Great video. Instead of mandating fertilizer cuts the government should be promoting cover crops and good soil management practices. There could be a tax cut for good agricultural practices.
So true, but that's predicated on the idea that the government WANTS our land to be productive. Considering that chemtrails are slowly causing the land to be non-fertile, and them burning down our food and food processing plants, killing all the chickens and turkeys, etc, ...well enough of that; we just need to position ourselves to take care of ourselves.
The government doesn't like doing things which make sense. It would rather dole out stolen funds, in the form of subsidies, because "too big to fail" and another way to attempt to justify its existence.
Yes Sir You are correct! Living in the Houston TX area I always have something growing. I have found that spring, summer and fall crops explode. I have to give away food, which is always a good thing.👍🏽
Excellent discussion! Carbon sequestration, glomalin, humic, fulvic acids... Carbon is slowly becoming recognized as an essential nutrient. Back in the day it was NPK... Also Liebig's barrel never considered carbon, which is where we started to go off the rails. People are breaking records- one of which is bushels of corn per acre by reconsidering carbon. Go Vikings!
Soil regen IS the revolution. Turn the planet back into a lush abundant garden with a giant hyperbaric atmosphere. Ever walked thru a giant redwood forest ? I have and it feels so amazing I always want to stay..
@@brucehitchcock3869 Yes! Redwood forest are a giant air filter which extracts moisture from the cool air coming onshore N.Cali. The trees are able to extract tremendous quantities of carbon from the atmosphere and place them into organic material which lasts CENTURIES before being returned to the atmosphere. Deep, rich topsoil. Imagine more of the world like this. It is possible.
yes I absolutely would love to do that!... given land constraints at the moment though it will probably have to be once I get the homestead and go to heal my own new soil that will no doubt be damaged!
Great video. I just weeded my garden after I neglected it for about 3 months, after finding a snake in it (an Eastern Brown (I'm in AUS)), it did really put a fright into me as I have full-time care of out Grand kids, they're in the garden all the time and those snakes are killers if cornered Essentially the weeds had become a cover crop and the soil seemed in better health then when I was attending to it. Throwing in a cover crop Saturday, something low it think until the seedlings are GTG. We face the next three month of summer with fairly extreme heat, the compost heap is going well and I'm getting around the neighborhood raking up leave where I find them. Great channel BTW with lots of great info.
I noticed the same thing when I neglected my sweet potatoes this summer. The weeds around it seemed to help the soil. When we dug up the potatoes we were pleasantly surprised at how large the crop was and how moist and rich the soil was.
sounds good what kind of cover crop are you doing??... with extreme heat Sudan Grass and Cowpea and Sunhemp all work really well especially the Cowpea because of the nitrogen fixing properties
Great video! That camera shot out of your car window made me want to cry. How our species can be so massively short-sighted and willing to go along with whatever makes them money... But Permaculture is growing more prominent all the time. As well, there are and have been people who were in tune with the land - my grandfather, for one. We are all doing what we can, and living well because of it. Thank you for this channel.
Yes, yes, yes. Finally a gardening truth has been released to everyone. Please let the farmers know what’s been done for decades. New subscriber. Found your channel while educating myself about soil life during off time in the garden. Happy New Year from Zone 9b
I found you on PP & I am so IN LOVE with your natural touch with NATURE. I have been doing organic gsrdening, but this just boosted me ten thousand times better. You make so much sense with NATURE.
Up here in Canada all those trees are gone now around the fences is sad there is a new thing to leave the 10 feet around the fields to go naturally I hope it works we need more thoughts of nature and farming in balance
I noticed years ago that nature never leaves the soil uncovered and exposed to the elements. Even the most barren of soil will attempt to cover itself by growing weeds.
Awesome revelation of things we have been doing wrongly for decades - thanks Nate, i have been practising this system for a while now and it really rewarding on my pineapple farm, all the weeds go back to the soil as nutrient, and the result has been amazing. Thanks once again for the info am Dennis from Nigeria
You should have your own TV program teaching every one who wants to listen, on how we all got it wrong for so many years. I am grateful for your knowledge and insight to replenishing our earth. I am listening from Australia Many thanks
Newbie gardener here for 2 season now and getting ready for the next season. Last fall I spread 4 year old sheep/horse compost on the garden and was too lazy to mix in the ground. Laziness finally paid off.😉 Yep, Nature knows best. Reminds me of horses and horseshoes but off subject. Great video ... Subscribed and will be following you to learn more.👍👍 Rich
Note that farmers are paid by the weight of their crop, not by how nutritious or tasty it is. The farmer must pay the cost of cover crop seed, pay for planting and later terminating it; but then gains back the cost of *some* of the fertilizer, then hopefully gets a higher yield (but maybe not) - after doing all that does the farmer gain dollars or lose dollars in year 1? I'm confident that if kept up for years there would ultimately be great benefits for the soil, the crops, drought resistance, all kinds of things. But is such a change profitable for the average farmer in Year One, and if not, when would he or she break even? Of course Big "Farma" wants all the farmers dependent on buying lots of fertilizer and special seeds, so we know why Big Farma wants to continue the practice.
you've accurately described the root of the issue.... until weight and yield are no longer the dominant criteria there will be no change... when nutrient density and soil health are instead the primary concern that is when things would immediately turn around... but so long as profit is king the land will continue to be treated like its a slave
Thank you Nate. I have used both clover and one year cardboard. I'm zone 5 so the bed's are covered with snow for months. I used cardboard on the beds I wanted for early crops.
Nature knows best!! I'm gardening at my daughter's now, and working on harvesting leaves from the front yard (they leave them on beds, but rake the lawn!) To put on the newest no dig bed or cover kitchen waste in the compatible bin ... last year my son in law put clover seed on the garden area, so fertility building!
