are stuck with a gazillion roots left over!
Love it. I’ve been testing mine about every five years over the last 20 years. My latest test shows that over time a real improvement can be made. Anxious to see the result. Hey, we each married into a family that loves to garden!
Really enjoyed the history, and the tickle factor. Thanks again for all you and your family do. I feel blessed to have a good garden because of the way you explain how to do things.
Hey brother, a couple of questions: Will Black Plastic Mulch kill weeds and seeds like a tarp, or is it too thin? (the mulch that a lot of commercial farmers plant in) I want to use it in a raised bed garden to kill some stubborn Morning Glory that plagues me every year. Also, will the Emerald Green Velvet okra (i bought per your recommendation) work well "pickled"? I tried to pickle some Jambalaya okra last year (mixed in with some pickles) and most were tough, even though they were not that long. Thanks and keep up the good work. alan BTW... for pickling, Sumter pickles are really good. If you pickle, you ought to give them a try. Perfect length for quarts and very prolific. Not as prolific as the Mercs but small seeds and really good.
Black plastic mulch will work to an extent, but I've seen nutgrass grow right through it on some of the commercial farms around here. So it will suppress some weeds, but some can grow through it. Morning Glory seeds are viable for something like 40 years, so you might be battling it a while. A good option would be to replace the soil in the raised beds or move them. Green Velvet will work very well as a pickling okree. It stay tender up to 10-12" long from my experiences. And because the pods are relatively smooth, you can pack more in a jar.
Hey, Trav, What about a "Billboard Advertising Banner"? I found some cheap on Craigslist. Don't know what mil they are, but I think they are pretty thick
im above ya in lizella and my soil is also pure sand its terrible for growing in. it also gets very compacted when i started my garden i tilled shoveled the dirt off and done that about a foot and a half down then filled it back in mixing small limbs and leaves in the bottom. tillage radishes also help a lot
I also live in a Red Clay area in South Mississippi. On a positive note the clay contains plenty of minerals which others chase with Rock Dust - Azomite. I’ve read that clay soil can benefit from lime additions to increase the pH.
I built raised beds for much of the gardening but also a traditional plot that was the old garden when I moved here for sweet corn or vine crops. I watched enough of the cover crop/cover the plot videos from you to get me inspired on that for the garden area. The soil is a little packed and lacks organic matter. So the last two years I've sowed winter wheat the first year, daikon and seven top turnip on corn ground plus a legume mix and daikon to an expansion last summer or fall. I especially like the radishes as they seem to be doing what they are supposed to.
Your hard work is really paying off! It will be interesting and fun to see the results of those soil tests. This is the beginning of my second year here - I had my soil tested last year, and I'm pretty lucky - It's the same all over the back yard. I'm taking steps for cover crops and tarping, and composting when I can - My fingers are crossed for finding an affordable source other than my own compose pile. My biggest challenges right now are physical limitations and weed pressure. A few weeks ago, my son tested positive for the Wuflu, and I came down with it a few days later. Don't worry - It was just a nasty flu, and we're fine, and I'm getting my strength back, but it's set me back on tilling Zone B. As for the weed pressure, I'm hoping that tarping will help with that weed seed bank. It takes a couple of years to really get it in line!
If you have any horse farms around you that bed stalls on straw, you might get lucky with your compost for free. I live in Marion county in FL, and we have a gazillion farms here. Although, I use enough straw in my own stalls here with my milk goats. They stay in the barn at night. The farms have to pay to have there muck hauled off, so I'm sure they would rather you take it off there hands for free. DO NOT let any one talk you in to shaving though. Most places have gone to shavings because they are cheaper. They are making compost in some places out of shavings. You couldn't pay me to use it. Most people don't think about it, but the pine tar in shavings n.e.v.e.r. goes away. I have a plot where I tried blueberries over 20 years ago. they call to be mulched with pine bark. well I used shavings because I had them, and to this day it won't grow anything but weeds. I've had the soil tested, and it tests pretty good. Never thought of a PH test, I guess because I knew what it was, BUT THE TAR....... in pine. It never... goes... away. I have a feeling that's what Tavis's problem is, with the pine forest there. I've covered it with good top soil, compost, everything I could think of, It has slowly gotten better, but you want to kill yourself waiting. If there is any better testament, it would be when I saw farms around here with manure spreaders throwing it out all over there pastures to keep from paying to have it hauled away. Then, same as my plot, they couldn't grow anything but weeds. I cant even remember the last time I've seen a manure spreader around here, when they figured it out. LOL. I am laying mine down right now, between rows until I change to winter crops, I can also pile it up in areas so it can start to decompose and then move it to where my crops are now. I actually put it under my plants for mulch, so there's not that much moving. However, goat urin is cool, and doesn't seem to bother my plants. Horse urin on the other hand, takes a year to break down. Cow is ok too, unbelievably, but you don't see cows bedded on straw. My garden was started on 8 loads of horse straw, I was composting in my back field at the time, to sell in my dump truck, I had a friend that owned Muck Haulers and he brought me loads of straw from the farms that used it. But it's gotten hard over several years of not using it with my back. so now I'm working on that. This has turned into a book, but hope it can help.
Yep. Although the no-till plots with all the compost are a little tougher to get things to germinate because they don't hold moisture as well at the top.
@Lazy Dog Farm yes that can be an issue one can think if using seeds or small plants the drip lines don’t moisten the top, overhead watering may be better in the early stages. The allium crop is doing good though.
I've used gypsum to break down heavy clay. Our clay soil goes down 30" and then the clay turns into hardpan that is like concrete. Used lots of mulch to improve the gardens.
