We (NY) have been having problems with the invasive "Jumping" worm. They are horrible and ruin soil. They are a shallow depth worm (top 3in of soil), unlike the wonderful European worm, which is found deeper. Hope you don't have to deal with the Jumpers.
@@jeannie8050 I mulch them fine in the mower with the bagger attached. Not adding full leaves helps in the breakdown process over the winter. After spreading them across the beds, I cover it all with large pieces of weighted-down cardboard to prevent them from being blown away. I'm in a very cold region, but I believe that the insulating effect allows the worms to get at it all winter long. They're definitely active by the time I take a peek in March.
This year (first with raised beds) is have a leaf blower that reverses and vacuums leaves through a shredder into a bag. Got tons of shredded leaves to mix with grass clippings and wood chips. Noticed that grass clippings really get the mulching hot process growing when added to the mulch mix pile. Up to 140 F in the hot bin when added, which cools down before I transfer to the finished/usable compost pile where worms are now seen when digging through. Great video GS!
I follow the KISS mentality. If it’s free it’s for me. I use my fresh grass clippings during the summer. Maybe 3-4 applications. Then in the fall and winter I collect seaweed from the bay near my house. And move to collecting and shredding fallen leaves before spring comes. I use my homemade compost right before planting season. For the most part I follow the lasagna philosophy. Just pile it up and let it be. This year I feel like my garden is supercharged!
Scott, I have two comments. 1. You didn't mention that you need to make sure that your neighbor doesn't use herbicides or pesticides on their lawn or you could be poisoning your garden bed. 2. Craigslist almost always has free sources of manure listed...but once again make sure they are not using any feed sources that will kill your tomatoes as some of the herbicides last past the digestion of the horse or cow. I find rabbit manure to be pretty safe which is why I am growing my own manure machines :) Hope this helps!
Thanks. I've mentioned it in other videos, but I check the source of my material so I know it doesn't have herbicides or pesticides. I also think the same holds true for manures, in addition to excess salt.
Make sure you aren’t taking too much rabbit poop from them or using a cage where they can’t get to it. It sounds gross but rabbits need to eat their own poop or they will develop a vitamin B deficiency.
@@lauralaspe329 We raised rabbits commercially for years in a rabbit barn in cages off the ground. Their poop fell through the bottom of the cage to the ground and they never got to eat it. We also never had any vitamin/nutrient deficiency problems. We just fed them fresh greens regularly as a supplement to their pellets. Whoever told you that was pulling your leg.
I finally got a yard of cow manure and built a second compost bin to break it down. I lined the bin w/ an insulated pool cover and it is around 150 degrees in there. Can't wait to spread it next Spring!
Fantastic video! My parents had a garden for decades, and they did something similar. This is what I do too, except that I tend to use manure in fall, and when planting in Spring, I drop the seeds on the soil and spread a thin layer of compost on top of them evenly across the bed, since some of the nutrients might have been washed through the winter. The no-till method would never work for me, because my raised beds are in close proximity of bush trees surrounding my house in my suburban garden, and I found that if I don't till the soil with the shovel like you do, then in less than two years the tree roots from those bushes very aggressively penetrate the entirety of my 2 foot-tall raised beds, turning them into a dense mass of tree roots, making it like a super sod, sucking all the nutrients and water away from my plants. So I must each fall turn the soil with a shovel, sometimes all 2 feet down my raised bed, breaking the tree roots that grew like weed over the season. It is less optimal than what you do because I end up , as you said, somewhat destroying established soil, but better this than a super-sod of tree roots suffocating my plants.
You have an excellent grasp of what is important for soil health and an easy professional presentation. Now if you planted a cover crop in that new bed such as an over winter legume. BAM you hit a home run. Great job in educating what it takes to make a difference in soil health.
Many new lawn seeding landscapers use a straw blower that chops the straw to about 3" to 4" lengths so it won't blow around once it's on the ground. I spread straw on the concrete drive, then 'mow' with lawn mower that has a bagger attachment. The straw being in shorter lengths lays flatter and stays put. Some goes directly to the amendment process but also I save some in garbage bags for later use in the season.
I have a large "compost" pile that I don't turn or water. Basically just somewhere to store dead leaves and grass clippings at the far end of our property. At the end of the season, I plan to spread it out over my beds along with some real compost, cow manure, and finally wood chips.
Good video uploading show us how to amend raised garden beds, thanks for sharing to us such informative and good content, i will learn from your video clip and start to build my raise bed too
Hello Mr. Scott, I am thankful for your vlogs! I am learning lots of ideas about gardening. I've been doing gardening for a few years now but I still have a lot of things to learn.🙂 Thank you, Sir!
You are 100% spot-on, with finding good stuff for the garden on the side of the road. I deliver newspapers a couple days a week, and find awesome stuff for my garden all the time! This includes 2x4 livestock fencing for my tomato and cucumber trellises. You can get grass and leaves depending on the season, and I know where the leaves stay in the gutter and get run over, and break down in wet conditions. It's free humus. There is so much organic matter available free for the taking, if you just pay attention. Also widescreen TVs, propane tanks, grills, bicycles...
Thank You for another timely video. We have not had any frost yet, but I know its coming. The irrigation water is going to be shut off Oct. 6th. I grabbed some organically grown straw bales a month ago.I appreciate you putting out videos of exactly what I am supposed to be doing next. Its really helpful. I live in a different state than I used to so I am having to learn what to do when here.Since you live in a colder climate area, I have learned so much from you.
Thanks Gardener Scott. Very good run down on how to put a garden to bed for the winter. Leaves in abundance here, so they're a more prominent ingredient in my garden. Unlike grass clippings, I can get leaves from any of my neighbors without fear of herbicides or whatever else they put on their lawns. I coordinate with them ahead of time so they give me a bag of just leaves without sticks which can blunt the blade of my lawn mower. I mulch the leaves before adding them to the garden. Otherwise they tend to mat together, and the wind drives them into piles which then blow around and cover up spring seedlings. Common sense stuff. Most of you probably already do this. However--lessons learned--this year I'm going to spread the lawn mower mulching op throughout the back yard. Otherwise, if I continually mulch the leaves in one place, the mower strips the grass down to nothing, leaving a bare spot in the spring. Besides, mulching throughout the yard helps feed the grass. It's a win-win for everyone. My neighbors get rid of their leaves without having to pay the city to cart them off; I get free mulch. And FREE is the operative word here. If you don't keep costs down, your garden produce can end up costing more than store bought.