Mr. Nate- I've just discovered your channel and I'm loving it. I spent this summer trying to use the JADAM methods from the book, but you make them so easy and approachable! I appreciate all of your hard work, and I can't wait to see more. Thank you. You deserve all the good things.
Been reading recently about how Tennessee used to be one of the worst areas of the country for this, loosing soil every year at a rate of 40 tons per acre a year. So the state instituted programs (I think as far back as the 70’s) to encourage no-till AG and cover cropping. Took a long time to get farmers to adopt it but after a lot of university studies proving over and over that it worked it started being adopted by many and since 1981 The University of TN has hosted a No-Till field day and they now have something like 90% of row crop farmers converted to no till.
I thought that the farmers were going to keep their corn remains in the ground to retain some snow moisture. However, the soil in the big KS farms now looks like Indiana farms. Bald and blowing down the road on a windy day. Sad. I've been tilling my mulch throughout the spring and summer with food scraps, chicken litter, cardboard tubes and egg cartons, leaves, mulch from the recycle center and soil from our local water treatment facility. My chickens help me till the compost pile. The late season leaves are helping me get ready for the coming snow. Happy Thanksgiving y'all.🇺🇸⚔🇬🇪
Thank you for a great more in depth concise explanation. CRAZY something as important as soil is such a mystery to science. Smh. Modernized ag is SO heartbreaking. So difficult sourcing hay for the goats without Grazon and similar stuff.
I started using whole pine tree chip. Soil amendment is taking place rapidly. Mycorrhizal fungi too. Food scrap compost...soil is improving. Living in Florida brings sand and sun and heat, so, it the soil doesn't naturally hold water well...
Nate my brother, you are my #1 favorite gardener / RUclipsr! You have such an amazing way of explaining things succinctly, and I know that's because you *understand* growing. I love growing in hydro and I was wondering if some of the amazing ferts / JDAM / Leaf mould you show how to make could be utilized in hydroponics. I had great success this summer with Masterblend 4-18-38 in a Kratky setup, growing leafy greens, tomatoes, and squash but I think it could be improved upon by adding air and a water pump.
thank you my friend!!... unfortunately these natural ferments do not work in hydro applications... we do not have the power of the soil food web in hydro and therefor these natural fertilizers would quickly turn the reservoir rancid ... the master blend you speak of is created specifically to bypass the activity and need of the soil food web by using petroleum based chemicals made in laboratory settings to be usable in hydro environment...
I have two automated hydroponic set ups in my greenhouse both with various greens and use Masterblend or an equivalent. But due to the cost I switched one to a homemade comfrey feed. I ran the experiment for a couple of months and the comfrey proved a success however the smell coming from the reservoir was not good! I may try again next spring (March/April here in the UK) with a greater dilution to see if the smell reduces. Excellent videos. Slowly working my way through them to build on my grass and comfrey liquid feeds.
Spouse is feeling "under the weather". Not hungry. Got up from nap and demanded the soup on the stove. I said, it's not soup. I WANT SOME!. I was cooking chicken gizzards in chicken broth. I wanted the broth to cook the rice.
I'm very grateful that I came across your channel ,you are the most technical person I've heard when it comes to natural gardening keep up and many learned from you
Hello, friend. My husband and I have been binge watching your videos lately. Thank you for all of your great content! I had an injury in January and was unable to garden at all this year while recovering. Needless to say, nature takes over a garden space when not worked. We are no-till with organic, natural practices. One side of our garden is completely taken over with weeds. The rows are all gone now. Only brown weed stalks are left. What would you recommend doing now? Should we cut off the weed stems at the ground level and cover with leaf mold, composted horse manure and rabbit puffs? Please advise! What would you do? Thank you, kind sir. 🙏🏼
Of all your excellent educational posts ..... THIS ONE, I RATE TOP OF THE "CROP"! Such a well presented, clear dissemination of what is desperately needed to resurrect dead or dying soil. Spoken with inspired passion, due to the degradation prevailing in the surrounding Nothern Indiana farming "wasteland". Thanks Nate, very, very well done!🥰🍀
Ground here is frozen for nearly half of the year.. no uv baking the soil. Snow is a natural blanket 😛 the growing season is so short that basically there s no time for cover crops, i ll be grateful just to get the actual crop 😹
I’m in zone 4 and even here I can get a cover crop in. Fall rye germinates down to 5° C. As soon as one crop is out, with no food crop following… on goes the cover crop seed. It doesn’t have to get big, it just has to get roots. I too have the blessing of snow on my garden. Dr. Elaine Ingham has shown there’s more microbial activity at the snow soil interface than there is in the tropical rain forest. But we can still damage the soil profile and health in spring or fall because rain will compact naked soil. Unmulched frozen soil deteriorates over winter because of sublimation… water changing from one state to another. I’ve had some bad years with no snow until very late and the soil gets very dry. In those years it also means no blueberries the following summer. They need the insulation!
Thank you! This is such an important topic--just changing that one practice of cover cropping instead of tilling and leaving bare soil could save America's farmland from degredation over time--and improve the health of the people as well as the soil. Keep making videos like this!
Well said, I couldn't have explained it any better. This needs to become basic knowledge. I've been trying to explain this to the older generations, and they just don't seem to get it or want to believe it. This is not what they have been taught and this is not how the big farms are doing it.
This is an eye-opening topic! Bless your heart for sharing this knowledge with people, than you so much. What I don't understand however is whether we should never till the soil or till it in a different season than fall, and if so then how deep?