We have red clay concrete, a hoe just bounces off when you hit it. I've talked to a tree service and I'm looking to get many loads of woods chips. I'm let them compost and hopefully build up the soil.
Very interesting! Those comparisons really are a great visual for the benefits of compost. We love watching all your experiments and learn a lot from you. Thank you!
I tip my hat to you for the labor you've put into your gardens, especially converting that spinney of pine trees into enviable garden soil. As one of your viewers who has been pestering you about soil testing, it was very gratifying to see you use that soil probe. Having the right pH level will more or less dictate nutrient availability, and once you know your NPK, you can adjust your fertilizer program accordingly. Too much of some elements is often worse than not having enough.
I have the sandy soil. It is easy to work, but I gotta add fertilizer every time I plant. I have started adding compost, but buying it is costly. Just trying to make it a little better every year.
Wow Travis! What an excellent video! First rate. I will be excited to see the results of the coming soil tests compared to the visual soil plug samples. Always a pleasure to spend 20 to 30 minutes watching your videos. Thank you Sir! -Chuck in Jensen Beach, Florida. Big time sandy soil here.
Compost works in some climates on some soils, but is an expensive ongoing proposition. Some of the most fertile soils on earth is so because of mineral composition. Garden stores love repeat sales of compost
@@LazyDogFarm : in city, even though on smaller scale, compost is very expensive, as sold by the bag. i went thru the journey of making large volumes of compost for ten years, and see no difference between that heavily compost amended soil and soil underneath lawn that i fertilize. it was an expensive and work intensive excercise, considering purchase of shredder etc. is cover cropping in fact better than shoving loads of dead organic matter into soil?
Great topic for a video Travis. I think it is very interesting to see the differences in all of your plots. When I lived in Raleigh we had hard pack clay that was just about impossible to grow stuff in, and that is why I did container gardening. I did notice that the soil under my lawn, over time, built a nice darker organic layer that stretched down about 8-10 inches. I would top dress my yard twice a year with compost and I used organic fertilizers that helped build that healthy layer. We have clay up here at the lake too, but I’m bringing in a LOT of compost this Spring to get my soil in shape. Looking forward to see your soil analysis results!!
This was a good comparison. Now you just need to mix the soils between dream plot 1 and the 2 sandy plots in the back. Making all 3 better. 😀 ( if only it was that easy.)
I've never done a soil sample in the garden, but every two years in the fields they were done.. around a 100 acres of sweet potatoes, 10 acres of sweet corn, 5 acres of cabbage and usually 1 of acre of yellow squash when there was a market for it, I've done my share of soil samples, here in Louisiana where we live it's usually missing lime!! ✌
Pond? did I here you say, you have a pond? I don't believe we have ever seen a pond. Keeping secrets? Good video, always good to see the progress one has made over years of diligent work. There is hope for all of us. Looking forward to the results.
That was a really cool video! Very interesting to see the differences after different applications to the plots. I have hard clay so I spread about 6 or 8 inches of woodchips 3 years ago and last year made 30" beds by putting 6" of compost on top of the woodchips. Yields were ok last year. Hope this year will be better. I plan to dig and see how well the woodchips broke down. There were so many earthworms last year.
On my new property the dirt is Sand clay and what I call cement it has been a challenge I have one garden I did as a no-till things are still growing a little slow and as you said the dirt is not going to turn into good soil overnight. It was very interesting seeing the difference between the plots and just how far the compost has seeped into the dirt it kind of gives you an ideal how long it will take to have good soil. It will be interesting to here the info on the samples
I enjoyed your soil comparisons. Were are you sending your samples for testing? We use Logan labs in Ohio. Check out the book The Intelligent Gardener by Steve Solomon. It's a Great introduction to soil agronomy. John S.
Travis is mushroom compost good for my garden. Or should I avoid it here in Pickens South Carolina. I thought about using it for growing watermelon what is your advice. Thanks
Thanks for doing this video. I figured that heavy composting and cover crops was gonna be the only way to fix my beach sand soil but I was hoping for a quick fix lol. A lot of old timers tell me I have to put lime in my soil but I was nervous about it. My father in law did when we first moved here but only had moderate success and I was afraid it may do more harm than good. Everything is a fairly delicate balance. However I've composted my first ground plot this year and will cover crop it next fall. Hopefully it gets better every year
You only need to add lime if your pH is too low. Don't add lime before soil testing. It's really easy to raise pH with lime, but really tough to lower pH if you get it too high by adding too much lime.
The history of your land and your family is truly amazing. I don't know how the garden is doing that I first started in FL. But, again they were all raised beds as I am currently gardening in NM. I did however receive my 3rd GreenStalk this week. I'm super excited. I was thinking about testing my soil this year but I don't think so. Just trying to decide what I really have space for. Our elephant garlic is up just waiting on the other garlic.
Great video! Interesting to see the differences from one plot to the next! We've got pretty good topsoil, with a lot of clay in it. Like you said, it's productive without a lot of nutrient inputs. But, it's challenging to work in. Early season, it holds too much moisture. Later season, it's not too bad now that I'm using drip irrigation. Also, I've been adding carbon and planting cover crops. Even though it's a bit early to tell for sure, it seems that that combination has been helping. I'm planning to start adding pelleted gypsum to open up the soil a bit. From what I've read, that will take a few successive treatment years to have much effect, but should help. I'm not doing "no-till", but I am trying to do "minimal tilling", as too much tends to keep the clay blended in, and seems to promote compaction.
There's definitely a fine line on how much tilling can be destructive. I've seen folks around here over-till sandy soils to the point where they were just a powder and wouldn't hold nutrients well at all.
