How to Improve Your Soil Over Winter
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- Today's video is all about using the winter to make better soil. We discuss the dos and don'ts of cover cropping for soil health, as well as mulch and a whole bunch else.
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"If the soil is not being fed it is feeding on itself." Fantastic way to put it, Farmer Jesse.
Growing soil is the most important thing in gardening
I've had really good results with deep litter mulch composting using my chickens while they are enclosed in the winter. I put a deep layer(12"-18" deep) of fall leaves in the enclosure and the chickens add poop and turn the the leaves constantly. Then in the spring I remove all the litter and either stack to finish or apply directly under fruit trees or other plants. The great thing about the leaves, it keeps the temperature in the hen house a few degrees warmer and there is zero smell from the chicken litter. It is good stuff.
Do you layer the leaves whole or crushed up?
Love your comment that "if the soil is not being fed it's feeding on itself". It took me half my life to grasp that concept but once I began focusing on feeding the soil my gardens exploded.
"Don't just toss cover crops in and hope for the best. You might fight weeds." Wish I woulda listened to this last year LOLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Oh man did I have problems.
In N Idaho we now have 8 inches of snow. During the summer and fall, in the shade, I make piles from layers of hay, mulched leaves, decomposed manure, coffee grounds, a little sand for digestion, discarded greens from the store and weeds, and red worms from last year's piles. I put on three layers of hay or leaves and plastic sheeting. When I take off the cover on Groundhog Day to get potting soil for tomatoes, the worms are on the surface thriving.
Red wigglers? Can they be added to your garden soil? This year we have several winter compost piles and I think of all the earthworms that will find shelter, thrive and contribute to the garden next year!
@@suzannahharris8007 They certainly help the soil. With a mulch cover that would increase their numbers. Their numbers increase much faster in the compost.
Keeping life in the soils are the key😊
My routine has been watch a WC game, farm for a hour, watch a game, farm for a hour! Not the worst schedule to have this time of year 😁
Sounds about like mine. My only amendment would be *farm for an hour while listening to soccer podcasts, watch a game...
That dude broke it down so clearly and succintly! I hope to see more of him in future videos. If nothing else It would be nice to see that project throughout the season.
I'm in the tropics. Winter is tomato & peppers season.
Simple neglect creates neck high cover crops in a few months. Weeds/grass/legumes/tree seedlings.
I've been layering timber with grass/leaf/weed clippings for mulch. Both chainsaws were down, so I was only using wood that was rotten enough to snap by hand.
Now the wet season has kicked in early there's dozens of species of wild mushrooms/fungi surging under the fruit trees..
This video is from the future!!!
Just found your channel, I am enjoying your videos. I am also located in Kentucky. I'm in south central Kentucky and currently hold the state record for the largest pumpkin grown at 1883 pounds. Good content and definitely will be watching to improve my own gardening and soil health
Two things: 1. I never knew that keeping the soil planted enriches it--I thought plants use up nutrients; 2. I learned in your video that light colored mulch keeps the soil cool (it makes sense). We have a back yard garden but have had success making lots of compost (can't imagine not doing it!). I never thought of compost as a mulch since we grow things in it, mulching on top of that around the plants, mostly straw. Doesn't the compost mulch dry out? Thanks for the info, I always learn something!
The compost can dry out, for sure, but it retains that mulching effect of keeping the soil nice and moist!
Thanks for packing so much useful information into a short video, as you always do.
With my compost piles. They break down very well but the only problem I have is that the seeds from the discarded vegetables that have seeds tends to germinate and grow the following season. It’s king of a set back when you have planted your fresh seed crop and know what you planted and next thing you know there are other pepper plants and tomatoe plants popping up🤔 any recommendations?
I have had pretty good success with sowing spinach outside in November here in NW Missouri. It will germinate, but go dormant when it gets really cold, yet come back strongly as soon as the day length is more than 11 hours and average temperatures are around 45 degrees F. This way we always have very early spinach for our restaurant customers.
Which variety of spinach?
Thanks in advance.