Concise and succinct. I grow a lot in fabric pots. If they are stacked in the garage out of direct sunlight will they retain their carbon? Or do I need to do more with them? Thanks Nate
fabric pots will become bone dry and not a lot of activity is happening when there is no water or nutrients... it would be much better to leave them out in the elements and just cover with leaves or manure of some kind or compost to keep them full of microorganisms and moisture over the winter
i got a bare patch of soil andf i just took a bunch off random veggie and m,arigold seed and just sewed super heavy trying to till the patch earlyer this spring was like breaking rocks apart but i absolutely had to till it as it wasnt very receptive to water the soil seems somewhat fertile as the seedlings are thriving , the patch was used to house 2 small dogs for about a year before i moved in i plan on getting compost and layering a inch or 2 thick so the earthworms actually have stuff to nibble on no leaf fall happening here rn as we are heading into summer
Excellent video! So many practices since the onset of mass food production have robbed our soil of the nutrition it needs. You did a great job breaking it down and making it understandable for anyone!
Hi there, can you do a video on how to actually buy/make good soil? As in how to mix raw ingredients to make great soil for brand new raised beds. Thank you.
Awesome information Nate. I'm making a new garden in my yard next year. Grass is there now, should I just leave that till spring and then til and add compost and top with leaf mold before planting? Any suggestions would be great. I wish I would have found you years ago. Love your whole vibe. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving
I suggest doing something now for sure so you can be building fertility all winter long... watch this video ruclips.net/video/niPa8MH_3hA/видео.html.... and also this one ruclips.net/video/yDRoi9ZE6uI/видео.html ... and do one of those options if possible
So if you till and plant a cover crop like winter rye grass then till again in spring to plant a crop would that be OK to do to keep the soil microbes alive!...and feeding them more in the process ! And keep tilling and planting new species and seeds to keep the process continuing a good practice ! I like winter rye because it is lush and green in the winter and dies back I the hot summer and is nice in winter to see something green growing...when most other things have died back from the cold...so glad you did a video on this I had forgotten about this and planning to plant meadows but it's winter now and the winter rye grass would be perfect for getting my soil microbes ready for the spring and summer meadow grasses and plants .. Thanks again!
planting cover crops and tilling it in is called "green manure" method and also has its benefits in certain situations.... but the tilling process does destroy the structure of the soil and the fragile community of fungi that have established in the soil... check this video for more knowledge ruclips.net/video/CIKaZVDbIXY/видео.html
I planted winter rye this past fall. I was always taught to till it into the soil a few weeks before spring planting. It’s already done, how you you advise moving forward. I really enjoy your information, looking forward to implementing many of your proven theories. Thanks. Fred
Farmers around here are finally realizing this. Seeing allot of cover crops. The ASCS is even helping pay for it. This year in Iowa was bad and allot didn't come up because of the rain they couldn't get the cover crops in early enough. Been doing allot of winter rye grain and tillage radish separate of course winter rye grain not grass even has a weed suppression in it so they don't need to spay the real bad weed killer then they just no till seed right into the standing rye and crimp it. The tillage radish does such a good job tilling sometimes it's plugs there tilling. Over 2 feet deep.
There is a channel called "" Young Red Angus" which is a large regenerative farm that is incorporating these principles on a large scale. They are awesome. Thank you to every grower, large or small, who is working to sustain our healthy food and planet.
There’s specific fungi that breaks down Dead matter in nature mainly forest and jungles, this specific one just attacks dead matter and further breaks it.down for IMO to process into nutes :) it’s very complex and yet self sustained enviroment :) wonder if we could implement it into a no till indoor grow
@@jesusislord7488 Yes it's very important in northern climates as well. Viking can probably explain this better than i can but in northern climates the soil moves quite a bit due to a process called "frost heave", all that deep churning around of the soil causes carbon (among other greenhouse gasses) to escape as well as leaving the soil highly susceptible to erosion. The snow is great for the soil but it's not adequate protection alone. There needs to be another layer between the soil and the snow like a living root or a very thick layer of mulch. Frost heave also leaves the soil in a fragile state once the snow starts to thaw and with no covering any bare soil will start being damaged and lost due to water erosion from the Spring rains. If there is a living root in the ground or a thick cover of mulch then the soil is shielded from that damage that occurs during thawing and Spring rains.
that is called the "green manure" method... it works good for certain situations but you lose most of the benefit to the soil structure that was built during the growing of the winter rye
yes absolutely plant a cover crop of some variety.... clover would be ideal to keep the soil fertile and healthy but chose one based on where you are located
Wouldn't the roots of all my summer annuals be dead? It is 6 F here today. Rock hard frozen. I haven't cleared my beds, I leave everything (now dead) in place and clear it out in the spring when I prep for planting.
Thank you. We went from summer to winter here and never had a chance to grow a cover crop as in years past. We have had a few inches of snow. If we decide to use straw, does it have to be removed in spring? I understand it is not a manure or something beneficial other than using it to cover my onions and garlic over winter. Any suggestions?
what about the process of mulching for winter with 2-3 inches of chopped leaves and then in the spring, till it - to help the decomposition and the introduction of Oxygen and then top-dress with manure/compost?
there is no need to till the soil every year... a one time initial till is ideal to break up hardpan but then its far better to not till anymore and keep the soil always in a rotation of being covered and cover cropping... you will have far superior soil health this way
@@gardenlikeaviking thanks I’m more of a home gardener where cover cropping seems more difficult and less accessible then just turning over leaves into the garden in the spring- a shovel isn’t as brutal and more turning then really tilling if you know what I mean but your channel is great keep it up my man
@@theColdFramer yes I understand... the method you described will work perfectly fine in the home garden situation!!... but just for your own knowledge maybe try a small section of cover crop one year and see how it grows for you... I'd suggest something easy like crimson clover... each method has many pros and cons
Hi, I am so glad I found your channel. We need more people like you in our world. Keep up the good work. 👍😊 I am an organic gardener who grows vegetables in containers, grow bags, and plastic bins on my deck. I tried making compost for the first time last year, and I’m glad it worked. Making more compost with shredded leaves for next year. What about container gardening? Should the roots of the old plant be left in even small to medium size containers (1 -3 gallon) over winter, or should they be taken out. How should one prepare the soil-compost-peat moss mix of the container/grow bag over winter to grow vegetables in it in spring and summer, if one doesn’t want to take out all of the existing soil mix from the container/grow bag and refill it with a new mix in spring? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.
