Before jumping in too deep this growing season with videos, here is something different that outlines why I'm changing direction with how I grow food🌱 It is worth watching the whole video to get full context and perspective. No dig will always be the foundation to how I grow, but I believe there are a lot of other things we can bring into it to really build upon the amazing benefits that no dig offers. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend😊
I am very new to gardening and I so greatly appreciate ALL your videos Huw. The information is shared simply and uncomplicated and you cover just about everything.. keep it realistic.. and very wise - Being One with Nature and giving back in this way is fulfilling and beautiful. Intuitive Gardening - Thank you!!
I am doing the same. Combining everything I find. Last year I started to let part of my lawn grow wild, like a covercrop (Inspired by "No-Till Growers") and knock it down like "Diego Footer". I then proceeded to deep mulch the area in leaves like Routh Stout/Back to Reality. In April I will plant potatoes in some parts and in May rake the leaves aside and place cardboard rows like landscape fabric, in which I poke holes for soy, beans and sweetcorn like I saw on another channel. There is no way I could have converted 700m² to growing space with two toddlers, a dog and fulltime job using just one method. I could tag you in the pictures at the end of the year on facebook, since you have been a great inspiration in that project. Edit: I also planted fruit trees and berry bushes all over like ?James Pigioni? from new Jersey
Hello, Huw; I've been a fan and subscriber for quite some time, and always found inspiration and pleasure from your channel. I also completely agree that one should be critical of one-size-fits-all ideologies, in gardening as elsewhere. Gurus are people, too. What I am missing from this video, though, is exactly where you are going now; what is the break from no-dig that you are taking? Are you taking a dig at no-dig, or not? In what sense is this a no no-dig dig? (sorry for the pun, but you know what I mean...)
I'm on a parallel journey with you, thanks to you Huw 😀 Your video recommending 'the regenerative grower's guide to garden amendments' led me to research soil biology, which led to Dr. Elaine Ingham, and I have not been able to stop learning about the fascinating complex relationships soil organisms and plants have. I've just discovered Matt Powers too, who has likewise delved deep into this subject.... 😁
Plants sharing their photosynthesis with the soil via exudates is the most fascinating thing I've learned about growing in recent years. Because of that, the method that I MOST recommend that home gardeners borrow from farmers is utilization of cover crops. Rather than leaving beds fallow over the winter, growing a winter green manure keeps that photosynthetic activity going year-round (as long as it's not freezing) and in the spring you have mounds of fresh biomass for composting and mulching, and energized soil that has been fed all winter :)
@@colmwhateveryoulike3240 I always wondered why more folks with raised beds didn't do hugelkultur. It's self-sustaining and will last for decades of done properly, it takes some work to set up but the results will last for years.
@@jamestomlin5525 Yeah we did one in school. Unfortunately a digger ran through it when taking up tarmac for our polytunnel. I reckon my job will let me make one though. We do have a good many logs and woodchip.
This totally resonates with the way I garden on our Welsh hillside plot, I’m slowly transforming our acre of land into a productive food forest and always plant firstly for the bees and soil life. I look forward to watching your trials and tribulations over the coming months
Being raised in the country, the best soil is where wild bulbs grow. Trees that have fallen 50 years before and broke down, foliage that fell upon that same sight, weeds that have grown for years and died back in the soil and adequate rain. There seems to be high amounts of mushrooms and fungus involved in this kind of soil. Especially if cattle have grazed in these areas for years.
This is exactly what I get to grow in. Just a few years in and great results, lots of learning, and doing my best to keep the soil and overall environment healthy. I've honestly seen things in this soil that I personally haven't seen elsewhere. Spoiled, but don't want to abuse it.
@@UnseenSpirit home grown soil. My place used to be a old cattle farm surrounded by a bit of forest. I have lots of organic material here I make into compost and amendments. No need for me to import soil or amendments.
Huw, this is exciting and refreshing to hear ... your approach shows humility ... that there is no 'one' correct way when it comes to growing plants. I'm looking forward to hearing more about soil health and how to amend it naturally. I really appreciate your view that we are all part of nature and not separate from it, or 'dominant' over it. For many people, a connection to the soil has an almost spiritual dimension - helping them cope with struggles or sadness, and my goodness, we need that connection now more than ever! 🐌😊
Never fall in love with a plan, be it training horses, working, gardening or anything else. Stay flexible and open minded, because if you don't you will never progress and learn. Nice to see you thinking of other avenues Huw.
This is so refreshing! Sticking to just one approach prevents further learning through experimentation and exploring other approaches. I look forward to seeing where this journey takes you! 💚
That's very true, but no dig is brilliant for those who haven't got as much time on their hands for gardening as maybe they would like to. Promoting a method with which a layman can enjoy great results is the most beneficial service that you can provide on youtube, to encourage people to succeed. It's great that Huw wants to broaden his experience and educate people about new methods, he really makes some lovely videos. As Monty Don said, 'The point of gardening? It's to find solace, to be happy, to make beauty, have fun and muck about. How you do it doesn't matter'.
I know this was a month ago but that’s great to hear Huw! Man there is so much to learn and explore (and experiments to wow at) - no dig is a revolutionary turning point - like the other types of gardening you mention - for people who can’t garden for a living 😆 you are a great teacher and I just can’t wait to go off navigating through the Galaxy of nature with you!
Wow, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect for me to hear you share this. After reading ‘The Regenerative Growers Guide to Garden Amendments’ from your recommendation and being an enthusiast of No Dig... I felt as well I needed to merge all I’ve learnt and understood. Bearing in mind I’ve only got into gardening the past couple of years! But being a scientist myself although not in this particular field I have had my eyes opened and evolved to understand, respect and nurture nature which I didn’t before. This is still evolving everyday from what I learn from people like yourself and others. Long May it continue! I have learnt over the years that I don’t know as much as I thought and that’s has been a blessing to realise as that’s where the changes happen. Thank for sharing your knowledge and journey. The information you’ve put out there is helping me in my little bubble make the world a little bit better 💚
I try to stick to the idea of not making rules for yourself! It is always good to be open to new ideas as they may be better for your personal circumstances. Hope that you enjoy your new direction Huw!
This is fantastic Paul! And yes absolutely, I feel some things have been getting a little hostile in the gardening world lately so I'm going to go on my own merry little journey without feeling guilty and instead have a lot of fun! 😁
It's exciting to hear you talking about the blend of older gardening and the prospect of interesting discoveries , I look forward to seeing your discoveries unfold, just like another viewer said here. 🙂 Was that comfrey you were picking a bucket of and breaking up ?? I've been reading that's really good, is it as effective as what they reckon? Always look forward to your videos🌼🌻🏵️🌸 👍🏼
Right thre with you, Huw! These new perspectives from all the approached you mentioned come together to make a very exciting, beneficial, and cost-saving approach to growing food! Hooray!
Sounds great! I'm coming into gardening new this year but have been studying permaculture and sustainable food systems for a while, and keep coming across new connected approaches. I'm trying to find my way and combine the different things I hear about, so it'll be great to see someone like you who's an experienced gardener talking about your own choices.
And I'm moving to and beyond no-dig LOL! I've got a suburban block, clay soil which is full of rocks, and a short supply of patience so I've been breaking up defined beds of ground, mixing in gypsum, trenching half done compost underneath, dumping compost on top, turning occasionally to pick out all the stones with a long term goal to know the soil is good and no dig will work for that bed. I've also been positioning my dalek compost bins over the next area to be amended to get a head start on the process. And it's working! When I see that a patch has beautiful soil, full of big fat earthworms and most of the stones are gone I stop doing the hard work and go to no dig. Intuitively it works for me - and my soil type. Being open to all suggestions and trusting your analysis of your particular circumstances is a great way to go Huw. Love your videos and appreciate your insights. Hugs from New South Wales to Wales!
