Also my new book The Vegetable Grower's Handbook is released tomorrow!! Order yourself copy today geni.us/Veg-Grower-Handbook 🌱 It's a book dedicated to permaculture, no dig gardening, full of tons of ideas, strategies, and techniques for a productive and very fulfilling vegetable garden😊
It would be lovely to have a few tons of compost... I have a good size pile of wood chips from last spring, it has broken down pretty good. I have a little bit of bunny and chicken poo, but NOT near as much manure as I would like to HAVE... We use about a cup of coffee ground once to twice a day, so i have a bit of THOSE. NEED more animal 💩... I have tomatoe seedlings up, waiting for the hot peppers to show themselves.
@@makeyourmovenow Hi Russell, for the most part his book goes over topics that aren't climate based (general gardening tips and skills, creating compost, seedling care etc) and the growing guides for the veggies can be easily adapted to our seasons. The only irrelevant things would mainly be frost care in winter and probably some types of pests he mentions in pest control and some flowers that aren't native or easily found here in aus. Granted these are small topics but the general idea behind them still stands Hope that helps!
Heather . here in England , much lower grade sheep fleeces have virtually no value and yet the farmers have to pay to have it shorn off the sheep each year! Finally folks have realized this material can make excellent , eco-friendly padding for shipping delicate goods, instead of the awful styrofoam or inflated plastic sleeves. It is slowly catching on ; the warehouses just need to be bolder in their decision making. Hope your shippers will gradually realize they need to do something! Gary
@@garybradbury3910 Clever, in Romania it gets thrown away 😔 maybe we should implement this as ordering online will increase even more. Great, great idea!
We have lots of sheep in Aotearoa, New Zealand, unfortunately packaging is usually synthetic, and yes strong wool fleeces cost more to shear than farmers get for the wool but is carried out for the health and well-being of the sheep. Merino Wool is a different story, found mainly in the South Island. Compostable packaging should be mandatory.
Thanks for that idea! I usually add my food scraps directly to my garden. I keep a thick layer of mulch and will put food scraps next to my veggie plants at the bottom of the mulch layer to act as a sort of slow release fertilizer. This can help that breakdown faster.
Huw, I'm always impressed/encouraged to hear you say things like '...as I become more self-sufficient' which tells me you're always learning and growing in your knowledge of gardening. Thanks for always teaching us and challenging us to become better at our hobbies.
Great list of suggested compostable items to add to the bin. In addition to being able to pick up a 40# bag of coffee grounds from the local Starbucks every day, I can pick up a 5 gallon bucket of fruit & vegetable pulp from the local juice bar. I have a couple non-gardening neighbors who are happy to donate their kitchen scraps to my compost tumbler. There are a lot of free ingredients for the compost bin, all I have to do is go get them.
Great idea about the juice bar! I’m in the city and already have my neighbors on board bringing me scraps as my chickens are part of my composting system and they all love them. I’ve just started working with a restaurant in my neighborhood to get food scraps and a rabbit rescue for their droppings/used bedding … lots of resources
I live in "the middle of" Sweden. I also live in an apartment and have my garden at my summer cottage. To become more self sufficient when it comes to compost I have a compost setup in my apartment. I use the bokashi method and when the bokashi compost is done I mix it with last years pottingcompost in bins. And after 4-5 weeks it's ready! Then I have to store it until spring (probably middle/late april) when I can start going to my cottage. And I'll have many bins full of fantastic compost ready for my garden!
Så roligt! Jag gör exakt samma sak. Släpar bukashihinkar hit och dit. Och sen blir det plantor som ska dit och sen blir det skörd som ska hem igen 😊. Men vad gör man inte när trädgården ligger 10 mil bort 🙄🌷🌱.
One tiny recommendation when applying coffee grounds or removing them from their container: wear gloves! I was applying coffee grounds to my compost bin and around plants and I got a caffeine buzz from the contact on my hands. Of course, it could replace your morning cup too 😂
In my city people buy leaf bags at the hardware store and leave them on the curb for the city trucks to collect throughout the fall. So it's very easy for us to drive around the neighborhood and collect as many bags as we think we might need in addition to our own. Isn't it lovely that our neighbors are kind enough to bag them up? 😁 I do like the other suggestions here, especially seeing the thick twiggy layer that you use for aeration.
I'm kicking myself after watching this video, our next-door neighbor bagged up at least six huge sacks of leaf litter to tidy her yard, and the garbage truck took them two days ago. I've been planning this year's garden, WHYYYY did I not think to grab them?? Oof. I bet I'll remember next time!
@@callikohl7603 you know that is actually an excellent question I have heard that trees do uptake glyphosate (round up) so that's a potential danger. Honestly not sure how great. When i take grass clippings I'm pickier -- only houses with weedy lawns! -- for that reason.
I fully agree with all 8 ingredients. However, one important point should not be missed: these are pine needles. They have lots of benefits for the soil. Firstly, they're a great source of carbon. Secondly, they're a good amendment to make your garden grow better.👌💯 They moderate soil temperature in summer and prevent winter soils from freezing and having roots from the ground. Thanks a million for this fantastic video.🙏🥰
sheep farming isn't an Industry in the USA like NZ UK an Ireland. London is as close to me in Chicago as Southern California. maybe we should fly the wool from London to not use horrible polystyrene.
I can only imagine the organic- vegan fanatic outrage that would happen. Organic and veganism is all good but man some of those people are nuttier than a Oregon hazlenut farm.
In my suburban neighborhood on the Canadian prairies, with limited space, volume isn't the issue because of limited space. The real issue is getting the blend right, remembering to mix it regularly, keeping it moist (super hot, dry, windy summers), and then managing it over winter. My favourite mix is equal parts leaves or straw or dried plants, green grass or greens, and a "nutrient blend" of coffee/banana peel/eggshells. That last bit, the nutrient blend, boosts the NPK value plus calcium & magnesium. It works great for tomatoes & peppers!
