Very good idea if he agrees. What you learn will help you through the rest of your life. Don't get discouraged if things go wrong - that is valuable experience. Keep notes on what you do and how things go. Very annoying when last year you had a massive crop and this year you can't remember what you did to get that crop!
I think that's a great idea. Write a list of the plant's that you want to grow then do research on the Internet on each one of those plants before you plant them. O and don't forget to do some research on how to prepare your soil this video was a good start for you in your research. Good luck it should be lots of fun. Maybe your grandpa knows a lot about gardens, It will be lots of fun getting grandpa'll involved.
with a really big garden, you could also look into chickens - there´s always a market for fresh, organic eggs, just ask around your neighborhood to gauge interest
Excellent info video with great video editing. I’ve been binge watching other grower around the world, but their videos can get a little boring, because they use just one stationary camera angle or just a iPhone as they walk around the garden. Yours is much more professionally made with different camera angles and your monologue clearly well thought out before released. Thanks so much for making quality videos!
This video stands out among thousands of others because it addresses an issue which strikes fear in every gardener’s heart - what to do if we don’t have compost. Thank you!
I had to suffer that this year - and my garden was suffering for it. My compost finally became ready mid summer. And now I'll have enough to put on it this fall.
I have been distracted for the past couple of years, focusing on my husbands heath as he had to retire because of heart issues. When I last saw you ... you were a cute kid with a lot of knowledge on gardening... you must have been eating your own homegrown super foods... because .... BOY HOWDY !!!!! This 70 year old grandma did not expect to see such dramatic changes in your body, your face, your voice... and your continued love for this activity!!!!! You have grown into quite a striking young man with a bright future before you!!! May you continue to bless all of us with more amazing videos for decades to come (and should I be around long enough to see this come about!)
@@kenzysanderson1081 Lol you can say someone grew up to be handsome without being attracted TO them...🙄😒 So I take it parents who call their children handsome or beautiful are attracted to them as well??? 🤦
Something nobody has mentioned is that human urine is a great source of easily absorbed nitrogen for the garden. If you notice your plants getting a bit yellow, dilute some pee at a 1:10 ratio, and use it to water the plants. This also works great as the nitrogen needed to break down a large quantity of "browns," such as a leaf pile. (By the way, unless you have an active bladder infection, urine is completely sterile and safe.)
Who dislike a video about growing own food in just 34 minutes since upload? Did Huw broke your heart or something? If don't like just don't watch. 🤦♂️
I've read that coffee grounds add caffeine to the ground which deters growth and that you should put them in your compost rather than straight round the plants. What do you think? I have blueberry bushes so was interested in this comment. Thank you! Great video, by the way!
@@rebeccamcnutt5142 Coffee *grounds* are not acidic. *Coffee* is acidic. Once coffee is made with water, the acidic component is in the fluid. The flushed & drained grounds remain almost as perfectly neutral as water. Coffee grounds pH is 6.8 & Water pH is 7. ref Morag Gamble - Masters Degree in Environmental Education (Hons) from Griffith Uni. You may find her YT channel & her blog 'Our Permaculture Life' helpful, she's extremely knowledgeable.
Thabks again. I garden for over 25+yrs and from every single vid I watched of you sofar (older or recent) I've learned something. How cool is that? Also, both of your books have arrived and I am so happy with them. So much good stuff 🤗💚
I gather loose seaweed, dry it on the grass... then cut the grass and add it to my compost bin. I love comfrey and nettle liquid manure too. Thanks for sharing.
@Amy Sternheim Thanks Amy, yes stinging nettles... I sautè the young leaves with equal amounts of spinach, JUST for a minute or so... then I add yoghurt and a good amount of nutmeg.... food from the Gods. I also include many 'weeds' in my salads. Gods pantry and pharmacy... it's all good if you know how. x
@Amy Sternheim I love it, have been wondering what to do with this tall stinging nettle that I accidentally grew in my yard. I've been stung twice and had bad bad reactions so I've afraid to go near it and wanted to dig it out and add to compost. I'd rather eat that thing, it's taller than I am lol.
@@soniag4516 As Moira said, you only eat the young leaves not once it is tall. They only sting if you brush against them, if you hold a leaf firmly it doesn't sting at all, hence the saying "Grasp the nettle" for taking control of a situation. If you are near nettles, locate some dock which grows in very similar places and they are very often together, and if you do get stung rub it firmly with crushed dock leaf. Tall nettle stems can be retted for fine quality fibre in the same way as flax is for linen fibres.
When I first started gardening I had no idea just how much compost was needed to keep the plants happy... older and wiser, but still having to learn new ways of compost management. Thanks Huw for another excellent video.
Glad to see you using grass clippings, despite the U.K. climate. Here I would recommend applying 2-3 times a week to slowly form a 2 inch layer that is dry and won’t go anaerobic. I don’t have much slug damage, especially if I plant larger seedlings. It is almost like the slug send up eating the grass clippings
If used in the correct way then it should absoluetly be taken advantage of is the resource is available locally! I may trail your method of application though, sounds really great :)
@@alisefulton4902 I do. It can be a problem if don't constantly put more and more mulch. That way weeds don't get a time to establish themselves. Dandelions have not been a serious problem for me, ground ivy has. The plants love the mulch thought.
I’m in the SE, I’ve literally only had to mow the lawn twice since May 😐... usually it’s once a week, strange as we’ve had rain but sure miss being able to use them
In my limited space, I have been using grow bags to make compost. This is also doable for apartment with balcony. I did add "compost starter" to the mix to initiate composting, this seems to work fine. You can also move the bags to warmer areas to speed up the fermentation.
