Mark Shepard says strawberries get along with pines and oak. However, I understand pine micorrizae is very specific to pines. I am sure that pine soil has scores of good microorganisms, but maybe ad a variety of good soil sources to make sure you get a micorrizae that will work with strawberry? The system looks great, thank you very mucho for another great video.
Love your videos. You go beyond the basics in an easy to understand format. I would also add that if there are any local mushrooms around to encourage them to also grow in your beds. They break down nutrients and make them available to plants. They can even break down rock and extract the nutrients from that as well.
SORRY, PLEASE NOTE I Made A MISTAKE : I said in this video I got Mycorrhizal Fungi from a pine tree ( which is Ecto type). I should have taken sample from around and Fruit TREE or Perennial Plant that uses ENDO mycorrhizal to Help the other plants I am planting.
I have an idea. I could put that same structure on a raised movable platform or-brick platform. Make it shallow for vegetables. Easy on your back movable and grow tons of vegetables
Indeed, I am mixing everything up in two bins so I can put "raw" mixes so everything is included instead of the sacks at the store that is basically useless.
I love your videos. Very informative. I have a Pine tree plantation and I am experimenting with the needles. I gathered up the needles with a little bit of the soil from under them and made a bed out of them about six inches deep. While doing this I noticed the white strings in them (I am guessing it was fungus). I planted a couple tomatoes and squash with only the dirt that was in the pots (no fertilizer) just to see how they would grow. So far the plants are doing awesome.
Looking forward to Part 3! Very good mixture of biological information and its application with the benefit of Strawberries on top :) Great looking farm!
I try to learn new gardening techniques. I didn't know hyphae was good. I threw a lot out of my garden bed, because I thought it was "yucky" stuff, being yellow and gooey. Too bad. Now I know to leave it alone!
Thanks again for the continuing education on soil science. You do all the hard work and we get little nuggets along the way. Need more dog in videos though.
+SubTerra Organics THANK YOU. If you are going to do a farm stand on the road way. You should grow some sunflowers ( you can grow pollen less now ) and sell them. The seed is very low cost and you can sell high. Plus no irrigation required..
QUESTION: When the plants die back after hard freeze, do you leave the dead plants in the bed? Here in Colorado I worked in an indoor cannabis grow. They were, at the time, switching over to employing the Soil Food Web. It was so fun to be a part of that project! I learned a lot! I got to release the worms into the INDOOR beds! As cover crop, they plant a special seed mixture that has 5 types of clover, buckwheat, a type of grass and more. When it grew up to about 6 - 10 inches, we pulled the plants up a bit to disturb the roots enough for the plants to die. The cover crop is deliberately kept smaller than the cannabis so there is no competing for space. We pushed the cover crop down after disturbing the roots, and put another thin layer of compost on top of the dying plants, which was worm food. All the while, the cannabis plants were growing and developing their flowers. It's been a couple years and several harvests and the Soil Food Web is alive and well INDOORS!! (p.s. ~ I hear that the worms in those indoor raised beds regulate their population without any need for human intervention)
Interesting. The only improvements I would make, is I would skip using cattle panels and use either 2”x4” galvanized, welded wire fabric or 1”x2” welded wire fabric. It will hold the wood chips just fine and you can skip using that fine mesh on the inside. When putting the soil and the chips in, a way to keep them separated better, would be to use either 4x4 or 4x6’s around the inside perimeter of the cage, put the soil in the middle of that, pack it down and then pull the 4x4’s and you’ll have a perfect space to pour in the wood chips. Pack them down and then repeat the process as you build the pile. My experience on the best way to grow tomatoes, is to have a tomato plant ring. I read about this many years ago and have been doing it ever since. You’ll be amazed at how big your plants get (7’+) and how many tomatoes you’ll get off of them. Nothing beats it. Nothing! You start with welded wire fabric. I use 2“x4“ welded wire fabric, 5 feet tall and make a ring about 3 1/2’ to 4’ in diameter. Then, just inside this ring, you dig a hole a foot or more deep. Fill the hole with finished compost. Above ground level, you can fill the cage halfway with partiality finished compost, or any type of organic debris to compost during the summer. The cage sits at ground level, not inside the hole. Plant your tomato plants around the perimeter of the ring., spaced about 2’ apart. Mulch with compost. Let the first sucker of each plant grow and cut off all other suckers. During the hotter months, I make sure my tomatoes get one gallon of water per week. Since the plants grow much taller than the ring (I could only find 5 foot tall wire mesh. If you can find 6 foot, get it, but 5 foot tall is easier to put composting materials in), you’ll need some firring strips fastened to the inside of the ring, to train the plants higher, as they grow. Get ready to give many tomatoes away, because you’ll have tons of them. Cheers!
True but a book is more enduring. It will live on long after you and all of us have moved on. You could hire a ghost writer to help you write it if you don't have time to put it together.
@@iamorganicgardening Actually, Mark, having all the information consolidated ina book would be extremely helpful. For instance, a step by step on how you did this written out would be so helpful, instead of having to watch the video and take notes. The video and book would complement each other. Think Charles Dowding...
Well, that was highly educational. I wonder if the needles from a ceded would be useful the same as a pine. I've heard cedar would has a resin that inhibits growth. Will have to look it up before using.