I love this! Great info, beautifully presented. My only concern is how you mentioned collecting as much of the fallen autumn leaves as possible... Absolutely, it's a great resource for your compost, but it's also vital habitat for a number of native species, who really rely on this every year as part of their life cycle. Removing this in bulk could be quite detrimental to their health, and your local ecosystem will suffer as a result. I feel this comes back to the central permaculture ethic of fair share - so absolutely still use this as a resource, but maybe reduce the volume you're collecting and using, so it's still available for its "intended" ecological role. That's my understanding anyway, and I'm happy to receive thoughts, feedback, constructive rebuttals, etc. Thanks Huw. I appreciate you.
I collect the leaves in the Spring, once the worst cold and frosts are over ☺️ also never all of them. I leave leafy corners for the critters 🥰 Same with dead flower buds etc. I leave that habitat alone all winter long!
"Forget investing in the stock market" There's a point there. If one is living in his/her "forever home" with a piece of land to cultivate, growing one's own food is the first step to freedom. However, depending on imported fertilizer and soil amendments is one step toward slavery. So invest in your soil! It will save you thousands down the road. And a penny saved is a penny (plus tax) earned!
I disagree. A good financial advisor will manage your investment so that you have something when you quit work. Capital is protected and bad investments are dropped. It is a myth that we can "grow our own food" (I was a farmer). A backyard garden MIGHT grow enough for 2-3 months of a few veggies with a little left over for winter with the correct precipitation, sun, soil and no diseases. 95% of Americans could not grow oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, coconut, pineapple, fruit trees, asparagus,avocados, year round fruit. They could not produce milk, tea, coffee, meat and fish. We can't procure the "must" items - oils, sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar, wine, beer, soft drinks, flour, yeast, cheese. The original purpose of groceries was to save time. Crackers and bread saved hours. Soup was incredibly popular due to time saved. And it took hours, days or even months to make stock, jelly, gelatin, pickled veggies, etc.
I get through about 200kg of wood chippings every year on the paths between my beds. Surprising how quick it breaks down used this way - almost all gone in 12 months I use another 100-150kg of shredded cardboard boxes (I use a heavy duty crosscut office shredder) which I mix 50/50 by volume with grass clippings. Any worn out 100% cotton clothing gets used to wrap the bricks holding down my fleece & netting until it falls apart, then it too goes in the compost bays.
Greetings, Huw, from Windermere, Florida zone 9b USA 🇺🇸 Brilliant stuff 👍 I'm a Vermiculturalist and have been Gardening with Worms since 2009. I also have outside compost piles where Earthworms are my helpers. Thanks for always making uplifting videos that teach and encourage. 🌿💚🌿
@@HuwRichards Regarding seaweed: We all know 'Jersey Royal' (International kidney) potatoes no longer have the flavour they used to have. This is down to the move from seaweed to artificial fertilisers in their production. I've specifically filled one compost bin with a mix of seaweed, cardboard, grass clippings & racing pigeon muck (75/10/10/5 ratio) to try & bring back the flavour next year. I reckon I'll have enough to mix in & fill 8x30 litre tubs, so 32 seed potatoes. I'll let you know the result around late June 2024.
I can't get my usual huge woodchip dump for mulching currently, but my mountain apple and avocado trees are shedding their leaves, so I raked the leaves into my lawn and gave it a good mowing and dumped all of that into my garden beds as a mulch. I then got about 50 lbs of used coffee grounds from Starbucks and mixed it into both my mulch and my compost pile that is finishing up. The leaf, grass clipping, coffee ground combo seems to be working good so far. Using it as a mulch, you just need to make sure there's a 1 inch gap between the stem and the mulch. Used coffee grounds are awesome for fungal growth also. I usually am the used coffee grounds to my wood chips and will get all sort of fungus and mushrooms growing. The compost pile will suddenly grow mushrooms when I add the used coffee grounds to it and leave it for a few days
Hello Huw, unrelated but I feel I must make a comment, my copy of your new book The vegetable growers garden just arrived, and I must say it’s a book that every new gardener should buy or have given as a gift. Clearly much thought has been given to the content and design, it’s really the best gardening book I have read/bought.. I was expecting it to be good from what you said but it really exceeds good. I’m nearly 78yrs and have bought numerous gardening books across the years of all types none come to the usefulness of this book. So thank you Huw my money was well spent.
Fantastic videos Huw! Very informative and therapeutic. So much work involved too. I can't believe it's only at 585k subs...come on people Huw deserves getting over the 1million mark 🤗
The weeds I pull out I put in a 2L plastic bottle that I hang on a wall, I put the bottle cap back on, add a bit of water and let it rot. Every now and then I release the fumes out by opening the cap for a bit. I strain it and use it as a weed tea. I started a second one as well now.
Wow, wool?!? I have never seen wool packaging, but I will keep a look out for it. So happy you referenced Oregon State University. This is where I studied for the Master Gardener Course during the pandemic. While I learned their requirements, I have learned a ton from you which was very helpful! There are others in the program that follow you. We love you in Oregon. :).
Great video. Coffee grounds are brilliant, and from what I've seen worms love them. I just successfully cooked an egg in my compost so I'm guessing it's hot enough 🙂
I have already used coffee grounds on a large scale with wood chip sieved to small particles and comfrey leaves . I also place around the upper edges of the compost bin and on top insulation . The bins reach a high temperature easily. I got most of my ideas from Cornell university.
Watching this video makes me happy for all the manure my horses produce! It seems you could use a couple horses, Huw! Horse manure and the wood-chip bedding we use to soak up urine makes up the bulk of our compost. We only keep two horses indoors at night, but the manure and bedding from just two horses supplies us with more compost than we can use, in a garden that is a similar size to yours. It produces so much compost that I use a small loader-tractor to turn my piles. I generally use the compost when it is at least a year old, and has been turned three to four times. Another component that is useful in both compost and in worm bins is the hair and dirt that you hoover up around the house. In our house, it's mostly pet hair, which breaks down easily and is high in nitrogen. In worm bins, the worms seem to favor clumps of this pet hair as nurseries to raise their baby worms.
