I've had great results with your tarp technique! We have a 1 year old garden plot; we built it last spring so this was our first year with bare exposed soil over winter. I saw this video for the first time a few weeks ago, and we already had a bit of weeds poking up. I dragged an old thread-bare crappy old tarp out of the barn and tossed it on the garden - it covered maybe 1/3 of the beds. I cultivated the weeds last weekend and the areas that were tarped had a small amount of yellowed old weeds with weak root structures that popped right out of the soil. The beds that were exposed had lush green weeds with tough roots that ran deep and were a bit of a pain to remove. Additionally, the tarped areas were significantly drier and easier to work. Some of the exposed spots were approaching "mucky" due to a recent rain storm I started late, my tarps were full of holes, and I didn't kill the weeds on the soil before dropping the tarp in place, and it still made a *huge* difference. Thanks very much for the tips - i'll be buying new tarps this fall and covering the beds over winter for sure!
Thank you for your time! Your ideas are a game changer for us. We live in S. Louisiana where we have a 5 acre "mini farm". Over the years we have used everything from cardboard for weeding to pigs for tilling. I hadn't thought about using tarps to keep the ground dry(I'm slow, duh!).....anyway, I only meant to say thanks....again!
I use tarps (actually just some kind of cheap black builders material) here on the mid east coast of Australia where it is a sub-tropical climate in a professional market gardening context and the method is extremely effective for bed prep between 4-5weeks, no flamer required, no weeds or anything remain. Two thumbs up
You just rock Curtis ! Thanks sooooo much for taking the time to share your knowledge in such an opened and efficient way ! We know you since a month, watched about 30 of your videos and NOW it is time: we gonna donate so you hoppefully keep on publishing such videos ! Charlotte and Martin, Market gardeners next to Munich Germany greatly inspired by JM Fortier and you!
Curtis you cracked the code regarding weed suppression in your growing climate Congrats!!!!!. Garden tarp-ping may work well for "Always pissing rain" climates, and soils with clay content in them. But here in sandy/drought ridden West-Central Wisconsin tarp-ping may kill a crop before the harvest ever shows up! (w/o irrigation) I am presently experimenting with ---lol--- ---lol--- type configurations (not laugh out louds) in raised beds. The lol's are 16" dia x 12" tall brown-core (resin) cylinders. The cylinders provide wind-stress/frost-proof-relief in the Spring, and corral moisture for longer periods of time in the Summer. The traditional grown Potato plants went from 3lb average, to 8lb average in the cylinders! The Potato Beetle infestations dropped drastically. "The Hand Bug-Pickers" face's grew a BIG SMILE! ; -)
I'm convinced. What kind of tarp? What is it made of? What is its weight or thickness? Sadly, I live in a country in which I am going to have to specify this stuff. Keep up the amazing work
Here in Jackson, MS (Zone 8 b) where we get about 75 inches of rain per year and very little freezing weather, it becomes a constant battle for people like me who garden 100% organically with both weeds and over wintering insects. Tarps do help with weed suppression but they provide an excellent cover for harboring all sorts of insect pests. Tarps provide a warmer environment for the bugs and protect them from excess rainfall. Honestly, I gave up on tarping for that reason. It may work 200 miles north at the location shown in this video where weather patterns are much different but it didn't work well for me. That said, flame weeding has been a much more useful tool in that it is relatively cheap and fairly quick to destroy weeds. I like to flame weed at the end of the season to reduce the weeds as much as possible. Since we do get warm periods fairly often during our central Mississippi winters, some weeds will regenerate and grow. So just get out the flame weeder on a warm winter day and burn them all off again. When early spring arrives, do a good flame weeding again. By flame weeding late in the fall, once in mid winter, and in the early spring, not many weeds are present when it is time to plant. I grow primarily in raised beds with a growing mix so any weeds left are easily removed by hand or light cultivation. The flame weeding also helps destroy any weeds seeds that have not germinated and which are near the surface. Also it really helps destroy some of the pests over wintering in the beds. Doing a light cultivation through the beds right before a flame weeding helps bring some of the pests and weed seeds to the surface as well as exposing young weed roots, all of which the flame weeding destroys. If tarps work well in your area, by all means use them. But consider a routine of three light cultivations and flame weeding during the off season too. The payoff in having a much cleaner garden is worth the effort. Weeds rob your garden plants of nutrients and moisture. Pests destroy your plants and ruin your crops. So use EVERY TOOL you have to keep your garden clean and weed free. You will get more bountiful harvests as a result.
I'm starting a new garden in the Spring in Ohio (Zone 6a). I heard you talk about tarping an area if you have time on your side. So, I bought a 12x20 tarp with black on one side (face up) and staked it down a few weeks ago so I can start my garden next year. I was wondering if this was the right thing to do and you reaffirmed that in this video. Thank you!