This speaks to me on so many levels. I'm still a new gardener (became a hobby during quarantine last spring) and, after reading listening to endless sources of information, there is so many different growing types I want to explore!
When you were grinding up and weighing out the nettle to make the spray, I was wondering why not simplify that and use "chop and drop". You can place the nettle and other "weeds" like comfrey, that are growing in others spots, around your vegetables and use it like a mulch to reduce weeds and evaporative water loss, and as the chopped plants break down they slow-release their nutrients into the soil. Turning it into a concentrated spray will then dose your vegetables in spikes of nutrients, which isn't how nature works. Various plants die off and more slowly break down into the soil, and chop and drop mimics that but you can still concentrate nutrients by chopping from around the property and dropping in the vegetable beds. When you mention finding the "one way/answer", the most common answer in permaculture is "it depends", and using multiple methods based on the situation is very helpful. So the above chop and drop might not be the answer for one plant/bed, but is for another.
Love the idea of keeping an open and enquiring mind. I know a farmer who spent his life improving soil by grazing, and cropping methods. Recently I have learnt why my dog- wood does not grow under the popular trees well, it is not the shade it is that the trees talk threw their roots. I am guessing this is why some veg crops grow better with each other it is the chemicals in the roots that either allow or prevent other plants growing near each other. So much more to understand😊
It’s always a good idea to dedicate part of your garden to experimenting and trying new things. You may just find a new practice that works really well for you!
Glad to see your multi-directional changes, Huw! Ever since reading the Jeff Lowenfels trilogy of Teaming with Microbes, Teaming with Nutrients, and Teaming with Fungi, I have been more and more concentrating on feeding the soil so that the soil can feed the plants. The improvement in both the quality and quantity of vegetables and fruits has been amazing. Adding things like compost tea, vermicompost, probiotics, and rock dust have all greatly improved the soil quality while still practicing No Dig.
I was so excited watching this video!!! I just bought a book " The Regenerative Growers Guide to Garden Amendments", and it feels so right!! I love your videos and the way you talk about your garden and your commitment to improving the soil and consequently our world. I have learnt so much from you and intend to continue doing so!! Thank you Thank you.
Huw thanks for your vids. I have many birthdays behind me. I’ve triple double and single dug. I now use a no dig system that I too modify. I abandoned raised beds a long time ago (dry hot margins above ground and slug nurseries below)in favour of flat beds with wood chip paths. I love your ever expanding and experimental approach and ideas. Growing fruit veg and plants generally means never getting moribund and constant learning. Brilliant thanks
I am starting my first garden this year. After last year walking into stores and the stores limiting how much vegetables and fruits we could purchase inspired me to garden. I am looking into the no dig garden method and enjoy these videos. Thank you
@@ambeezy808 My compost game isn't great at the moment. I have only had my plot for a year, it's certainly nowhere near 40 acres. Here is a video that might help. ruclips.net/video/swLkA1cHJ4Y/видео.html I will find another one for you I thought was good.
@@ambeezy808 ruclips.net/video/l698hczXpMM/видео.html this is a super quick process. Compost in six weeks. Sorry it took so long to get back to you, got distracted, went to my allotment.
Foliar feed is excellent. Easiest way I found for it is to take leaf mould and compost, toss a handful or two into a paint strainer bag, tossing that into a 5 gallon bucket, taking an aquarium aerator/bubbler and putting it in the bottom of the bucket and letting it run for 1-3 days. The bacteria in the compost multiply rapidly to make a compost "tea". The aerator keeps the tea aerobic. Then you can take the compost out of the bag and return it to your compost pile. Put the tea in a spray bottle and go to town on your plants. I've never had darker green leaves on any of my plants.
Love this approach Huw, always evolving, always learning, always open to the possibilities. This is gardening - and life - for us. Look forward to how this unfolds for you.
Totally agree giving back to Mother Nature is definitely the way. Building up the soil via organic composting, something I am doing too and just loving it
I absolutely love the new direction you're going, Huw, the layers you're adding to your gardening practice. I am with you 100% that the more natural, clean and pure, the better. Very much looking forward to watching your journey. :) Sheryl in Southern California
Delightful to watch you grow as a gardener and what wonderful tips you share too. Gardening is a life long passion and journey and helps us evolve. I really like how you reminded us that we, as humans, are a part of nature as well. Thank you!
The wall where you were cutting nettle is so lovely and whimsical. I look forward to seeing the different ways you plan to explore improving and growing your garden. Thank you for sharing!
I just started gardening in my own allotment. I am really inspired by your videos and it already changed my views on gardening. Really happy to follow you here and get more inspiration from you! Thanks a lot for sharing! Peter from Germany
I'm really excited to see where you're going with this Huw. I can quite see how no dig leads to the fascination of soil as an organism and not just a planting medium which is how so many of us viewed it in the past. Looking forward to your videos as ever if not a little more this year!
Ditto very refreshing! I think picking and choosing what personally speaks to you and always experimenting is the way to go. I've gotten tired of trying to remember 'rules' from many different schools of thought, have finally decided that mix/match is the way to go for me and that, yes, soil is the absolute everything!
Thank you Huw. Please talk to Charles. The thought wave you are having is creative, academic, practical, useful and important. If you haven't already, think about offering to teach, like Charles, what you are continuing to learn. Cheers.
Why does he need to talk to Charles? I've come from digging over my beds, making own composts & comfrey teas, now adding in no dig & multi sowing to maximise growing space. We learn from ALL different methods of gardening & pick & choose what suits us & our own situation.
@@19hoggy66 Thank you for your comment. You have answered your own question (learning from different methods etc). Also, my comment is not a criticism of Charles, who I adore and who, like Huw, thinks outside of the box. Cheers.
Spot on, it's about stewardship. This is why I took the decision 2 years ago when we arrived to stop the gardening activities and start afresh with the soil as the main focus (as documented in our field to no dig garden video) but I think what's important is that you're not actually stopping doing no dig unless you start digging. We need to start to think of no dig as a philosophy over and above a methodology, as that can be very limiting. Personal context and environment are also important.
Fantastic video Huw. The "one size fits all" mantra definitely doesn't belong in food production. There's no way I could use an in ground no dig system here. Well I could but it would only take 6 months for the trees roots to find the beds and steal all the nutrients from our veg. Hope all's well with you and yours mate. 👍
Try planting in large containers. Mix it up with herbs in your crops. It would look attractive as a focal point for you to enjoy and the mixed planting confuses bad bugs. 🙂
Stealing nutrients is one way of seeing, just note having a big tree pump over 40% of its sugars into the ground around you veggies would give them a massive boost.
Trees and shrubs seem to do fine when planted in rooty ground. I have heard bad things about veg production though. I took out some old raised beds a couple years ago and found that underneath them there were quite a few Fir roots, but only a couple had made their way up into the amended bed soil. They had time to do, just were content to stay below I guess.
