My ancestors were from southern Nova Scotia and my grandfather was constantly adding/spreading local manure, old plants, and large quantities of fish cleanings from multiple sources (commercial, self), along with all food scraps. His huge productive gardens provided stores that he consumed, bartered, and gave to local needy for his entire life.
I grew up in Cape Breton myself, and just about every farmer/fisher threw the fish waste into the garden. Nothing was wasted. Every shovel full of dirt had a few lobster or crab shell pieces in it. lol. Nowadays, it's pumped out into the ocean instead of benefitting farmers that live right in those same communities. It just doesn't make any sense.
Another way of using comfrey is let the leaves rot in water and you get this brown liquid fertiliser which is great for feeding tomatoes. Shawn, you could grow peas and beans and the plants can be dug into the ground.
Stinging Nettles can be used in exactly the same way to make a plant food and their fresh growing tips can be used for a tea or to make "nettle champ".
Yes, it's wonderful good stuff, comfrey, I've prepared it in a Victorian garden in Britain, and one thing that's helpful to not smell the rotting mushy stuff is putting a lid on the barrel or bucket. Same with nettle mush rotting. Young shoots of nettle provide good amounts of Vit. C and other valuable minerals, removing the winter-blues caused by the absence of this reservoir. Stir fry some onions, place fresh nettle on top, and add a little water, a lid to cover. Let it simmer for 10 minutes or shorter, and pour some tamari over it before eating. Making a tea with fresh nettle is a good tonic as well, enjoy the springtime!
@@denisemeredith2436 Cattail shoots are not only edible they are great. Steam them lightly and dip them in your favorite salad dressing like asparagus. Roots can be dried and ground up for flour.
@@denisemeredith2436 Actually, I've been in that position, foraging nettle, about 10 years ago. Since stinging nettle is preferably harvested for consumption when the shoots show up in springtime, it's practical to collect them as much as you can, harvesting them from a wide variety of spots, so that stripping a whole patch doesn't harm the nettle vegetation, and spread them out on sheets of newspaper or a large flat underground, and let them dry, for storage in re-used glass jars or self-made bags of cotton material. When dry, the nettle tops can easily be crushed to small pieces, in soup, or mixed with vegetables that need to simmer for about 5 minutes until ready. It's excellent for making tea, with fresh-picked leaves.
I save every egg shell. I rinse each one out and collect them to dry out in a box on top of my fridge. About once a month I crush them to a powder and save. When I plant my tomatoes, etc., I mix about a cup in the hole plus some compost before putting in the plant. I have very sandy, acidic soil from the glaciated, far northern Wisconsin. I used to have a serious problem with blossom-end rot. I have had none at all since adding ground up the calcium from egg shells to the roots of tomatoes and peppers, etc. By adding a fistful of compost, too, it hells to prevent the nutrients from just washing through the sand. It’s a great, economical and sustainable solution since we eat eggs every day. By rinsing, they don’t smell so I can keep them in an open box inside the kitchen for easy access and also aren’t sticky with residue so I can just grind them with my coffee/ spice grinder. Obviously, I don’t have enough for broadcasting but inserting some into each plant’s hole works for me. I love your channel! You are an inspiration.
Rabbits. They're cold compost manure makers and you can eat them. They take up almost no room and are easy to breed for more when you need them. They're almost the perfect small area animal. And their pelts are useful in your climate as well.
I remember driving past the Holland Marsh as a kiddo and even then being amazed and the rich black soil and expansive farming... sad to think about where even that has ended up now many decades later... thank you Shawn for all the education you provide!
Just thinking about today's thought of 'forming deeper relationships with their food' and this channel's focus on self-reliance. A few years back, I made a hard-won observation that fits this grain. I'm in SE Queensland, sub-tropical and reasonably fertile (for Australia). In fact, it's fairly poor compared to the younger continents of North America and Europe. My property is in a rain shadow and even less fertile. Topsoil at best 5-10cm thick over yellow clay schist that the huge gum trees won't even put roots into. I have always been a keen successful gardener but seemed to lose my mojo when I came here. Eventually, I realised a fundamental lesson. This vital lesson is one that most people are never exposed to. One that Shawn eluded to in today's video. "Your inputs are only as good as the land they are collected from." Animal manure collected from the land you are attempting to repair will only be as good as the grass growing on that bit of soil and which those animals eat. So if the soil is poor and deficient, the grass will be poor, and the manure will be poor. The same applies to the plants collected from or growing on that land to make compost with. My usual habit was to collect wheelbarrow loads of horse manure from my own paddocks. Then build huge compost piles in the shape of garden beds. I added grass winnowed from slashing the paddocks and green crop waste. Previously at other locations, that process worked well. But here, all I was doing was compounding the deficiencies of this land and focusing them into small patches called garden beds. Effectively, I poisoned the soil I was trying to repair. The deficiencies continued to worsen. No wonder I got sick, and my garden crops failed season after season. Not to mention a dam full of already toxic water washed off of the poor land. Hence a need to use the scarce rainwater captured off the rooves of my buildings and nowhere near enough. So I had to bring in nutrients or stop growing my own food. But within weeks, I discovered that the gum trees, via their root systems, thieved 90% of whatever nutrient I placed in or on the ground before the garden plants got access to it. The gum tree roots were voracious, quick growing and far more determined than the weak little vegetable plants. So I now use a line-up of old bathtubs set up on brick piers. That stops the gum tree thievery! And limits water loss which is exceptionally high in this mostly drought-stricken area. The natural plants that grow here are Spotted Gum trees, Black Wattles and seasonal grasses. Anything else must be catered for by importing nutrients (fertilizer). Although not organic, I now get a free truckload of composted manure annually from horse racing stables about 40ks away. I pay the delivery cost. This is stable waste that would otherwise be buried in municipal tip sites. And I also get a free truckload of wood chips and greenery from a tree pruning service when they drive past.
Thanks for your info, Clissa. I've read of Aussie's deep fertility issues, which even extend to feeding the fisheries off-shore, and I hadn't thought about how the natural vegetation might take advantage of a new source of nearby nutrients.
On our drives from Cambridge to Espanola we would always stop at the Holland marsh for fresh vegies. Canoed the marsh once as the 400 was so backed up that it made more sense to pass a couple hours canoeing and having lunch then be stuck in the traffic jam. LOVED that black soil!!!
Have you heard of a chap called Jim Kovaleski? He’s a gardener that works two properties, one in Florida and one in Maine. He has an amazing volume of produce coming out of his small plots of land. His secret to high production is managing the microheard in the soil. This has changed my gardening habits. Without a healthy microheard your plants can’t uptake the nutrients you put down.
Hi Shaun I have just finished putting my potatoes in and a new rhubarb crown ,your talk on gardening etc has got me motivated as we have a fairly big garden, and there is nothing like home grown vegetables,so thank you for that ,hugs for Cali.
Been watching and talking with you for years. I’m in the Texas panhandle and I’m moving into a unincorporated township, on 26 acres in the southern Rockies in a few short months. Just 4 hours from my “home” but still in the heart of elk country with rivers and lakes a long growing season. I’ve got my family all on board too. Some will stay here to run the business and come up when they want to play or escape. Think about that, think about how much joy and stability that will bring, now just keep in mind: YOU helped (in a huge way) make this possible. Your thoughts and willingness to share them and share your knowledge has changed the life of several people with lasting rippling effects. Yesterday was my birthday and I’m thinking this year is gonna be the best of my life so far. BIG THANKS, BUDDY.
What a beautiful accolade !!!! May God continue to bless both of you and your families. "Knowledge gained only becomes wisdom when it's shared." Keep up the good work Shawn and Ramatteus 👏👏👏👏
Many thanks to you Shawn for inspiring me. I sold my house in Hamilton and in two weeks my log cabin will have the wood cook stove in it and I will be living on my 100 Acres in unorganized township.