I could see how you could roll the tarp up on 4" pvc sewer pipe. You can leave it rolled up, then easily roll it back out when you need it. We use poly pipe on our soybean farm to irrigate with. It's about 8" in diameter. We could use some of that to weigh down the tarp. Roll it down the edge, tie one end, fill it part way with water for weight, and then tie the other end. You can leave it in Winter. If it freezes, the water would have plenty of room to expand, because it's not full. What do you think?
Bravo pour ta collaboration à l'industrie du plastique ... Total, BP et Exxon te remercie ... Mettre une couverture végétale de 20 à 40 cm, c'est si dur ????
So on pasture-tarp on spring, wait for kill, till and shape beds, put the tarp back on for the rest of summer through the next spring, then plant? It’s June now, if I put down tarp when should I do the bed shaping for planting- won’t tilling bring up new seed?
Question - We have only hills. Tell me if I am correct - If I leave strips of grass walkways between beds, that will prevent erosion and the hill from slipping. I’ve also planted a row of fruit trees lower on the hill I want to start with that won’t cast shade on the beds due to their orientation.
Do the tarps and/or flame weeders harm microbial life if the soil? What if you use them in summer under the sun in a southern climate (like east TX)? I'm friends with a customer who is concerned that they might leach plasticizer into the soil... what about that?
Based on my research it’s unlikely to leach harmful levels but if you are worried about even the small amount that could be leached you could look into hdpe tarps and plastic sheets that are high food grade plastic used because of their durability and they low likelihood of leaching harmful chemicals
I just trapped 1200sqft of my back yard, I am experienced with growing my own food, but I've grown in a lot of pots and raised beds, I am wondering how long it usually takes for the grass to die under the tarp?
Depends on season and weather. In hot dry summer (more days of full sun exposure) you can kill disked grass in as little as 2-3 weeks. Cooler months might rake 2-3 months.
Does anyone have suggestions for me please? Last year I put down a perforated fabric to plant in. Great results! But the deer and large dogs running over it tore it up so bad I couldn't reuse it. This year I found the woven fabric. Will it hold up better to the wild foot traffic or am I cursed to use electric fencing.
I have no idea what a row bag is. Neither does Amazon. Is that the same thing as a sand bag like you'd use for flood control? Maybe repurpose a plastic grocery bag?
I hope you don't mind me asking, as it would seem a negative question in such a positive farming group that I enjoy, but would there be any leaching from the tarp fabric into the soil and food we are eating?
Hola Curtis compre tu libro Pero me gustaria saber si puedes hacer mas videos sobre como sembrar en el tropico, vivo en una Isla llamada Puerto Rico en el caribe y me gustaria aprender como sacar el mayor provecho cultivando como lo haces, pero en clima tropical
Firstly, thanks so much for all the info you've worked so hard on - extremely useful for us in the UK where tips for market gardeners are harder to come by! My question: do you find tarps allow slugs to thrive? I'm wondering if slugs are such a problem over the pond there! I'm concentrating on salads (ie greens/mesclun) this year, and slugs are my main challenge...
Hey Curtis, I just bought 5acres of land. It was previously a pasture. I'm wondering if silage tarps will help kill off the thistle and quack grass population in my soon to be market garden beds? The video did say that it would work, just wondering to what extent it would handle quack grass and thistles? Maybe over time tarping it in between plantings or seasons also?
Hi Curtis, just wondering how you manage weed control at the interface between a tarp or landscape fabric and bare soil? We're finding a lot of weeds, particularly grasses, growing at this edge on our field boundaries which have landscape fabric, and find it hard to get in and cultivate due to the plastic. Any suggestions? Cheers, Nat (Village Greens of Willunga Creek)
Hi Curtis, iam Juliz I buy your book. But I would like to know if you can do more videos about how to plant in the tropic, I live on an island called Puerto Rico in the Caribbean and I would like to learn how to get the most out of farming as you do, but in a tropical climate
I would point him to your video on crop rating. The quick greens should work anywhere. However, with the climate in Puerto Rico, Juliz should have many more options for crops that have a long harvest period. For example, tomatoes should have a very long harvest. Find the crops that work in your market. On the other hand, I was just in Florida, and they tell me that they don't grow tomatoes in the middle of the summer, since it is TOO hot - which I can't understand, since I am in zone 4. If so, does anyone ever use a light shading approach with tomatoes in very hot climates?? In any event, a mature tomato plant is so productive after a very long development period (long days to maturity.) It seems like I have seen something on "shade houses," which is essentially the reverse of a greenhouse, in the reverse climate. A greenhouse provides a warm space in a cool climate, while a shade house provides a cool place in a very hot climate.