I was told not to use leaves for ash because thats how trees get rid of bad stuff like heavy metals before winter. Grass, bark, sticks are as good if not better food for fungi. And there's less nitrogen which can be a good thing. I wouldnt grow stuff on immature compost. I've done that mistake too many times
Usefully interesting methods and ideas here. I'd think an eatable legume would be even better. I've been collecting truckloads of chips mostly for heavy plant mulching.
Hello there, Thank you for going to the trouble of doing your video's , I appreciate them very much. Here there is a local arborist/tree surgeons whom for the first time have offered the local community free wood chips from the place of business, but I was interested to learn and possibly you could advice me does one not have to be concerned from what type of trees that the wood chips come from so as to not harm (food plants or other) what is growing next to the wood chips. I am concerned because I have in the past purchased wood chips from garden centers and found that they have produced a certain amount of white fungus? Thanking you in appreciation of your replying and keep the video's coming.
The white fungi is a good thing it decomposes the wood chips.. There is a link to my newest video showing why it is a treasure : ua-cam.com/video/7jmFzWPleoM/v-deo.html . THANK YOU for asking and watching.
Inspiring, Informative and generous are just three words that I can utter after watching this video. Yesterday I went out and bought the materials in order to build 2 - today. Do you think that I can use 'Sochan (Rudbeckia Laciniata)' instead of sunflower? I am not finding a whole lot about it's rooting pattern. Can you please recommend other plants that I can use instead of sunflower, tomatoes and strawberries? I will more than likely use those three but it would be nice to know of another guild that I can try. Maybe create 1 - guild with your recommended plants and then another guild (niche) with some other plants. I may make about a dozen of these raised beds so I may be able to make a different guild for each raised bed. Thank you so much for this helpful series. You are truly doing a good service to mankind. Best regards,
THANK YOU, you can use ANY perennial ( rudbeckia ) instead of sunflowers even fountain grasses. Please check this list of the two types of mycorrhizal that work with other ones unseeing the same type; This is the link to the list, Just click on it: Mycorrhizal LIST link: www.rootnaturally.com/PlantListMycorrhizal.pdf . THANKS
The list states that Pine is ectomycorrhizal and all of the other plants in your raised bed garden are endomycorrhizal plants. May I ask why you used Pine instead of another tree from the endo list? is it because the other trees were not available? Thank you.
You are 100% correct. That was my MISTAKE in learning about this. That is why this list is helpful. I will have to try so how to FIX that..THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Thank you for this video. Very helpful. How does one decide whether to use raised beds versus planting veggies in ground? Does the insulation factor of in-ground planting make it more intriguing in some situations?
@@iamorganicgardening Thank you! Do you find you have to water quite a bit more though compared to in-ground planting? Or do the wood chips provide pretty good insulation from soil drying out? Thanks!
Great educational video; very interesting piece about the critical importance of keeping liquid carbon in the soil (via plants)than anything else. While that can certainly be addressed by cover crops during the winter, your approach of using a perennial plants is genius. Is there a general distance that we should keep perennials plants to connect to annuals (via microrhizal)? Thank you.
Mark, I've wondered whatever became of these beds (and the square ones) as the years progressed? Did you dismantle them as the chips composted? And what was the impact of the soil underneath and in the immediate area surrounding the bed? I would think the soil would love all that compost!
I did take them down to move them to a better sop in the garden. The wood chips only decompose at the bottom. You can easily replace them or add more new on the top. The center core will not fall apart and stay a raise round circle when you do the replace every 5 years. THANK YOU for asking.
another great video, I planted some strawberries under my apple trees mulched with pine needles, but I think I'm gonna try this out. How do you make your leaf mold?
Thank you! Awesome video which combines Back To Eden and the Soil Food Web! Deserves thumbs up x10. Now I know where to get mycorrhiza funghi, without buying it for big $$$. One question remains: There are Ektomycorrhiza and Endomycorrhiza, where in the forest, we do only find the Ekto kind (as far as I know), while the annuals require the Endo kind. What's your take on this?
How much clay soil did you add? What is the ratio of compost to real soil would I need to build soil food web for this type of raised bed? Also, would this work in an enclosed container? Thanks again for all your time in making these very helpful videos!!
Fantastic! Hello Mark, I have a question for you. I'm about an hour south of you in NJ growing watermelons with the Back to Eden woodchip method. This is my first year so I'm puttin cardboard down now to kill the grass. I just installed subsurface irrigation 6" deep. My question is this: will putting the cardboard down so late create problems for the watermelons? I'm thinking something like perhaps the soil needs to breathe? If so I can just put straw down this year to inhibit the weeds and install the cardboard after the season. Thanks.
+clive mossmoon Hello, I am not sure about your question. Are you going to grow the watermelon in the raised bed? I asked this because you type your question on the raise bed video.. Or are you going to grew them in the flat field. And if you are, I never put card board down, just do a thicker layer of chips and where you plant the water melon just raise the soil level. You can see this In My Back to Eden part 5..Thanks for writing.
+I AM NJ ORGANIC:farm:garden Yes, I'm sorry, I'm growing then on the flat ground but there is grass there now. I'm afraid the grass and weeds will grow through the woodchips if I use only chips. Will using only the chips prevent the grass/weeds from growing? Thanks.
So I loaded my backyard with wood chips about 8” deep. I’m in the desert so I’ve been watering the chips and I’ve got millions of ants coming up. Are they good or bad? Should I be worried?
No, no need to Worry. They are part of nature just like fungus to brake down and release the nutrients in the wood chips for you. THANK YOU for asking.