I live in zone 7. The temperature does go down to 15-20 F. In the past few winters, we haven’t had much snow, but sometimes, we do get snowstorms and a lot of snow.
ideally you'd remove the soil and compost it with many other things then refill the container in the spring for planting... if you don't want to do that then you'd need to add fertility like chicken or cow manure then cover with leaves or grass and let "compost in place" over the winter while being exposed to the elements
I live in a area where the ground freezes 3-4 feet deep, and is covered with several feet of snow all winter long. Does the process of "soil building" go dormant in these conditions? If so, is there still benefit to planting a cover crop? Thank you!
yes there is still benefit to planting cover crops because the living root in the ground will always be nourishing the SFW just at a slower rate of activity due to the cold... be sure to plant only Winter Rye as that is the most cold hardy of all cover crops and it will thrive no problem
the till it forget it (then Till & Fill It with synthetic nutrients at planting) is whats stripping all the natural levels of nutrients that Makes It Food in the first place... thus causing more health issues and auto-immune in time (opinion, yet science is showing as such) plants need the "natural nitrogen cycle of soil" to be productive and healthy . [Thanks again for another wonderful video]
I have been using winter rye for years.......the only problem I have found with leaves or any uncomposted matter is your soil stays terrible wet into the growing season.....having said that my main soil enrichment material is leaves....with all ount of chicken and rabbit manure mixed in. My winter rye is now 6-8 inches tall but winter is here ..come April 15th it will grow until I tekmate it's growth and begin planting the seasons crops.☺️
@@gardenlikeaviking I use a trimmer and in the matter of a couple weeks the rye has dried and shriveled up....some gets tilled in some doesn't....... during the growing season I often plant buckwheat between the rows......most of my garden spots the soil is beyond phenomenal......but every year all my garden spots get more organic material added......it's not a once in awhile thing☺️
I didn't till, but I didn't to the rest either... I'm in zone 6b...is it too late to cover my soil, or will it still help since I can't plant out til near the end of May?
unfortunately none of these solutions work in hydro because hydro is not utilizing the soil food web and using these things will make your reservoir go rancid fast!
Hi Nate! We just found your channel and LOVE the content! Have you heard of Bokashi composting? We are doing that along with traditional composting, but my husband likes to pour the Bokashi juice over the traditional beds every 2 weeks after the initial batch is fermented. I feel like our traditional compost beds may be getting too much of it, along with the urine he's collecting and adding to the traditional beds as well. I'm worried it may be too acidic. We're newbies and just wingin' a lot of the stuff we're doing, so any advice on this matter would be most appreciated! Thanks again for the content!
Nice Viking! I cover the crops that grow above ground under plastic. All aluminum etc. from chemtrails is a real poison for soil and crops. I grow lettuce, parsley, dill etc. in boxes with plastic roofs. Covers other open ground as much as possible. Greetings from a snowy Viking land! 💞 🇸🇪
Great video. Instead of mandating fertilizer cuts the government should be promoting cover crops and good soil management practices. There could be a tax cut for good agricultural practices.
So true, but that's predicated on the idea that the government WANTS our land to be productive. Considering that chemtrails are slowly causing the land to be non-fertile, and them burning down our food and food processing plants, killing all the chickens and turkeys, etc, ...well enough of that; we just need to position ourselves to take care of ourselves.
The government doesn't like doing things which make sense. It would rather dole out stolen funds, in the form of subsidies, because "too big to fail" and another way to attempt to justify its existence.
That would make sense if the government was there for the people
The government rather us dead. Truth.
Your logic and reasoning is freaking me out reeeeeeeee
Love listening to your simplification the soil food web.
"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." Albert Einstein
I’m glad you showed us that farmland to back-up what you were saying. Very impactful.
Yes Sir
You are correct! Living in the Houston TX area I always have something growing. I have found that spring, summer and fall crops explode. I have to give away food, which is always a good thing.👍🏽
Excellent discussion! Carbon sequestration, glomalin, humic, fulvic acids... Carbon is slowly becoming recognized as an essential nutrient. Back in the day it was NPK... Also Liebig's barrel never considered carbon, which is where we started to go off the rails. People are breaking records- one of which is bushels of corn per acre by reconsidering carbon. Go Vikings!
Soil regen IS the revolution. Turn the planet back into a lush abundant garden with a giant hyperbaric atmosphere. Ever walked thru a giant redwood forest ? I have and it feels so amazing I always want to stay..
@@brucehitchcock3869 Yes! Redwood forest are a giant air filter which extracts moisture from the cool air coming onshore N.Cali. The trees are able to extract tremendous quantities of carbon from the atmosphere and place them into organic material which lasts CENTURIES before being returned to the atmosphere. Deep, rich topsoil. Imagine more of the world like this. It is possible.
would you consider a series on fixing clay, sandy, new, "dead" (etc) soils within your natural farming parameters?
I'd consider it but I'd proberly just walk around pisn & shitn in the field
yes I absolutely would love to do that!... given land constraints at the moment though it will probably have to be once I get the homestead and go to heal my own new soil that will no doubt be damaged!
Look at Terra preta :) and you one of few. Who mentioned clay and sandy mixes
I'd be very interested in how to bring back lifeless soil that's been baked by the sun and turned into hydrophobic dust. 😢
He is and i know you just listened to exactly that
Great video.
I just weeded my garden after I neglected it for about 3 months, after finding a snake in it (an Eastern Brown (I'm in AUS)), it did really put a fright into me as I have full-time care of out Grand kids, they're in the garden all the time and those snakes are killers if cornered
Essentially the weeds had become a cover crop and the soil seemed in better health then when I was attending to it. Throwing in a cover crop Saturday, something low it think until the seedlings are GTG. We face the next three month of summer with fairly extreme heat, the compost heap is going well and I'm getting around the neighborhood raking up leave where I find them.
