I don't know how I'm just finding your channel. Finally...! A real human! You even admit faults, and personal struggles!!! Awesome content. Even with you being in a completely different growing climate, your thought process is relatable. Thank you for sharing!
Red Gardens is the best gardening program for myself. I enjoy his laid back conversation style, and the general unbiased information. Its my go to channel every day before i go down to my allotment.
Many thanks for such a useful vegetable garden resource. You may be interested to hear that your trials are helpful even in high-velar South Africa. The place I'm moving to is concrete hard red clay and despite digging seedlings would just sit and not grow until the hoppers ate them. The most productive method to date has been similar to your Intensive bed. Take off the top spit of earth then fork semi-rotted sawdust into cracks in the subsoil for drainage. Then mix roughly 10% sawdust with the new topsoil as I shovel it back. Acidity was a real problem until I found a US college who had trialled cement dust as a neutralise. I have since found suppliers for 'kalk' (chalk) but that first cement bed is still my most productive. Sorry, this comment got way longer than I intended, but just wanted to tell you how much your warts and all descriptions help even if our growing conditions are so different. Slainthe.
@@MarlonVanderLinde hi, and nice to hear from you. Yes, I'm in Limpopo on the high veld (sorry, spell checker got me). I've been working towards self sufficiency for about four years - if the ground and hoppers will let me. I like these videos. Always addressing something specific and always to the point. This may not be Ireland, but I've learned a lot none the less.
Your experimentation is, as always, fascinating and educational. I live in a sub-tropical area with solid clay ground...this has led to (me being lazy aside) an emphasis on no-dig gardening. Accessing input for my garden has included circus poo, cattle and horse muck from dairy and stable sources and more recently, pig manure, blood and meat/bone meal from a local abattoir. I now have 5 chickens in a small area and hope to gain good composted soil from them within the next 6 months or so. Your inspiration continues to drive onward this aging (60) year old who has never gardened before. Thank you and may your successes breed more of the same...
Thanks so much for your comments! You are obviously growing in a very different context, but glad you still find relevance and inspiration from my work. Sounds like you have quite a diversity of fertility to work with, which is good. I haven't grown in solid clay soil before, but I understand that it can be enormously productive, if you can make it work. Good luck with you growing!
A reoccurring theme of your videos is the problem you're having with wind. Have you thought of planting a living Windbreak between your beds. A hedge three feet high can protect 3 or 4, 30 inch wide beds on the other side by reducing or diminishing the wind. It is an effective way to reduce the stress on plants in windy conditions. I am very much enjoying your videos keep up the good work and thanks.
Yeah, wind is a significant issue. I have thought of hedges, but because of the original layout of the gardens, and how they integrate in with the allotments that other people manage, I need to keep the 1m/40inch path between and around the gardens. If I plant a hedge, then I would need to take up a strip of the garden beds. Not sure I want to do that. I have been meaning to install windbreak material along the west edge of each garden for the winter months at least, but haven't got around to it yet. Eventually the trees that we planted upwind will grow to provide more protection. Thanks for the suggestions and support!
That is one option - something similar is available in Ireland to put around construction sites (not enough snow here!). I may invest in some more proper fine meshed wind break material to but on the edge of each garden. I just put up a huge windbreak around my new polytunnel in the Black Plot, and it seems to have worked/helped - so far. Thanks for the patreon pledge! You know you guys are responsible for me starting this channel (with then initial encouragement at least) so doubly thanks!
As you say the weather makes succession sowing a little harder than it likely is in the south of England. I am just outside Glasgow, and in 2018 the 2nd plantings did excellent. However, the summer was the best one since the 70s! Last year it was a lot harder and the weather was jo where near as good, meaning the 2nd plantings really struggled to get going! Best wishes
Thanks! Glad I took some pictures when the weather was good. i see you have produced a lot of gardening videos as well. I look forward to watching them.
Hi i live. In Scotland so have a similar clinate to yours. Windbreaks have been very useful here. Ihave had the same problems with transplants so next season i am going to make a holding bed where i will line out transplants as soon as they are ready to come out of their pots so they can grow on without any checks until there is space for them in the nain beds. This is not a new idea.john seymour suggested it in one of his boiks as a way of getting an early legume crop and a late brassica crop from rhe same bed. Thanks for the excellent videos good to see someone working in a environment like mine.
