At 3:00, I meant to say "azotobacter" but it came out sounding like "azobacter". Azotobacter is a genus of bacteria that can fix nitrogen without forming symbiotic relationships with plants.
I couldn't find an estimate of the percentage contributed by free living bacteria. Compost and mulch should help them thrive. You can also buy inoculants that include azotobacter and probably other free living bacteria.
Patrick you have one of the most educational gardening channels on youtube. Always look forward to watching each video and learning something new. Oscars cool also !! lol
Long before I knew about how's and why's in my garden I did know through simple observation that NOTHING jump starts garden plants like a good thunderstorm. You have a great ability to break down what seems complicated into easy to understand (and easy to apply) methodology for the everyday back gardener. Thanks so much!! Tami
Love the way you explained the cycle Patrick. 👍 Must be the day for nutrients, just posted an aquaponic one on iron. Luckily we don't have to worry about where the nitrogen is coming from in that system. 😉 Cheers mate & have a top one.
Patrick, I haven't watched one of your videos in quite some time. I was stunned to be reminded just how great they are! Your voice has absolutely the right quality for speaking on video. The technical expertise you bring to the camera work is stunning. I especially noted in this one the use of what was a seamless dialog with an unspoken change of scenery, thus gently walking viewers around the garden, Brilliant! When you add in actual knowledge that educates gardeners like myself and have a brilliant basic philosophy described in your channel's name - Well, what is a word beyond brilliant - How 'bout thank you! I hope you and your garden are doing great. I will remain subscribed hoping either you decide to share again on YT or some smart producer grabs your talent and brings it to PBS or some other forum I can access. Again Thank you!
A fantastic account of the nitrogen cycle. I knew alot of it in isolation but hadn't thought of the whole process as a cycle or in applying a combination of these processes for a total effect. You're videos are FANTASTIC!! Thanks for you're hard work and sharing. 👍
Another amazing video. Felt like I was back in organic chemistry. You do a wonderful job of breaking content down to make it easily understood. Patrick tested, Oscar approved.....
This is quality, no doubt about it. Love how educational your videos are, always inspiring me to go and do better, try new things in the garden. Or even do the same things I did, but with the added joy of new background information and understanding. I do think this is the only channel on youtube where I watch every single new video. :)
Extremely encouraging info, as I'm in soil building mode. In your small garden, you've done a marvelous job in working with nature to create, what I consider to be, one of the most rockin' backyard food systems on RUclips. Thanks for keeping us motivated with your excellent content. I'm hoping you do another one of your time lapse videos of your week in the garden :-) Blessings~
Thank you! That's very nice of you to say. I ended up not having time this spring to do the spring edition of 7 days in the garden, so I'm planning on doing it next spring.
No wonder, spring is a busy time! I'll be watching for it. I glean so much from your methodology. You're filling in the gaps in my knowledge. Your channel is a great example of "work smarter, not harder". I look forward to EVERY upload! :-) Pet Oscar for me
Wow. That is WAY more technical info than I can absorb in one sitting. I'm definitely gonna 'archive' THIS one, take notes during subsequent viewings, and research accordingly. I'll say it again Patrick.....you are an absolute 'treasure trove' of gardening knowledge. Many thanks.
Thanks so much! This is a topic where a picture is worth a thousand words. This diagram does a great job of summarizing the nitrogen cycle (it includes everything except lightning) : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle#/media/File:Nitrogen_Cycle.svg
I agree with you about no using or very little use of commercial fertilizers in any garden. I wish I could compost products like you do, but my wife is very sensitive to any odors and I have to buy worm castings and other organic fertilizer. I mulch leaves from citrus trees and the apricot tree.
Hi John. In a situation like that, I'd focus more on mulching. You may be able to get to the point where purchased products aren't needed just by keeping the soil covered with organic mulch.
These science based videos on how organic gardening works are my favorites. I like the caveat at the end to not expect to eliminate nitrogen fertilizers immediately. I still use it, but I'm less dependent as I mulch with wood chips, coffee grounds and compost.
Thorough, thoughtful to your audience, citing where info is from, not pushy, to the point, pretty yard to look at, and a fuzzy kitty... What more could you ask for? That's why I'm always telling people about you. Lol they all think I'm so great a gardening, I just watch you, read some books, and try things. 😉
This is one of the best explanations of the subject that I have seen. I so appreciate your channel. You provide sound information in an easy-to-understand format which does not waste my time. Thank you.