So it seems like you already have "the best of both worlds:" clay & compost. Instead of spending so much on more compost and fertilizers, why not _MIX_ they two soil types? I assume (danger, danger) that you have a tractor. So for nothing more than a little fuel & time, you could make both the front and the back "Dream Gardens."
@@LazyDogFarm Oh! Yeah, I moved about two dump trucks of NC red clay by shovel & wheelbarrow last summer. Terracing an extreme sloped back yard will be nice... But I blew out my elbow and had three doctor visits! Next time I'll rent some power tools.
You have put a lot of work into the 11 plots. I know you show some of the work in your videos. & Your harvest shows off the hard work too .I'm in Middle Tn, I have brown clay. When its wet its almost black, & very slick.When i moved here 25+ years ago... If you got off the gravel driveway after a rain, you needed four wheel drive to get back out. When its dry, (August/September) concrete has nothing on it. Because were out away from any big cities, there's no place to get compost reasonably. So I use Bag Compost, & peat moss to help loosen up the soil as I'm planting. Compost & most bag soils are sold seasonally here locally. Bag soil has just started being available here close...
That stinks that you don't have a good compost source nearby. You should try a cover crop of tillage radish if you haven't already. That really helps too.
Good soil study and excellent presentation. Looking forward to the soil test for the plot with Alfalfa pellets. How's the Aswad Eggplant seedlings coming along??
Great video Travis! Very interesting. Some questions: which wheel hoe would you buy for being able to use on potatoes, corn, peas and beans. I need versatility in with of rows. Suggestions would be helpful!
I have clay soil and have been adding compost for the last 7 years when I can. I really have a problem keeping moisture in the soil in dry seasons. Do you have a well? I do not. I have city water and have a 250 gallon rain water tank I have seen your watering systems and wonder how you get your water to your garden. Do you have under ground pipes to your garden? I really enjoy your videos and advice.
I really enjoy your comparisons and experiments in the Garden. I'm including Alfalfa pellets this year. Are you going to try wood chips at some point too?
Interesting but did you see digging into earthworms? Our garden in the PNW usually has a lot of earthworm activities this time of the year. You cannot dig that deep without seeing at least one or two.
Very interested in hearing about your soil sample(s) results. Travis, my first and only time I saw Georgia Red Clay was at Ft. Gordon ! I was at the Army Signal School (1968) and had a few training sessions in the field. Thanks for the video, take care from Southern, N.H. ps We have about 11 inches of new snow on the ground, and temperature was 8 degrees at 5 am.
Thanks for the info, much appreciated. I'm gardening in the app. mountains, which is beautiful... but I've literally got boulders in my soil. Would you haul in several inches of compost and grow over the soil in this case? Really appreciate the info again; it's been incalculably helpful. God bless
How big of a garden do you want? Boulders as in rock? If your not wanting a huge garden I would build raised beds. Otherwise you might need to have top soil brought in. I built raised beds just because I didn't like all the bending over in my ground level garden. They are only 12" tall but make a huge difference. You can see them on my channel.
@@kansasgardener5844 Thank you very much. I should have added I don't have any machines, so I'm tryin to clear boulders with a broadfork and a rock rake... I think I'll take you advice, I appreciate it! God bless
I feel your pain. I'm on caliche hardpan and need about two dozen whacks of the driver to get a t-post a foot into the ground. Raised beds and containers for me.
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Soil profiles , especially over time are interesting
Organic matter is key
We have a place called the Texas sludge and get compost for $20 a yard. I have added 6 yards and still need more for my yard and gardens. I keep 3 compost bins going, and I am going to add a smaller one to make it quicker in a black trash can with a lid.
Thank you for encouraging folk to just grow 😀😀😀😀
You bet!
Well done!
Thanks
Great VISUAL representation! Thank you! Looking forward to the next 'phrase' on this quest...
Glad you enjoyed it!
Give that thing a twist while its in the ground... ;) Watch you often, specially early spring....
I got the hang of it when I took the samples for the soil tests. Took a few tries.
And for whatever reason i wouldn't mind the stinging nettle as a cover crop, but lordy that stuff hurts. It grows wild here in my garden
I love to experiment as well as keeping it traditional with my gardening. Guess I'm flexible as well as practical
Currently prepping for chickens for first time , hoping it's a success
Nothing wrong with experimenting and continuing to learn.
Thanks for the history
Our pleasure!
Our soil is so sandy and our extension office said we have the worst soil make up in our county…..no wonder we struggled for years. So we have gone to a raised garden using compost we have made from our kitchen scraps and chickens. Worked well this past growing season but I miss the long rows. Enjoyed your walk through time.
Sometimes that's all you can do -- just make a raised bed and make the best of it!
I find the past history of your property fascinating. Thx for sharing . Here in south-central Indiana we have Clay and limestone scenarios on our property. And our house was built in '65 ( when I was 3 😉 ) hubby and I moved here 6 yrs ago and have never soil tested yet, but started gardening right away with different set-ups and so far , been reaping crops ok. But, we're using compost and worm castings and chop & drop and no-till and rotating so all is ok so far. Great subject matter and informative video , thank you !
Glad you enjoyed it Tamara!
Great information 👍🏿
Thanks Katherin!
You can solve a lot of bad soil issues with lots of organic matter. A buttload of cover crop can help, but compost and mulching are more effective methods in my opinion. I put as much mulch down as I can get my hands on every year, plus I keep composting and worm bays/bins. This year I'm going to try to bury some 5 gallon buckets to dump kitchen scraps and compost in and kind-of have a worm farm in each garden bed.
That's a good idea with the worm farm per bed!
I'm in worth county and we have plenty of clay here too its about a foot under that brown dirt if you dig down.
