Sweet potatoes are looking good along with the entire garden . Moving to a place where we will finally have a yard and can't wait to try the Back To Eden method of gardening . Can't bend and pull weeds like I once did so this method of gardening may be just what we need . The abundance of veggies and berries in your garden are amazing . I have been following your garden for a few years now and oh I hope it works for us . Thank you and Mr . Hilder for the video's . Blessings , Linda
Love seeing you two working together so wonderfully! Both of you have lot's to praise about. Your work brings forth fruit. A marvelous recovery from your accident and the rough winter and spring. Pioneers in your own right. Love it!
Hi again.I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Before there were wood chips, I was a young lad (60+ years ago) working with my Grandfather on his 16 acres of which 1/4 acre was vegetables, maybe six to eight of apples and pears and grapes. The rest was either for the pigeons or managed forest.But no wood chips. Instead we had 250 homing pigeons and with good manure, rotted straw, spoiled apples etc., unused parts of the garden harvest, a LOT of leaves etc. and built a compost pile that was normally 40 to 50 cubic yards. Put the straw and pigeon manure and rotted straw on the beds in the very early spring, add several hundred pounds of lime and turn it over with a garden fork. After Grandpa's 25 or 30 years of working the beds and treating the handles of all the tools with linseed oil twice a year -- no glove and a very easy job. And, oh, did that dirt smell good!Now the compost pile was very effective. We had a skunk try to get into the pigeon coops. Grandpa took his .22lr rifle, shot it in the head and I buried it in the compost pile -- deep in the compost pile. Four months later we dug into the pile and only found a bit of the tail.You should look at the TH-cam videos from the Swedish Homestead. Simeon follows the same man you do, but he has a few twists. On 60 acres are three families and seven young children and a lot of animals Simeon experiments with. This was a failed farm and Simeon, his wife, four children, his parents and his brother, wife and three children live there. The family emigrated from Germany to get out of the cities and form a life style for their families. Simeon believes the future of the farm is "poop"!They have electrical fences on four sides of the main property that is tillable. Here's the key: His Scottish highland cows are controlled in one area (think of a rectangle with a line across it so you have a small rectangle as part of the bigger). The controlled area has enough grass, weeds, flowers, vines etc. for the cows for one day. Then they are moved to another part of the field into another controlled area. The cows are followed by the pigs who root through the dried "meadow muffins" and add their own. The pigs are followed by chickens who are very good at removing the bugs and the pasture is built up.Forty acres of forest are worked for lumber, firewood and wood chips. The wood chips are first composted along with the straw from the winter and just spread on the ground. Yup, that is where the garden goes.The unique thing about Simeon is that he is polylingual (German, Swedish and English), attended farming school for three years and Bible school as well. Besides farming, he is a part time pastor and like you is not afraid of sharing his faith. His explanation of the Gospel is about as clear as it gets. And he spends, as you do, a lot of time explaining what he is doing and why. When it doesn't work, he tells you why.A variation on a theme! His beds use wood chips from his forest and elsewhere and he never has to weed or water. I do that with my flower beds which, I hope, will eventually take over all the grass and contain some herbs and vegetables. I mulch the beds twice a year -- 2" of triple shredded wood chips in the spring and another 1" in the fall. It will take five years to really get the beds in shape since I live on the side of an old rock quarry. I'm really tired of using a pick axe to plant an annual and a back hoe to plant a tree!Again, bless you for your videos. It's not off the grid that is important; it's knowing our Savior and living the life he has planned for us.John
Starry - how can I thank you? I planted a 12 foot row of beets and tonight I harvested 1/2 of the row and after figuring it out what my beets would have cost in the store, I ended up with $76.00 worth of beets plus all the greens! And I still have a half a row to harvest in a week or two. Wow! Wood chips and straw - that makes the difference. We have mega sized night crawlers too. My double 12' row of Blue Lake green beans is amazing - last week put up 6 qts and 2 pints. Tonight I picked enough for 3 more quarts. We have just under 60 Roma and San Marzano Tomatoes plants and they are LOADED. Going to make Marinara, Spaghetti Sauce, Chili, Ketchup and diced tomatoes. If I can't keep up with the canning, I plan on sharing with the neighbors! Many thanks!
I learn the hard way last year about back seeds. Now I pre spout my seeds in the house. I put the seeds in wet papertowel, then place them in a plastic bag. It takes about a week. You know which seeds are good and which ones are bad. Take care.
While you are in the hospital I'm supporting your channel by watching these older videos.. wish I had known you back in these days.. these are great videos..
my hubby said my plot looks like a jungle with all the veg growing. so I'll say thank you for the help :-) next year will be better.my beetroot are ready to pickle and I have put my second load of carrots and onions in Happy Days
W mr. Hilder you did a great job saving the back to Eden Garden!!! It is amazing that after the mud slide… That you were able to save the garden. I am so glad for y'all. Love y'all have a blessed day
I enjoyed you garden tour! It gives me hope! I have a lot of life in the soil! It was lawn before. I have layered a number of things like leaves, wood chips, etc. I am eight months into my back to Eden Garden. It has been hit and miss. Very few of my seeds came up several times. I think the birds ate them. All of my garlic and onions disppeared. Shallots left alone. ( Unless the onions are tiny!). I planted bulbs. I won't give up. My tomato's are taking off. Will work on the rest and blessings to all. Perhaps I didn't plant enough in the dirt. Don't give up, be encouraged!
Starry it's so beautiful. I remember when you had the flood and you didn't even know if you would have a garden this year and look at it! It must be very rewarding for you and Mr. H to see the fruits of your labor.
