This is a really well done study! I have seen several similar tests done with different types of soil. My father taught me to garden and always said don’t make it complicated; there’s nothing better than composted animal manure, leaves and composted wood chips from cow stalls. This is what I’ve lived by because it’s what I know but as a see more of these tests and hear more of the actual science and life of soil, I am realizing these old timers’ experience was as good as Cornell University studies. I’ve come to the conclusion that all soil types will benefit immensely from just adding manure and readily available organic matter.
Thanks! Your father is spot on, I believe! And I find it fascinating that so much of that 'old-timer' knowledge has come to be proven true by scientific studies. Sometimes just the time and life experience of seeing how things react in real world situations is all you need!
@@julieb7068 Find a clean source of hay, no reason to be feeding pesticides to cows. Be very careful of your hay sources or grow it yourself. Imidacloprid is commonly found on hay and can kill your crops, not sure if it's active after being digested but I'm not taking any chances with an animal or plant.
@@julieb7068cows who eat roundup in their feed transfer it to the soil. Be careful where you get your cow manure from. It is really not the cow manure but the bacteria and fungi that are inoculating the soil that are doing all the work. This can be found in well-developed compost. Check out Dr. Elaine Ingraham on the soil Web many UA-cam videos available Also check out biodynamic preps that are also very rich source of clean healthy bacteria and fungi that are polarized then stirred into rainwater and then sprinkled on the soil. Will have the same type of benefits. I believe it’s the 501 prep and can be found at the Josaphine Porter Institute.
Now THIS was the information I spent a better part of a year searching for. THANK YOU SO MUCH for making this video! The information was STELLAR! I'm glad that cow manure was the "top dog" because I was definitely looking for more of a natural way to improve my expansive clay soil. But I was NOT surprised at all to see that the manure was the only amendment that had Earth worms. Just FYI. Around early Summer in 2022 I had some left over hay that was spread on about 1,000 square feet or so of my property. I used a bulldozer to clear a little over 10 acres of mesquite trees and then used the bulldozer's rear rippers to sort of plow the severely compacted soil because the condition of the expansive clay soil was horrible on those 10+ acres. In the process, I inadvertently spread the hay around as I was trying to smooth the land. By the Fall/Winter of 2022 ryegrass started growing beautifully on about 2 acres of the land. Right now it's so thick and lush that I had a farmer neighbor ask if he could bale it for me and take half. I pulled up a few handfuls of the ryegrass to the roots and that compacted, expansive clay soil has turned to black gold, and I did nothing but accidentally spread it while clearing trees. It got me to thinking, after this guy bales this grass, I will experiment by using the remaining half to spread around other parts of my land and see if the same thing happens. If it does improve the soil and grows ryegrass in the Fall/Winter again, I think I'm onto something. I'll let anyone interested know what happens. Take care, and thanks again for the video!
to be fair the reason the bag with cow manure had earth worms was because they were already present in the cow manure that was added. you can actually see multiple worms wriggling about when the manure was being added to the native soil and 1 big one actually picked out in the clip ua-cam.com/video/67XfjoIwIsc/v-deo.html
last year, 2022, i added sand to an area that was not draining, it got worse, i lost some plants, when i went to dig it was so hard…sand plus dirt/clay is how ancient homes were made! basically i made bricks….switched back to gypsum…but and going to buy some cow manure today! thanks for this huge effort!
Hi Jenna, nice job on the amendments ’shootout!’ Yes, I agree, manure is the King (or Queen if you prefer) of amendments. One observation I noticed was that you added peat moss in a dry state; in my experience you will have greater success soaking peat/coir BEFORE applying. When dry it’s like a dry sponge that actually repels moisture. It actually takes weeks to normalize it’s moisture when used dry. Worms hate dry coir/peat because it will suck them dry. That could have affected the pepper’s growth. Simply soak it in a wheelbarrow, for hour or two, then dig in. The sand shown was pretty fine grade; sharp, coarse sand is a better way to go. Not to breakup soil, but a small sand bed/bucket is a great place to start bare-root cuttings. Sounds you plan further testing; I’d encourage you to research “COF,” AKA complete organic fertilizer pioneered by Steve Solomon, the founder of Territorial Seed Company. It’s a fascinating and cost effective way to increase the verdant fertility of soil. One of the key components is bags of horse feed (e.g., alfalfa pellets, soy pellets or grass screening pellets). This increases fertility as well as providing organic material. This stuff is cheapest when you buy it in feed bags of 40-50 pounds at a Farm Store. A quick example of the cost differential (both from same farm store): Down to Earth Organic Alfalfa Meal Fertilizer in a 4# box = $12 = $3/lb. 50# sack of Alfalfa Meal = $20 = 40¢/lb …FOR THE SAME EXACT THING! Soybean pellets have 2-3X more nitrogen than alfalfa, but are more $$$, conversely ’grass screenings’ pellets are less $, with less % nitrogen. An advantage to the cheaper screenings is that since you use more, you’re automatically adding more organic material to the soil which combats the clay issue. Last fall I fertilized one 4x6’ bed with an entire 50# bag of screenings. It had all winter to break down & feed worms. It was covered to prevent rain runoff. We’ll see how that does this year. My brother, an avid beer brewer has been dumping his brew grain leavings in his garden for years; I have never seen a garden with richer soil or better tilth than his! You could shovel his beds with your bare hands! So verdant! If you have a good sized garden, it’s a no brainer. And it’s organic. Another good source of bulk add-ins is an agricultural amendments company; we have an excellent one in PDX, www.concentratesnw.com, hopefully you can find one similar in your region. I make a trip there every spring as shipping costs are very high. Plus, I like to browse & see what’s new. Google search: “agricultural amendments company nearest”. Finally (whew), I encourage you to locate a mushroom farm close to you. They use straw that has been sanitized by steam, then bagged & inoculated with mushroom spores. Eventually they peter out and need to be replaced. Every mushroom concern I’ve ever talked to is happy to have someone to cart it away. Sometimes they ask for an insignificant fee. Now these farmers are busy & don’t want to be bothered by requests for a bag or two… but if you borrow a pickup truck & carry away a load they’ll be friendly & happy. Note that these are moist, leaky bags that you do not want to put in a nice car/van. One final bonus: if you moisten the bag you’ll likely get another flush or two of delicious, edible mushrooms (usually oyster mushrooms) before using them as compost. I’ve turned into an avid organic gardener & am now a coordinator for a community garden. If you’d like to see more of my tips & tricks go to Google Groups and search for: “WVCGC Resouces” (Willamette Valley Community Garden Coordinator Resources). Then request access. Link is groups.google.com/g/wvcgc-resouces If you made it this far, thanks & good gardening to you & yours!
The spent straw is actually what they sell as mushroom compost, plus the peat moss that's added at before packing the inoculate into the growing beds. , i know this because I was a senior operator at a huge organic mushroom farm operation. You were correct about everything else
My concern about cow manure is how it conveys whatever chemicals were on/in the grass/hay they ate. Horror stories abound of legumes and nightshades completely failing from “Grazon” contamination. Great work!
I'm glad you mentioned that, I was thinking of asking 2 neighboring farms if I could buy a container or 2 of cow poo. I think they might use the poo for their own fields, but, I could possibly fill up a plastic container or 2 for 1 place I need it for. I'd be wanting to grow tomatoes and peppers in the spot I need it for, so, that chemical would ruin that for me for sure.
I was looking forward to this one. I would make a couple notes: manure is full of a significant amount of bacteria and other microbes. These microbes along with the organic matter are likely the reason why the soil texture began to improve. This is likely similar to applying a good compost.
Great point about the manure! After I shot this video, I felt like I should have mentioned that this was aged manure that came straight from the farm- NOT the bagged stuff from the big box stores. In my experience the bagged stuff does not have the same microbial 'magic'.
@@amylamar1 I might look for organic beef ranches. If they use herbicide it will kill your garden plants. (Jess at Roots and Refuge got a batch they were told had no herbicide in it and it wiped out her beans and tomatoes) horse farms too. But with the same risk. It’s crazy how much herbicide is used now. Animal people would get a kick out of you shoveling out the poop.😂 They are usually nice people and probably sell the animal waste to places that make fertilizer. It’s big business. But they would probably let you have a couple trash bags full.
Cow manure is magic & along with microbes, minerals, protein etc it also has significant amount of carbon. A faster way to make compost is by adding fresh manure with some cow urine along with molasses/jaggery and some pulse flour and mix it and keep it covered for a week (Don’t make it very mushy) In smaller batches it’s usually ready within the week and larger batches takes some turning & 3-4 weeks. You will have microbe rich compost ready for the plants in no time saving the hassle of composting manure and the problem of storing manure.
In India earthworms are given the title of friend of the farmer due to its relevance in maintaining the quality of soil, they make it more porous and rich in other essential elements. In sandy soil they help it to improve moisture holding capacity. Your video has also proved the relevance of these tiny incredible creatures. I am very glad to know this fact through your video also. I appreciate your enthusiasm and hard work. I think all that camera work is also done by you yourself, you alone doing all that. 👍
They are indeed the friend of the farmer- love this! I'm always happy to see them at work in my soil. And yes, I shoot & edit all the videos myself- it's a lot of work, but I enjoy it 😀
@@GrowfullywithJenna Yes, I love earthworms because they are so innocent, don't want anything from us rather give us fertile soil free of cost. So, in return I try to give them favourable conditions in my garden, they can survive on their own but they can thrive very well if our kitchen waste is provided to them. Nature is full of positive energy of innocence and invisible electromagnetic aura, that is why nature lovers like you always look so energetic and with positive vibes, only therefore you single handedly taking care of your beautiful farm as well as replying passionately and with patience to so many comments of your fellow nature lovers. I saw that you reply almost all the relevant comments on all three social media platforms. Next level of enthusiasm and integrity. I don't know why you don't take help of your family members, atleast for camera work. I wish I was there 😔. All this requires so much passion, true heart and surrounding full of positive aura. The Aura of Nature and its vital role in human lives, can be proved through a live energy demonstration. To which people living in Concrete Jungles are always deprived of, resulting in various chronic diseases. There is so much to share about this incredible science of nature and the ultimate creator, if opportunity comes then I will invite you in India, to visit my farm as an expert senior research advisor 😀 to implement your research work here. 🤗
Compost is mostly good for sandy soils that don’t hold enough moisture. Manure will add good microbial benefits. Sand and clay just gives you concrete though so many people think that’s their answer. Adding grit will help much more to help drainage. Thanks for the video it’s great to see how they all worked.