Mark, I have a question. Would it have helped to layer your soil and the leaf mold as you went up? I would think that this would help in connecting the ground/earth through the bed.
Yes, I did and Yes, your are correct. It did not show it very well. At time mark 6.09 I was saying that in part 1. Again should have done a better job of it. I was NEW at filming and speaking on UA-cam at the time. And in the other video you will see the tomato harvest was outstanding. THANKS for your Help.
While this system looks great I have a feeling that it would suffer from nutrient leech, even with the clover acting as a kind of covercrop. I imagine any water run off would carry off nutrients and leave through the sides of the bed. Also how do you think these beds would fair in the long run? When would you eventually have to dig them up and add fresh wood chips? Thanks for sharing.
GREAT QUESTION: The nutrient leech is stop by the Sunflowers, It has massive roots to go to the bottom. Just like tress in nature, Also the microbes are eating 24hrs a day to stop nutrient leeching. You just have to ad wood chips on the top side each year as needed. Please watch PART #3 all is WELL. THANK YOU.
I just found your site and it is very helpful. My question is I live in South Carolina I noticed you said clover doesn't do well in heat. Is there any thing else you would recommend or is there another type of clover that would work better? Also does the sunflowers provide all the water you would need or should I still water since it gets so hot here? Thank you in advance for your help.
not sure if this is a great answer or not, but what I used instead of clover is lentils. They are legumes also, grow really fast, stay short, and they seem to be doing pretty good here in our Texas heat :) Plus, you can just buy a bag from the grocery store pretty cheap.
@@iamorganicgardening I was reading the other day that Indian Oyster (Pleurotus pulmonarius) grows on pine woodchips. It has lots of health benefits. Really good for the lungs apparently. I'm going to give ur raised woodchip bed a try and see if I can grow some mushrooms. Mushrooms give off co2 so I'm not sure if that would effect the plant roots but it's worth trying.
The Hawk @ 7:06 made me look out to the sky...my hens are pretty wise, but I am still vigilant in my defense of them. They take good care of me with their bounty, so...you understand. Thanks for the great idea for some old hog panels, and I've got tons of wood chips and composted manure, etc., but I'm in N.California and it's hot, dry and windy in the Summers here...what would you suggest to slow the drying rate down in a similar structure? Thanks again for all of your videos...KTF
The wood chips love to hold moisture better then soil. Maybe you can wrap the outside with cardboard and wire. But you also have High Humidity most times also. The wood chips such in the moisture all the time. So I think all will be fine. Or drape that moss on the trees over the sides as a wind barrier. THANKS for asking.
Great information Mark! I'm in NJ too and have only gardened the last couple of years with mixed results. I want to try raised beds next year and grow strawberries. Do I need to use the New Zealand clover or can I use something else on the mycorrizal list? How do you decide which cover crops to use?
Yes, you can use anything in the same mycorrhizal group as the strawberries.. The type of cover crop is chosen due what you wish to do with it. Lets say the clover you plant and forget it. Winter rye grow all winter and you have to kill off in the spring so it will not shade the strawberries...THANKS
The best thing is you can make these at a 2 foot height using plain brown cardboard( no tape , staples. or glossy ink paper type). The cardboard must go vertical only to the soil and about 2 inch apart. This will hold your water and you will do fine. Please let me know how it is doing...
@@iamorganicgardening im sorry, but what do you mean by adding cardboard? Do you mean adding it to the border along with the woodchips? Sorry and thanks for the clarification
May I PLEASE ask where you got is information from? There is no plant that hurts another plant if AMF mycorrhizal fungi is available. All plants work together . Also see part 3 all is growing VERY, VERY, WELL. Thanks
So I am a little late to this party, but I am also curious about growing sunflowers with vegetable plants, as the majority of gardening websites say not to do it. Possibly they are all hitting the "ditto" button. But Mark I've seen you do it with my own eyes so I am still going to give it a try. Question - Does the soil need to be already stable with Mychorrhizal Fungi before planting for growing success? I am planting in a new garden spot, lightly tilled😞, added used coffee grounds, :strawberries, clover, rye, tomatoes, sunflowers and I a might throw in a bell pepper plant for good measure, adding first year wood chips/leaves on top, (point of interest -trees watered with 50+ inches of rain during Harvey, right before chipping) In farmed Soil-dark black a little lumpy but breaks easily Zone 9a Thank you so much for your wonderful videos, they are so educational and I know they have helped so many.
Mark, you had already answered my question! I watched the videos again, and see I missed the info, sorry about that because I know you are busy. Thanks again for these great videos.
This series which you have watch part 2 shows woods chip are used on the sides only. Look for the playlist that shows the growth of the tomatoes and sunflowers. NO problem from the wood chips.
As long as you want.. This is done buy adding wood chips to the top every year. When the wood chips decay you fall to the bottom.. THANK YOU for asking and watching too.
I noticed you said that certain plants are highly mycorrhizal, does that mean that plants have different levels of association with the fungus? The soil around my comfrey was super loose after just a year and squirrels planted several trees there that are sprouting
It is making its own from the wood chips. The clover adds nitrogen,. And the rest the plants keeps the soil food web alive,,,Just like nature has been doing for BILLIONS of years. Thanks for asking.
@@iamorganicgardening Sir what about result using fresh woodchips almost 3months.? my plants chilli pepper and eggplants tomatoes very slow growing and dry leaves
HI, the strawberries are just the first step. There will be tomatoes and sunflowers planted later on. This video is only part 2 of many more in this raised bed series. THANK YOU for asking.