Yep. It seems to vary a little depending on the land how far you have to go before you find it.
Exciting!
Here in Texas getting closer to the coast we got what we call black gumbo, East Texas has some red clay soil.
I've heard a lot about that gumbo, but never seen it in person.
Your out there in Georgia in a short sleeve shirt, and I'm over here in Texas with a hoodie on in the house and the fireplace a blazing. Happy Gardening.
Haha! It'll be warm before you know it!
@@LazyDogFarm Thanks for the encouragement though.
Great info
Thanks Lee Ann!
This is extremely informative. I never see the depths of my soil unless I plant a tree or dig a post. That tool would be good for soil samples since you would want the test to be at the root level. OR, interesting to see what the soil test is at the different layers, but same spot.
The nice thing about tilling was that it homogenized a uniform mix of the soil. Which is the reason it was, and still is done. Maybe you do need to mix in what's below with what's mixed above - not just for tilth, but for returned nutrients. Test that lower layer??
Nonetheless, that tool is informative. Ideas and thoughts remain free to share.
good thing you got that tarp on the plot the grass is growing good all around it lol
Yep. That's some of that leftover cover crop that was in that plot during the fall months. I don't like to mow too close to the tarp because there's a chance of getting it caught in the mower. But we'll get it all knocked down soon.
Nice video - very well done.
Thank you very much!
You should do a Haney soil test as well…at least for the no till plots
Noted. Might do that in the future.
@@LazyDogFarm even though it’s a more expensive test, it can save you a lot of money because regular soil tests only show you the inorganic(available immediately to the plant) levels of nutrients and the Haney test shows the inorganic and organic levels of nutrients…it also quantifies the bacteria and fungi in the soil so it can predict how much of the organic nutrients will be made plant available during the growing season and gives you recommendations based on that….normally a Haney test will save you about 50% on fertilizer as long as you haven’t decimated the microbial population through tillage, spraying, and high salt fertilizers…and with certain countries cough cough (Russia and China) stopping fertilizer exports until mid summer 2022, it’s going to be more important than ever for farmers and gardeners to not use more fertilizer than is necessary
I’m grateful to live in The Muck! An area in South Florida, Southern tip of Lake Okeechobee. Because this was “swamp/wetlands the natural process of composting has made our soil very fertile. For a 20 mile radius there are commercial farms and Big Sugar. The soil I use in my garden/yard was purchased for $100 per dump truck. I’ll be ordering more tomorrow because I see the need to expand my garden!
That's a good price for some good soil!
Trav I got a soil sampler years ago...I've tested acres with and it has no foot pedal.... it is the diameter of a magic marker.... you can shove it really easily in the dirt... looks like that one was hard to get in there.... mine also has a 14" window to see way down there....
Nice. I didn't see one like that when I was looking online.
@@LazyDogFarm I got mine from a company called agri-fab.... another really good place to find suff like that is gemplers.... and a place called Ben meadows.... lots of stuff... even full bore fertilizer kits and micronutrients kits for soil
You should have mulched and composted those trees you cleared. Would have made for some great organic matter to amend that soil.
I didn't have access to a machine that would have chipped those trees. Some of them were pretty thick.
@@LazyDogFarm sometimes you can call your local municipality and find free/cheap wood mulch that way. Or could have called around to some landscaping services. Oh well. Keep up the good work dude.
Can't we conclude the obvious from the samples?
1) All soils benefit from cover crops and also from compost.
2) The soils where the compost and cover crop amendments were "incorporated" (a.k.a., TILLED IN) are more uniform and homogeneous. and the layers slowly transition from one type to the next.
But then there's this big discussion on how no till retains soil structure, soil life, and is "better."
I think if you can find a sustained means or method to use chickens, cover crops, and not buy anything externally, you've found the magic formula.
I have really hard clay ground I have been adding wood chips for a few years last fall I put in a cover crop of tiller radishes. I also plow it under every year with my tractor and disk it. Honestly it has not seemed to get better yet but still trying.
Careful tilling those wood chips into the soil. They can rob nitrogen as they break down.
@@LazyDogFarm ah very good to know thanks. I didn't do it last year so I will no longer do it.
Here in north east Georgia we have mineral rich soil =( it’s full of rocks ) lol
Haha! And just when you think you've removed them all, the ground grows more rocks.
That was super geeky... I LOVE IT!
Glad you enjoyed it!
i was wondering where you went, i didnt saw you anymore on hoss tools
Been right here! Glad you found us!
I enjoyed watching that. Improving soils over time gives a gardener great pleasure!
Yes it does!
I noticed a potato poking it's head through the dirt yesterday 😃. I heard a cackling chicken at the beginning of the video, so I reckon you are getting eggs, right?
Just as Alabama red clay doesn't consist of the whole state of Bama. BTW I'm not a Bama fan, I pulled for Dawgs but my team is the Gators.
No eggs. Not sure what had them talking so much during that video.
Our local utility company makes compost out of the trees they trim and its free. My soil is a pain. Almost 5 acres that was all trees, and is hilly. Soil is different in all areas and there's areas that have mini creeks when we get rain. Last year I learned about them by losing allot of plants. It's all an experimental project.
Sounds like quite the battle. But I'm sure you'll get there.
Fact...grow the soil and the plants will farm themselves.
True story!
“I love it when a plan comes together!”
Your plans are working! Good job!
Thanks Mousie!
i soil sample at least every other year. i make furrows to plant and fill them with homemade compost. we put EVERYTHING we get in our compost piles and i drag in all the free horse bedding and manure i can find! Ky. gold!
That horse bedding and manure is good stuff!