I need semi loads of everything as the sand eats it up. The most difficult is keeping it moist because once the amendments dry out it drains straight through just like sand. I’m trying less till method in low long beds and I think that may be the perfect. Lol, yes, it looks like it’s true that sand and clay makes concrete.
I can definitely see where the compost would be great for sandy soil. I still like my 'homemade' compost for my clay soil, but it has more microbial life than the pasteurized mushroom compost does.
A few years ago we added sand to clay as part of installing a land-drainage system with pipes to our water-logged gardens. Now I indeed have concrete (aargghh!) that drains too slowly instead of clay that never did. Vegetable plants can't root properly and fally over in the couple inches of compost I managed to make with years of leaf-moulding. This year I am going with the flow with patios and raised small beds instead. Well at least the concret is a good sub-surface layer to the 'hardcore' I need to put down for the patios. Don't add sand to clay - Believe!
Thanks Jenna. I know these experiments are time consuming. I use mushroom soil and horse manure/bedding in addition to my own compost to amend my beds. I live near the mushroom capital here in PA so the mushroom compost is relatively inexpensive. And there is a big horse farm down the street so that makes the horse manure and bedding practical for me. I never have done a controlled experiment as you've done but can say these amendments seem to have given me good results in the beds where I've used them. I usually use the horse manure in the fall in new beds or beds I'm renovating. The mushroom soil I consider safe to use anytime so I often apply that in the spring and summer if needed.
The absolute best amendment that I have ever added to my clay soil was grass clippings from an untreated lawn…! My technique was to fill a large black trash bag with the grass clippings, left it out in the sun for a week or two, this caused a rapid composting. The end result was this beautiful, black mush! I then incorporated it into my soil the results were absolutely mind blowing! I wish I could post pictures😢
I love, love, love my grass clippings! I do it the lazy way- I use it as mulch in all my beds and let it rot down very slowly, but would swear that this has helped my garden enormously. I may have to try your technique in the black trash bags though! Thanks for sharing!
@@D1008W Place all the grass clippings in a large garden trash bag.. leave it in the sun. This will be the catalyst for rapid decomposition. In the end .. you will have a black sludge that is worth more than gold.! Give it a week or two ..the composting process will make it hot as heck it will kill everything…
Ok what everyone wants to know Amending the soil with cow manure is adding microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi this is why you are having such an amazing transformation in soil texture and fertility. These little guys release the nutrients already available in the soil. This is also why you have an abundance of earthworms which also help and creating better aeration. It is best to think about inoculation rather than fertilization. To have the same result on large plots of land, they make a compost tea from the minors or a good rich compost and then inoculating the soils and you’ll have great results because these organisms reproduce and multiply. When a soil is rich in the perfect balance of bacteria and fungi, it releases all the nutrients that are already available in the rocks and soil, creating a perfect environment or ecosystem for a plant to thrive. You can easily see that this not only supports the root development of the plant, but also creates the environment that is perfect for earthworms to leave their castings and do their magic. The other thing that would happen through time is the roots actually leave holes and create carbon down in the soil, which creates a rich food source as well as pathways for root development and water penetration in the future , most people underestimate the benefits that plants themselves do at creating a better soil . It is easy to see that an amendment that is not rich in microbial life does very little to change the ecosystem of the soil. Life feeds life. Anyone more interested in this subject? I would recommend checking out Dr. Elaine Ingram, who studies exclusively the life of the soil and is one of the top leading experts in this field.
Wow, that's was really surprising results. Especially, the mushroom compost! I am not really surprised by the lawn aerator, it's hard to keep live microbes alive in a storage warehouse and big trucks before its purchased. I would love to see store bought worm castings in your next experiment. This was awesome to watch, thank you for the hard work it took to make!!
Great point about keeping the microbes alive-- this is a major issue with many products like this! Ooh- and I love the idea of worm castings- thank you!
I just use cover crops:🐞 Cover crop seed: Warm season soil builder (12way) Red Ripper Cowpeas, 5518 Hutchinson Blend Soybeans, Mung Beans, Sunn Hemp, Sweet Forever Sorghum Sudan , Tifleaf III Hybrid Pearl Millet, African Cabbage, Trophy Rapeseed, Black Oil Sunflower, Mancan Buckwheat, Clemson Spineless 80 Okra, Golden Flax
Absolutely- I use cover crops extensively as well. But because I've gotten so many questions about individual amendments, I thought this would be an interesting test.
I double… or triple… dug a 10x10 bed of extremely heavy clay and incorporated gypsum, Bio Live, and tons of bagged composted dairy manure. The soil was drastically improved in one season and I had a good harvest out of that bed. I plan to do spring and fall cover crops and continue to build the soil. Now you have me wanting to go outside on a cold January night to get a soil sample so I can do a pH test. I have winged it in the yard with decent success, but I would like to be more thoughtful and informed going forward.
I love everything about this video. The scientific approach was spot on right down to the use of a control. I also loved that old school cow manure was the best thing for your garden.
Thank you for conducting this experiment. I’m in Georgia where our clay soil can get as hard as concrete. As a lawn care enthusiast, I have been looking for something that will help loosen it up. I’ve tried gypsum and Humic acid with little success. I will definitely try manure to see if it helps.
Thanks for the videos! I'm in North Eastern Ohio and we started gardening more enthusiastically this year. Our soil has a bit of clay and lots of rocks but seems pretty balanced overall. We tilled our beds deep and added compost and manure in the spring. The garden did well despite a late start. Working on covering the soil with manure and straw before everything freezes up. Probably a good idea to do some soil testing in the spring and see where we need to fine tune.
Thank you so much for this study! I have been educating myself using the internet to find the best way to amend my heavy clay soil. This test was well planned and executed. (even a control planting!) Of course every video or article I read swears their's is the best method. Your test actually looks at the results of all the soil amendments . This helped me to decide how I would tackle the clay garden I have. Again thank you!
I wish one of your tests was with homemade compost. I worry about adding manure since there could be bad stuff in it. If I had my own animals I wouldn't hesitate, but all I can get that's for sure safe is chopped leaves, grass clippings and homemade compost, of which there is never enough!
Definitely testing the homemade compost next go around (and I agree- there is never enough!). And your concerns about manure are valid-- I'm lucky to know the farmer well and see what the animals are eating and how they are raised. Sadly, it's getting so hard to find a clean source for manure garden amendments any more.
Thank you for all the time and information you put into this experiment! Rabbit manure has been my amendment for years since it can be put on straight from the cage mixed with the pine shavings for bedding. Soil is fluffy with lots of clean fertilizer with no seeds in the mix.
Was looking forward to this one. I literally share all the same things here with you - Zone 6B with clay soils - so I follow closely. Your info is the most useful to me! Thanks!
How did you ever find the time to do such an amazing comparison? I am envious of your energy. I also have heavy clay soil and was going to recommend trying my favorite soil amendment, leaf mold. Another kind of cool thing to look at would be any difference in the soil life within the different samples. I've really enjoyed looking at different soil samples and amendments this year. Enjoy your videos.
I love leaf mold too, and am excited to test this one! I also love the idea of looking at soil life- it really didn't strike me as something to look at until I saw all those earthworms in the manure amended container.
Very interesting! It's great you're willing to put in this kind of work rather than sticking to easier/flashier content that every garden channel has done a dozen times already. I'm also working with clay in zone 6a (Colorado), so this has been super helpful!
Wow! That was a lot of labor, time, equipment and cost for you, but many of us greatly applaud your great effort. I believe in a single all-consuming guideline, to wit: what does Nature do? Compost, mulch and water.
It's my first year gardening. I used the RX soil sample you recommended and this video to great success so far. I double dug two 4 x12 garden beds, one I left un-amended clay and just broke it up with a rake. The second I dug after watching this video..... I added three large bags of composted steer manure and the difference has been amazing. I plan on amending the first bed after harvest this year in similar fashion and supplementing both with compost. Thanks for your help!
i think the reason the peat didn't do as well is because it absorbed the minerals and nutrients out of the clay. It would eventually release them as it broke down completely, but probably didn't have time. or maybe it did but there weren't enough nutrients to begin with. Peat probably didn't bring any nutrients to the table, just adds good organic matter. I would have thought that the cow manure would lower the ph more than peat, as increased bacterial activity temporarily lowers ph significantly. I have learned a lot from your videos and am glad when i see you put a new one out
Do you know how long the peat would take to break down? I added it to these container back at the beginning of June, but I'm assuming it would take a year or better? On the manure, interestingly enough, studies by Penn State have shown dairy cow manure at an average pH of 7.0 I think that the fact that this was well aged cow manure probably helped as well.
@@GrowfullywithJenna i'm not sure how long it would take to break down. you would probably have a better idea than me, did it feel or look like it was when you broke it up? Again, really enjoy the videos and sometimes learn something, like cow manure not lowering ph. I figured wrongly on that
@@GrowfullywithJenna i'm not sure how long it would take to break down. you would probably have a better idea than me, did it feel or look like it was when you broke it up? Again, really enjoy the videos and sometimes learn something, like cow manure not lowering ph. I figured wrongly on that
I have surprisingly good luck with leaf mold. My garden soil is clayish. I till it right in the soil. Strangely weeds and grass problems are very low all season long and the soil stays loose and drys out fairly quick. If it's not well composted or mixed well it can hurt seed germination and/or slow down nitrogen uptake from my experience. I add a lot to the soil but it's free by the pickup load from the county seat. I cover potatoes with straight leaf mold mounds but let them take root in the dirt. Unbelievably easy to harvest. It's a great mulch too. Great video! Looking forward to the next mixes and results. Thanks!