Hi there. Windbreaks are definitely the way to go. Just put up a major windbreak around my new polytunnel in advance of Ophelia, and it seems to have worked/helped - so far! I used the holding bed idea for the first time last year to rescue one brassica crop, and it works out well, or at least better than they would have in the modules/blocks/pots. I think it is a good idea (i can't remember if I heard about it from Seymour or some other grower). I might think about using this method more regularly, and plan around it. Thanks for the suggestion, and good luck with your growing next season. Bruce
I really hope you keep posting content. It's informative and interesting. If you are still posting content like this when I've graduated, I will support on patreon
I don't really understand what the procedure is to make a "intensive garden" and when I google it, people seem to have different procedures. Did you dig all the native dirt out, put some compost in the bottom, and put a the native dirt from the next row in, then put compost on top? then repeat that every season or? Edit: Found the next video in the playlist explains. Excellent. So scientific. I love it!
You're doing great! Thanks for sharing. Your soil health process is awesome. The microbiology is epic. Too bad there wasn't someone nearby to co-op with for seedling/transplant management? Your soil management and their seedling transplant system could be record setting. Maybe even precedent setting for your area/zone. Thanks again for sharing. Best wishes. Cheers.
Maybe I don't understand what people mean by "no-dig gardening". When I was gardening at my parents house I dug a terrace out of their sandstone hillside. I broke the sandstone up and dug manure, and compost in. I used the double digging method. The tomatoes were huge and the melons and squash very sweet. It seems to me that had a simply spread the manure on the top and planted in the manure most of the plants would have died. And after a couple of years the soil was absolutely full of worms.
I think the choice between double-dig and no-dig depends on context. No-dig seems to work really well in contexts whee there is already decent soil. I have heard from some people who have had difficult soil conditions that were dramatically improved with a no-dig method, but that doesn't mean that it will work everywhere. It really depends on context and the resources you have available to you.
Loved your honest observtions. I am interested if you have used compost as a mulch using a no dig method. I would suggest that if you were to use the same amounts of compost (and amendments) on top of undug soil, it would support at least the same plant density as the 'intensive' method. You would save time in digging to devote to other tasks.... and perhaps increase yield!?
Thanks. Good question. I am trying to shift my No-dig garden to using compost as a mulch on the surface. The biggest issue I have is getting enough compost. The most compost I put on the Intensive Garden bed each season would produce a layer 5cm or 2in thick, and often half that amount. I have found that 5cm would be a bare minimum depth of mulch for the No-Dig garden unless the surface was very clean and flat and no weeds at all (which isn't the case with my garden at them moment). The recommendations are usually at least double that for starting a garden, and about 5-7.5 cm or 2-3 inch for maintenance. This is just to point out that typically more compost would be needed in practice for using as a no-dig mulch. But that doesn't answer your question. I think the issue is that the no-dig method does not loosen the soil to the depth that the double digging does. In theory, the worms and plants would do all that loosening in the no-dig method, but I really thing think that this depends on the quality and nature of the soil that you restating with. In my case, there is a layer of stones about 20-30cm 8-12 inches below the surface of the soil in most places. Once this was removed in the Intensive Garden, I harvested huge long straight parsnip, which would otherwise have been impossible with the stones below. In the No-dig Garden I have yet to harvest a good crop of carrots, they always seem stunted in comparison to the gardens that I have dug. My experience so far is that the root crops do less well in the No-dig Garden, but for things like brassicas, and courgettes, the mulch method may be better, but I am not sure as I tend to use a wider plant spacing in the No--dig Garden. So, assuming that you had access to enough compost, the issue is how much space is there within the soil below for the roots of those closely spaced plants, and how easily can those roots work their way through the soil, and how deep can they go. And that depends on the nature of the soil to begin with, if you are not going to put in the work to actively change it.
If you are not one, you'd make a great teacher! If I lived close to a place that was doing this, I'd ask if I could volunteer, so I could learn. I do have a question; could this method be used in a small back yard with containers? When I get the house built, I want to landscape front and back with edible landscaping. I'd planned to get some of the self-watering, no-weeding planters, like the Earth Box.