Dear Richard, I am originally from Srilanka and came to UK 32 years ago. I love gardening. Nearly 25years I grow most of the vegetables and flowers in small backyard garden with my experience from back home. I had many trials and errors and learnt a lot. Because it’s not the same soil or climate as Jaffna, Northern Srilanka where I born and brought up. Tropical weather and pure farming soil in there. The farming knowledge I got it from my father and my childhood. We had a decent size organic vegetable and fruit farm in our village. After my father retired from his teaching career he became a full time farmer. (While he was teaching he did part time) Farming was his passion and he enjoyed throughly until he left from the village at the age of 75 by the Srilankan war. He also came from a farmer’s family. We grow all of our vegetables in our farm. We also loved to share vegetables with our relatives and neighbours back home. I am from Northern part of Srilanka. Tropical weather in there. Soil is also really good. So, we had different kind of jack fruits, many varieties of mango fruits, pomegranate, lime, lemon, orange, Banana trees etc…. We make our own organic compost as well. In here I am getting more more farming knowledge and ideas from your RUclips channel and other channels. You are really great. Your presentation is simply great. I watch most of your episodes to get more and more knowledge. Now I need an advise from you to make wooden raised beds please. Last couple of years I used 8 (1m x 1m) plastic raised beds because we lived in a rented house in West Midlands. Few months ago we bought a house and in Essex and moved. It is a new development. The soil is clay. I am adding lot of top soil and compost to improve the quality of the soil. But I would like to have few raised beds to grow my vegetables and fruits. We have a decent size garden. Could you please advise me what is the best wood for raised beds. Is oak wood good? Untreated or treated is better? And what is the thickness is good. Is it 4inches or 2inches good. I heard people use Railway sleepers as well. Because before I purchase or hire someone to make the raised beds I would like to know the best answers from you. Hope you will help me. If you know any anyone makes raised beds in this area could you please let me know. These beds are going to be permanent. You are an experienced person. I can take your advice without any doubts. I would like to make them and prepare before the spring starts. Then, I can grow my vegetables and fruits and enjoy this year. Thank you very much. Kind regards Kala
Cheers to you that are looking at growing soil;. The soil food web is amazing. I have change the health of my soil ( clay ) to rich soil on my 22 acre farm and backyard garden.
Big ups!! Be unique and keep gaia happy. Threw/dug my whole final autumn mow of grass deep into the garden soil before winter, have never seen so many worms in my life and can't wait to see if the cutting nitrogen will be passed onto this season. Looking forward to more creativity and experiments in the vids
I love that you are going in this direction of using more than one method of gardening. I also like to use parts of each type of gardening that works the best for me. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
I love this approach. I generally have a "lets see what works" approach to my gardens. I don't believe in any hard and fast rules, and use most things as a guideline. Doing this, I've had some real unexpected successes, with things doing really well when I've put them in a spot I knew was less than ideal, but I had no other space available.
Thanks Huw, this is exciting to hear about. I’m just starting no dig in my raised beds this year for the first time - inspired by you. I only have a couple of small beds, so I’m limited as to how many of your ideas and advice I can implement. But I really look forward to learning more from you as you continue your journey of gardening exploration. Best of luck 🥒🌼🐝💚
I have been gardening for a number of years and like many gardeners and farmers,I did not understand soil health and soil life and what we have been doing wrong for so long, unti I had come across Dr Elaine Ingham(soil biologist)by accident. I can now understand what you say about the 'No Dig Gardening' and the symbiosis between plant and soil life. I can now appreciate what you do. Thank you for your amazing and informative videos.
So looking forward to this new season of growth, and incorporation of various methods.😍 This is what I see is needed. Starting where I can and doibg whatever I can to bring health and nutrients to what we manage to grow. We are very excited!
This is a great video! I love integrating all gardening styles! Victory gardens, permaculture, no dig, intuitive gardening, potager, kitchen gardens, edible landscaping, you name it! We are all learning and is always good to go towards nature to what is best for our land, planet and us. Thanks sharing!
Wow ... love the way you put your thoughts out here.. wild growing weeds just look like gold to me now.. Being a one year old home gardner can see how the soil has improved growing a few plants directly in the ground.
That immediately makes your channel even more interesting to me - and I already watch all the episodes. I think often, provided you don't live in a place that has been too abused, your environment will provide all the resources needed to enrich the soil - like your nettles by the old stone wall, or leaves that drift on a driveway or path. (I never rake leaves from under trees because I realise that trees are self-fertilising - provided you don't remove their fallen leaves.) I've taken to letting dock grow in wilder spaces and harvesting it just before the seeds mature. It has such deep taproots it can draw up minerals from deep in the ground. The leaves are great for fermenting with other leaves or just adding to compost, and the stalks I put through my small chipping machine - along with sunchoke stalks, blackberry vines, black currant prunings, fruit tree prunings... I blitz avocado peel and banana skins with water and then use this to feed flower and fruit bearing plants. Whey is drained off home-made kefir (leaving a mascarpone-type soft "cheese" which is delicious mixed into grated beetroot and carrot salads) and add water 50:50. It's a fertiliser that will suit most plants. If you live near a cheese-making plant you can probably source lots of whey. Every non-synthetic waste seems to have a use. Nature works that way.
Fantastic video Huw. I loved that you say 'intuitive' gardening, because that's how I tend to grow. I've just started working on a very large No Dig Project for a client, and we are just starting our first year, whilst still building beds and developing the site at the same time, so I shall be watching ALL your videos from now on!! Thanks so much for all your advice!
Very well explained! As a chef, I only have a small little area. But the most important part is growing natural and healthly food by building upon what you have. You and Charles Dowding are my favorites!
Huw, this is exciting indeed! Very interested in where this will take you....& how you’ll influence the ever evolving gardening world. Keep up the good work & may the good Lord bless your endeavors in creation.🌱
Hello How ! I m new to your channel, I learned a lot from your videos , but most I learned how we make this world better place by gardening, special thanks from Kazakhstan!
There is such power in growth from experience. I believe it is our purpose to learn, grow, share and for the evolved to teach. Thank you for this birds eye view of your journey. It is an inspiring display of critical thinking.
Totally agree that its important to experiment with different ideas and find what works best for your own garden's particular needs and wants. I'm loving creating a better soil and understanding the process of plants helping plants while creating a forest garden full of food for us and nature. I look forward to watching your experiments. I have made some fermented nettle feed after watching your video about that, so thanks again for your inspiration.
Totally agree. I use a mix of methods myself because I am trying to work with my microclimate, grow a nice diversity, and work with nature. I also like to look at the character of the plant to really decide how and when I want to grow it. I use a mix of no dig raised beds and permaculture/companion planting in a potager style garden. 90x90 feet in size... well that’s in the fence😏... it has started to leave the fenced area🤪
Awesomeness. So much yes to this! This feels really good and the path I'm intuitively feeling is the path I need to follow as well. Looking forward to all that you are sharing this year. 😊
Huw, your passion and depth of knowledge inspire. We are all part of nature, though we seem to like to think of ourselves as above it. One should try to remember that “nature” can live on quite well without us, but we cannot live without nature. Being in a crowded suburban area with too much lawn and concrete, my personal garden mission is not to grow food for myself but for those creatures of nature being systematically driven to the brink by habitat loss. Everything in my garden feeds birds, pollinators, moths, butterflies, and more. My tiny 40’ X 80’ garden has transformed from a “grass desert” to a living thriving habitat for myriads of life forms. And it was easy to do. Love your videos and you philosophy. 💕 from southern Alabama, USA.
I really enjoyed listening to your explanation of your examination of your mindset and approach to your gardening and how it ties into your hopes and beliefs for its benefits back to nature as well. I see myself having a lot of the same thoughts, and am working to start my own garden as well, so it's helpful to see how you're handling your own and how each area will work. Keep up the good work, we can only make things better for everyone!