We appreciate this well thought-out experiment and the effort to see it through. One take away for me was the resilience of the pepper plant. It did kind of okay regardless of the medium it was grown in. This means that in gardening, if you put in some kind of effort, you will get some kind of reward. Maybe not a 4-H prize, but something that you can eat. Keep trying...
I wish you would have did worm castings as one too. That’s what I use as a soil amendment for my garden and on my lawn after aerating and it results in really nice soil!
Thanks for the deep dive in soil, here in SW missouri (2nd yr) this soil is rock and clay. Dug a 4x26 (12 inch deep) planting bed. Sifted the soil and rock for six months. mixed horse and cow manure with the clay. Potatoes have just broke through, transplanting corn and zuccs next week. How this works. Started next two spots but they will be raised beds. Last year was in protein buckets. All the best
Thank you so much! I had seen a video telling me not to use manure in clay soil. I had just bought three bags of cow manure before seeing that video and thought I had made a mistake. Now I'm happy with my manure bags.
Thank you for all the hard work in testing these amendments in clay soil. We have clay soil and it's difficult to deal with for us novice gardeners. I heard about using gypsum and tried that but was very disappointed with the lack of results. I guess I'll stick with the ol' cow manure.
I like the way you took the time to run this test and thoroughly explain all the perks and negatives. I've often pondered what is the magic additive for a garden? Numerous videos praise yard waste compost, wood chip compost, manure compost, chicken poo, worm castings, rabbit droppings, along with multiple other additives. This leaves one's head spinning as to what to use. I do strictly raised bed gardenening and would be more than happy to fill a bed with whatever will work but can't find the definative answer.
Wow I’ve just found you channel. I’m in Columbus Ohio. This will be my 2nd year gardening. I could go on and on …. But, suffice it to say you are a breath of fresh air.. I can’t wait to implement your suggestions. Thank you so much so much so much.❤
Jenna and the whole community I want to share my experience with you how about a few things. I grew up with cattle during my childhood and that was the best experience I have had. Nothing beats pure cow manure and mother nature. I've used gypsum to break up clay here in Indiana. Nothing different from the Ohio soil. And I've had great success. Now the soil amendment just doesn't happen overnight. You have to work your soil over a few years to get it right. I used car manure, peat moss, gypsum, and other sources to amend my soil. That's how you do it. But cow manure is the best thing for your garden.
Jenna you are every bit as hot as a pepper! Love the experiment! I am trying to grow Brunswick cabbage, carrots, kale, lettuce, cilantro, lettuce, and few other things in bags out in a green house. Using my own dirt mix, goat manure.
What are fabulously detailed and well conducted experiments. Greetings from Hertfordshire,England, where I pay an annual visit to my local farm and collect sacks of horse manure.
Thank you for the time and effort you put into recording these results and editing what was probably numerous hours worth of video. Your results really helped me solidify my decisions when I amended my clay soil for roses and fruit trees.
Thanks for the awesome experiment. I have black gumbo soil. I think the worms did the work because the manure was present. I may try manure and biochar together based on what I saw in your results. Happy gardening!
I watched a great video (Dr. Grow It Episode 28) and his guest talks about different nutrients (Mobile, immobile, partially immobile) surprisingly mushrooms hold sulfur and release it during rain/watering and when its released its ready for plant uptake. So don't sell that mushroom compost short. It may not ammend the soil the best, but the positives you're getting from the mycelium and fungi can't be replaced by cow manure! Great info overall!!!!
Nice experiment. I have read that sand added to clay forms chemical bonds that make the soil even more impenetrable. Was not surprised by the slow drainage test. Thanks for showing the soil structure, that's what I was most interested in. Great work!
I love the scientific approach to problem solving a lot. Im dealing with trying to grow in very clay heavy soil. I live near Albuquerque, New Mexico by the Rio Grande in a town called Corrales. Basically a river forest edge. I have a shit ton of bugs (mainly pests, working hard to promote beneficial insects to equalize the ecosystem) and concrete clay soil. My yard has two massive trees in it that spread massive roots all throughout the ground. The soil is INFESTED with grubs. Ive already applied beneficial nematodes but its the first time applying so the grubs are still kicking around down there. There is a fungi system underground in some areas of the garden which is good. Recently, i picked up some mushroom compost from lowes for 4 dollars a big bag (idk how many pounds, maybe 8? Its those big bags you would usually find soil in any big box store in ). I dug soke holes where i am putting plants, and filled it with the compost and planted a few in it already. I have planted salvia, candytuft, and tickseed in the compost so far and although its only day 1, they all seem to be doing extremely well. The salvia and candytuft had been planted in a mixture of the clay soil and perlite (me, not knowing anything about gardening thinking mixing perlite with clay will help drainage lol) they started suffocating after a couple days, yellow leaves, droopy stalks. Just overnight after planting in a hole filled with mushroom compost, they immediately perked up, stiffened, and seem to be happier, although this could probably be due to the roots being aerated. After watching this, i will leave them in the MC if they keep going strong. But i will pick up some cow manure for the vegetable garden area. I have potatoes, onions, leeks, watercress, horseradish, and 2 pepper plants in the veggie garden so far, all planted in the clay soil that i mixed with big bags of organic potting soil. Surprisingly theyre doing good, at least the potatoes and onions and leeks. The pepper plants have yet to see much growth in comparison. Theyre are definitely going to need cow manure. I was about to expand the veggie garden plot by scratching up the surface and mixing in more mushroom compost, but now i will make sure to get some composted cow manure for this area. One good thing about my soil is it is chock full of earth worms as well. Lots of organic matter from the trees has fallen into the soil over the years, although where i live its extremely windy, dry, and close to the sun so a lot of the organic matter gets brittle and blown around, resulting in the healthiest areas being next to the fence on all sides. Cultivating the soil is extreme hard work due to having to dig througu concrete when dry, mud when wet, and on top of that, cutting massive tree roots with an axe. I know raised beds would be 10x better for growing vegetables but i felt as if i needed to learn how to amend the soil and make it productive and bring it back to full glory. Your video has helped me gain so much insight and saved me so much time of trial and error and saved me so much money that wouldve been wasted on letting plants die, buying all kinds of products, etc. So THANK YOU
@@GrowfullywithJenna Try composted cotton burrs! My mom gave me a bag and it aerates the soil while holding moisture extremely well. Its the best thing ive used in my garden so far. Recommended by the nurseries here
This is pretty wild to hear. I would have thought that the sand would have been better at breaking the clay apart. Also, I was watching another channel that said that cow manure held the water in. But this is proving otherwise. He had red clay from I think maybe the east United States. I didn't see an exact location. Im in Indiana. So I have super clay like you. Thanks! This really helps! Manure. I know it added nutrients but I didn't know it helped the clay drain. Huh...who'd-a-thunk?!
I love this systematic approach ! Thanks for putting all that time over the months and compiling it. Next time mulch the surface, all the pots will do better.
Great video. I will be buying some good-quality cow manure and mix with compost to amend my clay soil. English isn't my first language but the way you speak so clearly is such a pleasure to watch. You deliver your message quite effectively. Thank you!
Cow manure for the win! :) As you know, I have been addicted to cow manure for two decades! And my brother? I need to share this with him. We have been "arguing" for years about this. He is a mushroom compost believer and I counter with my organic cow manure. lol. Proof is in the results, right? Anybody reading this from Richmond, VA into SC please check out Daddy Pete's. Organic cow manure and other organic mixes. Competitive price and regional distribution only. You have to find a dealer, though, near you. Most are in NC. And no I am not commissioned agent for them. Honest testimony only. Thanks Jenna! Happy gardening!
Oh, by the way, around here (clay) peat moss for planting new trees and bushes is NOT recommended by several folk I know at garden centers because moisture retention is already present with the clay. Still others, around here, still do it. Head scratcher?
Yeah I am up for the leafmold (working on a pile right now) and chicken manure (been using that too since we got our first chickens) so please include those, Jenna.
Yes! I know you are a fellow manure lover! I'm a bit jealous that you have good source of quality bagged manure in your area though. The stuff the stores carry here is (no pun intended) crap. Great suggestion for folks in your area!!
Sounds like those not recommending it are on the up & up- I think the advise recommending peat came from years ago... I know that's what they were recommending it decades ago when my mom was in Master Gardener's training.
central MS here. we live by a creek and we have clay soil, i appreciate the video! when we moved to this new house, the first thing i did was check the soil hah!! i was pretty sad to see clay, but this will help me, and i thank you!
My best amendment has been home made compost. Covering around plants with chopped up pine needles because clay soil has the POTENTIAL to become almost as hard as concrete when summer heat waves come. And ALWAYS check that soil to make sure it contributes to the plants growing and fruiting like one wants them to.
Cow manure, leaves, old hay, ashes from the fire pit, grass and pine wood ground up and and sitting for about 2 yrs before I could use it, it turned into some beautiful dirt compost so, I took all of the ingredeints from above and amended it to the garden that is 75% clay here in Missoui, and what a differance but, there's no place for lazyness! You really do have to be commited to your food table! Thank you.
I have clay soil and I'm trying to figure out how to start amending it for next year I can't really do a lot of heavy digging or lifting or anything like that and I keep reading people saying add sticks and leaves and all that other good stuff but I was wondering if you could tell me if the area in my yard can I just start adding twigs and dry leaves and grass clippings and stuff this year or do I have to turn the soil underneath. Everybody keeps saying add stuff add stuff but nobody's saying what to do with the soil underneath if they have to dig it up or just laying stuff on top and slowly digging it into the dirt as you go I'm all confused
Thank you. Excellent testing and very comprehensive. My friend has all clay soil and I had recommended gypsum but I will change that advice to cow manure. He has a few cows.Thanks.