So I am planning a no-dig garden. My thinking is I should mow the grass then aerate the soil, since I have heavy clay here in GA, and after aeration cover the ground with a few inches of compost and then cover the whole thing with black tarp. I'm thinking this will kill grass and all of it will be food for the microorganisms in the soil under and within the compost. After about two month or whenever I'm ready to plant, things should be well. Anyone have any objections?
Does the rain get through the holes that you burn in the fabric? I guess I'm wondering if the plastic slows the plants growth due to keeping the plants from getting water.
How does tarping affect the amount of moisture the plants get at the root level? The holes are obviously much smaller in diameter than the spread of the roots and it seems the water that gets through is significantly less than an untarped plant, especially if it's a plant with a lot of broad leaves 'shielding' the small planting holes in the tarps from rain. Thanks.
It sucks when you run it over with the mower or brush hog. Also, The extra long pins used to hold them down don’t stick well in Florida’s south central sugar sand. Tip, Get a small butane torch to make your holes and cuts. Also, once the weeds actually start to grow though the stuff, just get rid of it!! Stop moving it around and just buy new stuff. Don’t even consider spraying glyphosate on top this stuff once its outlived it’s glory. And as I mentioned don’t run it over with he lawn mower.
I see that you are in British Columbia... does any of this apply to people who live on the other side of the country... aka South Texas? Its hot all year round, bugs dont hibernate, fire ants are insane etc... I have loved watching your channel... I am totally new to the concept of farming...
Do you recommend any particular tarps or fabrics? Particular vendors or suppliers? Can you get these at the typical big box home improvement stores like Home depot & Lowes? Would 6mil plastic sheets work?
Curtis love your content. Been following you for about a year . Can you direct me on a video you have on types of tarps to use etc. Or can you speak to where you are sourcing your tarps. Thanks!
I could not get the name of the tarps you were showing I'm using a 20 x 40 but would like to get a cpl of these and try them I have roughly 2 acers I'm starting to farm in the middle of Tampa Florida .
Thank you I found it it's called silage tarp little more than I want to pay at this time,black plastic does same thing not as pricey and can place it over the sunbelt that I use .
Mark Dennis We are neighbors! Well, kinda... We live in central Florida, west of Orlando. What types of ground/weed covers did you decide to go with, where did you get it and would you recommend it? Best wishes on your farming!
Elizabeth Diehl I use sunbelt barrier can pick it up on amazon just pay attention not all sellers are same price I get the 36 X 300 it's actually called DeWitt SBLT3300 sunbelt ground cover weed barrier only paid $67.98 alot of others charge way more . I have seen it as wide as 6ft . I then use straw inbetween my rows and some in the rows under the barrier to stop weeds and keeps ground moist.
I feel that this method is best suited to semi-fertile+ soil. I am upstate NY and the soil is very, VERY poor, it takes years to build up good organic matter volume. In my view green growth equals biomass and nutrient accumulation. So perhaps for us with no existing, or very little existing soil we should do a series of cover cropping, then start using the tarping methods once we have some real tilth to work with?
svojoe I am also in upstate NY. At 1130ft. on the Taconics. Rocks the size of VWs. When I bought the property 44 years ago, I did not intend to farm. Now my roots go deeper than any plants.
I have high amounts of clay in my soil, your best option is to source organic matter that has been breaking down for at least 2 years, go to any woods, in your area, of course not private property and collect decaying wood hummus, and some top soil from the forest floor don't dig too deep so you don't hurt existing trees, or you can buy compost from a supplier, I find that nature tends to know best though. You will want to till the first time around to mix what you have collected/bought in with your existing soil, you will want to incorporate about 30% or more, forest compost or other compost to your poor soil, also get a bag of organic soil amendment such as kelp to add to your beds, mix in nicely, to the top 6". I wish you the best of luck
Actinorhizal plants and their ability to form nitrogen-fixing nodules confers a selective advantage in poor soils. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actinorhizal_plant
The problem with using tarps to prepare new land is the time you have to wait. By smothering the weeds with a raised bed of sheets of cardboard, topsoil and then compost, you can plant out immediately. Is there a reason why using tarps is superior to no-dig raised beds?
I see old photos from around 1880 where they have bark for low Ph plant's, 20-30 cm grass cut mostly (some have bamboo) for veggie's, leaf's and bigger bland's like bush and tree's broken branches +/and ground cover plant's
For winter and 'bed-resting', they would overseed with seasonal grasses to out-compete 'domestic' weed seed germination. That grass was then knocked down with a scythe shortly after the formation of seed heads, wherein there is little energy remaining in the rhizomes. Results in the plot being well seeded for next season, and this usually this killed the grass. Could be turned into hay, or left in place to act as a sheet mulch/smother layer. Planting season rolls around you pull a drag tine to pull back the grass, maybe get the horse to disk it up, and then plant.