Hi, I just wanted to write to say that I am enjoying your videos so much. They started appearing in my YT Recommendations and your approach to gardening is just fantastic and really jibes with my own (though I'm a newbie so I have a lot to learn). I was sorry to see you haven't put out any videos this season, but I'm sure they took a lot of work so I'm very happy reviewing your back catalog for now. :) Hope everything's growing well over your way and thanks for the great info.
I had heard that about lighting many years ago, you just confirmed what i was thinking. Oscar keeping his claws sharp for he impending battle with that vicious mouse.
Interesting video especially since I suspect I've had a consistent nitrogen deficit in my raised beds for the last 4 years. Tomato and pepper plants have not done well. I recently had a soil analysis done that shows I have P (273), K (270) and N - Ammonia (20), N - Nitrate (44). I understand that soil analysis for N is unreliable but it seems low nonetheless. And P is obviously high - probably due to adding too much "animal" compost. I mulch with dried grass and shredded leaves and don't till anything. My tomato and pepper plants are puny and don't seem to thrive. Garlic, onions, radish, carrots and beets do adequately well. We live in a semi-desert area so there's plenty of heat and full sun. Watering doesn't seem to be an issue as we're able to fully control our watering system via timers and drip systems. I'm fairly convinced that we have insufficient nitrogen content in our soil. Any suggestions as to what we could try? Thanks in advance and I love your videos.
Hi Ron! I'd look for an organic fertilizer that is high in nitrogen but low in phosphorus. If your plants need nitrogen now, I'd go with something that's water soluble.
Thank you so much for the informative video. I just started growing tomatoes and I kept hearing from many different sources that tomatoes need soil that is rich in nitrogen. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and explaining it so thoroughly
The fixing of legumes in you garden is much less than 30# per acre. It is from a fertile soybean field where 50 bu is removed. If Soybeans in a field of 50 bu/ac is used as a cover crop then 240 lbs is added if the N level is low. Free living Bacteria fix many times more than lightning. In a low rainfall of less than 20" Lightning is less than 10# per Ac. A foot of snow is one lb/ac if it is actually measured.
Time to write a book Patrick--it is incredible the productivity you get from such a tiny garden, it didn't even hit me how small until you mentioned 700 sq feet! BTW, you compost your mildewed pea straw? I imagine that only works if you have a hot compost pile? I always throw that sort of straw away because my compost is is a cold pile (I have pea vines right now that are effected and plan to put them into the city recycle bin.) Always interesting info my friend!
Thanks! I hope to get back to writing this winter when things slow down a bit. Thanks for the encouragement! Yes, I compost plants with powdery mildew. On the whole, it's not too big of a problem for us. We usually see the first signs of it in late July / early August, but it usually doesn't kill our plants.
I was beginning to wonder if Oscar was going to make an appearance or not---glad to see he did. A very informative video--thanks for sharing . And I love you t-shirt!!
Urine is also a great option. not only N but respectable amounts of P and K with trace elements too boot. if u follow the rules it can give bumper crops and helps the environment too.
I had a question about the scalability of your garden: what lessons have you learned gardening that could (and could not) be applied to a commercial operation? From an environmental perspective, either a significant proportion of the global population needs to be growing a significant proportion of their food sustainably, or sustainable agriculture needs to be scaled (or both). It seems like a number of your methods can (and to an extent have) been scaled: composting, polyethylene greenhouses, and indoor growing, to name a few. But I wonder what your SWAGs are as to whether they could be better implemented, and if there are things that are currently not implemented on a larger scale that you think could be.
Hi Daniel! If I were to start a farm on a significant amount of land, I'd do 2 things differently. First, I wouldn't go to such great lengths to plant as intensively. Second, I'd place less emphasis on compost and more on mulch to reduce labor. If you haven't already, check out the channel "I Am Organic Gardening". Mark has a small garden and uses an approach very similar to mine (with the 2 changes I just suggested): ruclips.net/user/iamnjorganic
Very interesting and informative video, although I did get bogged down with some of the technical aspects, slightly. I will need to watch this a couple more times to get all the information you are offering, but then I usually do watch your videos at least twice. Thank you.
Thanks! This is a topic where a picture is worth a thousand words. This diagram does a great job of summarizing the nitrogen cycle (it includes everything except lightning) : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle#/media/File:Nitrogen_Cycle.svg
Great video and great information as usual. I would just like to add my 2 cents. At the 00:58 second mark, you state that almost all of the plant material "not eaten" is returned to the soil in one form or another. That's one area where you and I differ. I return it all. :) I don't much like the word waste when it comes to bio-mass in any form that my garden or my body produces.