I've had the best success with a mix of additives. Compost, manure, peat, perlite, vermiculite. Maintaining a fresh cut grass, plant cuttings, leaf mold mulch throughout the growing season. This transformed my clay concrete jungle into a gorgeous loamy soil over 2 seasons.
@@maynardgreenhouse I agree. It also contributes to aeration( small air pockets).. Having heavy clay soil means bad drainage. Once I've changed that condition I still need moisture retention as well.
100% agree with this! As I mentioned at the end of the video, I think the best way to tackle clay is a combination of amendments and care techniques (which can be seen here: ua-cam.com/video/QS7qQVOzK7g/v-deo.html) , but since I frequently get asked questions about individual amendments, I felt this was good way to test them.
2 seasons?! I've mulched with wood chips for the last year and haven't added anything else but some soil aerator. Maybe I need to add manure in bulk. Did you till stuff in?
@@mybootscamewithoutstraps in the late summer I added a foot deep of freshly chipped wood chips ( lots of green, mostly pine). It was 2 loads from Chipdrop. On this I spread urea 30-0-0 pellets, 10 lbs and watered well kept it moist. In the spring I hired a man with a small tractor to turn it all in. Much of it was broken down well. I created my mounds and paths. Filling the paths a foot deep with new wood chips. Fluffed the soil with all the new additives, manure, compost, vermiculite, peat and lots of drying grass clippings. I grew a great garden. This spring I once again added a bunch of compost and dried grass clippings. Dug it all in with my horihori knife down about 14". It's all soft and fluffy. Last two days I've been transplanting all my starts. So yes, in less than 1 year, 2 summers, I've completely converted rock hard clay into my garden oasis.
If you can't find cow manure, I've found that clean horse, sheep, chicken and/or rabbit manure works well too. Bonus- rabbit manure isn't "hot" so it can be used right away without composting/aging.
We here in India(Rajasthan) don't face such problem of brick like hard clay soil, rather desire to have a bit clay like moisture retaining soil in our fields full of sand and sand dunes in Western Rajasthan with temperature soaring up to 47 ℃. Here we have to use various tricks to plant trees, then to water plants in order to save water and ultimately to prevent moisture in sandy soil from scorching heat through various layers of gravels and mulching. Here plants like Morringa, Neem with white and yellow roots, grow very well. Even I add some clay soil in along with sandy soil to increase moisture holding capacity. Today for the first time I came across your channel and found your videos quite enthusiastic for a gardener like me. You alone doing very well all these plantations and sharing your work and research. My english is not that good, but I tried my best to express my feelings. Lots of Love from India. 👍🙏
I love hearing the experiences of gardeners growing in different parts of the world, with vastly different soil and growing conditions- thank you so much for sharing! Take care!
@@GrowfullywithJenna More than me, you need to take care, all alone handling various commentators like me and replying them 😀. I have started following you on fb and instagram also 🤗.
This was a very well-done video. Thank you so much for this information. I would have loved to see just plain compost mixed in, but I'm very new to gardening, and I may not know what I'm talking about lol. I just moved to Colorado, and the soil here is heavy clay and hard as concrete. Our landscaper planted our plants directly in it without amendments, and my plants are suffering. I will be adding manure!
This was an incredible video. Thank you for taking the time to do a soil test with all the different ammendments. Im in Ohio too with clay soil. This year I am trying horse manure.
I live in southwestern ohio. I’ve had really good results with leaf compost that we buy in bulk. We have sand, gravel and clay. The property was stripped of the topsoil. It was a new build 20 years ago. Thank you for all the information. I was always told also to use gypsum. Glad I didn’t.
There are several grades of sand and stone. The all purpose sand must have a lot of fine particles and possibly some plasticizer nutrients, something which would make it horrible as a clay soil amendment. Just like you tested. Coarse sand or a particular small grade of ground stone will most probably give good results in amending clay soil. The main benefit of this type of materials is that they are cheap and available everywhere. Anyway, your experiment was very well executed. Thank you!
Wow. These could be super helpful and definitely educational for someone who doesnt garden alot. Or is new to gardening. Thank you for posting these videos!
Doing a layer of wood chips has been the most effective with my sticky clay. I like to add it in the fall and the wet winter helps integrate it. Ultimately, anything that builds humus in the minerally soil. Nice experiment
HI Jenna, Thank you so much for this video. It may have been made 7 months ago but I just found it today. The timing is perfect. I am going to be digging up part of my yard to make it a garden. I am in Ohio and have heavy clay soil too. I planned on adding peat but this changed my mind for sure. Thanks again and I will be looking for your next soil test.
My grandfather used to live on a farm in the Freestate South Africa and he had some large open patches forming in his fields where nothing grows he said it was due to salts accumulating in the soil he ploughed in some gypsum and the grass started to grow again, a combination of cow manure and biochar should also work well Self-sufficient me from Australia also use broken down cow manure with very good results
Also love cow poo for my garden but my steady source is pig poo 💩. But last few years heavy mulch combo grass clipping , leaves and garden waste having more leaves than the others and remembered you mixture leaves and grass as it stays in place better. I run my ingredients thu my 8 hp mulcher chipper and breaking them down even work better for staying in place over the winter season. You water 3 gallon water each daily that's lots of water and why I garden in ground and find best in ground and raise for drainage as you emperize daily. Thanks Lady Gardener. Note lots of work hopefully lots of people learned from the lesson.
Hi Jenna - just reviewed you video. I am new to Ohio and have 5 acres with clay soil as well. I don't believe it is Sodic but I am just learning to interpret soil sample lab analyses. I plan on rehabbing the old sheep farm into trees (existing) and Pollinator gardens (for fun) with a smattering of vegetable gardens. I have gained a lot of insight on what I might be faced with and need to do from your experiment. Great job. Thanks
I absolutely love this info and your videos. So thankful that someone out there has similar clay soil. Not only that but being able to compare my own garden & use of compost to what you did was veery helpful. I started my garden with a open compost pile turned into a garden area and used mushroom compost for most of the year. Come the end of summer going into fall I started using more cow manure and Humus compost. I guess it's done well but I used the mushroom compost as a microbe starter, to get my garden started. My plants have geld out well on it but the inclusion of cow manure & humus along with the occasional chop h drop has kept my garden steady. Thank you for putting in the work for this experiment.
This is such an excellent video and I came upon it at the perfect time as I have stripped up a lot of grass from our lawn and am going to replace it with a garden bed. The soil is very hard clay and I was thinking to go with manure as a mix and this helped make the decision clear for me. Thank you!
This is a really well done study! I have seen several similar tests done with different types of soil. My father taught me to garden and always said don’t make it complicated; there’s nothing better than composted animal manure, leaves and composted wood chips from cow stalls. This is what I’ve lived by because it’s what I know but as a see more of these tests and hear more of the actual science and life of soil, I am realizing these old timers’ experience was as good as Cornell University studies. I’ve come to the conclusion that all soil types will benefit immensely from just adding manure and readily available organic matter.
Thanks! Your father is spot on, I believe! And I find it fascinating that so much of that 'old-timer' knowledge has come to be proven true by scientific studies. Sometimes just the time and life experience of seeing how things react in real world situations is all you need!
I am a bit concerned about the pesticides in the hay that passes through the cow’s digestive system into the manure. Any thoughts on this?
@@julieb7068 Find a clean source of hay, no reason to be feeding pesticides to cows. Be very careful of your hay sources or grow it yourself. Imidacloprid is commonly found on hay and can kill your crops, not sure if it's active after being digested but I'm not taking any chances with an animal or plant.
@@julieb7068cows who eat roundup in their feed transfer it to the soil. Be careful where you get your cow manure from. It is really not the cow manure but the bacteria and fungi that are inoculating the soil that are doing all the work. This can be found in well-developed compost.
Check out Dr. Elaine Ingraham on the soil Web many UA-cam videos available
Also check out biodynamic preps that are also very rich source of clean healthy bacteria and fungi that are polarized then stirred into rainwater and then sprinkled on the soil. Will have the same type of benefits. I believe it’s the 501 prep and can be found at the Josaphine Porter Institute.
Now THIS was the information I spent a better part of a year searching for. THANK YOU SO MUCH for making this video! The information was STELLAR! I'm glad that cow manure was the "top dog" because I was definitely looking for more of a natural way to improve my expansive clay soil. But I was NOT surprised at all to see that the manure was the only amendment that had Earth worms.
Just FYI. Around early Summer in 2022 I had some left over hay that was spread on about 1,000 square feet or so of my property. I used a bulldozer to clear a little over 10 acres of mesquite trees and then used the bulldozer's rear rippers to sort of plow the severely compacted soil because the condition of the expansive clay soil was horrible on those 10+ acres. In the process, I inadvertently spread the hay around as I was trying to smooth the land. By the Fall/Winter of 2022 ryegrass started growing beautifully on about 2 acres of the land. Right now it's so thick and lush that I had a farmer neighbor ask if he could bale it for me and take half.
I pulled up a few handfuls of the ryegrass to the roots and that compacted, expansive clay soil has turned to black gold, and I did nothing but accidentally spread it while clearing trees.
It got me to thinking, after this guy bales this grass, I will experiment by using the remaining half to spread around other parts of my land and see if the same thing happens. If it does improve the soil and grows ryegrass in the Fall/Winter again, I think I'm onto something.
I'll let anyone interested know what happens.
Take care, and thanks again for the video!
I love rye as a cover crop and use it extensively on my clay soil- you’re definitely on to something!!
to be fair the reason the bag with cow manure had earth worms was because they were already present in the cow manure that was added. you can actually see multiple worms wriggling about when the manure was being added to the native soil and 1 big one actually picked out in the clip ua-cam.com/video/67XfjoIwIsc/v-deo.html
Thanks for taking the time to do this experiment so you can help us to be a better gardener ❤
My pleasure!
last year, 2022, i added sand to an area that was not draining, it got worse, i lost some plants, when i went to dig it was so hard…sand plus dirt/clay is how ancient homes were made! basically i made bricks….switched back to gypsum…but and going to buy some cow manure today! thanks for this huge effort!
