New store - thank you for your support!! www.bonfire.com/store/a-garden-for-birds/ Check out these beautiful dead wood installments! harmonyinthegarden.com/2020/08/garden-inspiration-using-dead-trees-branches/ www.boredpanda.com/creative-wood-pile-stacking-art/ Some fungi are in need of conservation! www.cbd.int/idb/activities/22items-threatened-fungi.pdf The value of dead trees! cavityconservation.com/value-of-dead-trees-2/ www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Plant-Native/Habitat-Essentials Recent discovery of a “nitroplast” made headlines! asm.org/articles/2024/june/beyond-endosymbiosis-discovering-first-nitroplast Identifying fungal infections that may require intervention: s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2054/2014/04/FungalPlantPathogens_002.pdf All about mycelium: www.nps.gov/mora/learn/nature/mycorrhizal-fungi.htm#:~:text=While%20the%20majority%20of%20mycorrhizal,form%20these%20connections%20with%20plants. www.kew.org/read-and-watch/fungi-hidden-dimension www.nature.com/articles/ismej201757 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4497361/ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10244285/ Moss and Lichens: www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2013.00150/full www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/beauty/lichens/about.shtml#:~:text=Because%20lichens%20enable%20algae%20to,we%20all%20need%20to%20survive. www.fs.usda.gov/air/lichens.htm#:~:text=In%20many%20forests%2C%20lichens%20play,materials%20for%20birds%20and%20squirrels. Ants and termites are actually pretty cool! asknature.org/strategy/nitrogen-fixed-for-termites/ besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12672 www.frontiersin.org/journals/fungal-biology/articles/10.3389/ffunb.2023.1241916/full
This is probably the only channel that I actually look out for new videos air. (And finding myself looking at previous videos because I really like them) Looking at this one, I realized how much time and effort you put into these videos, all because of your love for nature. I have learnt so much and incorporated some of your ideas and substituted when it was not feasible for my particular area. On the one hand I wish I could just let my yard grow wild, because so much more birds visit, but on the other hand I live in a residential area and have to maintain the "status quo". I'm still working on getting a balance and like all gardens, they are always a work in progress. ( I like how you speak, it's kinda abrupt and to the point and you don't stretch a couple sentences into a 10 minute ramble) Happy gardening :)
Thank you so much, that's incredibly kind! Truly means a lot! I think for most of us, going totally wild isn't a realistic option for the reasons you mention, and because for many regions the "wild" plants that would move into our gardens would be a high-percentage invasive species. I think there's definitely a place for a habitat garden even in the most manicured residential areas - that's a big part of my goal as a channel, to show that a habitat garden can not only fit into the conventional garden but can even add value to our homes and neighborhoods. I'm guessing you might be aware of Flock Finger Lakes - their channel is doing a beautiful job of showcasing this idea!
Sorry …not sorry…curb appeal needs an upgrade. Rip out all your grass and bring in termite invested dead trees …Yea that’s crazy. Expand a flower bed and put in a few native bushes and ground covers…no problem.
Big same. I think I know everything but I learned something from every video. I'm very sick of the same video getting posted by 13 different "gardening channels" so your content is very refreshing.
Originally that end bit was much longer, and I was definitely crying when I wrote it 😭 I know, I couldn’t believe all the cool bugs I started noticing once we were looking! Earth is a wacky place!
Thank you for making such information rich and entertaining videos! I always learn something new! I'm sorry for the loss of your beautiful tree friend. She was glorious. I think you've honored her in the best way possible by letting her continue to nourish the life where she lived.