Great channel BTW with lots of great info.
I noticed the same thing when I neglected my sweet potatoes this summer. The weeds around it seemed to help the soil. When we dug up the potatoes we were pleasantly surprised at how large the crop was and how moist and rich the soil was.
sounds good what kind of cover crop are you doing??... with extreme heat Sudan Grass and Cowpea and Sunhemp all work really well especially the Cowpea because of the nitrogen fixing properties
@@gardenlikeaviking thanks for the reply I'll let you know.
Great video! That camera shot out of your car window made me want to cry. How our species can be so massively short-sighted and willing to go along with whatever makes them money...
But Permaculture is growing more prominent all the time. As well, there are and have been people who were in tune with the land - my grandfather, for one. We are all doing what we can, and living well because of it. Thank you for this channel.
I usually mulch empty areas in my garden over winter, but this time I planted a cover crop. 👍
Yes, yes, yes. Finally a gardening truth has been released to everyone. Please let the farmers know what’s been done for decades. New subscriber. Found your channel while educating myself about soil life during off time in the garden. Happy New Year from Zone 9b
Great video sir! It seems like everything industry does as standard practice is the antithesis of what is good and wise to do.
Yes, with corporations it's all about the profit. They don't care if they kill people as long as they're making money.
I found you on PP & I am so IN LOVE with your natural touch with NATURE. I have been doing organic gsrdening, but this just boosted me ten thousand times better. You make so much sense with NATURE.
welcome to the channel my friend!
Up here in Canada all those trees are gone now around the fences is sad there is a new thing to leave the 10 feet around the fields to go naturally I hope it works we need more thoughts of nature and farming in balance
Too many people are afraid to speak the truth on this topic. Thank you Viking for being Mother Earths advocate and a great teacher for us all.
thank you so much for your support and consistent enthusiasm my friend!!
I noticed years ago that nature never leaves the soil uncovered and exposed to the elements. Even the most barren of soil will attempt to cover itself by growing weeds.
Awesome revelation of things we have been doing wrongly for decades - thanks Nate, i have been practising this system for a while now and it really rewarding on my pineapple farm, all the weeds go back to the soil as nutrient, and the result has been amazing.
Thanks once again for the info am Dennis from Nigeria
Great to see another African here. Good luck with your farm 😊
I gotta get to work right now because my husband just tilled the garden and left it bare. Thanks.
As I clicked; I was breaking leaves up by hand; to set on the garden bed. Thank you for explaining the processes!
You should have your own TV program teaching every one who wants to listen, on how we all got it wrong for so many years. I am grateful for your knowledge and insight to replenishing our earth. I am listening from Australia
Many thanks
Newbie gardener here for 2 season now and getting ready for the next season.
Last fall I spread 4 year old sheep/horse compost on the garden and was too lazy to mix in the ground.
Laziness finally paid off.😉
Yep, Nature knows best. Reminds me of horses and horseshoes but off subject.
Great video ... Subscribed and will be following you to learn more.👍👍
Rich
Note that farmers are paid by the weight of their crop, not by how nutritious or tasty it is. The farmer must pay the cost of cover crop seed, pay for planting and later terminating it; but then gains back the cost of *some* of the fertilizer, then hopefully gets a higher yield (but maybe not) - after doing all that does the farmer gain dollars or lose dollars in year 1? I'm confident that if kept up for years there would ultimately be great benefits for the soil, the crops, drought resistance, all kinds of things. But is such a change profitable for the average farmer in Year One, and if not, when would he or she break even?
Of course Big "Farma" wants all the farmers dependent on buying lots of fertilizer and special seeds, so we know why Big Farma wants to continue the practice.
you've accurately described the root of the issue.... until weight and yield are no longer the dominant criteria there will be no change... when nutrient density and soil health are instead the primary concern that is when things would immediately turn around... but so long as profit is king the land will continue to be treated like its a slave
@@gardenlikeaviking. And so today the world has brought itself to
Matthew 24: 6, 7 and 8.
EXCELLENT VIDEO. LEAVES CUT UP IN FALL AND THEN SPREAD OVER THE VEGETABLE AND FLOWER GARDENS WORK WELL FOR ME
Thank you Nate. I have used both clover and one year cardboard. I'm zone 5 so the bed's are covered with snow for months. I used cardboard on the beds I wanted for early crops.
Nature knows best!!
I'm gardening at my daughter's now, and working on harvesting leaves from the front yard (they leave them on beds, but rake the lawn!) To put on the newest no dig bed or cover kitchen waste in the compatible bin ... last year my son in law put clover seed on the garden area, so fertility building!
You are great! Your explanations are pleasant, clear and so beautifully understandable. Thanks Viking.
We are thankful that you share your knowledge
9:40: I once lived in Greenfield, IN... looks about same. Pretty much entire Midwest.
Thank you. I covered my raised beds with leaves.
wonderful Linda thats the favorite food of the earthworm!
Great video. To other Vikings. If you know a farmer who’s ready for change, gift them a copy of A Soil Owner’s Manual by Jon Stika.
great book suggestion thank you!!
Brilliant as always 😊
I am learning so much from you.
My garden is loving it.
Mr. Nate- I've just discovered your channel and I'm loving it. I spent this summer trying to use the JADAM methods from the book, but you make them so easy and approachable! I appreciate all of your hard work, and I can't wait to see more. Thank you. You deserve all the good things.
Will Pinestraw work if you dont have leaves ???