Hi Jenna, nice job on the amendments ’shootout!’ Yes, I agree, manure is the King (or Queen if you prefer) of amendments. One observation I noticed was that you added peat moss in a dry state; in my experience you will have greater success soaking peat/coir BEFORE applying. When dry it’s like a dry sponge that actually repels moisture. It actually takes weeks to normalize it’s moisture when used dry. Worms hate dry coir/peat because it will suck them dry. That could have affected the pepper’s growth. Simply soak it in a wheelbarrow, for hour or two, then dig in. The sand shown was pretty fine grade; sharp, coarse sand is a better way to go. Not to breakup soil, but a small sand bed/bucket is a great place to start bare-root cuttings.
Sounds you plan further testing; I’d encourage you to research “COF,” AKA complete organic fertilizer pioneered by Steve Solomon, the founder of Territorial Seed Company. It’s a fascinating and cost effective way to increase the verdant fertility of soil. One of the key components is bags of horse feed (e.g., alfalfa pellets, soy pellets or grass screening pellets). This increases fertility as well as providing organic material. This stuff is cheapest when you buy it in feed bags of 40-50 pounds at a Farm Store.
A quick example of the cost differential (both from same farm store):
Down to Earth Organic Alfalfa Meal Fertilizer in a 4# box = $12 = $3/lb.
50# sack of Alfalfa Meal = $20 = 40¢/lb
…FOR THE SAME EXACT THING!
Soybean pellets have 2-3X more nitrogen than alfalfa, but are more $$$, conversely
’grass screenings’ pellets are less $, with less % nitrogen. An advantage to the cheaper screenings is that since you use more, you’re automatically adding more organic material to the soil which combats the clay issue. Last fall I fertilized one 4x6’ bed with an entire 50# bag of screenings. It had all winter to break down & feed worms. It was covered to prevent rain runoff. We’ll see how that does this year. My brother, an avid beer brewer has been dumping his brew grain leavings in his garden for years; I have never seen a garden with richer soil or better tilth than his! You could shovel his beds with your bare hands! So verdant!
If you have a good sized garden, it’s a no brainer. And it’s organic.
Another good source of bulk add-ins is an agricultural amendments company; we have an excellent one in PDX, www.concentratesnw.com, hopefully you can find one similar in your region. I make a trip there every spring as shipping costs are very high. Plus, I like to browse & see what’s new. Google search: “agricultural amendments company nearest”.
Finally (whew), I encourage you to locate a mushroom farm close to you. They use straw that has been sanitized by steam, then bagged & inoculated with mushroom spores. Eventually they peter out and need to be replaced. Every mushroom concern I’ve ever talked to is happy to have someone to cart it away. Sometimes they ask for an insignificant fee. Now these farmers are busy & don’t want to be bothered by requests for a bag or two… but if you borrow a pickup truck & carry away a load they’ll be friendly & happy. Note that these are moist, leaky bags that you do not want to put in a nice car/van. One final bonus: if you moisten the bag you’ll likely get another flush or two of delicious, edible mushrooms (usually oyster mushrooms) before using them as compost.
I’ve turned into an avid organic gardener & am now a coordinator for a community garden. If you’d like to see more of my tips & tricks go to Google Groups and search for: “WVCGC Resouces” (Willamette Valley Community Garden Coordinator Resources). Then request access. Link is groups.google.com/g/wvcgc-resouces
If you made it this far, thanks & good gardening to you & yours!
Wow! Great info! Thanks.
Thank you for this great information😊 I wrote it All Down🎉
The spent straw is actually what they sell as mushroom compost, plus the peat moss that's added at before packing the inoculate into the growing beds. , i know this because I was a senior operator at a huge organic mushroom farm operation. You were correct about everything else
My concern about cow manure is how it conveys whatever chemicals were on/in the grass/hay they ate. Horror stories abound of legumes and nightshades completely failing from “Grazon” contamination. Great work!
A legitimate concern! If you’re not raising your own animals always ask the farmer what they’ve been fed!
I'm glad you mentioned that, I was thinking of asking 2 neighboring farms if I could buy a container or 2 of cow poo. I think they might use the poo for their own fields, but, I could possibly fill up a plastic container or 2 for 1 place I need it for. I'd be wanting to grow tomatoes and peppers in the spot I need it for, so, that chemical would ruin that for me for sure.
I was looking forward to this one. I would make a couple notes: manure is full of a significant amount of bacteria and other microbes. These microbes along with the organic matter are likely the reason why the soil texture began to improve. This is likely similar to applying a good compost.
Great point about the manure! After I shot this video, I felt like I should have mentioned that this was aged manure that came straight from the farm- NOT the bagged stuff from the big box stores. In my experience the bagged stuff does not have the same microbial 'magic'.
@@GrowfullywithJenna I live in the suburbs. Do you have any idea how to track down aged manure? It sounds like I need some! :)
@@amylamar1 I might look for organic beef ranches. If they use herbicide it will kill your garden plants. (Jess at Roots and Refuge got a batch they were told had no herbicide in it and it wiped out her beans and tomatoes) horse farms too. But with the same risk. It’s crazy how much herbicide is used now. Animal people would get a kick out of you shoveling out the poop.😂 They are usually nice people and probably sell the animal waste to places that make fertilizer. It’s big business. But they would probably let you have a couple trash bags full.
Cow manure is magic & along with microbes, minerals, protein etc it also has significant amount of carbon. A faster way to make compost is by adding fresh manure with some cow urine along with molasses/jaggery and some pulse flour and mix it and keep it covered for a week (Don’t make it very mushy) In smaller batches it’s usually ready within the week and larger batches takes some turning & 3-4 weeks. You will have microbe rich compost ready for the plants in no time saving the hassle of composting manure and the problem of storing manure.
@@GrowfullywithJenna I'd be interested in your results with bagged composted manure. For many of us, that's pretty much the only kind we can get.
In India earthworms are given the title of friend of the farmer due to its relevance in maintaining the quality of soil, they make it more porous and rich in other essential elements. In sandy soil they help it to improve moisture holding capacity. Your video has also proved the relevance of these tiny incredible creatures. I am very glad to know this fact through your video also. I appreciate your enthusiasm and hard work. I think all that camera work is also done by you yourself, you alone doing all that. 👍
They are indeed the friend of the farmer- love this! I'm always happy to see them at work in my soil. And yes, I shoot & edit all the videos myself- it's a lot of work, but I enjoy it 😀
@@GrowfullywithJenna Yes, I love earthworms because they are so innocent, don't want anything from us rather give us fertile soil free of cost. So, in return I try to give them favourable conditions in my garden, they can survive on their own but they can thrive very well if our kitchen waste is provided to them.
Nature is full of positive energy of innocence and invisible electromagnetic aura, that is why nature lovers like you always look so energetic and with positive vibes, only therefore you single handedly taking care of your beautiful farm as well as replying passionately and with patience to so many comments of your fellow nature lovers. I saw that you reply almost all the relevant comments on all three social media platforms. Next level of enthusiasm and integrity. I don't know why you don't take help of your family members, atleast for camera work. I wish I was there 😔.
All this requires so much passion, true heart and surrounding full of positive aura. The Aura of Nature and its vital role in human lives, can be proved through a live energy demonstration. To which people living in Concrete Jungles are always deprived of, resulting in various chronic diseases.
There is so much to share about this incredible science of nature and the ultimate creator, if opportunity comes then I will invite you in India, to visit my farm as an expert senior research advisor 😀 to implement your research work here. 🤗
Compost is mostly good for sandy soils that don’t hold enough moisture. Manure will add good microbial benefits. Sand and clay just gives you concrete though so many people think that’s their answer. Adding grit will help much more to help drainage. Thanks for the video it’s great to see how they all worked.
I need semi loads of everything as the sand eats it up. The most difficult is keeping it moist because once the amendments dry out it drains straight through just like sand. I’m trying less till method in low long beds and I think that may be the perfect. Lol, yes, it looks like it’s true that sand and clay makes concrete.
I can definitely see where the compost would be great for sandy soil. I still like my 'homemade' compost for my clay soil, but it has more microbial life than the pasteurized mushroom compost does.
A few years ago we added sand to clay as part of installing a land-drainage system with pipes to our water-logged gardens. Now I indeed have concrete (aargghh!) that drains too slowly instead of clay that never did. Vegetable plants can't root properly and fally over in the couple inches of compost I managed to make with years of leaf-moulding. This year I am going with the flow with patios and raised small beds instead. Well at least the concret is a good sub-surface layer to the 'hardcore' I need to put down for the patios. Don't add sand to clay - Believe!
You could try getting loads of wood chips, and raise chickens and ducks on it, and use those chips as mulch. It's helped me a ton
Thanks Jenna. I know these experiments are time consuming. I use mushroom soil and horse manure/bedding in addition to my own compost to amend my beds. I live near the mushroom capital here in PA so the mushroom compost is relatively inexpensive. And there is a big horse farm down the street so that makes the horse manure and bedding practical for me. I never have done a controlled experiment as you've done but can say these amendments seem to have given me good results in the beds where I've used them. I usually use the horse manure in the fall in new beds or beds I'm renovating. The mushroom soil I consider safe to use anytime so I often apply that in the spring and summer if needed.
So nice to have sources so close by! And I'm glad to hear you've had good results in your own garden!
The absolute best amendment that I have ever added to my clay soil was grass clippings from an untreated lawn…! My technique was to fill a large black trash bag with the grass clippings, left it out in the sun for a week or two, this caused a rapid composting. The end result was this beautiful, black mush! I then incorporated it into my soil the results were absolutely mind blowing! I wish I could post pictures😢
I love, love, love my grass clippings! I do it the lazy way- I use it as mulch in all my beds and let it rot down very slowly, but would swear that this has helped my garden enormously. I may have to try your technique in the black trash bags though! Thanks for sharing!