Looking good. I love back to eden gardening. Where I live we mulch with leaves. It helps with holding the water in and cooling our ground. I'm glad to see your washed out area is fixed. You can't even tell it was washed out. Hope to see more of your garden shows.
I'm doing BTE in NE Georgia. My soil was bare subsoil, covered in gravel, and previously used as a parking area (for 17 years)I obtained my wood chips free from the city works department. Granted, much of these wood chips were already partially decomposed. I hadn't expected much for a first year garden. Thus far I am fairly pleased. I have had some issues with slugs and pill bugs, but I have always had that problem regardless of the method. The only place I have ever had termites is in my large pots of potatoes. I am hopeful for the future of this garden. It can work for some of us in the south. Your garden I inspires Starry, God Bless you both.
THANKS for sharing..i did a vidoe whil ein Georgia showcasing that red hard clay...and notied in the woods the awesome duff! Im glad this method is working well for you!
It's what u plant them in u have got the ground so enriched ur plants can't help it doing what they should God bless can't wait for the potatoe video love ya
Your garden looks amazing. Never heard of this style of gardening but It looks great. I've been practicing permaculture for years and they sound similar. Looking forward to watching more on this gardening.
Good morning Starry! You may not need to rote crops because there is no depletion, but I rotate, just to keep the bugs from going nuts in the same spot. Not sure if that's an issue at your place or not. Love you Girl!
Starry this is my first year at Back to Eden gardening using newspapers & card board in the walking space underneath gets dry, and lifts the cardboard and everything was eaten by earwigs... I'm crying even telling you, here it is July 6 and I don't have a garden at all.. I watch you day by day, over & over HELP! ALSO a problem with slugs and black ants, I'm just south of you in Utah
My back to Eden garden is going crazy. I planted a small garden for my granddaughter, a non back to Eden garden, it is going so slow. So I have to be in so wood chips for her garden. Good experiment.
Looks great...our BTE garden has been struggling in Georgia. Soooo much Rain!!! And a very unseasonably cool early and late Spring. So Crazy! Our Swiss Chard, beets, carrots, lettuces and eggplant are doing well. Battling with tomatoes, peppers and of all things squash. Lots of slugs... :( and fungus.
I am in zone 9b, Southern California desert. I have been doing BTE for 4 years and love it. But I will tell anyone in my zone, you DO have to water in our area. We get less than 14" of rain per year and our summers are triple digits and very dry heat. I water less than a quarter of what I used to before BTE, but I do water.
Your garden looks great! I wish mine would produce more. It's tiny compared to yours in a suburban area. This year's problems have been 1) deer; I've discovered Milorganite fertilizer for the backyard that has keeps the deer away. 2) Japanese beetles; Everyday I have to manually go over my garden and get them to jump into a jar of water where they drown. 3) Now I think it's raccoons that eat all of my green tomatoes. I'm going to try ammonia soaked rags near the tomato plants first to see if that works. If it's not one thing, it's something else.
I've tried Back to Eden and The Ruth Stout method of hay/straw as a covering and I had far superior results with Ruth Stout. I'm in East Tennessee zone6/7. Patara doesn't live far from me and she has great success with Back to Eden. I think people should try both ways and see what works best for you! This is how I make my living(market gardening/plant nursery)so I'm obviously looking for what is giving me the best production. I spread out hay in rows, add a thin layer of forest soil and goat manure and I'm ready to plant. No watering and no weeding! I hope everybody has a successful growing season and a great 4th of July!!
I think that method you spoke of is a great alternative. The BTE method doesnt work in all regions..Deep south hoemstead said they dont use it in their garden becasueof the termits!! YIKEs..but they use it around the fruit trees. We have used straw to in the garden and layers chicken manures..i thinks its all about layering and allowing nature to BUILD the soil...:) thanks for sharing!!
I agree 100%! Layering is the key! I'm a permaculture guy! No pesticides--No chemical fertilizers--Let nature do the rest!! I hope Mr Hilder is doing well! It's amazing how painful a busted nose can be!! It was a funny video though!lol May you both be blessed!!
Hi Pamela! Ruth Stout was a lady who began gardening around the time of the Great Depression. It's a method very similar to Paul Gautschi except you use hay or straw instead of woodchips. Potatoes are very simple! Start with bare ground(no tilling) Lay your potatoes on the ground and cover with 8-10 inches of straw. Add a very light sprinkling of your source of nitrogen fertilizer(manures, blood meal etc) and you're done! When the greens poke through--cover with more straw and repeat this process throughout the growing season. When you're ready to harvest, just pick through the straw and you have nice, clean potatoes. If you want to keep a permanent potato patch, just leave some potatoes at the end of the season and they'll resprout in the spring. I planted potatoes 4 years ago and they've been reproducing ever since! I raise fainting goats so that's why I use goat manure. Use whatever manure you have available in your area. If it's a "hot manure" make sure you don't use it fresh.
+ Jerry Snelling Paul Gautschi says that his method is "no differenrt" from Ruth Stout's. It is just that she had access to plenty of free spoiled hay, whereas Paul has access to vast quantities of free woodchips. He advises to use whatever organic matter you have available around you. People always forget that Ruth Stout began gardening on good farmland, and that for 13 years, she was having this plot ploughed up every spring, and using lots of chemical fertilisers, lime, pesticides etc, as well as manure and thick layers of hay mulch over the winter, which all went back into the soil at ploughing time. Then one spring she was unable to get the tractor guy to plough her garden, so that is when and why she began pulling the old mulch aside and sowing her seeds in a narrow trench in the soil beneath, then pulling the mulch back up to them when the plants were well established. So her soil was fertile before she went there, then she added lots of chemicals for 13 years, and only after that, when there was a huge amount of added fertility already in her soil, did she begin her "no-work mulch gardening" technique. Merely piling dry straw on top of poor soil is not going to give the spectacular results that Ruth Stout achieved! Not even if you do as she advised, and use spoiled hay which has begun to decompose. Horses for courses. Climate, slope, altitude, aspect, rainfall, drainage, pH, organic matter content, mineral levels, so many things are critical factors in gardening. Even Ruth Stout admitted this. What worked for her would not necessarily work in the Arizona desert. At least not until after several years of piling on thick layers of organic mulch, and adding as much water as needed (even though Ruth did not water after her plants after they were established).