I noticed Costco was selling the 12 ft wide garden fabric in the spring but I don't see it on their site anymore. I buy mine at Art Knapp. I'm buying the 12' wide stuff as I'm using raised beds so tarped the whole area. Still needs more mulch on top to keep some of the grasses etc from coming thru. A lot easier to keep the weeds down and you can always cut it or burn it like Curtis does.
@@offgridcurtisstone Thanks for the reply. As a beginner I don't have an agricultural background. I had just watched another video made by a new gardener where where she was complaining about the mold as though it were an adversity. Judging by your reply it must not be. Thanks!
Hum actually I cannot donate cause there seem to be a bug on your website. I get this error message: "theurbanfarmer.co is requesting your username and password. The site says: “Restricted" Hope it is just my computer or that you will be able to fix that soon.
My Landscaper decided to put tarp then top 5 inches of top soil for my garden. He had a heart attack.. I have no idea why he did this?? I thought he was going to put it above .. what do I do next?
-1 pour le plastique ... Combien tu dépenses par an pour l'achat de tes plastiques ? .... On est loin du BIO Label Français ! ... Combien tu dépenserais pour une couverture végétale naturelle de 40 cm sur tes terrains ... BRF ?
I've had great results with your tarp technique! We have a 1 year old garden plot; we built it last spring so this was our first year with bare exposed soil over winter. I saw this video for the first time a few weeks ago, and we already had a bit of weeds poking up. I dragged an old thread-bare crappy old tarp out of the barn and tossed it on the garden - it covered maybe 1/3 of the beds.
I cultivated the weeds last weekend and the areas that were tarped had a small amount of yellowed old weeds with weak root structures that popped right out of the soil. The beds that were exposed had lush green weeds with tough roots that ran deep and were a bit of a pain to remove.
Additionally, the tarped areas were significantly drier and easier to work. Some of the exposed spots were approaching "mucky" due to a recent rain storm
I started late, my tarps were full of holes, and I didn't kill the weeds on the soil before dropping the tarp in place, and it still made a *huge* difference. Thanks very much for the tips - i'll be buying new tarps this fall and covering the beds over winter for sure!
Thank you for your time! Your ideas are a game changer for us. We live in S. Louisiana where we have a 5 acre "mini farm". Over the years we have used everything from cardboard for weeding to pigs for tilling. I hadn't thought about using tarps to keep the ground dry(I'm slow, duh!).....anyway, I only meant to say thanks....again!
I use tarps (actually just some kind of cheap black builders material) here on the mid east coast of Australia where it is a sub-tropical climate in a professional market gardening context and the method is extremely effective for bed prep between 4-5weeks, no flamer required, no weeds or anything remain. Two thumbs up
You just rock Curtis ! Thanks sooooo much for taking the time to share your knowledge in such an opened and efficient way ! We know you since a month, watched about 30 of your videos and NOW it is time: we gonna donate so you hoppefully keep on publishing such videos !
Charlotte and Martin, Market gardeners next to Munich Germany greatly inspired by JM Fortier and you!
instablaster.
Curtis you cracked the code regarding weed suppression in your growing climate Congrats!!!!!.
Garden tarp-ping may work well for "Always pissing rain" climates, and soils with clay content in them.
But here in sandy/drought ridden West-Central Wisconsin tarp-ping may kill a crop before the harvest ever shows up! (w/o irrigation)
I am presently experimenting with ---lol--- ---lol--- type configurations (not laugh out louds) in raised beds.
The lol's are 16" dia x 12" tall brown-core (resin) cylinders.
The cylinders provide wind-stress/frost-proof-relief in the Spring, and corral moisture for longer periods of time in the Summer.
The traditional grown Potato plants went from 3lb average, to 8lb average in the cylinders!
The Potato Beetle infestations dropped drastically.
"The Hand Bug-Pickers" face's grew a BIG SMILE! ; -)
How many seasons do the silage traps last and the tarps you've poked holes in to grow plants can you reuse those tarps.
I have a lot of old hoop house plastic I was going to use to mulch over the winter. How do you feel about clear plastic? Pros and cons?
I'm convinced. What kind of tarp? What is it made of? What is its weight or thickness? Sadly, I live in a country in which I am going to have to specify this stuff. Keep up the amazing work
Here in Jackson, MS (Zone 8 b) where we get about 75 inches of rain per year and very little freezing weather, it becomes a constant battle for people like me who garden 100% organically with both weeds and over wintering insects. Tarps do help with weed suppression but they provide an excellent cover for harboring all sorts of insect pests. Tarps provide a warmer environment for the bugs and protect them from excess rainfall. Honestly, I gave up on tarping for that reason. It may work 200 miles north at the location shown in this video where weather patterns are much different but it didn't work well for me.