I reached that position about 5 years ago, Huw. Because I don't have a video channel with 500k followers, it was seen as threatening by those following only one of the 'methods'. I was told I had to 'choose'. I just ignored that advice and kept going. The last two years I have laid cut comfrey leaves beneath my soil-grown tomato plants and have had excellent yields (when you water those rotting leaves, they in effect produce a diluted 'comfrey tea' and help provide the tomatoes with the nutrients they need). I use dirt cheap fungal- and 'friendly bacteria' additives in my seed compost, so that every plant I put out into the garden has seen some micro-organisms that will help create a healthy soil. I use BD500 treatment of the garden/allotment once to three times a year to promote healthy soil ecology. I don't have a garden-scale sprayer suitable for using BD501 or I would definitely be trying that too. I am growing new perennial pollinators every year and putting them down in my garden and allotment to help bring bees and other friendly insects into the fold. The lupins, tansy, artemisia, sage are amongst those that have come back really strongly this spring. I am in the second year of a 1sqm trial seeing if I can grow four crops in one season and documenting the yield (last year was around 33lb, despite the final crop of winter lettuce not being totally perfect) - this year I planted the radish earlier, harvested it all yesterday and will be putting out the beetroot today. I am trying out an experiment of planting some 'nitrogen fixers' on my allotment plot both to increase nitrogen in the soil but also to provide materials for compost (I am using Siberian Pea Shrub and Russian Olive). I also grow some 'green manures', not to dig into the soil, but to provide material for compost making. Phacelia, Westerwolds Rye have worked well, Fenugreek and field beans less so to date. I have also dug some 'Huegelbed' pits to dispose of pollarded hazel tree branches at my plot and they grew very good squash on them last year. The over-riding link to them all is 'creating healthy soil, creating a healthy ecosystem'.
I really enjoy (and agree with) your reflections on gardening, I'm on the same path myself. Starting with no-dig, but not going all-in on the method, but rather combining its principles with those of other methods. Such as permaculture, agroforestry, (American) no-till market garden practices and cutting edge soil science. Instead of restricting myself to one method, I like to learn from a variety of methods that have certain core values in common - that of creating a resilient and sustainable ecosystem, working with nature instead of fighting against it. Agriculture is about 11 500 years old, and yet it feels like we have just started!
I'm just setting up and changing to no dig.one thing I do do is soak the bindweed in a barrel of water.then when it's slimy you can put it on compost with no problems and the last quid makes a good feed.you can do this with nettles too.
This was my first year planting a garden I followed your advice I did ok The soil is clay so the spuds were weak I must mix in more compost Thank you for all your wonderful advice Roll on next year
Huw. I really enjoyed your ethos behind how and why you do what you do...or don't do. My wife and I have just moved to an incredible new home in the steeper hills close to The French Pyrenees. Our property is 12 acres of woodland, steep and cliffs and a long, narrow lawn all of which once was a childrens' summer Collo. I am constantly trying to figure, in our microclimate what is best for the soil, the flora and fauna and then us. This will be our first full year looking, noting, seeing what grows and what doesn't. Thank you again for another important video and this time, with the right focus of land and soil first. Pete
Thanks Huw. Your videos are excellent. I totally agree with you. If we don't experiment, we don't learn. "Tradition" is not necessarily fact and what works for one person, climate, location may not work for another. Keep learning!
Thank you so much for all the energy you put into teaching us along the way that you learn! You have expanded my vision of gardening x1000 since i stumbled apon your channel a bit over a year ago! Have a great day! Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. As a graphic designer, I'm especially amazed by the time you put into getting every shot, every audio clip etc to fit. This video took serious time to make, not even considering the life lived and the thought it took to develop the instruction. Thanks for making it so fun to watch! God bless :) ~ John 3:16
Huw, I greatly appreciate your desire for continued learning and for sharing the journey with us. It will be fun to follow along and see how this approach works for you and to also learn what doesn't work. It's also fun to compare the differences from your climate and growing season to ours here in the US (Kentucky) and see what practices translate and which ones don't.
Wonderful video and approach. Intuitive gardening is where it's at, each plant, soil, area will have it's unique needs. Blending the best of all approaches is beautifully integrative, just like the nature of things.
This coming year is an experiment for me! What food can I grow, how much can I grow? What can I grow in clusters in a small space, leaving more space for other things? How big does purple sprouting broccoli get? Why don’t I learn about the varieties I buy before I buy them? (Accidentally have ended up with a heap of determinate tomato seedlings, so potentially a massive harvest all in one go and bush beans instead of climbing. I need to learn to read seed packets, not just look at the picture!). I value your videos as one of my ways to learn new things and unlock more potential in my garden.
Huw, enjoyed and learned lot. In essence I agree with you there are many ways to plant and build a comprehensive productive garden. Trying different methods should be applicable in gardening as in our general lives. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing this! I love the idea behind no dig, but also struggle completely in my sandy soil and it is not the only answer. Perennial areas are perfectly happy to be 100% no dig but annuals and veggies are a perfect place to experiment with natural options. To anyone who says that no dig is the only natural option: what we do to grow vegetables and flowers in a structured environment is not natural to the plants. We can create microclimates or employ permaculture but... Still not 100% natural. Love your plants. Enjoy what you do. Respect the land and all that share it with you (even the weird looking slime molds that eat pathogens) and like he said... Experiment and keep the excitement real!
I am getting to grips with no-dig which makes intuitive sense to me, I am also trying out chop and drop in the wilder parts of my plot and planning on trying out compost teas this year but am a simple soul and that is enough right now for me. You are hugely experienced and have a fantastic set-up of your growing area and you are growing into finding your own way of being, so go for it and see what washes out in the end, and I hope the journey will be exciting and rewarding...
I don't subscribe to a particular method, but to whatever works best for my environment. Looking forward to your future content and where it takes you. I'll be along for the journey! Greetings from Michigan! 😊
im new to gardening. i want to grow soooo many things. i like gardening because its not just about the food. its getting attached to your plants. then at the end of they year you get your reward. I LOVE HARVESTING.
You're so close to this subject which blew my mind the interconnectedness of living things in soil, mycelium. A book - Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake.
So awesome to see your taking up Korean Natural Farming practices. I came across it last year and love your channel because you have the same approach to alot of things. Good luck on your journey can't wait to see how it turns out
Before jumping in too deep this growing season with videos, here is something different that outlines why I'm changing direction with how I grow food🌱 It is worth watching the whole video to get full context and perspective. No dig will always be the foundation to how I grow, but I believe there are a lot of other things we can bring into it to really build upon the amazing benefits that no dig offers. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend😊
I am very new to gardening and I so greatly appreciate ALL your videos Huw. The information is shared simply and uncomplicated and you cover just about everything.. keep it realistic.. and very wise - Being One with Nature and giving back in this way is fulfilling and beautiful. Intuitive Gardening - Thank you!!
I am doing the same. Combining everything I find. Last year I started to let part of my lawn grow wild, like a covercrop (Inspired by "No-Till Growers") and knock it down like "Diego Footer". I then proceeded to deep mulch the area in leaves like Routh Stout/Back to Reality. In April I will plant potatoes in some parts and in May rake the leaves aside and place cardboard rows like landscape fabric, in which I poke holes for soy, beans and sweetcorn like I saw on another channel.
There is no way I could have converted 700m² to growing space with two toddlers, a dog and fulltime job using just one method. I could tag you in the pictures at the end of the year on facebook, since you have been a great inspiration in that project.
Edit: I also planted fruit trees and berry bushes all over like ?James Pigioni? from new Jersey
Hello, Huw; I've been a fan and subscriber for quite some time, and always found inspiration and pleasure from your channel. I also completely agree that one should be critical of one-size-fits-all ideologies, in gardening as elsewhere. Gurus are people, too. What I am missing from this video, though, is exactly where you are going now; what is the break from no-dig that you are taking? Are you taking a dig at no-dig, or not?
In what sense is this a no no-dig dig? (sorry for the pun, but you know what I mean...)
I'm on a parallel journey with you, thanks to you Huw 😀 Your video recommending 'the regenerative grower's guide to garden amendments' led me to research soil biology, which led to Dr. Elaine Ingham, and I have not been able to stop learning about the fascinating complex relationships soil organisms and plants have. I've just discovered Matt Powers too, who has likewise delved deep into this subject.... 😁
Because I began by reading traditional agriculture, this is the first time I'd heard if no dig. Time to dig into some No Dig!
