If this YT gig doesn’t work out for you, (hopefully it does), you should have no trouble finding work as an instructor of some kind; you are a natural-born teacher! Thanks for another great video.
I repotted my herbs into grow bags. To save potting mix, I filled the bottoms of the grow bags with straw, then potting mix (homemade), then topped with straw for mulch. All plants are thriving.
I had a soil biology test done last year and had really great fungal presence in the soil, turns out the straw mulch I had been using builds great soil life!
I thought I was doing something wrong because all my worms are right below the straw mulch in my garden. Now I know why. You have some of the best videos for explaining and teaching the perfect content. Thank You.
I use dried grass from the lawn which acts very similarly to straw. My husband dethatches the lawn every spring and there’s enough to last me the whole season and then some.
I use gardenstraw that I’ve purchased from Epic Gardening. The bags are extremely compressed. I’ve used 2 of the small bags to top my 40+ grow bags. In California where water is expensive and we’ve been in a drought for three summers it made more sense to buy straw mulch to help keep my soil cool and retain moisture. When a few wheat seeds do sprout I let them grow and then remove the plants. I get free straw this way.
I buy straw bales, spread out one sleeve at a time and run over it with my lawn mower.. I have the bag on and it does a great job of shredding the straw up for my garden.
Bought a compressed cut wheat straw bale from Anderson Straw and then saw this video. I did some checking and wasnt able to find much online before I put it on my garden. I was not crazy about waiting a few weeks to test. I went to Anderson's site and asked if they used any persistent herbicides. They replied within 24 hours and assured me that the wheat straw was safe and they use an herbicide early on in the growing cycle and it is out of the plant after three weeks and they follow regulations that guard food production and the straw was completely safe and is used in gardens across the country. I am confidently putting it on my garden today and will update if anything goes south, but I was stoked they actually got back to me so quickly. So kudos to Anderson for reaching out so quickly.
herbicides kill off all broad leaf vegs there is no way they wash out in 3 weeks it take years. I know farmers that can't have there own Cow poo in there garden cuz the cows eat that herbicide sprayed on there... then the farmers garden has herbicides in it from the cows eating it and just like that you have vegs yellowing slow growing and dying off. Many ppl don't know this but it's the reason why some smart farmers wont even use there own poo from there cows in the garden now just image using the straw in your garden. That company just sold you a bunch of... PLEASE UP DATE US on your garden
I absolutely love straw as a mulch for all the reasons you've named. However, for my recent experience, the pill bugs have gotten so bad, they totally ignored the straw mulch and took out several plants by eating away the fine root hairs of newer plants. Right now - I am stuck between keeping the soil cooler and moister for the plants but also keeping the pill bug population thriving - or - staving off the pill bugs by letting the soil get drier and warmer, which creates unhappier plants. THAT said, I have a feeling this video is the reason EVERY place is sold out of GardenStraw. 🤣
When I started using wood chip mulch on my flower beds, I noticed a lot of pill bug activity. But I need mulch, so I kept using it. In the many years since I've continued using it, I don't notice much of a pill bug problem. So I'm wondering if it was a coincidence that I had a pill bug problem that year and just assumed it was because of the mulch.
Have you tried using protective collars made from used drink bottles cut to suit? Mostly works for me and reuses a throw away item. Great as mini-greenhouses too.
I’m in SoCal and I switched from straw mulch in most of my beds to course wood shavings. I have a duel problem with straw in that the wind blows it all over the place & what the wind doesn’t blow around the birds fling & scratch everywhere. So far the wood shavings have stayed in place from the wind, the birds have been leaving it alone & my plants seem happy. I’ll see at the end of this season.
I am loving the GardenStraw I got from Epic. I have to water WAY less often (for certain crops) because it retains moisture so well! My veggie plants all love it.
@@onemoredoll5791 Strawberries, onions, all my brassicas, lettuces unless it gets very hot, beets, carrots, green beans (again, unless it's very hot). We're in zone 6 here. I use the straw in my Greenstalk, too, and it helps!
I use two or three year old straw/hay. I use some for wind protection against the house over winters, and i feed livestock with it, so ill gather up all the loose stuff or moldy stuff and use it for top dressing, walkway covering, and even to mix into my homegrown compost. It has done me great so far along with home sourced aged goat pellets. I love spreading some old hay that riddled with mycelium, im sure its great for my soil biome.
@@johnsmith9330 Roundup isn't a persistent herbicide. He's talking about pyralids, which are a nightmare, passing through the digestive system of animals and contaminating manure in addition to the field for years. (This isn't a defense of Roundup, fwiw.)
I’m very thankful for this video. I’m in San Diego as well, and bought straw for mulch a month ago. I was stressing out watching this video just now until I realized, I have it on my pole beans, which have grown 7’ in one month and have gorgeous perfect leaves, so thankfully it looks like that straw was great, too! 😅😅😅
My tomatoes and peppers that were ruined from herbicide looked really good for a long while before the damage appeared...so I think longer testing is warranted.
Wow. Usually, they germinate, and you can see right away as they put in true leaves. I test mine with beans. They will germinate, but the true leaves tell the story.
@@ale347baker pill bugs yes gnats no. The pill bugs seem to eat more of the decaying matter though. The only thing they ate before I could was my wine cap mushrooms in the strawbed I have lol. They always beat me to it.
Thanks Jacques! I'm hankerin' to add straw to my garden but it's surprisingly hazy how to source it. I've done the cursory google search in the past but it seems like the answer is to call around ag supply stores in nearby(ish) rural areas. It's silly but that switch to a more old-school process is enough to put me off dealing with it. The pros seem abso-lutely overwhelming, though.
I have been collecting dried up wild grasses growing in ditches to replace straw since grazon became ubiquitous. Dry season is about to end and I will likely have to find an alternative
I use the remains of my ornamental grasses from prior year. I KNOW it's organically grown, and I have less lawn to cut with each new planting (mostly divisions).
GREAT video!!! I love using straw too! My entire 4x24’ flower bed was struggling with the CO heat, until I put down straw and then it took off like crazy. I love it in tomato beds too to reduce soil splash with our heavy rains. I did a video about it years ago. :)
When I cut down all my ornamental grasses in the spring, I put it through my Worx mulcher. I get the most beautiful fine straw and I know it's completely safe.