I like what you do, and the energy you have. How about gardening by permaculture. It is not about row spaced crops and competing with professionals, it is about eating. A shift in what you may want to achieve... btw I adored those parsnips. Cheers,
I do use permaculture principles to help develop a few of the gardens, including the Polyculture and Simple gardens, but find that a lot of people wouldn't recognise it as permaculture. I have become a bit wary of the permaculture populism, especially as I have found a number of the usual permaculture solutions/approaches are not so appropriate in the context of this maritime climate. But I do need to work on that, and perhaps need to develop another garden ...
Ah, I began to establish some of the gardens about 10 years ago. But of the first few years I was not living in the area. Then I spent a few years building house, then working for the local CSA and other things. So, while I slowly built up my experience over a while, I have only been giving the gardens proper attention for the last 2 to 3 seasons.
Hello, I love your channel and subscribed. One thought, "400kg vegetables this a lot of food for a family". Hmmm. When I calculate average 65 calories for 100g of vegetables. This are 260,000 calories or 712 calories per day. This about a third one would need to feed one person... (ignoring a healthy distribution and assuming average yield over the year). Don't get me wrong. I'm currently just thinking about a acquiring my own property and consider how much I'd need to at least mostly don't have to buy food. And I'm a passionate hobby gardener, so it's actually more of a side benefit anyway rather than a pure economical thought. Considering also not only eating vegetables but also some eggs etc. And honestly it seems in reality to be about 1000 m^2 per person. And as I still work in the city I find it very hard to find a realistic scenario that again allows me to commute in a reasonable time (
Growing most of your own food can be challenging. I think starting with trying to grow most of your vegetables is a good goal, or as I prefer too phrase it, to get to the point where you eat loads of vegetables, but rarely buy any. This is possibly achievable for a lot of people, and I think has the greatest overall benefit (CO2 emissions, health, finances, waste, biodiversity ...) The 400kg for a family is a lot compared to the amount of vegetables that most families typically eat. For my house we would consume a lot more than that!
Duh, plant more nutritious and dense vegetables and fruits. You need a LOT more lettuce per kilogram, than you would with a squash. lol Logical coming from a spoiled brat that looked down his nose at a farmer. (How many children know how much their father makes? Few.) Sorry but, this comment got me annoyed.
Rather then transplanting in summer from flats I have a small area I use with a small clear cover just for sprouting seeds. Or a container in the garden. It makes it easier to care for them for sucession planting.
if you want more worms in your vegetable garden mulch it with oak or maple leaves.if you shake alittle soil over the top of the leaves its even better for the worms
People have different situations resources and of course funds but age has hit hard for me...soo.... . I am trying something new with a large new plot...large for me. Not really a ruth stout method...as u cant get the straw or hay...but...i have been able to.get some cheap compost..so that has led me to try it.
As always, thank-you! The point about effort (input) and food production (output) reinforces the guaranteed income aspect of our plan for sustainability-through- equality. That plan has the uncomfortable-for-some name that I won't use here. Sadly.
I see the benefit of double dig and no-dig gardening and as you said, both will give good results. But the difference is obvious, one requires either an expensive piece of machinary or else a lot of hard work turning the soil. You mentioned two problems you sometimes have.. one is getting burned out in late summer, the other is not being able to time transplants well...is it possible that by not digging, that would helpe eleviate some of that just from an energy/time perspective? For me, turning a garden was probably the least fun part of gardening and so for years had a negative effect on me and was discouraging me from doing more.
When I lose focus later in the season, this isn't really due to the digging, as this is all done in the late autumn or winter, but it is interesting that you describe it as burnout. One thing that I have learned about myself is that I tend to avoid things that aren't going well, and though I didn't mention this in the video, I think it is a big factor in how successful the Intensive garden has been. In contrast to the Intensive garden, I have had the least success with the No-Dig garden. This is partially due to slugs and a couple of other issues. But a big part of this is that I tend to get frustrated that it isn't going as well as I want and don't get around to doing the work that needs to be done. I quite enjoy the digging when I do get around to it, I think it is similar to how other people enjoy going for a run or to the gym.
RED Gardens I'm guessing you've seen Charles Dowding's channel - manages a no dig system using only compost, not hay or straw, so reducing slug problem.