@@GrowfullywithJenna Your welcome Jenna! Please try it! It is a miracle worker for the soil!
@@D1008W Place all the grass clippings in a large garden trash bag.. leave it in the sun. This will be the catalyst for rapid decomposition. In the end .. you will have a black sludge that is worth more than gold.! Give it a week or two ..the composting process will make it hot as heck it will kill everything…
@@D1008W your welcome!!
Looking forward to the leaf mold! Leaves and wood chips have made such a difference to my soil.
Me too!
Do you just broadcast it over your lawn or rake it into your beds or both. Thank you!
Ok what everyone wants to know
Amending the soil with cow manure is adding microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi this is why you are having such an amazing transformation in soil texture and fertility. These little guys release the nutrients already available in the soil. This is also why you have an abundance of earthworms which also help and creating better aeration.
It is best to think about inoculation rather than fertilization. To have the same result on large plots of land, they make a compost tea from the minors or a good rich compost and then inoculating the soils and you’ll have great results because these organisms reproduce and multiply.
When a soil is rich in the perfect balance of bacteria and fungi, it releases all the nutrients that are already available in the rocks and soil, creating a perfect environment or ecosystem for a plant to thrive.
You can easily see that this not only supports the root development of the plant, but also creates the environment that is perfect for earthworms to leave their castings and do their magic. The other thing that would happen through time is the roots actually leave holes and create carbon down in the soil, which creates a rich food source as well as pathways for root development and water penetration in the future , most people underestimate the benefits that plants themselves do at creating a better soil .
It is easy to see that an amendment that is not rich in microbial life does very little to change the ecosystem of the soil.
Life feeds life.
Anyone more interested in this subject? I would recommend checking out Dr. Elaine Ingram, who studies exclusively the life of the soil and is one of the top leading experts in this field.
Wow, that's was really surprising results. Especially, the mushroom compost! I am not really surprised by the lawn aerator, it's hard to keep live microbes alive in a storage warehouse and big trucks before its purchased.
I would love to see store bought worm castings in your next experiment.
This was awesome to watch, thank you for the hard work it took to make!!
Great point about keeping the microbes alive-- this is a major issue with many products like this! Ooh- and I love the idea of worm castings- thank you!
Manure will feed worms creating natural worm castings.
I just use cover crops:🐞 Cover crop seed: Warm season soil builder (12way)
Red Ripper Cowpeas, 5518 Hutchinson Blend Soybeans, Mung Beans, Sunn Hemp, Sweet Forever Sorghum Sudan , Tifleaf III Hybrid Pearl Millet, African Cabbage, Trophy Rapeseed, Black Oil Sunflower, Mancan Buckwheat, Clemson Spineless 80 Okra, Golden Flax
Absolutely- I use cover crops extensively as well. But because I've gotten so many questions about individual amendments, I thought this would be an interesting test.
I double… or triple… dug a 10x10 bed of extremely heavy clay and incorporated gypsum, Bio Live, and tons of bagged composted dairy manure. The soil was drastically improved in one season and I had a good harvest out of that bed. I plan to do spring and fall cover crops and continue to build the soil. Now you have me wanting to go outside on a cold January night to get a soil sample so I can do a pH test. I have winged it in the yard with decent success, but I would like to be more thoughtful and informed going forward.
I'm glad to hear you saw drastic improvements in your soil!
Wow, the difference with the cow manure was astounding. Thank you for this very useful information! Happy gardening.
It really was! I knew it was good stuff, but wasn't expected results like this!
Excellent study. This is just what I was looking for - the lazy way - watching YOU do it! Thank you!
I love everything about this video. The scientific approach was spot on right down to the use of a control. I also loved that old school cow manure was the best thing for your garden.
Glad you enjoyed it ( I was pleased with the 'old school' results too)
I love ur scientific approach 👏👏
Wow, I am blown away by this video! Thank you so much for doing all of that work, and documenting so thoroughly! This is amazing.
Wow, thank you!
Absolutely great video!!!!!!
Thank you for conducting this experiment. I’m in Georgia where our clay soil can get as hard as concrete. As a lawn care enthusiast, I have been looking for something that will help loosen it up. I’ve tried gypsum and Humic acid with little success. I will definitely try manure to see if it helps.
Thanks for the videos!
I'm in North Eastern Ohio and we started gardening more enthusiastically this year. Our soil has a bit of clay and lots of rocks but seems pretty balanced overall.
We tilled our beds deep and added compost and manure in the spring. The garden did well despite a late start. Working on covering the soil with manure and straw before everything freezes up.
Probably a good idea to do some soil testing in the spring and see where we need to fine tune.
Sounds like you are treating your garden right!
Thank you so much for this study! I have been educating myself using the internet to find the best way to amend my heavy clay soil. This test was well planned and executed. (even a control planting!) Of course every video or article I read swears their's is the best method. Your test actually looks at the results of all the soil amendments . This helped me to decide how I would tackle the clay garden I have.
Again thank you!
I wish one of your tests was with homemade compost. I worry about adding manure since there could be bad stuff in it. If I had my own animals I wouldn't hesitate, but all I can get that's for sure safe is chopped leaves, grass clippings and homemade compost, of which there is never enough!
Definitely testing the homemade compost next go around (and I agree- there is never enough!). And your concerns about manure are valid-- I'm lucky to know the farmer well and see what the animals are eating and how they are raised. Sadly, it's getting so hard to find a clean source for manure garden amendments any more.
Thank you for all the time and information you put into this experiment! Rabbit manure has been my amendment for years since it can be put on straight from the cage mixed with the pine shavings for bedding. Soil is fluffy with lots of clean fertilizer with no seeds in the mix.
I need to find a good source for rabbit manure! So many folks have so much good to say about it!
@@GrowfullywithJenna Your kids are young enough for 4-H. Have them do a project rabbit for a year.
Was looking forward to this one. I literally share all the same things here with you - Zone 6B with clay soils - so I follow closely. Your info is the most useful to me! Thanks!
Happy to share!
How did you ever find the time to do such an amazing comparison? I am envious of your energy.
I also have heavy clay soil and was going to recommend trying my favorite soil amendment, leaf mold.
Another kind of cool thing to look at would be any difference in the soil life within the different samples.
I've really enjoyed looking at different soil samples and amendments this year.
Enjoy your videos.
I love leaf mold too, and am excited to test this one!
I also love the idea of looking at soil life- it really didn't strike me as something to look at until I saw all those earthworms in the manure amended container.
Very interesting! It's great you're willing to put in this kind of work rather than sticking to easier/flashier content that every garden channel has done a dozen times already. I'm also working with clay in zone 6a (Colorado), so this has been super helpful!
Much appreciated!
Wow! That was a lot of labor, time, equipment and cost for you, but many of us greatly applaud your great effort. I believe in a single all-consuming guideline, to wit: what does Nature do? Compost, mulch and water.
Thank you very much! And of all the guidelines one could follow, it's hard to go wrong with 'do what nature does'!
It's my first year gardening. I used the RX soil sample you recommended and this video to great success so far. I double dug two 4 x12 garden beds, one I left un-amended clay and just broke it up with a rake. The second I dug after watching this video..... I added three large bags of composted steer manure and the difference has been amazing. I plan on amending the first bed after harvest this year in similar fashion and supplementing both with compost. Thanks for your help!
I’m so glad to hear this!! 💚
i think the reason the peat didn't do as well is because it absorbed the minerals and nutrients out of the clay. It would eventually release them as it broke down completely, but probably didn't have time. or maybe it did but there weren't enough nutrients to begin with. Peat probably didn't bring any nutrients to the table, just adds good organic matter. I would have thought that the cow manure would lower the ph more than peat, as increased bacterial activity temporarily lowers ph significantly. I have learned a lot from your videos and am glad when i see you put a new one out
Do you know how long the peat would take to break down? I added it to these container back at the beginning of June, but I'm assuming it would take a year or better?
On the manure, interestingly enough, studies by Penn State have shown dairy cow manure at an average pH of 7.0 I think that the fact that this was well aged cow manure probably helped as well.
@@GrowfullywithJenna i'm not sure how long it would take to break down. you would probably have a better idea than me, did it feel or look like it was when you broke it up? Again, really enjoy the videos and sometimes learn something, like cow manure not lowering ph. I figured wrongly on that
@@GrowfullywithJenna i'm not sure how long it would take to break down. you would probably have a better idea than me, did it feel or look like it was when you broke it up? Again, really enjoy the videos and sometimes learn something, like cow manure not lowering ph. I figured wrongly on that
I have surprisingly good luck with leaf mold. My garden soil is clayish. I till it right in the soil. Strangely weeds and grass problems are very low all season long and the soil stays loose and drys out fairly quick. If it's not well composted or mixed well it can hurt seed germination and/or slow down nitrogen uptake from my experience.
I add a lot to the soil but it's free by the pickup load from the county seat. I cover potatoes with straight leaf mold mounds but let them take root in the dirt. Unbelievably easy to harvest. It's a great mulch too. Great video! Looking forward to the next mixes and results. Thanks!
I'm very eager to test leaf mold because I use it extensively also! It certainly seems like it's doing great things for my soil!
We appreciate this well thought-out experiment and the effort to see it through. One take away for me was the resilience of the pepper plant. It did kind of okay regardless of the medium it was grown in. This means that in gardening, if you put in some kind of effort, you will get some kind of reward. Maybe not a 4-H prize, but something that you can eat. Keep trying...
I wish you would have did worm castings as one too. That’s what I use as a soil amendment for my garden and on my lawn after aerating and it results in really nice soil!
I think compost is a clear winner for us also who has sand not clay. It is recommended to add homemade compost or cow manure.
Awesome video !
Yes- I do think it would work wonders for sandy soil!
Holy cow, that was amazing!!!