I learned to mix this river sand with the buckshot gumbo that I deal with in my garden and it is pretty workable
I've heard of folks doing that. Seems like it works very well!
What happened to the thornless blackberrys u planted a couple years ago reason I ask I just watched the video of u planting them but I don't see them there now so I guess they didn't make it
We still have them. We'll show them again once they start producing this spring.
I have clay in north ga red dirt in the mountains I lived in Early county once and evrything was sand big differences I love my red dirt even though I do add compost to try and soften it up
In north Ga mountains as well. I'm getting a dump truck load of mushroom compost in for my gardens to help amend my gardens. Only thing good about our red dirt is growing peppers with plant stalks as thick as broom handles! I'm on year 3 with these gardens, and the soil is just starting to loosen up.
@@gabec2494 I add compost every year but my folks gardened the red dirt successfully but oh the hard work I like my garden soil to be softer yes peppers grow so good and okra I have a hard time with beets and carrots finally got a good harvest of carrots in raised beds I added hard wood ashes they were huge I havent seen any mushroom compost we get a dump truck of the co-op compost every year
@@tking613 I'm trying beets this year. It's been 8 days since I've sown the seeds and I'm worried they won't come up. Maybe it's just my impatience kicking in haha. It's warming up this week so fingers crossed something happens! Our mulch yards have mushroom compost here in fannin county. $55 a cubic yard delivered is the quote I got this year
@@gabec2494 well dang Ill have to check them out Im in gilmer they will come up this week it being warm i planted mine last week too and english peas getting ready to plant my potatoes when it stays dry for a week hopefully by the weekend
@@tking613 I'm getting my lacinato kale transplanted this week (150 of them) and my butter crunch lettuce. (Also 150). I hope this warmth sticks around this month, we may hit a bumper crop this year! I'm trying to get into farmers markets, just need to see if I need permits
This video is very interesting. I'm too old to mess with this Texas red clay. I will be doing raised beds. I need to build a couple of bigger ones. Right now our nights are still going down in the high 20s in zone 8A. I'm looking forward to some warmer weather. Stay Safe and have a Blessed day.
Sounds like raised beds are definitely the way to go for you!
I have that red clay here in Alabama. My great grand mother lived south-east of Pittsburgh PA. Her whole backyard was a garden for over 60 years. It was the blackest best soil I had ever seen,. She grew everything, and never tested soil. According to my grand mother, when they first moved there, it was rocky and had a lot of gray clay. She spent years out there gardening, tilling organic matter into the plots, burning, and putting in the ash. I have only been working on my little red clay plot for a few years and it is already looking very different. When I first moved here the clay was so hard and dense I had a hard time even finding a worm that could make it through it. Now I have tons of life and the clay is breaking up slowly. I have been doing a mixture of "limited" till. The first seasons were hard with not much production. I watched Korean radishes grow fine in the top compost and die as soon as they tried to break up the clay below it (even though I planted them to break up the clay). But each year gets better!
Good to hear you're getting there slowly but surely!
heavy clay here in SC as well. I grow in 50x50 and 100x50 plots. Compost only your growing spaces (we use 30" beds and wheelbarrows) x5 wheelbarrows for 50ft and x10 wheelbarrows for 100ft. 30 and 60 cubic yards respectively.
Did that for 3 years, twice a year for the first two years and all my soil is black, organic matter rich, and holds water well.
Harmony 5-4-3 from SevenSpringFarms, Azomite granular is all I use to fertilize.
Wow! You are making the most of what you’ve got!!! Excellent soil/land management!!! Pine trees are useful for lumber, but then you are stuck with a gazillion roots left over!
The roots weren't too bad on ours, but we did disk it heavily to chop everything.
Love it. I’ve been testing mine about every five years over the last 20 years. My latest test shows that over time a real improvement can be made. Anxious to see the result. Hey, we each married into a family that loves to garden!
Always good to hear that improvements have been made!
Really enjoyed the history, and the tickle factor. Thanks again for all you and your family do. I feel blessed to have a good garden because of the way you explain how to do things.
Thanks for joining us Ellen!
Travis , I’m following your advice on soil preparation hoping I’ll have a great garden . God bless you for your teachings.
Thanks Ima!
Hey brother, a couple of questions:
Will Black Plastic Mulch kill weeds and seeds like a tarp, or is it too thin? (the mulch that a lot of commercial farmers plant in)
I want to use it in a raised bed garden to kill some stubborn Morning Glory that plagues me every year.
Also, will the Emerald Green Velvet okra (i bought per your recommendation) work well "pickled"?
I tried to pickle some Jambalaya okra last year (mixed in with some pickles) and most were tough, even though they were not that long.
Thanks and keep up the good work.
alan
BTW... for pickling, Sumter pickles are really good. If you pickle, you ought to give them a try.
Perfect length for quarts and very prolific.
Not as prolific as the Mercs but small seeds and really good.
Black plastic mulch will work to an extent, but I've seen nutgrass grow right through it on some of the commercial farms around here. So it will suppress some weeds, but some can grow through it. Morning Glory seeds are viable for something like 40 years, so you might be battling it a while. A good option would be to replace the soil in the raised beds or move them.
Green Velvet will work very well as a pickling okree. It stay tender up to 10-12" long from my experiences. And because the pods are relatively smooth, you can pack more in a jar.
@@LazyDogFarm Good to know bro. thanks!
FORTY YEARS?!?!?
I've got about 30 years to go... Sheesh... I'll only be 100 years old then :(
Hey, Trav,
What about a "Billboard Advertising Banner"? I found some cheap on Craigslist.
Don't know what mil they are, but I think they are pretty thick
@@BIGALTX Those will work great!