Plants sharing their photosynthesis with the soil via exudates is the most fascinating thing I've learned about growing in recent years. Because of that, the method that I MOST recommend that home gardeners borrow from farmers is utilization of cover crops. Rather than leaving beds fallow over the winter, growing a winter green manure keeps that photosynthetic activity going year-round (as long as it's not freezing) and in the spring you have mounds of fresh biomass for composting and mulching, and energized soil that has been fed all winter :)
This!!! Working on it this year & I am loving it 💜
I implement hugelkultur, straw bale, wood chip, no dig and Ruth Stout in my garden. It’s been a great success 🤷♂️
Any order of preference?
@@colmwhateveryoulike3240 I always wondered why more folks with raised beds didn't do hugelkultur. It's self-sustaining and will last for decades of done properly, it takes some work to set up but the results will last for years.
@@jamestomlin5525 Yeah we did one in school. Unfortunately a digger ran through it when taking up tarmac for our polytunnel. I reckon my job will let me make one though. We do have a good many logs and woodchip.
This totally resonates with the way I garden on our Welsh hillside plot, I’m slowly transforming our acre of land into a productive food forest and always plant firstly for the bees and soil life. I look forward to watching your trials and tribulations over the coming months
It’s been fun to watch you evolve as a gardener, Huw. And to watch my own gardening evolution! I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds.
Awh thank you so much Erik! The beauty of gardening is that anyone can tweak and tailor it to what suits them best😊🌱
Being raised in the country, the best soil is where wild bulbs grow. Trees that have fallen 50 years before and broke down, foliage that fell upon that same sight, weeds that have grown for years and died back in the soil and adequate rain. There seems to be high amounts of mushrooms and fungus involved in this kind of soil. Especially if cattle have grazed in these areas for years.
This is exactly what I get to grow in. Just a few years in and great results, lots of learning, and doing my best to keep the soil and overall environment healthy. I've honestly seen things in this soil that I personally haven't seen elsewhere. Spoiled, but don't want to abuse it.
@@bbtruth2161 how did you source it?
@@UnseenSpirit source what? I don't understand the question.
@@bbtruth2161 is that soil in your back yard or do you order it to a garden?
@@UnseenSpirit home grown soil. My place used to be a old cattle farm surrounded by a bit of forest. I have lots of organic material here I make into compost and amendments. No need for me to import soil or amendments.
Huw, this is exciting and refreshing to hear ... your approach shows humility ... that there is no 'one' correct way when it comes to growing plants. I'm looking forward to hearing more about soil health and how to amend it naturally. I really appreciate your view that we are all part of nature and not separate from it, or 'dominant' over it. For many people, a connection to the soil has an almost spiritual dimension - helping them cope with struggles or sadness, and my goodness, we need that connection now more than ever! 🐌😊
Never fall in love with a plan, be it training horses, working, gardening or anything else. Stay flexible and open minded, because if you don't you will never progress and learn. Nice to see you thinking of other avenues Huw.
This is so refreshing! Sticking to just one approach prevents further learning through experimentation and exploring other approaches. I look forward to seeing where this journey takes you! 💚
That's very true, but no dig is brilliant for those who haven't got as much time on their hands for gardening as maybe they would like to. Promoting a method with which a layman can enjoy great results is the most beneficial service that you can provide on youtube, to encourage people to succeed. It's great that Huw wants to broaden his experience and educate people about new methods, he really makes some lovely videos. As Monty Don said, 'The point of gardening? It's to find solace, to be happy, to make beauty, have fun and muck about. How you do it doesn't matter'.
@@wobblybobengland well said I’m in total agreement 💁🏻
💜💜💜💜💜
I know this was a month ago but that’s great to hear Huw! Man there is so much to learn and explore (and experiments to wow at) - no dig is a revolutionary turning point - like the other types of gardening you mention - for people who can’t garden for a living 😆 you are a great teacher and I just can’t wait to go off navigating through the Galaxy of nature with you!
Wow, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect for me to hear you share this. After reading ‘The Regenerative Growers Guide to Garden Amendments’ from your recommendation and being an enthusiast of No Dig... I felt as well I needed to merge all I’ve learnt and understood. Bearing in mind I’ve only got into gardening the past couple of years! But being a scientist myself although not in this particular field I have had my eyes opened and evolved to understand, respect and nurture nature which I didn’t before. This is still evolving everyday from what I learn from people like yourself and others. Long May it continue!
I have learnt over the years that I don’t know as much as I thought and that’s has been a blessing to realise as that’s where the changes happen.
Thank for sharing your knowledge and journey. The information you’ve put out there is helping me in my little bubble make the world a little bit better 💚
I try to stick to the idea of not making rules for yourself! It is always good to be open to new ideas as they may be better for your personal circumstances. Hope that you enjoy your new direction Huw!
This is fantastic Paul! And yes absolutely, I feel some things have been getting a little hostile in the gardening world lately so I'm going to go on my own merry little journey without feeling guilty and instead have a lot of fun! 😁
It's exciting to hear you talking about the blend of older gardening and the prospect of interesting discoveries , I look forward to seeing your discoveries unfold, just like another viewer said here. 🙂 Was that comfrey you were picking a bucket of and breaking up ?? I've been reading that's really good, is it as effective as what they reckon? Always look forward to your videos🌼🌻🏵️🌸 👍🏼
@@Wings91 Huw was picking and breaking nettle..... kind regards jo
@@HuwRichards it is all an experiment and an adventure! Enjoy! Thank you for sharing your journey with all of us! Sarah, ct. usa!
@@HuwRichards Good for you Huw 👍
Right thre with you, Huw! These new perspectives from all the approached you mentioned come together to make a very exciting, beneficial, and cost-saving approach to growing food! Hooray!
Sounds great! I'm coming into gardening new this year but have been studying permaculture and sustainable food systems for a while, and keep coming across new connected approaches. I'm trying to find my way and combine the different things I hear about, so it'll be great to see someone like you who's an experienced gardener talking about your own choices.
Have a look at Charles Dowding’s channel.
I can’t be more excited for you and your journey. I really believe you are to become a household name for gardeners for generations to come.
And I'm moving to and beyond no-dig LOL! I've got a suburban block, clay soil which is full of rocks, and a short supply of patience so I've been breaking up defined beds of ground, mixing in gypsum, trenching half done compost underneath, dumping compost on top, turning occasionally to pick out all the stones with a long term goal to know the soil is good and no dig will work for that bed. I've also been positioning my dalek compost bins over the next area to be amended to get a head start on the process. And it's working! When I see that a patch has beautiful soil, full of big fat earthworms and most of the stones are gone I stop doing the hard work and go to no dig. Intuitively it works for me - and my soil type.
Being open to all suggestions and trusting your analysis of your particular circumstances is a great way to go Huw. Love your videos and appreciate your insights. Hugs from New South Wales to Wales!
This speaks to me on so many levels. I'm still a new gardener (became a hobby during quarantine last spring) and, after reading listening to endless sources of information, there is so many different growing types I want to explore!
When you were grinding up and weighing out the nettle to make the spray, I was wondering why not simplify that and use "chop and drop". You can place the nettle and other "weeds" like comfrey, that are growing in others spots, around your vegetables and use it like a mulch to reduce weeds and evaporative water loss, and as the chopped plants break down they slow-release their nutrients into the soil. Turning it into a concentrated spray will then dose your vegetables in spikes of nutrients, which isn't how nature works. Various plants die off and more slowly break down into the soil, and chop and drop mimics that but you can still concentrate nutrients by chopping from around the property and dropping in the vegetable beds.