Wow! Thanks for all your work. So scientific. I’m sold on manure. Plus you helped me avoid wasted effort using the less optimal amendments. 😊😊😊
Glad to help!
Thanks for the deep dive in soil, here in SW missouri (2nd yr) this soil is rock and clay. Dug a 4x26 (12 inch deep)
planting bed. Sifted the soil and rock for six months. mixed horse and cow manure with the clay. Potatoes have
just broke through, transplanting corn and zuccs next week. How this works. Started next two spots but they will
be raised beds. Last year was in protein buckets. All the best
Invaluable opinion and honesty regarding necesity or rather lack of for peat use! Amazing effort, thank you :)
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much! I had seen a video telling me not to use manure in clay soil. I had just bought three bags of cow manure before seeing that video and thought I had made a mistake. Now I'm happy with my manure bags.
The only reason I can think of NOT to use manure is if it's coming animals pastured on or fed with feed sprayed with persistent herbicides.
Thank you for all the hard work in testing these amendments in clay soil. We have clay soil and it's difficult to deal with for us novice gardeners. I heard about using gypsum and tried that but was very disappointed with the lack of results. I guess I'll stick with the ol' cow manure.
You are welcome! Gypsum is ideal for amending sodic clay soil which is more prevalent in the western United States
Awesome video and study. So helpful and so nicely done.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks helped answer alot of my questions. Subbed.
Thank you for this test. It really shows how simple is better.
Yes indeed- it's so often the case but we (myself included) tend to want to overcomplicate things!
I like the way you took the time to run this test and thoroughly explain all the perks and negatives. I've often pondered what is the magic additive for a garden? Numerous videos praise yard waste compost, wood chip compost, manure compost, chicken poo, worm castings, rabbit droppings, along with multiple other additives. This leaves one's head spinning as to what to use. I do strictly raised bed gardenening and would be more than happy to fill a bed with whatever will work but can't find the definative answer.
Honestly- I think the most magical additive is a combination of any or all of these and TIME 😊
Wow I’ve just found you channel. I’m in Columbus Ohio. This will be my 2nd year gardening. I could go on and on …. But, suffice it to say you are a breath of fresh air.. I can’t wait to implement your suggestions. Thank you so much so much so much.❤
Jenna and the whole community
I want to share my experience with you how about a few things. I grew up with cattle during my childhood and that was the best experience I have had. Nothing beats pure cow manure and mother nature. I've used gypsum to break up clay here in Indiana. Nothing different from the Ohio soil. And I've had great success. Now the soil amendment just doesn't happen overnight. You have to work your soil over a few years to get it right. I used car manure, peat moss, gypsum, and other sources to amend my soil. That's how you do it. But cow manure is the best thing for your garden.
Jenna you are every bit as hot as a pepper! Love the experiment! I am trying to grow Brunswick cabbage, carrots, kale, lettuce, cilantro, lettuce, and few other things in bags out in a green house. Using my own dirt mix, goat manure.
Haha, thanks, Mike! I bet your veggies are loving the dirt/goat manure mix!
Thanks for sharing! Not a big surprise that manure won. It's almost like recreating nature is the best method.
I'm pretty well convinced that following nature's lead is always the best method!
What are fabulously detailed and well conducted experiments. Greetings from Hertfordshire,England, where I pay an annual visit to my local farm and collect sacks of horse manure.
Thank you!
Thank you for the time and effort you put into recording these results and editing what was probably numerous hours worth of video.
Your results really helped me solidify my decisions when I amended my clay soil for roses and fruit trees.
Happy to share!
Thanks for the awesome experiment. I have black gumbo soil. I think the worms did the work because the manure was present. I may try manure and biochar together based on what I saw in your results. Happy gardening!
I watched a great video (Dr. Grow It Episode 28) and his guest talks about different nutrients (Mobile, immobile, partially immobile) surprisingly mushrooms hold sulfur and release it during rain/watering and when its released its ready for plant uptake. So don't sell that mushroom compost short. It may not ammend the soil the best, but the positives you're getting from the mycelium and fungi can't be replaced by cow manure! Great info overall!!!!
Thanks for sharing!
Nice experiment. I have read that sand added to clay forms chemical bonds that make the soil even more impenetrable. Was not surprised by the slow drainage test. Thanks for showing the soil structure, that's what I was most interested in. Great work!
Thank you! I read that too, but had so many people online try to convinve me to the contrary that I just had to see if for myself. I'm glad I did!
I love the scientific approach to problem solving a lot. Im dealing with trying to grow in very clay heavy soil. I live near Albuquerque, New Mexico by the Rio Grande in a town called Corrales. Basically a river forest edge. I have a shit ton of bugs (mainly pests, working hard to promote beneficial insects to equalize the ecosystem) and concrete clay soil. My yard has two massive trees in it that spread massive roots all throughout the ground. The soil is INFESTED with grubs. Ive already applied beneficial nematodes but its the first time applying so the grubs are still kicking around down there. There is a fungi system underground in some areas of the garden which is good. Recently, i picked up some mushroom compost from lowes for 4 dollars a big bag (idk how many pounds, maybe 8? Its those big bags you would usually find soil in any big box store in ). I dug soke holes where i am putting plants, and filled it with the compost and planted a few in it already. I have planted salvia, candytuft, and tickseed in the compost so far and although its only day 1, they all seem to be doing extremely well. The salvia and candytuft had been planted in a mixture of the clay soil and perlite (me, not knowing anything about gardening thinking mixing perlite with clay will help drainage lol) they started suffocating after a couple days, yellow leaves, droopy stalks. Just overnight after planting in a hole filled with mushroom compost, they immediately perked up, stiffened, and seem to be happier, although this could probably be due to the roots being aerated. After watching this, i will leave them in the MC if they keep going strong. But i will pick up some cow manure for the vegetable garden area. I have potatoes, onions, leeks, watercress, horseradish, and 2 pepper plants in the veggie garden so far, all planted in the clay soil that i mixed with big bags of organic potting soil. Surprisingly theyre doing good, at least the potatoes and onions and leeks. The pepper plants have yet to see much growth in comparison. Theyre are definitely going to need cow manure. I was about to expand the veggie garden plot by scratching up the surface and mixing in more mushroom compost, but now i will make sure to get some composted cow manure for this area. One good thing about my soil is it is chock full of earth worms as well. Lots of organic matter from the trees has fallen into the soil over the years, although where i live its extremely windy, dry, and close to the sun so a lot of the organic matter gets brittle and blown around, resulting in the healthiest areas being next to the fence on all sides. Cultivating the soil is extreme hard work due to having to dig througu concrete when dry, mud when wet, and on top of that, cutting massive tree roots with an axe. I know raised beds would be 10x better for growing vegetables but i felt as if i needed to learn how to amend the soil and make it productive and bring it back to full glory. Your video has helped me gain so much insight and saved me so much time of trial and error and saved me so much money that wouldve been wasted on letting plants die, buying all kinds of products, etc. So THANK YOU
I’m so glad to hear the mushroom compost helped- and I think good quality aged manure will really help your soil as well!
@@GrowfullywithJenna Try composted cotton burrs! My mom gave me a bag and it aerates the soil while holding moisture extremely well. Its the best thing ive used in my garden so far. Recommended by the nurseries here
Wow…..thanks for doing all the hard work, so people with clay properties don’t have to waste time, money and sweat equity!
I certainly hope it can help some of my fellow clay soil gardeners!
This is pretty wild to hear. I would have thought that the sand would have been better at breaking the clay apart. Also, I was watching another channel that said that cow manure held the water in. But this is proving otherwise. He had red clay from I think maybe the east United States. I didn't see an exact location. Im in Indiana. So I have super clay like you. Thanks! This really helps! Manure. I know it added nutrients but I didn't know it helped the clay drain. Huh...who'd-a-thunk?!
I love sheep manure for overall soil improvement. I bed/litter with straw which makes a super compost, amendment and fertile mulch.
Good to know!
I love this systematic approach ! Thanks for putting all that time over the months and compiling it. Next time mulch the surface, all the pots will do better.
Under normal circumstances I always mulch everything (in pots and in ground). But I didn't one to add another variable to this experiment 😀
Great video. I will be buying some good-quality cow manure and mix with compost to amend my clay soil.
English isn't my first language but the way you speak so clearly is such a pleasure to watch. You deliver your message quite effectively. Thank you!
Thank you!! I think you'll be really happy with your soil after adding these amendments!
Cow manure for the win! :) As you know, I have been addicted to cow manure for two decades! And my brother? I need to share this with him. We have been "arguing" for years about this. He is a mushroom compost believer and I counter with my organic cow manure. lol. Proof is in the results, right?
Anybody reading this from Richmond, VA into SC please check out Daddy Pete's. Organic cow manure and other organic mixes. Competitive price and regional distribution only. You have to find a dealer, though, near you. Most are in NC. And no I am not commissioned agent for them. Honest testimony only.
Thanks Jenna! Happy gardening!
Oh, by the way, around here (clay) peat moss for planting new trees and bushes is NOT recommended by several folk I know at garden centers because moisture retention is already present with the clay. Still others, around here, still do it. Head scratcher?
Yeah I am up for the leafmold (working on a pile right now) and chicken manure (been using that too since we got our first chickens) so please include those, Jenna.
Yes! I know you are a fellow manure lover! I'm a bit jealous that you have good source of quality bagged manure in your area though. The stuff the stores carry here is (no pun intended) crap. Great suggestion for folks in your area!!
Sounds like those not recommending it are on the up & up- I think the advise recommending peat came from years ago... I know that's what they were recommending it decades ago when my mom was in Master Gardener's training.
@@GrowfullywithJenna agreed
central MS here. we live by a creek and we have clay soil, i appreciate the video! when we moved to this new house, the first thing i did was check the soil hah!! i was pretty sad to see clay, but this will help me, and i thank you!
All this hard work done by you is extremely helpful, thank you so much! wishing your garden great harvests!!
I'm glad to hear it, thank you!