Thanks for this video! I’m happy to report that my local hardware store carries organic garden straw and I’ve been looking for an alternative to regular mulch because it can carry jumping worm eggs which is an issue in my area.
I have been using organic Garden Straw for the last 3 years. I love it for all the reasons you described, but also how beautiful it makes my garden. I love growing flowers and shrubs, as much as, I love growing vegetables! Straw makes everything look tidy. I live in zone 5b and use a few bags to winterize my roses. Of course,I first heard of Garden Straw from Epic Gardening! I'm extremely happy I found it being sold in an animal feed store 30 minutes away, at a very decent price. As a matter of fact I bought some 2 days ago to mulch after I finish planting all the warm weather crops.
I use straw for my balcony garden. I live in Texas for the summers are a constant battle to keep my garden moist. I found straw was relatively easy to use, kept the soil moist, and I was able to repurpose for compost in my tumbler.
I love my straw. At 65 and living alone, using a bale of straw is much easier for me. Any grass seeds in the straw which germinate are easy to pluck out. I did straw around my potatoes and can't wait to see how it works. I've grown potatoes in containers in the past and would like to see how it compares.
That Garden Straw you guys sell is free of seed heads but not free of seeds. I got a surprising amount of little grass sprouts in mine. Not too hard to spot and manage (yank out), but more than I expected. Otherwise it's great.
This is 100% the gospel truth for dry-climate gardening! I've tried lots of mulching methods and always come back to straw as the best method for mulching. My favorite method is to buy the straw bales in the fall and let them sit out in the rain all winter so they are a bit degraded by spring so the straw is soft and pliable and forming mats. That's the best mulch and compost brown layer! Thanks, Jacques!
It is such a great material in the garden! The old bales do get a bit moldy which isn't as fun to work with but I agree, it does mat down really easily
I switched from straw to shredded cardboard. I bought a heavy duty paper shredder that will take multiple sheets and I cut up all our recycling cardboard and feed it through. The cardboard mulch looks great, holds the moisture really well, it’s free and zero weed seeds. I love it!
Another great idea! The heavy duty paper shredder for cardbord, mind sharing where I can buy one? !Wow I love reading comments, so many great idea options!
It is VERY expensive, we only carried because people asked for an organic option but in reality the logistics of shipping and moving bulky straw is what makes it so expensive.
@@jacquesinthegarden You should have pointed them to get organic Alfalfa from Tractor Supply for around $34 a bale. Not only is it a 1/3rd of the price but it also fertilizes your plants every time you water unlike using straw.
@@waynespringer501 But isn't an alfalfa bale full of seeds that may sprout and compete with the crop you're trying to grow? I know it's a great cover crop for between times.
The price of straw is why i still have a grass lawn. As long you dont put down weed killer or heavy fertilizers it’s free mulch. just let it dry in the sun first.
Your garden looks great. I think the yellowing is because the plants are over crowded. Each pot that you buy from the nursery has multiple plants in it so you can split them up and plant separately rather than the whole pot at once.
The last 3 years I have used only straw for mulch in the garden and my containers. I have a plastic fence material to hold it down when the wind blow in the spring. My plants have done very well using the straw. Years previously I used leaves and or compost. The straw holds moisture better.
Thank you for the info on straw. I was always curious but had never researched and used it. I feel confident I can try it now and not have a major catastrophe! 😊
I used a bag of straw I bought local but not organic and used it on my asparagus bed. I planted bare root asparagus plants and they have never grown well and most are now dead. I may have killed then off with the straw I bought! I’ve previously only bought organic straw in the past and all the rest of my garden beds are doing well. Live and learn.
One could go to a livestock feed store and buy straw. Summer is a good time to buy. Once winter sets in, they will sell out due to purchasing bedding for animals.
I have used organic Gardenstraw brand straw for the last 3 years as a mulch for my raised bed garden after I saw Kevin use it on the Epic Gardening channel. Everything that you say about it is true; I live in California and it really helps to cut down on watering costs. Also, the worms love it! HOWEVER, this last batch that I ordered has SO many seeds! I've been pulling up grass shoots by the THOUSANDS. Never had this problem before and like I said, I've been using the same brand for years and I have a large garden (14 raised beds). I will continue to use Gardenstraw brand, because I haven't found a comparable alternative, but I'm not as happy with it as I have been in the past. I'm pretty obsessive about the grass and HAVE to pull them all up, so I've spent hours and hours doing this task when I have other things I need to get done in the garden. Have you found this to be the case this season, Jacque?
Interesting, perhaps you got a particular bad batch, I can't say that it has no seed for sure but usually its not a substantial amount. It may be possible to quickly drop your straw against like a 1/4" hardware cloth screen to separate out seeds but that is extra labor.
i watched a video in the spring, this person trusted the person she was buying hay from (for her cow) used the manure for her garden and in no time everything died, the hay had been grown with the herbicide. almost all her raised beds had to be broke down and refilled with fresh soil
I just found out about this today, in several videos. OMG, I wonder if this is why my garden has struggled over the past few years?! This really angers me - nobody is telling us that they are poisoning our straw, and therefore our manure - now we have to test for poison instead of assuming it's organic! Thanks for sharing this, and spreading the word - I am so angry right now, this chemical society we live in now, just needs to stop!
I'm using straw for the first time this year because it's auposed to help with bad molds . I hope it works . I just bought normal straw . It still has a few seeds heads but i can pull them out when they grow .
@@jacquesinthegarden the bales I get from our local ag store are harvested at peak flowering, due to it being at the peak nutrient level. It'sgot a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 25:1, which is nearly perfect for composting. I highly suggest giving it a try.
I like to buy straw feed at Tractor Supply. Many kinds have the added benefit of being lightly coated with molasses for the livestock which is also really good for soil microbiology as it's loaded with micro and macro-nutrients. The only downside is that the closest stores are not that close lol. Hey, just another reason to take a day trip up to Temecula! ;)
I’ve been seeing a lot about electroculture do you have any information about it or might be able to make a video? Thank you for all the information you give us!
Personally my stance is that it is based on nothing. There has been a lot of proper research done and there doesn't seem to be an conclusive benefit. You will also notice that most people who push this information offer ZERO specifics. Like how deep do you put it? How many do you need? Does shape matter.....and so on. To run a proper test would require a lot more effort than I am willing to put in and I am comfortable accepting that it is not worth pursuing personally.