Congratulations Huw, I've just bought and read your Grow Food for Free book and really enjoyed it. Thank you for continuing to share your garden wisdom and experience with us.
I am lucky enough to have tons of banana palm leaves, old fallen papaya trees/plants and plenty of vigorous weeds here where I live. Once I chop these up it really does bulk up my compost bins. Thanks for the video teacher Huw 😉😉
My BFF has horses, so once a year I go to her house with an extra large trailer and get a few tons. Also my family reads a daily news paper, as in print. I'll send them through the shredder. Shredded mixes much better than hand torn.
Thanks for another great vid, Huw. I do a lot of composting using coffee grounds. In my experience 1/3 grounds, 1/3 leaves and 1/3 grass is far from an ideal recipe. I would recommend the following alternatives: 1) Shred dry fall leaves with a gas powered trimmer with .09" (2.25mm) line until they're like powder. (You'll need a good mask!) Then mix 1:1 with grounds. If you keep it moist and turn every day, it will break down in five weeks in warm weather. 2) Put leaves in a very large bin and allow to decompose until they've lost 90% of their volume. (For example 1k gallons of leaves is reduced to 100 gallons.) Then dig out the "muffin" in the center, which will be about 70 gallons. Then mix the muffin with an equal amount of coffee grounds.
Huw, brilliant tutorial on easily creating great compost. My compost is definitely not as good as yours. I've learnt alot. Congratulations on yet another book!!
Espresso stands love giving away used grounds and the worms love it . I compost mine in 55gal plastic barrells to start by sifting it in to aerate and letting it sit for 2 mos and it gets HOT then dump sift and refill for 2 more mo,s sitting so when it cools , sift in all bin vegetative compost and scraps and the worms that grew in the bin will multiply fast .
Huw, this was a great video with such helpful content. I garden in hot, humid and muggy southeast Texas, worlds away from your zone, but I've learned so much from your channel! I just recently started making my own compost and this video gave me motivation! Keep up the great work and good luck with your book!
I have just turned and finished my very first home made bay of compost. Im thrilled and im looking forward to using it in my garden. Thankvyou for all your tips 🙂👍
I have been burying kitchen food scraps in my garden bed recently. Found big worms in the ground as well. I guess that shows that my soil is healthy? Cant wait for Spring to set in here
Dream lover : Do hope those food scraps that you are burying directly do not contain protein ?! Otherwise it will attract rats / foxes IF they are able to dig them up !!
I bury rotting compost (only veg matter) where I am going to plant things that need a lot of nutrients (like squash). Seems to work well and I don't have to wait for the compost to fully break down.
I use wood mulch to fill high raised beds then I top it up with soil and then plant on top of the bed for two seasons and by then the wood chips break down and mix them with the rest raised beds while I replaced the high raised beds with new wood chips ready for the following summer season
We also make our own liquid fertiliser. I have two barrels on the go. Seaweed and wood ash, and the second barrel has Dock leaves. Dock is a great fertiliser for citrus trees, and our bananas love the seaweed. Both are used in the veggie gardens.
I recommend adding activated charcoal from the fire pit or smoker. Just pour water on hot chunks of charcoal. Not 🚫 briquettes as they can have more impurities. Break up the leftovers in a bucket with compost tea. You've just made biochar. Add to compost pile.
Hi Huw, In relation to what you say about the Oregon State University paper: the ratio given is 3 parts leaves to 1 part each coffee grounds and grass clippings by volume, not 1:1:1. But thanks for a lively and informative video!
The down side with seaweed is finding the time to go and collect it. I also spray mine off with a hose. If I paid it out and waiting for rain my kids would take it first and who knows where I would find it.
Hello from Falkland, central British Columbia 🇨🇦! I take my maple tree leaves up onto my garden beds in the fall partly to insulate my perennials. It's also a great stash of compost materials to be used throughout the winter and spring, until I start actively pull into weeds and digging up did.
I hated composting cos of having a gross plastic bin in the kitchen, but now I put scraps straight into cardboard food boxes and throw the whole thing in the compost bin each day! Saves emptying the recycling bin so often too!😅
0:20 interesting construction of the wooden compost container - it is easy to take it out when ready because the front wall can be taken off (lifting it up in a groove).
Great videos.,..from a fellow welsh man. We have a multi fuel burner using coal and wood in the house. Can we use the ash from the burner to add to our compost bin?
Ok I just ordered you new book through Amazon and I’ll use the box in my compost. It was very easy to order off your comment link. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
Hey and thanks for the video! I'm used wool from my Ponys (in spring they lost the wool) and from my dogs (Australian shepherd).... They have so much wool 🙈🙈💚
Very helpful video Huw, thanks. Have you done a video of how you make your wooden compost bins? - please could you link it or perhaps consider doing a start to finish compost bin making video? Also, how do you keep them vermin free?
Just bought a 380liter compost bin for my 750 square foot/ 70m² roof top garden. I usually make around 50 liters myself and buy around a 100 liters. But Im expanding this year. My problem is just that I simply do not have enough material to fill that thing out 😅 So far all I could find was old potting mix, cardboard and a sack of apples that went soft. Gotta get creative on this one 😂
We use paper towels a lot in my house. I have started throwing used paper towels that don't have cleaner/bodily extracts into my compost. Shredded paper is another source
Thank you, this was very informative. I need a lot of compost very soon so I'm thinking of hot composting. If you run out of ideas, do make one video on this topic, please.