+Pamela Remme When potatoes have lots of leaves but no tubers, they may be high in nitrogen, but deficient in phosphorus and potassium. "Nitrogen for shoots Phosphorus for roots Potassium for fruits" Or ... you may just be pulling them up way too soon! The green tops need to die down completely before harvesting. Then all the nutrients in the stalks and leaves has been diverted and stored in the tubers, which is what we eat. The bigger the tops, the bigger the harvest should be.
You really inspire me… I know if you made it through the things you did when you had your accident. I am sure that God could help me with my drain. I appreciate you so much. I shared my dream with you in the other message. I'm praying about it. Please agree to pray with me about it. Or at least I won prayer. I know that are you won't remember to get up and pray about me every day. LOL
I haven't thought about composting the wood chips. That's a good idea. I'm not sure if they'd be drawn to it. I haven't gotten any wood chips yet because of possible termites. Maybe others that live in the south could let me know if they've had issues.
Toward my back fence i share with the neighbors is bad they won't edge or mow, so I thought I would put cardboard underneath to get rid of weeds & make the soil good, maybe more soft for next year, but yes I do have soil (clay), should I remove the cardboard? I've started removing the newspaper and my dirt underneath is in hard dirt knots, I put around first for my tomatoes, zucchini, peppers & cucumbers, also the newspaper drys and lifts ...I go outside at night with a flashlight and my turnips, kale & Swiss chard everything just crawls with earwigs till they were eaten away
I don't know if you will get this since I am replying in 2018- but I get lots of earwigs. Other than chickens running free in the garden, the best solution for earwigs is to put a tablespoon of soy sauce in a shallow container, like an individual frozen food serving tray, then add an inch or so of water. Pour enough cooking oil on top(I stir mine to spread over as much as possible) and place out in the garden where stray cats or dogs can't get into, the soy sauce attracts them and the oil locks them in place so they drown in the water. I bless the gardener who passed this tip to me! It traps hundreds of earwigs before needing replacement. If you decide on chickens, use Bantys since they are less likely to eat the plants. Also, since you probably live in a dry area, you need to water your cardboard frequently(and newspaper) I hope this helps. You might have to shake off earwigs from the paper stuff.
What?? The south doesn't use the wood chip method garden. (?)I live in south Florida and the soil here NEEDS amendments - the wood chip are the Greatest solution. No termites in mine. And if they show up I will use diatomaceous earth- with the high-heat and and "other challenging gardenering environmental aspects this method is the answer. So please look into southerners. We have tree crews all around that dump residential- so far - so good.
Thank you for this video, good information! How do you water your garden, do you have water hoses in the ground, to keep the dirt moist? And do you weed a lot? Interesting to see that you can grow sweet potatoes and peppers on your land. I will try that too. I am planning my garden in south facing terraces, and a small greenhouse, but keen to know what you do. I am afraid it will burn in the sun, and the dirt dry out.
Hubby says we need to try the high intensity in the ground. We would llike to know what we should be aiming for because we are getting mote than the neighbours, not nearly what you your goals.
you need to plan according to your space and how many mouths you need to feed...we do a lot of succession planting to sso we can eat thru out the summer..then we also have the long term crops...go online and do some research o n cahrts and how much produce an average person needs..per sq feet there is so much
We are like Danny and Wanda, can't do the back to Eden Garden because of termites. And fire ants.. So I am going to try and use another idea, I am going to apply seaweed on top of the ground.. and compost, which I have to put together, first weather, then family, and now family again, but might make my son help me put it together..lol Because my soil is so sandy, and have no value only to grow weeds....But I will win.. I have no choice, hubby won't move, so this is it..
Garden looks Great!!! Can tell God is in The Garden You just took the words out of my mouth!!! You can't do the back to Eden Garden in Termite States??
I think thats a good question for Deep South Homestead..one bit of advice i would say is ARE you wetting yuor pile of wood chips as it ages...See the wood chips are like your compost pile..it needs moisture..prehaps the woodchips in the south are attracting the termites because its not composting enough .needs to be watered.....not sure???
Starry Hilder Off Grid Homestead I've started this year in large pots I use every year.. I am wanting to go to the ground next year... I put Organic store bought wood chips on top of the large containers this year... Yes I'm keeping them moist.. I asked the question as I have a old Shed out back that has contracted Termites.. We have caught them and according to the Pest control they have them under control and going for the food they are offering them as to not go for our brand new fence... Being in the City I've always used large containers to do my garden... Since listening to you this year, I've wanted to start the back to eden garden next year... Bring disabled and having such a fight with bugs and you name it this year... I wanted to make it easier with less work so I have to not use any products.. Even if they do say Organic to combat the ants etc. out of my garden !!! It has been a horrible year for the bugs!! I've been keeping them moist although... I'm wondering if Keeping the wood chips moist is bad for the plants getting to much water??? My containers drain very well... I figured I would put the wood chips down this year to help the soil moist then they could start breaking down in the dirt this year.. Also wanted the wood chips to help with watering this year... Any insight would be helpful..God Bless you and Mr. Hilder take care 💕Shey
I Love your Back to Eden Garden. I'm converting to that to. Its an amazing how well its working. Its hard to get Wood chips in Sweden so I produce my own. Do you got any secret tips to get the garden going like yours other then cover with wood chips?