Awesome that you did a video on this very subject! About to do the same here in NY state - have a feeling winter is going to hit quickly and hard here in northeast!!! Will be amending my own compost, grass clippings, chopped leaves, rabbit manure and some forest black soil as well! Oh yeah - pine needles too as well - yep! 😉👍
Hi Gardener Scott, I watch your youtube so often, your back yard is big, mine smala (Lakewood) next to Long Beach, Los Angeles. I hope other People love your youtube too.
This video was great! Very informative. I have heard other UA-cam channels scream about not using Peat Moss in gardening, and I found it super helpful when planting my Dwarf Apple Trees in containers.
Thank you gardener Scott for your clear explanations. I love your videos about gardening in raised beds. Yesterday I bought 4 wooden planchets and put together my 2 raised bed. So today I will put it in place and fill it up with Earth and different materials, like grass, leaves, cow dung and compost. I followed your guidelines and my vegetables bed is 280 x 140 x 46 cm. I live in the Ardennes in Belgium. If you’re lucky enough to be a gardener,...you are lucky enough. Thanks
Thanks for the good idea of amending in fall. I already amended the beds I planted the fall garden and garlic in. The rest is 5 gallon sips (22 of them). I was going to empty them, wash them out, and then fill them with amended soil in the spring. But if we have a few 60 degree days I might do as many as I can now. That way they will be ready for spring. Mixing the soil will make good use of the new wheelbarrow I bought, the last major thing I needed to buy.
Thanks for another great video. I am re-establishing an existing garden plot to replace rotting old raised beds and also creating a separate new garden plot from scratch. These techniques plus hügelkultur to establish the new beds should get me ready for spring planting.
We are getting our first good cold front blowing through. It won't drop the temperatures near the frost point but enough cool weather on the horizon to start the leaves changing and dropping soon. I have plenty of other organics ready to go , just waiting for my leaves to come tumbling down. Zone 7b , Oklahoma/Texas border area in SW Oklahoma. Sad to see my friends , the black soldier flies leaving soon for warmer pastures .
The tiller was necessary as you said to mix in initial org material to get it started. I garden both in beds and open. I dont need to till beds as it just takes a few turns with a fork and its good. Last fall I really added Everything i could get my fork on🤣 Cant wait for this spring. I got a great late season deal on some perennials. I just wish I could help my neighbor keep his bees as one hive started to obscond in summer and I think one died out. He puts them in shed for winter and I think they get too much moisture. Need to figure it out. Should do a bee autopsy.
I listened to video on Valentine's and said in live chat that peat is hydrophobic🤣 I'm doing another run on your vids. The garden gets really dry during day and when I water later it just runs through. All the org material dries out and hand watering from cattle tanks is not super soaking, Its Tuff in drought. Don't dig too deep or you'll catch all the sticks🤣 it happened to me.
Another helpful video, thank you for this. Sometimes it's easy to forget that soil amendments are things like leaves and other organics matter. I definitely need to make a better point to amend my soils, even outside of my food gardens.
I don't now if this follows your video or even if it counts as a success story, but I ran some numbers on my garden yesterday. I was injured throughout most of the gardening season, and so the only crop I managed to grow well was my pickling cucumbers. I spent about 20 dollars just in buying seeds, and with the pickles I made last week, I got that twenty dollars back, and I still have a ton more pickling cucumbers growing. I'm not going to turn a profit this year because I couldn't work much and I had to buy some materials to make things like trellises and soil. However, I was able to get my money back on the seeds, and now I know how to grow pickling cucumbers well in this climate. Next year, I might be able to turn a profit. Even with only one crop, I could break even!
Scott, sounds great. Hope to do some of this after frost and harvest. I have two key hole beds and one 4 X6 bed. Tom pots will go to compost beds and get mixed with organic plants and leaves,etc. Thanks,. Bob
👍 Another great vid Gardner Scott! I never thought I’d miss straw so much! It’s near impossible to find in FL! But, like you, I use the resources available in my area. And you are right! It’s all about the soil! Love your vids!
You are so wise to take one step at a time and keeping it fun. QUESTION I'm looking for your video having the warning of just what might be in what is sold as " Top soil " for a friend.
I mention it in a few videos, but am not sure which one you're thinking of. I think we talked about it in the livestream on Mar 29, 2021. The problem is that in most areas "top soil" is not regulated and can include anything.
Great video! A ton of very well explained content. Thank you! I do have a question. You mention "soil structure" and that you are simply wanting to turn the soil with the spade. Then you come back with a fork, after adding a few more amendments, and turn or break up at a more shallow depth, but you're still breaking up the soil. "Soil structure" is a bit of a new tern to me, but aren't you breaking up the soil structure with the fork? How is that different from a tiller? We are just heading into fall here in Texas and I have several fairly new raised beds (6 months old). We will be following your tutorial and amending our beds. Thanks again
Thanks. I want to try to keep the soil in clumps or aggregates as much as possible. Mixing the soil by hand rather than a machine avoids dramatic damage..
Awesome videos Scott. The only pro of coir is that it's compressed so it's easier to store if you have super limited space. Just need to hydrate for a bed.
Thanks for this helpful video. Those are going to be happy vegetables! I have started a woodland garden and it is responding to the amendments I have added. Our New Hampshire usually needs to be lightened up, so the peat moss is helpful. I have three of the books you recommended. Elliot Coleman is in Maine, so I can match his 4B growing season methods.
I heard a comment about pine needles being like any other organic matter. Although if you look at a Pine Forrest or Cypress Forest nothing grows underneath those trees.
That's usually because the ground is fully shaded and there are a lot of roots near the surface. The pine forests near me have many native shrubs that can grow in shade.
I live in zone 5 where we get problems of powdery mildew, blight, Leaf spot. I would really like to know if I can compost and chop and drop them. I thought I was taught in my master gardening course that all such infected plants or leaves should not be chopped and dropped or added to a compost pile. Try as I might, I do deal with these problems and with your years of experience and wisdom I would appreciate you clarifying whether I continue to throw infected leaves and plants in the trash or if they can go into my cold composting bins without fear of carryover into the next year.