Great Video Huw 😃. Probably the best explanation for composting. I created a new vege garden by old composting doing exactly this. Don't forget a sprinkle of lime and wood ash, some manure between layers. Top off with broken down wood chip. When planting, create a hollow, add some compost and worm castings add plant heal in and water well. Enjoy your new garden while creating your own soil👍🤣
A couple of (basic) questions for you: is it correct to regard compost making as an annual activity? By this I mean do you start filling the compost bin early in the year and then harvest the compost in the spring of the second year? When do you stop adding material in order to allow one compost heap to 'mature' whilst starting a fresh one? How long do you have to leave a compost heap after the final addition of material before you can add it to the garden? Assuming a UK climate . . . .
After the final addition of material to the bin, under most conditions and with semi-frequent turning, your compost should be done in about 3-4 months. If your area has colder winters you can expect the compost to slow down considerably during the winter. In my garden I dont consider compost an annual activity because 1 bin, once a year, wouldn’t suffice. I add material to the bin until it is full and then i start on a new bin. It is a perpetual process helped by whatever different materials I can acquire at different times of year.
You can make many piles during summer when the temperature is hot enough. If you have winter it's good to leave a pile (not turn it) as wild animals hide there and the pile does not compost as much anyway (just enough to keep the animals warm enough).
Don't over complicate it. You can't get it wrong. No matter what you do the stuff will compost itself eventually. Just chuck stuff in a bin and you'll get the feel of it quickly. - Have two compost bins. - keep filling up the first bin (it will sink down as the stuff at the bottom decomposes). - You don't have to turn it. I don't. It will compost quicker if you do, but it's not necessary. - When it looks like at least 80% has turned to compost (1-2 years approx. depending on climate & style of bin), scrape off the top third. - Add that third to the second bin to use as your new base layer and inoculate the second bin with worms and good bacteria. - Use the stuff in bin 1 in your garden. - repeat.
If I may ask a question? I just received a load of compost from a local company that collects food waste and makes compost that can be purchased. Their compost is very dense and compact. They told me it is very nutrient dense and needs to be mixed with soil: I should not plant directly into the compost.
HEY ALL! Great video Huw. I love making compost! I never thought of using seaweed though, great idea. For me though I live in Ontario, Canada, so I don't live near the ocean but have a large lake beach near by that always has seaweed washed on shore. Does anyone know if this material is as good as seaweed from the ocean. I mean all minerals flow out to water ways eventually I don't see there being a huge difference between seaweed from the ocean vs a lake. Is anyone in the same situation here that can share their experience or knowledge. Cheers! Happy gardening everyone.
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Also my new book The Vegetable Grower's Handbook is released tomorrow!! Order yourself copy today geni.us/Veg-Grower-Handbook 🌱 It's a book dedicated to permaculture, no dig gardening, full of tons of ideas, strategies, and techniques for a productive and very fulfilling vegetable garden😊
My copy got shipped out yesterday and im soo excited to read it when it arrives 😊 love from Melbourne, Australia!
It would be lovely to have a few tons of compost... I have a good size pile of wood chips from last spring, it has broken down pretty good. I have a little bit of bunny and chicken poo, but NOT near as much manure as I would like to HAVE... We use about a cup of coffee ground once to twice a day, so i have a bit of THOSE. NEED more animal 💩... I have tomatoe seedlings up, waiting for the hot peppers to show themselves.
Hola Rcihards, necesitamos que hagas copias de tus libros al español!! Para los que todavía no aprendimos ingles! Un abrazo grande!
@@z0MGxWolf I was just going to ask Huw, if he felt his book would apply to our climate. Be interested in your thoughts. Thanks
@@makeyourmovenow Hi Russell, for the most part his book goes over topics that aren't climate based (general gardening tips and skills, creating compost, seedling care etc) and the growing guides for the veggies can be easily adapted to our seasons. The only irrelevant things would mainly be frost care in winter and probably some types of pests he mentions in pest control and some flowers that aren't native or easily found here in aus. Granted these are small topics but the general idea behind them still stands Hope that helps!
I wish we had sheep wool as shipping rather than styrofoam here in the USA
Heather . here in England , much lower grade sheep fleeces have virtually no value and yet the farmers have to pay to have it shorn off the sheep each year! Finally folks have realized this material can make excellent , eco-friendly padding for shipping delicate goods, instead of the awful styrofoam or inflated plastic sleeves. It is slowly catching on ; the warehouses just need to be bolder in their decision making. Hope your shippers will gradually realize they need to do something! Gary
@@garybradbury3910 Clever, in Romania it gets thrown away 😔 maybe we should implement this as ordering online will increase even more. Great, great idea!
We have lots of sheep in Aotearoa, New Zealand, unfortunately packaging is usually synthetic, and yes strong wool fleeces cost more to shear than farmers get for the wool but is carried out for the health and well-being of the sheep. Merino Wool is a different story, found mainly in the South Island. Compostable packaging should be mandatory.
Same 🇦🇺
I live in the uk and I’ve never had anything packed in sheep wool!
Always bubble wrap and polystyrene. Sometimes paper if we’re lucky!
Freeze scraps overnight before compost them it helps break down the material faster 👌
Great advice.
Agreed! Then toss em' in a blender and feed them to a healthy worm colony and see really fast results!
yeah ive found that true it works really well @@retrocynical5209
@@johnsheppard8102 Great stuff.
Thanks for that idea! I usually add my food scraps directly to my garden. I keep a thick layer of mulch and will put food scraps next to my veggie plants at the bottom of the mulch layer to act as a sort of slow release fertilizer. This can help that breakdown faster.
Huw, I'm always impressed/encouraged to hear you say things like '...as I become more self-sufficient' which tells me you're always learning and growing in your knowledge of gardening. Thanks for always teaching us and challenging us to become better at our hobbies.
