My wife and I moved into a maisonette and the only green space we has was a little triangle (6m sq) of barren soil and rock with a leylandii and overgrown grass. Thanks to the advice from this channel and others, 2 years of treating the soil by adding new organic materials. (We buried rotting logs and kitchen scraps) This year, the soil is BLACK, moist and full of huge worms. We planted wildlife attracting plants and we have, this year, seen the fruits of our labours - 2 new self-seeding cherry blossoms have sprouted and growing fast. The garden is full of birds, bees and butterflies all day now. Even befriended a family of Blue Tits and a woodpidgeon 😂 It all started when we munched the whole site until we were ready to plant it up. Great video
We just did a collaboration with our daughter, on our channel (BrainstormAcres). She has a tiny back yard and we talked about some of the tricks that she can use to make it work for her. Looking forward to your video!
Hi Tony back again. I used your mulch method with strew - on my spuds in buckets last year. But now no I have an allotment & not just a small yard. ❤️ your channel so informative 👍👍👍
Great video as usual Tony! Excellent point about lawn clippings. There are many “ weed and feed” lawn fertilizers that use a type of very long persistence herbicides that can kill any non-grassy plants for many years. We really like your continued content, but sad that obtaining most composting materials is difficult here in the High Desert of Arizona. Take care and stay healthy.
Perfect timing Tony, Wayne got hold of a pile of woodchip, it looks perfect for mulch but I wasn't sure. Now I've watched this I'm itching to put it on my beds . Many thanks for all your advise no matter what the subject of the videos are it's always sound. Take care all 👍😁
Great to hear pal. The whole idea about my videos is to bring to attention certain things that may jog folks memories. Nothing worse than overlooking things that make life eaiser. I do it all the time lol
you actually need a TV show about your allotment, your knowledge is remarkable. thanks for all the tips and tricks. ive actually put some of my chicken chopped rape straw onto my potatoes ive planted in pots. cheers . julie..
Goodness how I enjoy your videos. You explain the subject at hand clearly, which makes it easier to make choices that are suitable for us. Thank you very much. I look forward to your next video. (I'm saving this one for future reference).
Hey pal. Hope you’re ok, not seen any of your posts recently and I miss them, really helped me out during lockdown and early summer in the garden. Best wishes to you and yours. 👍🏼
We use hay because we can't get anything else. Weed seeds can be a problem but they are easy to keep on top of and overall it is helping us to convert a poor pasture into a great vegetable garden.. Good information in this video.
I have to say I am ,Really, REALLY Upset ! I am a newbie gardener, tryin my very hardest in these Covid ridden times to grow my own veg.... Yesterday, I pulled up handfuls of grass, various little flowers and types of foliage around the base of several little fruit trees I had planted several months ago...I felt on the one hand, admittedly, really rather gulity and sad, as the little flowers were so sweet and pretty...at the same time, I felt I was doing "The right thing " for the trees as I yanked away the beautiful "intruding" plants, exposing the bare earth beneath, muttering mantra like as I did so,( to ease the guilty feeling more than anything else) .."weeds compete for nutrients,they gotta go! ... 0:49 I am, now devastated to learn from Tony, that I should have left well alone ! ( :
Some people use llama wool or sheep's wool as a mulch, too. I tried the llama wool and it seemed to do well at suppressing weeds, retaining moisture, then releasing it back slowly to the plant.
Hey Tony - are you ever going to make a walk through video on how you strung up your solar set up in your shed? I'd love a step by step to do something similar. Especially on the splitter boxes and wondering about outlets etc. Thanks!
As always great video and well explained! I used hay once and learned my lesson as I was picking weeds for a while after! It wasn't a bad thing I just wasn't prepared! But lesson well learned! That's what gardening is right!... I put woodchips down last year and Now my soil under is So soft and so much easier to work. So glad I did. Thank you for all the detail you are putting in your videos it's always appreciated💚🌱
Thanks Rebecca. Im glad you found the benefits of mulch, Yeah every day in gardening is a learning day for sure. and the more mistakes we make the better gardeners we become.
Very informative. What mulch is good for tropical like Bangladesh where threre is long summer and rainy season?. In summer compost gets very dry as mulch.if we use straw or other organic mulch in rain season, threre is a chance of getting waterlogged?
Can I ask how you shred the leaves Patrick? We have a shredder for small branches, rose stems etc but we've never tried it with leaves or grass cuttings and soft stuff. OH says it will bung it up. Dare I risk it? It would be wonderful if it shredded anything.