@@flatsville9343 Bloomsdale Longstanding
My cover crop is snow lol
I did not manage to cover all my rye before I went on holiday in May. The rye covered in April was easy to deal with, the slugs had done most of the work and there was very little left above ground. I simply took off the cover and started planting.
But the uncovered stuff went from about a foot tall to 6 ft tall in about three weeks so I returned to a forest. We had a very dry summer, so in the end I left it and harvested the grain. This year I have booked my daughter so we can put down the covers and only leave a very small patch.
I have made a few new beds and didn't plant any cover crops on 'em (it was too late). Currently running a mini trial on these with walnut leaves under a layer of compost vs different fruit tree leaves, hopefully confirming a hypothesis of slower decomposition of walnut leaves containing tannins and juglon vs other fruit trees. May try use them as weed suppressant on pathways too, covering them with woodchips. Oh and winter is always good for fixing and building stuff in the workshop. Cheers from eastern Europe!
You videos are invaluable to those of us who know little about gardening. Thanks so much!
Farmer Jesse is my biggest role model. Thank you!
Have you considered colonizing your wood chip paths with an edible mushroom? Thats what Im doing this winter in every area that Im dropping woodchips at.
It’s been a while and I’ve missed you, Farmer Jesse!!! Your videos are always so informative and although I’m a hobby gardener rather than a market gardener, I learn SO much from you! Hope to see more of you in the New Year!
💚 I live in a warmer climate zone but I surely benefit a lot from these tips. Thanks
I have just bought your book and have read the intro this evening - loving how sensitively written it is. I have a garden (not a farm) in S France in a mountain valley - it was a wood sometimes it floods just dug a swale but my beds have channels for the water (in case) they are only raised about 6". Just felled a walnut so a bit more land to grow on. I have damp on one side and heat on the other side of the garden. The weather has its challenges very frosty and very hot sometimes on the same day!!
Yes ! You're Back !
Gol!!!!!! This video is a fantastic resource :) The effect of light colored mulch (cooler soil) on yield is interesting. Steve Groff mentioned this in a presentation at Indiana Hort Congress referring to tomatoes. He said the plants ended up yielding great, but it came on later in the season, which isn't helpful in getting food early, or for something like leafy greens. I like planting tomatoes into crimped cereal rye and used to add a little straw on top for extra weed suppression. It's likely slowing the plants down, so I'm skipping the extra straw and might play with a strip of compost to warm the bed. I'm going to try to keep some thermometers handy when I'm out in the field / garden this year.
Thanks Jesse. Well done. Just started your book.... Living Soil Handbook. Highly recommend it!!!!!
Wonderful to see you back! I've missed you! Absolutely love your videos! ThanQ for all you do for us.
What about leaves as a mulch, either whole or shredded? In spring I plan to use a leaf blower to blow off any that didn't break down, put some plastic over the bed to warm the soil for a few days, remove the plastic and add a bit of compost before planting (mostly transplants) into the beds. Am I setting myself up for big problems? Thanks in advance to anyone with insights.
As long as the leaves are brown, you can use them as mulch. If you plan to add compost on top of the leaves, just make sure that the compost is ready to be use and not hot compost. Good luck gardening.
So I recommend with leaves that you either compost them first or add a light mulch overtop otherwise they will blow away. Otherwise, add all the leaves you can--soil loves leaves!
@@Plantnow Thank you! The leaves are brown, or red in the case of our dried up Japanese Maple leaves. I don't have enough compost to cover as of yet so I may just continue to apply shredded leaves throughout the winter. We're on the edge of woodland in New England and we have no shortage of wood, rocks and leaves. And we're shredding bags and bags of them. Good luck with your growing as well.
@@notillgrowers Thank you! After posting I checked my copy of your "Living Soil Handbook" and saw the section on leaves and leaf mold. The book is a Godsend, but I've retained only a fraction of the info. Winter is a good time for rereading!