This may freak some out but in our new garden last year the cucumbers just weren’t growing until our boys started peeing on them. Suddenly, we had more cucumbers than we could eat! Our native soil was dead and now that we have some homemade compost things are about to change.
Just binge-watched 30 of your videos. Thanks for dedicating the time to document your wonderful work. Even if I not so secretly hate you for making it look so easy!!
Back again to wish you and Oscar congrats on 100K. I've been watching your count the last 2 days and couldn't wait until your next video. Keep them coming.
Patrick I love your videos, but as soon as that Nitrogen cycle picture came up I had a nap! This is through no fault of yours, but when I was in college they hammed that into our heads until it was lodged so deep it wouldn't come out lol Great information though, I'm going to have to start doing something different, we're having some nitrogen problems, but I think woodchips and coffee grounds (which I'm using for the first time this season) will be the way to go for long term N needs.
Great video, Patrick + Oscar. I know you've tested your soil before planting but have you ever thought of testing after harvesting? Maybe samples with and without leaf mulch?
Another great video! I have my first garden going this year and have been duplicating your methods taught in the videos. I have pumpkins that have reached the top of the 8 foot trellis... do I cut the main stem now to keep it from growing more or what comes next? Do I continue to wrap it down the trellis - I'm in same zone as you 5b.
Thanks, Casey! I keep winding them around the trellis until it's full and/or I want the fruit on the plant to ripen quickly before the first frost. At that point I prune new growth. I hope this helps!
wow...how the garden has grown! I remember your early beds...now it's the literal garden of eden and even kitty has to walk the fence! lol Time to move for more space? Thanks for the science :)
Enjoyed your video and thanks for all your information on nitrogen I hope one day I can understand better about fertilizers sometime thay can get very confusing not knowing what's what I get confused sometimes about the numbers to I have always been told to stay with 555 I have even heard 511
Awesome explanation! Question about your composting leaves with powdery mildew. You don't find it increases its spread? I'm guessing in a good, hot pile it will kill the mildew.
Great video. Are there any leftovers from purchased produce you wouldn't put in your compost? I recently asked my wife to stop including onion peelings, because I have been hearing about something called white rot. Once it gets in your soil you can't grow anything in the Allium family for 30 years or more. I figure it's fine to compost my own Allium peelings because it's from my soil anyway. Take care Klaus
Another quality video, thank you. I mention your channel all the time :-) we've been raising rabbits for five or six years now and I've now decided that the homestead actually runs on bunny poop
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening What I like is I can run tons of weeds through them and get manure for immediate use in the garden. Otherwise it would take me a year to do the same by composting them.
Thank you so much for your videos. I have been researching this information for some time., The main information I am searching for is where do you plant these nitrogen fixers. I am chopping and dropping some, but would like to know where to plant comfrey or perennial pigeon peas in relation to my fruit trees or in relation to my gardens. Hope you have some suggestions to help with this. We are in zone 9 and the comfrey is in a pot in full sun for chop and drop, but is being burned up in this climate. Thanks in advance, Carol
You're welcome, Carol! For nitrogen sharing to occur, the non-legumes need to be close to the legumes. I don't have any experience growing pigeon peas, but in general I'd simply intercrop legumes and non-legumes. Just be careful that plants have enough space and sun. I hope this helps!
Lies.. :P Oscar seems like a nice being (for a cat). I'm sure he is plotting your death behind your backs though. That is cat life. In case, yes I am a dog person.. not rat dogs though. I do enjoy watching Oscar as an in/out-tro though. But that's not why I am here. I got 32m x 15m of space that gets full sun I wanna make into something like OYR.
I am practicing my guitar, and I think your opening has Top E tuned in D. Am I correct or not? thanks for your input. I love gardening and playing music as well. Sorry for mixing up your comments section with music. I play a Martin. I viewed one of your vids and you were wearing a Taylor shirt. Have you ever played a Martin?
Ooops I should have watched the lesson before asking you the progression of chords to your intro. You brought back some lessons from high school! I think my science teacher was an avid gardener.
I noticed all the cabbage moths flying around your garden. I'm also from the Chicago area and they have been terrible this year. Have you had any luck with your brassica plants? The cabbage worms have descimated my plants
Yes, the cabbage butterflies have been bad this year here too. Our brassica plants got off to a rough start but are doing better now that there's a thriving wasp nest is in our garden. Wasps are excellent cabbage worm hunters.