Hello, it's probably a bit late to comment, but on my allotment site there was a huge pile of chipped Leylandi trees, and a sign that said "free mulch". I thought great, so put a layer over my beetroot bed, I was planning on using it across all my beds, but today I read that it will kill my plants? And that it should only be used for paths, or just chucked away. Have you had any experience with it? Will I ruine my allotment plot if I use it to suppress weeds on beds? I have super sandy soil and was very exited to use it to help retain water and to add organic matter into the sandyness. Also would be a dream to not weed every week or two. What are your thoughts? Thanks.
another great video Tony. thank you for sharing. I tried the ground mats but the sun destroyed them in less than a year so I am back to mulching with compost or woodchips. Here in South Africa, we don't get free woodchips we have to buy them from nurseries or mills, so I would use my own homemade compost more as its cheaper and more readily available to me. :)
A fantastic and informative video ...I've got a raised bed and about to start some pots too ...I can't get out at all due to self isolation but wondering about bagged wood chips that usually get used for paths ...would this be suitable ..also how deep should the mulch be ? Many thanks
Could you please help I’ve made a raised veg bed on wheels and to fill it I’ve used the lasagna method do and it has a plastic liner do I need drainage holes in the bottom please Regards Russ
Well I'm going to have to go out in my garden tomorrow and remove the whole leaves [partly decomposed in a black bag] and wet grass clippings that I've put on my flower beds! Thought I was doing something useful and organic, I'm learning a lot, thank you. Can I ask, is it okay to put veg peelings direct onto the soil to rot down in situ? I have no space for an open compost area and have one of those bins that has a door at the bottom. In 14 yrs I've had about 2 shovelfuls of decent compost out of it. I've tried every which way, keep it wet, keep it dry, damp, lid up, lid down, layers with straw, grass clippings, veg peelings, garden waste and cuttings etc and compost 'encouragers' granule things to speed it up. In the end I buy bags of compost to plant up my pots then recycle the old compost onto the garden eventually. The only success I have is now the beds are so full of plants there is very little room for weeds but I do want to feed my soil with my own compost. At the moment I'm using spent compost as I said before and I sprinkle bone meal [round roses and some shrubs] and chicken manure pellets when things are still dormant, very early spring usually. Our soil is very reasonable loam, no particular problems though I do have dryer, shady areas around the garden which is long and narrow, only 15 feet wide. Your scarecrow gave me a start! Very realistic!
I am composting wheat straw 20 bales which I have laid out in a single layer with the cut side up. I have covered the layer with fresh pony manure. I am now covering the manure with fresh green comfrey and have a tarpaulin cover to stop it drying out. I soaked the bales and manure when I started and am keeping it moist with urine and water. It is getting warm but not hot, how long would you think this will take before it becomes useful in the garden and how would you best use it.
Hi Tony, I love your videos. I am new to gardening. Can you please send me a link for where I can get some Rapeseed Straw Bedding for the mulching. I live in Mitcham Surrey.
Hi thanks this was helpful, esp the what not to do, avoiding costly mistakes. What about shredded paper, newspaper and cardboard, at least these biodegrade, avoiding as much ink as possible?
Hi Tony. I have a blueberry and apple (patio) in large tubs. I put stones on top to help with watering and weeding. As you say no nutrients going in...so would it be better to mulch with something else now then. Maybe straw or something like?
I have been trying to find the chopped rapeseed but can’t, have you tried chopped flax, I was wondering if you had heard anything good/bad advice on it as a mulch. Another great video full of info and clearly delivered. P.S. I would prefer no music to be honest and you are giving information which it great. After all if I wanted to listen to music I would pick another You Tuber to listen to whose topic was music. Either way I am glad you take the time to make such brilliant videos.
Hi Tony I have a compost pile on the garden and it has been invaded by ants is there anything i need to bee doing or is this ok ?? Any help would be great thanks again 👍
Hi Tony, I live in the wettest part of Ireland and this is my first year growing veg in a polytunnel. Is it recommended to use mulch inside a tunnel too? Can I use the "decorative bark" sold at garden centres for mulch? As usual, clear informative video, thank you Tony!