❤a fantastic video! So much information and delightful to watch. What a wonderful dogwood, and you laid her to rest well. The moss and lichens are beautiful! I love dead wood. It just makes a garden more natural and dimensional…my neighbors gave me their old dead boxelder tree stump. Love that thing and the cool things growing on it.🎉
Thank you so much! Boxelder seems like it might be especially rewarding since it breaks down so readily - I can only imagine all the magic happening on your stump! 💓
Mycorrhizal fungi do not produce mushrooms. Also, if you see those white strands in your soil, pull gently on what they are attached to. If it comes away, breaking the strands, you likely have a pathogenic fugus there. But if it all pulls together, you likely have a terrific and beneficial fugus. (Pathogenic fungi tend to have very thin hyphae, whereas the more beneficial fungi have wider hyphae, and tend to have some color to them)
Also, if you add a nitrogen fertilizer to you plant's soil, you will cause the plant to cease interacting with the soil microbes, including the fungi. (and I think you meant ammonium, not ammonia, NH4 not NH3)
Very interesting, thanks for the comment! I found an interesting resource that states: "While the majority of mycorrhizal fungi do not produce mushrooms at all, many well-known mushrooms do form these connections with plants." - it's a resource geared toward helping mushroom hunters make correct IDs! www.nps.gov/mora/learn/nature/mycorrhizal-fungi.htm#:~:text=While%20the%20majority%20of%20mycorrhizal,form%20these%20connections%20with%20plants. I've add this and another resource on identification of pathogenic fungi to the pinned comment - thanks much!
Interesting about the idea of human interference via fertilizers being a hinderance to fostering the soil ecology - I hadn't considered that aspect of it, so fascinating! (From what I can find, diazotrophs generally produce NH3, but some can also produce NH4. Cool little creatures!)
I've been getting dead wood from a local tree service and using it to line my garden paths. I also got a couple 8' log/large limbs dug holes and stood them up to act like snags. 8' was the biggest I could haul and maneuver on my own. Lol.
You rock 🤘😎. I think I've learned something from every video of yours that I've seen. The dead tree was a real gem that's going to save me tons of 💰. I have 2 maples that I guesstimate are 80+ years old and very much in decline. I will eventually knock the sketchy branches down and leave most of it for critters. Both of these maples already have huge cavities of soft/sponge wood, I call them "elf doors" but they have a technical term. Thanks for the knowledge transfer🤘😎.
I’m so glad it might be useful! Awesome to hear you might be able to conserve some snags! I hope you get some cool creatures using them that you can enjoy watching! Haha, “elf doors” is about as good a name as any! 😅
I like to bring wild soil into my garden. I live in a place with many forests and I bring small containers when I hike and take a scoop back to my garden.
Thank you so much! I didn't know most of it either - was pretty cool learning about soil ecosystems, had to stop myself and just make the episode but I think there's probably a lot more cool stuff to learn!
I didn't realize just how helpful ants could be! Ty for all the great info in here, loved this video! (Fire ants are the exception, they need to find another home😡)
Me either! I had to kind of cut myself off of the research for this episode - it's a pretty magical rabbit hole I found myself in! Haha, I don't blame you if you decide not to encourage the fire ants 😅
6:31 Don’t make tooo many jokes at your own expense. Lately I’ve been having trouble with keeping my attention on stuff. But you hold my attention really nicely.
I don’t know that it’s necessarily a problem (and they may even speed up the process a bit), unless the compost bin is wood and they’re damaging it, the bin is close to the house and they could transfer to it, or if you’re concerned about spreading termites to wooden structures when you use your compost in the garden. This article has some natural remedies that you might find helpful! - e.g. working to get your pile going hotter or encouraging predation: www.weekand.com/home-garden/article/rid-termites-compost-pile-18022184.php
Excellent presentation! I have some dead soil but not much dead wood lying around... Can I buy some wood chips to spread on the surface? Should I shovel it in a little? One counterpoint: I have no idea how you can still have a 35-year-old t-shirt. Just not possible. I had this blue t-shirt for many years. Wore it during summers especially when I was working in the yard. After years of wear and washes, it became soft as silk and super comfortable. But eventually it got so ratty my wife said no more. As it was cotton (cellulose) I gave it a funeral in my fireplace one winter. ;o)
You can also leave the leaves in fall. Or you can take it a step further and go collect other people's leaves to add to your yard. Just check to make sure their lawn has weeds in it so you know they don't spray poison on it. I'm not sure why people bag up all their soil fertility and put it at the curb like trash and it does make me sad, but it does make it easy for people like us who want to feed soil and life.