Straw will work, But you have to replace it every year. The center core will stay in place. You just have to add the straw 5 inchs wide all the way around and going 2 feet tall... THANK YOU.
Sure. Jut be careful that the straw was not sprayed with weed kill as most of it is. THANKS for asking. You can use brown cardboard with a few 1/2 inch holse punch in it.
A little bit of science thrown in with a lot of guess work is not going to make a garden better. This kind of attempt to build soil looks cool, but it is not doing anything more than a good, old fashioned layer of mulch.
I am so pleased that information linking symbiotic mycorize, food production with labour saving concepts is explained with such clarity!
THANK YOU, so much for sharing and watching.
Thanks Mark! What a wonderfully generous mentor you are in my gardening world!
JUST WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE ACCESS to growing healthy ORGANIC VEGETABLES. THIS is my QUEST. THANK YOU.
thank you
THANK YOU for watching..Blessing
Mark Shepard says strawberries get along with pines and oak. However, I understand pine micorrizae is very specific to pines. I am sure that pine soil has scores of good microorganisms, but maybe ad a variety of good soil sources to make sure you get a micorrizae that will work with strawberry?
The system looks great, thank you very mucho for another great video.
Yes. Getting endomycorrhizal that strawberries use will be very helpful. THANK YOU.
Thanks, again. As a fellow instructor, I congratulate you on your content and presentation! GREAT job, sir! THANK-YOU, again.
Much appreciated! THANK YOU . Happy gardening.
Love your videos. You go beyond the basics in an easy to understand format. I would also add that if there are any local mushrooms around to encourage them to also grow in your beds. They break down nutrients and make them available to plants. They can even break down rock and extract the nutrients from that as well.
YES, I AGREE. THANK YOU. That is this video . TELL me what you THINK PLEASE ? . Click this link: ua-cam.com/video/6YwijhG-IuY/v-deo.html.
SORRY, PLEASE NOTE I Made A MISTAKE : I said in this video I got Mycorrhizal Fungi from a pine tree ( which is Ecto type).
I should have taken sample from around and Fruit TREE or Perennial Plant that uses ENDO mycorrhizal to Help the other plants I am planting.
Thank you for the clarification. I am going to find a good endo source and make that inoculation now. :)
Nice I was about to grill you on that one.
I have an idea. I could put that same structure on a raised movable platform or-brick platform. Make it shallow for vegetables. Easy on your back movable and grow tons of vegetables
In addition I would construct a hinged mesh cover to protect vegetables
Where in nature can i dig up endo~ mycorrhizal for my personal use Mark?
Live worms, vermicompost and used coffee grounds work so well in my gardens!
Indeed, I am mixing everything up in two bins so I can put "raw" mixes so everything is included instead of the sacks at the store that is basically useless.
I love your videos. Very informative. I have a Pine tree plantation and I am experimenting with the needles. I gathered up the needles with a little bit of the soil from under them and made a bed out of them about six inches deep. While doing this I noticed the white strings in them (I am guessing it was fungus). I planted a couple tomatoes and squash with only the dirt that was in the pots (no fertilizer) just to see how they would grow. So far the plants are doing awesome.
+sheephearder100 THANK YOU FOR SHARING. If you can you should try to take a picture of them every week. It would be a great thing to share. THANK YOU.
The exposed soil on the side is a good idea. It lets the roots of the plants near the edges "breathe".
THANK YOU, for watching and your kind words...
So much info...so many ideas....
Looking forward to Part 3!
Very good mixture of biological information and its application with the benefit of Strawberries on top :)
Great looking farm!
THANK YOU, hopefully in the next 7 days I will get part 3 done...
This a a fantastic list of plants that help other plants to grow better.... Mycorrhizal LIST link: www.rootnaturally.com/PlantListMycorrhizal.pdf .
so the best raised garden construction method I've seen, thank you!
I try to learn new gardening techniques. I didn't know hyphae was good. I threw a lot out of my garden bed, because I thought it was "yucky" stuff, being yellow and gooey. Too bad. Now I know to leave it alone!
I enjoy the detailed explanations you have in your videos...well done ! What a learning experience.
+lane laney THANK YOU, that is very kind of you..
Very good. Nice explanation . Usuful.
Thanks again for the continuing education on soil science. You do all the hard work and we get little nuggets along the way. Need more dog in videos though.
+CheckSSForm My dog wants a contact signed now..we are under negotiations...THANKS
+I AM NJ ORGANIC:farm:garden roast him some of those red potatoes he'll come around.
Well done.
Part 1 was a great 'how to prepare' and Part 2 'brought home the bacon'.
Great to hear and share with you. Happy Gardening.
Oh i miss the part 1
Huge thank you for sharing your wisdom!
THANK YOU for watching and your kind message.
Amazing, wonderful knowledge! Thank you for teaching us these things!♡
Glad you enjoyed it..Just showing how EASY it is. THANK YOU.
Thank you for full of useful info.
So nice of you to say... Always here to help and share. THANK YOU.
Thank you.
Might try this
Thanks for teaching Sir
All the best. THANK YOU.
Wow! This was deep! Why did I waste time in school!
At least you had lots of friends in school. Thanks.
Great tips and info here Mark!
+SubTerra Organics THANK YOU. If you are going to do a farm stand on the road way. You should grow some sunflowers ( you can grow pollen less now ) and sell them. The seed is very low cost and you can sell high. Plus no irrigation required..