when you showed us you using rape straw in your last video, i'd just chopped back a load of lanky shrubs and bushes in the garden which i shredded into tiny bits and now i am using that as a mulch, it seems to be doing a very similar job to the straw you showed, so it's all good! :-)
Hi Tony, i am a beginner gardener, my husband got me a bag of hydroton balls, can I use them as mulch for my vegetable plants which I grow in pots? Thanks for your reply
Hi. Thanks for another great video. If I may ask 2 questions please: 1) any idea what's the name of the very thick black plastic which is not porous? I am trying to kill 12 years of weeds wild garden by suffocating what's under there for 1-2 months. I have bought anti weed plastic from amazon but that stuff is porous so not as effective plus when I cut the stuff from amazon, it creates a huge mess of thin black plastic strands everywhere even weeks later finding it around garden! 2) 2 months ago, I had some large conifer tress pulled out of garden to cerate light and new growing space. The roots were also grinded but there is still loads and loads of this conifer wood chip amongst the soil there. Is that high acidic wood chip useful as a mulch to place on any of my veg or flowers growing mostly in pots or grow bags? Sincerely, Alasdair
@@simplifygardening Take it from me Tony you don't need to add anything more to your presentations. You can't improve something that is already perfect. All the best Carol.
hi a few days ago i was looking at one of your videos about mulching potatoes in tubs with chopped rapeseed straw i thought brilliant so i got 20 Lts but it is treated with eucalyptus oil to stop animals from eating it do you think that is ok to use? its the only type i could find my very easy to apply. Thanks
Another fantastic video Tony, well explaind you make me think differently. Oh by the way, the last video you apploded about sweet potatoes, it works well with me putting on soil instead of water, I was very excited to see lots of sweet potatoes slips. Its going to be lots of sweet potatoes on my kitchen garden. Thank you again for your great teaching skill ☺️
I'm setting up a composting system, but that will be for later. I'd like to use wood mulch this year. Do you have opinion regarding bagged mulch? I have bagged cypress mulch from the local home improvement store. Do you recommend that for vegetables?
@Babushka Novaya sometimes woodworkers like furniture makers use lack thats acrylic based and then sand it and it gets vaccumed into the sawdust pile , so its got a bit of plastic, but you can always ask. i think wood is normally treated after its milled and when treated its often copper or heat treated depending on your countrys laws. sawdust from firewood is safe to use, i get mine from my firewood i cut with a chainsaw.
Do your water containment bins ever get algae in them. I have small barrels just to catch some water from my small greenhouse roof and they turn green.
Great video tony if i used straw as a mulch around my vegetables what do i do with the straw after harvest time do i dig it in or remove it from raised beds
Personally I also use straw....at end of season I take the bulk off and use in my compost pile, and I dig the remaining straw that I left on when I put in more compost for new growing season
Leave it to feed and protect the soil and add to it next year. Or if you plan on growing a covercrop like green manure. Remove it and add to the compost bin and make compost to use as a mulch the following year
Hello: 5 years ago I moved from zone 5b to 4 right now it is sunday the 26th of april and 2 days ago it was 32F today it is 52 and I live in the vally with MTS. all around me and a large lake so every morn it looks like it rained at night. I have Slugs & snails so bad I was told to get sea shells . Odd enough now my Husband wants to lever Winter land to North Carolina Called Oriental next to the sea so he can sail all year long. I still want to grow a garden however. So it is winter area for 1 more year. How do I kill snails also?
I’ve found that most fruit and veg apart from brassicas don’t mind a slightly acidic soil. Tony even mentioned in one of his videos that spuds like a PH of 5.5 to 6.5. After googling what veg like an acidic soil it opened my eyes.
@@frankcoldwell4424 Thank you, I've got a huge bag, doing nothing, and I have 3 blueberry plants that need a new home, so I'm definitely going to use it on their container. 😊👍
@@frankcoldwell4424 I know, I've been online looking at ericaceous soil and feeds, and they're ridiculously expensive! But I've seen a big rise in the cost of all things gardening related. A touch of profiteering I expect!
Straw is carbon, not nitrogen. Green waste compost is certified organic because UK organic standards recommend that anything composted at more than 55 degrees Celsius for more than 48h (which green waste is) has been hot enough for long enough to denature all chemicals. Hope this helps. :)
Hi luke i understand that straw is a carbon source. But this rape straw also adds nitrogen i did stae other straws wouldnt. What they say about greenwaste isnt really fact. I have had soil tests done on it through a lab and trace elements of chemical fertilisers were still found in the sample
Are you running your straw through a chipper first? The straw available here is in bales and is typically comprised of a lot longer stalks than yours and takes a long time to break down.
Another great video. I love watching your vids, I’ve been doing a lot in my own garden lately and you’ve inspired me to set up my own RUclips channel. Hopefully I can do the same for other people. Cheers mate.
I follow a guy on here that just mulches with green grass and it just turns brown like hay! It don't hurt the plants! I thought it would burn them up but no!
My wife and I moved into a maisonette and the only green space we has was a little triangle (6m sq) of barren soil and rock with a leylandii and overgrown grass.
Thanks to the advice from this channel and others, 2 years of treating the soil by adding new organic materials.
