Was feeling down, saw your thumbnail and immediately felt happy. Thanks for being you, out there authentically, sharing yourself and your journey with us ❤.
I followed your method this year, I watered my garden only the two days I planted seeds in my garden . I have not watered my garden once since mother's day and my garden is going super well.
First off - love your content. I am completely in agreement with copying what nature does. It’s the best teacher. Live in the prairies of Canada. I think it’s considered semi-arid where we are. Even so, NOBODY believes in mulching here. They seem to think working harder is a virtue! (Good old Puritan values I guess.). My mom is a lazy gardener also and taught me to mulch but I never used enough so kinda never reaped the benefits. This got me excited about gardening again (for next year). And now I know my mistake - there’s never too much mulch! I agree about watering too much, makes the plants weak. They need to mimic what nature gives - periods of rain and drought. Makes them much more resilient. Same for my houseplants - if they can’t handle some drought (aka neglect), they don’t belong. LOL
I topped my garden with mulch from my local mulch pile this year. With all those wood chips I figured I'd try less watering this year, and O my goodness what a difference. I've water my garden maybe 3-5 times this year, all the rest has been rain fall. My tomatoes taste better it's been my best pepper year so far, and I was able to support a very dense planting of lettuce,beans/peas, and onion. Definitely a smart method for everyone to use.
There is a really good documentary on the wood chip gardening method called Back to Eden... it is free to watch on UA-cam, look for the freebie version if you are interested in checking it out. God bless!
Here in the UK we've had a very wet growing season and terrible slug and snail damage to plants, when moist (such a nice lovely word) loving pests are around it's advisable to water early morning, before sun can damage plants and when said pests like to hide, especially true in containers and raised (enclosed) beds
Hi, Anne! When I’m disappointed with my garden, it’s nice to listen to your rant and become aware of what I m driving for. I love your humor keep smiling, it’s contagious and much needed in times like these. Love to all!❤❤🤗😆🤣
This whole idea of too much watering applies to only places where there is an abundant supply of rain water such as the East coast, unlike in California which is mostly drought stricken when the rainy season is very short or none at all. We do want to water more in California as rain events are so rare.
We here in northern California just don't get enough rainfall. I water and still my raised beds dry out too fast. Mulch does help. Your garden is amazing! So green and lush! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
@@abcdefghijklomop3414 it can take a few years to develop the soil structure needed to maintain moisture without supplemental watering, but there are some shortcuts. Have you seen this video by chance? ua-cam.com/video/hfBSgHgcSc4/v-deo.html
In Tennessee, we get about 60 inches a year and spread pretty even throughout the year. Fall is a little drier. For us, our problems are weeds, more weeds, and to a lesser extent bugs! We all have problems, just different ones.
Agreed, here in Northern California where summers are HOT and the AVERAGE rainfall is 19" a year--and many years, especially lately, have been well below that--it is essential to mulch and water deeply but not daily. I use raised beds because I have gophers and ground squirrels (I can screen the bottoms of the beds to exclude them). I have tried many kinds of mulch (straw, wood chips, compost), but end up with voracious pill bugs, earwigs and slugs. Just keeping the ground shaded with plants seems to work best. Thus--ta da!--purslane, the living mulch that keeps the soil cool and moist under the vegetables. And I do mix up my beds so nothing is a mono-crop.
Thanks for the excellent plant/soil science lesson Anne. My garden has completely transformed because of your lessons. I am teaching other homestead mothers all you have taught me as well. You are positively affecting many people and gardens through your channel. Xo
No kidding not all rains are equal, this year seems like every rainfall comes in a thunderstorm with high winds & hail...but after three years of draught I'll still take it. Now to watch the rest of the video, because I'm going to be watering a friend's garden while they're away and I don't want anything dying on my watch!
I feel special for having already watched (at publication) your "no one really watched this one" video mentioned at the end. Your attitude always brightens my day, and I really hope I can manage myADHD well enough to maybe one day take all your lovely gardening advice XD
If there's one thing I know, it's that I water too often. One of my joys of every day is going out to my food forest and giving some water to the plants. Even though I know I may do it too often, I also know that none of them are showing signs of over watering. This year I've been able to grow more food than ever, and I plan to reformat my garden layout to be better set up for next year with more food to harvest and less watering to do. I think next year will be the year I barely water at all by hand, and it'll be a fun time discovering what happens when I play less of a role in watering. Will I get more or less food? Will things grow better or worse?
Right now it's the middle of WINTER in Charters Towers Australia but its consistently like 90 degrees Fahrenheit. I find what works (and i have to water the garden everyday) is DENSELY PLANTING poly culture so that plants help shade each other and prevent evaporation Edit: not looking forward to summer lmao. I just fot sunburnt the other day in winter just hanging in the garden.
That's terrible. Here in Tennessee, we have been having a beautiful mild August which is usually our most muggy, miserable month. Low 80s a few days and we even had evenings in the low 60s.
At Peace Valley Nature Center we used common items, a sponge was one of them, to teach principles about nature. Peace Valley is in suburban Philly/Allentown.
As a Senior Water Plant Operator, we are bound to laws by state to add certain chemicals to water. Depending on your state, you could call your local water department and they could tell you what chemicals they inject. Almost all states also send out an annual water quality report that also lists all facts about water. In NY, chlorine is mandatory regardless of testing it daily and having county test weekly. Other chemicals depend on the quality of water extracted either through aquifers or water sheds. But as you’ve stated correctly, keeping water open to the environment for 24 hours causes chlorine to dissipate and any tastes or odors are also burned off.
Our city uses reverse osmosis, but adds a chlorine product, too. So, I use an inline water filter to water my garden that filters out the chlorine. Before that, I used gallon jugs and filled them, then let them sit over night. Vitamin C can also be used to dissipate the chl9rine faster.
@@vegtamvandervegseriously? wow. I have a Brita water filter, is that enough? I'm considering getting a flouride filter eventually too, do you have any recommendations?
I am gardening where water is a problem so I am trying to reuse washing machine waste water which in one batch is at least 3 liters. I capture it in 200 liter drums, but I’m not sure ho I can turn it into use for plants in a safe way. Any suggestion?