I grew a whole bunch of plant material to compost over winter banana palms n cannas n young branches n leaves
I also just transplanted a palm cutting into a spot where i raked all the spring's foxtails into a big heap in a slight depression in deadish clay soil, covered with plastic n several inches of arborist woodchips last spring, now there is a thickness of loose rich soil there more than a full shovelhead deep
I'm a fan of anyone with Mimi in their name
Just found your channel, subscribed and plan on getting your book. Working hard on getting my soil to behave itself...I have been fighting rocks and clay in Virginia for years in an area that was over grown with junk weeds with deep thick roots. Last season I made 12 raised beds but don't want raised beds for everything and plan on adding some fruit trees this spring...have done cardboard and watched it blow away, 3000' high winds, you get the picture. Great info, great vids! Thanks.
Sweet! The hats are dope!
I am a conventional strawberry farmer but this way of looking at things is also really interesting i use some of the praktices here but its really hard to do no till growing on a substrate in a greenhouse
You doin black mulch and fumigation like the cali growers in the Central Valley?
@@swamp-yankee mulch would work on open fields but it probably won’t be as effective in a short greenhouse crop
Also you dont need to build organic matter in substrate because it already has to much (like 80%) you would want to grow soil biology as quickly as possible to protect your plants and increase brix, however the substrates come completely sterile so its quite a challenge
Omggg what a great start to the day!! A video from my fav
Thank goodness Farmer Jesse is back, was wondering what happened for the last couple of months!
Yay! Your back!
You know what I would like to see a video on is importance of corn gluten meal added to the garden! Seem not to find anyone on RUclips talking about this subject?
It's hard to believe it's only been a month since this posting. Looking forward to seeing how your doing. Happy new year. ;)
Quick question if I may?
So I started a 5’x27’ garden space over the summer of 2022. First time doing this so the soil will need some work. Everything is out of it at this point so put down a heavy layer of fallen maple and tulip poplar leave over the bare soil, threw down some alfalfa pellets, and covered with straw. Was this a smart move for overwintering?
I live in Nicholasville, KY to help with the question
Welcome back
0:11 but it isnt December when you uploaded?
Time Traveler confirmed.
Ah, so that was elephant garlic last year before it was squash and I somehow always miss some. So it come back and I just pull it in the spring.
I’d like to graze a couple of dwarf baby goats and extra roosters/a batch of neat chickens this fall in the fall garden cover crops. Maybe some ducks or turkeys,too. Wondering if it would be a good idea to plant areas first and with what plants/mix, plus should I add mulch or gin compost?
Thanks!
amazing, thank you!
December? Seems u r on another planet. It is November yet :D
December is more of a state of mind for me, I guess.
Hi Jesse. I'm from France and I love your videos. I would love to buya hat, but when I bought your book, I paid more than twice the price in delivery and taxes... Thanks for all the informations you provide us. Good luck. Nature bless
Yeah, sorry, I wish we could modify those costs a bit. But hey, if I can get a French publisher to translate the book maybe I can come out there and bring a bunch of hats with me. So make sure to start prodding your local publishers!
@@notillgrowers thanks! I'll try my best!
Great video and love the insert card here so I don't look like I'm looking at aliens lol
Thanks needed a chuckle
" Sparing you that footage" 😆 Oh, you...
You can take large canvas leaf bags into a forest a collect fallen leaves to use as mulch. The added bonus is you can rake up a ton of leaf mold while you're there and have created the newly fallen leaves. It's best and easiest when it's wet outside. After a rain or with heavy dew. Sprinkle a bunch of alfalfa pellets on your garden then cover with leaf mold then the leaves about 6 to 12 inches thick. Come spring you can just plant right into the mulch. Pull back a spot and plant. Replace the mulch back around plant and presto. Almost weed free and no fertilizer required.
I do almost same thing, but mow leaves then light layer of composted horse manure. Works very well and like you say, no fertilize. The recycling center where you drop leaves/grass clippings/wood chips offered to bring me leaves in a dump truck. They said they are always looking for farmer's. They have to pay to dump them atthe county transfer station.
Leaves are an amazing resource. I gave away squash and garlic this year to anyone who dropped off leaf bags for me, I collected over 250 bags and several yards from landscapers dropping in bulk.
Can we leave the leaves on the forest floor so the forests we have left can have a chance at thriving? Maybe ask neighbors for the ones they're already taking up off their lawns.