Oscar sighting 1:07 and 6:49! Did I miss any others? It is such an interesting topic that I may have neglected my Oscar Spotting Duties. I was wondering if you'd cover Pee-Cycling in this video since it is an excellent and free way to get additional side-dressing of nitrogen into the garden.
Hi, i'm interested in what you're going to do with your spent pea plants with powdery mildew. I've always wondered what to do with my powdery mildew zucchini plants and other plants with fungal diseases? You're saying if they go through the compost the fungal disease won't come back?
So I know it's a bit taboo, but supposedly a liquid fertilizer made with human urine and wood ash can compete with synthetic fertilizers pretty well, at least for tomatoes. I haven't tried it, but I might experiment with it. I would have some concerns about salt build up though. news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/090918-urine-ash-fertilizer.html
Hi Dustin! Diluted urine is an excellent nitrogen fertilizer. I wouldn't used wood ash unless there was a known potassium deficiency and the soil was acidic.
I use perlite in my potting mix when starting seeds indoors, but I wouldn't use it in raised beds because of the cost. I usually add some coarse sand (builder's sand) to my raised beds when I want to improve drainage.
At 3:00, I meant to say "azotobacter" but it came out sounding like "azobacter". Azotobacter is a genus of bacteria that can fix nitrogen without forming symbiotic relationships with plants.
I couldn't find an estimate of the percentage contributed by free living bacteria. Compost and mulch should help them thrive. You can also buy inoculants that include azotobacter and probably other free living bacteria.
Thank you so much for keeping things scientific and not spewing garbage like many other popular youtube gardeners/farmers.
Thanks, Timothy!
Patrick you have one of the most educational gardening channels on youtube. Always look forward to watching each video and learning something new. Oscars cool also !! lol
Thanks, John!
I totally agree. I especially like Patrick's scientific approach. Then again, Oscar is the real star! ;-)
Oscar and I thank you!
Long before I knew about how's and why's in my garden I did know through simple observation that NOTHING jump starts garden plants like a good thunderstorm. You have a great ability to break down what seems complicated into easy to understand (and easy to apply) methodology for the everyday back gardener. Thanks so much!!
Tami
Thanks, Tami! Yeah, the garden never looks better than after a good thunderstorm.
Love the way you explained the cycle Patrick. 👍
Must be the day for nutrients, just posted an aquaponic one on iron. Luckily we don't have to worry about where the nitrogen is coming from in that system. 😉
Cheers mate & have a top one.
Thanks, Rob! I'll check it out. Cheers!
Great content like always Patrick. So informative and enjoyable to watch.
Thanks, James!
Patrick, I haven't watched one of your videos in quite some time. I was stunned to be reminded just how great they are! Your voice has absolutely the right quality for speaking on video. The technical expertise you bring to the camera work is stunning. I especially noted in this one the use of what was a seamless dialog with an unspoken change of scenery, thus gently walking viewers around the garden, Brilliant! When you add in actual knowledge that educates gardeners like myself and have a brilliant basic philosophy described in your channel's name - Well, what is a word beyond brilliant - How 'bout thank you!
I hope you and your garden are doing great. I will remain subscribed hoping either you decide to share again on YT or some smart producer grabs your talent and brings it to PBS or some other forum I can access. Again Thank you!
Patrick would be great on PBS!
A fantastic account of the nitrogen cycle. I knew alot of it in isolation but hadn't thought of the whole process as a cycle or in applying a combination of these processes for a total effect. You're videos are FANTASTIC!! Thanks for you're hard work and sharing. 👍
Thanks, Chris! I'm glad it was helpfule.
Another amazing video. Felt like I was back in organic chemistry. You do a wonderful job of breaking content down to make it easily understood. Patrick tested, Oscar approved.....
Thanks, Don!
This is quality, no doubt about it. Love how educational your videos are, always inspiring me to go and do better, try new things in the garden. Or even do the same things I did, but with the added joy of new background information and understanding. I do think this is the only channel on youtube where I watch every single new video. :)
Wow! Thanks for the supportive feedback, Inger! I appreciate it and am glad you find my videos helpful.