@@rx0102 There are under-counter Reverse Osmosis systems, or for a pitcher, I have a ProOne as it's the only type of pitcher I could find that can filter fluoride. For more than one person though I would get an RO.
Thanks for putting up that discussion about treating water!!! I have that conversation a lot about KC water since it's treated with chloramine and not chlorine. Other than citric acid, I believe humic acid (humate) can also be used to detoxify chloramine. The nice thing about humic acid is you can make your own by just running water slowly through good compost and collecting the brown liquid awesomeness that drips out.
Another great water capturing technique in trenches in your paths perpendicular to grade. Then fill the trench with wood chips! Will carry that water running down to pond across the garden from where you ran down. Just added it to my garden this year and did a video on water holding. It's important not just for our gardens but also our water systems to minimize flooding and eutrophication!
We moved from desert CA to TN (and all this greenery) 4 years ago … 6 acres of just house and “grass” and 1 acre of thick woods in back. We are gradually working garden beds into the scene, literally by hand (no heavy machinery). I’m so inspired by the permaculture method, using the water from the sky and the lay of the land to distribute it. We must be doing it right because we’ve never seen so much mushroom activity this year. Foraging aside, What should I do with these shrooms … leave them be, compost them? Love your videos - looking forward to Birth Day 🐄
I love your garden videos, more than your animal ones- it’s just my preference, but all your videos are great. Thank you again for showing us your amazing methods for a beautiful and productive garden!
I don't get rain here in the desert if eastern WA, so i am seriously considering doing what i use to and making wells instead of humps for my vegetable crops next year. I'm thinking that everything will stay wetter much easier!
Great info Ann! Thank you! And entertaining too😊 I just harvested my last garlic bulbs (which are tiny this year) yesterday here in zone 5b and we are in a bit of a heat wave with no rain for 5 or 6 days. I have not watered much this season as we have had a LOT of rain, yet my garlic bed is bone dry. And I did not cover the soil this week as I harvested my garlic. I did leave the weeds in place but the soil is like powder. I will add some mulched manure and am planting beans and pepper transplants in that bed tomorrow before our next forecasted rain! Thanks for the gardening advice.
Real-deal garden advice and very descriptive. Ella is gorgeous !! I wish it would rain here !! ( Manteca, Ca. ) I definitely collect rain water when it actually rains. Why would anyone treat our water-sources ?? !!!!! I am glad July will be done as nearly every day here was 100 and over. I love the way that you glean knowledge from the forest of life, good job .
Great video. I love the waiting room for the calf delivery 😊and “As mulch as I believe” 😂 was so funny. Thank you. Your garden looks great. I watched that video you mentioned at the end.
I got one of those giant blue barrels from Craigslist for 50 bucks to act as a dust collector for my workshop. Been thinking of setting up a gutter rain collection system. Maintaining water pressure is an issue to over come, I was thinking of building a wooden platform where they would lay on their side one on top of each other and just get connected together. That way you have water pressure to spray crops from a fair distance.
Great tips !❤ I also have been told from an experienced farmer that rainwater contains more oxygen than treated water which is probably why I notice plants do so much better after rain versus even by our total house reverse osmosis filtered water 💧. I currently have 25 raised beds and water early morning around 5am every day and have been trying to cut costs... this is just the video I needed! I have been reading the charles dowding no dig book bc of your vids & I am really excited to utilize these tips when we expand our growing space 😊 love your vids ! Keep it up! 🌼🫶
Hey there, I really know next to nothing about gardening (that's why I watch your channel) but thanks to my nerdiness I happen to know something about this burning on leaves by water droplets (13:38). It's a common misconception that the burn on the leaves is caused by the shape of the water droplets (it's not true that the droplet shape acts like a magnifying glass). In fact, it is a chemical burn that happens: There are many minerals in our tap water and even in rainwater standing in a garden barrel, they can accumulate quickly. If you then water the plants in the midday heat, the water evaporates incredibly quickly but the minerals remain behind. Because the minerals could not be dispersed, but remain in high concentrations in one place, a chemical burn occurs on that spot of the leaf. I really have no idea about the weather in Tennessee (best wishes from Germany, by the way) but maybe you've seen a rain shower in the middle of the midday heat. No burns appeared on the leaves of the plants afterwards. The reason for this is that rainwater is free of minerals. By the way, thank you so much for your great channel! The way you really love your animals and nature and at the same time are very down to earth and can also admit mistakes - that just completely hits my vibe. I wish you lots of success and send you lots of love!
You are wonderful. And I love your arms too. I’m 48. Been training aerial arts for last few years. Starting to get some strong arms too. And I love it. Oh and I’m here cause I grow veg too. In QLD Australia
During mowing season (nov-apr) we let the grass stay where it falls. Our soil is horrid. We mulch a ton. Hopefully in a few more years it won't take a pick ax to plant bushes. What's summer rain??? 😜
Thank you. I learned so much from you :) Im a very lazy gardener, and ive been struggling to keep grass off my little garden beds. I will try your method🤞
Amazing Anne is at it agann!! 🙃 I love your videos!! My gosh. You are a walking wealth of information. I am super nervous about cutting down on my watering, because all my crops are in containers. Why - because my knees don't bend much, and certainly cannot squat. That said, I am learning a LOT from you!! Everything you teach makes sense to me! And you are hilarious.😂 Oh! I am in zone 8a, west TN.
I just found your channel, a wealth of great information here! I enjoy watching others enjoying the fruits of their labor! Keep up the good work! There's nothing like a walk in the garden to uplift and soothe your soul!
That comment on vitamin C, I just watched that right before this and saw that comment. Just found your channel. Great information. Love your fun energy and smile.
Awesome! Sharing with mom! Also, Not trying to toot my horn just admiring a shared trait You remind me of me, youre a perfectionist and i love the way you teach these details its perfect for my way of learning!
Love all your videos - thank you for creating such great content - we are due to move into our own smallholding in the next few weeks and learning so much from you. I’m really interested in your pond - is there a video showing how your pigs helped build it? I had a look but couldn’t find one.
New subscriber here from Aotearoa (Nrw Zealand) in the South Pacific. I've never heard anyone say "boy howdy" before and I'm finding it absolutely hilarious! 😅 Aside from the unintentional comedy, I'm really loving your videos and unconventional methods! Thank you 🙏🌟✨
Hügelkultur, literally mound bed or mound culture, is a horticultural technique where a mound constructed from decaying wood debris and other compostable biomass plant materials is later planted as a raised bed. The decomposing wood holds moisture and slowly releases it.