In most of our home gardens if one bed is infected the contaminant will usually be in the garden environment. The wind is also carrying in bacteria and fungal spores from other yards. I got powdery mildew on my squash this year in a brand new bed with brand new soil so I now know to expect the disease on a regular basis. With the common diseases like mildew, blight and leaf spot I go ahead and compost or chop and drop because I feel the soil is benefiting form the organic matter and I'm going to get those diseases from sources other than my compost.
I appreciate your time. For making these videos. I am overwhelmed with the amount of different information given by sooooo many gardeners though. One says composted chicken manure is to be added weekly for feeding my plants. Others say peat moss or fish emulsion with bonemeal. So what say you sir ? I'm in west TX. What food should I be feeding my plants weekly????
I say focus on your soil and make it as good as possible. With healthy soil you may not need any fertilizer and feeding. I don't feed my plants weekly or monthly, but I amend my soil twice a year.
Do you have any tips for amending beds in early spring?? I just got a bed in my local community garden and I only have a few weeks before I need to start planting.
I truly believe the coir added in my raised bed soil was the main reason I had such poor performance this year. Every gardener and experience is different, and I respect that. I just want people to do their own research for all materials they add into their garden. If anyone has had success with coir, I am interested in what the growing conditions were 🙂 Let us always learn and share. ❤️
I grow all of my starts in straight coconut Coir and have a lot in my garden beds. It works well for me and has decomposed well in the beds. I love it for my pumpkins. Depending on where your cc was processed it can have salts, sometimes not.
I would love to find some straw that wasn't treated with herbicides. And if you could tell me how to control coastal bemuda grass, I would be grateful.
Hi Scott. I greatly appreciate your advice and helpful videos. I live in So. Cal and would like to improve the soil in my established landscaping. If I spread steer manure on the ground before a rain, is that a good first step to improving my soil? I'm not looking to dig up anything, just add it to the surface and let it purcolate through after a rain. Should I do add a few handfuls of manure and/or compost around the base of the plants before each rain? Thank you!
Thanks. Yes, aged manure and compost can be a good way to improve soil from above. They should be used sparingly in areas with small plants, but I spread it liberally on top of mulch in perennial beds.
Hi Scott, I love you Vedio. Does kitchen garbage belong to organic matters, such as banana peel, rotten fruit . Can we put them into soil to decompose? Thank you.
Since I didn’t do any of this in the fall is it okay. To do this in the winter when the snow has cleared? It’s still 3 months until my last frost. Great video! I will do this next fall.
@@GardenerScott Great! Just what I needed to hear. It's hard to find garlic seed right now so I'm happy I planted plenty last year. I can plant my own garlic. Love it.
I have been gardening all my life and have been using your videos for 2 years now. I thought i knew a lot but I have learned so much more from you. You are my inspiration. By the way..I have been looking for a gardening t shirt and I love the one in this Video. Any chance this is one of yours I can purchase???
Thanks. Yes, all of the gardening shirts I wear are available for purchase. You can click on the link below all of my videos or here: ua-cam.com/channels/WsI0LmiDyezbnN2JCL4P9w.htmlstore
I am so into focusing on soil health knowing that plant health follows. If i have a garden bed that i don't plan on clearing (because of our year round tropical growing season and my thriving plants). How should I amend my soil in an active bed? I am using a thick layer of grass clippings and dried leaves as a mulch. . I put a thin layer of finished compost on the surface below the mulch. Should i mix in things like dilute fish fertilizer, azomite, humic acid, espoma organic plant food or something else into the upper few inches of the soil? And how often? Thank you so much. I like your sound advice. It makes me approach my gardening with a clearer vision.
If there is already organic matter in the soil, the mulch can be enough for a bed that will sit awhile. I don't see a need for Azomite, fish fertilizer and other liquid plant foods if the organics are in native soil, but they can be adequate amendments for soils known to be deficient.
Thank you for your help. I'll keep the mulch going. Since i started using grass clippings for mulch, my soil moisture has been so much more consistent. Your videos encourage me to do it.
I just amended my raised beds and topped with straw. If we have a lot of rain will it wash away all the nutrients I just added? Compost, perlite and peat.
As a follow-up to Ms. Perez' question, I'm in a suburb of Dallas), we've yet to have our first true freeze and our earliest "last freeze date" is mid-March. I also have tomatoes, green beans, peas, peppers that are still fruiting. How long can I delay amending my raised beds, and will the organics have sufficient time to break down before spring planting?
Organics will decompose faster in warm, moist conditions. Because my winters are so cold it takes many months for them to break down. You shouldn't need as much time. I try to have my beds fully amended and ready to go at least one month before planting in spring so you have lots of time left.
Make sure to "amend" all the vine borers overwintering in the squash garden beds~ It's very wise as you're doing to set up as much garden during the fall as possible before spring, as it's so much easier to direct sow than to try to dig when the ground is still frozen from winter~
Please explain. Is there something to do that gets rid of the squash bores. Lost all squash plants to the bores after the squash bugs were finally taken care of.
I asked gardener scott in his livestream the next day and he said that forking up the top layer of soil is enough so the dormant vine borer larva freeze in the winter.
It depends on your soil. While it adds potassium it also raises the soil pH. For acidic soil it can be good, but for alkaline soil it can raise the pH too high.
We got hit by a heck of a hailstorm, really knocked seven bells out of my tomatoes, amongst others. Usually, we get another couple of weeks. Oh well, sadly, the tomatoes carry blight, so I'm going to have to dispose of them
Greate video, How about Apples ? can i put them in the soil? i have an overflow of apples in the autumn. insted of mowling them down can i just get it in the beds to help the soil ?
New Gardener here! Love Lord Scott so much wisdom! My old garden soil in my garden bed has a lot of old roots do I take them all out? Anybody know? Thanks.
I don't remove the soil. I add organic amendments to the top and work it in. The level stays relatively constant over time because new amendments replace older amendments that have decomposed.
In my area, horse manure compost, cow manure compost, leaf compost & organic compost are sold at different garden centers ... I'm trying to figure out what to buy...
