I discovered your videos a month ago and am hooked! Thank you so much for all your information and your efforts in making your knowledge available to us. The information about seed starting and soil / compost making are coming at the perfect time of year.
Thank you, Carol. That's so nice to hear. It's challenging making videos at the right time so they're applicable to all areas and zones, but I'm doing my best!
I don't know how I have had success over the years (oh, there has been a share of failures, too). From listening to knowledgeable gardeners like yourself, I am learning what not to do. The one thing I have done right all these years is to stay away from fertilizers that are junk and not natural. Thank you so much for all that you share. A neighbor and I are signed up to take the Master Gardeners' class, starting this March. It's never too late to learn!
Just once I added fish heads from my daughter's catch to 1 of my garden beds. Only once. Within an hour, there was a tunnel from the surface to the burial site and they were gone. I struggle enough with rodents that I decided to not encourage their presence even more! So I second not adding fish to compost.
Thanks so much. And yes, go ahead and pot-up your geraniums. Don't trim them back unless you see dead tissue. The goal right now is to let them put on some growth and then you can give them a bit of a haircut in a month or so.
A super amount of information . Soil is the most complex item in the garden, and we need to take very good care of it. I have clay so using compost is a must. I have a 3 stage composting bins. But i never have enough so must buy land and sea by espoma. Thank u again for all this wonderful information.
Hi, Catia. That is an excellent question! A few years ago, I learned from Joe Lamp'l that pallets have stamps on them which indicate if they've been treated methyl bromide or heat-treated. You want the latter. Heat-treated pallets will have a stamp that says "HT," while methyl-bromide pallets will say "HB." So when we were scavenging for some pallets to make our compost system, we only snagged the ones that said "HT." Here is his article about this: joegardener.com/video/how-to-make-a-compost-bin-using-free-shipping-pallets/.
I have a question. What do you use on your grass for weeds if you don't use Weed and Feed if you want to compost the lawn clippings. I live down by Boise Idaho. Thankyou
Hi there. We don't use anything for weeds in our lawn. We don't feel the need to have a pristine lawn that is only grass, esp. since that means there's nothing in there for the pollinators. Our lawn includes white Dutch clover, a few dandelions here and there, plus a couple other things and when it's mowed, you really don't know the difference! When the dandelions bloom in early spring, that provides bees and other types of pollinators with an early source of pollen. This is so important! I should also add that in all the years I've been using lawn clippings on the surface of our raised beds, I've never had a weed problem.
@@Birdhouselady That sounds good. The reason I brought up the issue of not using grass clippings that have been treated with weed & feed, etc., is that the herbicides will also kill your vegetable plants. Herbicides such as weed & feed target broad-leaf plants, and with the exception of corn, ALL vegetable plants are broad-leaf plants! Just trying to save you some grief.
Susan, my soil test wants me to add blood meal and sulfur into my beds. Can I do that without rototilling? My chickens make excellent compost and I don't have to ever turn it! :)
Hi, Dolly. Yes, absolutely you can. The instructions say to only incorporate it into the top 3" of your soil, which really isn't much at all. I would recommend doing the method that I mentioned in the video, using a spading fork or shovel. Don't turn over the soil, just do the "wiggle!"
Hi, Lucie. I would put 2-3" of compost on the soil surface. As long as it's not matted together, I would expect the asparagus spears to come through it without any problems.
I discovered your videos a month ago and am hooked! Thank you so much for all your information and your efforts in making your knowledge available to us. The information about seed starting and soil / compost making are coming at the perfect time of year.
Thank you, Carol. That's so nice to hear. It's challenging making videos at the right time so they're applicable to all areas and zones, but I'm doing my best!
Very helpful, thank-you Susan!
Thank you, Rose!
This was so helpful. You cleared up some confusion for me with both soil and compost. Thank you!
I'm so glad to hear that! Have a great garden season.
Super helpful! Thank you!
I'm so glad to hear that!
Wow! Another amazing video! Thanks ❤
Thank you so much. I'm glad it was helpful.
Very helpful Susan, thank you again!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. So much to learn.
Hank you for this easy to follow video!
I'm glad it was helpful!