Been reading recently about how Tennessee used to be one of the worst areas of the country for this, loosing soil every year at a rate of 40 tons per acre a year. So the state instituted programs (I think as far back as the 70’s) to encourage no-till AG and cover cropping. Took a long time to get farmers to adopt it but after a lot of university studies proving over and over that it worked it started being adopted by many and since 1981 The University of TN has hosted a No-Till field day and they now have something like 90% of row crop farmers converted to no till.
Garden like a Viking!!!! Compost your enemies!!!
Thank you for being a Teacher
I’m grateful for your videos! I hope you and your family enjoy a wonderful day of gratitude. ❤
I thought that the farmers were going to keep their corn remains in the ground to retain some snow moisture. However, the soil in the big KS farms now looks like Indiana farms. Bald and blowing down the road on a windy day. Sad. I've been tilling my mulch throughout the spring and summer with food scraps, chicken litter, cardboard tubes and egg cartons, leaves, mulch from the recycle center and soil from our local water treatment facility. My chickens help me till the compost pile. The late season leaves are helping me get ready for the coming snow. Happy Thanksgiving y'all.🇺🇸⚔🇬🇪
Thank you for a great more in depth concise explanation. CRAZY something as important as soil is such a mystery to science. Smh. Modernized ag is SO heartbreaking. So difficult sourcing hay for the goats without Grazon and similar stuff.
Carbon being targeted, exactly the plan.
Music to my ears. I have learnt and bettered my gardening skills because of you sir. Thank u
I started using whole pine tree chip. Soil amendment is taking place rapidly. Mycorrhizal fungi too. Food scrap compost...soil is improving.
Living in Florida brings sand and sun and heat, so, it the soil doesn't naturally hold water well...
Nate my brother, you are my #1 favorite gardener / RUclipsr! You have such an amazing way of explaining things succinctly, and I know that's because you *understand* growing. I love growing in hydro and I was wondering if some of the amazing ferts / JDAM / Leaf mould you show how to make could be utilized in hydroponics. I had great success this summer with Masterblend 4-18-38 in a Kratky setup, growing leafy greens, tomatoes, and squash but I think it could be improved upon by adding air and a water pump.
thank you my friend!!... unfortunately these natural ferments do not work in hydro applications... we do not have the power of the soil food web in hydro and therefor these natural fertilizers would quickly turn the reservoir rancid ... the master blend you speak of is created specifically to bypass the activity and need of the soil food web by using petroleum based chemicals made in laboratory settings to be usable in hydro environment...
I have two automated hydroponic set ups in my greenhouse both with various greens and use Masterblend or an equivalent. But due to the cost I switched one to a homemade comfrey feed.
I ran the experiment for a couple of months and the comfrey proved a success however the smell coming from the reservoir was not good!
I may try again next spring (March/April here in the UK) with a greater dilution to see if the smell reduces.
Excellent videos. Slowly working my way through them to build on my grass and comfrey liquid feeds.
Spouse is feeling "under the weather". Not hungry.
Got up from nap and demanded the soup on the stove.
I said, it's not soup.
I WANT SOME!.
I was cooking chicken gizzards in chicken broth. I wanted the broth to cook the rice.
Fantastic video. I love Cliff Notes type videos and you sure nailed it!
hey! what about oak leaves?
I'm very grateful that I came across your channel ,you are the most technical person I've heard when it comes to natural gardening keep up and many learned from you
Hello, friend. My husband and I have been binge watching your videos lately. Thank you for all of your great content!
I had an injury in January and was unable to garden at all this year while recovering. Needless to say, nature takes over a garden space when not worked. We are no-till with organic, natural practices.
One side of our garden is completely taken over with weeds. The rows are all gone now. Only brown weed stalks are left.
What would you recommend doing now? Should we cut off the weed stems at the ground level and cover with leaf mold, composted horse manure and rabbit puffs?
Please advise! What would you do? Thank you, kind sir. 🙏🏼
They are teaching this or such to the agriculture complex for several yrs now, but people have to implement it and understand it
Of all your excellent educational posts ..... THIS ONE, I RATE TOP OF THE "CROP"! Such a well presented, clear dissemination of what is desperately needed to resurrect dead or dying soil. Spoken with inspired passion, due to the degradation prevailing in the surrounding Nothern Indiana farming "wasteland". Thanks Nate, very, very well done!🥰🍀
thank you so much for the positive energy and feedback my friend I appreciate you being here!!
Ground here is frozen for nearly half of the year.. no uv baking the soil. Snow is a natural blanket 😛 the growing season is so short that basically there s no time for cover crops, i ll be grateful just to get the actual crop 😹
I’m in zone 4 and even here I can get a cover crop in. Fall rye germinates down to 5° C. As soon as one crop is out, with no food crop following… on goes the cover crop seed. It doesn’t have to get big, it just has to get roots. I too have the blessing of snow on my garden. Dr. Elaine Ingham has shown there’s more microbial activity at the snow soil interface than there is in the tropical rain forest. But we can still damage the soil profile and health in spring or fall because rain will compact naked soil. Unmulched frozen soil deteriorates over winter because of sublimation… water changing from one state to another. I’ve had some bad years with no snow until very late and the soil gets very dry. In those years it also means no blueberries the following summer. They need the insulation!
@Tiariana Manna Where are you?
@@B30pt87 Finland 🥶🥶🥶
Thank you! This is such an important topic--just changing that one practice of cover cropping instead of tilling and leaving bare soil could save America's farmland from degredation over time--and improve the health of the people as well as the soil. Keep making videos like this!
thank you for the positive energy and feedback my friend I will definitely keep this up!!
@@gardenlikeaviking 👍
Well said, I couldn't have explained it any better. This needs to become basic knowledge. I've been trying to explain this to the older generations, and they just don't seem to get it or want to believe it. This is not what they have been taught and this is not how the big farms are doing it.
I see bare tilled soil all the time on hiway 5 in the “salad bowl” San Joaquin valley in CA…so sad.