+I AM NJ ORGANIC:farm:garden Great ideas as always! Thanks!
QUESTION: When the plants die back after hard freeze, do you leave the dead plants in the bed?
Here in Colorado I worked in an indoor cannabis grow. They were, at the time, switching over to employing the Soil Food Web. It was so fun to be a part of that project! I learned a lot! I got to release the worms into the INDOOR beds! As cover crop, they plant a special seed mixture that has 5 types of clover, buckwheat, a type of grass and more. When it grew up to about 6 - 10 inches, we pulled the plants up a bit to disturb the roots enough for the plants to die. The cover crop is deliberately kept smaller than the cannabis so there is no competing for space. We pushed the cover crop down after disturbing the roots, and put another thin layer of compost on top of the dying plants, which was worm food. All the while, the cannabis plants were growing and developing their flowers. It's been a couple years and several harvests and the Soil Food Web is alive and well INDOORS!! (p.s. ~ I hear that the worms in those indoor raised beds regulate their population without any need for human intervention)
Oh and the cover crop is planted again, letting it reach 6 - 10 inches and the process is continued so there are constantly roots in that soil.
VERY NICE, THANKS for sharing, THE worms never try to over populate an area. Did they add mycorrhizal fungi to the soil ??
LIVING ROOTS ARE KEY...THANK YOU.
YES, leave the roots to sure. Cut of the dead plant at the base and try to grow a cover crop..
Well, I found part2 and did hit subscribe
THANK YOU so very much
Interesting. The only improvements I would make, is I would skip using cattle panels and use either 2”x4” galvanized, welded wire fabric or 1”x2” welded wire fabric. It will hold the wood chips just fine and you can skip using that fine mesh on the inside.
When putting the soil and the chips in, a way to keep them separated better, would be to use either 4x4 or 4x6’s around the inside perimeter of the cage, put the soil in the middle of that, pack it down and then pull the 4x4’s and you’ll have a perfect space to pour in the wood chips. Pack them down and then repeat the process as you build the pile.
My experience on the best way to grow tomatoes, is to have a tomato plant ring. I read about this many years ago and have been doing it ever since. You’ll be amazed at how big your plants get (7’+) and how many tomatoes you’ll get off of them. Nothing beats it. Nothing!
You start with welded wire fabric. I use 2“x4“ welded wire fabric, 5 feet tall and make a ring about 3 1/2’ to 4’ in diameter. Then, just inside this ring, you dig a hole a foot or more deep. Fill the hole with finished compost. Above ground level, you can fill the cage halfway with partiality finished compost, or any type of organic debris to compost during the summer. The cage sits at ground level, not inside the hole. Plant your tomato plants around the perimeter of the ring., spaced about 2’ apart. Mulch with compost. Let the first sucker of each plant grow and cut off all other suckers. During the hotter months, I make sure my tomatoes get one gallon of water per week. Since the plants grow much taller than the ring (I could only find 5 foot tall wire mesh. If you can find 6 foot, get it, but 5 foot tall is easier to put composting materials in), you’ll need some firring strips fastened to the inside of the ring, to train the plants higher, as they grow.
Get ready to give many tomatoes away, because you’ll have tons of them.
Cheers!
Thanks for your suggestions. Happy gardening.
Loving your videos! Keep them coming!
+Jackiepoodle1 Great to hear from you.. Thanks for your support. I will do my best. THANK YOU.
Have you ever thought about writing a book about how you farm? I would find that very informative to read and have on hand for myself personally.
THANK YOU. But I can show so much more information in a video...
True but a book is more enduring. It will live on long after you and all of us have moved on. You could hire a ghost writer to help you write it if you don't have time to put it together.
@@iamorganicgardening Actually, Mark, having all the information consolidated ina book would be extremely helpful. For instance, a step by step on how you did this written out would be so helpful, instead of having to watch the video and take notes. The video and book would complement each other. Think Charles Dowding...
awesome video! cant wait for part 3 .:-) lovely information
+Soil_biota.guru permaWarrior ThankYou.
never knew this!
Glad to hear it was helpful....THANKS
Thank you
Welcome!
I have learned so much from your videos Mark. Thank you! Will you do a video on what these look like when the seeds grow.....
Hello, This is a link to a playlist for the whole growing season: ua-cam.com/video/AVaFsORKhl8/v-deo.html . THANK YOU for watching.
nice thank you!!! very usefull and understandebl :)
I thoroughly enjoyed this and all of your videos.🌼🌼
You made my day..THANK YOU. SO Glad to HEAR.
Well, that was highly educational. I wonder if the needles from a ceded would be useful the same as a pine. I've heard cedar would has a resin that inhibits growth. Will have to look it up before using.
Interesting! Cedar will be fine to use.
I was told not to use leaves for ash because thats how trees get rid of bad stuff like heavy metals before winter. Grass, bark, sticks are as good if not better food for fungi. And there's less nitrogen which can be a good thing. I wouldnt grow stuff on immature compost. I've done that mistake too many times
Nice 👍
Thank you! Cheers!
@@iamorganicgardening 👍
Wow. Great
You are to kind.. THANK YOU.
Usefully interesting methods and ideas here. I'd think an eatable legume would be even better. I've been collecting truckloads of chips mostly for heavy plant mulching.
It is always your choice. But the strawberry leave a perennial root always the grow the soil wood web over winter. Thanks for sharing.
Strawberries love rabbit manure.