🌹
I don't know how I have had success over the years (oh, there has been a share of failures, too). From listening to knowledgeable gardeners like yourself, I am learning what not to do. The one thing I have done right all these years is to stay away from fertilizers that are junk and not natural. Thank you so much for all that you share. A neighbor and I are signed up to take the Master Gardeners' class, starting this March. It's never too late to learn!
Hi, Gail. Thank you for such nice comments. You will love being a Master Gardener! I've been one for 22 years now and it has been wonderful.
Just once I added fish heads from my daughter's catch to 1 of my garden beds. Only once. Within an hour, there was a tunnel from the surface to the burial site and they were gone. I struggle enough with rodents that I decided to not encourage their presence even more! So I second not adding fish to compost.
Oh my gosh! I completely agree with you: don't add things to soil or compost that will attract critters.
What a wonderful series. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Btw is this the time to bring the Geraniums from dormancy? Thanks for your videos.
Thanks so much. And yes, go ahead and pot-up your geraniums. Don't trim them back unless you see dead tissue. The goal right now is to let them put on some growth and then you can give them a bit of a haircut in a month or so.
@@SusansInTheGarden thanks. Just put in a sunny window?
@@rbthegardennannyllc4219 Yes, a bright location is good.
Awesome video and very Helpful!!! Thank you 😀👏
Glad it was helpful, Norma!
A super amount of information . Soil is the most complex item in the garden, and we need to take very good care of it. I have clay so using compost is a must. I have a 3 stage composting bins. But i never have enough so must buy land and sea by espoma.
Thank u again for all this wonderful information.
Hi, Sharon. I'm so glad you enjoyed the video.
Until now I didn't have courage to reuse pallets as they say it can contain dangerous chemicals. How do you know if they are safe? Thanks
Hi, Catia. That is an excellent question! A few years ago, I learned from Joe Lamp'l that pallets have stamps on them which indicate if they've been treated methyl bromide or heat-treated. You want the latter. Heat-treated pallets will have a stamp that says "HT," while methyl-bromide pallets will say "HB." So when we were scavenging for some pallets to make our compost system, we only snagged the ones that said "HT." Here is his article about this: joegardener.com/video/how-to-make-a-compost-bin-using-free-shipping-pallets/.
I have a question. What do you use on your grass for weeds if you don't use Weed and Feed if you want to compost the lawn clippings. I live down by Boise Idaho. Thankyou
Hi there. We don't use anything for weeds in our lawn. We don't feel the need to have a pristine lawn that is only grass, esp. since that means there's nothing in there for the pollinators. Our lawn includes white Dutch clover, a few dandelions here and there, plus a couple other things and when it's mowed, you really don't know the difference! When the dandelions bloom in early spring, that provides bees and other types of pollinators with an early source of pollen. This is so important! I should also add that in all the years I've been using lawn clippings on the surface of our raised beds, I've never had a weed problem.
We live down by Boise. The water everyone uses come from canals. The canals carry weeds. I'll have to look into what I can use thats organic
@@Birdhouselady That sounds good. The reason I brought up the issue of not using grass clippings that have been treated with weed & feed, etc., is that the herbicides will also kill your vegetable plants. Herbicides such as weed & feed target broad-leaf plants, and with the exception of corn, ALL vegetable plants are broad-leaf plants! Just trying to save you some grief.
Susan, my soil test wants me to add blood meal and sulfur into my beds. Can I do that without rototilling? My chickens make excellent compost and I don't have to ever turn it! :)
Hi, Dolly. Yes, absolutely you can. The instructions say to only incorporate it into the top 3" of your soil, which really isn't much at all. I would recommend doing the method that I mentioned in the video, using a spading fork or shovel. Don't turn over the soil, just do the "wiggle!"
Thank you so much for the information. I will be wigging a lot with 10 beds LOL
Question Susan…I have a raised bed of asparagus, how much compost can we put on top without choking it?
Hi, Lucie. I would put 2-3" of compost on the soil surface. As long as it's not matted together, I would expect the asparagus spears to come through it without any problems.
Thank you Susan!
Promo*SM 😩
You're objecting to the fact that I included a cover photo of my two books in the CREDITS in the last few seconds of the video? Wow.