Both woodchip and evening watering can be pretty bad for encouraging slugs - of which this year, in Germany we have an utter plague (and the UK and most of the North West of Europe). Also, we are much much further north (54° in my case) so the sun has less power even though we have longer daylight in summer. In spring and autumn, dark soil staying warm is actually an advantage. So it might depend on your climate if woodchips work well for you, especially if you are in a cooler damper climate. But where woodchips work, they do seem magic!! The traditional local solution here is Hügelkultur - wood logs (sponge! Just like your woodchips) with layers of smaller stuff on top, bit like a compost heap, then soil on top. I would love to try that sometime. Our water seems ok, even for seed starting, but I should get my well pump working... I'm sure it's much better. Most folks round here have lots of rain barrels, but we also have lots and lots of mosquitoes, and I am very attractive to them, and also take a big reaction, so I don't.
I used to think so as well, having moved here from Seattle where it rains 9 months a year I was always worried about slugs with the mulch but it was never actually an issue. here’s the thing though- if your soil is already wet enough you’re having slug issues, you shouldn’t be artificially watering at all
i'm totally amused but more amazed on your presentation it's so lovely 🙂 so, so much knowledge presented with such a good cheer and joy of life, it's really overwhelming. in my opiniion most of the techars working in any uni would be jealous and would want to be such a good presenter and educator like you 🙂 i'm not a gardener but the first video i saw from you i felt like i go out to my 35 square meters "garden" and i begin to cultivate it at once. such is your impact - just so you know. and for the first time in my life I felt really sorry that nashville was so far away as i livein hungary, near budapest. but i'm happy i found you here
Watched a bunch of your videos and gota say I’m impressed. You cover a lot more than most and have more information than most people that attempt the same sort of thing, so well done indeed. You also sound a lot more trustable in that you actually know what you’re talking about, while being a genuine person. Such a nice and rare combo. I do however have a slight criticism that I only hope you try to address in a later video. That is that everyone can do it and for low cost. The wood flakes / leaves are never free in large quantities, and sadly in some locations, hard to obtain without added pesticides (yeah ouch when I discovered that!). I’m looking at about £210 for 500 litres, before the added delivery costs! On a side note: I would also like to add not everyone has a personal forest, nor would I encourage people to take anything like that from a public forest, as it can quickly lead to people taking too much causing significant damage. Sadly I’ve seen it happen. But that’s just a side note! To explain my spot of bother a little better. I am in the position where, I’m on low income, and simply have a large garden. Not big enough for any animals (maybe ducks or geese if there not too noisy but I don’t have any). I also do not create enough waste to make an effective compost, it doesn’t get hot enough for a lack of stuff and the climate. This means many seeds from the weeds I compost survive and then the compost is a death trap of endless weeding, meaning have to dig the soil deep to get the roots out upsetting the balance. Most notable brambles. I actually ended up having to put my compost in a big bin and peeing on it for a month before leaving it for a year to burn the seeds to death with all the nitrogen. .. worked well, but it’s not optimal and will lead to too much nitrogen in the soil to keep doing this. I also have bindweed now I tackled the brambles better, another that’s not good for the composting. And I can’t grow pumpkins everywhere if that’s the fix… I like onions :/ I do however enjoy growing trees, so did toy with the idea of growing trees for mulch, but I do not think I could generate enough mass in the time frame. The wood I do collect already tends to go around the trees to keep the grass back and there isn’t enough for every tree. I believe the main problem is an inability to scale up that always stumps me whenever I find this sort of advice. I know it works, it’s just getting mulch and compost matter that’s actually affordable on smaller scale. Would love to hear your thought on this topic. Also please, what on Earth makes Oxalis go away? It’s imposable! =D Ok I rambled a bit too long.. I’m located in the middle of Derby in England, the soil is heavy clay with more slugs than a beer trap can handle. The climate here is brutal for slug control plus I’m in a local wet spot. Keep up the good content :3
I'm in northeast TN. developing a food forest but am being raided bycritters: snapping turtle, groundhog, vole, deer, racoon rabbit and possum. Now working gone building a good fence.
A super helpful and informative video. I've been inspired to start growing again and these videos are certainly helping lead the way to do things more efficiently (and I'm one about being as efficient as possible). Thanks so much for the video!
Amazing video as always, Anne! Love watching them. I'd love to know more about what nutrients certain plants take and what nutrients they give back to the soil (like in previous videos you talked about planting plants that do the same thing that dandelions and weeds are doing in a specific spot of the soil). I also want to ask you for advices on what to do with red ants and termites living in the soil (anything woody/dry/brown gets reduced to dust by termites so I don't know if i should use woody stuff as mulch or not). How do I get rid of them naturally?
Thank You for putting a scientific forest natured approach to watering , we too have a slopeing plot of land and try to water wisely , i do get hose happy though and wash the driveway too much : ( but love your content and would like to learn more . keep well and hi from Australia G,day mate. is the correct greeting bye and Thank youuuuuuuu
I saw your chicken coup in an old video and immediately went in search to try to find a build video for it, or at least a full tour video, but couldn't find one. I would absolutely LOVE to see more of your chicken coup!
Coop tour is at 5:30 in this video: ua-cam.com/video/ysm6Uu9puSs/v-deo.htmlsi=9QhlWLvh6GNeamAb Details video: ua-cam.com/video/W-fVQ92bpgk/v-deo.htmlsi=pLLjzTp3fUDZ306a Build video: ua-cam.com/video/eSrZhYmTaLc/v-deo.htmlsi=4X7qQ58j0k6kHJ1J
as your plants draw up minerals over the years, do you think that over time the ground will lose most of the potential minerals? How much time a week do you spend on tending your garden?
I just wish I could give you a hug. So I'll have to settle for an internet hug 🫂 I have started my own garden. Starting a hugelkultur bed in MI. ❤ ty for all you've done and documented. Showing struggles and hardships, and lessons learned. Your talking in a candid and open manner has helped me in a huge way. So TY again Anne, one more interweb-hug for the road. ❤🫂
Thank you, I have a fig tree that has fruit all over it but seems to be taking a long time to ripen. Perhaps I'm watering too much. Will pull back and see what happens. It's been raining a lot last week so I had not control over it but this week is no rain so will let it be.