Great video, Gardener Scott! I’ve used biochar for the first time this year after watching your video on it, and had amazing results. Did you have any biochar available to add to the other soil amendments? Best wishes Roy from London, UK
Biochar- yes, great amendment too! Was my 1st year trying it and I added a bunch more into my homemade compost as well - soon to amend all together into my beds! 😉👍
I wish Scott would do a long term comparison bed with no-till. I filled my beds with a mix of 40 percent compost and 60 percent of native dirt (very fine sand) plus some bentonite and crushed basalt. I avoid pulling whenever possible. My soil level does not drop and still is not compacted after four years. Only added very small amounts of compost to the top. After four years I replanted some beds with fava beans. It was amazing to see that the harvest doubled compared to the first year. I only use my shovel to create new beds, and the fork to flip my compost heap once a year ( lots of worms in there do the vermicomposting, most commercial compost is oriented towards high speed, high volume, weed and pathogen killing temperatures but without the worm activity). I suspect the decaying not pulled root mass along with the soil life keeps the soil level up and even improves the soil from the initial mix. Sometimes (in fall) I seed cover crops. Always running out of compost for new beds, I replaced that with a mix of kitchen scraps, cardboard and chipped garden waste. The leaks did well, just like the cucumbers and the tomatoes (no blossom end rot or other problems). I have no clue wether or not my subsoil watering affects the results, I only water overhead after seeding plus natural rain. Of course the rain water has more N and less Ca than the municipal water I only use when my harvested rain water runs out.
Hi Gardener Scott, I’m new to your channel. It would be helpful to know where you’re located, or at the very least, the hardiness zone you’re in. Also, what you do is specific to your zone, but perhaps you could make suggestions for what should be done in other zones as well.
Gardener Scott Thanks. I’m new to your channel and was wondering you zone as well. Texas 7b/8a here. We have clay soil here. I’m researching how to improve our soil.. We had our first large gardens last year. Right now I am building raised beds so I can offer my plants better soil next spring. I’m also composting in two pallet bins. Hubby just mowed leaves yesterday. I’m excited to get things growing in the Spring again! Thanks for sharing your tips and knowledge.
@ Gardner Scott, Hi Gary from AZ I made up some radish seed tape I planted them over a week ago I only have about 5-- or 6 plants came up , does using that tape does it take longer to pop up I planted about 50-- to 60 plants thanks Gary I have keeping them moist am I doing something wrong???
I had a raised bed build almost a decade ago and the guy only put top soil in it. I gave up trying to grow flowers in it years ago. What should I do now to prepare it for use in the Spring?
I’ve been offered some fine grade organic spent mushroom compost for my raised beds. Should I use this and if so how much should I put in a new raised bed which I am about to fill? Love your explanations of everything, I’ve learnt so much, thank you.
You can use that as an organic amendment. Some of the nutrients will have been used by the mushrooms, but there will be some good organic matter and microbial life in it. Like other amendments, mix in a few inches through your soil.
I live in Illinois. After that last layer of straw you mention you would put another layer of leaves to help secure the straw from blowing away. I would think the leaves would blow away too though. Is there something more heavier to add to weigh down the straw ?
I usually add leaves too. I've found the best mulch for my vegetable garden to be a blend of straw, leaves, and grass clippings. Wood chips can be an option for some beds in windy areas.
I add coffee filters to my compost pile and they are slow to break down. If you have a lot of them it might be worth a try to see how they work as mulch.
If the grass hasn't flowered and set seed and if other weeds weren't allowed to set seed when growing in the grass, there is little likelihood that seeds will sprout.
Anne Bury Good question. I have also wondered this, especially since you are not suppose to cover the crowns of the strawberries and their roots are so shallow.
I would lightly add a small layer of all ready composted soil to the top and gently work it in. Just a little bit at a time. Being careful not to hurt existing plants.
Hi Scott. Thank you for the very informative video. So that I may defend my use of it to others, can you provide more information which explains why sphagnum peat is sustainable in the US, please?
The Bob Ross of gardening. ♡
combined with the Liam Neeson of Gardening, as he kills plants so that others can thrive~
I was thinking Mr. Rogers.
i know it's quite randomly asking but does anybody know of a good website to watch new movies online ?
@Ernest Kairo Flixportal :P
Lol 😆 nailed it.
Going with 3-4 inches of leaves again this year. Phenomenal results this year! Soooo many worms this spring.
We (NY) have been having problems with the invasive "Jumping" worm. They are horrible and ruin soil. They are a shallow depth worm (top 3in of soil), unlike the wonderful European worm, which is found deeper. Hope you don't have to deal with the Jumpers.
Do you mulch your leaves?
@@jeannie8050 I mulch them fine in the mower with the bagger attached. Not adding full leaves helps in the breakdown process over the winter. After spreading them across the beds, I cover it all with large pieces of weighted-down cardboard to prevent them from being blown away.
I'm in a very cold region, but I believe that the insulating effect allows the worms to get at it all winter long. They're definitely active by the time I take a peek in March.
@@LucretiaVanPelt So sorry to hear about the jumpers! Never heard of them. Our worms just wiggle and squirm.
This year (first with raised beds) is have a leaf blower that reverses and vacuums leaves through a shredder into a bag. Got tons of shredded leaves to mix with grass clippings and wood chips. Noticed that grass clippings really get the mulching hot process growing when added to the mulch mix pile. Up to 140 F in the hot bin when added, which cools down before I transfer to the finished/usable compost pile where worms are now seen when digging through. Great video GS!
I built my raised bed today. First time gardener here very excited for fall.
I follow the KISS mentality. If it’s free it’s for me. I use my fresh grass clippings during the summer. Maybe 3-4 applications. Then in the fall and winter I collect seaweed from the bay near my house. And move to collecting and shredding fallen leaves before spring comes. I use my homemade compost right before planting season. For the most part I follow the lasagna philosophy. Just pile it up and let it be. This year I feel like my garden is supercharged!
Oh man, my back hurts just watching you drive that spade into the soil. I'd have to get up onto the raised bed...
I’m becoming a master gardener. We just had our soil class. My favorite so far. I love reading about microbes and soil.
Scott, I have two comments. 1. You didn't mention that you need to make sure that your neighbor doesn't use herbicides or pesticides on their lawn or you could be poisoning your garden bed. 2. Craigslist almost always has free sources of manure listed...but once again make sure they are not using any feed sources that will kill your tomatoes as some of the herbicides last past the digestion of the horse or cow. I find rabbit manure to be pretty safe which is why I am growing my own manure machines :) Hope this helps!
Thanks. I've mentioned it in other videos, but I check the source of my material so I know it doesn't have herbicides or pesticides. I also think the same holds true for manures, in addition to excess salt.
Make sure you aren’t taking too much rabbit poop from them or using a cage where they can’t get to it. It sounds gross but rabbits need to eat their own poop or they will develop a vitamin B deficiency.