My absolute pleasure! I surely do :)
Extremely encouraging info, as I'm in soil building mode. In your small garden, you've done a marvelous job in working with nature to create, what I consider to be, one of the most rockin' backyard food systems on RUclips. Thanks for keeping us motivated with your excellent content. I'm hoping you do another one of your time lapse videos of your week in the garden :-) Blessings~
Thank you! That's very nice of you to say. I ended up not having time this spring to do the spring edition of 7 days in the garden, so I'm planning on doing it next spring.
No wonder, spring is a busy time! I'll be watching for it. I glean so much from your methodology. You're filling in the gaps in my knowledge. Your channel is a great example of "work smarter, not harder". I look forward to EVERY upload! :-) Pet Oscar for me
Wow. That is WAY more technical info than I can absorb in one sitting. I'm definitely gonna 'archive' THIS one, take notes during subsequent viewings, and research accordingly. I'll say it again Patrick.....you are an absolute 'treasure trove' of gardening knowledge. Many thanks.
Thanks so much! This is a topic where a picture is worth a thousand words. This diagram does a great job of summarizing the nitrogen cycle (it includes everything except lightning) : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle#/media/File:Nitrogen_Cycle.svg
Sweet! Thanks again.
I agree with you about no using or very little use of commercial fertilizers in any garden. I wish I could compost products like you do, but my wife is very sensitive to any odors and I have to buy worm castings and other organic fertilizer. I mulch leaves from citrus trees and the apricot tree.
Hi John. In a situation like that, I'd focus more on mulching. You may be able to get to the point where purchased products aren't needed just by keeping the soil covered with organic mulch.
These science based videos on how organic gardening works are my favorites. I like the caveat at the end to not expect to eliminate nitrogen fertilizers immediately. I still use it, but I'm less dependent as I mulch with wood chips, coffee grounds and compost.
I'm glad you like them, Matt! Yeah, eventually you'll likely need less fertilizer, but it can take time.
I still come back and watch your videos every year. Thank you
Thorough, thoughtful to your audience, citing where info is from, not pushy, to the point, pretty yard to look at, and a fuzzy kitty... What more could you ask for? That's why I'm always telling people about you. Lol they all think I'm so great a gardening, I just watch you, read some books, and try things. 😉
Thanks! And thanks for spreading the word about OYR!
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening
Hard work and quality deserves to be spread. My pleasure.
This is one of the best explanations of the subject that I have seen. I so appreciate your channel. You provide sound information in an easy-to-understand format which does not waste my time. Thank you.
Thanks Rhuomai!
Hi, I just wanted to write to say that I am enjoying your videos so much. They started appearing in my YT Recommendations and your approach to gardening is just fantastic and really jibes with my own (though I'm a newbie so I have a lot to learn). I was sorry to see you haven't put out any videos this season, but I'm sure they took a lot of work so I'm very happy reviewing your back catalog for now. :) Hope everything's growing well over your way and thanks for the great info.
I had heard that about lighting many years ago, you just confirmed what i was thinking.
Oscar keeping his claws sharp for he impending battle with that vicious mouse.
Oscar is always prepared!
Very helpful. You broke down the info in a way many novice gardeners can understand. I’m going to experiment with nitrogen-fixing legumes this year.
You made this easy to understand and cited your sources. I wish I could give you more than one thumbs up.
Thank you!
Interesting video especially since I suspect I've had a consistent nitrogen deficit in my raised beds for the last 4 years. Tomato and pepper plants have not done well. I recently had a soil analysis done that shows I have P (273), K (270) and N - Ammonia (20), N - Nitrate (44). I understand that soil analysis for N is unreliable but it seems low nonetheless. And P is obviously high - probably due to adding too much "animal" compost.
I mulch with dried grass and shredded leaves and don't till anything.
My tomato and pepper plants are puny and don't seem to thrive. Garlic, onions, radish, carrots and beets do adequately well. We live in a semi-desert area so there's plenty of heat and full sun. Watering doesn't seem to be an issue as we're able to fully control our watering system via timers and drip systems.
I'm fairly convinced that we have insufficient nitrogen content in our soil. Any suggestions as to what we could try? Thanks in advance and I love your videos.
Hi Ron! I'd look for an organic fertilizer that is high in nitrogen but low in phosphorus. If your plants need nitrogen now, I'd go with something that's water soluble.
Thank you so much for the informative video. I just started growing tomatoes and I kept hearing from many different sources that tomatoes need soil that is rich in nitrogen. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and explaining it so thoroughly
You're welcome, Nicole!