(We buried rotting logs and kitchen scraps)
This year, the soil is BLACK, moist and full of huge worms.
We planted wildlife attracting plants and we have, this year, seen the fruits of our labours - 2 new self-seeding cherry blossoms have sprouted and growing fast.
The garden is full of birds, bees and butterflies all day now.
Even befriended a family of Blue Tits and a woodpidgeon 😂
It all started when we munched the whole site until we were ready to plant it up.
Great video
Thats awesome that you have been able to revive that dead soil. well done guys. made up for you :)
Fabulous!
All of the additives he talks about are things that should be kept out of the landfill. Very good reminders.
:)
Such amazing videos filled with information from the first minute. Thanks!!
Glad you are continuing to make these videos! Time for everyone to have a Victory Garden, even if it is just a pot on a patio!
You got that right Irene, in fact im in the middle of editing a patio gardening video
We just did a collaboration with our daughter, on our channel (BrainstormAcres). She has a tiny back yard and we talked about some of the tricks that she can use to make it work for her. Looking forward to your video!
Irene hopefully this friday I will be able to release a video on Patio gardening. waiting for the sponsor to authorise it
I just love your videos!! So wonderfully informative and helpful. Thank you Tony:)
Thanks Michelle i am glad you are finding value in them
Hi Tony back again. I used your mulch method with strew - on my spuds in buckets last year. But now no I have an allotment & not just a small yard. ❤️ your channel so informative 👍👍👍
Mulching improved my garden a million times! These are excellent tips and I am so thankful that you shared them!
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing it with everyone as this backs up the tips
Great video as usual Tony! Excellent point about lawn clippings. There are many “ weed and feed” lawn fertilizers that use a type of very long persistence herbicides that can kill any non-grassy plants for many years. We really like your continued content, but sad that obtaining most composting materials is difficult here in the High Desert of Arizona. Take care and stay healthy.
Make what you can guys as every little helps
Simplify Gardening yes it does! Hope your gardening exceeds your dreams.
Love your videos Tony just bought myself 3 large tubs for veggie and potatoes thank you so easy to listen to
Glad your enjoying them Maureen
Perfect timing Tony, Wayne got hold of a pile of woodchip, it looks perfect for mulch but I wasn't sure. Now I've watched this I'm itching to put it on my beds . Many thanks for all your advise no matter what the subject of the videos are it's always sound. Take care all 👍😁
Thanks Anne. Glad it was useful to you
As ever, really well explained and you've given me a different look at something I thought I knew quite well. Thanks Tony!
Great to hear pal. The whole idea about my videos is to bring to attention certain things that may jog folks memories. Nothing worse than overlooking things that make life eaiser. I do it all the time lol
@@simplifygardening Spot on, me too!
Cool
you actually need a TV show about your allotment, your knowledge is remarkable. thanks for all the tips and tricks. ive actually put some of my chicken chopped rape straw onto my potatoes ive planted in pots. cheers . julie..
Thanks Julie, Thats awesome its the same straw im using
Great video as always. You know, every time I see your Worzel I'm transported back to my childhood, thanks for the smiles as well as the info. 😀
Im glad he cheers you up as he does me. Will soon be out in the garden
Well done Tony on yet another great video, very well explained everyone can benefit from your information. Looking forward to the next one.
More to come Judith. Thanks for viewing and taking the time to comment :)
Goodness how I enjoy your videos. You explain the subject at hand clearly, which makes it easier to make choices that are suitable for us. Thank you very much. I look forward to your next video. (I'm saving this one for future reference).
Im glad your finding value in my content
Hey pal.
Hope you’re ok, not seen any of your posts recently and I miss them, really helped me out during lockdown and early summer in the garden.
Best wishes to you and yours. 👍🏼
Sorted Andy and just released a new video
Wood chips life saver any weeds pull out so easily 👍thanks for great video Tony ,hope you’re ok stay safe 😊
Thanks Julie we are fine. Hope your staying safe. Yes makes life much easier for sure
Fantastic tips again. I'm learning something new in every video.
Great to hear I am glad your getting value from my content :)
We will be mulching our garden today! Thanks!
Thats awesome Debbie it will save you a lot of work
Great timing mate. Getting the raised beds ready today!
Awesome pal. Congrats on 100
Top video once again Tony. Great stuff.
Legend!
Very pleasant video. Enjoyed just listening to your voice. Thank you for the great information.
Pat from southern Indiana.
Thanks for watching Patricia. Welcome to the channel :)
We use hay because we can't get anything else. Weed seeds can be a problem but they are easy to keep on top of and overall it is helping us to convert a poor pasture into a great vegetable garden.. Good information in this video.