I can see the double digging a new bed, and then just making sure you don't compress it again by walking on it. Plus, if you are making your own compost don't sift the worms out, so they get themselves a new home. Problem solved, hard work the first time, and let the wormies take care of the bed after.
I think you are right - double dig at least once, or as many times it takes to do the job, then migrate to a no-dig method, this seems to make a lot of sense.
I'm very interested in your no dig garden. I've switched both allotments and the field growing area to no dig. I use a compost mulch rather than hay or straw.
I hope to do a No-Dig video in the next month. I have had a few problems with it, partially because it keeps the soil too cool and is a perfect place for slugs! I'm also exploring using compost rather than straw/grass to mulch, but not sure about the huge quantities needed. How do you get enough compost?
RED Gardens I'm a builder and if any of my customers are getting rid of grass cuttings or leaves etc I usually nab them. My joiner keeps his wood shavings and saw duct for me to add to my hot compost piles. Plus we have 2 horses. In Autumn and winter I carry a big builders bag with me in my van and often collect 12+ bags full of leaves from various places. I usually get about 6 bags full from the drive beside my neighbours as there's a row of trees there too. Maybe have a look at my channel and see some of the things I do?
Cool! Sounds like you have a few good sources of large volumes of compost. I hadn't realised you have quite a few videos uploaded. I'll have a look when I finish editing and uploading my latest video.
So do I! I am currently putting up a big wind break around my new polytunnel in the Black Plot, which I had always planned to do, but apparently needed the sense of urgency to get done!
Do you think a garden planner would help? GrowVeg, here on UA-cam has one, they charge a subscription, but it seems like a nice program. I want to get it for my tablet, but they don't have an Android version set up,
I had a look at a few garden planners a few years ago, and none of them impressed me. Or I should say that I din't feel that any of them suited my needs - especially with so many gardens. I prefer to do things myself, but these types of programs might work for you or others.
Hello, and thanks for the videos. Your experiences are truly enlightening. You mentioned you successfully harvested around 400Kg of vegetables form the 100m² garden last year, may i ask how many hours a day (on average) you worked on this particular garden?
Hey there. Just noticed you comment. During the busy part of the season March to July) I would work about 2.5 to 3 hours a week on this garden. Some weeks might be more, but averaged out over each month it works out to about that much.
rebecca lankford Ah, to be honest I think there are benefits and issues with all approaches. But I haven’t got the full potential benefit out of the no-dig method yet, and am hopeful it might be a real benefit, for those of us who can get loads of compost.
What's your point? That he's obviously prepared and not just waffling on and on about unnecessary trivia? If so, I agree. Best gardening channel on UA-cam!
I don't know how I'm just finding your channel. Finally...! A real human! You even admit faults, and personal struggles!!! Awesome content. Even with you being in a completely different growing climate, your thought process is relatable. Thank you for sharing!
What a great comment to receive! Thanks.
Thanks for your honesty.
Respect from Africa 🇿🇦
Red Gardens is the best gardening program for myself. I enjoy his laid back conversation style, and the general unbiased information. Its my go to channel every day before i go down to my allotment.
you really deserve way more subscribers, keep it up!
Thanks!
I love your honesty. I'm learning so much from hearing your experiences. Thank you!
Thanks. I'm very glad that my approach to these videos is appreciated!
Many thanks for such a useful vegetable garden resource. You may be interested to hear that your trials are helpful even in high-velar South Africa. The place I'm moving to is concrete hard red clay and despite digging seedlings would just sit and not grow until the hoppers ate them. The most productive method to date has been similar to your Intensive bed. Take off the top spit of earth then fork semi-rotted sawdust into cracks in the subsoil for drainage. Then mix roughly 10% sawdust with the new topsoil as I shovel it back. Acidity was a real problem until I found a US college who had trialled cement dust as a neutralise. I have since found suppliers for 'kalk' (chalk) but that first cement bed is still my most productive.
Sorry, this comment got way longer than I intended, but just wanted to tell you how much your warts and all descriptions help even if our growing conditions are so different. Slainthe.