Thank you for this very interesting, scientific and useful informations and your easy going and funny way to share them! Have you read Melvin Sheldrakes book "Entangled Life"? For your tree you like so much I would recommend to trim and cut it to stimulate new growth. Best wishes, WH
Thank you! I’ve not read that one but I adore the title! Will definitely check it out, sounds like a lovely read! I noticed a baby dogwood on our property line - I’m wondering now if that might be her baby!
@@gardenforbirds Well... If nobody was cheating on your property it will be HER baby.... Yes, check the book out it is faszinating. You might be to young to know him, Melvin Sheldrake is the son of Rupert Sheldrake who developed in the seventies the theory of Morphogenetic Fields, what meant that somehow every living thing is connected, depending on each other, communicates maybe even over species boundaries... but Rupert Sheldrake never could prove scientifically his thoughts. Melvin Sheldrake shows in his research, that there would be no live at all on earth without Lichens and Mosses and than fungi. Melvin proves, that fungi and plants are depending on each other, are symbiotic, feed each other, communicate and so on, in a way Melvin proved his dad right. You must read for yourself. And tell me, what you think of it, if you like.
Untreated deadwood and bark (soaked in water would be smart) and tucked in under a little sand and pea gravel will permit our fungal friends to thrive without fire danger. Very Zen on the surface… But a rouges carnival of grasping debauchery lurking beneath😱. Our little friends want cool, deep and dark anyway - not baked. (Well…except for brownies …those are fine🤔 Just Not Burning Man Baked 🙄) The right plants will thrive there eventually.
I’m Lichen the script!🤦🏼♂️🤷♂️ Deliberate use of scientific language with brief captions and beautiful imagery… credible research in a conversational tone accessible to a general audience. That takes carefully editing. (Fun Fact! Wikipedia has a “Simple English” language option which can be a useful resource to when researching complex topics (or trying to write about them). I have used it for both myself and students. Worth a look if you haven’t used it before.
New store - thank you for your support!!
www.bonfire.com/store/a-garden-for-birds/
Check out these beautiful dead wood installments!
harmonyinthegarden.com/2020/08/garden-inspiration-using-dead-trees-branches/
www.boredpanda.com/creative-wood-pile-stacking-art/
Some fungi are in need of conservation!
www.cbd.int/idb/activities/22items-threatened-fungi.pdf
The value of dead trees!
cavityconservation.com/value-of-dead-trees-2/
www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Plant-Native/Habitat-Essentials
Recent discovery of a “nitroplast” made headlines!
asm.org/articles/2024/june/beyond-endosymbiosis-discovering-first-nitroplast
Identifying fungal infections that may require intervention:
s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2054/2014/04/FungalPlantPathogens_002.pdf
All about mycelium:
www.nps.gov/mora/learn/nature/mycorrhizal-fungi.htm#:~:text=While%20the%20majority%20of%20mycorrhizal,form%20these%20connections%20with%20plants.
www.kew.org/read-and-watch/fungi-hidden-dimension
www.nature.com/articles/ismej201757
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4497361/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10244285/
Moss and Lichens:
www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2013.00150/full
www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/beauty/lichens/about.shtml#:~:text=Because%20lichens%20enable%20algae%20to,we%20all%20need%20to%20survive.
www.fs.usda.gov/air/lichens.htm#:~:text=In%20many%20forests%2C%20lichens%20play,materials%20for%20birds%20and%20squirrels.
Ants and termites are actually pretty cool!
asknature.org/strategy/nitrogen-fixed-for-termites/
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12672
www.frontiersin.org/journals/fungal-biology/articles/10.3389/ffunb.2023.1241916/full
Your channel is the best. You’re helping me rethink my yard.