When you mention finding the "one way/answer", the most common answer in permaculture is "it depends", and using multiple methods based on the situation is very helpful. So the above chop and drop might not be the answer for one plant/bed, but is for another.
Love the idea of keeping an open and enquiring mind. I know a farmer who spent his life improving soil by grazing, and cropping methods. Recently I have learnt why my dog- wood does not grow under the popular trees well, it is not the shade it is that the trees talk threw their roots. I am guessing this is why some veg crops grow better with each other it is the chemicals in the roots that either allow or prevent other plants growing near each other. So much more to understand😊
It’s always a good idea to dedicate part of your garden to experimenting and trying new things. You may just find a new practice that works really well for you!
Glad to see your multi-directional changes, Huw! Ever since reading the Jeff Lowenfels trilogy of Teaming with Microbes, Teaming with Nutrients, and Teaming with Fungi, I have been more and more concentrating on feeding the soil so that the soil can feed the plants. The improvement in both the quality and quantity of vegetables and fruits has been amazing. Adding things like compost tea, vermicompost, probiotics, and rock dust have all greatly improved the soil quality while still practicing No Dig.
I am replying so I can find this comment again for the book names, thanks.
Thank you, I just ordered these books
I've never been tied to one particular method. I call my method, "gardening by the seat of my pants."
Russ that's what works for me too 😄
I garden most of the time on the knees of my pants.
Ruth Stout Method
Works for me as well 👩🏽🌾
@@andymoore9977 same here
I was so excited watching this video!!! I just bought a book " The Regenerative Growers Guide to Garden Amendments", and it feels so right!! I love your videos and the way you talk about your garden and your commitment to improving the soil and consequently our world. I have learnt so much from you and intend to continue doing so!! Thank you Thank you.
Huw thanks for your vids. I have many birthdays behind me. I’ve triple double and single dug. I now use a no dig system that I too modify. I abandoned raised beds a long time ago (dry hot margins above ground and slug nurseries below)in favour of flat beds with wood chip paths. I love your ever expanding and experimental approach and ideas. Growing fruit veg and plants generally means never getting moribund and constant learning. Brilliant thanks
Love that you're open to incorporating various approaches in order to meet your objectives.
I am starting my first garden this year. After last year walking into stores and the stores limiting how much vegetables and fruits we could purchase inspired me to garden. I am looking into the no dig garden method and enjoy these videos. Thank you
It will cost you alot in compost I would take some time to build up your own compost.
@@byroncudworth6918 how do i build up compost. I have .40 acres land.
@@ambeezy808 My compost game isn't great at the moment. I have only had my plot for a year, it's certainly nowhere near 40 acres. Here is a video that might help. ruclips.net/video/swLkA1cHJ4Y/видео.html
I will find another one for you I thought was good.
@@byroncudworth6918 great, I am sitting down to watch the video now. Keep them coming 👍🏽
@@ambeezy808 ruclips.net/video/l698hczXpMM/видео.html this is a super quick process. Compost in six weeks. Sorry it took so long to get back to you, got distracted, went to my allotment.
Foliar feed is excellent. Easiest way I found for it is to take leaf mould and compost, toss a handful or two into a paint strainer bag, tossing that into a 5 gallon bucket, taking an aquarium aerator/bubbler and putting it in the bottom of the bucket and letting it run for 1-3 days. The bacteria in the compost multiply rapidly to make a compost "tea". The aerator keeps the tea aerobic. Then you can take the compost out of the bag and return it to your compost pile. Put the tea in a spray bottle and go to town on your plants. I've never had darker green leaves on any of my plants.
Love this approach Huw, always evolving, always learning, always open to the possibilities. This is gardening - and life - for us. Look forward to how this unfolds for you.
Totally agree giving back to Mother Nature is definitely the way. Building up the soil via organic composting, something I am doing too and just loving it
I'd love to see more videos on plant amendments, how to make fermented plant feeds etc. permaculture and Korean Natural Farming.
I absolutely love the new direction you're going, Huw, the layers you're adding to your gardening practice. I am with you 100% that the more natural, clean and pure, the better. Very much looking forward to watching your journey. :)
Sheryl in Southern California
Delightful to watch you grow as a gardener and what wonderful tips you share too. Gardening is a life long passion and journey and helps us evolve. I really like how you reminded us that we, as humans, are a part of nature as well. Thank you!
The wall where you were cutting nettle is so lovely and whimsical.
I look forward to seeing the different ways you plan to explore improving and growing your garden. Thank you for sharing!
I just started gardening in my own allotment. I am really inspired by your videos and it already changed my views on gardening. Really happy to follow you here and get more inspiration from you! Thanks a lot for sharing! Peter from Germany
I'm really excited to see where you're going with this Huw. I can quite see how no dig leads to the fascination of soil as an organism and not just a planting medium which is how so many of us viewed it in the past. Looking forward to your videos as ever if not a little more this year!
Ditto very refreshing! I think picking and choosing what personally speaks to you and always experimenting is the way to go. I've gotten tired of trying to remember 'rules' from many different schools of thought, have finally decided that mix/match is the way to go for me and that, yes, soil is the absolute everything!
Thank you Huw. Please talk to Charles. The thought wave you are having is creative, academic, practical, useful and important. If you haven't already, think about offering to teach, like Charles, what you are continuing to learn. Cheers.
Why does he need to talk to Charles?
I've come from digging over my beds, making own composts & comfrey teas, now adding in no dig & multi sowing to maximise growing space.
We learn from ALL different methods of gardening & pick & choose what suits us & our own situation.
@@19hoggy66 Thank you for your comment. You have answered your own question (learning from different methods etc). Also, my comment is not a criticism of Charles, who I adore and who, like Huw, thinks outside of the box. Cheers.
Spot on, it's about stewardship. This is why I took the decision 2 years ago when we arrived to stop the gardening activities and start afresh with the soil as the main focus (as documented in our field to no dig garden video) but I think what's important is that you're not actually stopping doing no dig unless you start digging. We need to start to think of no dig as a philosophy over and above a methodology, as that can be very limiting. Personal context and environment are also important.
Fantastic video Huw. The "one size fits all" mantra definitely doesn't belong in food production. There's no way I could use an in ground no dig system here. Well I could but it would only take 6 months for the trees roots to find the beds and steal all the nutrients from our veg.
Hope all's well with you and yours mate. 👍
Try planting in large containers. Mix it up with herbs in your crops.
It would look attractive as a focal point for you to enjoy and the mixed planting confuses bad bugs. 🙂
@@chrispedersen6999 I use wicking beds & aquaponics here ;)
Cheers.
Stealing nutrients is one way of seeing, just note having a big tree pump over 40% of its sugars into the ground around you veggies would give them a massive boost.
@@etienne_oosthuizen Tree roots got into a number of beds I noticed the opposite effect with the plants performing very poorly. 😕
Trees and shrubs seem to do fine when planted in rooty ground. I have heard bad things about veg production though. I took out some old raised beds a couple years ago and found that underneath them there were quite a few Fir roots, but only a couple had made their way up into the amended bed soil. They had time to do, just were content to stay below I guess.
Dear Richard, I am originally from Srilanka and came to UK 32 years ago. I love gardening. Nearly 25years I grow most of the vegetables and flowers in small backyard garden with my experience from back home. I had many trials and errors and learnt a lot. Because it’s not the same soil or climate as Jaffna, Northern Srilanka where I born and brought up. Tropical weather and pure farming soil in there.
The farming knowledge I got it from my father and my childhood. We had a decent size organic vegetable and fruit farm in our village. After my father retired from his teaching career he became a full time farmer. (While he was teaching he did part time) Farming was his passion and he enjoyed throughly until he left from the village at the age of 75 by the Srilankan war. He also came from a farmer’s family.