Hey Shawn, why not try to create a patch of grass which you can scythe twice a year. The hay is great to use in the garden and to build topsoil over time.
Absolutely love what you are doing in replenishing your garden for self-reliance. We here decided to stay in the outer skirt of the city for 2 more years, as my daughter has been accepted to a great university here. So, we are growing in our backyard and doing what we can to be self-reliant. Even if it is a little bit, it is something. I've used the hugelkulter method.
I live on an old family orchard in Southeastern Ohio. It is no longer an active orchard but I have been watching you now for two years and respect all you have done. I am trying to clean up the old orchard and become more in-tune with my land. Thank you my good friend and stay safe.
been watching your program a long time. I am 81 years old……just sold my Tennessee farm ( heavy clay )and moving close to my new farm in South Carolina where I have nothing but sand and planted pine trees. Guest I will need to gather up nutrients from everywhere …raid trash cans…pee more, etc. GOOD PROGRAM !!!
I dug three wheelbarrow loads of compost out of one of my bins and I have two to go! I think it’s the single most important component in my garden. I have 300 sq. ft. of raised beds. I hope to build some cold frames this summer to extend the growing season even more, and with succession planting I hope to double my production. I am interested in seeing how you preserve your garden produce. Especially freeze drying and dehydrating.
Spring has definitely sprung here in the UK, we've got our first raised bed all planted out now with onions, spring greens, bok choi and sprouts. The mangetout is growing well in another trough. Keep up the great work Shawn 👍🏻
Wonderful info as usual. My wife and I started a whack of veg and flower seeds in the picture window. A cheap shelf and grow lights and in 3-4 days shoots were up. It’s incredible. We have raised beds outside in a normal suburban sized lot and I’m making more. I built a small compost bin that yields amazing compost from kitchen and yard scraps. At 70 plus years young,I am really enjoying retirement, your videos being top of my info and entertainment source. Thank you.
Because of you, I started my own little garden this year and it's been fantastic! Not only have I learnt so much, but I've been able to reap the rewards of my success in what I've harvested! I'm now looking at how to expand the garden for upcoming years! Thank you Shawn, you are a true inspiration to me and many others. Be well, from all the way down here in little ol New Zealand!
Don’t forget the perennial flowers. A little color. I would send any bulbs or seed you would like to try. Your wife would like that. I’m 78 yo and plant in pots because I have some cancer cells and can’t bend over very well. I had my raised garden disassembled.
Same here in Ireland, farming runoff has poluted the rivers & lakes. Milfoil weed has exploded and swimming in some lakes the polution can be smelt, sometimes it burns the skin! 💖🙏🌻
For our horrible soil we did a variation on the Eden garden. To speed the process we did 4 inches wood chippings, 3 inches compost, then 4 inches more wood chippings. I marked 10 circles on 3ft in diameter across the entire area…cleared the top chips and added more compost in those circles. That makes those circles instantly ready for planting. Next year, other circles and so on. All awhile the chips were turning the soil underneath into rich soil. Hardly needed to water. I always put a fish body under my tomatoes.
Great update video Shawn. Great to here your upland garden is on your current property. I thought it was on your property you sold. Thanks again. We see you and your wife has passed on your knowledge.
I am excited to follow the progress of your composting journey at the new property. I know that acidic soil well, we are surrounded by pines, so our little plot in the yard was jet black when we bought the house. Before that, all I knew about planting was houseplant soil from the store. When I say the deep black soil, I thought that was a good thing way back then, lol. It took 3 or 4 seasons of trial and error until we produced anything. the enjoyment of the fruits and veggies went way up knowing that all the scraps getting composted each year have continued to increase the nutrients in the soil. It gets better every year, it really does add to the appreciation value! Can I gloat about the world's best tomato for a second? And the anxious anticipation of this year's world's best tomato? lol. Keep up the good work, your series is inspiring.
Cali is such a star! I am sure she is an important companion to you. There is no word to describe the amount of work that you are performing. I am sure, there was some knowledge to acquire. Natural expertise, if there is such a thing is not given. And, not to discourage you, a long way to go, then, it is never finished! PS..: I still miss your first settlement. I loved the kitchen, the oven..., the sauna...WHA!....the cabin with the beautiful door, it's additions and more! The long house! Your lake... That was such a grand experience, what are you going to do with it? A center for disabled children and adults. Well this message is in English, however... Je pourrais tout aussi bien l"ecrire en Français. Remember, I could write it in English. My vocabulary is probably richer in English. Of course, I have master the French grammar years ago, with "verbes" never used in conversations or literature. Bonne journée, stay safe!
Our 52 yr old septic system and leech field is failing. It will be replaced as soon as the permit comes thru. But in the meantime, the grass is going crazy with rich green growth. That grass will be mowed and collected for mulch on the gardens and food for the chickens. Inadvertent fertility adding! 🤪
Appreciate what you are doing to build soil and explaining it clearly. Hope more people are doing what you are doing to help nature and our health. First bear in my yard two nights ago here in central VT. Snow in the forecast tonight.
Hopefully that freak April 16th snow fall we had didn't too much damage to your early outdoor plants.... I am glad that I didn't put anything out yet. Great series... on this topic... . Cheers from Simcoe County Ontario.
Good for you! Good for you! What leadership! It's a tricky subject contributing your own urine. People think "ick". But that deeper relationship we need to have with the soil, includes us all hauling in the fact that we are part of a loop. We are not just sitting pretty at the top of the food chain.
I think I remember him saying both the old cabin and the current cabin are on the same piece of land but because of the size of it he was able to move to the back corner, away from those nasty neighbours. Could be wrong though.
I think Shawn flashed back to the mounds in the old garden to show how he made mounds after clearing hardwood compared to the pine/softwood trees he cleared last year at the new property.
Shawn, unfortunately, in the UK with the land usage and cost, it's not possible to do what you do without a considerable amount of money, BUT having a deeper relationship with nature, regardless of whether I can farm and produce. That is incredibly important to me. I'm going through some trying times as I'm sure a lot of people are. The ability to sit on a log in the middle of a forest and listen to the birds, look at the trees, look at the flowers, listen to the babbling stream. It's therapy that you cannot buy! Although I love the building and creation on your main channel, I come to this channel for re-assurance that I'm not nuts! It's the rest of the world that's nuts!
Always awed with your creativity in finding ways to make better & shore up any deficits you experience in your homestead ...... it’s all a testament to how you have built a life of progressive self reliance .... waste not, want not!
From what I've heard, potash helps neutralize soil, which most plants love (plus high in potassium, but tends to rob some nitrogen from soil)...except tomatoes, potatoes, and blueberries; which like the more acidic soil. What about a worm farm, companion planting during off season times, or raising rabbits for their immediate cold fertilizer...add directly to your garden? Just some additional thoughts...can't wait to see your harvests! Enjoy your channels, experiences, adventures, and knowledge. )))
I love hearing about sll the nutrient building talk. I strted a mimi garden in my back yard snd want to add to it as time goes on. Home grown veggies taste amazing! Other places I have lived in had terrible soil that would not grow anything. But adding compost and organic mulch changed it to whefe I was able to grow a variety of plants successfully!
Your mentioning using fish and fish remains as fertilizer reminded me of my 7th or 8th grade history class where the "Plymouth Rock" pilgrims were being shown by the "Native" Americans how to plant corn. There was a picture showing the Native American holding up 3 small fish and 3 fingers, telling the Pilgrim how many fish per corn plant. Many years later, I was helping reduce a farm pond of being over populated with bluegills (it was tons of fun fly rodding the pond for all those little fish). The land owner said, "just burry all the little ones in a hole where ever I have an old shovel stuck in the ground. She had some of the best "home grown" tomatoes I've ever seen.