Good stuff. Everything you teach makes sense - i also think we should replicate natural environment for our plants. I'm a super beginner gardener, here to learn. You've earned a subscriber :)
I water using my shower water. It's not easy or lazy using buckets to walk up and down stairs to water my plants, but it saves water, all my shower products are biodegradeable, and my plants seem to enjoy it
I used to walk down the stairs in my old house, but then figured a hose out a window saved the walk! You can buy a start pump or wait for gravity to pull the water down 🙂
I'd love to see a video on the adjustments you had to make to your gardening when you moved from Washington to here (i.e. what you have to do different based on the different zones you lived in). I live in Western Washington and want to know if there's anything I'd need to do different from your setup to be most successful. Keep up the great content! 👍
... damp ... I also use the sponge to explain hydrophobia, how when you first get one, it's so dry it takes a while before it will actually absorb water. Just discovered you, second vid. First was the one on weeds and soil. Absolutely brilliant.
Don't agree on the watering fruits, though. The plant is adding nutrients to the fruit as it grows, too. Not just water. Would agree when the fruit is ripening, though.
@AnneofAllTrades yeah, I got that you meant throughout its growing season. Like, you said (or, at least, I heard) the bud starts with all the flavour, and any water from there is just watering it down. Unless I missed a bit. I love your methodology, though. A lot like my dad, going against the grain. In Australia we had a massive yabbie (Australian freshwater crawfish) dam. Everyone reckons they prefer murky water. My dad went out of his way with all the plants in the dam to keep the water clear. Biggest yabbies you'll ever see. Bright blue, most end up brown to camouflage in the murky water. They never preferred it, it's just an abundant option for them on farms in Aus. Also started looking into a Japanese planting style, can't remember the name atm. But planting a lot closer, using a combination of tall, mid, and ground covers to form the natural layers in a forest, rather than more traditional methods of just planting something by itself with plenty of room, to get the most sun. Like you say with water, if they don't need to hunt for it, they have no good reason to grow.
Planting more layers of crops help in growing and feeding each other, there's this guy who manages to raise an entire forest in 10 years because he plants all the vegetable layers in the same time, from smallest cover plants to the highest canopy trees. PS: LOve your page, have just found it and already learned a lot
In Ecuador there is a bush called Chilca Negra, once it gets growing it sheds so many dense leafs and small twigs below the bush that other plants start growing around it, the bush also can captivate the fine cloud mist on its leaves, and then directs the water on the outside of its stems, thus if we can not access wood much, what can we grow that grows fast to make our own mulch? replace our lawns with hemp or?
"You better poop out that baby soon, I gotta get some sleep tonight." You gave me quite the giggle. I'm sure my husband's going to feel the same way. :D
You would be my favorite neighbor. I would bring my own chair and your favorite beverage to chat in that waiting room. I also adore when my plants volunteer themselves the following season. Oregano where? Pick greens for dinner even though I planted nothing last year? ( It was a hard year) Thank you mother nature.
What about trying to propagate your failing tree with some cuttings? I've had some heavily stunted trees in the past and propagated some cuttings, I didn't graft them, but they're doing decently well.
That goes directly against the permaculture principle of survival and propagation only of the most vibrant, successful plants with the most vigorous growth in favor of better resilience against pests/disease/drought/ other stressors.
Oh my goodness I just love you sweetie 😂😂🤣 I literally lose all track of time when I’m watching your videos…. because I am having so much fun!! I gobble up all of the incredible information like a sponge! And by all means, please insert your darling animals at any point because I love them too!! Sending you hugs and thank you’s for everything that you are doing! 😊
Was feeling down, saw your thumbnail and immediately felt happy. Thanks for being you, out there authentically, sharing yourself and your journey with us ❤.
Same❤❤❤❤❤
Me too!❤❤❤❤
Sooo good ❤ beautiful and insightful content. With a little humour 😅
I followed your method this year, I watered my garden only the two days I planted seeds in my garden . I have not watered my garden once since mother's day and my garden is going super well.
First off - love your content. I am completely in agreement with copying what nature does. It’s the best teacher. Live in the prairies of Canada. I think it’s considered semi-arid where we are. Even so, NOBODY believes in mulching here. They seem to think working harder is a virtue! (Good old Puritan values I guess.). My mom is a lazy gardener also and taught me to mulch but I never used enough so kinda never reaped the benefits. This got me excited about gardening again (for next year). And now I know my mistake - there’s never too much mulch! I agree about watering too much, makes the plants weak. They need to mimic what nature gives - periods of rain and drought. Makes them much more resilient. Same for my houseplants - if they can’t handle some drought (aka neglect), they don’t belong. LOL
I visited SK and its the driest place i've ever been to! LOL Beautiful area, and wonderful people!
I topped my garden with mulch from my local mulch pile this year. With all those wood chips I figured I'd try less watering this year, and O my goodness what a difference. I've water my garden maybe 3-5 times this year, all the rest has been rain fall. My tomatoes taste better it's been my best pepper year so far, and I was able to support a very dense planting of lettuce,beans/peas, and onion. Definitely a smart method for everyone to use.
There is a really good documentary on the wood chip gardening method called Back to Eden... it is free to watch on UA-cam, look for the freebie version if you are interested in checking it out. God bless!
Here in the UK we've had a very wet growing season and terrible slug and snail damage to plants, when moist (such a nice lovely word) loving pests are around it's advisable to water early morning, before sun can damage plants and when said pests like to hide, especially true in containers and raised (enclosed) beds
I just love that you DON'T dye your hair. I love your content as well, of course. The magic is in the soil!
Hi, Anne! When I’m disappointed with my garden, it’s nice to listen to your rant and become aware of what I m driving for. I love your humor keep smiling, it’s contagious and much needed in times like these. Love to all!❤❤🤗😆🤣
Yes, I agree Anne's knowledge has helped my tomatoes! And, now this video will support my hot peppers and onions.
Rainwater harvesting in dry areas is important and a great way to go.