We grow all of our vegetables in our farm. We also loved to share vegetables with our relatives and neighbours back home. I am from Northern part of Srilanka. Tropical weather in there. Soil is also really good. So, we had different kind of jack fruits, many varieties of mango fruits, pomegranate, lime, lemon, orange, Banana trees etc…. We make our own organic compost as well.
In here I am getting more more farming knowledge and ideas from your RUclips channel and other channels. You are really great. Your presentation is simply great. I watch most of your episodes to get more and more knowledge.
Now I need an advise from you to make wooden raised beds please.
Last couple of years I used 8 (1m x 1m) plastic raised beds because we lived in a rented house in West Midlands. Few months ago we bought a house and in Essex and moved. It is a new development. The soil is clay. I am adding lot of top soil and compost to improve the quality of the soil. But I would like to have few raised beds to grow my vegetables and fruits. We have a decent size garden.
Could you please advise me what is the best wood for raised beds. Is oak wood good? Untreated or treated is better?
And what is the thickness is good. Is it 4inches or 2inches good. I heard people use Railway sleepers as well. Because before I purchase or hire someone to make the raised beds I would like to know the best answers from you. Hope you will help me. If you know any anyone makes raised beds in this area could you please let me know.
These beds are going to be permanent. You are an experienced person. I can take your advice without any doubts.
I would like to make them and prepare before the spring starts. Then, I can grow my vegetables and fruits and enjoy this year.
Thank you very much.
Kind regards
Kala
Cheers to you that are looking at growing soil;. The soil food web is amazing. I have change the health of my soil ( clay ) to rich soil on my 22 acre farm and backyard garden.
Big ups!! Be unique and keep gaia happy. Threw/dug my whole final autumn mow of grass deep into the garden soil before winter, have never seen so many worms in my life and can't wait to see if the cutting nitrogen will be passed onto this season. Looking forward to more creativity and experiments in the vids
I love that you are going in this direction of using more than one method of gardening. I also like to use parts of each type of gardening that works the best for me. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
I love this approach. I generally have a "lets see what works" approach to my gardens. I don't believe in any hard and fast rules, and use most things as a guideline. Doing this, I've had some real unexpected successes, with things doing really well when I've put them in a spot I knew was less than ideal, but I had no other space available.
You are the best gardener I will ever now
Thanks Huw, this is exciting to hear about. I’m just starting no dig in my raised beds this year for the first time - inspired by you. I only have a couple of small beds, so I’m limited as to how many of your ideas and advice I can implement. But I really look forward to learning more from you as you continue your journey of gardening exploration. Best of luck 🥒🌼🐝💚
Well said Huw. I very much agree. Been following your wonderful journey for a long time. Looking forward to your year 😃
Love your videos 🥰🥰 You inspired me to start my garden this year!! Looooove it! Thank you so much 🥰🥰
I have been gardening for a number of years and like many gardeners and farmers,I did not understand soil health and soil life and what we have been doing wrong for so long, unti I had come across Dr Elaine Ingham(soil biologist)by accident. I can now understand what you say about the 'No Dig Gardening' and the symbiosis between plant and soil life. I can now appreciate what you do. Thank you for your amazing and informative videos.
So looking forward to this new season of growth, and incorporation of various methods.😍
This is what I see is needed. Starting where I can and doibg whatever I can to bring health and nutrients to what we manage to grow. We are very excited!
I remember you explaining how to make money selling fruit bushes from your poly when you were still a shy young child 😊
This is a great video! I love integrating all gardening styles! Victory gardens, permaculture, no dig, intuitive gardening, potager, kitchen gardens, edible landscaping, you name it! We are all learning and is always good to go towards nature to what is best for our land, planet and us. Thanks sharing!
Your one of my favorite gardeners to watch you really feel that warm welcome. And you seem so down to earth. Red gardens is another good channel.
Wow ... love the way you put your thoughts out here.. wild growing weeds just look like gold to me now.. Being a one year old home gardner can see how the soil has improved growing a few plants directly in the ground.
From knowledge to wisdom, nice to see this change
The first casualty of my garden is always my gardening plan, so I keep trying new things and make notes and sometimes it works
Oh, how it resonates with my understanding! My soul is singing listening and seeing it :)
You are without question right...thank you for your care
That immediately makes your channel even more interesting to me - and I already watch all the episodes. I think often, provided you don't live in a place that has been too abused, your environment will provide all the resources needed to enrich the soil - like your nettles by the old stone wall, or leaves that drift on a driveway or path. (I never rake leaves from under trees because I realise that trees are self-fertilising - provided you don't remove their fallen leaves.) I've taken to letting dock grow in wilder spaces and harvesting it just before the seeds mature. It has such deep taproots it can draw up minerals from deep in the ground. The leaves are great for fermenting with other leaves or just adding to compost, and the stalks I put through my small chipping machine - along with sunchoke stalks, blackberry vines, black currant prunings, fruit tree prunings... I blitz avocado peel and banana skins with water and then use this to feed flower and fruit bearing plants. Whey is drained off home-made kefir (leaving a mascarpone-type soft "cheese" which is delicious mixed into grated beetroot and carrot salads) and add water 50:50. It's a fertiliser that will suit most plants. If you live near a cheese-making plant you can probably source lots of whey. Every non-synthetic waste seems to have a use. Nature works that way.
Fantastic video Huw. I loved that you say 'intuitive' gardening, because that's how I tend to grow. I've just started working on a very large No Dig Project for a client, and we are just starting our first year, whilst still building beds and developing the site at the same time, so I shall be watching ALL your videos from now on!! Thanks so much for all your advice!
And...I shall be potting up lots of extras for wildlife (a little way from our own veg I might add!) to keep those predators all fed!
Another amazing video Huw!! Always very insightful
My absolutely pleasure Ivan, have a great day😊
Very well explained! As a chef, I only have a small little area. But the most important part is growing natural and healthly food by building upon what you have.
You and Charles Dowding are my favorites!
Huw, this is exciting indeed! Very interested in where this will take you....& how you’ll influence the ever evolving gardening world. Keep up the good work & may the good Lord bless your endeavors in creation.🌱
The music pulls at the heart, just like gardening
Looking forward to see where you go & loving your open and curious attitude. ☺️❤️
Hello How ! I m new to your channel, I learned a lot from your videos , but most I learned how we make this world better place by gardening, special thanks from Kazakhstan!
I look forward to watching your experiments unfold
Thank you Sarah, as am I!😉
There is such power in growth from experience. I believe it is our purpose to learn, grow, share and for the evolved to teach. Thank you for this birds eye view of your journey. It is an inspiring display of critical thinking.
I’m on my second year as a gardener, this year I’m trying raised beds with square ft method and a separate no till plot just to learn. 🤗
Totally agree that its important to experiment with different ideas and find what works best for your own garden's particular needs and wants. I'm loving creating a better soil and understanding the process of plants helping plants while creating a forest garden full of food for us and nature. I look forward to watching your experiments. I have made some fermented nettle feed after watching your video about that, so thanks again for your inspiration.
Totally agree. I use a mix of methods myself because I am trying to work with my microclimate, grow a nice diversity, and work with nature. I also like to look at the character of the plant to really decide how and when I want to grow it. I use a mix of no dig raised beds and permaculture/companion planting in a potager style garden. 90x90 feet in size... well that’s in the fence😏... it has started to leave the fenced area🤪
Excellent attitude to playing with nature! Congrats! 🌱👍🏼
That field in the back ground
from his garden looks so fun to roll on it
and enjoy the fresh smells of mother earth...🌎
looks like a monoculture to me.
Awesomeness. So much yes to this! This feels really good and the path I'm intuitively feeling is the path I need to follow as well. Looking forward to all that you are sharing this year. 😊
After I read Nigel’s book, I think the same as you. Us gardener shouldn’t just rigidly narrow our thoughts. I am so glad to know that I am not alone.