Yes you have to be prepared to deal with them as they germinate
I have to say I am ,Really, REALLY Upset ! I am a newbie gardener, tryin my very hardest in these Covid ridden times to grow my own veg....
Yesterday, I pulled up handfuls of grass, various little flowers and types of foliage around the base of several little fruit trees I had planted several months ago...I felt on the one hand, admittedly, really rather gulity and sad, as the little flowers were so sweet and pretty...at the same time, I felt I was doing "The right thing " for the trees as I yanked away the beautiful "intruding" plants, exposing the bare earth beneath, muttering mantra like as I did so,( to ease the guilty feeling more than anything else) .."weeds compete for nutrients,they gotta go! ... 0:49
I am, now devastated to learn from Tony, that I should have left well alone ! ( :
The weeds will regrow quite quickly. But bare earth is better to be covered if possible its so much better for the soil life
Thanks again, Tony!
Any time!
Some people use llama wool or sheep's wool as a mulch, too. I tried the llama wool and it seemed to do well at suppressing weeds, retaining moisture, then releasing it back slowly to the plant.
Another great mulch. So many things you can use
Another great one... thank Tony . . Stay safe
Thanks Dayan glad you enjoyed it
I just started using mulch. I appreciate the info.
Awesome glad it was of interest
As always explained well thankyou tony very helpful as always
Glad you enjoyed it Paul :)
Thanks for your help man this video really helped my garden now has no weeds
Glad I could help
Thanks for your vids, yesterday I used my first batch of homemade compost, felt very satisfying and I'm learning new things every day. You're a star.
Wonderful Jodie. Im so glad you made compost. its very rewarding to know you didnt have to buy it
Excellent information, cheers Tony.
Glad you got value David
Thank you Tony! I'm taking notes! Bless you for helping folks learn how to get the best from their gardens.👵🌱💞👍
Thanks Melody. Glad its of use to you
잘 보았네요~
저는 풀멀칭을 하는데
다양한 멀칭방법을 고민중입니다!
영상 고맙습니다!^^
😉👍
Great video! More people need to think like you do! Microbes make the garden go round 🐛
Thanks Duncan. Work with nature not against it
@@simplifygardening gardening along side nature sure is the way to go!
Hey Tony - are you ever going to make a walk through video on how you strung up your solar set up in your shed? I'd love a step by step to do something similar. Especially on the splitter boxes and wondering about outlets etc. Thanks!
Kat there is one search in my videos for the solar shed
Great information Tony thanks
Cheers Peter
Thanks Tony this video is definitely a keeper,learnt so much 👌🌱🌱🌱
So glad you found value in it Joyce
Hi thanks for the great information and answering questions I didn't know I had
Glad you got value from the video
Thanks Tony for this info very interesting.
Glad you enjoyed it Avrell :)
Great video very informative thanks
Glad it was of interest Ann
As always great video and well explained! I used hay once and learned my lesson as I was picking weeds for a while after! It wasn't a bad thing I just wasn't prepared! But lesson well learned! That's what gardening is right!... I put woodchips down last year and Now my soil under is So soft and so much easier to work. So glad I did. Thank you for all the detail you are putting in your videos it's always appreciated💚🌱
Thanks Rebecca. Im glad you found the benefits of mulch, Yeah every day in gardening is a learning day for sure. and the more mistakes we make the better gardeners we become.
Thank you, Tony Another great video
Glad you enjoyed it Howard
This is really good thanks. Are you saying you use Legume straw?
Thanks Tony another great video I really learned a lot
Thanks glad you got value.
You are amazing. Love the way you speak.
Thank you! 😃Robert Glad your enjoying the content
Very informative. What mulch is good for tropical like Bangladesh where threre is long summer and rainy season?. In summer compost gets very dry as mulch.if we use straw or other organic mulch in rain season, threre is a chance of getting waterlogged?
use woodchips that will drain too
Shredded tree leafs made a great Mulch. I 've been using leafs for many years for my no-dig beds
Can I ask how you shred the leaves Patrick? We have a shredder for small branches, rose stems etc but we've never tried it with leaves or grass cuttings and soft stuff. OH says it will bung it up. Dare I risk it? It would be wonderful if it shredded anything.
Yes Patrick they are awesome
@@pegsbarton6353 I use a weedwacker/petrol strimmer does a really good job.
Thanks Tony. Good information. I like wheat straw. Its cheap and easy to get in the US.
It sure is!
Hello, it's probably a bit late to comment, but on my allotment site there was a huge pile of chipped Leylandi trees, and a sign that said "free mulch". I thought great, so put a layer over my beetroot bed, I was planning on using it across all my beds, but today I read that it will kill my plants? And that it should only be used for paths, or just chucked away.