Thank you for sharing your sustainable gardening knowledge. My wife and I left a city in Oregon’s Willamette valley and relocated to the mountains of north Idaho. Our first project was a greenhouse, which gave us a great bounty last year. So now we want to expand, ad winter crops and an orchard. We are gaining knowledge from you and putting in action. Thanks again.
I planted sweet corn in a old composted cow manure pile! Oh man, I've never seen sweet corn like that!! 14 feet tall, 6 to 8 ears on each stalk, each one was over 15 inches long! And sweet!!
Thank you for sharing Shawn, interesting and informative as usual. I’ve heard that nettle and comfrey also make a good liquid feed for your plants once it has been steeped in water for a while. Enjoy the good weather while you can. Take care, be safe. ❤️ Dorset, UK
Somehow I knew you were going to say Simcoe. It's funny how the locals think we're strange for going ice fishing there specifically to catch perch. I'm from Michigan and love eating perch.
I can't wait to see your garden this year. We just pulled some sunchocks to make a mock potato salad. I always look forward to it. Sorrel soup is next. Gotta love those perennials. Have a great spring.
Thanks for the video. I have a similar situation and I was struggling to figure out how to utilize my septic field. After your comfrey comment, I think I'll plant out my field with nutrient accumulators and harvest them in order to "mine" the fertility. Thanks for the idea. I'm going to run it by my permaculture teacher.
Thanks again for sharing Shawn! I feel like we must be either watching the same RUclips channels or reading the same books because were totally on the same page when it comes to gardening techniques. Can’t wait to get started on my off grid property this spring! Woo! Almost there! It’s been a long journey and you have been a huge inspiration to me!
Greetings from South Africa. If you are planning to grow maize this season, you could consider planting pumpkin and squash together with the maize. Here the traditional peoples always planted pumpkin when they removed the weeds when the maize was knee high. This stopped weeds and made a micro climate to keep the ground cool and stopped evaporation during the hot months of the year, You then get the added advantage of getting 2 or more crops from a piece of land, Vernon Berndt.
Perfect! Comfrey was the first thing on my list for compost. Nettles too. Highly nutritious too! We compost our goats when they die. We learned this from research done at Langston University out of Oklahoma USA. It feels better for us then donating them to coyotes. So now any small animal like chickens goes into the compost pile. I have never seen my compost so good. You hunt. Put all the bones and guts you don't want into your compost. It does work. And it creates very rich earthworm packed compost! You will make it work! Maybe grow some strawberries? Blueberries? Good luck to you and your family! I am adding lots of comfrey too this year. I'm starting some from seed also but the seeds are still chilling for another week! Glad you found a remote place!
While the ground is soft enough I would bury the bones etc quite deep, in order to keep the bears etc from being attracted to the homestead - they could also be burned to make bone sauce with added ingredients to keep animals out of your garden/yard (paint it on fences etc) Another method of composting is called Bokashi - this will allow you to keep a bucket (with a lid) inside, year round, and put All your food scraps into it - I have been doing this for years, and had purchased a bokashi compost bran layer that is added on top of each new addition to the bucket - there is No Smell from the bucket - you can also buy liquid EM to make your own layer mixed with leaves or something, and I recently read that forest soil will do the same thing without any extra inputs (have not experimented with this) My preferred way of doing the Bokashi composting is with 2 buckets, one with holes drilled in the bottom - the liquids that drain into this can be used as weed killer, or diluted to very weak and used as liquid fertilizer
If you can get some, rabbit manure is an excellent fertilizer for vegetables! It’s small so it’s much more manageable and you can use it right away with no fear of burning your plants. Dig the hole, throw in a handful of the pellets and then plant as usual!
Highly informative Thankyou @Shawn James. The 2 most prolific plants I remember from my first 7yrs of life 60 yrs ago ... rhubarb ... was big enough that as wee kids we'd play hide n seek in it LOL It was also where the dunny bin was emptied ... shame horror... never hurt any of us 7kids still all going strong; dad passed @85, mother @76. The comfrey I'll never forget .. mother boiled it only ONCE for an evening dinner veggie 🤢🤮 I guess if we'd been really hungry we'd have eaten it but it didn't lose its furriness on the leaves ... was very hard to enjoy LOL She discovered it was better for composting than eating!!! We had lge dairy farm so copious amounts of cow manure... we made liquid fertiliser for the gardens by adding the manure to water in 44gallon drums , stirring them until liquefied & it made xlent fertiliser. Is there wild animals droppings eg bears, moose, deer perhaps that you could harvest from your area to liquefy?????
I have my Three Sisters garden which consist of corn, Lima Beans and Butternut Squash. The corn was started in the house in a cardboard egg carton. It is about three inches high now waiting on the beans to sprout. Planted 4 Chocolate Cherry tomato plant yesterday and it rained all night. I hope we both have a great harvest.
Hey Shawn, allways wanted to know some things......like for example: how far are you from urban area? How far are you from your home? Where do you sleep every night? How often do you go back to your home? Things like that
Shaun - you are still really grasping at straws with your fertilization scheme. It is a long term endeavor for sure. I am glad that you have taken on my suggestion from a couple of years ago with regards to using leaves. But. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FERTILIZER FOR THIS YEAR. I was very surprised - read that as absolutely amazed- at your yields last year, they were close to unbelievable! Your fish idea is a good one but not for a garden that is supposed to grow most of your food. The composted manure from 100km away was a great find but you are completely right - that’s not sustainable or practical. Stay safe and keep on filming :)
Great, the spring season has started, Shawn. Makes all the work a bit easier, and conditions a bit more comfortable, although the rain seems to be part of this season also. At least, the roots and shoots will thrive in the rain and sun, with those of you all, as homesteaders 😉
Start with the science of the soil. A little extra effort at the start reaps better produce later. Then when you've gathered the fruit, you can collect what's left over and use it to enrich future soils. The efficiency of that is so like you Professor. Can't take from the garden without putting back, you'll wear it out. Maybe even plan for fallow rotation and rest for wisdom's sake. Looking forward to it!
I always put a fish carcass under my tomato plants. Thank you for sharing this I have comfrey and biochar but did not know about rhubarb so thank you I will be adding that to my compost.
One thing I learned recently is our neighbours have tons of horse manure mixed with hay but they use dewormer on their horses and this may kill advantages in your soil (nematodes, etc.)
Shawn, what you talk about is not fashionable nor very high in people's consciousness, but it's fascinating to listen to you. You speak with such quiet passion and authority that it tempts me to emulate you, but the reality is that I'm now too old and ill (and in the wrong country) to follow in your footsteps.
I am very interested in watching what you are putting into practice. We use comfrey and plantain a lot. We make salve, tincture, and powdered root out of comfrey plants. The tincture is really good for respiratory issues, the salve we use on just about anything from cuts and scrapes to bug bites. The powder we have used on broken bones that are having a hard time healing. Comfrey means bone knitter. I am not a doctor and I am not using this comment to take the place of a doctors advice. These are just ways that have helped us.
Thanks for sharing, what you are saying speaks to a lot of people as you are learning if you if you didn't already know. Looking forward and preparing is or should be important to everyone, only so much can be given to a person. Working hard always pays off if you have a path and stay true to what is right.
Not sure if it'd work, have you conscidered spreading powdered clay to hold nutrients? Legumes of course will fix nitrogen. I found growing in acidic Canadian forest soil that adding a little lime to the watering can helped hugely. God bless the work. 💖🙏🌻
Diluted Pee is better than Miracle Grow any day. I used it extensively on my big garden in KY! Pee is slightly acid so Tomatoes love it!! Pioneers would pee on their old hay and straw in the winter then plow it into their garden and fields in the spring.