I normally cut my firewood in the same spot. So by the end of the firewood winter cutting season, I have a huge pile of chainsaw sawdust, leaves, wood chips and various other tree parts. I like watching your channel keep going you are doing a great job! :)
Doing similar tricks myself. As a gardener who moves a lot, I have to take my soil with me and use whatever I can to stretch it. Haven't bought compost etc in minimum three years. Between making it, replacements, and utilizing native soil. Example: my new house had lettuce growing in my front yard. When transplanting the wild lettuce, I kept the root ball undamaged in a huge clump of native clay castings. Added benefit: almost no transplant shock!
Wood ash is highly alkaline, and won't be liked by most soft fruit (which prefer lower pH). It can also cause problems if applied too abundantly, especially in no-dig systems.
Green manure and green manure mixes of legumes and annual grass,usually a grain of some sort is a great way to build soil even some large scale farmers are using them (plenty of videos on here about farmers using them just seach green manures) one farmer i watched was interviewed and couldn't get access to compost/manure for some reason and relied on them on there own and had great results.the legume or mix of legumes pull nitrogen from the air and put them into the nodules of there roots so when you cut it back after 4-6weeks of growth the nitrogen is release into the soil when the roots begin to decompose and the annual grass/grain as a source of carbon to builds organic matter levels.even in a permaculture situation you can grow legume trees that do that same and or perennial clumping grasses and use either as a mulch for long term fertility :)
Richard, hi! Is it possible to dissolve the coffee and the ashes in water and water the plants with that? I would not have your young back so to spread plant by plant...
I've learned a great way to deal with that. First, make your compost bin the same size and shape you want your next garden box - this works with any size raised bed. Second, start to fill with kitchen scraps, garden waste, whatever organic material. Third, when it's near full top off with whatever soil you can get (including commercial compost - that works fine) to an inch or more, and plant. No more moving compost around! And in winter (based on one autumn/fall experience so far) the breakdown underneath helps warm the roots I guess. I'm getting great results with this so far. Those big chunks, whole fruits and so on? Forget them, you'll never see them again!
Yep! That's it. Mother nature will turn it into compost. Maybe not as fast as we want, but it will happen. Either case if compost aesthetic is important. One can always sifter it to an appropriate size/looks. Hardware cloth is perfect to make a quick sieve! Whatever is not "finished", go back to the pile. ;-) That method works perfectly, have been doing similar for quite awhile. My 2 cents. During Winter time cover it with a black plastic membrane. Next Spring when it comes time to plant. Everything is perfectly composted and clean of weeds! ;-)
I love your channel. I was hooked with your peas in a gutter! I love peas so much but found it difficult here in Ky to plant the seeds early enough to germinate properly but before the hot weather sets in. This was genius! Plus, you’re Welsh... and my father’s family came from there. I love your videos, and very proud of how knowledgeable you are from such a young age. Good job buddy!!
Thanks for that. Very useful! My husband bought me your latest book for my birthday - am loving it! I like your no frills approach to growing. Suits the style of this household perfectly...xx
Huw is such a fantastic Gardener, I have learnt so much from him ,such an inspiration, I have his new book its great, he is the next Alan titchmarsh,keep up the good work, well presented thanks Huw.
Last year in a tomato grow bag I cut the stems off the old plants before the winter leaving the roots in the grow bag (mostly because I'm lazy!) This year I couldn't get any compost so had to reuse as much as I could. I mixed a load of slow release fertilizer pellets into the old grow bags and planted the tomatoes in the used compost and we had our best tomato harvest ever this year. I'm not sure if the old rotted roots helped in the bag but I suspect it's more because I took my garden allot more seriously this year, watering and pruning them better to prevent disease. Now that the growing year is up I've decided scrap grow bags and removed the floor in my greenhouse and I've dumped all of the old and new compost (which I eventually managed to get) directly on the soil so next year my plants should have more freedom for root development and access to normal soil (natural nutrients that I haven't had to pay for), I'm just hoping no creeping weeds managed to get under the greenhouse frame. I have heard allot of people say that grow bags are a very expensive way to grow things. The beds I've made with the compost from them are at least 6 inches deep from top to soil when firmed up (walked on) so it definitely takes allot more compost for grow bags. I'm also hoping that they'll be allot more secure with water supply as in the heat of summer a grow bag can dry out within a day.
Wow! I wish our compost was that cheap! It costs me (with delivery) $600 US for 7yards. Too much! Im still trying to make it, though. Im not giving up. Thank you for these videos!
Great video with lots of possibilities.... I have an issue though wich I have not figured out how to handle yet... my lot is a huge piece of rock and i mean it, I barely have 3-5 in of top soil in most of the area. The bright side is that it slopes downward some and I can possibly build raised beds with the loose rocks around or with wood boards. We also live in a southern latitude and out summers are LONG and very hot averaging 39-40 °C... what can I possibly grow in this environment and for a newby, can I begin with purchased compost while I build myself a compost area? Thanks again for your time and willingness to share your tips.
I always make a "witches brew" with nettles, comfrey and the hard parts of manure from cow and chickens. I put it in a 200 litres barrel and fill up with water. Smells like *** but it does its job!
From what I've read by soil microbiologist it's actually a good thing to have soil almost alkaline. The mycelium that grows on the roots of various plants is what is actually responsible for creating the perfect pH, meaning the mycelium can either make it more acidic or more alkaline...within reason anyway. I had assumed I couldn't grow strawberries because my soil is a solid 7, but then I watched a lecture about the mycelium, so I started growing mycelium using fall leaves, just left them in a black garbage bag to break down after mositening them and adding air holes. It was full of mycelium, a huge colony and wonderful leaf mould around the following spring or summer. So when I planted strawberry roots, I tested it and added mycelium and broken down leaves and wood at the bottom of the hole and around the bare root. I'll be damned if it wasn't rhe only one that survived and is still alive.
Thanks so much, Huw, for mentioning our garden and the latest issue of Permaculture Magazine with its great cover! Great video as usual. Keep inspiring us!