Awesome for you. YEs make sure you put on decomposed aged chip.s..layer them on at least a good three inches..then you can layer on whatever you have ...we have chickens so we layer on our chicken poop, as you see we also do humaure composting and food scrap composting..we wil layer that on to. NEVEr stop layering as the soil continues to build and grow!!
Have you tried decomposing the woodchips like a compost pile then put it on the garden? Mr H and I were talking about the pile of woodchips..are the termites being drawn to the pile??
Back to Eden doesn't work in the south? I am fascinated by your garden and was working on getting BTE garden for myself. Am I wasting my time Starry...
HAHA funny you should ask..we never ever get any deer.,.they migrate down away from us..BUT this year we have one!! Caught her in the garden not to long ago..so now we have some fencing up and the dogs to bark her way...eventually we need to put u p something better
Story… I want to share something with you and I am sure everyone that I Candace think that I'm crazy. I'm wondering what your opinion is. I have told you before I'm legally blind… Also I am 54-year-old single woman… I live in an apartment… But I want to be independent… Next year I think I will financially be able… Next year I think maybe I will be able to get a house financially. Maybe a small house with a little land kind of out in the country. I don't know it might be hard for me since I can't drive and stuff. But I want to be more self-sufficient… I want to be able to do a garden and have chickens and eggs. The back to Eden Garden I think would be my only option on being able to have a garden. I know that it would be difficult… But I think I could possibly do it. I don't want to depend on the government. I live in government housing right now. But I think that I am this is something I can do. At least it is a dream of mine. Do you think I'm crazy??? LOL
Starry don't you need to be sure to not plant Plants that will cross pollinate? My sister learned that the hard way when she came up with squash crossed with cucumbers It was a frankin food LOL!
nice Garden but nothing exceptional but the other Garden you're looking at was probably planning a lot later you don't know you don't have a clue about that okay nice Garden
funny you should mention that because we paddle this lake alot and i showed it cause basically they had ther stuff in when we did plus they are south from us and have a little better weather..:)
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 84 วันนี้!! คู่เอก "ก้องศึก vs เมืองไทย"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3kuzsAIDf1c/mqdefault.jpg)
Sweet potatoes are looking good along with the entire garden . Moving to a place where we will finally have a yard and can't wait to try the Back To Eden method of gardening . Can't bend and pull weeds like I once did so this method of gardening may be just what we need . The abundance of veggies and berries in your garden are amazing . I have been following your garden for a few years now and oh I hope it works for us . Thank you and Mr . Hilder for the video's . Blessings , Linda
✨Thank you !" Mr.Hillder,.for saving the back to eden garden !" It's sooo,beautiful !" 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Tours are so much fun, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your great garden with us.
Your welcome!!! Happy Fourth
!!
Love seeing you two working together so wonderfully! Both of you have lot's to praise about. Your work brings forth fruit. A marvelous recovery from your accident and the rough winter and spring. Pioneers in your own right. Love it!
Hi again.I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Before there were wood chips, I was a young lad (60+ years ago) working with my Grandfather on his 16 acres of which 1/4 acre was vegetables, maybe six to eight of apples and pears and grapes. The rest was either for the pigeons or managed forest.But no wood chips. Instead we had 250 homing pigeons and with good manure, rotted straw, spoiled apples etc., unused parts of the garden harvest, a LOT of leaves etc. and built a compost pile that was normally 40 to 50 cubic yards. Put the straw and pigeon manure and rotted straw on the beds in the very early spring, add several hundred pounds of lime and turn it over with a garden fork. After Grandpa's 25 or 30 years of working the beds and treating the handles of all the tools with linseed oil twice a year -- no glove and a very easy job. And, oh, did that dirt smell good!Now the compost pile was very effective. We had a skunk try to get into the pigeon coops. Grandpa took his .22lr rifle, shot it in the head and I buried it in the compost pile -- deep in the compost pile. Four months later we dug into the pile and only found a bit of the tail.You should look at the TH-cam videos from the Swedish Homestead. Simeon follows the same man you do, but he has a few twists. On 60 acres are three families and seven young children and a lot of animals Simeon experiments with. This was a failed farm and Simeon, his wife, four children, his parents and his brother, wife and three children live there. The family emigrated from Germany to get out of the cities and form a life style for their families. Simeon believes the future of the farm is "poop"!They have electrical fences on four sides of the main property that is tillable. Here's the key: His Scottish highland cows are controlled in one area (think of a rectangle with a line across it so you have a small rectangle as part of the bigger). The controlled area has enough grass, weeds, flowers, vines etc. for the cows for one day. Then they are moved to another part of the field into another controlled area. The cows are followed by the pigs who root through the dried "meadow muffins" and add their own. The pigs are followed by chickens who are very good at removing the bugs and the pasture is built up.Forty acres of forest are worked for lumber, firewood and wood chips. The wood chips are first composted along with the straw from the winter and just spread on the ground. Yup, that is where the garden goes.The unique thing about Simeon is that he is polylingual (German, Swedish and English), attended farming school for three years and Bible school as well. Besides farming, he is a part time pastor and like you is not afraid of sharing his faith. His explanation of the Gospel is about as clear as it gets. And he spends, as you do, a lot of time explaining what he is doing and why. When it doesn't work, he tells you why.A variation on a theme! His beds use wood chips from his forest and elsewhere and he never has to weed or water. I do that with my flower beds which, I hope, will eventually take over all the grass and contain some herbs and vegetables. I mulch the beds twice a year -- 2" of triple shredded wood chips in the spring and another 1" in the fall. It will take five years to really get the beds in shape since I live on the side of an old rock quarry. I'm really tired of using a pick axe to plant an annual and a back hoe to plant a tree!Again, bless you for your videos. It's not off the grid that is important; it's knowing our Savior and living the life he has planned for us.John
Starry - how can I thank you? I planted a 12 foot row of beets and tonight I harvested 1/2 of the row and after figuring it out what my beets would have cost in the store, I ended up with $76.00 worth of beets plus all the greens! And I still have a half a row to harvest in a week or two. Wow! Wood chips and straw - that makes the difference. We have mega sized night crawlers too. My double 12' row of Blue Lake green beans is amazing - last week put up 6 qts and 2 pints. Tonight I picked enough for 3 more quarts. We have just under 60 Roma and San Marzano Tomatoes plants and they are LOADED. Going to make Marinara, Spaghetti Sauce, Chili, Ketchup and diced tomatoes. If I can't keep up with the canning, I plan on sharing with the neighbors! Many thanks!