First you actually have to get rain. If we get rain it's only a mere sprinkle
This whole idea of too much watering applies to only places where there is an abundant supply of rain water such as the East coast, unlike in California which is mostly drought stricken when the rainy season is very short or none at all. We do want to water more in California as rain events are so rare.
We here in northern California just don't get enough rainfall. I water and still my raised beds dry out too fast. Mulch does help. Your garden is amazing! So green and lush! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I’ve seen trench gardens, basically the opposite of what I have, work really well in super dry climates like in the desert of Ethiopia
I'm also in NorCal and I have a hard time keeping my raised beds hydrated with only mulch.
@@abcdefghijklomop3414 it can take a few years to develop the soil structure needed to maintain moisture without supplemental watering, but there are some shortcuts. Have you seen this video by chance? ua-cam.com/video/hfBSgHgcSc4/v-deo.html
In Tennessee, we get about 60 inches a year and spread pretty even throughout the year. Fall is a little drier. For us, our problems are weeds, more weeds, and to a lesser extent bugs! We all have problems, just different ones.
Agreed, here in Northern California where summers are HOT and the AVERAGE rainfall is 19" a year--and many years, especially lately, have been well below that--it is essential to mulch and water deeply but not daily. I use raised beds because I have gophers and ground squirrels (I can screen the bottoms of the beds to exclude them). I have tried many kinds of mulch (straw, wood chips, compost), but end up with voracious pill bugs, earwigs and slugs. Just keeping the ground shaded with plants seems to work best. Thus--ta da!--purslane, the living mulch that keeps the soil cool and moist under the vegetables. And I do mix up my beds so nothing is a mono-crop.
Thanks for the excellent plant/soil science lesson Anne. My garden has completely transformed because of your lessons. I am teaching other homestead mothers all you have taught me as well. You are positively affecting many people and gardens through your channel. Xo
I just love your energy and all your information. One of the best channels ❤ love from south africa 😊
No kidding not all rains are equal, this year seems like every rainfall comes in a thunderstorm with high winds & hail...but after three years of draught I'll still take it. Now to watch the rest of the video, because I'm going to be watering a friend's garden while they're away and I don't want anything dying on my watch!
I feel special for having already watched (at publication) your "no one really watched this one" video mentioned at the end. Your attitude always brightens my day, and I really hope I can manage myADHD well enough to maybe one day take all your lovely gardening advice XD
My people! I also struggle with ADHD tendencies as well! Makes even simple things challenging! All the the best to you as you navigate through it.
If there's one thing I know, it's that I water too often. One of my joys of every day is going out to my food forest and giving some water to the plants. Even though I know I may do it too often, I also know that none of them are showing signs of over watering. This year I've been able to grow more food than ever, and I plan to reformat my garden layout to be better set up for next year with more food to harvest and less watering to do.
I think next year will be the year I barely water at all by hand, and it'll be a fun time discovering what happens when I play less of a role in watering. Will I get more or less food? Will things grow better or worse?
Right now it's the middle of WINTER in Charters Towers Australia but its consistently like 90 degrees Fahrenheit. I find what works (and i have to water the garden everyday) is DENSELY PLANTING poly culture so that plants help shade each other and prevent evaporation
Edit: not looking forward to summer lmao. I just fot sunburnt the other day in winter just hanging in the garden.
That's terrible. Here in Tennessee, we have been having a beautiful mild August which is usually our most muggy, miserable month. Low 80s a few days and we even had evenings in the low 60s.
At Peace Valley Nature Center we used common items, a sponge was one of them, to teach principles about nature. Peace Valley is in suburban Philly/Allentown.
As a Senior Water Plant Operator, we are bound to laws by state to add certain chemicals to water. Depending on your state, you could call your local water department and they could tell you what chemicals they inject. Almost all states also send out an annual water quality report that also lists all facts about water. In NY, chlorine is mandatory regardless of testing it daily and having county test weekly. Other chemicals depend on the quality of water extracted either through aquifers or water sheds. But as you’ve stated correctly, keeping water open to the environment for 24 hours causes chlorine to dissipate and any tastes or odors are also burned off.
Our city uses reverse osmosis, but adds a chlorine product, too. So, I use an inline water filter to water my garden that filters out the chlorine. Before that, I used gallon jugs and filled them, then let them sit over night. Vitamin C can also be used to dissipate the chl9rine faster.
Chloramines do NOT evaporate however, which is what we have here. The same way it kills the soil it kills your intestinal flora.
@@vegtamvandervegseriously? wow. I have a Brita water filter, is that enough? I'm considering getting a flouride filter eventually too, do you have any recommendations?
I am gardening where water is a problem so I am trying to reuse washing machine waste water which in one batch is at least 3 liters. I capture it in 200 liter drums, but I’m not sure ho I can turn it into use for plants in a safe way. Any suggestion?
@@rx0102 There are under-counter Reverse Osmosis systems, or for a pitcher, I have a ProOne as it's the only type of pitcher I could find that can filter fluoride. For more than one person though I would get an RO.
Thanks for putting up that discussion about treating water!!! I have that conversation a lot about KC water since it's treated with chloramine and not chlorine. Other than citric acid, I believe humic acid (humate) can also be used to detoxify chloramine. The nice thing about humic acid is you can make your own by just running water slowly through good compost and collecting the brown liquid awesomeness that drips out.
Another great water capturing technique in trenches in your paths perpendicular to grade. Then fill the trench with wood chips! Will carry that water running down to pond across the garden from where you ran down. Just added it to my garden this year and did a video on water holding. It's important not just for our gardens but also our water systems to minimize flooding and eutrophication!
Exactly what we’ve done here too, with great results! You said it much more precisely than I did though 😅
90 day drought?... Oh yeah, that is called summer here 🤣
We moved from desert CA to TN (and all this greenery) 4 years ago … 6 acres of just house and “grass” and 1 acre of thick woods in back. We are gradually working garden beds into the scene, literally by hand (no heavy machinery). I’m so inspired by the permaculture method, using the water from the sky and the lay of the land to distribute it. We must be doing it right because we’ve never seen so much mushroom activity this year. Foraging aside, What should I do with these shrooms … leave them be, compost them? Love your videos - looking forward to Birth Day 🐄
I love your garden videos, more than your animal ones- it’s just my preference, but all your videos are great. Thank you again for showing us your amazing methods for a beautiful and productive garden!