You guys do a great job! Lovely to see you featured on this video. Permaculture is so important and it's good to see it becoming ever more popular and mainstream. Hats off to the Harlands! 👏👏💐💐💐👏👏
I would suggest checking with your local recycling center for free compost as well. I'm sure other countries will have this too but, at least in Denmark I know you can get free compost in spring, some places year round even. You do need to pick it up yourself but, it's an amazing service that helped me a lot on the first year gardening. Not only that but, you're free to pick up garden waste too, in case you're starting in a totally empty plot and have no brown material for to compost.
The bio char is best composted to make it alive B4 going to garden. In the least, after application, water in a T of molasses per gallon of water to start the biology. Your compost tea brew would work too. There are lots of ways to garden well, and I usually think your methods are right on ... Just my opinion this time.
I love this video! I'm just starting garden beds this year, and I have little waste to work with as far as composting goes, so these are excellent suggestions. I have a question, though: In the clip with the collaborators who use comfrey as a compost, how do they control it? I live in the US, and I worry about comfrey's potential aggressive growth, as I've heard that even small pieces of root will sprout new plants (so pulling them isn't a good idea, much like vetch). Are raised beds enough to contain comfrey? I don't need the farmers who basically surround me to get angry with me for growing it.
I started using food safe storage tubs for making compost. You can get them in several different sizes up to 50 gallons, and they have lids so that keeps the smell down. I have a few holes in the lids to let in rain and oxygen. Since I live in a neighborhood, I can't have a large outside pile. Having a few tubs in the back yard is working great for me and the neighbors can't complain.
Very good informative video! There are 0 Compost vendors around me. I have had to make my own composts and amend the soil with organic matter and organic fertilizer. Another method is adding manure and letting it balance it out then planting on it 30 to 45 days later.
I never have bare ground in my raised beds. They are always covered with compost, grass clippings, leaves, Comfrey leaves, or some other mulch. The mulch not only helps conserve moisture, but it feeds the soil food web beneath it. I not only use coffee grounds on the gardens, but I add it to the compost. Starbucks has lots of free coffee grounds that otherwise would go into the landfill.
@@HuwRichards Have you read the Jeff Lowenfels books "Teaming with Microbes", "Teaming with Nutrients", and "Teaming with Fungi"? Though I have been an organic gardener for 60 years or so, these books were a game changer for me.
I have comfrey at my house and it is terribly invasive. At one point it took over all of my raised beds making them unusable. Now I have the comrey totally covered with black plastic and that is weighed down in an effort to eradicate it.
I usually mix 50% old compost 50% fresh compost - it worksgreat. I have been doind this sinde 2014 (always lacking compost over here ... I try to get all sorts of greens from wherever I can get them)
Finally this problem has been described. Thank you! All the wonderful videos about permaculture and no dig and compost are soooo frustrating because of low amount of compost! Huw! Thanks a lot 💚💚💚💚💚
Great helpful video! Thank you! I saw some other video stating that one should put lots of grass between the plants otherwise it is no use. I don't have lots of grass clippings. I like your video better. 🙂 Happy gardening! 🌱
I’ve been buying potting mix to get started. I also have been mulching with pea straw and dumping my horses poo on top of the mulch. I’ve been planting out cabbages, leeks, yams and lettuces into this area. I’m delighted how moist, fluffy and full of worms this part of the garden is. So I will be doing this to start the beds in my new main veg garden.
l always look out for yr channel, lv learnt so much fr them, thank you.We decided to grow veg every available space so bought 14 x 15 Lt containers January but have v little spare soil so experimenting with 'lasangna' method ie containers layered with 2" garden soil +2"shredded paper + 2"green leaves( dandelions fr walks)+ 2" hm compost then 2" kitchen veg waste. Repeat till pot is full & last layer garden soil. So far my lettuce ,spring onions, raddish, spinach even garlic are growing well. Will be trying tomato plants & dwarf beans same way to see if works. Salads we hope will be harvested before the soil breaks down into compost & lowers in the containers. Do you think it will work ?
Another darling video, unfortunately ( as is the problem for many of us ) i don't have the room for a compost bin so liquid feed is my only option. It's a great option if space is at a premium!
v useful, thanks. So I used shop bought multipurpose compost in my containers. Do I still need to mulch or add liquid feed over the next few months? Thanks.
I enjoy you books and videos, I live in North Carolina, USA. With little adjustments for the growing zone I live in, the information I gang from reading and watch has been very useful to me.
Another question, yet: I got the wrong grass clippings and wool chips, they are not free from chemicals! Should I dump them or is there a way cleaning them? should I burn them?
What chemicals? Some chemicals are fine - water itself is a chemical. Others not great but break down into safe by products. Others need processing to safely treat.
Excellent video Huw. Your knowledge is greatly appreciated. I got my copy of grow food for free last week. I LOVE IT! Thank you and keep the videos coming. Your subscriber from the US.😊👩🏽🌾🌻🍠🥕🥬
What's the best compost to sow seeds? beginner. Last year I tried and used some compost and all the seeds did not grow at all. The compost was very dark looking. Sorry, just have no idea at all.
hi delia when you first start out it's fine to buy potting mix! that way the mix is right for starting seeds in. keep learning as you go and soon you'll have beautiful plants 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱
The problem I had was insufficient brown to mix with green material (I cut two other lawns). Fixed that with my old, heavy duty office shredder & an unlimited supply of corrugated cardboard boxes. Mixed 2:1 by volume grass to cardboard makes a great compost when everything else is mixed in. Over 100kg of cardboard went into my two 1m² bays last year, which produced enough compost for a 5cm layer on seven beds, each 1.2mx3.5m.
Compost is one of those 24-7 jobs. One should be adding to their compost pile throughout the year. What is "too thick"? I haven't found mulching with meadow clippings to have any effect on slug pressure.
@@HuwRichards that is possible. Our slugs try to find something hard to hide under during the day and come out on top of everything to eat at night. Grass clippings won't give them that hard cover.