@@lauralaspe329 Nope....All is well with the rabbits :)
@@lauralaspe329 We raised rabbits commercially for years in a rabbit barn in cages off the ground. Their poop fell through the bottom of the cage to the ground and they never got to eat it. We also never had any vitamin/nutrient deficiency problems. We just fed them fresh greens regularly as a supplement to their pellets. Whoever told you that was pulling your leg.
Ironically, I was amending my raised beds when this video was released.
I finally got a yard of cow manure and built a second compost bin to break it down. I lined the bin w/ an insulated pool cover and it is around 150 degrees in there. Can't wait to spread it next Spring!
Fantastic video! My parents had a garden for decades, and they did something similar. This is what I do too, except that I tend to use manure in fall, and when planting in Spring, I drop the seeds on the soil and spread a thin layer of compost on top of them evenly across the bed, since some of the nutrients might have been washed through the winter. The no-till method would never work for me, because my raised beds are in close proximity of bush trees surrounding my house in my suburban garden, and I found that if I don't till the soil with the shovel like you do, then in less than two years the tree roots from those bushes very aggressively penetrate the entirety of my 2 foot-tall raised beds, turning them into a dense mass of tree roots, making it like a super sod, sucking all the nutrients and water away from my plants. So I must each fall turn the soil with a shovel, sometimes all 2 feet down my raised bed, breaking the tree roots that grew like weed over the season. It is less optimal than what you do because I end up , as you said, somewhat destroying established soil, but better this than a super-sod of tree roots suffocating my plants.
Since your beds are fairly new, I am looking forward to seeing them next spring.
You have an excellent grasp of what is important for soil health and an easy professional presentation. Now if you planted a cover crop in that new bed such as an over winter legume. BAM you hit a home run. Great job in educating what it takes to make a difference in soil health.
I have a number of videos on cover crops. I agree with going for a home run.
Many new lawn seeding landscapers use a straw blower that chops the straw to about 3" to 4" lengths so it won't blow around once it's on the ground. I spread straw on the concrete drive, then 'mow' with lawn mower that has a bagger attachment. The straw being in shorter lengths lays flatter and stays put. Some goes directly to the amendment process but also I save some in garbage bags for later use in the season.
I have a large "compost" pile that I don't turn or water. Basically just somewhere to store dead leaves and grass clippings at the far end of our property. At the end of the season, I plan to spread it out over my beds along with some real compost, cow manure, and finally wood chips.
Good video uploading show us how to amend raised garden beds, thanks for sharing to us such informative and good content, i will learn from your video clip and start to build my raise bed too
Hello Mr. Scott, I am thankful for your vlogs! I am learning lots of ideas about gardening. I've been doing gardening for a few years now but I still have a lot of things to learn.🙂 Thank you, Sir!
You are 100% spot-on, with finding good stuff for the garden on the side of the road. I deliver newspapers a couple days a week, and find awesome stuff for my garden all the time! This includes 2x4 livestock fencing for my tomato and cucumber trellises. You can get grass and leaves depending on the season, and I know where the leaves stay in the gutter and get run over, and break down in wet conditions. It's free humus. There is so much organic matter available free for the taking, if you just pay attention. Also widescreen TVs, propane tanks, grills, bicycles...
Thank You for another timely video. We have not had any frost yet, but I know its coming. The irrigation water is going to be shut off Oct. 6th. I grabbed some organically grown straw bales a month ago.I appreciate you putting out videos of exactly what I am supposed to be doing next. Its really helpful. I live in a different state than I used to so I am having to learn what to do when here.Since you live in a colder climate area, I have learned so much from you.
Thanks Gardener Scott. Very good run down on how to put a garden to bed for the winter. Leaves in abundance here, so they're a more prominent ingredient in my garden. Unlike grass clippings, I can get leaves from any of my neighbors without fear of herbicides or whatever else they put on their lawns. I coordinate with them ahead of time so they give me a bag of just leaves without sticks which can blunt the blade of my lawn mower. I mulch the leaves before adding them to the garden. Otherwise they tend to mat together, and the wind drives them into piles which then blow around and cover up spring seedlings. Common sense stuff. Most of you probably already do this. However--lessons learned--this year I'm going to spread the lawn mower mulching op throughout the back yard. Otherwise, if I continually mulch the leaves in one place, the mower strips the grass down to nothing, leaving a bare spot in the spring. Besides, mulching throughout the yard helps feed the grass. It's a win-win for everyone. My neighbors get rid of their leaves without having to pay the city to cart them off; I get free mulch. And FREE is the operative word here. If you don't keep costs down, your garden produce can end up costing more than store bought.
Awesome that you did a video on this very subject! About to do the same here in NY state - have a feeling winter is going to hit quickly and hard here in northeast!!! Will be amending my own compost, grass clippings, chopped leaves, rabbit manure and some forest black soil as well! Oh yeah - pine needles too as well - yep! 😉👍
Thx Scott. I was wondering about what to use.
Hi Gardener Scott, I watch your youtube so often, your back yard is big, mine smala (Lakewood) next to Long Beach, Los Angeles. I hope other People love your youtube too.
I'm a simple guy. I see a gardener scott video, I click.
Ditto that
This video was great! Very informative. I have heard other UA-cam channels scream about not using Peat Moss in gardening, and I found it super helpful when planting my Dwarf Apple Trees in containers.
Thank you gardener Scott for your clear explanations. I love your videos about gardening in raised beds. Yesterday I bought 4 wooden planchets and put together my 2 raised bed. So today I will put it in place and fill it up with Earth and different materials, like grass, leaves, cow dung and compost. I followed your guidelines and my vegetables bed is 280 x 140 x 46 cm. I live in the Ardennes in Belgium.
If you’re lucky enough to be a gardener,...you are lucky enough. Thanks
Thanks for the good idea of amending in fall. I already amended the beds I planted the fall garden and garlic in. The rest is 5 gallon sips (22 of them). I was going to empty them, wash them out, and then fill them with amended soil in the spring. But if we have a few 60 degree days I might do as many as I can now. That way they will be ready for spring. Mixing the soil will make good use of the new wheelbarrow I bought, the last major thing I needed to buy.
It's not always easy to find the best advice due to several videos but seem very professional i subscribe
Thank you. Welcome to the channel!