Thanks.
Thank you so much - means a lot! I'm so glad it might be useful!!
This is probably the only channel that I actually look out for new videos air. (And finding myself looking at previous videos because I really like them) Looking at this one, I realized how much time and effort you put into these videos, all because of your love for nature. I have learnt so much and incorporated some of your ideas and substituted when it was not feasible for my particular area. On the one hand I wish I could just let my yard grow wild, because so much more birds visit, but on the other hand I live in a residential area and have to maintain the "status quo". I'm still working on getting a balance and like all gardens, they are always a work in progress. ( I like how you speak, it's kinda abrupt and to the point and you don't stretch a couple sentences into a 10 minute ramble) Happy gardening :)
Same
Thank you so much, that's incredibly kind! Truly means a lot! I think for most of us, going totally wild isn't a realistic option for the reasons you mention, and because for many regions the "wild" plants that would move into our gardens would be a high-percentage invasive species. I think there's definitely a place for a habitat garden even in the most manicured residential areas - that's a big part of my goal as a channel, to show that a habitat garden can not only fit into the conventional garden but can even add value to our homes and neighborhoods. I'm guessing you might be aware of Flock Finger Lakes - their channel is doing a beautiful job of showcasing this idea!
Sorry …not sorry…curb appeal needs an upgrade.
Rip out all your grass and bring in termite invested dead trees …Yea that’s crazy.
Expand a flower bed and put in a few native bushes and ground covers…no problem.
Big same. I think I know everything but I learned something from every video. I'm very sick of the same video getting posted by 13 different "gardening channels" so your content is very refreshing.
Not me crying at the end of this when you were talking about the tree
LOVE all the fun bugs!
Originally that end bit was much longer, and I was definitely crying when I wrote it 😭 I know, I couldn’t believe all the cool bugs I started noticing once we were looking! Earth is a wacky place!
You are amazing! So much great info!!!❤
Thank you so much!! 💓
Thank you for making such information rich and entertaining videos! I always learn something new!
I'm sorry for the loss of your beautiful tree friend. She was glorious. I think you've honored her in the best way possible by letting her continue to nourish the life where she lived.
She was glorious, indeed! Thank you for the kind words!
I was in as soon as I saw those funky Caterpillars and the bug carrying the dead bodies of its prey as camouflage🤘
A fellow bug lover! 😅
Your videos are becoming my favourites. Thank you.
Thank you, that’s incredibly kind!
❤a fantastic video! So much information and delightful to watch. What a wonderful dogwood, and you laid her to rest well. The moss and lichens are beautiful! I love dead wood. It just makes a garden more natural and dimensional…my neighbors gave me their old dead boxelder tree stump. Love that thing and the cool things growing on it.🎉
Thank you so much! Boxelder seems like it might be especially rewarding since it breaks down so readily - I can only imagine all the magic happening on your stump! 💓
Mycorrhizal fungi do not produce mushrooms. Also, if you see those white strands in your soil, pull gently on what they are attached to. If it comes away, breaking the strands, you likely have a pathogenic fugus there. But if it all pulls together, you likely have a terrific and beneficial fugus. (Pathogenic fungi tend to have very thin hyphae, whereas the more beneficial fungi have wider hyphae, and tend to have some color to them)
Also, if you add a nitrogen fertilizer to you plant's soil, you will cause the plant to cease interacting with the soil microbes, including the fungi. (and I think you meant ammonium, not ammonia, NH4 not NH3)
Very interesting, thanks for the comment! I found an interesting resource that states: "While the majority of mycorrhizal fungi do not produce mushrooms at all, many well-known mushrooms do form these connections with plants." - it's a resource geared toward helping mushroom hunters make correct IDs! www.nps.gov/mora/learn/nature/mycorrhizal-fungi.htm#:~:text=While%20the%20majority%20of%20mycorrhizal,form%20these%20connections%20with%20plants.