So Great of you to share, THANK YOU.
Hello there,
Thank you for going to the trouble of doing your video's , I appreciate them very much.
Here there is a local arborist/tree surgeons whom for the first time have offered the
local community free wood chips from the place of business, but I was interested to learn and possibly you could
advice me does one not have to be concerned from what type of trees that the wood chips come from
so as to not harm (food plants or other) what is growing next to the wood chips.
I am concerned because I have in the past purchased wood chips from garden centers and found that
they have produced a certain amount of white fungus?
Thanking you in appreciation of your replying and keep the video's coming.
The white fungi is a good thing it decomposes the wood chips.. There is a link to my newest video showing why it is a treasure :
ua-cam.com/video/7jmFzWPleoM/v-deo.html . THANK YOU for asking and watching.
Great videos, Thank You for making them ! Question, where do you get your clover seed from?
+Brennor21 Highmowingseeds.com . They call it white clover.. Or Johnnyseeds.com called New Zealand white clover. Thanks for watching.
Inspiring, Informative and generous are just three words that I can utter after watching this video. Yesterday I went out and bought the materials in order to build 2 - today. Do you think that I can use 'Sochan (Rudbeckia Laciniata)' instead of sunflower? I am not finding a whole lot about it's rooting pattern. Can you please recommend other plants that I can use instead of sunflower, tomatoes and strawberries? I will more than likely use those three but it would be nice to know of another guild that I can try. Maybe create 1 - guild with your recommended plants and then another guild (niche) with some other plants. I may make about a dozen of these raised beds so I may be able to make a different guild for each raised bed.
Thank you so much for this helpful series. You are truly doing a good service to mankind.
Best regards,
THANK YOU, you can use ANY perennial ( rudbeckia ) instead of sunflowers even fountain grasses. Please check this list of the two types of mycorrhizal that work with other ones unseeing the same type; This is the link to the list, Just click on it: Mycorrhizal LIST link: www.rootnaturally.com/PlantListMycorrhizal.pdf .
THANKS
The list states that Pine is ectomycorrhizal and all of the other plants in your raised bed garden are endomycorrhizal plants. May I ask why you used Pine instead of another tree from the endo list? is it because the other trees were not available? Thank you.
You are 100% correct. That was my MISTAKE in learning about this. That is why this list is helpful. I will have to try so how to FIX that..THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Thank you for this video. Very helpful. How does one decide whether to use raised beds versus planting veggies in ground? Does the insulation factor of in-ground planting make it more intriguing in some situations?
It is the easy of gardening, less bending. Or you have rocky material and very little soil ( sand , silt & clay )
@@iamorganicgardening Thank you! Do you find you have to water quite a bit more though compared to in-ground planting? Or do the wood chips provide pretty good insulation from soil drying out? Thanks!
we dont even have wood chippers herebin ecuador...ill try twigs!
That will work in the same way , even better. THANK YOU for watching
Great educational video; very interesting piece about the critical importance of keeping liquid carbon in the soil (via plants)than anything else. While that can certainly be addressed by cover crops during the winter, your approach of using a perennial plants is genius. Is there a general distance that we should keep perennials plants to connect to annuals (via microrhizal)? Thank you.
YES, very much. Mycorrhizal needs a living root in the ground all the time to be its host to live and growing soil. Thanks.
Best living soil raised wood chip beds
THANK YOU for you very kind thoughts. May Your garden be all you wish it to be.
Mark, I've wondered whatever became of these beds (and the square ones) as the years progressed? Did you dismantle them as the chips composted? And what was the impact of the soil underneath and in the immediate area surrounding the bed? I would think the soil would love all that compost!
I did take them down to move them to a better sop in the garden. The wood chips only decompose at the bottom. You can easily replace them or add more new on the top. The center core will not fall apart and stay a raise round circle when you do the replace every 5 years. THANK YOU for asking.
another great video, I planted some strawberries under my apple trees mulched with pine needles, but I think I'm gonna try this out. How do you make your leaf mold?
+SpectreTheHorseman I made a video about this.. ua-cam.com/video/n695v0kYOG8/v-deo.html. THANKS for writing.
this system would be perfect for burying a soaker hose in the middle!!!!!!
Very little extra water is needed, due o the wood chips holds water ad keeps the soil moist. THANKS
Thank you! Awesome video which combines Back To Eden and the Soil Food Web! Deserves thumbs up x10. Now I know where to get mycorrhiza funghi, without buying it for big $$$.
One question remains: There are Ektomycorrhiza and Endomycorrhiza, where in the forest, we do only find the Ekto kind (as far as I know), while the annuals require the Endo kind. What's your take on this?
+yxcvmk This video explains it better than I can ua-cam.com/video/vKTcbLbb2Wc/v-deo.html. At the 21.50 minute mark.
How much clay soil did you add? What is the ratio of compost to real soil would I need to build soil food web for this type of raised bed? Also, would this work in an enclosed container? Thanks again for all your time in making these very helpful videos!!
50 % clay, 50 % compost. No, to a enclosed container. No wood chips on the wall. THANKS for asking.
Fantastic! Hello Mark, I have a question for you. I'm about an hour south of you in NJ growing watermelons with the Back to Eden woodchip method. This is my first year so I'm puttin cardboard down now to kill the grass. I just installed subsurface irrigation 6" deep. My question is this: will putting the cardboard down so late create problems for the watermelons? I'm thinking something like perhaps the soil needs to breathe? If so I can just put straw down this year to inhibit the weeds and install the cardboard after the season. Thanks.