@@jacquesinthegarden I love your information always and thank you for the response!! I love watching both, Jacques and Epic, I think the same way and I will continue using great techniques from many gardeners to improve my skills! Let’s grow bigger this year!
Wondering if you know if EZ straw is safe since it’s one of the most commonly found straws in big box stores? I’ve been using it for 3 seasons without issue, but have never found any solid info on if it has the possibility of being contaminated.
I am not sure but If you have been using it without issue its likely to be safe still, it is usually marketed for vegetable gardens so I would imagine it is in their best interest to ensure its safe.
I have spoken to more than a few farmers, and they say that the spray thing is a myth, and “they say they couldn’t afford to do that even if they had to”….and they say they don’t even need this treatment at all..
I raise Isopods and pill bugs will 100% choose live plants over debris when reproducing. Their hierarchy of preference is based on protein needs/timing in lifecycle.
@@katroshka there are over 10,000 named isopods, 5,000 of which are terrestrial. What makes all crustaceans successful is they are some combo of detritivore/scavenger/predator/grazer. Females right before a molt prioritize protein as that's also when they breed. In droughts you'll see them eating live plants at night, as they have "gills" and need high humidity and the moisture from live plants.
@@humanbeing1168 If it happens again you can try sprinkling some fish flakes around, they most likely will go for the protein over the seedlings. a shallow dish of water may help too to give them a drinking source.
@@jacquesinthegarden My colonies live in a varied and deep mixture of bark and leaves. They will always swarm a fresh slice of any veg or a lettuce leaf.
For anyone with Conifers, or cone-bearing trees. Like me. You can rake the old natural mulch up and use that. I do it and if your property or woods is anything like that you may have a completely free never-ending supply of mulch. Siting untouched. You’ll want to be pretty thick on the application of it because it is very loose
@@-crazypants-3199 I've been using only pine straw in my vegetable garden for 3 years now and I still struggle with my soil being too alkaline. I've learned that a lot of what people will tell you about gardening is either not true, specific to their situation, or they're just repeating it without having tested it themselves. I found gardening is much too complicated to go by most specific advice. I find the best way to learn is just to try it. It sucks to fail but that failure will make you remember to not make that mistake again.
@@tristan.bevins Pine needles themselves are acidic but do not have the capacity to appreciably lower the soil pH. To do that, it is necessary to incorporate a soil acidifier such as sulfur or aluminum sulfate. If you are unsure of the pH in your garden, you should have the soil tested. As pine needles break down and are incorporated into the soil, decomposing organisms gradually neutralize them. Thus, there is no harm in using pine needles to mulch shrub borders, flower beds and vegetable gardens. Even a 2 to 3 inch layer of pine mulch will not change the soil pH enough to measure. There is a long list of benefits to using pine needle mulch, including that it is free and often readily available. Pine needles provide all the advantages of any other mulching material, including conserving soil moisture, suppressing weeds, adding soil nutrients, moderating soil temperature and keeping plants and fruit clean during heavy rains. Additionally, pine needles have a tendency to stay loose and light, not forming an impenetrable crust like wood mulch. They are quite stable and do not tend to wash out of beds during heavy rains. In spots where it is difficult to keep mulch in place on a slope, pine needles may be the answer. Finally, pine needles are longer lasting than other types of organic mulch, and their fine texture is quite attractive against most permanent plantings.
Wow! I learned SO much from this, not only about pesticides but also the difference between hay/straw. Thanks and I subbed because I like the other channels you work with and this one! 🤓
Jacque, holy cow man, the backdrop during 8:10 - 9:50 was just too beautiful and distracting in the best way possible. I had to re-watch that part a few times to get over how beautiful that area is. Keep growin' and a happy season to you my good sir!
This is such a clutch video for me, i just bought 4 straw bales yesterday, the farmer did admit to using some chemical spray 3 times spread from seed starting to harvest, but he told me it should not hinder my vegetable growth since hes growing vegetables aswell after the grain harvest, but ill first go and set up some tests now before using this. Also for warmth loving crops i assume it would be best to wait a bit for the ground to warm up first before applying the straw mulch right? Since they love a warmth tempature in the ground aswell, our ground is very cold at the moment, we had a lot of rain and the coldest may and april since years.
Good that they were at least honest with you! Yes you can avoid mulching to keep the beds warmer in the early season! It is a balance however as you will need to water more so its all about your most pressing need at the moment.
Just an FYI. When you were talking about rolly pollys and other bugs, you should know sow bugs are named after pigs because they root in the soil. The word for female pig is sow which rhymes with cow.
You can get straw directly from farmers if you live in a city surrounded by farmland. Its super cheap, like 1000 pounds 4×4×8 ft for 40 dollars cheap, or smaller 2 ft bales for 2-5 dollars a pop.
Great video, we bought straw for Derbyshire Place community garden. We spread it and 5 days later 90 % of the broccoli bed died. I immediately removed it all. I replanted and we're harvesting brocolli now. We donated it to Hope Place Homeless Shelter. By the way, what are the beautiful blue flowers behind you in this video?
Have you actually seen delayed growth or plant performance due to nitrogen 'locked up' in soil due to the presence of wood? I've read both sides of the argument, without first hand experience, and I kinda feel like its not that large of an issue with a well rounded starting soil.
Its not really a large issue unless you bury a bunch, for me its mostly that I don't want to deal with being careful and I like the freedom of just burying whatever ends up in the bed.
Me personally if I get some green on potatoes I generously peal them. It’s never been bitter or have I got sick. That’s me. You can use a knife to get way past green.
last year I was dropping things off at the eco station and noticed a bunch of bales someone left. The staff let me take a few home AND I PUT IT ALL OVER MY GARDEN WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT. Thank God nothing bad came of it but when I think of how that could have gone, my stomach turns😅
i'm convinced. (only problem is trying to source it though.... i feel like maybe you didn't go into enough detail on that.) the potato thing was amazing. easy ability to check on how they are doing, too.
Start by calling around to Local small nurseries and asking them after that look for any "Feed" stores that supply to people with livestock. Craigslist has also worked for me in the past!
You’re right to say what you said about using hay in the garden. However once it is old enough it isn’t good for much else other than mulch or goat food. At that point it is safe to use as mulch, but Takes experience to know when that is
this was really helpful... so if I have stunted plants its best to use a high nitrogen organic fertilizer if I dont have compost? I have this issue, I dont know what the history of my new yard is but many seeds grow very short and several perennials have re grown this year stunted. Jacques can you do a video about when to use blood meal and bone meal? what is the difference between them, how much to use and what issues do they each address?