I've add this and another resource on identification of pathogenic fungi to the pinned comment - thanks much!
Interesting about the idea of human interference via fertilizers being a hinderance to fostering the soil ecology - I hadn't considered that aspect of it, so fascinating! (From what I can find, diazotrophs generally produce NH3, but some can also produce NH4. Cool little creatures!)
I've been getting dead wood from a local tree service and using it to line my garden paths. I also got a couple 8' log/large limbs dug holes and stood them up to act like snags. 8' was the biggest I could haul and maneuver on my own. Lol.
That’s awesome! I don’t know how you’re maneuvering 8’ segments, but good on you! 😅
May the spores be with you!
😂 Yass!
You rock 🤘😎. I think I've learned something from every video of yours that I've seen. The dead tree was a real gem that's going to save me tons of 💰. I have 2 maples that I guesstimate are 80+ years old and very much in decline. I will eventually knock the sketchy branches down and leave most of it for critters. Both of these maples already have huge cavities of soft/sponge wood, I call them "elf doors" but they have a technical term. Thanks for the knowledge transfer🤘😎.
I’m so glad it might be useful! Awesome to hear you might be able to conserve some snags! I hope you get some cool creatures using them that you can enjoy watching! Haha, “elf doors” is about as good a name as any! 😅
I like to bring wild soil into my garden. I live in a place with many forests and I bring small containers when I hike and take a scoop back to my garden.
A little fungi+microbe-starter mix, love it!
OMG You are so Precious 🧡
Thank You for Speaking for
Our ❤Mother Earth 🌎
That’s mighty kind of you to say! 💓
Your simple on screen persona is very lucky to have your wise narrator persona to help her make good choices.
Thank you for the video!
Haha! She means well! 😂 Thanks for watching!
Excellant!!
🍂🍁🌾🍁🍂
"Happy Autumn"
🍂🍁🌾🍁🍂
Thank you! Happy autumn!
Forgot to mention, another great video I really enjoy your video style!
Thank you so much!!
Excellent source of information! I’ll definitely have to incorporate dead wood into my garden!
Awesome, so glad it might be useful! Thank you for watching!
Thank you for the video. Very interesting i sure didn't know all that. Your videos are fun and interesting.
Thank you so much! I didn't know most of it either - was pretty cool learning about soil ecosystems, had to stop myself and just make the episode but I think there's probably a lot more cool stuff to learn!
Happy to be part of the fungal network 😆 (ps I need a “got milkweed” shirt…you know the font 😉)
Glad you're here! Haha, love it! And I absolutely know the font! 😅
Just harvested 2 lbs of meadow mushrooms from our pasture. An added benefit of cultivation of mycelium forms on our steading.
Love it!!
@@gardenforbirds they were very good ❤️❤️❤️
Love love your video 😊
Thank you so much!
Loved all your fungus references. Made me smile :D (there I used an emoji as old as your shirt ;)
Haha! 😂
I didn't realize just how helpful ants could be! Ty for all the great info in here, loved this video! (Fire ants are the exception, they need to find another home😡)
Me either! I had to kind of cut myself off of the research for this episode - it's a pretty magical rabbit hole I found myself in! Haha, I don't blame you if you decide not to encourage the fire ants 😅
6:31 Don’t make tooo many jokes at your own expense. Lately I’ve been having trouble with keeping my attention on stuff. But you hold my attention really nicely.
Thank you for the very kind words! Truly means a lot!!
@@gardenforbirds no problemo
💕💕💕💕💕
Amazing
Awesome! 🤩
Thank you!!
Great information!
Thank you for watching!
Should I not worry about termites in my compost bins? I have been trippin' about them for 2 seasons because I don't want to spray anything.