@@TheSamba37 there's old decaying leaves at least a foot thick. Taking a couple inches off the top layer won't affect a thing. Not to mention treed have massive root systems that go very deep to aquire nutrients.
I just came across your videos and thank you for the great information! I’ve tarped the new plot in my yard I’m putting my garden this year and can’t wait for the spring. You mention wood chip mulch and compost, I am a hobby woodworker and create a lot of sawdust, how best can I utilize the dust for my garden? Thank you again for the great videos.
Farmer Jesse,
Any benefit in garden/broadforking in the autumn, either for new beds or existing beds that need some decompaction? Any risks?
Also,
I live in Pennsylvania where maple syrup oroducers are everywhere. When they make syrup in late winter/spring they generate small quantities of "sugar sand", a mineral precipitate, and a "useless" byproduct .Do you think adding it to my compost would be a good idea?
Thanks for your videos! We wear your hats proudly!
With regards to tarping soils, and using plastic materials in general (greenhouses), have you looked into phthalate contamination in soils? You can find some studies done on Google Scholar if you type in "phthalate esters vegetables" that were done in China a few years ago and the authors concluded "More attention should be given to controlling PAEs in greenhouse vegetables". I would imagine the same would be true from the use of tarps.
Yeah, I mention this in my book. It's one of those challenges within farming that we are always having to navigate (irrigation is another area where plastic contamination comes into play as is packaging, storage, etc.). Our strategy is to simply keep reducing our plastic to soil contact and working from there. No easy solution on our scale, but it's good to be conscious of these things.
What do think about lasagna beds? Using carbon material for mulch and chop & drop for nitrogen's? Year after year...
Would it be silly to take both pieces of advice about light/dark mulches and do a layer of compost with a light covering of straw so that some of the compost is peeking out? Or maybe a mixture of the two so that it's not two separate layers. Those were great examples since that's exactly what I have access to lol.
On second thought I might do only compost through the winter, and then let the ground warm up before planting my seeds with straw mulch on top of that.
I have straw mulch on all my beds (which have either new compost or plant roots) and after seeing this video I'll pull the straw back in early spring to heat the beds up. How about pulling the straw back on at night to hold that heat in? 5b Colorado gets warm days and cold nights in the spring.
Absolutely okay to use these things strategically like that. In fact, I recommend it. A bed covered in compost in the spring to warm it up can be covered with a lighter mulch in the summer to cool it down. Totally.
Headed that way, asap, with a bunch of canned Spam from southern VT! Should I just look for you standing near your tunnel? No worries, I'll find you; happy Kentucky is smaller than Texas... but could you get a flag to waive so I know it is you?
Much appreciated, and sorry I was late to the party. Hope all is well.
So glad to see you again!!! I always love your content.
Hello Trisha 👋 How are you doing today?
It's great to be awesome! Thanks!
Yer gettin ahead of us northerners. Still November up here 🤙
Was actually hoping to see some alien 👾 life
I am coming to KY to look at places near Bowling Green to start a hobby farm. The garden is key. Could I come visit your farm? Looking at May of this year.
Missed these videos!
We missed you but I know it’s hard
I have covered some beds with a thick layer of mulched leaves, and realized the soil going to be to cool and trying to plant small seeding it not a good idea. They didn't break down, so taking off on to walk ways. Thoughts please?
Great video! Thanks!
How do you go about securing organic unsprayed hay/straw for mulch?
The only guaranteed way is to know and trust the person selling it to you (preferably they would also be the person growing it). Be clear about what you do and don't want. Tell them that you will be putting it around broadleaf plants so it cannot have broadleaf herbicide on it (sometimes sprayed on hay fields to eliminate unwanted plants). Certified organic is hard to find, but it is out there. You can also contact your local extension agent and feed stores to see who is selling what. I've also found some good folks on craigslist.
@@notillgrowers ok cool and thanks. Trying to feel my way through the blog forum now. Cheers!
Where did you get your big green house with the taller side walls? Thank you for your knowledge and sharing it.
It's Rimol Greenhouse tunnel. Love it. I also made those side walls slightly higher than usual for airflow.