Ask Huw, and others that have good experience in the field. You have a lot of potential if you start young, well done for even being intrested in gardening, even though it's not a common trend in youths in the world's society. Do anything that works for you, make memories and not dreams! Keep Going! Vaughn Barker
I started using ash and coffee grounds combination after watching your video. I recently learned that ash contain heavy metals and are not recommended for kitchen gardens (in Denmark). Can you please reference a source if it's safe to use? 😊 Thank you 😊
honestly that really depends on the ash. if you are burning treated pine, or painted wood or old furniture, there could be any amount of contaminants in it. if you are burning only trees limbs, it will be safer. only you know your ash.
@@Liloldliz Even natural wood contains concentration of heavy metals in amounts that are deemed a health risk if used in kitchen gardens (at least in Denmark).
L Harrington Do not use coal ash on your garden (smokeless or traditional housecoal). Coal ash contains traces of heavy metals, arsenic and all sorts of nasty stuff. If you don't want to put in in landfill you can spread it on paths, but personally I wouldn't even do that, I don't want it leeching into the local waterways plus it's messy stuff.
My chicken manure pile smells like spoiled. I think cause of the recent rains and no turning. What can I do? Is it lost already? It's a 2 years pile. Thanks for your videos. Relly helped me. As always
@Gallina Humana - Hi, I noticed nobody answered, so I thought I'd tell you what little I know. The ratio of chicken manure to dry carbon litter should be 1/4 chicken manure & 3/4 dry litter for a healthy composting manure pile. The horrible smell is caused when oxygen is no longer present to feed the good bacteria, so the other bacteria is rife. I'd aim to get your manure to carbon ratio back to where it should be by adding loads more browns & in smaller particles, as better for speed. Primarily, the pile desperately needs air inside there; while it stagnates, it breeds unhealthy bacteria & those other chicken poo bacteria (salmonella, E coli, listeria etc) aren't being killed off by the composting process either. So I'd get it seriously turned & do it often to get all those browns distributed through. As the dry browns absorb that moisture, they create a better environment to keep oxygen in the pile, which helps the good bacteria. In a regular mixed compost pile that went sloppy like this, a nitrogen activator can sometimes be needed if the composting process doesn't recommence after this - but I'm not sure how that works with chicken manure, as all my chicken knowledge is from books. Hopefully I've helped in some way.
GREAT VERY INFORMATIVE video thanks! you're spot on! leaves also work well, old straw or other bedding, manure or chicken/rabbitses poop, etc. a big problem with boughtin compost though is you don't know what's in it and how is was actually made, be careful using it fellow gardeners!
Yup, unless you can trust them to have the same level of care as you have. I've found all sorts of stuff in those, even in high-grade commercial compost.
I'm 14 and thinking to start a garden business. My grandfather has a Big Big unused backyard where I could do it. What do you guys think?
I think you should talk to your grandfather about permission & what his terms are for the use of his land. You won't know until you ask. Good luck.
Very good idea if he agrees. What you learn will help you through the rest of your life.
Don't get discouraged if things go wrong - that is valuable experience.
Keep notes on what you do and how things go. Very annoying when last year you had a massive crop and this year you can't remember what you did to get that crop!
I think that's a great idea. Write a list of the plant's that you want to grow then do research on the Internet on each one of those plants before you plant them. O and don't forget to do some research on how to prepare your soil this video was a good start for you in your research. Good luck it should be lots of fun. Maybe your grandpa knows a lot about gardens, It will be lots of fun getting grandpa'll involved.
Try growing food for yourself first and learn to do it well. You can sell any surplus vegetables, of course.
with a really big garden, you could also look into chickens - there´s always a market for fresh, organic eggs, just ask around your neighborhood to gauge interest
Excellent info video with great video editing. I’ve been binge watching other grower around the world, but their videos can get a little boring, because they use just one stationary camera angle or just a iPhone as they walk around the garden. Yours is much more professionally made with different camera angles and your monologue clearly well thought out before released. Thanks so much for making quality videos!
It's my pleasure Sherry! I am glad you enjoy the videos :D
Negative comments about how someone looks? Really. Get a life and get gardening.
Lol I think the beard looks great
a pitty I am a gran... if I would be in my 20s I definetely would try to date Huw!
@@BaerbelBorn whats your number babe
This video stands out among thousands of others because it addresses an issue which strikes fear in every gardener’s heart - what to do if we don’t have compost. Thank you!
Especially with the scary stuff with the pesticides and all in some of it. Janice
I had to suffer that this year - and my garden was suffering for it. My compost finally became ready mid summer. And now I'll have enough to put on it this fall.
I have been distracted for the past couple of years, focusing on my husbands heath as he had to retire because of heart issues. When I last saw you ... you were a cute kid with a lot of knowledge on gardening... you must have been eating your own homegrown super foods... because .... BOY HOWDY !!!!! This 70 year old grandma did not expect to see such dramatic changes in your body, your face, your voice... and your continued love for this activity!!!!! You have grown into quite a striking young man with a bright future before you!!! May you continue to bless all of us with more amazing videos for decades to come (and should I be around long enough to see this come about!)
Yeah we're gonna ignore the_ old lady; saying she's watched him grow up- now shes atracted to him. Still creeping.
@@kenzysanderson1081 Lol you can say someone grew up to be handsome without being attracted TO them...🙄😒
So I take it parents who call their children handsome or beautiful are attracted to them as well??? 🤦
))
@@BelCantoLari yeah I agree, this is super creepy and inappropriate.
Something nobody has mentioned is that human urine is a great source of easily absorbed nitrogen for the garden. If you notice your plants getting a bit yellow, dilute some pee at a 1:10 ratio, and use it to water the plants. This also works great as the nitrogen needed to break down a large quantity of "browns," such as a leaf pile. (By the way, unless you have an active bladder infection, urine is completely sterile and safe.)
It's a bit much tho lmao but I'm sure it works
Ew
@@hadessonofcronus1826i save mine and use it on my compost heap
Love your gentle and honest teachings--thank you for your lovely sharing.