This is an eye-opening topic! Bless your heart for sharing this knowledge with people, than you so much. What I don't understand however is whether we should never till the soil or till it in a different season than fall, and if so then how deep?
Concise and succinct. I grow a lot in fabric pots. If they are stacked in the garage out of direct sunlight will they retain their carbon? Or do I need to do more with them? Thanks Nate
fabric pots will become bone dry and not a lot of activity is happening when there is no water or nutrients... it would be much better to leave them out in the elements and just cover with leaves or manure of some kind or compost to keep them full of microorganisms and moisture over the winter
Thanks!
thank you for the support my friend!!
i got a bare patch of soil andf i just took a bunch off random veggie and m,arigold seed and just sewed super heavy
trying to till the patch earlyer this spring was like breaking rocks apart but i absolutely had to till it as it wasnt very receptive to water
the soil seems somewhat fertile as the seedlings are thriving , the patch was used to house 2 small dogs for about a year before i moved in
i plan on getting compost and layering a inch or 2 thick so the earthworms actually have stuff to nibble on
no leaf fall happening here rn as we are heading into summer
Excellent video! So many practices since the onset of mass food production have robbed our soil of the nutrition it needs. You did a great job breaking it down and making it understandable for anyone!
thank you for the positive energy my friend!
Hi there, can you do a video on how to actually buy/make good soil? As in how to mix raw ingredients to make great soil for brand new raised beds. Thank you.
Wow!! Very sad. I wish these farmers could see your video and begin to understand that things HAVE to change. We cannot continue to be so ignorant!
Awesome information Nate. I'm making a new garden in my yard next year. Grass is there now, should I just leave that till spring and then til and add compost and top with leaf mold before planting? Any suggestions would be great. I wish I would have found you years ago. Love your whole vibe. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving
I suggest doing something now for sure so you can be building fertility all winter long... watch this video ruclips.net/video/niPa8MH_3hA/видео.html.... and also this one ruclips.net/video/yDRoi9ZE6uI/видео.html ... and do one of those options if possible
Great video. It encouraged me to get mushroom compost and actually chop up and put these leaves out on the beds.
Awesome lesson! Your beard looks fantastic too man
thank you brother!!... I'm doing a "first frost until last frost" beard this year so it'll get at least double this size lol
So if you till and plant a cover crop like winter rye grass then till again in spring to plant a crop would that be OK to do to keep the soil microbes alive!...and feeding them more in the process
! And keep tilling and planting new species and seeds to keep the process continuing a good practice !
I like winter rye because it is lush and green in the winter and dies back I the hot summer and is nice in winter to see something green growing...when most other things have died back from the cold...so glad you did a video on this I had forgotten about this and planning to plant meadows but it's winter now and the winter rye grass would be perfect for getting my soil microbes ready for the spring and summer meadow grasses and plants .. Thanks again!
planting cover crops and tilling it in is called "green manure" method and also has its benefits in certain situations.... but the tilling process does destroy the structure of the soil and the fragile community of fungi that have established in the soil... check this video for more knowledge ruclips.net/video/CIKaZVDbIXY/видео.html
I planted winter rye this past fall. I was always taught to till it into the soil a few weeks before spring planting. It’s already done, how you you advise moving forward. I really enjoy your information, looking forward to implementing many of your proven theories. Thanks. Fred
Great video, as always! thank you
Love your passion brother!
Farmers around here are finally realizing this. Seeing allot of cover crops. The ASCS is even helping pay for it. This year in Iowa was bad and allot didn't come up because of the rain they couldn't get the cover crops in early enough. Been doing allot of winter rye grain and tillage radish separate of course winter rye grain not grass even has a weed suppression in it so they don't need to spay the real bad weed killer then they just no till seed right into the standing rye and crimp it. The tillage radish does such a good job tilling sometimes it's plugs there tilling. Over 2 feet deep.
There is a channel called "" Young Red Angus" which is a large regenerative farm that is incorporating these principles on a large scale. They are awesome.
Thank you to every grower, large or small, who is working to sustain our healthy food and planet.
Good to know... I just emptied my compost pile onto it, leaves, straw then more leaves.
Nate, can we use the JLF vegetation from the barrels to cover the soil? I use tubs for my garden and am in zone 5b.
Looks like the eastern shore on the way to the beach.
Kinda makes you want to be a soil evangelist and start knocking on doors, spread the good news.
😊good one🎺👍
Very comprehensive 😊
Boom! Nice 1 Nate 🙏👍💚😊
One of your best videos.
So true! Standard practice! Keeps them buying big ag products
Great video
Sir how can we make compost from chicken manure,cow manure and from dry leaves
ruclips.net/video/_bBfaLLW8jc/видео.html
What are some good cover crops for my containers?
There’s specific fungi that breaks down Dead matter in nature mainly forest and jungles, this specific one just attacks dead matter and further breaks it.down for IMO to process into nutes :) it’s very complex and yet self sustained enviroment :) wonder if we could implement it into a no till indoor grow
Thank You for the revelation !
Is covering the soil as big of a deal or even necessary in northern climates where we get snow cover.
Good question! I’d like to know, too.
@@jesusislord7488 Yes it's very important in northern climates as well. Viking can probably explain this better than i can but in northern climates the soil moves quite a bit due to a process called "frost heave", all that deep churning around of the soil causes carbon (among other greenhouse gasses) to escape as well as leaving the soil highly susceptible to erosion. The snow is great for the soil but it's not adequate protection alone. There needs to be another layer between the soil and the snow like a living root or a very thick layer of mulch. Frost heave also leaves the soil in a fragile state once the snow starts to thaw and with no covering any bare soil will start being damaged and lost due to water erosion from the Spring rains. If there is a living root in the ground or a thick cover of mulch then the soil is shielded from that damage that occurs during thawing and Spring rains.
@@southpost1224 Thanks!