+clive mossmoon Hello, I am not sure about your question. Are you going to grow the watermelon in the raised bed? I asked this because you type your question on the raise bed video.. Or are you going to grew them in the flat field. And if you are, I never put card board down, just do a thicker layer of chips and where you plant the water melon just raise the soil level. You can see this In My Back to Eden part 5..Thanks for writing.
+clive mossmoon If you have the straw, use it. But there should not be any manure in it..Thanks
+I AM NJ ORGANIC:farm:garden Yes, I'm sorry, I'm growing then on the flat ground but there is grass there now. I'm afraid the grass and weeds will grow through the woodchips if I use only chips. Will using only the chips prevent the grass/weeds from growing? Thanks.
+clive mossmoon Yes, the wood chips will stop the grass and weeds if you put down a layer 8 inch thick of wood chips. Enjoy
So I loaded my backyard with wood chips about 8” deep. I’m in the desert so I’ve been watering the chips and I’ve got millions of ants coming up. Are they good or bad? Should I be worried?
No, no need to Worry. They are part of nature just like fungus to brake down and release the nutrients in the wood chips for you. THANK YOU for asking.
Mark, I have a question. Would it have helped to layer your soil and the leaf mold as you went up? I would think that this would help in connecting the ground/earth through the bed.
Yes, I did and Yes, your are correct. It did not show it very well. At time mark 6.09 I was saying that in part 1. Again should have done a better job of it. I was NEW at filming and speaking on UA-cam at the time. And in the other video you will see the tomato harvest was outstanding. THANKS for your Help.
While this system looks great I have a feeling that it would suffer from nutrient leech, even with the clover acting as a kind of covercrop. I imagine any water run off would carry off nutrients and leave through the sides of the bed. Also how do you think these beds would fair in the long run? When would you eventually have to dig them up and add fresh wood chips?
Thanks for sharing.
GREAT QUESTION: The nutrient leech is stop by the Sunflowers, It has massive roots to go to the bottom. Just like tress in nature, Also the microbes are eating 24hrs a day to stop nutrient leeching. You just have to ad wood chips on the top side each year as needed. Please watch PART #3 all is WELL. THANK YOU.
I just found your site and it is very helpful. My question is I live in South Carolina I noticed you said clover doesn't do well in heat. Is there any thing else you would recommend or is there another type of clover that would work better? Also does the sunflowers provide all the water you would need or should I still water since it gets so hot here? Thank you in advance for your help.
Medium red clover might be better for you.. Best to always water when not dry months happen. THANKS for watching. Happy gardening.
not sure if this is a great answer or not, but what I used instead of clover is lentils. They are legumes also, grow really fast, stay short, and they seem to be doing pretty good here in our Texas heat :) Plus, you can just buy a bag from the grocery store pretty cheap.
You could grow mushrooms on the woodchips.
That would be great to see and eat. THANK YOU.
@@iamorganicgardening I was reading the other day that Indian Oyster (Pleurotus pulmonarius) grows on pine woodchips. It has lots of health benefits. Really good for the lungs apparently. I'm going to give ur raised woodchip bed a try and see if I can grow some mushrooms. Mushrooms give off co2 so I'm not sure if that would effect the plant roots but it's worth trying.
The Hawk @ 7:06 made me look out to the sky...my hens are pretty wise, but I am still vigilant in my defense of them. They take good care of me with their bounty, so...you understand. Thanks for the great idea for some old hog panels, and I've got tons of wood chips and composted manure, etc., but I'm in N.California and it's hot, dry and windy in the Summers here...what would you suggest to slow the drying rate down in a similar structure?
Thanks again for all of your videos...KTF
The wood chips love to hold moisture better then soil. Maybe you can wrap the outside with cardboard and wire. But you also have High Humidity most times also. The wood chips such in the moisture all the time. So I think all will be fine. Or drape that moss on the trees over the sides as a wind barrier. THANKS for asking.
Great information Mark! I'm in NJ too and have only gardened the last couple of years with mixed results. I want to try raised beds next year and grow strawberries. Do I need to use the New Zealand clover or can I use something else on the mycorrizal list? How do you decide which cover crops to use?
Yes, you can use anything in the same mycorrhizal group as the strawberries.. The type of cover crop is chosen due what you wish to do with it. Lets say the clover you plant and forget it. Winter rye grow all winter and you have to kill off in the spring so it will not shade the strawberries...THANKS
I AM ORGANIC GARDENING I think I'll stick to the clover since it worked for you and I know very little about cover crops.
I see that one is square and one is round, which did you find was best? Also, What will you do with this new soil next year? Thanks again.
BOTH work the same. Just a choice...I will make a video of that to show the next step. THANK YOU FOR WATCHING...
I love these but I live in the desert. Do they dry out quickly?
The best thing is you can make these at a 2 foot height using plain brown cardboard( no tape , staples. or glossy ink paper type). The cardboard must go vertical only to the soil and about 2 inch apart. This will hold your water and you will do fine. Please let me know how it is doing...
@@iamorganicgardening im sorry, but what do you mean by adding cardboard? Do you mean adding it to the border along with the woodchips? Sorry and thanks for the clarification
I forgot to mention that I am located in central North Carolina in the piedmont region. Thanks
The list I sent a link to works for the whole USA..THANKS
I noticed that violets are on the endo list. I have lots of violets in me soil. How can I 7se them in the garden.