My pleasure Donna :)
8
Who dislike a video about growing own food in just 34 minutes since upload? Did Huw broke your heart or something? If don't like just don't watch. 🤦♂️
You should probably regard such thumbs down as some kind of background noise 😉
Probably couldn’t speak Welsh
Or a miss-click while trying to scroll?
No doubt some halfwit. The type of person who bought all the toilet rolls in the shops!
Thank you Khalim but dislikes are just part of being a TH-camr and I have learned to not let them get me down :)
I dress my blueberry bushes with coffee grounds and it’s very effective.
Oh I know right! We do the same for our blueberries in tubs!
I've read that coffee grounds add caffeine to the ground which deters growth and that you should put them in your compost rather than straight round the plants. What do you think? I have blueberry bushes so was interested in this comment. Thank you! Great video, by the way!
@Amy Sternheim Thanks. I can do that as I have Scots Pines on my land!😃
@@rebeccamcnutt5142 Coffee *grounds* are not acidic. *Coffee* is acidic. Once coffee is made with water, the acidic component is in the fluid. The flushed & drained grounds remain almost as perfectly neutral as water. Coffee grounds pH is 6.8 & Water pH is 7. ref Morag Gamble - Masters Degree in Environmental Education (Hons) from Griffith Uni. You may find her YT channel & her blog 'Our Permaculture Life' helpful, she's extremely knowledgeable.
@@debbiet5130 I always just scatter coffee grounds around y plants and they are happy producers.
Thabks again. I garden for over 25+yrs and from every single vid I watched of you sofar (older or recent) I've learned something. How cool is that? Also, both of your books have arrived and I am so happy with them. So much good stuff 🤗💚
Oh wow that is very kind of you Jess, thank you so much!
I gather loose seaweed, dry it on the grass... then cut the grass and add it to my compost bin. I love comfrey and nettle liquid manure too. Thanks for sharing.
Seaweed is an amazing addition to gardens. Great that you have a source for free. Enjoy!
My pleasure Moria and thanks for watching :)
@Amy Sternheim Thanks Amy, yes stinging nettles... I sautè the young leaves with equal amounts of spinach, JUST for a minute or so... then I add yoghurt and a good amount of nutmeg.... food from the Gods. I also include many 'weeds' in my salads. Gods pantry and pharmacy... it's all good if you know how. x
@Amy Sternheim I love it, have been wondering what to do with this tall stinging nettle that I accidentally grew in my yard. I've been stung twice and had bad bad reactions so I've afraid to go near it and wanted to dig it out and add to compost. I'd rather eat that thing, it's taller than I am lol.
@@soniag4516 As Moira said, you only eat the young leaves not once it is tall. They only sting if you brush against them, if you hold a leaf firmly it doesn't sting at all, hence the saying "Grasp the nettle" for taking control of a situation. If you are near nettles, locate some dock which grows in very similar places and they are very often together, and if you do get stung rub it firmly with crushed dock leaf.
Tall nettle stems can be retted for fine quality fibre in the same way as flax is for linen fibres.
Raid the neighbors when they throw out their leaves and grass clippings? that is free compost!
When I first started gardening I had no idea just how much compost was needed to keep the plants happy... older and wiser, but still having to learn new ways of compost management. Thanks Huw for another excellent video.
Glad to see you using grass clippings, despite the U.K. climate. Here I would recommend applying 2-3 times a week to slowly form a 2 inch layer that is dry and won’t go anaerobic. I don’t have much slug damage, especially if I plant larger seedlings. It is almost like the slug send up eating the grass clippings
If used in the correct way then it should absoluetly be taken advantage of is the resource is available locally! I may trail your method of application though, sounds really great :)
Do you use clippings once the dandelions and other weeds have gone to seed? That just sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.
@@alisefulton4902 I do. It can be a problem if don't constantly put more and more mulch. That way weeds don't get a time to establish themselves. Dandelions have not been a serious problem for me, ground ivy has. The plants love the mulch thought.
I’m in the SE, I’ve literally only had to mow the lawn twice since May 😐... usually it’s once a week, strange as we’ve had rain but sure miss being able to use them
In my limited space, I have been using grow bags to make compost. This is also doable for apartment with balcony. I did add "compost starter" to the mix to initiate composting, this seems to work fine. You can also move the bags to warmer areas to speed up the fermentation.
I normally cut my firewood in the same spot. So by the end of the firewood winter cutting season, I have a huge pile of chainsaw sawdust, leaves, wood chips and various other tree parts. I like watching your channel keep going you are doing a great job! :)
Personally I would avoid chainsaw dust unless it was veg oil.
hello, i have a question ( nice video ) we use coal with wood for fire is it fine to use it ? or it should be only wood ? THANK YOU
Wood ash is much better and worthless to most people
Doing similar tricks myself. As a gardener who moves a lot, I have to take my soil with me and use whatever I can to stretch it. Haven't bought compost etc in minimum three years. Between making it, replacements, and utilizing native soil. Example: my new house had lettuce growing in my front yard. When transplanting the wild lettuce, I kept the root ball undamaged in a huge clump of native clay castings. Added benefit: almost no transplant shock!
That sounds amazing! What a great system you have :)
Could I mix the coffee grpunds in the soil?
Wood ash is highly alkaline, and won't be liked by most soft fruit (which prefer lower pH). It can also cause problems if applied too abundantly, especially in no-dig systems.
Green manure and green manure mixes of legumes and annual grass,usually a grain of some sort is a great way to build soil even some large scale farmers are using them (plenty of videos on here about farmers using them just seach green manures) one farmer i watched was interviewed and couldn't get access to compost/manure for some reason and relied on them on there own and had great results.the legume or mix of legumes pull nitrogen from the air and put them into the nodules of there roots so when you cut it back after 4-6weeks of growth the nitrogen is release into the soil when the roots begin to decompose and the annual grass/grain as a source of carbon to builds organic matter levels.even in a permaculture situation you can grow legume trees that do that same and or perennial clumping grasses and use either as a mulch for long term fertility :)
The biochar is a game changer. I make it myself in a Kontiki from wood from my garden so it is for free.