@@LazyDogFarm Thanks, bro. Someone on Craigslist near me has some that are cheap!
Great video beautiful garden plot it takes alot of hard work to get it to look that nice
It has, but it's totally been worth it!
im above ya in lizella and my soil is also pure sand its terrible for growing in. it also gets very compacted when i started my garden i tilled shoveled the dirt off and done that about a foot and a half down then filled it back in mixing small limbs and leaves in the bottom. tillage radishes also help a lot
Those tillage radishes are magical!
I also live in a Red Clay area in South Mississippi. On a positive note the clay contains plenty of minerals which others chase with Rock Dust - Azomite. I’ve read that clay soil can benefit from lime additions to increase the pH.
Lime definitely helps with low pH. Just be careful not to add too much.
Thoroughly informative, educational and fun!! Thanks Travis for your hard work and invaluable channel!!
You're very welcome Sandra!
Super interesting. I love the comparisons between the different plots. Thanks for doing this
Our pleasure!
I built raised beds for much of the gardening but also a traditional plot that was the old garden when I moved here for sweet corn or vine crops. I watched enough of the cover crop/cover the plot videos from you to get me inspired on that for the garden area. The soil is a little packed and lacks organic matter. So the last two years I've sowed winter wheat the first year, daikon and seven top turnip on corn ground plus a legume mix and daikon to an expansion last summer or fall. I especially like the radishes as they seem to be doing what they are supposed to.
The radishes are great for any soil type. They really do work well.
Your hard work is really paying off! It will be interesting and fun to see the results of those soil tests. This is the beginning of my second year here - I had my soil tested last year, and I'm pretty lucky - It's the same all over the back yard. I'm taking steps for cover crops and tarping, and composting when I can - My fingers are crossed for finding an affordable source other than my own compose pile. My biggest challenges right now are physical limitations and weed pressure. A few weeks ago, my son tested positive for the Wuflu, and I came down with it a few days later. Don't worry - It was just a nasty flu, and we're fine, and I'm getting my strength back, but it's set me back on tilling Zone B. As for the weed pressure, I'm hoping that tarping will help with that weed seed bank. It takes a couple of years to really get it in line!
Good to hear you've recovered well! Hope your second year in your new spot is great!
If you have any horse farms around you that bed stalls on straw, you might get lucky with your compost for free. I live in Marion county in FL, and we have a gazillion farms here. Although, I use enough straw in my own stalls here with my milk goats. They stay in the barn at night. The farms have to pay to have there muck hauled off, so I'm sure they would rather you take it off there hands for free. DO NOT let any one talk you in to shaving though. Most places have gone to shavings because they are cheaper. They are making compost in some places out of shavings. You couldn't pay me to use it. Most people don't think about it, but the pine tar in shavings n.e.v.e.r. goes away. I have a plot where I tried blueberries over 20 years ago. they call to be mulched with pine bark. well I used shavings because I had them, and to this day it won't grow anything but weeds. I've had the soil tested, and it tests pretty good. Never thought of a PH test, I guess because I knew what it was, BUT THE TAR....... in pine. It never... goes... away. I have a feeling that's what Tavis's problem is, with the pine forest there. I've covered it with good top soil, compost, everything I could think of, It has slowly gotten better, but you want to kill yourself waiting. If there is any better testament, it would be when I saw farms around here with manure spreaders throwing it out all over there pastures to keep from paying to have it hauled away. Then, same as my plot, they couldn't grow anything but weeds. I cant even remember the last time I've seen a manure spreader around here, when they figured it out. LOL. I am laying mine down right now, between rows until I change to winter crops, I can also pile it up in areas so it can start to decompose and then move it to where my crops are now. I actually put it under my plants for mulch, so there's not that much moving. However, goat urin is cool, and doesn't seem to bother my plants. Horse urin on the other hand, takes a year to break down. Cow is ok too, unbelievably, but you don't see cows bedded on straw. My garden was started on 8 loads of horse straw, I was composting in my back field at the time, to sell in my dump truck, I had a friend that owned Muck Haulers and he brought me loads of straw from the farms that used it. But it's gotten hard over several years of not using it with my back. so now I'm working on that. This has turned into a book, but hope it can help.
@@jhutto3814gotta watch out for what is in their hay. Make sure no Grazon.
Nice plugs, I'm diggin' it.
Thanks Sue!
No 4 looked the best for carrots onions and garlic, though the sandy ones are okay too but extra fertilisers.
Yep. Although the no-till plots with all the compost are a little tougher to get things to germinate because they don't hold moisture as well at the top.
@Lazy Dog Farm yes that can be an issue one can think if using seeds or small plants the drip lines don’t moisten the top, overhead watering may be better in the early stages.
The allium crop is doing good though.
Enjoyed i live on a rock compost on top no till in hoophouse does well gets better each year only dirt on property have been brought in
Never dealt with rocks in the garden, but I can imagine it not being fun.
I've used gypsum to break down heavy clay. Our clay soil goes down 30" and then the clay turns into hardpan that is like concrete. Used lots of mulch to improve the gardens.
We have red clay concrete, a hoe just bounces off when you hit it. I've talked to a tree service and I'm looking to get many loads of woods chips. I'm let them compost and hopefully build up the soil.
@@jlilly1961 I'd think the wood chips would suck out all the nitrogen unless they are seriously composted.
@Mutant Ryeff Gypsum is good. Have you tried any tillage radish as well?
@@mutantryeff Yes, I will compost it well before I put it on the garden.
Very interesting! Those comparisons really are a great visual for the benefits of compost. We love watching all your experiments and learn a lot from you. Thank you!
Thanks Elisha!
Thanks from NE Missouri home of clay soil!