I wish I had found this earlier. Came across a free bail from a pumpkin patch and have been using it, specifically in a potato patch. I'm going to try this test but I'm already a month or two into these potatoes. They seem to have sprouted fine and don't appear to have any deformities as you mentioned. Maybe that's a test enough in itself?
Hi Jacque! I can attest that straw is a wonderful mulch and it looks pretty too! Where did you get yours? I’m in San Diego too and mine is not as pretty as yours. Yours looks clean and bright and has very little junk in it. Thanks for the video.
Jacque, what are the amazing looking purple plants in the background of the intro portion of the video? I’ve googled it, but I can’t tell if you’ve been able to grow a super version of what I am searching for or if I just don’t know what to search.
🔥 Question!! I bought gardening straw at a local hardware store. So far it seems to be working great! My question is: is the straw supposed to have a sort of slimy feeling when it gets wet? If I water my straw (brand new unused, dry) it feels a bit slimy or leaves a sort of slimy coating and on my hand. I can wash it off and it doesn’t cause any damage to my skin or plants. But what is it and why!?
There is a chance you bought one that has "tack" included which is some sort of starch that gets gummy when wet allowing the straw to better stick together. Personally I am not a fan of those as I don't ever have any issues with wind blowing straw around!
I know it is 8 months since you posted this, I did try straw bale gardening a few years ago. It was a big FLOP. MAYBE I got hold of bad straw, I don't know. I have no interest in doing it again. I do try to use a variety of mulches including leaves (I have loads of trees here), and sometimes straw for a mulch, and wood chips.
I'm curious about your thoughts on pet bedding? I'm a first time gardener, limited on space on a balcony, and also money, shipping on straw is outrageous. Pet bedding is technically wood chips but a much finer cut. I wood love for you to do some testing or just hear your thoughts in general about this. I'm using them and they seem pretty great lol
Odd question for you. What about straw that is sold as pet bedding? I would think that is safe but not sure. I know it would be smaller quantities but for just a few pots it may be the perfect amount.
An easy way to find non-sprayed straw and hay is to talk to horse owners. They will usually have a good hookup for feed and bedding that is not sprayed. Might not be “certified” organic, but horse owners know.
I've never heard of straw containing persistent herbicides, at least here in Canada. Hay of course is a different story, but here persistent herbicide treated hay or the manure produced from it cannot be sold off-farm. For my own garden, I have a strong preference to alfalfa hay and also timothy seeded with vetch. Unfortunately you will get timothy grass popping up usually, but it's easy to terminate and the presence of visible vetch helps assure that no persistent herbicides were used.
If this YT gig doesn’t work out for you, (hopefully it does), you should have no trouble finding work as an instructor of some kind; you are a natural-born teacher! Thanks for another great video.
I repotted my herbs into grow bags. To save potting mix, I filled the bottoms of the grow bags with straw, then potting mix (homemade), then topped with straw for mulch. All plants are thriving.
I had a soil biology test done last year and had really great fungal presence in the soil, turns out the straw mulch I had been using builds great soil life!
It is a really wonderful material for soil microbiology!
If you grow straight in and it'll grow mushrooms like crazy I use it in a mushroom substrate always lived straw
I thought I was doing something wrong because all my worms are right below the straw mulch in my garden. Now I know why. You have some of the best videos for explaining and teaching the perfect content. Thank You.
All I can pay attention to it that insane purple plant in the background
What is it? I noticed it too, sooooo beautiful!
@@Earthy-ArtistEchium candicans, AKA Pride of Madeira.
@@Harmonie66 Thank you🙂!
I use dried grass from the lawn which acts very similarly to straw. My husband dethatches the lawn every spring and there’s enough to last me the whole season and then some.
Grass is also a great option and tends to be high in nitrogen as well!
I just put green grass clippings right out of the mower bag in my garden and around fruit trees.
Are you concerned about weeds from your lawn? I'm always afraid to use my grass clippings because of weeds.
I use gardenstraw that I’ve purchased from Epic Gardening. The bags are extremely compressed. I’ve used 2 of the small bags to top my 40+ grow bags. In California where water is expensive and we’ve been in a drought for three summers it made more sense to buy straw mulch to help keep my soil cool and retain moisture. When a few wheat seeds do sprout I let them grow and then remove the plants. I get free straw this way.
It is truly impressive just how much straw is in that bag!
Can I use seeding straw sprayed with tactifier? I found it at Home Depot.
Well, you should be getting plenty of rain now. Be safe out there man
You are such a GREAT teacher, Jacques! I learned so much from this video. Thank you!
Thank you!
I buy straw bales, spread out one sleeve at a time and run over it with my lawn mower.. I have the bag on and it does a great job of shredding the straw up for my garden.
Great idea!
Same here! It just makes it better especially for potted plants.
Bought a compressed cut wheat straw bale from Anderson Straw and then saw this video. I did some checking and wasnt able to find much online before I put it on my garden. I was not crazy about waiting a few weeks to test. I went to Anderson's site and asked if they used any persistent herbicides. They replied within 24 hours and assured me that the wheat straw was safe and they use an herbicide early on in the growing cycle and it is out of the plant after three weeks and they follow regulations that guard food production and the straw was completely safe and is used in gardens across the country.
I am confidently putting it on my garden today and will update if anything goes south, but I was stoked they actually got back to me so quickly. So kudos to Anderson for reaching out so quickly.
herbicides kill off all broad leaf vegs there is no way they wash out in 3 weeks it take years. I know farmers that can't have there own Cow poo in there garden cuz the cows eat that herbicide sprayed on there... then the farmers garden has herbicides in it from the cows eating it and just like that you have vegs yellowing slow growing and dying off. Many ppl don't know this but it's the reason why some smart farmers wont even use there own poo from there cows in the garden now just image using the straw in your garden. That company just sold you a bunch of... PLEASE UP DATE US on your garden
I love the GeoloJacques academic integrity, giving a disclaimer before spitballing. This helps me feel more confident in the other information!