So glad to see you and we are down with the collect trailer loads of leaves from neighbors and then watch WC as a reward. Question plz: We are in the southwest with high altitude cold temps and sandy loam soil. We put down leaves and (safe) old horse manure and want to use our silage tarp. It gets warm in the day with lots of sun so we are wondering if we should use it white side up to keep the temps moderate?
Hello Kimberly 👋 How are you doing today?
Great info. I am in KY also (Etown).
Hello Carla 👋 nice meeting you here on RUclips How are you doing today?
it's november..not that it matters...love your channel
What do you think of using leaves or chopped up leaves as a winter mulch?
I live in southern central Michigan (zone 5b), and while I do cover crop some beds I can't a cover crop started much after September 15 in beds that are still giving me veggies.
Enjoy your channel great job
How do you keep the cats from pooping in the garden? Serious question as I have 3 cats (2 of them look like yours!).
I really enjoy your videos. Thank you 😊
Hello there
How are you doing today?
Love it, thanks. I will visit your website and buy a few hats :)
great video, Thanks
Farmer Jesse, I’m staring at my garden this morning and I started wondering if perennial plants aren’t photosynthesize in the winter (they aren’t, right?) are their roots still feeding microorganisms? If so, how does feeding differ in the winter from spring and summer?
Spraying black bio char water on straw does increase soil temperature
Question--I have had great success with composting straw/hay bales with a 21 day composting method prior to planting in them. With that said would a deep hay mulching in the winter followed by quick composting of that large area as if it were a straw bale be viable? In theory I don't see why not? Thoughts?
Can't you have a layer of dark muclhing material on top of the light stuff by having a portion of it partially compost earlier in the season?
I was intrigued by your "living walkways", and it brought a question to mind. If I were to use clover or other similar nitrogen fixer in walkways, would the nitrogen from them be transported laterally to benefit the beds themselves?
Fungi can do that, but they aren't necessarily part of annual cultures. However in species rich soils there are microbes being able to fixate atmospheric nitrogen and adding to the plants nitrogen supply.
How is it that your name is "No-Till Growers" but many of your plots look like the soil has been worked up very finely? How do you get your plots to look like finely tilled soil without working the ground?
Some No-Till growers spread &rake a fine layer of screened compost to create a smooth seed bed to accept a push seeder for direct sowing/seeding.
It may appear "tilled" on camera.
i was thinking of starting a business selling leaf mulch can you help me mainly for lawns and flower bed or is there a book that tells you all
I am interested in farming and would like to learn more. Is there a way to read this book in China？
Yes! Totally with you… the World Cup is taking up our days! 😂😂🎉🎉
How many beds do you have?
Right now 135, though we probably could do with about 12 fewer. I just keep one whole slow rotation plot in cover crops.
So..question about the book. You always seem to emphasize that the book should be bought from your website. Is there any particular reason? Why I am asking is because I want to buy it. I am abroad. And going to the website, anything outside USA&CA means the price is doubled. If I go the Amazon route, the price is closer to the RRP. Is the external vendor (eg Amazon) cut so big that it is not worth it for you?
I imagine Jesse would love for you to have the book, no matter where you are able to purchase it. If it's Amazon, go for it. This is just my opinion, but the book is written not only to make a profit hopefully, but to share knowledge with others. Happy New Year.
Wait...its not sunday
I live in southern Vermont zone 5a how early do you think I can sow directly into my low tunnels? which is just one layer of agrion cover.
also so your saying i may have better luck just direct sowing in the actual ground ?
What cover crop seed in houston ?
Nice video. You should check out my geothermal greenhouse I’m playing with. Also dug a couple trenches with the backhoe to do some experiment with. Love your book been very helpful. I tried your greenhouse plastic on some bind weed and no luck. Maybe cheap plastic? I’ve been told to try vinegar do you have any suggestions?
Bind weed is a tough one. I have heard of people having success with tapping for a year and then heavy mulching but we don't have it here (thankfully) so I can't be of a whole of help via personal experience
Bind weed.