Just plant them on the outer edge so you have a living root year round. Thanks for asking
Would carrots planted in the middle do what the sunflower roots do?
On a very small scale do to the root size of the carrots.
@I AM ORGANIC GARDENING Okay, that makes sense, but isn't something I would know to think of... yet.😁 Thanks!
Will there be a problem between the sunflowers' allelopathic toxins inhibiting the clover or strawberries?
May I PLEASE ask where you got is information from? There is no plant that hurts another plant if AMF mycorrhizal fungi is available. All plants work together . Also see part 3 all is growing VERY, VERY, WELL. Thanks
So I am a little late to this party, but I am also curious about growing sunflowers with vegetable plants, as the majority of gardening websites say not to do it. Possibly they are all hitting the "ditto" button. But Mark I've seen you do it with my own eyes so I am still going to give it a try.
Question - Does the soil need to be already stable with Mychorrhizal Fungi before planting for growing success?
I am planting in a new garden spot, lightly tilled😞, added used coffee grounds, :strawberries, clover, rye, tomatoes, sunflowers and I a might throw in a bell pepper plant for good measure, adding first year wood chips/leaves on top, (point of interest -trees watered with 50+ inches of rain during Harvey, right before chipping)
In farmed Soil-dark black a little lumpy but breaks easily
Zone 9a
Thank you so much for your wonderful videos, they are so educational and I know they have helped so many.
Mark, you had already answered my question! I watched the videos again, and see I missed the info, sorry about that because I know you are busy.
Thanks again for these great videos.
GLAD you found the information you were looking for. Always PLEASE ask.. never a problem.. THANK YOU.
I am allergic to strawberries 🍓, is there other plants that I can use to make this upper bed???🇵🇱🐻🎵🛶☸️🏳️🌈👩🍳🇺🇸
Any Herds you like. Thanks
I was told woodchips pull nitrogen out of soil/plants. What do you think? Thanks.
This series which you have watch part 2 shows woods chip are used on the sides only. Look for the playlist that shows the growth of the tomatoes and sunflowers. NO problem from the wood chips.
How did this work out in the long run? Do you have a follow up video?
This is the whole series link, THANK YOU. : ua-cam.com/video/AVaFsORKhl8/v-deo.html .
Will cedar work instead of pine?
Yes, 100%.
new maxico desert land is full of clay nothing grow but
mixing soil would be ok to grow ?
Yes, that would be a great start. Thanks.
Its like a chocolate cheesecake ....
Yes, this is true, Thanks.
Hello. How long will this last?
As long as you want.. This is done buy adding wood chips to the top every year. When the wood chips decay you fall to the bottom.. THANK YOU for asking and watching too.
Mmm i see! Got it! Thank You.
Can I use the same process with a flower bed?
YES, enjoy.
I noticed you said that certain plants are highly mycorrhizal, does that mean that plants have different levels of association with the fungus? The soil around my comfrey was super loose after just a year and squirrels planted several trees there that are sprouting
I should have stated it more clearly. That the large the root system and deeper it go the more mycorrhizal it can be a host to.
no manure? where is the nutrients?
It is making its own from the wood chips. The clover adds nitrogen,. And the rest the plants keeps the soil food web alive,,,Just like nature has been doing for BILLIONS of years. Thanks for asking.
updated my answer...
Pine needles acidic the soil or grow mediium ???
No they do not. Just a myth of bad info that has been around for many years. Here is my video on it : ua-cam.com/video/BgZ5lttVs6c/v-deo.html .
Thanks for debunking the myth that was in my watching the Growers' videos on UA-cam !
How many months using woodchips? months or count a year?
This lasted a year for me in my area. Thanks
@@iamorganicgardening Sir what about result using fresh woodchips almost 3months.? my plants chilli pepper and eggplants tomatoes very slow growing and dry leaves
Do you add any nitrogen, or just the coffee grounds / worm castings?
NEITHER, it will make it own using the soil food web.
THE CLOVER IS A NITROGEN BUILDER
Why do you building bed so high just to plants strawberrys?
HI, the strawberries are just the first step. There will be tomatoes and sunflowers planted later on. This video is only part 2 of many more in this raised bed series. THANK YOU for asking.
woodchips are hard to get here. can i use straw or something else?
Straw will work, But you have to replace it every year. The center core will stay in place. You just have to add the straw 5 inchs wide all the way around and going 2 feet tall... THANK YOU.
hi, quick question, do you think replacing wood chips with straw would also be good?
Sure. Jut be careful that the straw was not sprayed with weed kill as most of it is. THANKS for asking. You can use brown cardboard with a few 1/2 inch holse punch in it.
@@iamorganicgardening THANKS for answering, greetings from europe:)
About How much of a harvest you get from that my friend?
Here is the video on that , THANK YOU.: ua-cam.com/video/X3P3uCOXhhY/v-deo.html
Fun 'guy' , there is no J in the word fungi ha ha
This is TRUE.. I never made it past the 8 grade... and miss a lot of school working in the fields. THANKS
Bb
Thanks
A little bit of science thrown in with a lot of guess work is not going to make a garden better. This kind of attempt to build soil looks cool, but it is not doing anything more than a good, old fashioned layer of mulch.
It is much more than that,, See the fantastic harvest in the last part of this series. This is only part 2. THANKS.
No thank you. Much too much work for no gain.
Thank you
THANK YOU for watching. Have a great week ahead.