Hey Dave. Agreed. Also in south Africa. I assume you meant highveld? I'm down in the western Cape
@@MarlonVanderLinde hi, and nice to hear from you. Yes, I'm in Limpopo on the high veld (sorry, spell checker got me). I've been working towards self sufficiency for about four years - if the ground and hoppers will let me.
I like these videos. Always addressing something specific and always to the point. This may not be Ireland, but I've learned a lot none the less.
Your experimentation is, as always, fascinating and educational. I live in a sub-tropical area with solid clay ground...this has led to (me being lazy aside) an emphasis on no-dig gardening. Accessing input for my garden has included circus poo, cattle and horse muck from dairy and stable sources and more recently, pig manure, blood and meat/bone meal from a local abattoir. I now have 5 chickens in a small area and hope to gain good composted soil from them within the next 6 months or so. Your inspiration continues to drive onward this aging (60) year old who has never gardened before. Thank you and may your successes breed more of the same...
Thanks so much for your comments! You are obviously growing in a very different context, but glad you still find relevance and inspiration from my work. Sounds like you have quite a diversity of fertility to work with, which is good. I haven't grown in solid clay soil before, but I understand that it can be enormously productive, if you can make it work. Good luck with you growing!
I am glad it isn't just me who loses steam in late summer - just when I need to be alert for picking!!
Really appreciate how honest you are.
:)
Rewatching all your old gems.
HOW!
do you not have couch/bermuda/kweek grass invasion!!! I am overwhelmed!
I dig it out before it gets too much. Sometimes it takes a couple of seasons, but persistence past off eventually.
This is one of the best channels! Thanks for all work!
Wow, thanks!
Awesome video! Your overall delivery and production is stellar!
Thanks!
A reoccurring theme of your videos is the problem you're having with wind. Have you thought of planting a living Windbreak between your beds. A hedge three feet high can protect 3 or 4, 30 inch wide beds on the other side by reducing or diminishing the wind. It is an effective way to reduce the stress on plants in windy conditions. I am very much enjoying your videos keep up the good work and thanks.
Yeah, wind is a significant issue. I have thought of hedges, but because of the original layout of the gardens, and how they integrate in with the allotments that other people manage, I need to keep the 1m/40inch path between and around the gardens. If I plant a hedge, then I would need to take up a strip of the garden beds. Not sure I want to do that. I have been meaning to install windbreak material along the west edge of each garden for the winter months at least, but haven't got around to it yet.
Eventually the trees that we planted upwind will grow to provide more protection.
Thanks for the suggestions and support!
What about a snow fence , you remember those red wood fences they use to put up along the highways in Ontario
That is one option - something similar is available in Ireland to put around construction sites (not enough snow here!). I may invest in some more proper fine meshed wind break material to but on the edge of each garden. I just put up a huge windbreak around my new polytunnel in the Black Plot, and it seems to have worked/helped - so far.
Thanks for the patreon pledge! You know you guys are responsible for me starting this channel (with then initial encouragement at least) so doubly thanks!
All we did was watch you plant a seed , you made it grow.
qtpwqt Ah, but you are forgetting all the times Paul suggested that I should start a UA-cam channel!
As you say the weather makes succession sowing a little harder than it likely is in the south of England. I am just outside Glasgow, and in 2018 the 2nd plantings did excellent. However, the summer was the best one since the 70s! Last year it was a lot harder and the weather was jo where near as good, meaning the 2nd plantings really struggled to get going!
Best wishes
Looks like you have very rich soil! Very jealous.
It is great soil!
So nice to hear about your experiences. Love to see the summerpictures!
Thanks! Glad I took some pictures when the weather was good. i see you have produced a lot of gardening videos as well. I look forward to watching them.
Brilliant stuff as always.
Thanks!
Well done!
love your work sir.
Hi i live. In Scotland so have a similar clinate to yours. Windbreaks have been very useful here. Ihave had the same problems with transplants so next season i am going to make a holding bed where i will line out transplants as soon as they are ready to come out of their pots so they can grow on without any checks until there is space for them in the nain beds. This is not a new idea.john seymour suggested it in one of his boiks as a way of getting an early legume crop and a late brassica crop from rhe same bed. Thanks for the excellent videos good to see someone working in a environment like mine.
Hi there. Windbreaks are definitely the way to go. Just put up a major windbreak around my new polytunnel in advance of Ophelia, and it seems to have worked/helped - so far!