I learn the hard way last year about back seeds. Now I pre spout my seeds in the house. I put the seeds in wet papertowel, then place them in a plastic bag. It takes about a week. You know which seeds are good and which ones are bad. Take care.
While you are in the hospital I'm supporting your channel by watching these older videos.. wish I had known you back in these days.. these are great videos..
We are all IMPRESS and Proud of your fantastic Back to Eden Organic Garden. You have showed us how easy & fun this can be too..Bravo..and THANK YOU.
Bless you!!! All gardens are fully blessed and endorSed by GOD:))) HaPPY FOURTH YOU GUYS!!!
my hubby said my plot looks like a jungle with all the veg growing. so I'll say thank you for the help :-) next year will be better.my beetroot are ready to pickle and I have put my second load of carrots and onions in Happy Days
W mr. Hilder you did a great job saving the back to Eden Garden!!! It is amazing that after the mud slide… That you were able to save the garden. I am so glad for y'all. Love y'all have a blessed day
I enjoyed you garden tour! It gives me hope! I have a lot of life in the soil! It was lawn before. I have layered a number of things like leaves, wood chips, etc. I am eight months into my back to Eden Garden. It has been hit and miss. Very few of my seeds came up several times. I think the birds ate them. All of my garlic and onions disppeared. Shallots left alone. ( Unless the onions are tiny!). I planted bulbs. I won't give up. My tomato's are taking off. Will work on the rest and blessings to all. Perhaps I didn't plant enough in the dirt. Don't give up, be encouraged!
Starry it's so beautiful. I remember when you had the flood and you didn't even know if you would have a garden this year and look at it! It must be very rewarding for you and Mr. H to see the fruits of your labor.
Looking good. I love back to eden gardening. Where I live we mulch with leaves. It helps with holding the water in and cooling our ground. I'm glad to see your washed out area is fixed. You can't even tell it was washed out. Hope to see more of your garden shows.
Great tour! I enjoy seeing your gardens and appreciate all the information you both share with your viewers. Thank you!
You guys are so blessed to have access to wood chips! This Townie Girl can't even get a response from landscaping companies!
I'm doing BTE in NE Georgia. My soil was bare subsoil, covered in gravel, and previously used as a parking area (for 17 years)I obtained my wood chips free from the city works department. Granted, much of these wood chips were already partially decomposed. I hadn't expected much for a first year garden. Thus far I am fairly pleased. I have had some issues with slugs and pill bugs, but I have always had that problem regardless of the method. The only place I have ever had termites is in my large pots of potatoes. I am hopeful for the future of this garden. It can work for some of us in the south. Your garden I inspires Starry, God Bless you both.
THANKS for sharing..i did a vidoe whil ein Georgia showcasing that red hard clay...and notied in the woods the awesome duff! Im glad this method is working well for you!
All of your plants look so healthy!
Thank you for the encouragement Starry. The weather has our garden just not thriving as usual.
Finally!! Yayyyyyy!!! :-) what a great video....everything is looking awesome...back on track! :-)
It's what u plant them in u have got the ground so enriched ur plants can't help it doing what they should God bless can't wait for the potatoe video love ya
Oh yes those awful termites here in Tennessee. Love your thoughtful scripture verse today . Huge hugs have a beautiful blessed day.
Your garden looks amazing. Never heard of this style of gardening but It looks great. I've been practicing permaculture for years and they sound similar. Looking forward to watching more on this gardening.
I just love your videos :) They make me smile every time I watch them. Thank you....
thank you so much!!! I appreciate the feedback!
I agree the life in the soil is the most important part of any garden
Good morning Starry! You may not need to rote crops because there is no depletion, but I rotate, just to keep the bugs from going nuts in the same spot. Not sure if that's an issue at your place or not. Love you Girl!
Garden looks great, Starry.
Starry this is my first year at Back to Eden gardening using newspapers & card board in the walking space underneath gets dry, and lifts the cardboard and everything was eaten by earwigs... I'm crying even telling you, here it is July 6 and I don't have a garden at all.. I watch you day by day, over & over HELP! ALSO a problem with slugs and black ants, I'm just south of you in Utah
ok you need to elborate...you say your walking on cardboard why is that? Do you not have any soil??? Im a little confused
My back to Eden garden is going crazy. I planted a small garden for my granddaughter, a non back to Eden garden, it is going so slow. So I have to be in so wood chips for her garden. Good experiment.