I don't get rain here in the desert if eastern WA, so i am seriously considering doing what i use to and making wells instead of humps for my vegetable crops next year. I'm thinking that everything will stay wetter much easier!
I’ve seen that done in Ethiopia really successfully! Add in plenty of mulch and I think you’re really onto something.
New to UA-cam, been gardening for 52 years. Love your video! Glad you don't use Raised beds such a gimmick ! Hats off to you!
Great info Ann! Thank you! And entertaining too😊 I just harvested my last garlic bulbs (which are tiny this year) yesterday here in zone 5b and we are in a bit of a heat wave with no rain for 5 or 6 days. I have not watered much this season as we have had a LOT of rain, yet my garlic bed is bone dry. And I did not cover the soil this week as I harvested my garlic. I did leave the weeds in place but the soil is like powder. I will add some mulched manure and am planting beans and pepper transplants in that bed tomorrow before our next forecasted rain! Thanks for the gardening advice.
Thanks for the great content! I love your energy and enthusiasm. I also like your holistic approach to gardening. Many kudos!
Real-deal garden advice and very descriptive. Ella is gorgeous !! I wish it would rain here !! ( Manteca, Ca. ) I definitely collect rain water when it actually rains. Why would anyone treat our water-sources ?? !!!!! I am glad July will be done as nearly every day here was 100 and over. I love the way that you glean knowledge from the forest of life, good job .
Thanks girl sunflower 🌻
You are a blessing ❤
Thank you for sharing, I assumed we needed to increase water when fruit is forming and ripening
Zone 7 TN grower here nature works wonders
Great video. I love the waiting room for the calf delivery 😊and “As mulch as I believe” 😂 was so funny. Thank you. Your garden looks great. I watched that video you mentioned at the end.
You’re the best ❤️❤️
So glad we have another Tennesseean who loves the land
I got one of those giant blue barrels from Craigslist for 50 bucks to act as a dust collector for my workshop. Been thinking of setting up a gutter rain collection system. Maintaining water pressure is an issue to over come, I was thinking of building a wooden platform where they would lay on their side one on top of each other and just get connected together. That way you have water pressure to spray crops from a fair distance.
We get those from an ice cream factory for $7. We're going to cut the next batch in half for planters 😁
@@dfreak01 I'm interested in getting some of those! Where exactly do you get them?
Great tips !❤ I also have been told from an experienced farmer that rainwater contains more oxygen than treated water which is probably why I notice plants do so much better after rain versus even by our total house reverse osmosis filtered water 💧. I currently have 25 raised beds and water early morning around 5am every day and have been trying to cut costs... this is just the video I needed! I have been reading the charles dowding no dig book bc of your vids & I am really excited to utilize these tips when we expand our growing space 😊 love your vids ! Keep it up! 🌼🫶
Amazing video. So much concise and easy to understand information. ❤ You’re a great teacher.
Hey there,
I really know next to nothing about gardening (that's why I watch your channel) but thanks to my nerdiness I happen to know something about this burning on leaves by water droplets (13:38). It's a common misconception that the burn on the leaves is caused by the shape of the water droplets (it's not true that the droplet shape acts like a magnifying glass). In fact, it is a chemical burn that happens: There are many minerals in our tap water and even in rainwater standing in a garden barrel, they can accumulate quickly. If you then water the plants in the midday heat, the water evaporates incredibly quickly but the minerals remain behind. Because the minerals could not be dispersed, but remain in high concentrations in one place, a chemical burn occurs on that spot of the leaf.
I really have no idea about the weather in Tennessee (best wishes from Germany, by the way) but maybe you've seen a rain shower in the middle of the midday heat. No burns appeared on the leaves of the plants afterwards. The reason for this is that rainwater is free of minerals.
By the way, thank you so much for your great channel! The way you really love your animals and nature and at the same time are very down to earth and can also admit mistakes - that just completely hits my vibe. I wish you lots of success and send you lots of love!
Your videos are always very informative and helpful. Thank you.
You are wonderful. And I love your arms too. I’m 48. Been training aerial arts for last few years. Starting to get some strong arms too. And I love it. Oh and I’m here cause I grow veg too. In QLD Australia
Thumbs up to "rib eye steak". Another great upload. Patiently waiting for the next one.
During mowing season (nov-apr) we let the grass stay where it falls. Our soil is horrid. We mulch a ton. Hopefully in a few more years it won't take a pick ax to plant bushes. What's summer rain??? 😜
We don’t experience it often, but when it comes it really comes down hard
I made a Hügelkultur bed inspired by your techniques
Grrrrrrreat! You are very good at helping me to lear how to garden effectively. Thank you
Thank you. I learned so much from you :) Im a very lazy gardener, and ive been struggling to keep grass off my little garden beds. I will try your method🤞
You're awesome! Thank you so much for all the information and humor 🙏
Amazing Anne is at it agann!! 🙃 I love your videos!! My gosh. You are a walking wealth of information. I am super nervous about cutting down on my watering, because all my crops are in containers. Why - because my knees don't bend much, and certainly cannot squat. That said, I am learning a LOT from you!! Everything you teach makes sense to me! And you are hilarious.😂 Oh! I am in zone 8a, west TN.
Such a pretty cow ❤ love her markings and colors.
You are far becoming my favorite online personality. I know we’d be friends. Thank you for all of your great advice.
I just found your channel, a wealth of great information here! I enjoy watching others enjoying the fruits of their labor! Keep up the good work! There's nothing like a walk in the garden to uplift and soothe your soul!
I appreciate your content so much! You're a good teacher
good one Anne, thanks for the tutorial/tour! 🔥 Emulate Nature - what a great topic, amazing!
Love the content. You are my kind of gardener. Just as I suspected. Probably more like the garden of Eden.
Love this! I have been doing hugel beds for the past 3 or 4 years which my plants love. This video is really informative and inspiring!
That comment on vitamin C, I just watched that right before this and saw that comment.
Just found your channel. Great information. Love your fun energy and smile.
You just make me happy😊 and I get to learn new stuff for my garden! Thank You!
Awesome! Sharing with mom! Also, Not trying to toot my horn just admiring a shared trait You remind me of me, youre a perfectionist and i love the way you teach these details its perfect for my way of learning!