Perfect timing. I am preparing to amend my beds so lots of helpful info!!! Ty. God bless
Thanks for another great video. I am re-establishing an existing garden plot to replace rotting old raised beds and also creating a separate new garden plot from scratch. These techniques plus hügelkultur to establish the new beds should get me ready for spring planting.
Thanks, Jay. I anticipate you'll have great success.
We are getting our first good cold front blowing through. It won't drop the temperatures near the frost point but enough cool weather on the horizon to start the leaves changing and dropping soon. I have plenty of other organics ready to go , just waiting for my leaves to come tumbling down. Zone 7b , Oklahoma/Texas border area in SW Oklahoma. Sad to see my friends , the black soldier flies leaving soon for warmer pastures .
The tiller was necessary as you said to mix in initial org material to get it started. I garden both in beds and open. I dont need to till beds as it just takes a few turns with a fork and its good. Last fall I really added Everything i could get my fork on🤣 Cant wait for this spring. I got a great late season deal on some perennials. I just wish I could help my neighbor keep his bees as one hive started to obscond in summer and I think one died out. He puts them in shed for winter and I think they get too much moisture. Need to figure it out. Should do a bee autopsy.
If you use your neighbor's leaves or grass, make sure to first ask if they use any herbicides/weed killers. Happy gardening!
I listened to video on Valentine's and said in live chat that peat is hydrophobic🤣 I'm doing another run on your vids. The garden gets really dry during day and when I water later it just runs through. All the org material dries out and hand watering from cattle tanks is not super soaking, Its Tuff in drought. Don't dig too deep or you'll catch all the sticks🤣 it happened to me.
Another helpful video, thank you for this. Sometimes it's easy to forget that soil amendments are things like leaves and other organics matter. I definitely need to make a better point to amend my soils, even outside of my food gardens.
I don't now if this follows your video or even if it counts as a success story, but I ran some numbers on my garden yesterday. I was injured throughout most of the gardening season, and so the only crop I managed to grow well was my pickling cucumbers. I spent about 20 dollars just in buying seeds, and with the pickles I made last week, I got that twenty dollars back, and I still have a ton more pickling cucumbers growing. I'm not going to turn a profit this year because I couldn't work much and I had to buy some materials to make things like trellises and soil. However, I was able to get my money back on the seeds, and now I know how to grow pickling cucumbers well in this climate. Next year, I might be able to turn a profit. Even with only one crop, I could break even!
Good drainage is important in the first 4 inches of raised beds, I often mix course sand with my soil/compost at the bottom level.
Scott, sounds great. Hope to do some of this after frost and harvest. I have two key hole beds and one 4 X6 bed. Tom pots will go to compost beds and get mixed with organic plants and leaves,etc. Thanks,. Bob
That's a lot of work! I'm sure the results will be worth it.
Thank you for all your videos and tips
Sir, do you add char to your beds... thanks for all the great videos, you've made me a better gardener, I have 20 beds and add more each year
👍 Another great vid Gardner Scott! I never thought I’d miss straw so much! It’s near impossible to find in FL! But, like you, I use the resources available in my area. And you are right! It’s all about the soil! Love your vids!
You are so wise to take one step at a time and keeping it fun.
QUESTION I'm looking for your video having the warning of just what might be in what is sold as " Top soil " for a friend.
I mention it in a few videos, but am not sure which one you're thinking of. I think we talked about it in the livestream on Mar 29, 2021. The problem is that in most areas "top soil" is not regulated and can include anything.
Great video! A ton of very well explained content. Thank you!
I do have a question. You mention "soil structure" and that you are simply wanting to turn the soil with the spade. Then you come back with a fork, after adding a few more amendments, and turn or break up at a more shallow depth, but you're still breaking up the soil. "Soil structure" is a bit of a new tern to me, but aren't you breaking up the soil structure with the fork? How is that different from a tiller?
We are just heading into fall here in Texas and I have several fairly new raised beds (6 months old). We will be following your tutorial and amending our beds. Thanks again
Fork vs tiller is comparable to a swizzle stick vs a blender. The fork moves stuff around, the tiller pulverizes the soil.
Thanks. I want to try to keep the soil in clumps or aggregates as much as possible. Mixing the soil by hand rather than a machine avoids dramatic damage..
Awesome videos Scott. The only pro of coir is that it's compressed so it's easier to store if you have super limited space. Just need to hydrate for a bed.
I'm really excited to see how your garden does this year. About as much as I'm hoping mine does this year re starting out.
Thanks
Thanks for this helpful video. Those are going to be happy vegetables! I have started a woodland garden and it is responding to the amendments I have added. Our New Hampshire usually needs to be lightened up, so the peat moss is helpful. I have three of the books you recommended. Elliot Coleman is in Maine, so I can match his 4B growing season methods.
Great video per usual
Really informative video. You truly are a master gardener!
Thank you for talking about the Y not the how.you make it alot easyer
Why not plant fall-winter cover crops?
I do that too. I have a video on that and will be releasing another one soon.
Thank you. It’s very informative
I heard a comment about pine needles being like any other organic matter. Although if you look at a Pine Forrest or Cypress Forest nothing grows underneath those trees.
That's usually because the ground is fully shaded and there are a lot of roots near the surface. The pine forests near me have many native shrubs that can grow in shade.
I live in zone 5 where we get problems of powdery mildew, blight, Leaf spot. I would really like to know if I can compost and chop and drop them. I thought I was taught in my master gardening course that all such infected plants or leaves should not be chopped and dropped or added to a compost pile. Try as I might, I do deal with these problems and with your years of experience and wisdom I would appreciate you clarifying whether I continue to throw infected leaves and plants in the trash or if they can go into my cold composting bins without fear of carryover into the next year.
In most of our home gardens if one bed is infected the contaminant will usually be in the garden environment. The wind is also carrying in bacteria and fungal spores from other yards. I got powdery mildew on my squash this year in a brand new bed with brand new soil so I now know to expect the disease on a regular basis. With the common diseases like mildew, blight and leaf spot I go ahead and compost or chop and drop because I feel the soil is benefiting form the organic matter and I'm going to get those diseases from sources other than my compost.
Would you be able to plant a little garlic in a bed like this before winter?
Sure. That's my plan.
I appreciate your time. For making these videos. I am overwhelmed with the amount of different information given by sooooo many gardeners though. One says composted chicken manure is to be added weekly for feeding my plants. Others say peat moss or fish emulsion with bonemeal. So what say you sir ? I'm in west TX. What food should I be feeding my plants weekly????