The fixing of legumes in you garden is much less than 30# per acre. It is from a fertile soybean field where 50 bu is removed. If Soybeans in a field of 50 bu/ac is used as a cover crop then 240 lbs is added if the N level is low. Free living Bacteria fix many times more than lightning. In a low rainfall of less than 20" Lightning is less than 10# per Ac. A foot of snow is one lb/ac if it is actually measured.
Idk about the video but i think Oscar found your new fence helpful and gave it 2 thumbs up! Or dewclaws up, as it were. Lol
Time to write a book Patrick--it is incredible the productivity you get from such a tiny garden, it didn't even hit me how small until you mentioned 700 sq feet! BTW, you compost your mildewed pea straw? I imagine that only works if you have a hot compost pile? I always throw that sort of straw away because my compost is is a cold pile (I have pea vines right now that are effected and plan to put them into the city recycle bin.) Always interesting info my friend!
Thanks! I hope to get back to writing this winter when things slow down a bit. Thanks for the encouragement! Yes, I compost plants with powdery mildew. On the whole, it's not too big of a problem for us. We usually see the first signs of it in late July / early August, but it usually doesn't kill our plants.
I love the David Attenborough Style pop out from behind things presentation.
LOL
Thanks Patrick. Nice easy summary mate. I also enjoyed the sneaky Oscar cameo at the end.
Thanks, Andy! I'll have a revolt on my hands if I don't get some Oscar in there! LOL
Excellent video Patrick!! You are so knowledgeable and a great speaker. Your garden looks awesome! Cheers!
Thanks!
I was beginning to wonder if Oscar was going to make an appearance or not---glad to see he did.
A very informative video--thanks for sharing .
And I love you t-shirt!!
Thanks, Susan!
I could definately use those tips annd information in my garden. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.❤
Always a pleasure to learn more about how to get free nitrogen for our soil.. THANK YOU.
Thanks, Mark!
Urine is also a great option. not only N but respectable amounts of P and K with trace elements too boot. if u follow the rules it can give bumper crops and helps the environment too.
I had a question about the scalability of your garden: what lessons have you learned gardening that could (and could not) be applied to a commercial operation?
From an environmental perspective, either a significant proportion of the global population needs to be growing a significant proportion of their food sustainably, or sustainable agriculture needs to be scaled (or both).
It seems like a number of your methods can (and to an extent have) been scaled: composting, polyethylene greenhouses, and indoor growing, to name a few. But I wonder what your SWAGs are as to whether they could be better implemented, and if there are things that are currently not implemented on a larger scale that you think could be.
Hi Daniel! If I were to start a farm on a significant amount of land, I'd do 2 things differently. First, I wouldn't go to such great lengths to plant as intensively. Second, I'd place less emphasis on compost and more on mulch to reduce labor. If you haven't already, check out the channel "I Am Organic Gardening". Mark has a small garden and uses an approach very similar to mine (with the 2 changes I just suggested): ruclips.net/user/iamnjorganic
I love watching your channel. Always very informative and easy to listen to. Still waiting to see if you have any ideas on how to save my garden.
Thanks! What issues are you having with your garden?
Very interesting and informative video, although I did get bogged down with some of the technical aspects, slightly. I will need to watch this a couple more times to get all the information you are offering, but then I usually do watch your videos at least twice. Thank you.
Thanks! This is a topic where a picture is worth a thousand words. This diagram does a great job of summarizing the nitrogen cycle (it includes everything except lightning) : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle#/media/File:Nitrogen_Cycle.svg
You're videos are a wealth of knowledge. Thank you so much for sharing
Thanks!
Another great video Patrick! This was very helpful. And Oscar is always a joy to see.
Thanks, Arian!
Very informative Patrick. Your videos are great and the almost 100,000 subscribers is proof of that : )
Thank you!
Nice nice info, ive been wondering bout how legumes impact Nitrogen supply for cash crop 🙏
Great video and great information as usual. I would just like to add my 2 cents.
At the 00:58 second mark, you state that almost all of the plant material "not eaten" is returned to the soil in one form or another. That's one area where you and I differ.
I return it all. :)
I don't much like the word waste when it comes to bio-mass in any form that my garden or my body produces.
Thanks, Steve! That'll definitely increase the amount of biomass returned to the garden.
Super Thumbs up!!! I love all the facts presented here!
This may freak some out but in our new garden last year the cucumbers just weren’t growing until our boys started peeing on them. Suddenly, we had more cucumbers than we could eat! Our native soil was dead and now that we have some homemade compost things are about to change.