Love all your videos - thank you for creating such great content - we are due to move into our own smallholding in the next few weeks and learning so much from you. I’m really interested in your pond - is there a video showing how your pigs helped build it? I had a look but couldn’t find one.
She may have talked about it in ´lazy farmer uses pigs to clear forest’. There’s no dedicated video yet.
Actually it’s towards the end of ´expert judges my farm’
New subscriber here from Aotearoa (Nrw Zealand) in the South Pacific. I've never heard anyone say "boy howdy" before and I'm finding it absolutely hilarious! 😅 Aside from the unintentional comedy, I'm really loving your videos and unconventional methods! Thank you 🙏🌟✨
You’re absolutely the GOAT!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽Thanks for sharing 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Hügelkultur, literally mound bed or mound culture, is a horticultural technique where a mound constructed from decaying wood debris and other compostable biomass plant materials is later planted as a raised bed. The decomposing wood holds moisture and slowly releases it.
A lot of these garden beds started as hugelkultur beds 4 years ago and I’ve since adapted them to maintain moisture and fertility :)
I learn so much from you. Thank you!
Both woodchip and evening watering can be pretty bad for encouraging slugs - of which this year, in Germany we have an utter plague (and the UK and most of the North West of Europe). Also, we are much much further north (54° in my case) so the sun has less power even though we have longer daylight in summer. In spring and autumn, dark soil staying warm is actually an advantage. So it might depend on your climate if woodchips work well for you, especially if you are in a cooler damper climate.
But where woodchips work, they do seem magic!!
The traditional local solution here is Hügelkultur - wood logs (sponge! Just like your woodchips) with layers of smaller stuff on top, bit like a compost heap, then soil on top. I would love to try that sometime.
Our water seems ok, even for seed starting, but I should get my well pump working... I'm sure it's much better. Most folks round here have lots of rain barrels, but we also have lots and lots of mosquitoes, and I am very attractive to them, and also take a big reaction, so I don't.
I used to think so as well, having moved here from Seattle where it rains 9 months a year I was always worried about slugs with the mulch but it was never actually an issue. here’s the thing though- if your soil is already wet enough you’re having slug issues, you shouldn’t be artificially watering at all
i'm totally amused but more amazed on your presentation it's so lovely 🙂 so, so much knowledge presented with such a good cheer and joy of life, it's really overwhelming. in my opiniion most of the techars working in any uni would be jealous and would want to be such a good presenter and educator like you 🙂 i'm not a gardener but the first video i saw from you i felt like i go out to my 35 square meters "garden" and i begin to cultivate it at once. such is your impact - just so you know. and for the first time in my life I felt really sorry that nashville was so far away as i livein hungary, near budapest. but i'm happy i found you here
Yeay! Love this advice. I was worried i was neglecting some plants, but nice to hear they'll be fine 🙂
Watched a bunch of your videos and gota say I’m impressed. You cover a lot more than most and have more information than most people that attempt the same sort of thing, so well done indeed.
You also sound a lot more trustable in that you actually know what you’re talking about, while being a genuine person. Such a nice and rare combo.
I do however have a slight criticism that I only hope you try to address in a later video.
That is that everyone can do it and for low cost.
The wood flakes / leaves are never free in large quantities, and sadly in some locations, hard to obtain without added pesticides (yeah ouch when I discovered that!).
I’m looking at about £210 for 500 litres, before the added delivery costs!
On a side note: I would also like to add not everyone has a personal forest, nor would I encourage people to take anything like that from a public forest, as it can quickly lead to people taking too much causing significant damage. Sadly I’ve seen it happen. But that’s just a side note!
To explain my spot of bother a little better.
I am in the position where, I’m on low income, and simply have a large garden. Not big enough for any animals (maybe ducks or geese if there not too noisy but I don’t have any).
I also do not create enough waste to make an effective compost, it doesn’t get hot enough for a lack of stuff and the climate. This means many seeds from the weeds I compost survive and then the compost is a death trap of endless weeding, meaning have to dig the soil deep to get the roots out upsetting the balance. Most notable brambles. I actually ended up having to put my compost in a big bin and peeing on it for a month before leaving it for a year to burn the seeds to death with all the nitrogen. .. worked well, but it’s not optimal and will lead to too much nitrogen in the soil to keep doing this. I also have bindweed now I tackled the brambles better, another that’s not good for the composting. And I can’t grow pumpkins everywhere if that’s the fix… I like onions :/
I do however enjoy growing trees, so did toy with the idea of growing trees for mulch, but I do not think I could generate enough mass in the time frame. The wood I do collect already tends to go around the trees to keep the grass back and there isn’t enough for every tree.
I believe the main problem is an inability to scale up that always stumps me whenever I find this sort of advice.
I know it works, it’s just getting mulch and compost matter that’s actually affordable on smaller scale.
Would love to hear your thought on this topic.
Also please, what on Earth makes Oxalis go away? It’s imposable! =D
Ok I rambled a bit too long.. I’m located in the middle of Derby in England, the soil is heavy clay with more slugs than a beer trap can handle. The climate here is brutal for slug control plus I’m in a local wet spot.
Keep up the good content :3
I'm in northeast TN. developing a food forest but am being raided bycritters: snapping turtle, groundhog, vole, deer, racoon rabbit and possum. Now working gone building a good fence.
Love the content… you are inspirational… love farm life…gardening and life itself… thank you for being you and sharing ❤
A super helpful and informative video. I've been inspired to start growing again and these videos are certainly helping lead the way to do things more efficiently (and I'm one about being as efficient as possible). Thanks so much for the video!
Amazingly good and simple to understand information. Thank you so much!!
Wonderful info, thank you, I'm a newbie and I want my garden and plants to be given the best chance to grow strong :-) Loving the vid.
Amazing video as always, Anne! Love watching them. I'd love to know more about what nutrients certain plants take and what nutrients they give back to the soil (like in previous videos you talked about planting plants that do the same thing that dandelions and weeds are doing in a specific spot of the soil). I also want to ask you for advices on what to do with red ants and termites living in the soil (anything woody/dry/brown gets reduced to dust by termites so I don't know if i should use woody stuff as mulch or not). How do I get rid of them naturally?