I used the holding bed idea for the first time last year to rescue one brassica crop, and it works out well, or at least better than they would have in the modules/blocks/pots. I think it is a good idea (i can't remember if I heard about it from Seymour or some other grower). I might think about using this method more regularly, and plan around it. Thanks for the suggestion, and good luck with your growing next season.
Bruce
A wealth of knowledge ! Thank you ! You speak so eloquently !
Ah, thanks.
I really hope you keep posting content. It's informative and interesting. If you are still posting content like this when I've graduated, I will support on patreon
Thanks for your support (now and in the future)! I plan to keep posting, hopefully 3 or 4 a month.
I don't really understand what the procedure is to make a "intensive garden" and when I google it, people seem to have different procedures. Did you dig all the native dirt out, put some compost in the bottom, and put a the native dirt from the next row in, then put compost on top? then repeat that every season or?
Edit: Found the next video in the playlist explains. Excellent. So scientific. I love it!
You're doing great! Thanks for sharing. Your soil health process is awesome. The microbiology is epic. Too bad there wasn't someone nearby to co-op with for seedling/transplant management? Your soil management and their seedling transplant system could be record setting. Maybe even precedent setting for your area/zone. Thanks again for sharing. Best wishes. Cheers.
Thank you!
Maybe I don't understand what people mean by "no-dig gardening". When I was gardening at my parents house I dug a terrace out of their sandstone hillside. I broke the sandstone up and dug manure, and compost in. I used the double digging method. The tomatoes were huge and the melons and squash very sweet. It seems to me that had a simply spread the manure on the top and planted in the manure most of the plants would have died. And after a couple of years the soil was absolutely full of worms.
I think the choice between double-dig and no-dig depends on context. No-dig seems to work really well in contexts whee there is already decent soil. I have heard from some people who have had difficult soil conditions that were dramatically improved with a no-dig method, but that doesn't mean that it will work everywhere. It really depends on context and the resources you have available to you.
Nice work! I found your channel last year, was always hoping to see how your plots were doing
Thanks! I am planning to do a video on each of the other gardens in the next few weeks.
Loved your honest observtions. I am interested if you have used compost as a mulch using a no dig method.
I would suggest that if you were to use the same amounts of compost (and amendments) on top of undug soil, it would support at least the same plant density as the 'intensive' method. You would save time in digging to devote to other tasks.... and perhaps increase yield!?
Thanks. Good question. I am trying to shift my No-dig garden to using compost as a mulch on the surface. The biggest issue I have is getting enough compost. The most compost I put on the Intensive Garden bed each season would produce a layer 5cm or 2in thick, and often half that amount. I have found that 5cm would be a bare minimum depth of mulch for the No-Dig garden unless the surface was very clean and flat and no weeds at all (which isn't the case with my garden at them moment). The recommendations are usually at least double that for starting a garden, and about 5-7.5 cm or 2-3 inch for maintenance.
This is just to point out that typically more compost would be needed in practice for using as a no-dig mulch. But that doesn't answer your question. I think the issue is that the no-dig method does not loosen the soil to the depth that the double digging does. In theory, the worms and plants would do all that loosening in the no-dig method, but I really thing think that this depends on the quality and nature of the soil that you restating with. In my case, there is a layer of stones about 20-30cm 8-12 inches below the surface of the soil in most places. Once this was removed in the Intensive Garden, I harvested huge long straight parsnip, which would otherwise have been impossible with the stones below. In the No-dig Garden I have yet to harvest a good crop of carrots, they always seem stunted in comparison to the gardens that I have dug. My experience so far is that the root crops do less well in the No-dig Garden, but for things like brassicas, and courgettes, the mulch method may be better, but I am not sure as I tend to use a wider plant spacing in the No--dig Garden.
So, assuming that you had access to enough compost, the issue is how much space is there within the soil below for the roots of those closely spaced plants, and how easily can those roots work their way through the soil, and how deep can they go. And that depends on the nature of the soil to begin with, if you are not going to put in the work to actively change it.
Hi Bruce, I hope everything is well after the hurricane.
Yes, everything is fine. Thanks for asking!