Have you had any experience with it? Will I ruine my allotment plot if I use it to suppress weeds on beds?
I have super sandy soil and was very exited to use it to help retain water and to add organic matter into the sandyness. Also would be a dream to not weed every week or two.
What are your thoughts? Thanks.
another great video Tony. thank you for sharing. I tried the ground mats but the sun destroyed them in less than a year so I am back to mulching with compost or woodchips. Here in South Africa, we don't get free woodchips we have to buy them from nurseries or mills, so I would use my own homemade compost more as its cheaper and more readily available to me. :)
Yeah things can be different in various countries which is why i try to show alternatives
Great ideas, thank you very much 😊
Thanks Dawn glad you enjoyed it
I found this really interesting. Tfs😘🤗
Thanks glad you enjoyed it
Great info will get them pines 😀
Great stufff
A fantastic and informative video ...I've got a raised bed and about to start some pots too ...I can't get out at all due to self isolation but wondering about bagged wood chips that usually get used for paths ...would this be suitable ..also how deep should the mulch be ? Many thanks
Yes it can be used as a mulch to help with moisture control and weed suppressant
@@simplifygardening thanks for replying 😊
I love your vids
Thanks Tyler
Could you please help I’ve made a raised veg bed on wheels and to fill it I’ve used the lasagna method do and it has a plastic liner do I need drainage holes in the bottom please
Regards Russ
ideally its better to have drainage or it will fill with water Sorry for the late reply. I have been unwell. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Well I'm going to have to go out in my garden tomorrow and remove the whole leaves [partly decomposed in a black bag] and wet grass clippings that I've put on my flower beds! Thought I was doing something useful and organic, I'm learning a lot, thank you. Can I ask, is it okay to put veg peelings direct onto the soil to rot down in situ? I have no space for an open compost area and have one of those bins that has a door at the bottom. In 14 yrs I've had about 2 shovelfuls of decent compost out of it. I've tried every which way, keep it wet, keep it dry, damp, lid up, lid down, layers with straw, grass clippings, veg peelings, garden waste and cuttings etc and compost 'encouragers' granule things to speed it up. In the end I buy bags of compost to plant up my pots then recycle the old compost onto the garden eventually. The only success I have is now the beds are so full of plants there is very little room for weeds but I do want to feed my soil with my own compost. At the moment I'm using spent compost as I said before and I sprinkle bone meal [round roses and some shrubs] and chicken manure pellets when things are still dormant, very early spring usually. Our soil is very reasonable loam, no particular problems though I do have dryer, shady areas around the garden which is long and narrow, only 15 feet wide. Your scarecrow gave me a start! Very realistic!
You would be better to bury them iff possible dig a little hole put them in and cover them.
@@simplifygardening Okay, thanks for the reply, I will try that.
I am composting wheat straw 20 bales which I have laid out in a single layer with the cut side up.
I have covered the layer with fresh pony manure.
I am now covering the manure with fresh green comfrey and have a tarpaulin cover to stop it drying out.
I soaked the bales and manure when I started and am keeping it moist with urine and water.
It is getting warm but not hot, how long would you think this will take before it becomes useful in the garden and how would you best use it.
Add some urine to it Martyn this will speed up the heating up process and then it will cool in time to grow in
Would the cardboard like I use in composting also work as a mulch?
Hi Tony,
I love your videos. I am new to gardening.
Can you please send me a link for where I can get some Rapeseed Straw Bedding for the mulching.
I live in Mitcham Surrey.
Kind Regards
Toyab
I purchase mine from a local farm store, check one near you its used as horse bedding
Hi thanks this was helpful, esp the what not to do, avoiding costly mistakes. What about shredded paper, newspaper and cardboard, at least these biodegrade, avoiding as much ink as possible?
Most inks these days are plant based so i wouldnt worry too much just avoid shiny plastic papers like magazines
Hi Tony. I have a blueberry and apple (patio) in large tubs. I put stones on top to help with watering and weeding. As you say no nutrients going in...so would it be better to mulch with something else now then. Maybe straw or something like?
No Gail they will be fine but you will need to feed a liquid feed. Organic of course
I have been trying to find the chopped rapeseed but can’t, have you tried chopped flax, I was wondering if you had heard anything good/bad advice on it as a mulch. Another great video full of info and clearly delivered.
P.S. I would prefer no music to be honest and you are giving information which it great. After all if I wanted to listen to music I would pick another You Tuber to listen to whose topic was music. Either way I am glad you take the time to make such brilliant videos.
Yes I have its will be fine to use
Thank you.