Thank You for putting a scientific forest natured approach to watering , we too have a slopeing plot of land and try to water wisely , i do get hose happy though and wash the driveway too much : ( but love your content and would like to learn more . keep well and hi from Australia G,day mate. is the correct greeting bye and Thank youuuuuuuu
I saw your chicken coup in an old video and immediately went in search to try to find a build video for it, or at least a full tour video, but couldn't find one. I would absolutely LOVE to see more of your chicken coup!
Coop tour is at 5:30 in this video: ua-cam.com/video/ysm6Uu9puSs/v-deo.htmlsi=9QhlWLvh6GNeamAb
Details video: ua-cam.com/video/W-fVQ92bpgk/v-deo.htmlsi=pLLjzTp3fUDZ306a
Build video: ua-cam.com/video/eSrZhYmTaLc/v-deo.htmlsi=4X7qQ58j0k6kHJ1J
as your plants draw up minerals over the years, do you think that over time the ground will lose most of the potential minerals? How much time a week do you spend on tending your garden?
I just wish I could give you a hug.
So I'll have to settle for an internet hug 🫂
I have started my own garden. Starting a hugelkultur bed in MI. ❤ ty for all you've done and documented. Showing struggles and hardships, and lessons learned. Your talking in a candid and open manner has helped me in a huge way. So TY again Anne, one more interweb-hug for the road. ❤🫂
Took me a while to figure out why t.f. you would drink slug bait :-) mentioning the first time.
😂😂
Annie, you're a breath of fresh air. I'd love a friend just like you. 😊 Greetings from England.
Thank you, I have a fig tree that has fruit all over it but seems to be taking a long time to ripen. Perhaps I'm watering too much. Will pull back and see what happens. It's been raining a lot last week so I had not control over it but this week is no rain so will let it be.
Figs usually ripen in mid/late summer for me, August/September.
this channel is brilliant .so much WISE and simple information .mimic nature is best choice .thank you
Oh a Jersey, my favorite cow and so pretty! Hello Mom Ella, you sweet lady you!
I was amused by the donkey eyeing the jump gate, possibly trying to figure out if he could fit through it too!
Good stuff. Everything you teach makes sense - i also think we should replicate natural environment for our plants. I'm a super beginner gardener, here to learn. You've earned a subscriber :)
I water using my shower water. It's not easy or lazy using buckets to walk up and down stairs to water my plants, but it saves water, all my shower products are biodegradeable, and my plants seem to enjoy it
I used to walk down the stairs in my old house, but then figured a hose out a window saved the walk! You can buy a start pump or wait for gravity to pull the water down 🙂
I'd love to see a video on the adjustments you had to make to your gardening when you moved from Washington to here (i.e. what you have to do different based on the different zones you lived in). I live in Western Washington and want to know if there's anything I'd need to do different from your setup to be most successful. Keep up the great content! 👍
... damp ...
I also use the sponge to explain hydrophobia, how when you first get one, it's so dry it takes a while before it will actually absorb water.
Just discovered you, second vid. First was the one on weeds and soil. Absolutely brilliant.
Don't agree on the watering fruits, though. The plant is adding nutrients to the fruit as it grows, too. Not just water. Would agree when the fruit is ripening, though.
Not watering when ripening was the advice I, at least, intended to offer. Perhaps it was unclear in some way?
@AnneofAllTrades yeah, I got that you meant throughout its growing season. Like, you said (or, at least, I heard) the bud starts with all the flavour, and any water from there is just watering it down. Unless I missed a bit.
I love your methodology, though. A lot like my dad, going against the grain. In Australia we had a massive yabbie (Australian freshwater crawfish) dam. Everyone reckons they prefer murky water. My dad went out of his way with all the plants in the dam to keep the water clear. Biggest yabbies you'll ever see. Bright blue, most end up brown to camouflage in the murky water. They never preferred it, it's just an abundant option for them on farms in Aus.
Also started looking into a Japanese planting style, can't remember the name atm. But planting a lot closer, using a combination of tall, mid, and ground covers to form the natural layers in a forest, rather than more traditional methods of just planting something by itself with plenty of room, to get the most sun. Like you say with water, if they don't need to hunt for it, they have no good reason to grow.
Thanks, Anne!
I really enjoy your passing of knowledge-thank you❤️✝️
Wow, God is good....that last bit about the fungus was amazing.
Thank you so much, that was exactly what i‘m looking for
Planting more layers of crops help in growing and feeding each other, there's this guy who manages to raise an entire forest in 10 years because he plants all the vegetable layers in the same time, from smallest cover plants to the highest canopy trees. PS: LOve your page, have just found it and already learned a lot
In Ecuador there is a bush called Chilca Negra, once it gets growing it sheds so many dense leafs and small twigs below the bush that other plants start growing around it, the bush also can captivate the fine cloud mist on its leaves, and then directs the water on the outside of its stems, thus if we can not access wood much, what can we grow that grows fast to make our own mulch? replace our lawns with hemp or?
20:45. I shook my head too, but it was a good one... haha
😅
Love your videos you are one special woman wish I could find something like you all about nature
"You better poop out that baby soon, I gotta get some sleep tonight." You gave me quite the giggle. I'm sure my husband's going to feel the same way. :D
Ha! Sleep before the baby comes. There won't be much after.
Such a fantastic explainer and presenter.
Love every video you put out, thank you for sharing!!
You would be my favorite neighbor. I would bring my own chair and your favorite beverage to chat in that waiting room.
I also adore when my plants volunteer themselves the following season.
Oregano where?
Pick greens for dinner even though I planted nothing last year? ( It was a hard year)
Thank you mother nature.
What about trying to propagate your failing tree with some cuttings? I've had some heavily stunted trees in the past and propagated some cuttings, I didn't graft them, but they're doing decently well.
That goes directly against the permaculture principle of survival and propagation only of the most vibrant, successful plants with the most vigorous growth in favor of better resilience against pests/disease/drought/ other stressors.
Oh my goodness I just love you sweetie 😂😂🤣 I literally lose all track of time when I’m watching your videos…. because I am having so much fun!! I gobble up all of the incredible information like a sponge! And by all means, please insert your darling animals at any point because I love them too!! Sending you hugs and thank you’s for everything that you are doing! 😊
13:20 You're so smart, I love this advice
Thanks for sharing!