That said, flame weeding has been a much more useful tool in that it is relatively cheap and fairly quick to destroy weeds. I like to flame weed at the end of the season to reduce the weeds as much as possible. Since we do get warm periods fairly often during our central Mississippi winters, some weeds will regenerate and grow. So just get out the flame weeder on a warm winter day and burn them all off again. When early spring arrives, do a good flame weeding again. By flame weeding late in the fall, once in mid winter, and in the early spring, not many weeds are present when it is time to plant. I grow primarily in raised beds with a growing mix so any weeds left are easily removed by hand or light cultivation.
The flame weeding also helps destroy any weeds seeds that have not germinated and which are near the surface. Also it really helps destroy some of the pests over wintering in the beds. Doing a light cultivation through the beds right before a flame weeding helps bring some of the pests and weed seeds to the surface as well as exposing young weed roots, all of which the flame weeding destroys.
If tarps work well in your area, by all means use them. But consider a routine of three light cultivations and flame weeding during the off season too. The payoff in having a much cleaner garden is worth the effort. Weeds rob your garden plants of nutrients and moisture. Pests destroy your plants and ruin your crops. So use EVERY TOOL you have to keep your garden clean and weed free. You will get more bountiful harvests as a result.
Can you till and then tarp or should you only tarp and then till (as necessary)?
I'm starting a new garden in the Spring in Ohio (Zone 6a). I heard you talk about tarping an area if you have time on your side. So, I bought a 12x20 tarp with black on one side (face up) and staked it down a few weeks ago so I can start my garden next year. I was wondering if this was the right thing to do and you reaffirmed that in this video. Thank you!
Hi Matt, good luck with your project. Where did your purchase your tarp??
You can use hooks if the tarp has the metal oring holes, they keep the tarp from tearing
Matt Book
Where to buy tarps for farming
What I have read if you are an organic farm you can't leave the tarps on the ground ...after plot is uncovered tarp needs to be taken up off of ground
I could see how you could roll the tarp up on 4" pvc sewer pipe. You can leave it rolled up, then easily roll it back out when you need it.
We use poly pipe on our soybean farm to irrigate with. It's about 8" in diameter. We could use some of that to weigh down the tarp. Roll it down the edge, tie one end, fill it part way with water for weight, and then tie the other end. You can leave it in Winter. If it freezes, the water would have plenty of room to expand, because it's not full.
What do you think?
curtis -do you ever have an issue with a build up of the slug population on or near beds which are covered with a tarp for any length of time?
+Craggle Cragglerto no.
Bravo pour ta collaboration à l'industrie du plastique ... Total, BP et Exxon te remercie ...
Mettre une couverture végétale de 20 à 40 cm, c'est si dur ????
So on pasture-tarp on spring, wait for kill, till and shape beds, put the tarp back on for the rest of summer through the next spring, then plant? It’s June now, if I put down tarp when should I do the bed shaping for planting- won’t tilling bring up new seed?
thank you for uploading and sharing best information family farming
so much to learn, I was raised not to cover the soil, it chokes out the soil?, so many things I am having to relearn
great video! I like the rain... and the question and answers.. thanks for sharing...
This is brilliant.
Question - We have only hills. Tell me if I am correct - If I leave strips of grass walkways between beds, that will prevent erosion and the hill from slipping. I’ve also planted a row of fruit trees lower on the hill I want to start with that won’t cast shade on the beds due to their orientation.
The links to buying the tarps aren't working. I'm in Ontario and would like to get some but too many options and want a reputable source.
Pretty much going to be watching you all day. Good video!
Do the tarps and/or flame weeders harm microbial life if the soil? What if you use them in summer under the sun in a southern climate (like east TX)? I'm friends with a customer who is concerned that they might leach plasticizer into the soil... what about that?
Based on my research it’s unlikely to leach harmful levels but if you are worried about even the small amount that could be leached you could look into hdpe tarps and plastic sheets that are high food grade plastic used because of their durability and they low likelihood of leaching harmful chemicals
What kind of tarp is that and how big is it and where do I order one at if you don't mind me asking please
I just trapped 1200sqft of my back yard, I am experienced with growing my own food, but I've grown in a lot of pots and raised beds, I am wondering how long it usually takes for the grass to die under the tarp?
Katelyn Ferrel. It just helps compost the dirt....why not try dewitt landscape fabric i found best deal on amazon, it looks great...too
So... How long did it take for the grass to die?