Looks great...our BTE garden has been struggling in Georgia. Soooo much Rain!!! And a very unseasonably cool early and late Spring. So Crazy! Our Swiss Chard, beets, carrots, lettuces and eggplant are doing well. Battling with tomatoes, peppers and of all things squash. Lots of slugs... :( and fungus.
Amen amen thank you for sharing this is awesome video promoting back to eating guarding I love it
God bless
I am in zone 9b, Southern California desert. I have been doing BTE for 4 years and love it. But I will tell anyone in my zone, you DO have to water in our area. We get less than 14" of rain per year and our summers are triple digits and very dry heat. I water less than a quarter of what I used to before BTE, but I do water.
Your garden looks great! I wish mine would produce more. It's tiny compared to yours in a suburban area. This year's problems have been 1) deer; I've discovered Milorganite fertilizer for the backyard that has keeps the deer away. 2) Japanese beetles; Everyday I have to manually go over my garden and get them to jump into a jar of water where they drown. 3) Now I think it's raccoons that eat all of my green tomatoes. I'm going to try ammonia soaked rags near the tomato plants first to see if that works. If it's not one thing, it's something else.
Your garden looks fantastic!
Good video. I like all the back and forth in the comments sections. Good community conversations.
Thats what its all about!!
Awesome garden update Starry! :)
Looks great, I can't wait to try the BTE garden, thanks for sharing.
Bam! Sock! Pow! Biff! Zing! Holy Guacamole Batman that's one nice garden!
Drum roll rat a tat tat good job you guys... awesome work and video
I love your videos ,they're amazing!
I've tried Back to Eden and The Ruth Stout method of hay/straw as a covering and I had far superior results with Ruth Stout. I'm in East Tennessee zone6/7. Patara doesn't live far from me and she has great success with Back to Eden. I think people should try both ways and see what works best for you! This is how I make my living(market gardening/plant nursery)so I'm obviously looking for what is giving me the best production. I spread out hay in rows, add a thin layer of forest soil and goat manure and I'm ready to plant. No watering and no weeding! I hope everybody has a successful growing season and a great 4th of July!!
I think that method you spoke of is a great alternative. The BTE method doesnt work in all regions..Deep south hoemstead said they dont use it in their garden becasueof the termits!! YIKEs..but they use it around the fruit trees. We have used straw to in the garden and layers chicken manures..i thinks its all about layering and allowing nature to BUILD the soil...:) thanks for sharing!!
I agree 100%! Layering is the key! I'm a permaculture guy! No pesticides--No chemical fertilizers--Let nature do the rest!! I hope Mr Hilder is doing well! It's amazing how painful a busted nose can be!! It was a funny video though!lol May you both be blessed!!
Hi Pamela! Ruth Stout was a lady who began gardening around the time of the Great Depression. It's a method very similar to Paul Gautschi except you use hay or straw instead of woodchips. Potatoes are very simple! Start with bare ground(no tilling) Lay your potatoes on the ground and cover with 8-10 inches of straw. Add a very light sprinkling of your source of nitrogen fertilizer(manures, blood meal etc) and you're done! When the greens poke through--cover with more straw and repeat this process throughout the growing season. When you're ready to harvest, just pick through the straw and you have nice, clean potatoes. If you want to keep a permanent potato patch, just leave some potatoes at the end of the season and they'll resprout in the spring. I planted potatoes 4 years ago and they've been reproducing ever since! I raise fainting goats so that's why I use goat manure. Use whatever manure you have available in your area. If it's a "hot manure" make sure you don't use it fresh.
+ Jerry Snelling
Paul Gautschi says that his method is "no differenrt" from Ruth Stout's. It is just that she had access to plenty of free spoiled hay, whereas Paul has access to vast quantities of free woodchips. He advises to use whatever organic matter you have available around you.
People always forget that Ruth Stout began gardening on good farmland, and that for 13 years, she was having this plot ploughed up every spring, and using lots of chemical fertilisers, lime, pesticides etc, as well as manure and thick layers of hay mulch over the winter, which all went back into the soil at ploughing time.
Then one spring she was unable to get the tractor guy to plough her garden, so that is when and why she began pulling the old mulch aside and sowing her seeds in a narrow trench in the soil beneath, then pulling the mulch back up to them when the plants were well established.
So her soil was fertile before she went there, then she added lots of chemicals for 13 years, and only after that, when there was a huge amount of added fertility already in her soil, did she begin her "no-work mulch gardening" technique.
Merely piling dry straw on top of poor soil is not going to give the spectacular results that Ruth Stout achieved! Not even if you do as she advised, and use spoiled hay which has begun to decompose.
Horses for courses. Climate, slope, altitude, aspect, rainfall, drainage, pH, organic matter content, mineral levels, so many things are critical factors in gardening. Even Ruth Stout admitted this.
What worked for her would not necessarily work in the Arizona desert. At least not until after several years of piling on thick layers of organic mulch, and adding as much water as needed (even though Ruth did not water after her plants after they were established).
+Pamela Remme
When potatoes have lots of leaves but no tubers, they may be high in nitrogen, but deficient in phosphorus and potassium.
"Nitrogen for shoots
Phosphorus for roots
Potassium for fruits"
Or ... you may just be pulling them up way too soon! The green tops need to die down completely before harvesting. Then all the nutrients in the stalks and leaves has been diverted and stored in the tubers, which is what we eat. The bigger the tops, the bigger the harvest should be.
God has truly blessed you.