Smother it. Torch it. Dig it. Pull it. Let goats eat it. Pour on /use Ag Vinegar.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
I am still confused about woodchips. I thought that Jesse was applying compost made strictly from woodchips/nitrogen sources and am now starting to realize that woodchips should not be used as compost, but for paths. I started a large static pile at the start of fall with an air blower/drainage pipe. My entire front and backyard is a garden, which I've worked successfully with a tiller the past couple of years. I want to stop doing this, but I could never afford the $2,000 it would cost to buy the compost. Much less annually. Could someone please advise?
Woody compost is totally fine for long-term composting. After 2-4 years it builds a very good substrate for seedlings and so on.
Carbon rich material lacks nitrogen and may be detrimental to plant growth if microbes aren't alowed enough time to do their work. That's why carbon nitrogen ratio is crucial in quick compost methods.
@@davidka8345 Thanks so much! I've been watching videos claiming with enough nitrogen, I can break my large woodchip pile down in six months or less, so I've been adding lots of greens (large amounts of old wet cat food, coffee grounds, eggs, blood meal, pumkins, ect). It was suggested that I'll be able to plant in it by next spring. Is this an unreasonable supposition?
@@botherchriswinkler I'm not sure how large of a pile of wood chips you have or the size of the pieces, but unless you are turning it regularly, are in a warm winter climate and keeping the pile moist, it's very unlikely that you will have a good growing medium this spring. I would agree with davidka8345 and tell you that 2-4 years is a more realistic time frame for wood chips to break down, especially a static pile. The "greens" may mostly break down but not the wood.
That being said, I am also turning most of my front and back yard into a flower and vegetable garden and I've never once tilled. I cover the grass, usually in spring, with cardboard, wet the cardboard, then cover with a mix of finely ground wood chips and grass clippings. I continue to layer on grass clippings over the summer and fall. This spring I plan on planting seedlings (not direct seeding) into this. Theoretically, I won't be planting into wood chips (a definite no!) but into the soil under the wood chips.
This is the way I've been expanding my beds over five years now so don't be too impatient. Everything breaks down eventually, even wood chips. I finally have some really great black soil in an area where a pile of arborist wood chips was delivered about 4 years ago. It was well worth the wait!
@Clarendon Lady @Clarendon Lady thank you so much for clarifying. I am beginning to appreciate the patience involved in preparing a no till garden. Unless we want to spend over a grand for compost, we have to make our own. This process is not fast, but I think I've been confused by multiple RUclips Gardners who (I thought) told me that a 6-month woodchip pile was possible. I must if misunderstood Farmer Jesse in previous videos. I got the impression that he used woodchips + greens (blood meal), and that was it. Lots to learn still.
Just for context, my woodchip pile is about 6 ft tall and maybe 5 ft wide. I have an industrial fan that I've connected to two pieces of perforated drainage pipe, both of which run into the pile at different levels. It is set on a timer to go off every 15 min for 2 min, 24hrs a day. Keeping it wet is the hard part. I'm using a tarp, but this doesn't work very well. I think it needs to be enclosed. Since hose water has chemicals that will kill the organisms I need, I have a hard time keeping it moist.
Your garden sounds like it's going to be amazing. I'll take your advice on all of it, including grass clippings and cardboard. I've seen multiple no till Gardners on RUclips suggest the same.
chickens in the gralic patch ???
so if i put compost on my garden I don't have to cover it, just the compost is enough to over winter my garden?
If thick enough, yup!
@@notillgrowers what is thick enough?
Still no card on this one LOL.
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Where are you? I want one... been looking.
Anyone grow vetch in their sweet corn?
We grow vetch before our sweet corn, but not in it. Vetch can be quite aggressive in the spring so I would at least be cautious
I AM spending hours watching the World Cup! 🤟
I am glad this isn't every year because I would just have to cancel that whole month of my life annually.
Hello Veronica 👋 how are you doing today?
World cup, yeah!!! lol
Ah, I just collected my soil samples today. Is this a waste of money?
Totally depends on your climate. If it's still relatively warm there it's probably fine. And you will probably get an accurate idea of your soil organic matter and perhaps at least some of the nutrients present. Generally speaking, though, spring and early fall are considered better times. You can always ask the lab what their thoughts are--it can depend in part on what test you are getting