Jim, when I was a child, we had comfrey, artichokes, but no stinging nettles. My Tennessee grandmother gave us Jerusalem artichokes and called them "new potatoes." Comfrey is also a medicinal plants as is the nettles. Look up nettle patch and see what they've done.
I used to manage a nursery in the Florida Keys. A gentleman came in complaining that his gardenias weren't doing well at all. I told him to pee on them. He thought I was nuts. He did pee in a cup every morning and poured it around the plants. Came back a couple of weeks later, smiling, it worked.
That works on lemon trees, too (see World's Fastest Indian and reference to "Munroe water"). Also, as an aside, if you're about to do some extended manual work and your hands are soft, you're going to get blisters - pee on your hands (or in a jug and wipe it on). Even if the blisters have popped and you have to keep going, do it then! When I first left school and started a manual labouring job, I had blood blisters coming up under burst blood blisters under burst common-or-garden blisters after 3 or 4 days, on both hands. I had to tough it out. Later on, with nicely re-softened hands, I had another spell of manual labouring (trade training) - my old coot supervisor knew what he had in me and said "Go into those bushes and pee on your hands, boy. Don't argue with me." I noticed how good that advice was after an hour or so and repeated the dose a couple of times that day, once the next, and never even got a tender spot on either hand over the next four weeks. And calluses developed quickly, without pain. Icky yes, but it's sterile and works like magic!!! It really does!
Don't forget about the bark chips which I find to be an essential part of making water retaining swales on my land. Just be really careful with the chippers. They are incredibly dangerous machines. I am lucky to have many tree services that are looking for places to drop their loads rather than running over to the landfills in the middle of a job.
I really enjoy your videos on both channels. I was wondering if you could put together a reading list list video. Basically a video on all the resources you read, or watch, to learn all the info you learned to build a cabin, homestead, farm, anything and everything you can think of to share. I know nothing and could use any help. I know you're writing a book and I can't wait for it!
It would be un wise to not listen to you concerning gardening tips and the soil , weather you are going to plant a garden or not information is powerful when put it in practice , and we all need each other to survive , caring for an entire forest area is a huge undertaking, and it takes a lot of time , I'm impressed with your knowledge and understanding of what it takes to get the best results that suits your needs . God bless you in all your efforts,
So interesting Shawn, thank you for sharing... An idea for adding nitrogen to soil: legumes like peas/ beans/ clover have microbes in their roots that take nitrogen from air and convert it to a form that plants can use- could be something to try!... Inter-cropping with peas or green manure with clover
Compost! You need two very tall/large compost bins. Your activities seem to generate plenty of compostable materials at both garden sites. Collecting all your branch, leaf, etc into piles you can grind into small pieces should be easy. Obtaining microbe mix from your hardware store is just an order. The marsh should give you enough green matter to add to your dead matter. I’m sure you’ve thought about it, but you should move large mulch bins up on your priority list. It’s the time of year when you’ll be able to use last year’s plant matter to get your mulch cycle started!
I really admire your view on sustainability. Thinking in terms of energy balance between your garden and the place you remove the nutrients and energy from, is completely missing in modern agriculture.
I love that you’re doing the garden right. I see so many people who insist on following the industrial model in their gardens. I would recommend watching “growing high bionutrient crops” on living web farms youtube channel if you can afford to spend most of a day doing it. The recommendations for inexpensively increasing fertility without importing organic matter are worthwhile, I think. Though, you’ll want more char in your soil first. I also wonder about harvesting zizania in your area. Regulations regarding wild rice harvesting vary significantly and there may not be any local populations, but it seems like a pleasant way to spend a few days to increase your carbohydrate stores without buying in grains.
Char can come right out of the wood stove (log pieces that are not Completely burned to ash), and Potash can be made from the actual wood stove ash (best if from hardwood logs, and you need to test your soil for its requirements) - many products can be made from wood stove ash
@@lyrelprice5739 you can not get anywhere near enough char from a woodstove. You need from 25%-30% by volume of the soil in your garden to be char for optimal results. And yes, you can refine potash from wood ash which allows you to make soap. Leaven bread, cure meats, make tyrean purple dye from woad, japanese knotweed, or other sources of indigo. Lots of uses.
bienvenu dans mon salon Shawn...où que l'on soit, nous sommes tributaires du carburant....dans la famille, nous avions nous aussi le souci de ne pas apporter de nutriments industriels...je pense que je regarderai de nouveau souvent, vous êtes une mine d'or de très bons conseils..vous avez une culture très très large..merci à vous...
chop 10 liters of nettle and pour water over it. Set aside for about 14 days to ferment. When the product smells terribly and foams, it is ready. Dilute 1 liter of such slurry in 10 liters of water and water the plants - these are one of the best sources of nitrogen. I use them myself in my garden.
Organic compost - check. Fish scraps - check. Biochar - check. Manure shipped in - good but $$$ for transport. Cover crops, especially legumes - super good. Seeds not bulk to build soil, retain moisture. Build soil from top down with foliage.
maybe it helps if you expose green manure at the end of the harvest season? we take lupine, phacelia, mustard and clover. when the bed is harvested, we scatter it and leave it in the bed until spring. then we work it into the soil and bring nutrients back into the soil.
My ancestors were from southern Nova Scotia and my grandfather was constantly adding/spreading local manure, old plants, and large quantities of fish cleanings from multiple sources (commercial, self), along with all food scraps. His huge productive gardens provided stores that he consumed, bartered, and gave to local needy for his entire life.
I grew up in Cape Breton myself, and just about every farmer/fisher threw the fish waste into the garden. Nothing was wasted. Every shovel full of dirt had a few lobster or crab shell pieces in it. lol.
Nowadays, it's pumped out into the ocean instead of benefitting farmers that live right in those same communities. It just doesn't make any sense.
Acidic and sandy, perfect for blueberries. Texas
“Deeper relationships with our food, and our land” is exactly what I’m looking for Shawn. Thank you for sharing.
@@helenabiesma5560
While I think this is intended to be a negative comment, I'll give you the benefit of doubt and ask you elucidate please ????
I agree with you, and I think that our purpose is to leave the land in a better shape than we found/got hold of.
Another way of using comfrey is let the leaves rot in water and you get this brown liquid fertiliser which is great for feeding tomatoes. Shawn, you could grow peas and beans and the plants can be dug into the ground.
Stinging Nettles can be used in exactly the same way to make a plant food and their fresh growing tips can be used for a tea or to make "nettle champ".
Yes, it's wonderful good stuff, comfrey, I've prepared it in a Victorian garden in Britain, and one thing that's helpful to not smell the rotting mushy stuff is putting a lid on the barrel or bucket. Same with nettle mush rotting.
Young shoots of nettle provide good amounts of Vit. C and other valuable minerals, removing the winter-blues caused by the absence of this reservoir. Stir fry some onions, place fresh nettle on top, and add a little water, a lid to cover. Let it simmer for 10 minutes or shorter, and pour some tamari over it before eating.
Making a tea with fresh nettle is a good tonic as well, enjoy the springtime!
@@devonseamoor I havent knowingly eaten nettles - if money gets any tighter I will have to go foraging for some.
@@denisemeredith2436 Cattail shoots are not only edible they are great. Steam them lightly and dip them in your favorite salad dressing like asparagus. Roots can be dried and ground up for flour.