I don’t know that it’s necessarily a problem (and they may even speed up the process a bit), unless the compost bin is wood and they’re damaging it, the bin is close to the house and they could transfer to it, or if you’re concerned about spreading termites to wooden structures when you use your compost in the garden. This article has some natural remedies that you might find helpful! - e.g. working to get your pile going hotter or encouraging predation: www.weekand.com/home-garden/article/rid-termites-compost-pile-18022184.php
Excellent presentation! I have some dead soil but not much dead wood lying around... Can I buy some wood chips to spread on the surface? Should I shovel it in a little?
One counterpoint: I have no idea how you can still have a 35-year-old t-shirt. Just not possible. I had this blue t-shirt for many years. Wore it during summers especially when I was working in the yard. After years of wear and washes, it became soft as silk and super comfortable. But eventually it got so ratty my wife said no more. As it was cotton (cellulose) I gave it a funeral in my fireplace one winter. ;o)
Thank you! Absolutely! Mulch or wood chips will promote all the same soil activity! Haha, the trick is to never ever wear it 😂
You can also leave the leaves in fall. Or you can take it a step further and go collect other people's leaves to add to your yard. Just check to make sure their lawn has weeds in it so you know they don't spray poison on it. I'm not sure why people bag up all their soil fertility and put it at the curb like trash and it does make me sad, but it does make it easy for people like us who want to feed soil and life.
Don’t shovel it in. That can use up nitrogen from the soil that the plants need. Use it as a mulch only. Great stuff!
Can you add a link to your store?
Added! (You can also navigate to it from my channel - there should be a “Store” tab with links to the store and products)
Thank you for this very interesting, scientific and useful informations and your easy going and funny way to share them! Have you read Melvin Sheldrakes book "Entangled Life"? For your tree you like so much I would recommend to trim and cut it to stimulate new growth. Best wishes, WH
Thank you! I’ve not read that one but I adore the title! Will definitely check it out, sounds like a lovely read! I noticed a baby dogwood on our property line - I’m wondering now if that might be her baby!
@@gardenforbirds Well... If nobody was cheating on your property it will be HER baby.... Yes, check the book out it is faszinating. You might be to young to know him, Melvin Sheldrake is the son of Rupert Sheldrake who developed in the seventies the theory of Morphogenetic Fields, what meant that somehow every living thing is connected, depending on each other, communicates maybe even over species boundaries... but Rupert Sheldrake never could prove scientifically his thoughts. Melvin Sheldrake shows in his research, that there would be no live at all on earth without Lichens and Mosses and than fungi. Melvin proves, that fungi and plants are depending on each other, are symbiotic, feed each other, communicate and so on, in a way Melvin proved his dad right. You must read for yourself. And tell me, what you think of it, if you like.
Excited to check it out!
I was expecting “Fun-gal” 😺.
😅
I really appreciate the deadwood being left but living in Northern California in a wildfire prone area, I’m met with lots of opposition & ire. 🤷🏻♀️
Ack, definitely makes it harder! If you have a wildlife pond, that might be a safer place to include larger wood elements!
@@gardenforbirds What a great idea!
Untreated deadwood and bark (soaked in water would be smart)
and tucked in under a little sand and pea gravel
will permit our fungal friends to thrive without fire danger.
Very Zen on the surface…
But a rouges carnival of grasping debauchery lurking beneath😱.
Our little friends want cool, deep and dark anyway - not baked.
(Well…except for brownies …those are fine🤔 Just Not Burning Man Baked 🙄)
The right plants will thrive there eventually.
Just bury it a bit......
@@edcat6587hugelculture is an awesome way to add dead wood to your gardenscape.
I’m Lichen the script!🤦🏼♂️🤷♂️
Deliberate use of scientific language with brief captions and beautiful imagery…
credible research in a conversational tone accessible to a general audience.
That takes carefully editing.
(Fun Fact! Wikipedia has a “Simple English” language option which can be a useful resource to when researching complex topics (or trying to write about them).
I have used it for both myself and students.
Worth a look if you haven’t used it before.
Thank you for the lovely comment! I didn’t know that about Wikipedia - will check it out!
🐜🍄🟫🪵
Yes! 😅