I am just working on a video called Surviving Ophelia. Hope to get it uploaded in a few days!
If you are not one, you'd make a great teacher! If I lived close to a place that was doing this, I'd ask if I could volunteer, so I could learn.
I do have a question; could this method be used in a small back yard with containers? When I get the house built, I want to landscape front and back with edible landscaping. I'd planned to get some of the self-watering, no-weeding planters, like the Earth Box.
Great video!
I like what you do, and the energy you have. How about gardening by permaculture. It is not about row spaced crops and competing with professionals, it is about eating. A shift in what you may want to achieve... btw I adored those parsnips. Cheers,
I do use permaculture principles to help develop a few of the gardens, including the Polyculture and Simple gardens, but find that a lot of people wouldn't recognise it as permaculture. I have become a bit wary of the permaculture populism, especially as I have found a number of the usual permaculture solutions/approaches are not so appropriate in the context of this maritime climate. But I do need to work on that, and perhaps need to develop another garden ...
Thanks for the update! Could you remind me when this project started (comparing various methods)? Thanks!
Ah, I began to establish some of the gardens about 10 years ago. But of the first few years I was not living in the area. Then I spent a few years building house, then working for the local CSA and other things. So, while I slowly built up my experience over a while, I have only been giving the gardens proper attention for the last 2 to 3 seasons.
Hello, I love your channel and subscribed. One thought, "400kg vegetables this a lot of food for a family". Hmmm. When I calculate average 65 calories for 100g of vegetables. This are 260,000 calories or 712 calories per day. This about a third one would need to feed one person... (ignoring a healthy distribution and assuming average yield over the year).
Don't get me wrong. I'm currently just thinking about a acquiring my own property and consider how much I'd need to at least mostly don't have to buy food. And I'm a passionate hobby gardener, so it's actually more of a side benefit anyway rather than a pure economical thought. Considering also not only eating vegetables but also some eggs etc. And honestly it seems in reality to be about 1000 m^2 per person. And as I still work in the city I find it very hard to find a realistic scenario that again allows me to commute in a reasonable time (
Growing most of your own food can be challenging. I think starting with trying to grow most of your vegetables is a good goal, or as I prefer too phrase it, to get to the point where you eat loads of vegetables, but rarely buy any. This is possibly achievable for a lot of people, and I think has the greatest overall benefit (CO2 emissions, health, finances, waste, biodiversity ...)
The 400kg for a family is a lot compared to the amount of vegetables that most families typically eat. For my house we would consume a lot more than that!
Duh, plant more nutritious and dense vegetables and fruits. You need a LOT more lettuce per kilogram, than you would with a squash. lol Logical coming from a spoiled brat that looked down his nose at a farmer. (How many children know how much their father makes? Few.) Sorry but, this comment got me annoyed.
Rather then transplanting in summer from flats I have a small area I use with a small clear cover just for sprouting seeds. Or a container in the garden. It makes it easier to care for them for sucession planting.
Good idea. I really don’t like my current setup, but having a small ‘nursery’ right in the garden may be a good option.
if you want more worms in your vegetable garden mulch it with oak or maple leaves.if you shake alittle soil over the top of the leaves its even better for the worms
I wonder if beech has the same effect as that is what we have most of around here.
People have different situations resources and of course funds but age has hit hard for me...soo.... . I am trying something new with a large new plot...large for me. Not really a ruth stout method...as u cant get the straw or hay...but...i have been able to.get some cheap compost..so that has led me to try it.
Good luck with the compost mulch method. Some people have great success with it.
As always, thank-you!
The point about effort (input) and food production (output) reinforces the guaranteed income aspect of our plan for sustainability-through- equality.
That plan has the uncomfortable-for-some name that I won't use here. Sadly.
Interesting plan.
I see the benefit of double dig and no-dig gardening and as you said, both will give good results. But the difference is obvious, one requires either an expensive piece of machinary or else a lot of hard work turning the soil. You mentioned two problems you sometimes have.. one is getting burned out in late summer, the other is not being able to time transplants well...is it possible that by not digging, that would helpe eleviate some of that just from an energy/time perspective? For me, turning a garden was probably the least fun part of gardening and so for years had a negative effect on me and was discouraging me from doing more.