Great list of suggested compostable items to add to the bin. In addition to being able to pick up a 40# bag of coffee grounds from the local Starbucks every day, I can pick up a 5 gallon bucket of fruit & vegetable pulp from the local juice bar. I have a couple non-gardening neighbors who are happy to donate their kitchen scraps to my compost tumbler. There are a lot of free ingredients for the compost bin, all I have to do is go get them.
Great comment. Has my wheels turning.
Great idea about the juice bar! I’m in the city and already have my neighbors on board bringing me scraps as my chickens are part of my composting system and they all love them. I’ve just started working with a restaurant in my neighborhood to get food scraps and a rabbit rescue for their droppings/used bedding … lots of resources
And fish heads/bones from your butchers. :)
Thank you , I’m wondering about horse and chicken poo ? I’m planning on adding them ... ? I will buy your books they look great : -)
I found that coffee grounds can create a matted layer when wet. I try and mix them with other ingredients to avoid that.
I live in "the middle of" Sweden. I also live in an apartment and have my garden at my summer cottage. To become more self sufficient when it comes to compost I have a compost setup in my apartment. I use the bokashi method and when the bokashi compost is done I mix it with last years pottingcompost in bins. And after 4-5 weeks it's ready! Then I have to store it until spring (probably middle/late april) when I can start going to my cottage. And I'll have many bins full of fantastic compost ready for my garden!
Hello 👋 dear, how are you doing?
Så roligt! Jag gör exakt samma sak. Släpar bukashihinkar hit och dit. Och sen blir det plantor som ska dit och sen blir det skörd som ska hem igen 😊. Men vad gör man inte när trädgården ligger 10 mil bort 🙄🌷🌱.
Excellent! I have a bokashi bin and drain the liquid to fertilize my plants. You have confirmed my ideas!
Ok but what exactly is the Bokashi method???
One tiny recommendation when applying coffee grounds or removing them from their container: wear gloves!
I was applying coffee grounds to my compost bin and around plants and I got a caffeine buzz from the contact on my hands. Of course, it could replace your morning cup too 😂
It is so great to see you emphasise how composting doesn’t have to be complicated!
In my city people buy leaf bags at the hardware store and leave them on the curb for the city trucks to collect throughout the fall. So it's very easy for us to drive around the neighborhood and collect as many bags as we think we might need in addition to our own. Isn't it lovely that our neighbors are kind enough to bag them up? 😁
I do like the other suggestions here, especially seeing the thick twiggy layer that you use for aeration.
That idea about the leaf bags is fab. We have them here too but I never thought of taking them for my compost.
If they spray the lawn for weeds would that be detrimental to your garden, or would it age out?
I'm kicking myself after watching this video, our next-door neighbor bagged up at least six huge sacks of leaf litter to tidy her yard, and the garbage truck took them two days ago. I've been planning this year's garden, WHYYYY did I not think to grab them?? Oof. I bet I'll remember next time!
@@callikohl7603 you know that is actually an excellent question
I have heard that trees do uptake glyphosate (round up) so that's a potential danger. Honestly not sure how great.
When i take grass clippings I'm pickier -- only houses with weedy lawns! -- for that reason.
@@that_auntceleste5848 The lawn will choke out weeds so weedy lawns would more likely mean the soil is lacking something not that they spray.
I fully agree with all 8 ingredients. However, one important point should not be missed: these are pine needles. They have lots of benefits for the soil. Firstly, they're a great source of carbon. Secondly, they're a good amendment to make your garden grow better.👌💯 They moderate soil temperature in summer and prevent winter soils from freezing and having roots from the ground. Thanks a million for this fantastic video.🙏🥰
I also us them for mulch. They stay in place much better than leaves when it gets windy.
With all the Amazon boxes here, no one in America should have problems getting enough cardboard for composting!
Interesting, I have never seen wool used as insulation in american boxes. That would be a smart alternative to plastic ice or heats packets
Wool for insulation could save us from plastic poisoning and plastic pollution.
And it could also bring back revenue for the sheep farmers as they get nothing for the wool these days
My question too! I’d love feedback on a wool alternative. I’ll be back here if I find anything!
sheep farming isn't an Industry in the USA like NZ UK an Ireland. London is as close to me in Chicago as Southern California. maybe we should fly the wool from London to not use horrible polystyrene.
I can only imagine the organic- vegan fanatic outrage that would happen. Organic and veganism is all good but man some of those people are nuttier than a Oregon hazlenut farm.
Home made compost is easy to make and it’s free so I’m sure many people will find this video helpful. Thank you Huw. Kind regards. Gary
Thank you Gary. You're very welcome :)
I just realized that I rarely hear you start your videos with “hello and a very warm welcome back to the garden”. I always looked forward to that 😢
In my suburban neighborhood on the Canadian prairies, with limited space, volume isn't the issue because of limited space. The real issue is getting the blend right, remembering to mix it regularly, keeping it moist (super hot, dry, windy summers), and then managing it over winter. My favourite mix is equal parts leaves or straw or dried plants, green grass or greens, and a "nutrient blend" of coffee/banana peel/eggshells. That last bit, the nutrient blend, boosts the NPK value plus calcium & magnesium. It works great for tomatoes & peppers!
I love this! Great info, beautifully presented.
My only concern is how you mentioned collecting as much of the fallen autumn leaves as possible...
Absolutely, it's a great resource for your compost, but it's also vital habitat for a number of native species, who really rely on this every year as part of their life cycle. Removing this in bulk could be quite detrimental to their health, and your local ecosystem will suffer as a result.
I feel this comes back to the central permaculture ethic of fair share - so absolutely still use this as a resource, but maybe reduce the volume you're collecting and using, so it's still available for its "intended" ecological role.
That's my understanding anyway, and I'm happy to receive thoughts, feedback, constructive rebuttals, etc.
Thanks Huw. I appreciate you.
I collect fallen leaves from the city streets early in the morning before the city council services come and remove them.