Just binge-watched 30 of your videos. Thanks for dedicating the time to document your wonderful work. Even if I not so secretly hate you for making it look so easy!!
Thanks for watching!
I now have a greater understanding of the great cycle. thank you
You're welcome!
Back again to wish you and Oscar congrats on 100K. I've been watching your count the last 2 days and couldn't wait until your next video. Keep them coming.
Thanks, Valerie!
Great video, well explained and easy to understand, thanks
Thanks!
Patrick I love your videos, but as soon as that Nitrogen cycle picture came up I had a nap! This is through no fault of yours, but when I was in college they hammed that into our heads until it was lodged so deep it wouldn't come out lol
Great information though, I'm going to have to start doing something different, we're having some nitrogen problems, but I think woodchips and coffee grounds (which I'm using for the first time this season) will be the way to go for long term N needs.
Thanks, Conrad! That's great information to have at the ready!
Your garden is beautiful
Great video and academic sourcing. Thank you!
Thanks!
Great video, Patrick + Oscar. I know you've tested your soil before planting but have you ever thought of testing after harvesting? Maybe samples with and without leaf mulch?
Thanks, Valerie! My plan is to do a soil test every few years just to have a general idea of where things are at.
Congrats on 100k I didn't notice till now my friend your video's are full of awesome facts and wow what quality
Thanks! That's very nice of you to say.
Good info, Patrick. Thanks.
Thanks!
Another great video! I have my first garden going this year and have been duplicating your methods taught in the videos. I have pumpkins that have reached the top of the 8 foot trellis... do I cut the main stem now to keep it from growing more or what comes next? Do I continue to wrap it down the trellis - I'm in same zone as you 5b.
Thanks, Casey! I keep winding them around the trellis until it's full and/or I want the fruit on the plant to ripen quickly before the first frost. At that point I prune new growth. I hope this helps!
wow...how the garden has grown! I remember your early beds...now it's the literal garden of eden and even kitty has to walk the fence! lol Time to move for more space? Thanks for the science :)
Thanks!
Thanks for all the great info Patrick ;)
You're welcome, Felric!
Enjoyed your video and thanks for all your information on nitrogen I hope one day I can understand better about fertilizers sometime thay can get very confusing not knowing what's what I get confused sometimes about the numbers to I have always been told to stay with 555 I have even heard 511
I have heard borage called green gold because of the benefit they provide to the soil. What are your thoughts on that?
Great video as usual. Thanks for sharing
Thanks!
Excellent content. Very informative information. Definitely more effective and efficient. Thank you I appreciate it very much. :)
Thanks, Pam!
Great clip buddy. Everything looks awesome as usual.
Thanks!
Awesome explanation! Question about your composting leaves with powdery mildew. You don't find it increases its spread? I'm guessing in a good, hot pile it will kill the mildew.
Thanks! Hot compost should kill powdery mildew. The peas had just a touch of it.
I would hire this guy to improve my garden and have it like his.
Great video. Are there any leftovers from purchased produce you wouldn't put in your compost? I recently asked my wife to stop including onion peelings, because I have been hearing about something called white rot. Once it gets in your soil you can't grow anything in the Allium family for 30 years or more. I figure it's fine to compost my own Allium peelings because it's from my soil anyway.
Take care
Klaus
Thanks, Klaus! I don't exclude any plant based food scraps.
Another quality video, thank you. I mention your channel all the time :-) we've been raising rabbits for five or six years now and I've now decided that the homestead actually runs on bunny poop
Thank you for spreading the word! Rabbits are great nutrient recyclers!
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening What I like is I can run tons of weeds through them and get manure for immediate use in the garden. Otherwise it would take me a year to do the same by composting them.
Thank you so much for your videos. I have been researching this information for some time., The main information I am searching for is where do you plant these nitrogen fixers. I am chopping and dropping some, but would like to know where to plant comfrey or perennial pigeon peas in relation to my fruit trees or in relation to my gardens. Hope you have some suggestions to help with this. We are in zone 9 and the comfrey is in a pot in full sun for chop and drop, but is being burned up
in this climate. Thanks in advance, Carol
You're welcome, Carol! For nitrogen sharing to occur, the non-legumes need to be close to the legumes. I don't have any experience growing pigeon peas, but in general I'd simply intercrop legumes and non-legumes. Just be careful that plants have enough space and sun. I hope this helps!
Let's be honest..we all love the tips and info but we are really here for Oscar ;-)
Oscar aims to please!
Thanks for the great videos. I only have a few plants on a balcony but I like learning for the future!