Mr. Hilder got a 6 pack and muscles! Back to eden garden has been good for his body!!!! Garden looks great and so does mr. Hilder!!!!
Beautiful garden🍓🌽🌶
I can't wait to get my garden to BTE. I did it with one garden and it's doing great. my other not so much
Starry.your garden is so ....lush. I am in an. Apt. And plant use the verticle planting method you showed on a previous video. 😍😍😍 you inspired me!
So awesome..im biting at the bit to filll up my containers again for t his years vertical garden..i have three now!!
That is a beautiful garden
I'm trying the back to eden, I am stepping up on the work and will get that soil refurbished.
Awesome garden! Happy 4th July! God bless you.
You really inspire me… I know if you made it through the things you did when you had your accident. I am sure that God could help me with my drain. I appreciate you so much. I shared my dream with you in the other message. I'm praying about it. Please agree to pray with me about it. Or at least I won prayer. I know that are you won't remember to get up and pray about me every day. LOL
I started an eden garden after I see you videos, it is coming pretty good. I will upload a video this week. thanx for the awesome tips!!!!
I haven't thought about composting the wood chips. That's a good idea. I'm not sure if they'd be drawn to it. I haven't gotten any wood chips yet because of possible termites. Maybe others that live in the south could let me know if they've had issues.
Thank you very much !! Your videos are so inspiring!!!
HAPPY 4th, Your garden is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Blessings Paul & Susan North Georgia
Bless you both!!!
"The proof is in the pudding"....AMEN! :)
WHY do people keep misquoting this proverb??!!
The proof of WHAT?
Well Ruby, in this case, the subject matter spoken of here by Starry.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY and a day to CELEBRATE LIBERTY to the Hilders. Thank you for all your thoughts.
Beautiful bountiful garden! Love it! Happy 4th to both of you ! :)
happy fourth..enjoy our freedom to GARDEN!
Toward my back fence i share with the neighbors is bad they won't edge or mow, so I thought I would put cardboard underneath to get rid of weeds & make the soil good, maybe more soft for next year, but yes I do have soil (clay), should I remove the cardboard? I've started removing the newspaper and my dirt underneath is in hard dirt knots, I put around first for my tomatoes, zucchini, peppers & cucumbers, also the newspaper drys and lifts ...I go outside at night with a flashlight and my turnips, kale & Swiss chard everything just crawls with earwigs till they were eaten away
I don't know if you will get this since I am replying in 2018- but I get lots of earwigs. Other than chickens running free in the garden, the best solution for earwigs is to put a tablespoon of soy sauce in a shallow container, like an individual frozen food serving tray, then add an inch or so of water. Pour enough cooking oil on top(I stir mine to spread over as much as possible) and place out in the garden where stray cats or dogs can't get into, the soy sauce attracts them and the oil locks them in place so they drown in the water. I bless the gardener who passed this tip to me! It traps hundreds of earwigs before needing replacement. If you decide on chickens, use Bantys since they are less likely to eat the plants. Also, since you probably live in a dry area, you need to water your cardboard frequently(and newspaper) I hope this helps. You might have to shake off earwigs from the paper stuff.
What?? The south doesn't use the wood chip method garden. (?)I live in south Florida and the soil here NEEDS amendments - the wood chip are the Greatest solution. No termites in mine. And if they show up I will use diatomaceous earth- with the high-heat and and "other challenging gardenering environmental aspects this method is the answer. So please look into southerners. We have tree crews all around that dump residential- so far - so good.
Thanks Starry!
Thank you for this video, good information! How do you water your garden, do you have water hoses in the ground, to keep the dirt moist? And do you weed a lot? Interesting to see that you can grow sweet potatoes and peppers on your land. I will try that too. I am planning my garden in south facing terraces, and a small greenhouse, but keen to know what you do. I am afraid it will burn in the sun, and the dirt dry out.
Love your videos.
Keep em coming Starry & Mr Hilder. God makes all things possible!!!!
Hubby says we need to try the high intensity in the ground. We would llike to know what we should be aiming for because we are getting mote than the neighbours, not nearly what you your goals.
you need to plan according to your space and how many mouths you need to feed...we do a lot of succession planting to sso we can eat thru out the summer..then we also have the long term crops...go online and do some research o n cahrts and how much produce an average person needs..per sq feet there is so much
We are like Danny and Wanda, can't do the back to Eden Garden because of termites. And fire ants.. So I am going to try and use another idea, I am going to apply seaweed on top of the ground.. and compost, which I have to put together, first weather, then family, and now family again, but might make my son help me put it together..lol Because my soil is so sandy, and have no value only to grow weeds....But I will win.. I have no choice, hubby won't move, so this is it..
I am in OK. Been using kelp and compost and it works great in this soil. Either sandy or clay here
what about brown and green leaves chopped up and spread about?
I wonder if the top row didn't germinate because the water drains to the bottom beds. The top bed may be much drier.
Starry, what about squash borer that overwinter in the soil? Do you rotate squash?
No rotating the squash,,,no issues:)))
Maybe weather conditions difficult in SE Virginia..
Starry. Can you do a back to eden garden - from scratch (grass!) video?
Happy fouth of July I hope you and mr. Hilder have an awesome one
you to darling...love ya!!!
You are my heroin~~~~!!!! I love your gardens :D
Loved the tour! Happy 4th of July to my American neighbors!!
Garden looks Great!!! Can tell God is in The Garden You just took the words out of my mouth!!!
You can't do the back to Eden Garden in Termite States??
I think thats a good question for Deep South Homestead..one bit of advice i would say is ARE you wetting yuor pile of wood chips as it ages...See the wood chips are like your compost pile..it needs moisture..prehaps the woodchips in the south are attracting the termites because its not composting enough .needs to be watered.....not sure???