That's fantastic Alex!
The sludge from thick grass clippings makes excellent fertilizer for plants plus it's a mulch so good to retain water in the drier months.
Richard, hi! Is it possible to dissolve the coffee and the ashes in water and water the plants with that? I would not have your young back so to spread plant by plant...
What type of fencing have you done for your garden and how you prevent it from termite attack...?
What should I do if my compost is decaying at different rates? Parts of it look excellent but then there are visible pieces of whole fruits and veg.
I've learned a great way to deal with that.
First, make your compost bin the same size and shape you want your next garden box - this works with any size raised bed.
Second, start to fill with kitchen scraps, garden waste, whatever organic material.
Third, when it's near full top off with whatever soil you can get (including commercial compost - that works fine) to an inch or more, and plant. No more moving compost around! And in winter (based on one autumn/fall experience so far) the breakdown underneath helps warm the roots I guess. I'm getting great results with this so far.
Those big chunks, whole fruits and so on? Forget them, you'll never see them again!
Yep! That's it. Mother nature will turn it into compost. Maybe not as fast as we want, but it will happen. Either case if compost aesthetic is important. One can always sifter it to an appropriate size/looks. Hardware cloth is perfect to make a quick sieve!
Whatever is not "finished", go back to the pile. ;-)
That method works perfectly, have been doing similar for quite awhile. My 2 cents. During Winter time cover it with a black plastic membrane. Next Spring when it comes time to plant. Everything is perfectly composted and clean of weeds! ;-)
I love your channel. I was hooked with your peas in a gutter! I love peas so much but found it difficult here in Ky to plant the seeds early enough to germinate properly but before the hot weather sets in. This was genius! Plus, you’re Welsh... and my father’s family came from there. I love your videos, and very proud of how knowledgeable you are from such a young age. Good job buddy!!
Thanks for that. Very useful! My husband bought me your latest book for my birthday - am loving it! I like your no frills approach to growing. Suits the style of this household perfectly...xx
Perfect timing dear. I steer away from wood ash because my soil leans alkaline but everything else is very useful at this time.
Huw is such a fantastic Gardener, I have learnt so much from him ,such an inspiration, I have his new book its great, he is the next Alan titchmarsh,keep up the good work, well presented thanks Huw.
Last year in a tomato grow bag I cut the stems off the old plants before the winter leaving the roots in the grow bag (mostly because I'm lazy!) This year I couldn't get any compost so had to reuse as much as I could. I mixed a load of slow release fertilizer pellets into the old grow bags and planted the tomatoes in the used compost and we had our best tomato harvest ever this year.
I'm not sure if the old rotted roots helped in the bag but I suspect it's more because I took my garden allot more seriously this year, watering and pruning them better to prevent disease.
Now that the growing year is up I've decided scrap grow bags and removed the floor in my greenhouse and I've dumped all of the old and new compost (which I eventually managed to get) directly on the soil so next year my plants should have more freedom for root development and access to normal soil (natural nutrients that I haven't had to pay for), I'm just hoping no creeping weeds managed to get under the greenhouse frame.
I have heard allot of people say that grow bags are a very expensive way to grow things. The beds I've made with the compost from them are at least 6 inches deep from top to soil when firmed up (walked on) so it definitely takes allot more compost for grow bags. I'm also hoping that they'll be allot more secure with water supply as in the heat of summer a grow bag can dry out within a day.
Wow! I wish our compost was that cheap! It costs me (with delivery) $600 US for 7yards. Too much! Im still trying to make it, though. Im not giving up. Thank you for these videos!
Great video with lots of possibilities.... I have an issue though wich I have not figured out how to handle yet... my lot is a huge piece of rock and i mean it, I barely have 3-5 in of top soil in most of the area. The bright side is that it slopes downward some and I can possibly build raised beds with the loose rocks around or with wood boards. We also live in a southern latitude and out summers are LONG and very hot averaging 39-40 °C... what can I possibly grow in this environment and for a newby, can I begin with purchased compost while I build myself a compost area?
Thanks again for your time and willingness to share your tips.
hi natty i hope your garden is going well. you can look into "xeroscaping" for areas that you cant cover with mulch or compost
I always make a "witches brew" with nettles, comfrey and the hard parts of manure from cow and chickens. I put it in a 200 litres barrel and fill up with water. Smells like *** but it does its job!
Perfect timing dear. I steer away from wood ash because my soil leans alkaline but everything else is very useful at this time.
From what I've read by soil microbiologist it's actually a good thing to have soil almost alkaline. The mycelium that grows on the roots of various plants is what is actually responsible for creating the perfect pH, meaning the mycelium can either make it more acidic or more alkaline...within reason anyway. I had assumed I couldn't grow strawberries because my soil is a solid 7, but then I watched a lecture about the mycelium, so I started growing mycelium using fall leaves, just left them in a black garbage bag to break down after mositening them and adding air holes. It was full of mycelium, a huge colony and wonderful leaf mould around the following spring or summer. So when I planted strawberry roots, I tested it and added mycelium and broken down leaves and wood at the bottom of the hole and around the bare root. I'll be damned if it wasn't rhe only one that survived and is still alive.
Thanks so much, Huw, for mentioning our garden and the latest issue of Permaculture Magazine with its great cover! Great video as usual. Keep inspiring us!
You guys do a great job! Lovely to see you featured on this video. Permaculture is so important and it's good to see it becoming ever more popular and mainstream. Hats off to the Harlands! 👏👏💐💐💐👏👏
I would suggest checking with your local recycling center for free compost as well. I'm sure other countries will have this too but, at least in Denmark I know you can get free compost in spring, some places year round even. You do need to pick it up yourself but, it's an amazing service that helped me a lot on the first year gardening. Not only that but, you're free to pick up garden waste too, in case you're starting in a totally empty plot and have no brown material for to compost.