@@denisemeredith2436 Actually, I've been in that position, foraging nettle, about 10 years ago. Since stinging nettle is preferably harvested for consumption when the shoots show up in springtime, it's practical to collect them as much as you can, harvesting them from a wide variety of spots, so that stripping a whole patch doesn't harm the nettle vegetation, and spread them out on sheets of newspaper or a large flat underground, and let them dry, for storage in re-used glass jars or self-made bags of cotton material. When dry, the nettle tops can easily be crushed to small pieces, in soup, or mixed with vegetables that need to simmer for about 5 minutes until ready. It's excellent for making tea, with fresh-picked leaves.
I save every egg shell. I rinse each one out and collect them to dry out in a box on top of my fridge. About once a month I crush them to a
powder and save. When I plant my tomatoes, etc., I mix about a cup in the hole plus some compost before putting in the plant. I have very sandy, acidic soil from the glaciated, far northern Wisconsin. I used to have a serious problem with blossom-end rot. I have had none at all since adding ground up the calcium from egg shells to the roots of tomatoes and peppers, etc. By adding a fistful of compost, too, it hells to prevent the nutrients from just washing through the sand. It’s a great, economical and sustainable solution since we eat eggs every day. By rinsing, they don’t smell so I can keep them in an open box inside the kitchen for easy access and also aren’t sticky with residue so I can just grind them with my coffee/ spice grinder. Obviously, I don’t have enough for broadcasting but inserting some into each plant’s hole works for me. I love your channel! You are an inspiration.
Yeah, blossom end rot is usually a lack of calcium in your soil, and the shells take a while to break down so they last the season.
Interesting,thanks!
Rabbits. They're cold compost manure makers and you can eat them. They take up almost no room and are easy to breed for more when you need them. They're almost the perfect small area animal. And their pelts are useful in your climate as well.
I remember driving past the Holland Marsh as a kiddo and even then being amazed and the rich black soil and expansive farming... sad to think about where even that has ended up now many decades later... thank you Shawn for all the education you provide!
Just thinking about today's thought of 'forming deeper relationships with their food' and this channel's focus on self-reliance. A few years back, I made a hard-won observation that fits this grain. I'm in SE Queensland, sub-tropical and reasonably fertile (for Australia). In fact, it's fairly poor compared to the younger continents of North America and Europe. My property is in a rain shadow and even less fertile. Topsoil at best 5-10cm thick over yellow clay schist that the huge gum trees won't even put roots into.
I have always been a keen successful gardener but seemed to lose my mojo when I came here.
Eventually, I realised a fundamental lesson. This vital lesson is one that most people are never exposed to. One that Shawn eluded to in today's video.
"Your inputs are only as good as the land they are collected from."
Animal manure collected from the land you are attempting to repair will only be as good as the grass growing on that bit of soil and which those animals eat. So if the soil is poor and deficient, the grass will be poor, and the manure will be poor. The same applies to the plants collected from or growing on that land to make compost with.
My usual habit was to collect wheelbarrow loads of horse manure from my own paddocks. Then build huge compost piles in the shape of garden beds. I added grass winnowed from slashing the paddocks and green crop waste. Previously at other locations, that process worked well.
But here, all I was doing was compounding the deficiencies of this land and focusing them into small patches called garden beds. Effectively, I poisoned the soil I was trying to repair. The deficiencies continued to worsen.
No wonder I got sick, and my garden crops failed season after season. Not to mention a dam full of already toxic water washed off of the poor land. Hence a need to use the scarce rainwater captured off the rooves of my buildings and nowhere near enough.
So I had to bring in nutrients or stop growing my own food. But within weeks, I discovered that the gum trees, via their root systems, thieved 90% of whatever nutrient I placed in or on the ground before the garden plants got access to it. The gum tree roots were voracious, quick growing and far more determined than the weak little vegetable plants.
So I now use a line-up of old bathtubs set up on brick piers. That stops the gum tree thievery! And limits water loss which is exceptionally high in this mostly drought-stricken area.
The natural plants that grow here are Spotted Gum trees, Black Wattles and seasonal grasses. Anything else must be catered for by importing nutrients (fertilizer). Although not organic, I now get a free truckload of composted manure annually from horse racing stables about 40ks away. I pay the delivery cost. This is stable waste that would otherwise be buried in municipal tip sites. And I also get a free truckload of wood chips and greenery from a tree pruning service when they drive past.
Thanks for your info, Clissa. I've read of Aussie's deep fertility issues, which even extend to feeding the fisheries off-shore, and I hadn't thought about how the natural vegetation might take advantage of a new source of nearby nutrients.
I’m glad Shawn read this.
Fascinating, thanks for your story and experience
On our drives from Cambridge to Espanola we would always stop at the Holland marsh for fresh vegies. Canoed the marsh once as the 400 was so backed up that it made more sense to pass a couple hours canoeing and having lunch then be stuck in the traffic jam. LOVED that black soil!!!
We've always had "trying times" and transitions. Human history is rife with it.
Have you heard of a chap called Jim Kovaleski? He’s a gardener that works two properties, one in Florida and one in Maine. He has an amazing volume of produce coming out of his small plots of land. His secret to high production is managing the microheard in the soil. This has changed my gardening habits. Without a healthy microheard your plants can’t uptake the nutrients you put down.
He also works his moms and his ex wifes properties all on the same street.
Does he have a book on gardening & soil?
Thank you Angel. Just did a search here on RUclips and there's lots of videos. Looks very cool!
@@dlspiritdancer9548 I don’t know.
@@LadyGreyAgeingDisGracefully ill try n find him on google. Thanx!
Hi Shaun I have just finished putting my potatoes in and a new rhubarb crown ,your talk on gardening etc has got me motivated as we have a fairly big garden, and there is nothing like home grown vegetables,so thank you for that ,hugs for Cali.
thank you for having me at your fine hand crafted cabin Shawn. It is a pleasure always.
Been watching and talking with you for years.
I’m in the Texas panhandle and I’m moving into a unincorporated township, on 26 acres in the southern Rockies in a few short months. Just 4 hours from my “home” but still in the heart of elk country with rivers and lakes a long growing season. I’ve got my family all on board too. Some will stay here to run the business and come up when they want to play or escape.
Think about that, think about how much joy and stability that will bring, now just keep in mind:
YOU helped (in a huge way) make this possible. Your thoughts and willingness to share them and share your knowledge has changed the life of several people with lasting rippling effects.
Yesterday was my birthday and I’m thinking this year is gonna be the best of my life so far. BIG THANKS, BUDDY.
What a beautiful accolade !!!! May God continue to bless both of you and your families. "Knowledge gained only becomes wisdom when it's shared." Keep up the good work Shawn and Ramatteus 👏👏👏👏
Many thanks to you Shawn for inspiring me. I sold my house in Hamilton and in two weeks my log cabin will have the wood cook stove in it and I will be living on my 100 Acres in unorganized township.
Good luck with your new home Scott, may you have many years of enjoyment in living there. Sounds like fun, hard work, but fun.
@@Hoaxer51 thank you friend.
Just don’t inhale while you’re living in a cabin with a woodstove.
Congratulations, more than a little envious.
@@philanthropchic2238 thank you
Now THAT was a thoroughly-modern talk on gardening and the environment. You're right about comfrey. Here's to building good soil!👍😎🇨🇦🌱🌾🍎🫑🧅🌽
Snowstorm in Sudbury last night and all day today. Watch you sky.
Hey Shawn, why not try to create a patch of grass which you can scythe twice a year. The hay is great to use in the garden and to build topsoil over time.
Absolutely love what you are doing in replenishing your garden for self-reliance. We here decided to stay in the outer skirt of the city for 2 more years, as my daughter has been accepted to a great university here. So, we are growing in our backyard and doing what we can to be self-reliant. Even if it is a little bit, it is something. I've used the hugelkulter method.