Starry Hilder Off Grid Homestead I've started this year in large pots I use every year..
I am wanting to go to the ground next year...
I put Organic store bought wood chips on top of the large containers this year...
Yes I'm keeping them moist..
I asked the question as I have a old Shed out back that has contracted Termites..
We have caught them and according to the Pest control they have them under control and going for the food they are offering them as to not go for our brand new fence...
Being in the City I've always used large containers to do my garden...
Since listening to you this year, I've wanted to start the back to eden garden next year...
Bring disabled and having such a fight with bugs and you name it this year...
I wanted to make it easier with less work so I have to not use any products..
Even if they do say Organic to combat the ants etc. out of my garden !!! It has been a horrible year for the bugs!!
I've been keeping them moist although... I'm wondering if Keeping the wood chips moist is bad for the plants getting to much water???
My containers drain very well...
I figured I would put the wood chips down this year to help the soil moist then they could start breaking down in the dirt this year..
Also wanted the wood chips to help with watering this year...
Any insight would be helpful..God Bless you and Mr. Hilder take care 💕Shey
I Love your Back to Eden Garden. I'm converting to that to. Its an amazing how well its working. Its hard to get Wood chips in Sweden so I produce my own. Do you got any secret tips to get the garden going like yours other then cover with wood chips?
Awesome for you. YEs make sure you put on decomposed aged chip.s..layer them on at least a good three inches..then you can layer on whatever you have ...we have chickens so we layer on our chicken poop, as you see we also do humaure composting and food scrap composting..we wil layer that on to. NEVEr stop layering as the soil continues to build and grow!!
Starry Hilder Off Grid Homestead Great tips. Thanks Starry!
I wanted a home stead long time ago but was working long hours lol
God bless, what a wonderful full garden!
I live in the south where we have termites. What can I use? I'm thinking about using a mulch of leaves. Any thoughts?
straw or leaves, maybe?
Have you tried decomposing the woodchips like a compost pile then put it on the garden? Mr H and I were talking about the pile of woodchips..are the termites being drawn to the pile??
Back to Eden doesn't work in the south? I am fascinated by your garden and was working on getting BTE garden for myself. Am I wasting my time Starry...
I live in southern Tennessee,USA and we do have termites. Are wood chips a good idea down here?
Do you get any deer invasions? And would you have any suggestions on my garden?
HAHA funny you should ask..we never ever get any deer.,.they migrate down away from us..BUT this year we have one!! Caught her in the garden not to long ago..so now we have some fencing up and the dogs to bark her way...eventually we need to put u p something better
Will y'all adopt me lol. Need a 28 year old woman child and a 6 yr old grandson?! we can be put to work in that garden of yours ASAP
Story… I want to share something with you and I am sure everyone that I Candace think that I'm crazy. I'm wondering what your opinion is. I have told you before I'm legally blind… Also I am 54-year-old single woman… I live in an apartment… But I want to be independent… Next year I think I will financially be able… Next year I think maybe I will be able to get a house financially. Maybe a small house with a little land kind of out in the country. I don't know it might be hard for me since I can't drive and stuff. But I want to be more self-sufficient… I want to be able to do a garden and have chickens and eggs. The back to Eden Garden I think would be my only option on being able to have a garden. I know that it would be difficult… But I think I could possibly do it. I don't want to depend on the government. I live in government housing right now. But I think that I am this is something I can do. At least it is a dream of mine. Do you think I'm crazy??? LOL
Gonna get real girly here and request a video on your dreds momma lol hair can be off grid too. Ex. Dreds
dam looks so good your garden , so do you plant this much every summer
thank you..it gets better EVERY year with no work!! Amazing!!
Please get a camera mount and show us the area where you bike. This will get you more subs! Thanks!
hahaha i wish i could get a camera for my helmet or bike but they are a little out of my budget..got any ideas??
The garden is beautiful!
I wish I could do this but on the coast of n.c. And the bugs are just way to bad.
Where do you get your woodchips?
Happy July 4th Everyone.
YOU TO!! ENjoy our Independence!!!
I'm looking for some land right now to start off grid in klamath falls oregon maybe
I live over by Portland, love it here so much !!! :0)
Starry don't you need to be sure to not plant Plants that will cross pollinate? My sister learned that the hard way when she came up with squash crossed with cucumbers It was a frankin food LOL!
Haha well if I get a cross tomatopotatoe...i wil let you know:)
LOL! Sorry I had ti edit So many typos so little white out! LOLagain!
So what I am hearing is if you may have ternimate problems this is not the method for you?
How often do you mulch...every year?
Once your established we just add it when available...we have such a stockpile..we refreshen about every year..a nice new coating every spring
Starry Hilder Off Grid Homestead Thank you
Using God's ideas works!
Starry, I tried your Amazon links and it seems none of them work, Amazon lost the page I Guess.
oh thanks i will fix that
fixed:)))
can't wait for my soil to transform...!! #TeamBackToEden
if not because of the possible termite issue, I would have certainly convert my back yard into this! termite!!!!
nice Garden but nothing exceptional but the other Garden you're looking at was probably planning a lot later you don't know you don't have a clue about that okay nice Garden
funny you should mention that because we paddle this lake alot and i showed it cause basically they had ther stuff in when we did plus they are south from us and have a little better weather..:)
Frank Trump don't know how Starry can be so full of Grace with your comments.
beautiful
yep, summer has come to Idaho, ;-) Happy 4th everyone!
Did you say you are Canadian?
Haha could be with our Northern Wisconsin accent...
I see!