I say focus on your soil and make it as good as possible. With healthy soil you may not need any fertilizer and feeding. I don't feed my plants weekly or monthly, but I amend my soil twice a year.
Do you have any tips for amending beds in early spring?? I just got a bed in my local community garden and I only have a few weeks before I need to start planting.
Fully decomposed compost is best. Extra time in the soil before planting helps.
@@GardenerScott thank you! I was able to get plenty of fully decomposed compost to add in 👍
Such a great video. Thanks !
I have field peas growing in my fall raised bed; in spring should I dig those pea plants in?
I truly believe the coir added in my raised bed soil was the main reason I had such poor performance this year. Every gardener and experience is different, and I respect that. I just want people to do their own research for all materials they add into their garden. If anyone has had success with coir, I am interested in what the growing conditions were 🙂 Let us always learn and share. ❤️
coir has lots of salt and be soaked and rinsed very well
I grow all of my starts in straight coconut Coir and have a lot in my garden beds. It works well for me and has decomposed well in the beds. I love it for my pumpkins. Depending on where your cc was processed it can have salts, sometimes not.
Thank you for sharing.
Great information thanks 🇨🇦👍
I would love to find some straw that wasn't treated with herbicides. And if you could tell me how to control coastal bemuda grass, I would be grateful.
I haven't had any experience with Bermuda grass. I'm sorry I can't help you.
Manos a la obra!! Esta semana empezaré a trabajar en esto 👌
Eso es genial. Que te diviertas.
Hi Scott. I greatly appreciate your advice and helpful videos. I live in So. Cal and would like to improve the soil in my established landscaping. If I spread steer manure on the ground before a rain, is that a good first step to improving my soil? I'm not looking to dig up anything, just add it to the surface and let it purcolate through after a rain. Should I do add a few handfuls of manure and/or compost around the base of the plants before each rain? Thank you!
Thanks. Yes, aged manure and compost can be a good way to improve soil from above. They should be used sparingly in areas with small plants, but I spread it liberally on top of mulch in perennial beds.
Hi Scott, I love you Vedio. Does kitchen garbage belong to organic matters, such as banana peel, rotten fruit . Can we put them into soil to decompose? Thank you.
Absolutely. That is all good organic matter.
Since I didn’t do any of this in the fall is it okay. To do this in the winter when the snow has cleared? It’s still 3 months until my last frost. Great video! I will do this next fall.
Yes, you can still do it in spring.
Great lesson. Thanks
Could you plant garlic in that bed this late fall? Thanks for sharing your knowledge .
Sure. That is my plan. Because the garlic won't be actively growing, the decomposing organic matter will be okay.
@@GardenerScott Great! Just what I needed to hear. It's hard to find garlic seed right now so I'm happy I planted plenty last year. I can plant my own garlic. Love it.
I have been gardening all my life and have been using your videos for 2 years now. I thought i knew a lot but I have learned so much more from you. You are my inspiration. By the way..I have been looking for a gardening t shirt and I love the one in this Video. Any chance this is one of yours I can purchase???
Thanks. Yes, all of the gardening shirts I wear are available for purchase. You can click on the link below all of my videos or here: ua-cam.com/channels/WsI0LmiDyezbnN2JCL4P9w.htmlstore
I am so into focusing on soil health knowing that plant health follows. If i have a garden bed that i don't plan on clearing (because of our year round tropical growing season and my thriving plants). How should I amend my soil in an active bed? I am using a thick layer of grass clippings and dried leaves as a mulch. . I put a thin layer of finished compost on the surface below the mulch. Should i mix in things like dilute fish fertilizer, azomite, humic acid, espoma organic plant food or something else into the upper few inches of the soil? And how often? Thank you so much. I like your sound advice. It makes me approach my gardening with a clearer vision.
If there is already organic matter in the soil, the mulch can be enough for a bed that will sit awhile. I don't see a need for Azomite, fish fertilizer and other liquid plant foods if the organics are in native soil, but they can be adequate amendments for soils known to be deficient.
Thank you for your help. I'll keep the mulch going. Since i started using grass clippings for mulch, my soil moisture has been so much more consistent. Your videos encourage me to do it.
I just amended my raised beds and topped with straw. If we have a lot of rain will it wash away all the nutrients I just added? Compost, perlite and peat.
Some nitrogen might leach in very heavy rain, but a healthy soil should have plenty for plants.
As a follow-up to Ms. Perez' question, I'm in a suburb of Dallas), we've yet to have our first true freeze and our earliest "last freeze date" is mid-March. I also have tomatoes, green beans, peas, peppers that are still fruiting. How long can I delay amending my raised beds, and will the organics have sufficient time to break down before spring planting?
Organics will decompose faster in warm, moist conditions. Because my winters are so cold it takes many months for them to break down. You shouldn't need as much time. I try to have my beds fully amended and ready to go at least one month before planting in spring so you have lots of time left.
Make sure to "amend" all the vine borers overwintering in the squash garden beds~ It's very wise as you're doing to set up as much garden during the fall as possible before spring, as it's so much easier to direct sow than to try to dig when the ground is still frozen from winter~
Please explain. Is there something to do that gets rid of the squash bores. Lost all squash plants to the bores after the squash bugs were finally taken care of.
I asked gardener scott in his livestream the next day and he said that forking up the top layer of soil is enough so the dormant vine borer larva freeze in the winter.
Thoughts on using ash? I need to burn out a lot of organic material due to limited composting capacity.
It depends on your soil. While it adds potassium it also raises the soil pH. For acidic soil it can be good, but for alkaline soil it can raise the pH too high.
@@GardenerScott Thanks for the input!
Great video
We got hit by a heck of a hailstorm, really knocked seven bells out of my tomatoes, amongst others. Usually, we get another couple of weeks. Oh well, sadly, the tomatoes carry blight, so I'm going to have to dispose of them
Greate video, How about Apples ? can i put them in the soil? i have an overflow of apples in the autumn. insted of mowling them down can i just get it in the beds to help the soil ?
Yes, you can put apples branches in.
New Gardener here! Love Lord Scott so much wisdom! My old garden soil in my garden bed has a lot of old roots do I take them all out? Anybody know? Thanks.
It depends on the roots. I would take out tree roots, but smaller flower and vegetable roots can stay.
@@GardenerScott Its an old small garden bed thank you Scott!