The bio char is best composted to make it alive B4 going to garden. In the least, after application, water in a T of molasses per gallon of water to start the biology. Your compost tea brew would work too.
There are lots of ways to garden well, and I usually think your methods are right on ... Just my opinion this time.
Is it ok to use grass clippings for light mulch on vegetables if you had treated your lawn with organic seed and feed product e.g SafeLawn?
I love this video! I'm just starting garden beds this year, and I have little waste to work with as far as composting goes, so these are excellent suggestions. I have a question, though: In the clip with the collaborators who use comfrey as a compost, how do they control it? I live in the US, and I worry about comfrey's potential aggressive growth, as I've heard that even small pieces of root will sprout new plants (so pulling them isn't a good idea, much like vetch). Are raised beds enough to contain comfrey? I don't need the farmers who basically surround me to get angry with me for growing it.
I started using food safe storage tubs for making compost. You can get them in several different sizes up to 50 gallons, and they have lids so that keeps the smell down. I have a few holes in the lids to let in rain and oxygen. Since I live in a neighborhood, I can't have a large outside pile. Having a few tubs in the back yard is working great for me and the neighbors can't complain.
Very good informative video! There are 0 Compost vendors around me. I have had to make my own composts and amend the soil with organic matter and organic fertilizer. Another method is adding manure and letting it balance it out then planting on it 30 to 45 days later.
Thank you so much! We used to just use manure until we had to unfortnately stop keeping cattle :(
How do you turn your compost bins? With those pallets, can you get in there with a pitchfork?
I never have bare ground in my raised beds. They are always covered with compost, grass clippings, leaves, Comfrey leaves, or some other mulch. The mulch not only helps conserve moisture, but it feeds the soil food web beneath it. I not only use coffee grounds on the gardens, but I add it to the compost. Starbucks has lots of free coffee grounds that otherwise would go into the landfill.
Yeah Starbucks is a great place to get free coffee grounds :D
@@HuwRichards Have you read the Jeff Lowenfels books "Teaming with Microbes", "Teaming with Nutrients", and "Teaming with Fungi"? Though I have been an organic gardener for 60 years or so, these books were a game changer for me.
Thanks Huw for great information and helpful solutions. Wishing you and your family well. Stay safe. Peace
Thank you so much Steve!
I have comfrey at my house and it is terribly invasive. At one point it took over all of my raised beds making them unusable. Now I have the comrey totally covered with black plastic and that is weighed down in an effort to eradicate it.
I usually mix 50% old compost 50% fresh compost - it worksgreat. I have been doind this sinde 2014 (always lacking compost over here ... I try to get all sorts of greens from wherever I can get them)
Finally this problem has been described. Thank you! All the wonderful videos about permaculture and no dig and compost are soooo frustrating because of low amount of compost! Huw! Thanks a lot 💚💚💚💚💚
I have bin full of rotted wood chips which now look like soil. How can i use it?
oh great idea, what if I add loose tea leftovers on top of blueberry plants, would it work?
Use no water with Russian Bocking 14 comfrey. The leaves break down on their own to a viscous gunk fast enough.
Great helpful video! Thank you! I saw some other video stating that one should put lots of grass between the plants otherwise it is no use. I don't have lots of grass clippings. I like your video better. 🙂 Happy gardening! 🌱
Hi Richard where are you based in uk want come and see your garden
I’ve been buying potting mix to get started. I also have been mulching with pea straw and dumping my horses poo on top of the mulch. I’ve been planting out cabbages, leeks, yams and lettuces into this area. I’m delighted how moist, fluffy and full of worms this part of the garden is. So I will be doing this to start the beds in my new main veg garden.
Always excellent information. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
l always look out for yr channel, lv learnt so much fr them, thank you.We decided to grow veg every available space so bought 14 x 15 Lt containers January but have v little spare soil so experimenting with 'lasangna' method ie containers layered with 2" garden soil +2"shredded paper + 2"green leaves( dandelions fr walks)+ 2" hm compost then 2" kitchen veg waste. Repeat till pot is full & last layer garden soil. So far my lettuce ,spring onions, raddish, spinach even garlic are growing well. Will be trying tomato plants & dwarf beans same way to see if works. Salads we hope will be harvested before the soil breaks down into compost & lowers in the containers. Do you think it will work ?
Another darling video, unfortunately ( as is the problem for many of us ) i don't have the room for a compost bin so liquid feed is my only option. It's a great option if space is at a premium!
Mummy Grows Best I’ve got a rotary compost bin and it works like a charm. It’s rodent proof so I can add kitchen scraps without worrying.
v useful, thanks. So I used shop bought multipurpose compost in my containers. Do I still need to mulch or add liquid feed over the next few months? Thanks.
Yes.
I love your videos .
I enjoy you books and videos, I live in North Carolina, USA. With little adjustments for the growing zone I live in, the information I gang from reading and watch has been very useful to me.
Another question, yet: I got the wrong grass clippings and wool chips, they are not free from chemicals! Should I dump them or is there a way cleaning them? should I burn them?
What chemicals? Some chemicals are fine - water itself is a chemical. Others not great but break down into safe by products. Others need processing to safely treat.
@@TD-wi1zh I remember my sister used insecticides (not natural one) for ants and termites.
Great ideas, one or two I had nearly forgotten.
Great ideas!!! Will definitely be trying these.
Why do you have a love-hate relationship with liquid feed?
Thank you, you really helping me.
Excellent video Huw. Your knowledge is greatly appreciated. I got my copy of grow food for free last week. I LOVE IT! Thank you and keep the videos coming. Your subscriber from the US.😊👩🏽🌾🌻🍠🥕🥬
What's the best compost to sow seeds? beginner. Last year I tried and used some compost and all the seeds did not grow at all. The compost was very dark looking. Sorry, just have no idea at all.
hi delia when you first start out it's fine to buy potting mix! that way the mix is right for starting seeds in. keep learning as you go and soon you'll have beautiful plants 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱
The problem I had was insufficient brown to mix with green material (I cut two other lawns).