Haha! Bet it's fertile though!
I tip my hat to you for the labor you've put into your gardens, especially converting that spinney of pine trees into enviable garden soil. As one of your viewers who has been pestering you about soil testing, it was very gratifying to see you use that soil probe. Having the right pH level will more or less dictate nutrient availability, and once you know your NPK, you can adjust your fertilizer program accordingly. Too much of some elements is often worse than not having enough.
Very true about the pH and nutrient availability.
I have the sandy soil. It is easy to work, but I gotta add fertilizer every time I plant. I have started adding compost, but buying it is costly. Just trying to make it a little better every year.
I know all about that!
Wow Travis! What an excellent video! First rate. I will be excited to see the results of the coming soil tests compared to the visual soil plug samples. Always a pleasure to spend 20 to 30 minutes watching your videos. Thank you Sir!
-Chuck in Jensen Beach, Florida. Big time sandy soil here.
Thanks for joining us Chuck!
Compost works in some climates on some soils, but is an expensive ongoing proposition. Some of the most fertile soils on earth is so because of mineral composition. Garden stores love repeat sales of compost
Compost can get expensive on a large-scale. That's for sure.
@@LazyDogFarm : in city, even though on smaller scale, compost is very expensive, as sold by the bag. i went thru the journey of making large volumes of compost for ten years, and see no difference between that heavily compost amended soil and soil underneath lawn that i fertilize. it was an expensive and work intensive excercise, considering purchase of shredder etc.
is cover cropping in fact better than shoving loads of dead organic matter into soil?
Great topic for a video Travis. I think it is very interesting to see the differences in all of your plots. When I lived in Raleigh we had hard pack clay that was just about impossible to grow stuff in, and that is why I did container gardening. I did notice that the soil under my lawn, over time, built a nice darker organic layer that stretched down about 8-10 inches. I would top dress my yard twice a year with compost and I used organic fertilizers that helped build that healthy layer. We have clay up here at the lake too, but I’m bringing in a LOT of compost this Spring to get my soil in shape. Looking forward to see your soil analysis results!!
That compost definitely helps!
This was a good comparison. Now you just need to mix the soils between dream plot 1 and the 2 sandy plots in the back. Making all 3 better. 😀 ( if only it was that easy.)
Right! If only it was that easy ...
I've never done a soil sample in the garden, but every two years in the fields they were done.. around a 100 acres of sweet potatoes, 10 acres of sweet corn, 5 acres of cabbage and usually 1 of acre of yellow squash when there was a market for it, I've done my share of soil samples, here in Louisiana where we live it's usually missing lime!! ✌
That's a bunch of sweet taters!
@@LazyDogFarm yep a bunch of work also, it's a very labor intensive crop, especially at planting and harvesting time!!! ✌
Pond? did I here you say, you have a pond? I don't believe we have ever seen a pond. Keeping secrets? Good video, always good to see the progress one has made over years of diligent work. There is hope for all of us. Looking forward to the results.
It's not our pond. But there is a pond behind our property.
That was a really cool video! Very interesting to see the differences after different applications to the plots. I have hard clay so I spread about 6 or 8 inches of woodchips 3 years ago and last year made 30" beds by putting 6" of compost on top of the woodchips. Yields were ok last year. Hope this year will be better. I plan to dig and see how well the woodchips broke down. There were so many earthworms last year.
Good that you have plenty of earthworms. Might need to supplement some nitrogen with all those wood chips.
On my new property the dirt is Sand clay and what I call cement it has been a challenge I have one garden I did as a no-till things are still growing a little slow and as you said the dirt is not going to turn into good soil overnight. It was very interesting seeing the difference between the plots and just how far the compost has seeped into the dirt it kind of gives you an ideal how long it will take to have good soil. It will be interesting to here the info on the samples
It's definitely a multi-year project.
what kind of pine. i know any big tree can roots into a garden bed. how far? im not such, but have experienced it, 30 ft or more. I collect conifers
Mostly Loblolly pine around here.
@@LazyDogFarm thank you
I enjoyed your soil comparisons.
Were are you sending your samples for testing?
We use Logan labs in Ohio.
Check out the book The Intelligent Gardener by Steve Solomon. It's a Great introduction to soil agronomy.
John S.
The University of Georgia does ours here.
Travis is mushroom compost good for my garden. Or should I avoid it here in Pickens South Carolina. I thought about using it for growing watermelon what is your advice. Thanks
Mushroom compost is good stuff!
Thank you Travis. When it comes to gardening you are the man!
Thanks for doing this video. I figured that heavy composting and cover crops was gonna be the only way to fix my beach sand soil but I was hoping for a quick fix lol. A lot of old timers tell me I have to put lime in my soil but I was nervous about it. My father in law did when we first moved here but only had moderate success and I was afraid it may do more harm than good. Everything is a fairly delicate balance. However I've composted my first ground plot this year and will cover crop it next fall. Hopefully it gets better every year
You only need to add lime if your pH is too low. Don't add lime before soil testing. It's really easy to raise pH with lime, but really tough to lower pH if you get it too high by adding too much lime.
Can you let me know which video you did the drip tape. I looked through the videos but I couldn't find it
Not sure. We'll be talking more about drip tape as we use it for our spring plantings though.
The history of your land and your family is truly amazing. I don't know how the garden is doing that I first started in FL. But, again they were all raised beds as I am currently gardening in NM. I did however receive my 3rd GreenStalk this week. I'm super excited. I was thinking about testing my soil this year but I don't think so. Just trying to decide what I really have space for. Our elephant garlic is up just waiting on the other garlic.
Those Greenstalks are a great way to grow your own food until your soil gets better!