I absolutely love straw as a mulch for all the reasons you've named. However, for my recent experience, the pill bugs have gotten so bad, they totally ignored the straw mulch and took out several plants by eating away the fine root hairs of newer plants. Right now - I am stuck between keeping the soil cooler and moister for the plants but also keeping the pill bug population thriving - or - staving off the pill bugs by letting the soil get drier and warmer, which creates unhappier plants. THAT said, I have a feeling this video is the reason EVERY place is sold out of GardenStraw. 🤣
Hahaha it is a balance! Sometimes I will drop fresh cuttings on the bed as well to give them something else to eat besides the straw!
When I started using wood chip mulch on my flower beds, I noticed a lot of pill bug activity. But I need mulch, so I kept using it. In the many years since I've continued using it, I don't notice much of a pill bug problem. So I'm wondering if it was a coincidence that I had a pill bug problem that year and just assumed it was because of the mulch.
Me to loving my beds
Have you tried using protective collars made from used drink bottles cut to suit? Mostly works for me and reuses a throw away item. Great as mini-greenhouses too.
I’m in SoCal and I switched from straw mulch in most of my beds to course wood shavings. I have a duel problem with straw in that the wind blows it all over the place & what the wind doesn’t blow around the birds fling & scratch everywhere. So far the wood shavings have stayed in place from the wind, the birds have been leaving it alone & my plants seem happy. I’ll see at the end of this season.
Truly the best mulch is what works for your context, glad the woodchips are proving to be more useful.
I am loving the GardenStraw I got from Epic. I have to water WAY less often (for certain crops) because it retains moisture so well! My veggie plants all love it.
Which crops?
@@onemoredoll5791 Strawberries, onions, all my brassicas, lettuces unless it gets very hot, beets, carrots, green beans (again, unless it's very hot). We're in zone 6 here. I use the straw in my Greenstalk, too, and it helps!
👏
I use two or three year old straw/hay. I use some for wind protection against the house over winters, and i feed livestock with it, so ill gather up all the loose stuff or moldy stuff and use it for top dressing, walkway covering, and even to mix into my homegrown compost. It has done me great so far along with home sourced aged goat pellets. I love spreading some old hay that riddled with mycelium, im sure its great for my soil biome.
Roundup is absorbed only on leaves. Your test is watering from button. This is the design flaw of your test.
Roundup loses its killing abilities quickly. The persistent herbicide stays for years. And even in the poop from animals.
@@johnsmith9330 Roundup isn't a persistent herbicide. He's talking about pyralids, which are a nightmare, passing through the digestive system of animals and contaminating manure in addition to the field for years. (This isn't a defense of Roundup, fwiw.)
Oo
Ooo
I’m very thankful for this video. I’m in San Diego as well, and bought straw for mulch a month ago. I was stressing out watching this video just now until I realized, I have it on my pole beans, which have grown 7’ in one month and have gorgeous perfect leaves, so thankfully it looks like that straw was great, too! 😅😅😅
My tomatoes and peppers that were ruined from herbicide looked really good for a long while before the damage appeared...so I think longer testing is warranted.
Wow. Usually, they germinate, and you can see right away as they put in true leaves. I test mine with beans. They will germinate, but the true leaves tell the story.
I crunch up bags of leaves in the fall and keep them for mulch in the spring 😊
Do you get any fungus gnats or pill bugs when you use leaves as mulch?
@@ale347baker pill bugs yes gnats no. The pill bugs seem to eat more of the decaying matter though. The only thing they ate before I could was my wine cap mushrooms in the strawbed I have lol. They always beat me to it.
Thanks Jacques! I'm hankerin' to add straw to my garden but it's surprisingly hazy how to source it. I've done the cursory google search in the past but it seems like the answer is to call around ag supply stores in nearby(ish) rural areas. It's silly but that switch to a more old-school process is enough to put me off dealing with it. The pros seem abso-lutely overwhelming, though.
I found some on Facebook marketplace!
I have been collecting dried up wild grasses growing in ditches to replace straw since grazon became ubiquitous. Dry season is about to end and I will likely have to find an alternative
Yeah its brutal, I think Grazon is out now but some other similar form has replaced it..
I use the remains of my ornamental grasses from prior year. I KNOW it's organically grown, and I have less lawn to cut with each new planting (mostly divisions).
GREAT video!!! I love using straw too! My entire 4x24’ flower bed was struggling with the CO heat, until I put down straw and then it took off like crazy. I love it in tomato beds too to reduce soil splash with our heavy rains. I did a video about it years ago. :)
When I cut down all my ornamental grasses in the spring, I put it through my Worx mulcher. I get the most beautiful fine straw and I know it's completely safe.
That is awesome, I have thought about getting a mulcher, seems like fun!
Great tip!
Thanks for this video! I’m happy to report that my local hardware store carries organic garden straw and I’ve been looking for an alternative to regular mulch because it can carry jumping worm eggs which is an issue in my area.
Can you say what store? I would drive several hours to a store that carries it... cannot find it locally.
@@joanies6778 I’m in Canada Home Hardware is the store.
I have been using organic Garden Straw for the last 3 years. I love it for all the reasons you described, but also how beautiful it makes my garden. I love growing flowers and shrubs, as much as, I love growing vegetables! Straw makes everything look tidy. I live in zone 5b and use a few bags to winterize my roses. Of course,I first heard of Garden Straw from Epic Gardening! I'm extremely happy I found it being sold in an animal feed store 30 minutes away, at a very decent price. As a matter of fact I bought some 2 days ago to mulch after I finish planting all the warm weather crops.
I use straw for my balcony garden. I live in Texas for the summers are a constant battle to keep my garden moist. I found straw was relatively easy to use, kept the soil moist, and I was able to repurpose for compost in my tumbler.
Thank you. I’ve been using good straw for a couple years but it’s nice to learn about it!
I love my straw. At 65 and living alone, using a bale of straw is much easier for me. Any grass seeds in the straw which germinate are easy to pluck out. I did straw around my potatoes and can't wait to see how it works. I've grown potatoes in containers in the past and would like to see how it compares.
Agreed! The straw "weed" is really not too bad to eliminate
That Garden Straw you guys sell is free of seed heads but not free of seeds. I got a surprising amount of little grass sprouts in mine. Not too hard to spot and manage (yank out), but more than I expected. Otherwise it's great.
This is definitely true, I didn't notice the distinction in the wording before! Luckily straw ,as you mentioned, is easy to terminate.