Awesome video. Off to find me some mulch.
Go for it Kristel. It will save you hours of weeding and watering
@@simplifygardening I actually quite like the watering. 😂 😂 Weeding not so much 🙈
Hi Tony I have a compost pile on the garden and it has been invaded by ants is there anything i need to bee doing or is this ok ?? Any help would be great thanks again 👍
If you have ants in your pile its too dry. Turn the pile and moisten it down more
Is it a gd thing or bad thing as other vids say its gd and some say bad I'm confused ??
Great video 👍
Glad you enjoyed it
👍💚 thanks for the ideas
You are so welcome!
Hi Tony, I live in the wettest part of Ireland and this is my first year growing veg in a polytunnel. Is it recommended to use mulch inside a tunnel too? Can I use the "decorative bark" sold at garden centres for mulch? As usual, clear informative video, thank you Tony!
Yes you can But dont dig it into your soil when you are planting and ensure its not a pine bark as this will alter the PH
Thought that decorative mulches may be made using treated pallets?..?
Good👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you! Cheers!
when you showed us you using rape straw in your last video, i'd just chopped back a load of lanky shrubs and bushes in the garden which i shredded into tiny bits and now i am using that as a mulch, it seems to be doing a very similar job to the straw you showed, so it's all good!
:-)
perfect
Hi Tony, i am a beginner gardener, my husband got me a bag of hydroton balls, can I use them as mulch for my vegetable plants which I grow in pots? Thanks for your reply
Excellent, how do they do as a mulch? Welcome to the channel
Hi Tony. I use finely shredded cardboard for vermiculture and mushroom growing substrate. What are your thoughts on using it as mulch? Thanks!
Andy be perfect for mulch
Hi. Thanks for another great video. If I may ask 2 questions please:
1) any idea what's the name of the very thick black plastic which is not porous? I am trying to kill 12 years of weeds wild garden by suffocating what's under there for 1-2 months. I have bought anti weed plastic from amazon but that stuff is porous so not as effective plus when I cut the stuff from amazon, it creates a huge mess of thin black plastic strands everywhere even weeks later finding it around garden!
2) 2 months ago, I had some large conifer tress pulled out of garden to cerate light and new growing space. The roots were also grinded but there is still loads and loads of this conifer wood chip amongst the soil there. Is that high acidic wood chip useful as a mulch to place on any of my veg or flowers growing mostly in pots or grow bags?
Sincerely,
Alasdair
1. use a horticultral plastic called black and white. and 2. yes it will be fine to use as a mulch
@@simplifygardening Thanks!
Hi Tony will wood mulch or chips keep the moisture in the soil under it and stop weed growth
Yes Wayne
Hi Tony, a very interesting presentation as usual, but I'm not keen on the background music. I just want to listen and learn from you.
Sorry about that Carol. Im working on finding a balance as some people prefer with and others without getting it right is tough work. bare with me
@@simplifygardening I don't mind some of the music, it keeps it interesting to the ear
@@simplifygardening Take it from me Tony you don't need to add anything more to your presentations. You can't improve something that is already perfect. All the best Carol.
I prefer no music on instructional videos.. Strange enough I didn't hear any music all I heard was you speaking.
Jeremiah Natte ,
hi a few days ago i was looking at one of your videos about mulching potatoes in tubs with chopped rapeseed straw i thought brilliant
so i got 20 Lts but it is treated with eucalyptus oil to stop animals from eating it do you think that is ok to use?
its the only type i could find my very easy to apply. Thanks
Yes phillip thats fine to use. The oils will help prevent pests too
thank you for your reply
keep up the good work and videos
regards
phil
Another fantastic video Tony, well explaind you make me think differently. Oh by the way, the last video you apploded about sweet potatoes, it works well with me putting on soil instead of water, I was very excited to see lots of sweet potatoes slips. Its going to be lots of sweet potatoes on my kitchen garden. Thank you again for your great teaching skill ☺️
Soglad itworked for you Helena
Should i worried about termites when using woodchips? I myself using legumes. But i will consider woodchips.
Thank you, great videos.
Termites dont bother with woodchips they prefer dry standing wood not wet soggy wood
What to do with twigs from down trees.? Have many twigs on the ground from hurrican.
Shred them and use as mulch or add to compost
I'm setting up a composting system, but that will be for later. I'd like to use wood mulch this year. Do you have opinion regarding bagged mulch? I have bagged cypress mulch from the local home improvement store. Do you recommend that for vegetables?
Cyprus is ok as a decorative mulch but wont add nutrients
What are your thoughts on using Peet moss as a mulch?