Depends on season and weather. In hot dry summer (more days of full sun exposure) you can kill disked grass in as little as 2-3 weeks. Cooler months might rake 2-3 months.
can u re use the material weed barrier after crop has been pulled
As 4 cheep free tarps. Go to your local wood dealer
Ie. Timber mart. Yard guys are great, will give or save you piles when they unwrap the timer.
I'm going to have to show up next time you and Ray do something down here...finals killed me this season
How do you punch the holes in the landscape fabric?
So which plants do you put on that 6inch spacing that you have in the weedfabric?
Whats a 50x150 silage tarp go for ?
Does anyone have suggestions for me please? Last year I put down a perforated fabric to plant in. Great results! But the deer and large dogs running over it tore it up so bad I couldn't reuse it. This year I found the woven fabric. Will it hold up better to the wild foot traffic or am I cursed to use electric fencing.
Hi Curtis! Where can you get a tine rake which is mentioned in the video for carrot beds?
www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/long-handled-tools/rakes/tine-weeding-rake---21%22-wide-7407.html
when tarping walkways only, what is the best way to weight them, as bags would be intrusive and don't want to trip over them?
HELP: The link to buy the tarps & landscape fabric you use says "404 Page Not Found". Where can I buy them both, please!?!?
can you use landscape fabric the same way you use tarps? for bed prep?
I have no idea what a row bag is. Neither does Amazon. Is that the same thing as a sand bag like you'd use for flood control? Maybe repurpose a plastic grocery bag?
Yes, it is the same thing as a sand bag.
Where would i buy the tarp??
My landscaper put landscaping tarp 5 inches down and put top soil on top ?? Why did he do this?
Can tarps & farbics kill nutgrass???
I'm doing soil preparation but my garden have problem with nutgrass.
Thank you for sharing.
I hope you don't mind me asking, as it would seem a negative question in such a positive farming group that I enjoy, but would there be any leaching from the tarp fabric into the soil and food we are eating?
I haven't seen any evidence for it.
I wish I knew about this I live only an hour away from Selmer TN where this was held
Hola Curtis compre tu libro
Pero me gustaria saber si puedes hacer mas videos sobre como sembrar en el tropico, vivo en una Isla llamada Puerto Rico en el caribe y me gustaria aprender como sacar el mayor provecho cultivando como lo haces, pero en clima tropical
Great video. Encouragement for 2 projects on my list.
where can i get the exact tarp?
Firstly, thanks so much for all the info you've worked so hard on - extremely useful for us in the UK where tips for market gardeners are harder to come by! My question: do you find tarps allow slugs to thrive? I'm wondering if slugs are such a problem over the pond there! I'm concentrating on salads (ie greens/mesclun) this year, and slugs are my main challenge...
Have a look at Charles Dowding's website - charlesdowding.co.uk - tons of useful info for the UK - and other - climates.
Why does the opening title show as December 5 2017 ? Have I entered a time warp ? I did lose a year once before.
Hey Curtis, I just bought 5acres of land. It was previously a pasture.
I'm wondering if silage tarps will help kill off the thistle and quack grass population in my soon to be market garden beds? The video did say that it would work, just wondering to what extent it would handle quack grass and thistles? Maybe over time tarping it in between plantings or seasons also?
My biggest question is how and where do you sell most of your product?
Hi Curtis, just wondering how you manage weed control at the interface between a tarp or landscape fabric and bare soil? We're finding a lot of weeds, particularly grasses, growing at this edge on our field boundaries which have landscape fabric, and find it hard to get in and cultivate due to the plastic. Any suggestions? Cheers, Nat (Village Greens of Willunga Creek)
thanks for making these videos man, very very helpful!
I was wondering can I add my compost and then tarp it?
Yes
Hi Curtis, iam Juliz
I buy your book.
But I would like to know if you can do more videos about how to plant in the tropic, I live on an island called Puerto Rico in the Caribbean and I would like to learn how to get the most out of farming as you do, but in a tropical climate
+Juliz Medina every time I go, I make videos. But I don't go that often, so I can only make so many.
I would point him to your video on crop rating. The quick greens should work anywhere. However, with the climate in Puerto Rico, Juliz should have many more options for crops that have a long harvest period. For example, tomatoes should have a very long harvest. Find the crops that work in your market.
On the other hand, I was just in Florida, and they tell me that they don't grow tomatoes in the middle of the summer, since it is TOO hot - which I can't understand, since I am in zone 4.
If so, does anyone ever use a light shading approach with tomatoes in very hot climates?? In any event, a mature tomato plant is so productive after a very long development period (long days to maturity.) It seems like I have seen something on "shade houses," which is essentially the reverse of a greenhouse, in the reverse climate. A greenhouse provides a warm space in a cool climate, while a shade house provides a cool place in a very hot climate.