I just bought a bunch of straw! Thank you so much for all the detail in this video!
This is 100% the gospel truth for dry-climate gardening! I've tried lots of mulching methods and always come back to straw as the best method for mulching. My favorite method is to buy the straw bales in the fall and let them sit out in the rain all winter so they are a bit degraded by spring so the straw is soft and pliable and forming mats. That's the best mulch and compost brown layer! Thanks, Jacques!
It is such a great material in the garden! The old bales do get a bit moldy which isn't as fun to work with but I agree, it does mat down really easily
I switched from straw to shredded cardboard. I bought a heavy duty paper shredder that will take multiple sheets and I cut up all our recycling cardboard and feed it through. The cardboard mulch looks great, holds the moisture really well, it’s free and zero weed seeds. I love it!
Another great idea! The heavy duty paper shredder for cardbord, mind sharing where I can buy one? !Wow I love reading comments, so many great idea options!
People really buying bags of organic straw for $110??? I'm in the wrong business 😂
It is VERY expensive, we only carried because people asked for an organic option but in reality the logistics of shipping and moving bulky straw is what makes it so expensive.
@@jacquesinthegarden Thanks for explaining at least Jacques!
@@jacquesinthegarden You should have pointed them to get organic Alfalfa from Tractor Supply for around $34 a bale. Not only is it a 1/3rd of the price but it also fertilizes your plants every time you water unlike using straw.
@@waynespringer501 But isn't an alfalfa bale full of seeds that may sprout and compete with the crop you're trying to grow? I know it's a great cover crop for between times.
The price of straw is why i still have a grass lawn. As long you dont put down weed killer or heavy fertilizers it’s free mulch. just let it dry in the sun first.
Your Pride of Maderia is magnificent.
1) great video. I love using straw for mulch and as a compost ingredient
2) please tell your dog we love them
😂 Will do!
Your garden looks great. I think the yellowing is because the plants are over crowded. Each pot that you buy from the nursery has multiple plants in it so you can split them up and plant separately rather than the whole pot at once.
The last 3 years I have used only straw for mulch in the garden and my containers. I have a plastic fence material to hold it down when the wind blow in the spring. My plants have done very well using the straw. Years previously I used leaves and or compost. The straw holds moisture better.
I am also learning how to get by with little water because our well quite back in Oct
Thank you for the info on straw. I was always curious but had never researched and used it. I feel confident I can try it now and not have a major catastrophe! 😊
Scientific method in the garden. Love it!! Great job! Thank you!
I've watched this video and can only thumbs up it once but wanted to maybe 20 times.
I love Epic. Thank you for all info. I don't have the ability to garden yet, but I'm getting ready by binge watching the channels.
I used a bag of straw I bought local but not organic and used it on my asparagus bed. I planted bare root asparagus plants and they have never grown well and most are now dead. I may have killed then off with the straw I bought! I’ve previously only bought organic straw in the past and all the rest of my garden beds are doing well. Live and learn.
One could go to a livestock feed store and buy straw. Summer is a good time to buy. Once winter sets in, they will sell out due to purchasing bedding for animals.
I have used organic Gardenstraw brand straw for the last 3 years as a mulch for my raised bed garden after I saw Kevin use it on the Epic Gardening channel. Everything that you say about it is true; I live in California and it really helps to cut down on watering costs. Also, the worms love it! HOWEVER, this last batch that I ordered has SO many seeds! I've been pulling up grass shoots by the THOUSANDS. Never had this problem before and like I said, I've been using the same brand for years and I have a large garden (14 raised beds).
I will continue to use Gardenstraw brand, because I haven't found a comparable alternative, but I'm not as happy with it as I have been in the past. I'm pretty obsessive about the grass and HAVE to pull them all up, so I've spent hours and hours doing this task when I have other things I need to get done in the garden. Have you found this to be the case this season, Jacque?
Ditto Gardenstraw brand straw I bought from Kevin/Epic Gardening, have really liked it .I haven't had a problem with seed so far.
Interesting, perhaps you got a particular bad batch, I can't say that it has no seed for sure but usually its not a substantial amount. It may be possible to quickly drop your straw against like a 1/4" hardware cloth screen to separate out seeds but that is extra labor.
We were in a heat wave here in Canada, weeks without rain. I went from watering twice a day to watering twice a week. I couldn't believe the results!
The cheapest mulch is always local. Where we live, I’m able to get 40 lb bags of certified organic rice hulls for $5 to use as mulch.
👏
i watched a video in the spring, this person trusted the person she was buying hay from (for her cow) used the manure for her garden and in no time everything died, the hay had been grown with the herbicide. almost all her raised beds had to be broke down and refilled with fresh soil
I just found out about this today, in several videos. OMG, I wonder if this is why my garden has struggled over the past few years?! This really angers me - nobody is telling us that they are poisoning our straw, and therefore our manure - now we have to test for poison instead of assuming it's organic! Thanks for sharing this, and spreading the word - I am so angry right now, this chemical society we live in now, just needs to stop!
Its been plenty of time. I'm so glad you showed everyone that test.
I'm using straw for the first time this year because it's auposed to help with bad molds . I hope it works . I just bought normal straw . It still has a few seeds heads but i can pull them out when they grow .
I've used bales of alfalfa as mulch for years, and I couldn't be happier with it.
That's awesome, I have always been warned against the seed spreading. Once broken down it should be a very rich source of nutrients!
@@jacquesinthegarden the bales I get from our local ag store are harvested at peak flowering, due to it being at the peak nutrient level. It'sgot a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 25:1, which is nearly perfect for composting. I highly suggest giving it a try.
Very cool, I will look out for that
I like to buy straw feed at Tractor Supply. Many kinds have the added benefit of being lightly coated with molasses for the livestock which is also really good for soil microbiology as it's loaded with micro and macro-nutrients. The only downside is that the closest stores are not that close lol. Hey, just another reason to take a day trip up to Temecula! ;)
Hi Matt. What is this product called? I have a Tractor Supply about 5 minutes from me and would like to try it. Thanks!
Yeah where is this at TS?! I’ve been using the wood flakes
My closest Tractor Supply is 47 miles away 😫
Totally agree! But wow those flowers at 8:16 ! Gorgeous.
they are called Pride of Madeira and agree they are beautiful!