When I lose focus later in the season, this isn't really due to the digging, as this is all done in the late autumn or winter, but it is interesting that you describe it as burnout. One thing that I have learned about myself is that I tend to avoid things that aren't going well, and though I didn't mention this in the video, I think it is a big factor in how successful the Intensive garden has been. In contrast to the Intensive garden, I have had the least success with the No-Dig garden. This is partially due to slugs and a couple of other issues. But a big part of this is that I tend to get frustrated that it isn't going as well as I want and don't get around to doing the work that needs to be done.
I quite enjoy the digging when I do get around to it, I think it is similar to how other people enjoy going for a run or to the gym.
RED Gardens I'm guessing you've seen Charles Dowding's channel - manages a no dig system using only compost, not hay or straw, so reducing slug problem.
I can see the double digging a new bed, and then just making sure you don't compress it again by walking on it. Plus, if you are making your own compost don't sift the worms out, so they get themselves a new home. Problem solved, hard work the first time, and let the wormies take care of the bed after.
I think you are right - double dig at least once, or as many times it takes to do the job, then migrate to a no-dig method, this seems to make a lot of sense.
I'm very interested in your no dig garden. I've switched both allotments and the field growing area to no dig. I use a compost mulch rather than hay or straw.
I hope to do a No-Dig video in the next month. I have had a few problems with it, partially because it keeps the soil too cool and is a perfect place for slugs! I'm also exploring using compost rather than straw/grass to mulch, but not sure about the huge quantities needed. How do you get enough compost?
RED Gardens I'm a builder and if any of my customers are getting rid of grass cuttings or leaves etc I usually nab them. My joiner keeps his wood shavings and saw duct for me to add to my hot compost piles. Plus we have 2 horses. In Autumn and winter I carry a big builders bag with me in my van and often collect 12+ bags full of leaves from various places. I usually get about 6 bags full from the drive beside my neighbours as there's a row of trees there too. Maybe have a look at my channel and see some of the things I do?
Cool! Sounds like you have a few good sources of large volumes of compost. I hadn't realised you have quite a few videos uploaded. I'll have a look when I finish editing and uploading my latest video.
Hope you get through the storm OK
So do I! I am currently putting up a big wind break around my new polytunnel in the Black Plot, which I had always planned to do, but apparently needed the sense of urgency to get done!
Do you think a garden planner would help? GrowVeg, here on UA-cam has one, they charge a subscription, but it seems like a nice program. I want to get it for my tablet, but they don't have an Android version set up,
I had a look at a few garden planners a few years ago, and none of them impressed me. Or I should say that I din't feel that any of them suited my needs - especially with so many gardens. I prefer to do things myself, but these types of programs might work for you or others.
Why no grow houses when you stated the temperature is generally to cold.
can I ask which veriety of parnips do you use, the ones in this video look great
Rich
A variety called Tender and True
Hello, and thanks for the videos. Your experiences are truly enlightening. You mentioned you successfully harvested around 400Kg of vegetables form the 100m² garden last year, may i ask how many hours a day (on average) you worked on this particular garden?
Hey there. Just noticed you comment. During the busy part of the season March to July) I would work about 2.5 to 3 hours a week on this garden. Some weeks might be more, but averaged out over each month it works out to about that much.
Very enlightening! Thank you.
Why can't I sponser this channel on UA-cam??
utilizing all 7 methods in 1 plot.
that would be something
photos.app.goo.gl/qkBjQICHruEkWY8B2, jst a few pics, photos.app.goo.gl/HhRGA9zmiu6teBzb8, check these out you get time. htgde
What methodology have you seen most fruitful now in 2020?
I am about to make a video about that next week. The polytunnel is my best garden, simply because it can grow the most food with the biggest variety.
@@REDGardens I was speaking about soil.
rebecca lankford Ah, to be honest I think there are benefits and issues with all approaches. But I haven’t got the full potential benefit out of the no-dig method yet, and am hopeful it might be a real benefit, for those of us who can get loads of compost.
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🙂
it's ok to just say "method"
ok
:o
:)
you can tell he's reading lol
What's your point? That he's obviously prepared and not just waffling on and on about unnecessary trivia? If so, I agree. Best gardening channel on UA-cam!
you talk too fast
sorry