Where do you get tarps for your gardens?
Surprising Curtis is still tilling his soil.
This video is 5 years old.
@@offgridcurtisstone fair enough. What's the method these days?
The link below for tarps is a dead end. Do you have another link?
Do you recommend direct seeding through plastic mulch/tarp with earthway or jang? Any tips on this?
Do y'all this can work with sorghum...?
So I am planning a no-dig garden. My thinking is I should mow the grass then aerate the soil, since I have heavy clay here in GA, and after aeration cover the ground with a few inches of compost and then cover the whole thing with black tarp. I'm thinking this will kill grass and all of it will be food for the microorganisms in the soil under and within the compost. After about two month or whenever I'm ready to plant, things should be well. Anyone have any objections?
Curtis, I really enjoy your videos and as a city kid am learning much. Can you tell me where to get the row bags?
Does the rain get through the holes that you burn in the fabric? I guess I'm wondering if the plastic slows the plants growth due to keeping the plants from getting water.
yes
How does tarping affect the amount of moisture the plants get at the root level? The holes are obviously much smaller in diameter than the spread of the roots and it seems the water that gets through is significantly less than an untarped plant, especially if it's a plant with a lot of broad leaves 'shielding' the small planting holes in the tarps from rain. Thanks.
Thank you
It sucks when you run it over with the mower or brush hog. Also, The extra long pins used to hold them down don’t stick well in Florida’s south central sugar sand. Tip, Get a small butane torch to make your holes and cuts. Also, once the weeds actually start to grow though the stuff, just get rid of it!! Stop moving it around and just buy new stuff. Don’t even consider spraying glyphosate on top this stuff once its outlived it’s glory. And as I mentioned don’t run it over with he lawn mower.
I see that you are in British Columbia... does any of this apply to people who live on the other side of the country... aka South Texas? Its hot all year round, bugs dont hibernate, fire ants are insane etc... I have loved watching your channel... I am totally new to the concept of farming...
All of this applies. People are doing this all over North America.
what is flaming it?
Does using tarps and fabrics make the soil less organic or fertile?
I haven't seen any evidence for that.
amazing ,you are a great teacher.:)
Do you recommend any particular tarps or fabrics? Particular vendors or suppliers? Can you get these at the typical big box home improvement stores like Home depot & Lowes? Would 6mil plastic sheets work?
Really enjoy your videos. I’m getting ready to cut my cover crop. If I tarp it will it kill weeds and compost the crop at the same time?
Thanks
Curtis love your content. Been following you for about a year . Can you direct me on a video you have on types of tarps to use etc. Or can you speak to where you are sourcing your tarps. Thanks!
So where is the best place to purchase the tarp you are referring to?
+Rod Beckstedt in the show notes.
I didn't see where you were going to show how the holes were cut...i know it can't be cut cause it fails... How do you burn the holes
Would black plastic work?
#Thankyou @UrbanFarmerCurtisStone for the #wealthofinformation #Ilearnsomuchhere
how to fertilize when using fabric
Through a drinking straw.
I could not get the name of the tarps you were showing I'm using a 20 x 40 but would like to get a cpl of these and try them I have roughly 2 acers I'm starting to farm in the middle of Tampa Florida .
I caught it as Farmers Friend
Thank you I found it it's called silage tarp little more than I want to pay at this time,black plastic does same thing not as pricey and can place it over the sunbelt that I use .
Mark Dennis We are neighbors! Well, kinda... We live in central Florida, west of Orlando. What types of ground/weed covers did you decide to go with, where did you get it and would you recommend it? Best wishes on your farming!
Elizabeth Diehl I use sunbelt barrier can pick it up on amazon just pay attention not all sellers are same price I get the 36 X 300 it's actually called DeWitt SBLT3300 sunbelt ground cover weed barrier only paid $67.98 alot of others charge way more . I have seen it as wide as 6ft . I then use straw inbetween my rows and some in the rows under the barrier to stop weeds and keeps ground moist.
Question: Doesn't tarping turn the soil into anaerobic condition ... changing soil bacteria and fungi?
I can't say for sure. I haven't seen hard evidence to say that.
Are the plastic tarps petroleum based? If so, what about leaching into the soil- is that an issue or a concern?
How can I purchase those tarps and landscape fabric? Did you say that Ray sells them?
comfychic you can find the tarps on farmersfriendllc website, the landscape fabrics is Dewitt Sunbelt and they have it on Amazon
Where do you source the black/white tarp from?
bit.ly/2i5IDfx
Thanks Curtis great channel great content!!!
@@offgridcurtisstone
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How long do these tarps last?
Will this help with pests to a degree?