I live on an old family orchard in Southeastern Ohio. It is no longer an active orchard but I have been watching you now for two years and respect all you have done. I am trying to clean up the old orchard and become more in-tune with my land. Thank you my good friend and stay safe.
been watching your program a long time. I am 81 years old……just sold my Tennessee farm ( heavy clay )and moving close to my new farm in South Carolina where I have
nothing but sand and planted pine trees. Guest I will need to gather up nutrients from everywhere …raid trash cans…pee more, etc. GOOD PROGRAM !!!
I dug three wheelbarrow loads of compost out of one of my bins and I have two to go! I think it’s the single most important component in my garden. I have 300 sq. ft. of raised beds. I hope to build some cold frames this summer to extend the growing season even more, and with succession planting I hope to double my production. I am interested in seeing how you preserve your garden produce. Especially freeze drying and dehydrating.
Spring has definitely sprung here in the UK, we've got our first raised bed all planted out now with onions, spring greens, bok choi and sprouts.
The mangetout is growing well in another trough. Keep up the great work Shawn 👍🏻
You're lucky. We may get up to a foot of snow by tomorrow morning.
@@zekemedia1310 all I can do is make the most of what we have 🤷🏻♂️
@@adamgoddard3065 you have a good day
Wonderful info as usual.
My wife and I started a whack of veg and flower seeds in the picture window.
A cheap shelf and grow lights and in 3-4 days shoots were up. It’s incredible.
We have raised beds outside in a normal suburban sized lot and I’m making more.
I built a small compost bin that yields amazing compost from kitchen and yard scraps.
At 70 plus years young,I am really enjoying retirement, your videos being top of my
info and entertainment source. Thank you.
Because of you, I started my own little garden this year and it's been fantastic!
Not only have I learnt so much, but I've been able to reap the rewards of my success in what I've harvested!
I'm now looking at how to expand the garden for upcoming years!
Thank you Shawn, you are a true inspiration to me and many others.
Be well, from all the way down here in little ol New Zealand!
Don’t forget the perennial flowers. A little color. I would send any bulbs or seed you would like to try. Your wife would like that. I’m 78 yo and plant in pots because I have some cancer cells and can’t bend over very well. I had my raised garden disassembled.
Same here in Ireland, farming runoff has poluted the rivers & lakes. Milfoil weed has exploded and swimming in some lakes the polution can be smelt, sometimes it burns the skin!
💖🙏🌻
Great to hear you are building up your soil nutrients in your gardens. Lots of work. 💖
Hey Janet
For our horrible soil we did a variation on the Eden garden. To speed the process we did 4 inches wood chippings, 3 inches compost, then 4 inches more wood chippings. I marked 10 circles on 3ft in diameter across the entire area…cleared the top chips and added more compost in those circles. That makes those circles instantly ready for planting. Next year, other circles and so on. All awhile the chips were turning the soil underneath into rich soil. Hardly needed to water. I always put a fish body under my tomatoes.
Great update video Shawn. Great to here your upland garden is on your current property. I thought it was on your property you sold. Thanks again. We see you and your wife has passed on your knowledge.
I am excited to follow the progress of your composting journey at the new property. I know that acidic soil well, we are surrounded by pines, so our little plot in the yard was jet black when we bought the house. Before that, all I knew about planting was houseplant soil from the store. When I say the deep black soil, I thought that was a good thing way back then, lol. It took 3 or 4 seasons of trial and error until we produced anything. the enjoyment of the fruits and veggies went way up knowing that all the scraps getting composted each year have continued to increase the nutrients in the soil. It gets better every year, it really does add to the appreciation value! Can I gloat about the world's best tomato for a second? And the anxious anticipation of this year's world's best tomato? lol. Keep up the good work, your series is inspiring.
Hello Shawn, so glad spring has finally arrived and the sun is shining for you . Give Cali a hug please...UK.
Cali is such a star! I am sure she is an important companion to you. There is no word to describe the amount of work that you are performing. I am sure, there was some knowledge to acquire. Natural expertise, if there is such a thing is not given. And, not to discourage you, a long way to go, then, it is never finished!
PS..: I still miss your first settlement. I loved the kitchen, the oven..., the sauna...WHA!....the cabin with the beautiful door, it's additions and more!
The long house! Your lake... That was such a grand experience, what are you going to do with it? A center for disabled children and adults.
Well this message is in English, however... Je pourrais tout aussi bien l"ecrire en Français.
Remember, I could write it in English. My vocabulary is probably richer in English. Of course, I have master the French grammar years ago, with "verbes" never used in conversations or literature. Bonne journée, stay safe!
Our 52 yr old septic system and leech field is failing. It will be replaced as soon as the permit comes thru. But in the meantime, the grass is going crazy with rich green growth. That grass will be mowed and collected for mulch on the gardens and food for the chickens. Inadvertent fertility adding! 🤪
Appreciate what you are doing to build soil and explaining it clearly. Hope more people are doing what you are doing to help nature and our health.
First bear in my yard two nights ago here in central VT. Snow in the forecast tonight.
Hopefully that freak April 16th snow fall we had didn't too much damage to your early outdoor plants.... I am glad that I didn't put anything out yet. Great series... on this topic... . Cheers from Simcoe County Ontario.
Thanks for the gardening tips! Here in Arizona we have native soil in my backyard that is so
Alkaline that it fizzes when you put vinegar on it!
Good for you! Good for you! What leadership! It's a tricky subject contributing your own urine. People think "ick". But that deeper relationship we need to have with the soil, includes us all hauling in the fact that we are part of a loop. We are not just sitting pretty at the top of the food chain.
Lol wtf
I’m confused, I thought the mounds of gardens was at the original cabin. Don’t get me wrong I’m happy that all that work is at the new one.
Exactly...didn't he sell his previous cabin?...but still gardening it??? Very confusing!
I think I remember him saying both the old cabin and the current cabin are on the same piece of land but because of the size of it he was able to move to the back corner, away from those nasty neighbours. Could be wrong though.
I think Shawn flashed back to the mounds in the old garden to show how he made mounds after clearing hardwood compared to the pine/softwood trees he cleared last year at the new property.
It's the same garden. The garden was at a different property than the old cabin.
@@brandonlinley That’s what I remember too.
Shawn, unfortunately, in the UK with the land usage and cost, it's not possible to do what you do without a considerable amount of money, BUT having a deeper relationship with nature, regardless of whether I can farm and produce. That is incredibly important to me. I'm going through some trying times as I'm sure a lot of people are. The ability to sit on a log in the middle of a forest and listen to the birds, look at the trees, look at the flowers, listen to the babbling stream. It's therapy that you cannot buy! Although I love the building and creation on your main channel, I come to this channel for re-assurance that I'm not nuts! It's the rest of the world that's nuts!
I'm in the UK too and my plan is Wales. Much more friendly to this than England :)
@@CryptoRoast_0
see Kris Harbour Natural Building
(in Wales).
@@annrhodes3544 way ahead of you ;D
Great feeling when spring moves in it's a great time to clean that garden up and plant things can't beat it..
I love biochar. Good job using what you have at home to make soil fertility.
Always awed with your creativity in finding ways to make better & shore up any deficits you experience in your homestead ...... it’s all a testament to how you have built a life of progressive self reliance .... waste not, want not!
From what I've heard, potash helps neutralize soil, which most plants love (plus high in potassium, but tends to rob some nitrogen from soil)...except tomatoes, potatoes, and blueberries; which like the more acidic soil. What about a worm farm, companion planting during off season times, or raising rabbits for their immediate cold fertilizer...add directly to your garden? Just some additional thoughts...can't wait to see your harvests! Enjoy your channels, experiences, adventures, and knowledge. )))
Hello Tera how are you
I love hearing about sll the nutrient building talk. I strted a mimi garden in my back yard snd want to add to it as time goes on. Home grown veggies taste amazing! Other places I have lived in had terrible soil that would not grow anything. But adding compost and organic mulch changed it to whefe I was able to grow a variety of plants successfully!