I collect the leaves in the Spring, once the worst cold and frosts are over ☺️ also never all of them. I leave leafy corners for the critters 🥰 Same with dead flower buds etc. I leave that habitat alone all winter long!
"Forget investing in the stock market"
There's a point there. If one is living in his/her "forever home" with a piece of land to cultivate, growing one's own food is the first step to freedom.
However, depending on imported fertilizer and soil amendments is one step toward slavery.
So invest in your soil! It will save you thousands down the road. And a penny saved is a penny (plus tax) earned!
Absolutely :)
I disagree. A good financial advisor will manage your investment so that you have something when you quit work. Capital is protected and bad investments are dropped. It is a myth that we can "grow our own food" (I was a farmer). A backyard garden MIGHT grow enough for 2-3 months of a few veggies with a little left over for winter with the correct precipitation, sun, soil and no diseases. 95% of Americans could not grow oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, coconut, pineapple, fruit trees, asparagus,avocados, year round fruit. They could not produce milk, tea, coffee, meat and fish. We can't procure the "must" items - oils, sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar, wine, beer, soft drinks, flour, yeast, cheese.
The original purpose of groceries was to save time. Crackers and bread saved hours. Soup was incredibly popular due to time saved. And it took hours, days or even months to make stock, jelly, gelatin, pickled veggies, etc.
I get through about 200kg of wood chippings every year on the paths between my beds. Surprising how quick it breaks down used this way - almost all gone in 12 months
I use another 100-150kg of shredded cardboard boxes (I use a heavy duty crosscut office shredder) which I mix 50/50 by volume with grass clippings.
Any worn out 100% cotton clothing gets used to wrap the bricks holding down my fleece & netting until it falls apart, then it too goes in the compost bays.
I agree with letting rain wash your seaweed. I do that
Greetings, Huw, from Windermere, Florida zone 9b USA 🇺🇸
Brilliant stuff 👍
I'm a Vermiculturalist and have been Gardening with Worms since 2009.
I also have outside compost piles where Earthworms are my helpers.
Thanks for always making uplifting videos that teach and encourage. 🌿💚🌿
Just loving how Cartier is an advert for theses gardening videos! Huw must be onto something!
Really like the tip about using a base layer of fibrous material. I'm going to take that and use it in my own systems for sure!
Fantastic!! Good luck!!
@@HuwRichards Regarding seaweed: We all know 'Jersey Royal' (International kidney) potatoes no longer have the flavour they used to have.
This is down to the move from seaweed to artificial fertilisers in their production.
I've specifically filled one compost bin with a mix of seaweed, cardboard, grass clippings & racing pigeon muck (75/10/10/5 ratio) to try & bring back the flavour next year.
I reckon I'll have enough to mix in & fill 8x30 litre tubs, so 32 seed potatoes.
I'll let you know the result around late June 2024.
I can't get my usual huge woodchip dump for mulching currently, but my mountain apple and avocado trees are shedding their leaves, so I raked the leaves into my lawn and gave it a good mowing and dumped all of that into my garden beds as a mulch. I then got about 50 lbs of used coffee grounds from Starbucks and mixed it into both my mulch and my compost pile that is finishing up. The leaf, grass clipping, coffee ground combo seems to be working good so far. Using it as a mulch, you just need to make sure there's a 1 inch gap between the stem and the mulch.
Used coffee grounds are awesome for fungal growth also. I usually am the used coffee grounds to my wood chips and will get all sort of fungus and mushrooms growing. The compost pile will suddenly grow mushrooms when I add the used coffee grounds to it and leave it for a few days
Hello Huw, unrelated but I feel I must make a comment, my copy of your new book The vegetable growers garden just arrived, and I must say it’s a book that every new gardener should buy or have given as a gift. Clearly much thought has been given to the content and design, it’s really the best gardening book I have read/bought.. I was expecting it to be good from what you said but it really exceeds good. I’m nearly 78yrs and have bought numerous gardening books across the years of all types none come to the usefulness of this book. So thank you Huw my money was well spent.
I Can't believe I've never been recommend to your channel in over 10 years.
Cracking stuff Hugh.
🦶
Thank you! Appreciate it :)
I am extremely thankful for your positivity and attitude towards sustainable gardening/permaculture. 🚀💚 Can't wait for the book. 🤗
Thank you Klaudia. Such a lovely comment. Hope you enjoy the book! :)
Fantastic videos Huw! Very informative and therapeutic. So much work involved too. I can't believe it's only at 585k subs...come on people Huw deserves getting over the 1million mark 🤗
The weeds I pull out I put in a 2L plastic bottle that I hang on a wall, I put the bottle cap back on, add a bit of water and let it rot. Every now and then I release the fumes out by opening the cap for a bit. I strain it and use it as a weed tea. I started a second one as well now.
Wow, wool?!? I have never seen wool packaging, but I will keep a look out for it. So happy you referenced Oregon State University. This is where I studied for the Master Gardener Course during the pandemic. While I learned their requirements, I have learned a ton from you which was very helpful! There are others in the program that follow you. We love you in Oregon. :).
Great video. Coffee grounds are brilliant, and from what I've seen worms love them. I just successfully cooked an egg in my compost so I'm guessing it's hot enough 🙂
I have already used coffee grounds on a large scale with wood chip sieved to small particles and comfrey leaves . I also place around the upper edges of the compost bin and on top insulation . The bins reach a high temperature easily. I got most of my ideas from Cornell university.
Watching this video makes me happy for all the manure my horses produce! It seems you could use a couple horses, Huw!
Horse manure and the wood-chip bedding we use to soak up urine makes up the bulk of our compost. We only keep two horses indoors at night, but the manure and bedding from just two horses supplies us with more compost than we can use, in a garden that is a similar size to yours. It produces so much compost that I use a small loader-tractor to turn my piles. I generally use the compost when it is at least a year old, and has been turned three to four times.