Im trying not to use peat moss due to the issues caused in the environment, but it would be ok to use if you had it
sawdust is good to mulch seedlings. it holds in water but is fine enough to not cover / smother them
excellent
@Babushka Novaya sometimes woodworkers like furniture makers use lack thats acrylic based and then sand it and it gets vaccumed into the sawdust pile , so its got a bit of plastic, but you can always ask. i think wood is normally treated after its milled and when treated its often copper or heat treated depending on your countrys laws. sawdust from firewood is safe to use, i get mine from my firewood i cut with a chainsaw.
What about using saw dust as a mulch?
Richard i dont know how the fine particles will work into the soil but one way is try it
Just wondering Tony how did the Halo's for your tomatoes do last year. I'm trying them this year would you say they are any good or NOT? Cheers
Yes John they worked fantastic. and were also great for the cucumbers too
Do your water containment bins ever get algae in them. I have small barrels just to catch some water from my small greenhouse roof and they turn green.
No Jim because it doesnt stand long enough
Great video tony if i used straw as a mulch around my vegetables what do i do with the straw after harvest time do i dig it in or remove it from raised beds
Personally I also use straw....at end of season I take the bulk off and use in my compost pile, and I dig the remaining straw that I left on when I put in more compost for new growing season
Leave it to feed and protect the soil and add to it next year. Or if you plan on growing a covercrop like green manure. Remove it and add to the compost bin and make compost to use as a mulch the following year
Hi Tony witch is your preferred mulch I’m currently using straw
Straw or compost
Hello: 5 years ago I moved from zone 5b to 4 right now it is sunday the 26th of april and 2 days ago it was 32F today it is 52 and I live in the vally with MTS. all around me and a large lake so every morn it looks like it rained at night. I have Slugs & snails so bad I was told to get sea shells . Odd enough now my Husband wants to lever Winter land to North Carolina Called Oriental next to the sea so he can sail all year long. I still want to grow a garden however. So it is winter area for 1 more year. How do I kill snails also?
these tips will help with snails too ruclips.net/video/6R7LkDigfDc/видео.html
Hi Tony, would pine bark chips be okay, or detrimental to my container veggies? Cheers 👍
I’ve found that most fruit and veg apart from brassicas don’t mind a slightly acidic soil. Tony even mentioned in one of his videos that spuds like a PH of 5.5 to 6.5. After googling what veg like an acidic soil it opened my eyes.
@@frankcoldwell4424 Thank you, I've got a huge bag, doing nothing, and I have 3 blueberry plants that need a new home, so I'm definitely going to use it on their container. 😊👍
Your blueberries will love it, and they’re cheaper than a bag of ericaceous compost.
@@frankcoldwell4424 I know, I've been online looking at ericaceous soil and feeds, and they're ridiculously expensive! But I've seen a big rise in the cost of all things gardening related. A touch of profiteering I expect!
Lol, have a look at the price of small boxes of bonemeal on Amazon atm.
Straw is carbon, not nitrogen. Green waste compost is certified organic because UK organic standards recommend that anything composted at more than 55 degrees Celsius for more than 48h (which green waste is) has been hot enough for long enough to denature all chemicals. Hope this helps. :)
Hi luke i understand that straw is a carbon source. But this rape straw also adds nitrogen i did stae other straws wouldnt. What they say about greenwaste isnt really fact. I have had soil tests done on it through a lab and trace elements of chemical fertilisers were still found in the sample
Would spruce needles work?
For acidic plants yes
How do I deal with the Spanish Snail using mulch? It keeps eating all my vegetables.
Check out my slug videos one of them is how to make nematodes which will help
I thought compost was supposed to be mixed into the garden soil to improve it?
It is layed on top but this was making the compost itself
Hey, great video! What's about hemp?
Yes Bianca it can also be used with no issues
Are you running your straw through a chipper first? The straw available here is in bales and is typically comprised of a lot longer stalks than yours and takes a long time to break down.
No chad. however it comes mate
👍👍👍
:)
Another great video. I love watching your vids, I’ve been doing a lot in my own garden lately and you’ve inspired me to set up my own RUclips channel. Hopefully I can do the same for other people. Cheers mate.
Thats fantastic. The more choice ppl have the better
Where are you located and what zone?
Im located in the UK. USA hardy zone 8a
I follow a guy on here that just mulches with green grass and it just turns brown like hay! It don't hurt the plants! I thought it would burn them up but no!
Ones it dries its fine the heat is what can cause damage but he seems to be getting away with it, so thats brill
@@simplifygardening Tony here is the video if you would like to check it out!ruclips.net/video/2imAKA-H9Vs/видео.html