I feel that this method is best suited to semi-fertile+ soil. I am upstate NY and the soil is very, VERY poor, it takes years to build up good organic matter volume. In my view green growth equals biomass and nutrient accumulation. So perhaps for us with no existing, or very little existing soil we should do a series of cover cropping, then start using the tarping methods once we have some real tilth to work with?
svojoe I am also in upstate NY. At 1130ft. on the Taconics. Rocks the size of VWs. When I bought the property 44 years ago, I did not intend to farm. Now my roots go deeper than any plants.
I have high amounts of clay in my soil, your best option is to source organic matter that has been breaking down for at least 2 years, go to any woods, in your area, of course not private property and collect decaying wood hummus, and some top soil from the forest floor don't dig too deep so you don't hurt existing trees, or you can buy compost from a supplier, I find that nature tends to know best though. You will want to till the first time around to mix what you have collected/bought in with your existing soil, you will want to incorporate about 30% or more, forest compost or other compost to your poor soil, also get a bag of organic soil amendment such as kelp to add to your beds, mix in nicely, to the top 6".
I wish you the best of luck
Truck loads of good compost to quickly improve the soil then use the tarps or like you said do the time it takes to build it.
Actinorhizal plants and their ability to form nitrogen-fixing nodules confers a selective advantage in poor soils.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actinorhizal_plant
The links to buy these tarps are no longer valid. Is the seller still online?
The problem with using tarps to prepare new land is the time you have to wait. By smothering the weeds with a raised bed of sheets of cardboard, topsoil and then compost, you can plant out immediately. Is there a reason why using tarps is superior to no-dig raised beds?
easier
what did people do before tarps and fabrics!?
Spent a lot of time pulling weeds.
I see old photos from around 1880 where they have bark for low Ph plant's, 20-30 cm grass cut mostly (some have bamboo) for veggie's, leaf's and bigger bland's like bush and tree's broken branches +/and ground cover plant's
a unvanted plant is only growing if you have bare soil
Hydroponic the roots are wet all the time but grow well and no weeds.
For winter and 'bed-resting', they would overseed with seasonal grasses to out-compete 'domestic' weed seed germination. That grass was then knocked down with a scythe shortly after the formation of seed heads, wherein there is little energy remaining in the rhizomes. Results in the plot being well seeded for next season, and this usually this killed the grass. Could be turned into hay, or left in place to act as a sheet mulch/smother layer.
Planting season rolls around you pull a drag tine to pull back the grass, maybe get the horse to disk it up, and then plant.
any one in Canada have a line on a good reasonably priced source for tarps or fabrics?
I noticed Costco was selling the 12 ft wide garden fabric in the spring but I don't see it on their site anymore. I buy mine at Art Knapp. I'm buying the 12' wide stuff as I'm using raised beds so tarped the whole area. Still needs more mulch on top to keep some of the grasses etc from coming thru. A lot easier to keep the weeds down and you can always cut it or burn it like Curtis does.
This is part of the Videos from the Future series.
I'm still waiting on the lottery numbers episode.
I keep hearing the term "Flame Leader". What is that?
Flame Weeder....burns the weeds with flame/torch
What gloves are you wearing Curt?
What about fungus or parasites that thrive under cover?
What about them?
@@offgridcurtisstone Thanks for the reply. As a beginner I don't have an agricultural background. I had just watched another video made by a new gardener where where she was complaining about the mold as though it were an adversity. Judging by your reply it must not be. Thanks!
Ya, no worries on those. Don't overthink it! ;) Just get started!
what does flam it mean thanks
Flame = use a flame weeder.
Hum actually I cannot donate cause there seem to be a bug on your website. I get this error message: "theurbanfarmer.co is requesting your username and password. The site says: “Restricted"
Hope it is just my computer or that you will be able to fix that soon.
Working on it. Should be sorted out shortly. Thanks for your patience.
Is the tarp you use treated for UV rays or is a plastic that can be degraded by the sun and eventually contaminate the food chain?
Yes it’s plastic. Yes it disturbs and disrupts. And snakes love it, or at least I can spot them much easier.
I tried 4 different times to save your video to watch later and it won't let me 🤔
I'll watch it now.
amazing
Do you have issues with rodent living under the tarps?
Rodents? You may have a Rack Russell deficiency
My Landscaper decided to put tarp then top 5 inches of top soil for my garden. He had a heart attack.. I have no idea why he did this?? I thought he was going to put it above .. what do I do next?
Five thumbs up!!!!!
-1 pour le plastique ... Combien tu dépenses par an pour l'achat de tes plastiques ? .... On est loin du BIO Label Français ! ... Combien tu dépenserais pour une couverture végétale naturelle de 40 cm sur tes terrains ... BRF ?