I’ve been seeing a lot about electroculture do you have any information about it or might be able to make a video? Thank you for all the information you give us!
Personally my stance is that it is based on nothing. There has been a lot of proper research done and there doesn't seem to be an conclusive benefit. You will also notice that most people who push this information offer ZERO specifics. Like how deep do you put it? How many do you need? Does shape matter.....and so on. To run a proper test would require a lot more effort than I am willing to put in and I am comfortable accepting that it is not worth pursuing personally.
@@jacquesinthegarden I love your information always and thank you for the response!! I love watching both, Jacques and Epic, I think the same way and I will continue using great techniques from many gardeners to improve my skills!
Let’s grow bigger this year!
Wondering if you know if EZ straw is safe since it’s one of the most commonly found straws in big box stores? I’ve been using it for 3 seasons without issue, but have never found any solid info on if it has the possibility of being contaminated.
It is organic. My potatoes love it! LOL I use about 6 inches of amended soil in my potatoe grow bags.
I am not sure but If you have been using it without issue its likely to be safe still, it is usually marketed for vegetable gardens so I would imagine it is in their best interest to ensure its safe.
I use all my grass clippings in my gardens or around fruit trees along with mowed chopped leaves and pine straw.
I have spoken to more than a few farmers, and they say that the spray thing is a myth, and “they say they couldn’t afford to do that even if they had to”….and they say they don’t even need this treatment at all..
I raise Isopods and pill bugs will 100% choose live plants over debris when reproducing. Their hierarchy of preference is based on protein needs/timing in lifecycle.
This is very interesting, thanks for sharing that tidbit. A lot of people still claim they never eat fresh material and it always left me baffled.
There are hundreds (thousands?) of different species of isopods and they have different feeding habits
@@katroshka there are over 10,000 named isopods, 5,000 of which are terrestrial. What makes all crustaceans successful is they are some combo of detritivore/scavenger/predator/grazer. Females right before a molt prioritize protein as that's also when they breed. In droughts you'll see them eating live plants at night, as they have "gills" and need high humidity and the moisture from live plants.
@@humanbeing1168 If it happens again you can try sprinkling some fish flakes around, they most likely will go for the protein over the seedlings. a shallow dish of water may help too to give them a drinking source.
@@jacquesinthegarden My colonies live in a varied and deep mixture of bark and leaves. They will always swarm a fresh slice of any veg or a lettuce leaf.
For anyone with Conifers, or cone-bearing trees.
Like me. You can rake the old natural mulch up and use that.
I do it and if your property or woods is anything like that you may have a completely free never-ending supply of mulch. Siting untouched.
You’ll want to be pretty thick on the application of it because it is very loose
Conifères are very acidic, great for berries and roses. Not si much for veg
@@jessicakennedy2332 ooohhh. Great. 🫡
@@jessicakennedy2332Apparently the acidity of pine needles is so minimal, the difference is negligible. I haven't used it myself, so I can't confirm
@@-crazypants-3199 I've been using only pine straw in my vegetable garden for 3 years now and I still struggle with my soil being too alkaline. I've learned that a lot of what people will tell you about gardening is either not true, specific to their situation, or they're just repeating it without having tested it themselves. I found gardening is much too complicated to go by most specific advice. I find the best way to learn is just to try it. It sucks to fail but that failure will make you remember to not make that mistake again.
@@tristan.bevins Pine needles themselves are acidic but do not have the capacity to appreciably lower the soil pH. To do that, it is necessary to incorporate a soil acidifier such as sulfur or aluminum sulfate. If you are unsure of the pH in your garden, you should have the soil tested. As pine needles break down and are incorporated into the soil, decomposing organisms gradually neutralize them. Thus, there is no harm in using pine needles to mulch shrub borders, flower beds and vegetable gardens. Even a 2 to 3 inch layer of pine mulch will not change the soil pH enough to measure.
There is a long list of benefits to using pine needle mulch, including that it is free and often readily available. Pine needles provide all the advantages of any other mulching material, including conserving soil moisture, suppressing weeds, adding soil nutrients, moderating soil temperature and keeping plants and fruit clean during heavy rains. Additionally, pine needles have a tendency to stay loose and light, not forming an impenetrable crust like wood mulch. They are quite stable and do not tend to wash out of beds during heavy rains. In spots where it is difficult to keep mulch in place on a slope, pine needles may be the answer. Finally, pine needles are longer lasting than other types of organic mulch, and their fine texture is quite attractive against most permanent plantings.
I use straw and seaweed. Works great 😊
I don't use straw because it brings more slugs (too much rain & humidity), instead, I use woodchips.
Wow! I learned SO much from this, not only about pesticides but also the difference between hay/straw. Thanks and I subbed because I like the other channels you work with and this one! 🤓
I really enjoy watching and listening to you , your very easy to understand and you have so much information to share. Fantastic. Thank you
Glad to hear this, thank you!
Jacque, holy cow man, the backdrop during 8:10 - 9:50 was just too beautiful and distracting in the best way possible. I had to re-watch that part a few times to get over how beautiful that area is.
Keep growin' and a happy season to you my good sir!
Came to the comments for this! Does anybody know what that beautiful plant is? Whatever it is, it's monstrously (impressively!) huge! Gorgeous!
great presentation! respectful of the viewers' time
This is such a clutch video for me, i just bought 4 straw bales yesterday, the farmer did admit to using some chemical spray 3 times spread from seed starting to harvest, but he told me it should not hinder my vegetable growth since hes growing vegetables aswell after the grain harvest, but ill first go and set up some tests now before using this. Also for warmth loving crops i assume it would be best to wait a bit for the ground to warm up first before applying the straw mulch right? Since they love a warmth tempature in the ground aswell, our ground is very cold at the moment, we had a lot of rain and the coldest may and april since years.
Good that they were at least honest with you! Yes you can avoid mulching to keep the beds warmer in the early season! It is a balance however as you will need to water more so its all about your most pressing need at the moment.
My research indicates that the store bought Timothy hay people buy for horses is also a great mulch. You can get these bails for like $20-$30
Just an FYI.
When you were talking about rolly pollys and other bugs, you should know sow bugs are named after pigs because they root in the soil. The word for female pig is sow which rhymes with cow.
Thank you this was the most helpful information I had about the use of straw. It was to the point.