In my opinion clay soil is very good. I found out it is good idea to add compost to it and maybe also some sand. As fertilizer manure is good.
My best amendment has been home made compost. Covering around plants with chopped up pine needles because clay soil has the POTENTIAL to become almost as hard as concrete when summer heat waves come. And ALWAYS check that soil to make sure it contributes to the plants growing and fruiting like one wants them to.
Great tips!
Cow manure, leaves, old hay, ashes from the fire pit, grass and pine wood ground up and and sitting for about 2 yrs before I could use it, it turned into some beautiful dirt compost so, I took all of the ingredeints from above and amended it to the garden that is 75% clay here in Missoui, and what a differance but, there's no place for lazyness! You really do have to be commited to your food table! Thank you.
I have clay soil and I'm trying to figure out how to start amending it for next year I can't really do a lot of heavy digging or lifting or anything like that and I keep reading people saying add sticks and leaves and all that other good stuff but I was wondering if you could tell me if the area in my yard can I just start adding twigs and dry leaves and grass clippings and stuff this year or do I have to turn the soil underneath. Everybody keeps saying add stuff add stuff but nobody's saying what to do with the soil underneath if they have to dig it up or just laying stuff on top and slowly digging it into the dirt as you go I'm all confused
Thank you. Excellent testing and very comprehensive. My friend has all clay soil and I had recommended gypsum but I will change that advice to cow manure. He has a few cows.Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
Whata great woman, cow manure is winner for heawy clay soil.
Big big information for many with this problem, including me.
Thu wery much.
I've had the best success with a mix of additives. Compost, manure, peat, perlite, vermiculite. Maintaining a fresh cut grass, plant cuttings, leaf mold mulch throughout the growing season. This transformed my clay concrete jungle into a gorgeous loamy soil over 2 seasons.
All good amendments but vermiculite is a moisture holder so in clay soil not recommended plus you only need a very small amount.
@@maynardgreenhouse I agree. It also contributes to aeration( small air pockets).. Having heavy clay soil means bad drainage. Once I've changed that condition I still need moisture retention as well.
100% agree with this! As I mentioned at the end of the video, I think the best way to tackle clay is a combination of amendments and care techniques (which can be seen here: ua-cam.com/video/QS7qQVOzK7g/v-deo.html) , but since I frequently get asked questions about individual amendments, I felt this was good way to test them.
2 seasons?! I've mulched with wood chips for the last year and haven't added anything else but some soil aerator. Maybe I need to add manure in bulk. Did you till stuff in?
@@mybootscamewithoutstraps in the late summer I added a foot deep of freshly chipped wood chips ( lots of green, mostly pine). It was 2 loads from Chipdrop. On this I spread urea 30-0-0 pellets, 10 lbs and watered well kept it moist. In the spring I hired a man with a small tractor to turn it all in. Much of it was broken down well. I created my mounds and paths. Filling the paths a foot deep with new wood chips. Fluffed the soil with all the new additives, manure, compost, vermiculite, peat and lots of drying grass clippings. I grew a great garden.
This spring I once again added a bunch of compost and dried grass clippings. Dug it all in with my horihori knife down about 14". It's all soft and fluffy. Last two days I've been transplanting all my starts.
So yes, in less than 1 year, 2 summers, I've completely converted rock hard clay into my garden oasis.
What a wonderful experiment. Thank you.
Composting now and wish I had a bovine maneure source, based on this video. Great video thank you
If you can't find cow manure, I've found that clean horse, sheep, chicken and/or rabbit manure works well too. Bonus- rabbit manure isn't "hot" so it can be used right away without composting/aging.
Great experiment. I live in California wine country in the clay
We here in India(Rajasthan) don't face such problem of brick like hard clay soil, rather desire to have a bit clay like moisture retaining soil in our fields full of sand and sand dunes in Western Rajasthan with temperature soaring up to 47 ℃. Here we have to use various tricks to plant trees, then to water plants in order to save water and ultimately to prevent moisture in sandy soil from scorching heat through various layers of gravels and mulching. Here plants like Morringa, Neem with white and yellow roots, grow very well. Even I add some clay soil in along with sandy soil to increase moisture holding capacity.
Today for the first time I came across your channel and found your videos quite enthusiastic for a gardener like me. You alone doing very well all these plantations and sharing your work and research. My english is not that good, but I tried my best to express my feelings. Lots of Love from India. 👍🙏
I love hearing the experiences of gardeners growing in different parts of the world, with vastly different soil and growing conditions- thank you so much for sharing! Take care!
@@GrowfullywithJenna
More than me, you need to take care, all alone handling various commentators like me and replying them 😀.
I have started following you on fb and instagram also 🤗.
This was a very well-done video. Thank you so much for this information. I would have loved to see just plain compost mixed in, but I'm very new to gardening, and I may not know what I'm talking about lol. I just moved to Colorado, and the soil here is heavy clay and hard as concrete. Our landscaper planted our plants directly in it without amendments, and my plants are suffering. I will be adding manure!
This was an incredible video. Thank you for taking the time to do a soil test with all the different ammendments. Im in Ohio too with clay soil. This year I am trying horse manure.
Thank you!
Thanks, Jenna! I'm surprised compost (green manure) wasn't in the test. Vermicompst would have been great too. I use both and they work wonderfully.
Hoping to do some homemade compost next go around, and would love to test vermicompost in the future as well! Thanks!
You are awesome! Thanks for sharing! With the help of this new information hopefully I can keep my newly planted fig trees alive!
I hope so too!
I live in southwestern ohio. I’ve had really good results with leaf compost that we buy in bulk. We have sand, gravel and clay. The property was stripped of the topsoil. It was a new build 20 years ago. Thank you for all the information. I was always told also to use gypsum. Glad I didn’t.
There are several grades of sand and stone. The all purpose sand must have a lot of fine particles and possibly some plasticizer nutrients, something which would make it horrible as a clay soil amendment. Just like you tested. Coarse sand or a particular small grade of ground stone will most probably give good results in amending clay soil. The main benefit of this type of materials is that they are cheap and available everywhere. Anyway, your experiment was very well executed. Thank you!
Hi Jenna, I thoroughly enjoyed your scientific experiments. Thank you for sharing your takeaways with us! Cheers, Albert from San Francisco
Thank you!!
Wow. These could be super helpful and definitely educational for someone who doesnt garden alot. Or is new to gardening. Thank you for posting these videos!
Thanks for visiting
Ooooh interesting! The results on mushroom compost were particularly informative. Thank you!
Looks like a mix of manure, mushroom compost and biochar would be a good mix.
Doing a layer of wood chips has been the most effective with my sticky clay. I like to add it in the fall and the wet winter helps integrate it. Ultimately, anything that builds humus in the minerally soil. Nice experiment
HI Jenna, Thank you so much for this video. It may have been made 7 months ago but I just found it today. The timing is perfect. I am going to be digging up part of my yard to make it a garden. I am in Ohio and have heavy clay soil too. I planned on adding peat but this changed my mind for sure. Thanks again and I will be looking for your next soil test.
Glad it was helpful!
My grandfather used to live on a farm in the Freestate South Africa and he had some large open patches forming in his fields where nothing grows he said it was due to salts accumulating in the soil he ploughed in some gypsum and the grass started to grow again, a combination of cow manure and biochar should also work well Self-sufficient me from Australia also use broken down cow manure with very good results
Also love cow poo for my garden but my steady source is pig poo 💩.
But last few years heavy mulch combo grass clipping , leaves and garden waste having more leaves than the others and remembered you mixture leaves and grass as it stays in place better.
I run my ingredients thu my 8 hp mulcher chipper and breaking them down even work better for staying in place over the winter season.
You water 3 gallon water each daily that's lots of water and why I garden in ground and find best in ground and raise for drainage as you emperize daily.
Thanks Lady Gardener. Note lots of work hopefully lots of people learned from the lesson.
Yes! I love my grass clippings & leaf mulch too.
And I should have clarified- I was only giving them 3 gallons about once a week.
Thanks. Well done. I'm glad I found you.
Thank you!
I just love your videos. You have such excellent tips and delivery of information. Thank you!❤
Thank you so much!!
Excellent, thanks
Glad you liked it!
Hi Jenna - just reviewed you video. I am new to Ohio and have 5 acres with clay soil as well. I don't believe it is Sodic but I am just learning to interpret soil sample lab analyses. I plan on rehabbing the old sheep farm into trees (existing) and Pollinator gardens (for fun) with a smattering of vegetable gardens. I have gained a lot of insight on what I might be faced with and need to do from your experiment. Great job. Thanks
I absolutely love this info and your videos. So thankful that someone out there has similar clay soil. Not only that but being able to compare my own garden & use of compost to what you did was veery helpful. I started my garden with a open compost pile turned into a garden area and used mushroom compost for most of the year. Come the end of summer going into fall I started using more cow manure and Humus compost. I guess it's done well but I used the mushroom compost as a microbe starter, to get my garden started. My plants have geld out well on it but the inclusion of cow manure & humus along with the occasional chop h drop has kept my garden steady. Thank you for putting in the work for this experiment.
Thank you! And it's always interesting to hear what other gardeners are doing with their own soil- thank you for sharing.
This is such an excellent video and I came upon it at the perfect time as I have stripped up a lot of grass from our lawn and am going to replace it with a garden bed. The soil is very hard clay and I was thinking to go with manure as a mix and this helped make the decision clear for me. Thank you!
Thank you! And glad to hear you’re replacing lawn with garden beds!
Amazing work planning, executing, and reporting on this experiment. Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you so very much! What a generous generous information to share. Can't wait for more. Take care. 🙏🏼🌺🇵🇭
thanks for the related links in the description! heading off to the 1st video to watch in order.
Happy to share!
Amazing experiment! Thx for taking the time to share and educate!
Thank you!
What a great experiment!!! Good job!
I had always heard never mix clay with sand. Lots of work in this video...very nice. Great info!
And you heard right! I'm amazed how many folks still recommend it!