Great video! Interesting to see the differences from one plot to the next! We've got pretty good topsoil, with a lot of clay in it. Like you said, it's productive without a lot of nutrient inputs. But, it's challenging to work in. Early season, it holds too much moisture. Later season, it's not too bad now that I'm using drip irrigation. Also, I've been adding carbon and planting cover crops. Even though it's a bit early to tell for sure, it seems that that combination has been helping. I'm planning to start adding pelleted gypsum to open up the soil a bit. From what I've read, that will take a few successive treatment years to have much effect, but should help. I'm not doing "no-till", but I am trying to do "minimal tilling", as too much tends to keep the clay blended in, and seems to promote compaction.
There's definitely a fine line on how much tilling can be destructive. I've seen folks around here over-till sandy soils to the point where they were just a powder and wouldn't hold nutrients well at all.
So it seems like you already have "the best of both worlds:" clay & compost. Instead of spending so much on more compost and fertilizers, why not _MIX_ they two soil types? I assume (danger, danger) that you have a tractor. So for nothing more than a little fuel & time, you could make both the front and the back "Dream Gardens."
I don't have a tractor, so that might be kind of tough.
@@LazyDogFarm Oh! Yeah, I moved about two dump trucks of NC red clay by shovel & wheelbarrow last summer. Terracing an extreme sloped back yard will be nice... But I blew out my elbow and had three doctor visits! Next time I'll rent some power tools.
You have put a lot of work into the 11 plots. I know you show some of the work in your videos. & Your harvest shows off the hard work too .I'm in Middle Tn, I have brown clay. When its wet its almost black, & very slick.When i moved here 25+ years ago... If you got off the gravel driveway after a rain, you needed four wheel drive to get back out. When its dry, (August/September) concrete has nothing on it. Because were out away from any big cities, there's no place to get compost reasonably. So I use Bag Compost, & peat moss to help loosen up the soil as I'm planting. Compost & most bag soils are sold seasonally here locally. Bag soil has just started being available here close...
That stinks that you don't have a good compost source nearby. You should try a cover crop of tillage radish if you haven't already. That really helps too.
Good soil study and excellent presentation. Looking forward to the soil test for the plot with Alfalfa pellets. How's the Aswad Eggplant seedlings coming along??
Seedlings are looking good! Just stepped up a few of them yesterday.
Great video Travis! Very interesting. Some questions: which wheel hoe would you buy for being able to use on potatoes, corn, peas and beans. I need versatility in with of rows. Suggestions would be helpful!
I'd go with the double wheel hoe.
I remembered when my grandma would set the phone on the window seal .it rang she ran from the feald to answer it .we'd holler run grandma
Lol!
Have you looked into biochar? I'm considering working some of that in my soil.
I've not used it, but am aware of it. Supposedly it forms a nutrient sponge in the soil. Might need to give it a try one of these years.
I have clay soil and have been adding compost for the last 7 years when I can. I really have a problem keeping moisture in the soil in dry seasons. Do you have a well? I do not. I have city water and have a 250 gallon rain water tank I have seen your watering systems and wonder how you get your water to your garden. Do you have under ground pipes to your garden? I really enjoy your videos and advice.
We do have a well. We just move a water hose from plot to plot to water each.
I really enjoy your comparisons and experiments in the Garden. I'm including Alfalfa pellets this year. Are you going to try wood chips at some point too?
Not planning on try wood chips ever. If I do any mulching, it's usually with straw.
Interesting but did you see digging into earthworms? Our garden in the PNW usually has a lot of earthworm activities this time of the year. You cannot dig that deep without seeing at least one or two.
Didn't see any earthworms. We see a few here and there, but not a ton of them in the garden plots.
Very interested in hearing about your soil sample(s) results. Travis, my first and only time I saw Georgia Red Clay was at Ft. Gordon ! I was at the Army Signal School (1968) and had a few training sessions in the field. Thanks for the video, take care from Southern, N.H. ps We have about 11 inches of new snow on the ground, and temperature was 8 degrees at 5 am.
Ouch! Hope that snow melts soon for y'all!
Just tickling a little soil, no big deal.
Tickling is half way to first base. lol
have you tried to give the tool a twist before pulling out the plugs or does that break up the plug?
That does help some.
Great topic great comparison hope the soil gets tickled lol. Just curious if you’ve grown peanuts before or are considering it.
Tried last year but didn't get very good germination. Gonna try again this year.
Thanks for the info, much appreciated. I'm gardening in the app. mountains, which is beautiful... but I've literally got boulders in my soil. Would you haul in several inches of compost and grow over the soil in this case? Really appreciate the info again; it's been incalculably helpful. God bless
How big of a garden do you want? Boulders as in rock? If your not wanting a huge garden I would build raised beds. Otherwise you might need to have top soil brought in. I built raised beds just because I didn't like all the bending over in my ground level garden. They are only 12" tall but make a huge difference. You can see them on my channel.
@@kansasgardener5844 Thank you very much. I should have added I don't have any machines, so I'm tryin to clear boulders with a broadfork and a rock rake... I think I'll take you advice, I appreciate it! God bless
@@4corander Your welcome. If your thinking raised beds I really like these and plan on using them myself.
th-cam.com/video/YtnArAl617k/w-d-xo.html
Yeah...we have all of the clay you're not using...
And you can keep it! lol
Sad to say, I'd need a t-post hammer to get that in my ground 🤣🤣😂🤣
When I was in college, I worked at a golf course and cut the holes many days. I've had a little practice. lol
I feel your pain. I'm on caliche hardpan and need about two dozen whacks of the driver to get a t-post a foot into the ground. Raised beds and containers for me.
This guy lol