Your mentioning using fish and fish remains as fertilizer reminded me of my 7th or 8th grade history class where the "Plymouth Rock" pilgrims were being shown by the "Native" Americans how to plant corn. There was a picture showing the Native American holding up 3 small fish and 3 fingers, telling the Pilgrim how many fish per corn plant.
Many years later, I was helping reduce a farm pond of being over populated with bluegills (it was tons of fun fly rodding the pond for all those little fish). The land owner said, "just burry all the little ones in a hole where ever I have an old shovel stuck in the ground. She had some of the best "home grown" tomatoes I've ever seen.
With the cellar space and facilities there for storage I can see why you're planting so much. Excellent subject matter. Thanks for sharing Shawn!
You are very educated obviously self educated. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. God Bless
Hello Deborah how are you
Thank you for sharing your sustainable gardening knowledge. My wife and I left a city in Oregon’s Willamette valley and relocated to the mountains of north Idaho. Our first project was a greenhouse, which gave us a great bounty last year. So now we want to expand, ad winter crops and an orchard. We are gaining knowledge from you and putting in action. Thanks again.
I planted sweet corn in a old composted cow manure pile! Oh man, I've never seen sweet corn like that!! 14 feet tall, 6 to 8 ears on each stalk, each one was over 15 inches long! And sweet!!
Good talk about improving your soil. Comfrey has good medicinal uses in addition to making compost.
Thank you for sharing Shawn, interesting and informative as usual. I’ve heard that nettle and comfrey also make a good liquid feed for your plants once it has been steeped in water for a while. Enjoy the good weather while you can. Take care, be safe. ❤️ Dorset, UK
Nettles are indestructible and the roots spread quite quickly: its always good to have a nettle patch but best to keep it (them) separate. ...also UK
The wealth of knowledge that you have obtained through this adventure is tremendous Shawn. I've learned alot from watching you.
Somehow I knew you were going to say Simcoe. It's funny how the locals think we're strange for going ice fishing there specifically to catch perch. I'm from Michigan and love eating perch.
I can't wait to see your garden this year. We just pulled some sunchocks to make a mock potato salad. I always look forward to it. Sorrel soup is next. Gotta love those perennials. Have a great spring.
Thanks for the video. I have a similar situation and I was struggling to figure out how to utilize my septic field. After your comfrey comment, I think I'll plant out my field with nutrient accumulators and harvest them in order to "mine" the fertility. Thanks for the idea. I'm going to run it by my permaculture teacher.
Thanks again for sharing Shawn! I feel like we must be either watching the same RUclips channels or reading the same books because were totally on the same page when it comes to gardening techniques. Can’t wait to get started on my off grid property this spring! Woo! Almost there! It’s been a long journey and you have been a huge inspiration to me!
Una vez más viendo tus grandes proyectos 🙏
Greetings from South Africa. If you are planning to grow maize this season, you could consider planting pumpkin and squash together with the maize. Here the traditional peoples always planted pumpkin when they removed the weeds when the maize was knee high. This stopped weeds and made a micro climate to keep the ground cool and stopped evaporation during the hot months of the year, You then get the added advantage of getting 2 or more crops from a piece of land,
Vernon Berndt.
Hi Shawn. Just wondering if you'll make a pond like you did with the last place? I was looking forward to seeing what wildlife that attracted.
I don't he will make a pond. Here he is near the river and creek.
Could be a decent pond, modest sized, fed by the creek.
Perfect! Comfrey was the first thing on my list for compost. Nettles too. Highly nutritious too! We compost our goats when they die. We learned this from research done at Langston University out of Oklahoma USA. It feels better for us then donating them to coyotes. So now any small animal like chickens goes into the compost pile. I have never seen my compost so good. You hunt. Put all the bones and guts you don't want into your compost. It does work. And it creates very rich earthworm packed compost! You will make it work! Maybe grow some strawberries? Blueberries? Good luck to you and your family! I am adding lots of comfrey too this year. I'm starting some from seed also but the seeds are still chilling for another week! Glad you found a remote place!
this is not advised will attract rats and other like foxes - etc - ill advised
While the ground is soft enough I would bury the bones etc quite deep, in order to keep the bears etc from being attracted to the homestead - they could also be burned to make bone sauce with added ingredients to keep animals out of your garden/yard (paint it on fences etc)
Another method of composting is called Bokashi - this will allow you to keep a bucket (with a lid) inside, year round, and put All your food scraps into it - I have been doing this for years, and had purchased a bokashi compost bran layer that is added on top of each new addition to the bucket - there is No Smell from the bucket - you can also buy liquid EM to make your own layer mixed with leaves or something, and I recently read that forest soil will do the same thing without any extra inputs (have not experimented with this)
My preferred way of doing the Bokashi composting is with 2 buckets, one with holes drilled in the bottom - the liquids that drain into this can be used as weed killer, or diluted to very weak and used as liquid fertilizer
My active retirement years have been spent on soil improvement (and vegetable gardening!)
Hello there👋,how are you doing today?hope you’re having a good day?God bless you!!!❤️
If you can get some, rabbit manure is an excellent fertilizer for vegetables! It’s small so it’s much more manageable and you can use it right away with no fear of burning your plants. Dig the hole, throw in a handful of the pellets and then plant as usual!
Highly informative Thankyou @Shawn James. The 2 most prolific plants I remember from my first 7yrs of life 60 yrs ago ... rhubarb ... was big enough that as wee kids we'd play hide n seek in it LOL It was also where the dunny bin was emptied ... shame horror... never hurt any of us 7kids still all going strong; dad passed @85, mother @76.
The comfrey I'll never forget .. mother boiled it only ONCE for an evening dinner veggie 🤢🤮 I guess if we'd been really hungry we'd have eaten it but it didn't lose its furriness on the leaves ... was very hard to enjoy LOL She discovered it was better for composting than eating!!!
We had lge dairy farm so copious amounts of cow manure... we made liquid fertiliser for the gardens by adding the manure to water in 44gallon drums , stirring them until liquefied & it made xlent fertiliser. Is there wild animals droppings eg bears, moose, deer perhaps that you could harvest from your area to liquefy?????
I have my Three Sisters garden which consist of corn, Lima Beans and Butternut Squash. The corn was started in the house in a cardboard egg carton. It is about three inches high now waiting on the beans to sprout. Planted 4 Chocolate Cherry tomato plant yesterday and it rained all night. I hope we both have a great harvest.
Hey Shawn, allways wanted to know some things......like for example: how far are you from urban area? How far are you from your home? Where do you sleep every night? How often do you go back to your home? Things like that
Shawn, parts of Ireland (the islands) had practically no soil, but time adding seaweed, manure, garden waste helped build it up.
Thank you for the video we appreciate your time to make it
Shaun - you are still really grasping at straws with your fertilization scheme. It is a long term endeavor for sure. I am glad that you have taken on my suggestion from a couple of years ago with regards to using leaves. But. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FERTILIZER FOR THIS YEAR. I was very surprised - read that as absolutely amazed- at your yields last year, they were close to unbelievable! Your fish idea is a good one but not for a garden that is supposed to grow most of your food. The composted manure from 100km away was a great find but you are completely right - that’s not sustainable or practical. Stay safe and keep on filming :)
Great, the spring season has started, Shawn. Makes all the work a bit easier, and conditions a bit more comfortable, although the rain seems to be part of this season also. At least, the roots and shoots will thrive in the rain and sun, with those of you all, as homesteaders 😉
Start with the science of the soil. A little extra effort at the start reaps better produce later. Then when you've gathered the fruit, you can collect what's left over and use it to enrich future soils. The efficiency of that is so like you Professor. Can't take from the garden without putting back, you'll wear it out. Maybe even plan for fallow rotation and rest for wisdom's sake. Looking forward to it!