You can get straw directly from farmers if you live in a city surrounded by farmland. Its super cheap, like 1000 pounds 4×4×8 ft for 40 dollars cheap, or smaller 2 ft bales for 2-5 dollars a pop.
Sounds amazing! Especially if you know their practices
You have a really nice way of explaining things. I am learning a lot from you. Keep it up!
Great video, we bought straw for Derbyshire Place community garden. We spread it and 5 days later 90 % of the broccoli bed died. I immediately removed it all. I replanted and we're harvesting brocolli now. We donated it to Hope Place Homeless Shelter. By the way, what are the beautiful blue flowers behind you in this video?
That is very unfortunate but glad you caught it. The flowers are Pride of Madeira!
Have you actually seen delayed growth or plant performance due to nitrogen 'locked up' in soil due to the presence of wood? I've read both sides of the argument, without first hand experience, and I kinda feel like its not that large of an issue with a well rounded starting soil.
He addresses this at 10:00
Its not really a large issue unless you bury a bunch, for me its mostly that I don't want to deal with being careful and I like the freedom of just burying whatever ends up in the bed.
Me personally if I get some green on potatoes I generously peal them. It’s never been bitter or have I got sick. That’s me. You can use a knife to get way past green.
Yeah I am not concerned about it! They only have very light greening on one area, will just peel them back.
last year I was dropping things off at the eco station and noticed a bunch of bales someone left. The staff let me take a few home AND I PUT IT ALL OVER MY GARDEN WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT. Thank God nothing bad came of it but when I think of how that could have gone, my stomach turns😅
i'm convinced. (only problem is trying to source it though.... i feel like maybe you didn't go into enough detail on that.) the potato thing was amazing. easy ability to check on how they are doing, too.
Start by calling around to Local small nurseries and asking them after that look for any "Feed" stores that supply to people with livestock. Craigslist has also worked for me in the past!
I use EZ Straw.
You’re right to say what you said about using hay in the garden. However once it is old enough it isn’t good for much else other than mulch or goat food. At that point it is safe to use as mulch, but Takes experience to know when that is
Years if it's greyzon. And stock animals can digest it with the herbicide still in it. Be careful!
this was really helpful... so if I have stunted plants its best to use a high nitrogen organic fertilizer if I dont have compost? I have this issue, I dont know what the history of my new yard is but many seeds grow very short and several perennials have re grown this year stunted. Jacques can you do a video about when to use blood meal and bone meal? what is the difference between them, how much to use and what issues do they each address?
I wish I had found this earlier. Came across a free bail from a pumpkin patch and have been using it, specifically in a potato patch. I'm going to try this test but I'm already a month or two into these potatoes. They seem to have sprouted fine and don't appear to have any deformities as you mentioned. Maybe that's a test enough in itself?
Hi Jacque! I can attest that straw is a wonderful mulch and it looks pretty too! Where did you get yours? I’m in San Diego too and mine is not as pretty as yours. Yours looks clean and bright and has very little junk in it. Thanks for the video.
City Farmers Nursery
I have been buying from Lowe’s for many years with no major issues, if you are looking for a easy source.
Grazon needs to be banned ASAP. Anything thats that toxic and that persistent shouldnt exist
💯 A+ ❗❕❗
Unfortunately lobbyists and big companies run the country and they get to dictate what’s allowable… 😢
Did not know grazon is used on straw (grain fields), and roundup isn’t near as bad for the garden as grazon
I dont have access to straw, but I have broken down woodchips, & pine needles that I been using. Because its what I have...
I use, rabbit & chicken 💩 for my fertilizers,
The best mulch is what you have on hand!
Jacque, what are the amazing looking purple plants in the background of the intro portion of the video? I’ve googled it, but I can’t tell if you’ve been able to grow a super version of what I am searching for or if I just don’t know what to search.
Pride of Madeira
what a beautiful space - great work!
🔥 Question!! I bought gardening straw at a local hardware store. So far it seems to be working great! My question is: is the straw supposed to have a sort of slimy feeling when it gets wet? If I water my straw (brand new unused, dry) it feels a bit slimy or leaves a sort of slimy coating and on my hand. I can wash it off and it doesn’t cause any damage to my skin or plants. But what is it and why!?
There is a chance you bought one that has "tack" included which is some sort of starch that gets gummy when wet allowing the straw to better stick together. Personally I am not a fan of those as I don't ever have any issues with wind blowing straw around!
I know it is 8 months since you posted this, I did try straw bale gardening a few years ago. It was a big FLOP. MAYBE I got hold of bad straw, I don't know. I have no interest in doing it again. I do try to use a variety of mulches including leaves (I have loads of trees here), and sometimes straw for a mulch, and wood chips.
Your videos are excellent and thanks for showing how to set up the experiment- I like your teaching style
I always soak in water and water a pea plant before putting it on my beds.
In Quebec, Canada starw is too expensive but I have tons of dried pine needles to a point I don't know what to do with it all so I use it as mulch
I'm curious about your thoughts on pet bedding? I'm a first time gardener, limited on space on a balcony, and also money, shipping on straw is outrageous. Pet bedding is technically wood chips but a much finer cut. I wood love for you to do some testing or just hear your thoughts in general about this. I'm using them and they seem pretty great lol
Thank you Jacques. 🌷💚🙃
Ya...I had straw tainted with persistent herbicide about 3 years ago and ruined about 1/3 of my gardens.
Odd question for you. What about straw that is sold as pet bedding? I would think that is safe but not sure. I know it would be smaller quantities but for just a few pots it may be the perfect amount.
Jacques, those potatoes looked kinda green, was there light getting to them?
There was a LITTLE light before I realized how big they had gotten! Once I covered they haven't greened anymore.
An easy way to find non-sprayed straw and hay is to talk to horse owners. They will usually have a good hookup for feed and bedding that is not sprayed. Might not be “certified” organic, but horse owners know.
Great tip!
Thank you for sharing this information with us
How to prevent snakes and scorpions from hiding under the straw? Other than making a thin layer of mulch. "In hot climate"
I've never heard of straw containing persistent herbicides, at least here in Canada. Hay of course is a different story, but here persistent herbicide treated hay or the manure produced from it cannot be sold off-farm. For my own garden, I have a strong preference to alfalfa hay and also timothy seeded with vetch. Unfortunately you will get timothy grass popping up usually, but it's easy to terminate and the presence of visible vetch helps assure that no persistent herbicides were used.