I hope you get your in-ground garden soon, Christopher!
Lies.. :P Oscar seems like a nice being (for a cat). I'm sure he is plotting your death behind your backs though. That is cat life. In case, yes I am a dog person.. not rat dogs though.
I do enjoy watching Oscar as an in/out-tro though. But that's not why I am here. I got 32m x 15m of space that gets full sun I wanna make into something like OYR.
Incredible info. Thank you.
Thanks, Brandy!
Your shirt needed to say “Reap, Eat, Repeat”
Fantastic information!
Thanks!
05:34 And mycorrhizal fungi, which can transport nutrients between plants.
Dude awsome video, awsome garden. Thanks for the video
I am practicing my guitar, and I think your opening has Top E tuned in D. Am I correct or not? thanks for your input. I love gardening and playing music as well. Sorry for mixing up your comments section with music. I play a Martin. I viewed one of your vids and you were wearing a Taylor shirt. Have you ever played a Martin?
Ooops I should have watched the lesson before asking you the progression of chords to your intro. You brought back some lessons from high school! I think my science teacher was an avid gardener.
Hi Craig! I've played a Martin before but never owned one. The tuning is D-A-D-F#-A-D
Really appreciate your videos. Cheers!
Thanks, Alex!
I noticed all the cabbage moths flying around your garden. I'm also from the Chicago area and they have been terrible this year. Have you had any luck with your brassica plants? The cabbage worms have descimated my plants
Yes, the cabbage butterflies have been bad this year here too. Our brassica plants got off to a rough start but are doing better now that there's a thriving wasp nest is in our garden. Wasps are excellent cabbage worm hunters.
Great video, Patrick!
Thanks!
If u soaked grass clippings leaves an twigs in a barrel of water could u feed ur plant that would it get nitrogen
Wouldn't composting something with powdery white mildew spread it? @ 4:22
Good question. I would not use any plant debri with fungus or other issues for composting. No expert here.
Hey i almost gave up on you! Lol watching now.
It was down to the wire on this one, Jill! Thanks for watching!
hello patric.. i produce vermicompost. how i increase the nitrogen in it. thanks
So if grass clippings are rich in nitrogen why do landscapers rake up residual grass?
Thank you for all that you do great job
Thanks, John!
I’m still worried about what is in the wood chips I just can’t use them
Oscar sighting 1:07 and 6:49! Did I miss any others? It is such an interesting topic that I may have neglected my Oscar Spotting Duties. I was wondering if you'd cover Pee-Cycling in this video since it is an excellent and free way to get additional side-dressing of nitrogen into the garden.
Good eye at 1:07! That was a brief cameo indeed. I haven't talked about pee-cycling but it's a great way to recycle nitrogen.
So you compost your powdery mildew leaves/ i thought that it might live till next year.
Hi, i'm interested in what you're going to do with your spent pea plants with powdery mildew.
I've always wondered what to do with my powdery mildew zucchini plants and other plants with fungal diseases?
You're saying if they go through the compost the fungal disease won't come back?
A couple weeks in a hot compost pile will kill powdery mildew. I never throw out infected plants and we've never had much of a problem with it.
Thank you
Thanks Patrick.Good boy Oscar.
You're welcome!
Thank-you Patrick great video
very educational,luv it!!!!!and thank u!!!!
Thanks, Kat!
So I know it's a bit taboo, but supposedly a liquid fertilizer made with human urine and wood ash can compete with synthetic fertilizers pretty well, at least for tomatoes. I haven't tried it, but I might experiment with it. I would have some concerns about salt build up though. news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/090918-urine-ash-fertilizer.html
Hi Dustin! Diluted urine is an excellent nitrogen fertilizer. I wouldn't used wood ash unless there was a known potassium deficiency and the soil was acidic.
WoW this was fantastic!
An important video, thanks!
Thanks!
Good explanation
Very informative 💯
Hi Patrick, just a quick question- what are your views on using Perlite?
If you have done a video, please let me know link, please
I use perlite in my potting mix when starting seeds indoors, but I wouldn't use it in raised beds because of the cost. I usually add some coarse sand (builder's sand) to my raised beds when I want to improve drainage.
Thank you.
Bless you from India. Where are you from??
In my little backyard garden... it's just me and my cats 🐱 too 😂
Sounds like a happy garden!
Thank you.
There's the same thing in aquariums except there's nitrifying bacteria instead
Chickpeas are good for nitrification?
yes