Another component that is useful in both compost and in worm bins is the hair and dirt that you hoover up around the house. In our house, it's mostly pet hair, which breaks down easily and is high in nitrogen. In worm bins, the worms seem to favor clumps of this pet hair as nurseries to raise their baby worms.
Congratulations Huw, I've just bought and read your Grow Food for Free book and really enjoyed it. Thank you for continuing to share your garden wisdom and experience with us.
Thank you so much for your support! You are very welcome :)
I am lucky enough to have tons of banana palm leaves, old fallen papaya trees/plants and plenty of vigorous weeds here where I live. Once I chop these up it really does bulk up my compost bins. Thanks for the video teacher Huw 😉😉
You're very welcome! :)
My BFF has horses, so once a year I go to her house with an extra large trailer and get a few tons.
Also my family reads a daily news paper, as in print. I'll send them through the shredder. Shredded mixes much better than hand torn.
Thanks for another great vid, Huw. I do a lot of composting using coffee grounds. In my experience 1/3 grounds, 1/3 leaves and 1/3 grass is far from an ideal recipe. I would recommend the following alternatives: 1) Shred dry fall leaves with a gas powered trimmer with .09" (2.25mm) line until they're like powder. (You'll need a good mask!) Then mix 1:1 with grounds. If you keep it moist and turn every day, it will break down in five weeks in warm weather. 2) Put leaves in a very large bin and allow to decompose until they've lost 90% of their volume. (For example 1k gallons of leaves is reduced to 100 gallons.) Then dig out the "muffin" in the center, which will be about 70 gallons. Then mix the muffin with an equal amount of coffee grounds.
"Forget investing in the stock market. Creating your own […] compost…" :D love it!
I'm listening to this only for your accent. I LOVE it !! blessings from France.
Great tips! Love the wood chip options.
I just got motivated halfway through watching your video & went & added to my compost pile.😁
Great ideas for extra things to add into the compost heap - I never have enough compost so these suggestions are so handy 👍
I never would have thought of sea weed. Great suggestion.
Huw, brilliant tutorial on easily creating great compost. My compost is definitely not as good as yours. I've learnt alot. Congratulations on yet another book!!
Really enjoyed watching you grow into a fine young man and confident gardener on this channel 🌟
Hi 👋 dear , how are you doing?
Thank you! That's lovely to hear :)
Espresso stands love giving away used grounds and the worms love it . I compost mine in 55gal plastic barrells to start by sifting it in to aerate and letting it sit for 2 mos and it gets HOT then dump sift and refill for 2 more mo,s sitting so when it cools , sift in all bin vegetative compost and scraps and the worms that grew in the bin will multiply fast .
Huw, this was a great video with such helpful content. I garden in hot, humid and muggy southeast Texas, worlds away from your zone, but I've learned so much from your channel! I just recently started making my own compost and this video gave me motivation! Keep up the great work and good luck with your book!
Thank you! So glad it has given you motivation :)
I have just turned and finished my very first home made bay of compost. Im thrilled and im looking forward to using it in my garden. Thankvyou for all your tips 🙂👍
Your so easy to listen too with such a wealth of knowledge, thank you blessings 🙏❤️🕯🇳🇿
Best compost I have managed to produce had a large amount of both seaweed and coffee grounds in it.
What do you feel was better about the end product? Or are you saying it broke down faster?
Thank you :)
Gratitude and gratiful to know you.
I am so glad I found your videos. You share practical realistic information. Thank you.
Love it. Fits right into the philosophy of saving the soil. Better soil, better outcomes. Cheers
Started composting today, thank you for giving me the final motivation.
how compost composes music ? it feeds the earthworms which feed the blackbirds for singing that gardeners enjoy.
I have been burying kitchen food scraps in my garden bed recently. Found big worms in the ground as well. I guess that shows that my soil is healthy? Cant wait for Spring to set in here
Happy worms + happy soil :)
Dream lover : Do hope those food scraps that you are burying directly do not contain protein ?! Otherwise it will attract rats / foxes IF they are able to dig them up !!
I bury rotting compost (only veg matter) where I am going to plant things that need a lot of nutrients (like squash). Seems to work well and I don't have to wait for the compost to fully break down.
I use wood mulch to fill high raised beds then I top it up with soil and then plant on top of the bed for two seasons and by then the wood chips break down and mix them with the rest raised beds while I replaced the high raised beds with new wood chips ready for the following summer season
Looking forward to receiving my pre-ordered copy of your book! I had a message today to say it has been dispatched.
Thank you!! Hope you enjoy :)
We also make our own liquid fertiliser. I have two barrels on the go. Seaweed and wood ash, and the second barrel has Dock leaves.
Dock is a great fertiliser for citrus trees, and our bananas love the seaweed. Both are used in the veggie gardens.
I recommend adding activated charcoal from the fire pit or smoker. Just pour water on hot chunks of charcoal. Not 🚫 briquettes as they can have more impurities. Break up the leftovers in a bucket with compost tea. You've just made biochar. Add to compost pile.
Hi Huw, In relation to what you say about the Oregon State University paper: the ratio given is 3 parts leaves to 1 part each coffee grounds and grass clippings by volume, not 1:1:1. But thanks for a lively and informative video!
The down side with seaweed is finding the time to go and collect it. I also spray mine off with a hose. If I paid it out and waiting for rain my kids would take it first and who knows where I would find it.
* laid
For those in the city that don't have all these nice things. Shredded Amazon boxes and soy based ink newspaper, and grass clippings.
I thought I was the crazy one .. collecting all kinds of organical material for my compostbin all over the place ..
Oh, I'm the same. I love finding a new source of composting material.
Hello from Falkland, central British Columbia 🇨🇦! I take my maple tree leaves up onto my garden beds in the fall partly to insulate my perennials. It's also a great stash of compost materials to be used throughout the winter and spring, until I start actively pull into weeds and digging up did.