I have field peas growing in my new raised bed. In spring should I just dug them in before planting ( provided the are still alive in spring.
Digging them in is a good option. Here are some thoughts on using cover crops in spring: ua-cam.com/video/yoaKyHDI4x0/v-deo.html
Hi. When do you remove the soil from the raised bed to make a room for amendments?
I don't remove the soil. I add organic amendments to the top and work it in. The level stays relatively constant over time because new amendments replace older amendments that have decomposed.
@@GardenerScott That's surprising! Thank you.
In my area, horse manure compost, cow manure compost, leaf compost & organic compost are sold at different garden centers ... I'm trying to figure out what to buy...
Great video, Gardener Scott!
I’ve used biochar for the first time this year after watching your video on it, and had amazing results. Did you have any biochar available to add to the other soil amendments?
Best wishes
Roy from London, UK
Biochar- yes, great amendment too! Was my 1st year trying it and I added a bunch more into my homemade compost as well - soon to amend all together into my beds! 😉👍
Thanks. I'll add biochar to beds when I first fill them, but it is not necessary to add more after that.
No-till is the way, much less work.
No-till is great once the soil has reached a good level of fertility, but my dense, poor soil isn't there yet.
I wish Scott would do a long term comparison bed with no-till. I filled my beds with a mix of 40 percent compost and 60 percent of native dirt (very fine sand) plus some bentonite and crushed basalt. I avoid pulling whenever possible. My soil level does not drop and still is not compacted after four years. Only added very small amounts of compost to the top. After four years I replanted some beds with fava beans. It was amazing to see that the harvest doubled compared to the first year. I only use my shovel to create new beds, and the fork to flip my compost heap once a year ( lots of worms in there do the vermicomposting, most commercial compost is oriented towards high speed, high volume, weed and pathogen killing temperatures but without the worm activity). I suspect the decaying not pulled root mass along with the soil life keeps the soil level up and even improves the soil from the initial mix. Sometimes (in fall) I seed cover crops. Always running out of compost for new beds, I replaced that with a mix of kitchen scraps, cardboard and chipped garden waste. The leaks did well, just like the cucumbers and the tomatoes (no blossom end rot or other problems). I have no clue wether or not my subsoil watering affects the results, I only water overhead after seeding plus natural rain. Of course the rain water has more N and less Ca than the municipal water I only use when my harvested rain water runs out.
Do you amend your tomato beds with calcium nitrate?
Thanks for this great tutorial:)
What are your thoughts on adding chicken poop during this process as well?
I think it's a good amendment. I usually add chicken manure to my compost pile, but it can go directly in soil too.
Gardener Scott right on!! I am new to gardening/growing food :)
As a result, so is my composite pile, which does get its share as well 👍
Great information.
Hi Gardener Scott, I’m new to your channel. It would be helpful to know where you’re located, or at the very least, the hardiness zone you’re in. Also, what you do is specific to your zone, but perhaps you could make suggestions for what should be done in other zones as well.
I'm in Colorado, Zone 5b. I try to make my information suitable for everyone and discuss different practices for different zones in many of my videos.
Gardener Scott Thanks. I’m new to your channel and was wondering you zone as well. Texas 7b/8a here. We have clay soil here. I’m researching how to improve our soil.. We had our first large gardens last year. Right now I am building raised beds so I can offer my plants better soil next spring. I’m also composting in two pallet bins. Hubby just mowed leaves yesterday. I’m excited to get things growing in the Spring again! Thanks for sharing your tips and knowledge.
@ Gardner Scott, Hi Gary from AZ I made up some radish seed tape I planted them over a week ago I only have about 5-- or 6 plants came up , does using that tape does it take longer to pop up I planted about 50-- to 60 plants thanks Gary I have keeping them moist am I doing something wrong???
I had a raised bed build almost a decade ago and the guy only put top soil in it. I gave up trying to grow flowers in it years ago. What should I do now to prepare it for use in the Spring?
Adding organic matter will help. Compost, crushed leaves, and grass clippings are some easy amendments to start improving the soil.
I’ve been offered some fine grade organic spent mushroom compost for my raised beds. Should I use this and if so how much should I put in a new raised bed which I am about to fill? Love your explanations of everything, I’ve learnt so much, thank you.
You can use that as an organic amendment. Some of the nutrients will have been used by the mushrooms, but there will be some good organic matter and microbial life in it. Like other amendments, mix in a few inches through your soil.
@@GardenerScott Thanks Scott.
I live in Illinois. After that last layer of straw you mention you would put another layer of leaves to help secure the straw from blowing away. I would think the leaves would blow away too though. Is there something more heavier to add to weigh down the straw ?
I usually add leaves too. I've found the best mulch for my vegetable garden to be a blend of straw, leaves, and grass clippings. Wood chips can be an option for some beds in windy areas.
I don’t have many trees nearby so access to leaves is limited, but coffee is made daily. Can coffee filters be substituted for leaves?
I add coffee filters to my compost pile and they are slow to break down. If you have a lot of them it might be worth a try to see how they work as mulch.
Good video and nice Scott!!
is it better to amend your soil well in advance of planting or right before planting
It is better to amend in advance. That gives time for the beneficial soil micro organisms to enrich the soil.
Wondering about weeds in the grass clipping. How would that effect the bed?
If the grass hasn't flowered and set seed and if other weeds weren't allowed to set seed when growing in the grass, there is little likelihood that seeds will sprout.
How do I amend the soil in a raised bed with perennials like asparagus or strawberries?
Anne Bury Good question. I have also wondered this, especially since you are not suppose to cover the crowns of the strawberries and their roots are so shallow.
I would lightly add a small layer of all ready composted soil to the top and gently work it in. Just a little bit at a time. Being careful not to hurt existing plants.
I amend from the top. I add compost on top of the mulch and then add more mulch.
Water first then add the mulch, grasshopper x
Can you give a link to your video for building the cement block raised bed please. Trouble finding it. GREAT videos. Learning a lot.
Here you go: ua-cam.com/video/Vq2Mh3cQ7lc/v-deo.html
@@GardenerScott Thank you so much. Just got a home with 1/4 acre backyard that is nothing but grass. You have inspired me to get creative back there.
Hi Scott. Thank you for the very informative video. So that I may defend my use of it to others, can you provide more information which explains why sphagnum peat is sustainable in the US, please?
There are many sources you can find, but here's one: www.sungro.com/about-us/sustainable-peat-moss/