I always put a fish carcass under my tomato plants. Thank you for sharing this I have comfrey and biochar but did not know about rhubarb so thank you I will be adding that to my compost.
One thing I learned recently is our neighbours have tons of horse manure mixed with hay but they use dewormer on their horses and this may kill advantages in your soil (nematodes, etc.)
Shawn, what you talk about is not fashionable nor very high in people's consciousness, but it's fascinating to listen to you. You speak with such quiet passion and authority that it tempts me to emulate you, but the reality is that I'm now too old and ill (and in the wrong country) to follow in your footsteps.
I am very interested in watching what you are putting into practice. We use comfrey and plantain a lot. We make salve, tincture, and powdered root out of comfrey plants. The tincture is really good for respiratory issues, the salve we use on just about anything from cuts and scrapes to bug bites. The powder we have used on broken bones that are having a hard time healing. Comfrey means bone knitter. I am not a doctor and I am not using this comment to take the place of a doctors advice. These are just ways that have helped us.
Thanks for sharing, what you are saying speaks to a lot of people as you are learning if you if you didn't already know. Looking forward and preparing is or should be important to everyone, only so much can be given to a person. Working hard always pays off if you have a path and stay true to what is right.
Not sure if it'd work, have you conscidered spreading powdered clay to hold nutrients? Legumes of course will fix nitrogen. I found growing in acidic Canadian forest soil that adding a little lime to the watering can helped hugely.
God bless the work.
💖🙏🌻
Hi Shawn, thanks for the great video as always. Great content. One of my favorite topics. Farm on. Be well and safe.
Diluted Pee is better than Miracle Grow any day. I used it extensively on my big garden in KY! Pee is slightly acid so Tomatoes love it!! Pioneers would pee on their old hay and straw in the winter then plow it into their garden and fields in the spring.
I definitely want to watch more of this subject. Thanks for sharing all that you have learned about growing food in the forest.
Good luck on the new garden Shawn
Jim, when I was a child, we had comfrey, artichokes, but no stinging nettles. My Tennessee grandmother gave us Jerusalem artichokes and called them "new potatoes." Comfrey is also a medicinal plants as is the nettles. Look up nettle patch and see what they've done.
I used to manage a nursery in the Florida Keys. A gentleman came in complaining that his gardenias weren't doing well at all. I told him to pee on them. He thought I was nuts. He did pee in a cup every morning and poured it around the plants. Came back a couple of weeks later, smiling, it worked.
That works on lemon trees, too (see World's Fastest Indian and reference to "Munroe water").
Also, as an aside, if you're about to do some extended manual work and your hands are soft, you're going to get blisters - pee on your hands (or in a jug and wipe it on). Even if the blisters have popped and you have to keep going, do it then! When I first left school and started a manual labouring job, I had blood blisters coming up under burst blood blisters under burst common-or-garden blisters after 3 or 4 days, on both hands. I had to tough it out.
Later on, with nicely re-softened hands, I had another spell of manual labouring (trade training) - my old coot supervisor knew what he had in me and said "Go into those bushes and pee on your hands, boy. Don't argue with me." I noticed how good that advice was after an hour or so and repeated the dose a couple of times that day, once the next, and never even got a tender spot on either hand over the next four weeks. And calluses developed quickly, without pain.
Icky yes, but it's sterile and works like magic!!! It really does!
Don't forget about the bark chips which I find to be an essential part of making water retaining swales on my land. Just be really careful with the chippers. They are incredibly dangerous machines. I am lucky to have many tree services that are looking for places to drop their loads rather than running over to the landfills in the middle of a job.
Always happy to see your videos pop up☺️☺️☺️☺️ I learn so much, and always inspired thank you 😊
I really enjoy your videos on both channels. I was wondering if you could put together a reading list list video. Basically a video on all the resources you read, or watch, to learn all the info you learned to build a cabin, homestead, farm, anything and everything you can think of to share. I know nothing and could use any help. I know you're writing a book and I can't wait for it!
It would be un wise to not listen to you concerning gardening tips and the soil , weather you are going to plant a garden or not information is powerful when put it in practice , and we all need each other to survive , caring for an entire forest area is a huge undertaking, and it takes a lot of time , I'm impressed with your knowledge and understanding of what it takes to get the best results that suits your needs . God bless you in all your efforts,
"Love 'this stuff" in the video and bought comfrey seeds for my seed stash.
So interesting Shawn, thank you for sharing... An idea for adding nitrogen to soil: legumes like peas/ beans/ clover have microbes in their roots that take nitrogen from air and convert it to a form that plants can use- could be something to try!... Inter-cropping with peas or green manure with clover
Garden time seeding over here in the eastern townships!! Enjoy!!!
Compost! You need two very tall/large compost bins. Your activities seem to generate plenty of compostable materials at both garden sites. Collecting all your branch, leaf, etc into piles you can grind into small pieces should be easy. Obtaining microbe mix from your hardware store is just an order. The marsh should give you enough green matter to add to your dead matter. I’m sure you’ve thought about it, but you should move large mulch bins up on your priority list. It’s the time of year when you’ll be able to use last year’s plant matter to get your mulch cycle started!
Thank you for advocating self sufficiency. Wonderful.
I really admire your view on sustainability. Thinking in terms of energy balance between your garden and the place you remove the nutrients and energy from, is completely missing in modern agriculture.
I love that you’re doing the garden right. I see so many people who insist on following the industrial model in their gardens. I would recommend watching “growing high bionutrient crops” on living web farms youtube channel if you can afford to spend most of a day doing it. The recommendations for inexpensively increasing fertility without importing organic matter are worthwhile, I think. Though, you’ll want more char in your soil first.
I also wonder about harvesting zizania in your area. Regulations regarding wild rice harvesting vary significantly and there may not be any local populations, but it seems like a pleasant way to spend a few days to increase your carbohydrate stores without buying in grains.
Char can come right out of the wood stove (log pieces that are not Completely burned to ash), and Potash can be made from the actual wood stove ash (best if from hardwood logs, and you need to test your soil for its requirements) - many products can be made from wood stove ash
@@lyrelprice5739 you can not get anywhere near enough char from a woodstove. You need from 25%-30% by volume of the soil in your garden to be char for optimal results. And yes, you can refine potash from wood ash which allows you to make soap. Leaven bread, cure meats, make tyrean purple dye from woad, japanese knotweed, or other sources of indigo. Lots of uses.
bienvenu dans mon salon Shawn...où que l'on soit, nous sommes tributaires du carburant....dans la famille, nous avions nous aussi le souci de ne pas apporter de nutriments industriels...je pense que je regarderai de nouveau souvent, vous êtes une mine d'or de très bons conseils..vous avez une culture très très large..merci à vous...
chop 10 liters of nettle and pour water over it. Set aside for about 14 days to ferment. When the product smells terribly and foams, it is ready. Dilute 1 liter of such slurry in 10 liters of water and water the plants - these are one of the best sources of nitrogen. I use them myself in my garden.
Organic compost - check. Fish scraps - check. Biochar - check. Manure shipped in - good but $$$ for transport. Cover crops, especially legumes - super good. Seeds not bulk to build soil, retain moisture. Build soil from top down with foliage.
Amazing progress, your irrigation system is especially interesting.
maybe it helps if you expose green manure at the end of the harvest season? we take lupine, phacelia, mustard and clover. when the bed is harvested, we scatter it and leave it in the bed until spring. then we work it into the soil and bring nutrients back into the soil.
The gardening videos are my favorite from you Shawn.