I just bought a copy of your book, can't wait to read it! Thanks Huw!
Never thought to put aeration at the bottom of the bin, very great tip!
Glad to help :)
I hated composting cos of having a gross plastic bin in the kitchen, but now I put scraps straight into cardboard food boxes and throw the whole thing in the compost bin each day! Saves emptying the recycling bin so often too!😅
0:20 interesting construction of the wooden compost container - it is easy to take it out when ready because the front wall can be taken off (lifting it up in a groove).
I like the recommendation of the wool!!
Last automn, I used my tractor to cut in little pieces the leafs. It then takes much less space in the compost bin.
Great idea!
Huw, you have explained composting about as simple as it can possibly be.
Great videos.,..from a fellow welsh man. We have a multi fuel burner using coal and wood in the house. Can we use the ash from the burner to add to our compost bin?
I’m going to get all your books . I’m so excited to start planting veg 🌎🌸
Really super simple ideas for composting. Thank you for the information I appreciate it!
Another fantastic video Huw Richard especially about compost and good ingredients to have in it.
Ok I just ordered you new book through Amazon and I’ll use the box in my compost. It was very easy to order off your comment link. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
Hey and thanks for the video!
I'm used wool from my Ponys (in spring they lost the wool) and from my dogs (Australian shepherd).... They have so much wool 🙈🙈💚
Thank you for North Carolina, USA!
Composting is vital to any garden. If the soil is good, harvest will be good.
bravo and thank you , great video instructions regarding composting.
Very helpful video Huw, thanks. Have you done a video of how you make your wooden compost bins? - please could you link it or perhaps consider doing a start to finish compost bin making video? Also, how do you keep them vermin free?
Thanks for sharing! And I love your book- I bought my own after first borrowing from my library :)
Just bought a 380liter compost bin for my 750 square foot/ 70m² roof top garden. I usually make around 50 liters myself and buy around a 100 liters. But Im expanding this year. My problem is just that I simply do not have enough material to fill that thing out 😅
So far all I could find was old potting mix, cardboard and a sack of apples that went soft. Gotta get creative on this one 😂
We use paper towels a lot in my house. I have started throwing used paper towels that don't have cleaner/bodily extracts into my compost. Shredded paper is another source
God bless your work!
A new book!!! Wonderful, Huw!
Thank you, this was very informative. I need a lot of compost very soon so I'm thinking of hot composting. If you run out of ideas, do make one video on this topic, please.
Great Video Huw 😃.
Probably the best explanation for composting. I created a new vege garden by old composting doing exactly this. Don't forget a sprinkle of lime and wood ash, some manure between layers. Top off with broken down wood chip.
When planting, create a hollow, add some compost and worm castings add plant heal in and water well.
Enjoy your new garden while creating your own soil👍🤣
Thank you Huw for the details on how to make compost. Some books can only tell you so much x
Glad to help! :)
A couple of (basic) questions for you: is it correct to regard compost making as an annual activity? By this I mean do you start filling the compost bin early in the year and then harvest the compost in the spring of the second year? When do you stop adding material in order to allow one compost heap to 'mature' whilst starting a fresh one? How long do you have to leave a compost heap after the final addition of material before you can add it to the garden? Assuming a UK climate . . . .
After the final addition of material to the bin, under most conditions and with semi-frequent turning, your compost should be done in about 3-4 months. If your area has colder winters you can expect the compost to slow down considerably during the winter. In my garden I dont consider compost an annual activity because 1 bin, once a year, wouldn’t suffice. I add material to the bin until it is full and then i start on a new bin. It is a perpetual process helped by whatever different materials I can acquire at different times of year.
You can make many piles during summer when the temperature is hot enough. If you have winter it's good to leave a pile (not turn it) as wild animals hide there and the pile does not compost as much anyway (just enough to keep the animals warm enough).
@@gabrielschiering7111 Thanks you for your reply :)
@@klaudiaw6562 Thanks for your information :)
Don't over complicate it. You can't get it wrong. No matter what you do the stuff will compost itself eventually. Just chuck stuff in a bin and you'll get the feel of it quickly.
- Have two compost bins.
- keep filling up the first bin (it will sink down as the stuff at the bottom decomposes).
- You don't have to turn it. I don't. It will compost quicker if you do, but it's not necessary.
- When it looks like at least 80% has turned to compost (1-2 years approx. depending on climate & style of bin), scrape off the top third.
- Add that third to the second bin to use as your new base layer and inoculate the second bin with worms and good bacteria.
- Use the stuff in bin 1 in your garden.
- repeat.
Can't wait for the US book release!
What agreat channel .already loving it by watching 2 videos
Great to hear! Thank you :)
Wish I could give this several likes. Thanks!
I am obsessed with making compost!
I do want to be careful about adding too much to my garden, though.
Seaweed! What a brilliant idea!!!
Thank you once again for the excellent info, Huw. You’re golden!
That is very kind Fran, thank you!
Some great ideas here I look forward to using in the fututre. 👍
Could you do a video on how you made your compost bays? They look great
If I may ask a question? I just received a load of compost from a local company that collects food waste and makes compost that can be purchased. Their compost is very dense and compact. They told me it is very nutrient dense and needs to be mixed with soil: I should not plant directly into the compost.
HEY ALL!
Great video Huw.
I love making compost! I never thought of using seaweed though, great idea.
For me though I live in Ontario, Canada, so I don't live near the ocean but have a large lake beach near by that always has seaweed washed on shore. Does anyone know if this material is as good as seaweed from the ocean. I mean all minerals flow out to water ways eventually I don't see there being a huge difference between seaweed from the ocean vs a lake.
Is anyone in the same situation here that can share their experience or knowledge.
Cheers!
Happy gardening everyone.
Yes any loose seaweed is fine.
I’m also in Ontario by a lake, so I’m going to check this suggestion out too!