I will enjoy seeing all the new things you are doing. Thanks for sharing. Janice
Huw, your passion and depth of knowledge inspire. We are all part of nature, though we seem to like to think of ourselves as above it. One should try to remember that “nature” can live on quite well without us, but we cannot live without nature. Being in a crowded suburban area with too much lawn and concrete, my personal garden mission is not to grow food for myself but for those creatures of nature being systematically driven to the brink by habitat loss. Everything in my garden feeds birds, pollinators, moths, butterflies, and more. My tiny 40’ X 80’ garden has transformed from a “grass desert” to a living thriving habitat for myriads of life forms. And it was easy to do. Love your videos and you philosophy. 💕 from southern Alabama, USA.
I really enjoyed listening to your explanation of your examination of your mindset and approach to your gardening and how it ties into your hopes and beliefs for its benefits back to nature as well. I see myself having a lot of the same thoughts, and am working to start my own garden as well, so it's helpful to see how you're handling your own and how each area will work. Keep up the good work, we can only make things better for everyone!
I am excited to see how this unfolds for you
I reached that position about 5 years ago, Huw. Because I don't have a video channel with 500k followers, it was seen as threatening by those following only one of the 'methods'. I was told I had to 'choose'. I just ignored that advice and kept going. The last two years I have laid cut comfrey leaves beneath my soil-grown tomato plants and have had excellent yields (when you water those rotting leaves, they in effect produce a diluted 'comfrey tea' and help provide the tomatoes with the nutrients they need). I use dirt cheap fungal- and 'friendly bacteria' additives in my seed compost, so that every plant I put out into the garden has seen some micro-organisms that will help create a healthy soil. I use BD500 treatment of the garden/allotment once to three times a year to promote healthy soil ecology. I don't have a garden-scale sprayer suitable for using BD501 or I would definitely be trying that too. I am growing new perennial pollinators every year and putting them down in my garden and allotment to help bring bees and other friendly insects into the fold. The lupins, tansy, artemisia, sage are amongst those that have come back really strongly this spring. I am in the second year of a 1sqm trial seeing if I can grow four crops in one season and documenting the yield (last year was around 33lb, despite the final crop of winter lettuce not being totally perfect) - this year I planted the radish earlier, harvested it all yesterday and will be putting out the beetroot today. I am trying out an experiment of planting some 'nitrogen fixers' on my allotment plot both to increase nitrogen in the soil but also to provide materials for compost (I am using Siberian Pea Shrub and Russian Olive). I also grow some 'green manures', not to dig into the soil, but to provide material for compost making. Phacelia, Westerwolds Rye have worked well, Fenugreek and field beans less so to date. I have also dug some 'Huegelbed' pits to dispose of pollarded hazel tree branches at my plot and they grew very good squash on them last year.
The over-riding link to them all is 'creating healthy soil, creating a healthy ecosystem'.
I really enjoy (and agree with) your reflections on gardening, I'm on the same path myself. Starting with no-dig, but not going all-in on the method, but rather combining its principles with those of other methods. Such as permaculture, agroforestry, (American) no-till market garden practices and cutting edge soil science. Instead of restricting myself to one method, I like to learn from a variety of methods that have certain core values in common - that of creating a resilient and sustainable ecosystem, working with nature instead of fighting against it. Agriculture is about 11 500 years old, and yet it feels like we have just started!
I'm just setting up and changing to no dig.one thing I do do is soak the bindweed in a barrel of water.then when it's slimy you can put it on compost with no problems and the last quid makes a good feed.you can do this with nettles too.
This was my first year planting a garden I followed your advice I did ok The soil is clay so the spuds were weak I must mix in more compost Thank you for all your wonderful advice Roll on next year
Huw. I really enjoyed your ethos behind how and why you do what you do...or don't do. My wife and I have just moved to an incredible new home in the steeper hills close to The French Pyrenees. Our property is 12 acres of woodland, steep and cliffs and a long, narrow lawn all of which once was a childrens' summer Collo. I am constantly trying to figure, in our microclimate what is best for the soil, the flora and fauna and then us. This will be our first full year looking, noting, seeing what grows and what doesn't. Thank you again for another important video and this time, with the right focus of land and soil first. Pete
fantastic Huw, i am really looking forward to following your journey. Jen
Thanks Huw. Your videos are excellent. I totally agree with you. If we don't experiment, we don't learn. "Tradition" is not necessarily fact and what works for one person, climate, location may not work for another. Keep learning!
Thank you so much for all the energy you put into teaching us along the way that you learn!
You have expanded my vision of gardening x1000 since i stumbled apon your channel a bit over a year ago!
Have a great day! Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. As a graphic designer, I'm especially amazed by the time you put into getting every shot, every audio clip etc to fit. This video took serious time to make, not even considering the life lived and the thought it took to develop the instruction. Thanks for making it so fun to watch! God bless :)
~ John 3:16
Yes they are exquisitely created videos aren't they!
Huw, I greatly appreciate your desire for continued learning and for sharing the journey with us. It will be fun to follow along and see how this approach works for you and to also learn what doesn't work. It's also fun to compare the differences from your climate and growing season to ours here in the US (Kentucky) and see what practices translate and which ones don't.
Your like a specialist now! I always learn from watching your videos. Now I'll try in my own way what your doing😁
Wonderful video and approach. Intuitive gardening is where it's at, each plant, soil, area will have it's unique needs. Blending the best of all approaches is beautifully integrative, just like the nature of things.
This coming year is an experiment for me! What food can I grow, how much can I grow? What can I grow in clusters in a small space, leaving more space for other things? How big does purple sprouting broccoli get? Why don’t I learn about the varieties I buy before I buy them? (Accidentally have ended up with a heap of determinate tomato seedlings, so potentially a massive harvest all in one go and bush beans instead of climbing. I need to learn to read seed packets, not just look at the picture!). I value your videos as one of my ways to learn new things and unlock more potential in my garden.
Huw, enjoyed and learned lot. In essence I agree with you there are many ways to plant and build a comprehensive productive garden. Trying different methods should be applicable in gardening as in our general lives. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing this! I love the idea behind no dig, but also struggle completely in my sandy soil and it is not the only answer. Perennial areas are perfectly happy to be 100% no dig but annuals and veggies are a perfect place to experiment with natural options. To anyone who says that no dig is the only natural option: what we do to grow vegetables and flowers in a structured environment is not natural to the plants. We can create microclimates or employ permaculture but... Still not 100% natural. Love your plants. Enjoy what you do. Respect the land and all that share it with you (even the weird looking slime molds that eat pathogens) and like he said... Experiment and keep the excitement real!
I am getting to grips with no-dig which makes intuitive sense to me, I am also trying out chop and drop in the wilder parts of my plot and planning on trying out compost teas this year but am a simple soul and that is enough right now for me. You are hugely experienced and have a fantastic set-up of your growing area and you are growing into finding your own way of being, so go for it and see what washes out in the end, and I hope the journey will be exciting and rewarding...
This is both fascinating and really important, thanks Huw👍
I don't subscribe to a particular method, but to whatever works best for my environment. Looking forward to your future content and where it takes you. I'll be along for the journey! Greetings from Michigan! 😊
im new to gardening. i want to grow soooo many things. i like gardening because its not just about the food. its getting attached to your plants. then at the end of they year you get your reward. I LOVE HARVESTING.
You're so close to this subject which blew my mind the interconnectedness of living things in soil, mycelium.
A book - Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake.
So awesome to see your taking up Korean Natural Farming practices. I came across it last year and love your channel because you have the same approach to alot of things. Good luck on your journey can't wait to see how it turns out