Fixed that with my old, heavy duty office shredder & an unlimited supply of corrugated cardboard boxes. Mixed 2:1 by volume grass to cardboard makes a great compost when everything else is mixed in. Over 100kg of cardboard went into my two 1m² bays last year, which produced enough compost for a 5cm layer on seven beds, each 1.2mx3.5m.
Compost is one of those 24-7 jobs. One should be adding to their compost pile throughout the year.
What is "too thick"? I haven't found mulching with meadow clippings to have any effect on slug pressure.
Slugs are a different beast here in the UK
@@HuwRichards that is possible. Our slugs try to find something hard to hide under during the day and come out on top of everything to eat at night. Grass clippings won't give them that hard cover.
Well done much love xoxox
Thank you so much :)
Me he enamorado!😅
You can also mix one part pee with 10 parts water
I use pine needles and cones and diluted urine.
You are so good at what you do. I just keep watching the next video you recommend. Bravo to you.
Excellent, thank you for the info.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us..
Comfrey liquid has one of the worst smells I have ever encountered!
Annie Hosking not unlike a sewer. Lol
Does it beat nettle liquid lol? Great way to pee off the neighbours lol. Just kidding 😬😅 ... but it stinks bad
Zu viel gerede und zu wenig Aktion, da kann ich mir auch ein Buch kaufen
I really appreciate u. Love the gentle pace of teaching, knowledge, voice, passion, view, EVERYTHING!
Ask Huw, and others that have good experience in the field. You have a lot of potential if you start young, well done for even being intrested in gardening, even though it's not a common trend in youths in the world's society. Do anything that works for you, make memories and not dreams!
Keep Going!
Vaughn Barker
Such wonderful videos. Brilliant, thank you. It's always mindboggling that there are people who actually find a reason to down vote videos like this.
I started using ash and coffee grounds combination after watching your video.
I recently learned that ash contain heavy metals and are not recommended for kitchen gardens (in Denmark).
Can you please reference a source if it's safe to use? 😊 Thank you 😊
honestly that really depends on the ash. if you are burning treated pine, or painted wood or old furniture, there could be any amount of contaminants in it. if you are burning only trees limbs, it will be safer. only you know your ash.
@@Liloldliz Even natural wood contains concentration of heavy metals in amounts that are deemed a health risk if used in kitchen gardens (at least in Denmark).
Great helpful video thanks
Just Received One of your Books "Grow Food For Free" Delivered Today! Quite Excited to be honest.
Thank you for sharing and hello from America
I have a multi fuel stove. It uses seasoned wood and smokeless coal. Is that ok to use with coffee too?
L Harrington Do not use coal ash on your garden (smokeless or traditional housecoal). Coal ash contains traces of heavy metals, arsenic and all sorts of nasty stuff. If you don't want to put in in landfill you can spread it on paths, but personally I wouldn't even do that, I don't want it leeching into the local waterways plus it's messy stuff.
Thanks for the information Huw, who dislikes these videos ? I think they are 10/10
Excellent video Huw! We use coffee grounds that haven't been brewed on our blueberry bush
Thank you! What a waste of coffee though? ;)
@@HuwRichards
Haha yes! Now I'm trying to use leftover brewed coffee to see what that does. I don't like wasting things!
Hi Huw
I have made a lot of liquid fertiliser with comfrey leaves last year and I still have some left. Will this be good to use it this year as well?
My chicken manure pile smells like spoiled. I think cause of the recent rains and no turning. What can I do? Is it lost already? It's a 2 years pile. Thanks for your videos. Relly helped me. As always
@Gallina Humana - Hi, I noticed nobody answered, so I thought I'd tell you what little I know. The ratio of chicken manure to dry carbon litter should be 1/4 chicken manure & 3/4 dry litter for a healthy composting manure pile. The horrible smell is caused when oxygen is no longer present to feed the good bacteria, so the other bacteria is rife. I'd aim to get your manure to carbon ratio back to where it should be by adding loads more browns & in smaller particles, as better for speed. Primarily, the pile desperately needs air inside there; while it stagnates, it breeds unhealthy bacteria & those other chicken poo bacteria (salmonella, E coli, listeria etc) aren't being killed off by the composting process either. So I'd get it seriously turned & do it often to get all those browns distributed through. As the dry browns absorb that moisture, they create a better environment to keep oxygen in the pile, which helps the good bacteria. In a regular mixed compost pile that went sloppy like this, a nitrogen activator can sometimes be needed if the composting process doesn't recommence after this - but I'm not sure how that works with chicken manure, as all my chicken knowledge is from books. Hopefully I've helped in some way.
I'd love to know where you get your bulk compost for £40 a tonne! That's a bargain!
Nant-y-caws compost facility between Llandeilo and Carmarthen :)
Bonjour de France et merci
I love listening to your great garden hacks
Can't get enough of them
Great video! Grow on!
Great update and timely reminder I must move my comfrey bushes from the allotment. Take care 😊
Natural way to make compost
Awesome video as I’m just getting into gardening. Thank you so much!
I just love your videos and feel myself in a heaven when watching your beautiful and green garden .
im so glad I found your channel. I'm new to all of this and these videos are so helpful. keep them coming xxx
GREAT VERY INFORMATIVE video thanks! you're spot on! leaves also work well, old straw or other bedding, manure or chicken/rabbitses poop, etc. a big problem with boughtin compost though is you don't know what's in it and how is was actually made, be careful using it fellow gardeners!
Yup, unless you can trust them to have the same level of care as you have. I've found all sorts of stuff in those, even in high-grade commercial compost.
I'm sure you're related to the Hemsworth brothers.