Yes it is... I'll discuss this today on the live stream... @Southpost did a pretty good job explaining it though!
what do u think about till and planting winter ray? then till again before planting ?
that is called the "green manure" method... it works good for certain situations but you lose most of the benefit to the soil structure that was built during the growing of the winter rye
I have a patch of date palms at a distance of about 20ft between each palm , is it recommended i plant something un between to build soil ?
yes absolutely plant a cover crop of some variety.... clover would be ideal to keep the soil fertile and healthy but chose one based on where you are located
Wouldn't the roots of all my summer annuals be dead? It is 6 F here today. Rock hard frozen. I haven't cleared my beds, I leave everything (now dead) in place and clear it out in the spring when I prep for planting.
Thank you. We went from summer to winter here and never had a chance to grow a cover crop as in years past. We have had a few inches of snow. If we decide to use straw, does it have to be removed in spring? I understand it is not a manure or something beneficial other than using it to cover my onions and garlic over winter. Any suggestions?
Are weeds a cover crop? Please discuss.....
Love ur channel mat3 😊
what about the process of mulching for winter with 2-3 inches of chopped leaves and then in the spring, till it - to help the decomposition and the introduction of Oxygen and then top-dress with manure/compost?
there is no need to till the soil every year... a one time initial till is ideal to break up hardpan but then its far better to not till anymore and keep the soil always in a rotation of being covered and cover cropping... you will have far superior soil health this way
@@gardenlikeaviking thanks I’m more of a home gardener where cover cropping seems more difficult and less accessible then just turning over leaves into the garden in the spring- a shovel isn’t as brutal and more turning then really tilling if you know what I mean but your channel is great keep it up my man
@@theColdFramer yes I understand... the method you described will work perfectly fine in the home garden situation!!... but just for your own knowledge maybe try a small section of cover crop one year and see how it grows for you... I'd suggest something easy like crimson clover... each method has many pros and cons
Hi, I am so glad I found your channel. We need more people like you in our world. Keep up the good work. 👍😊
I am an organic gardener who grows vegetables in containers, grow bags, and plastic bins on my deck. I tried making compost for the first time last year, and I’m glad it worked. Making more compost with shredded leaves for next year. What about container gardening? Should the roots of the old plant be left in even small to medium size containers (1 -3 gallon) over winter, or should they be taken out. How should one prepare the soil-compost-peat moss mix of the container/grow bag over winter to grow vegetables in it in spring and summer, if one doesn’t want to take out all of the existing soil mix from the container/grow bag and refill it with a new mix in spring? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.
I live in zone 7. The temperature does go down to 15-20 F. In the past few winters, we haven’t had much snow, but sometimes, we do get snowstorms and a lot of snow.
ideally you'd remove the soil and compost it with many other things then refill the container in the spring for planting... if you don't want to do that then you'd need to add fertility like chicken or cow manure then cover with leaves or grass and let "compost in place" over the winter while being exposed to the elements
@@gardenlikeaviking thank you.
good talk, cheers Nate!
I live in a area where the ground freezes 3-4 feet deep, and is covered with several feet of snow all winter long. Does the process of "soil building" go dormant in these conditions? If so, is there still benefit to planting a cover crop?
Thank you!
yes there is still benefit to planting cover crops because the living root in the ground will always be nourishing the SFW just at a slower rate of activity due to the cold... be sure to plant only Winter Rye as that is the most cold hardy of all cover crops and it will thrive no problem
@@gardenlikeaviking Thanks for reply. I will give that a try next season.
the till it forget it (then Till & Fill It with synthetic nutrients at planting) is whats stripping all the natural levels of nutrients that Makes It Food in the first place... thus causing more health issues and auto-immune in time (opinion, yet science is showing as such) plants need the "natural nitrogen cycle of soil" to be productive and healthy . [Thanks again for another wonderful video]
Chemical farming, Dr Zach Bush RUclips
thats right!... and all along the way those "in the club" are swimming in cash!!!
Great advice...
I have been using winter rye for years.......the only problem I have found with leaves or any uncomposted matter is your soil stays terrible wet into the growing season.....having said that my main soil enrichment material is leaves....with all ount of chicken and rabbit manure mixed in. My winter rye is now 6-8 inches tall but winter is here ..come April 15th it will grow until I tekmate it's growth and begin planting the seasons crops.☺️
for many of us the soil staying wet is a blessing!!!... what method do you use to terminate the winter rye so early??
@@gardenlikeaviking I use a trimmer and in the matter of a couple weeks the rye has dried and shriveled up....some gets tilled in some doesn't....... during the growing season I often plant buckwheat between the rows......most of my garden spots the soil is beyond phenomenal......but every year all my garden spots get more organic material added......it's not a once in awhile thing☺️
I didn't till, but I didn't to the rest either... I'm in zone 6b...is it too late to cover my soil, or will it still help since I can't plant out til near the end of May?
definitely still helpful to cover your soil
Mine get covered in several feet of snow 😘
Do you have any hydroponics fertilisers that you make yourself?
unfortunately none of these solutions work in hydro because hydro is not utilizing the soil food web and using these things will make your reservoir go rancid fast!
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 Another dope video, as per usual my friend!
Hi Nate! We just found your channel and LOVE the content! Have you heard of Bokashi composting? We are doing that along with traditional composting, but my husband likes to pour the Bokashi juice over the traditional beds every 2 weeks after the initial batch is fermented. I feel like our traditional compost beds may be getting too much of it, along with the urine he's collecting and adding to the traditional beds as well. I'm worried it may be too acidic. We're newbies and just wingin' a lot of the stuff we're doing, so any advice on this matter would be most appreciated! Thanks again for the content!
Nice Viking! I cover the crops that grow above ground under plastic. All aluminum etc. from chemtrails is a real poison for soil and crops. I grow lettuce, parsley, dill etc. in boxes with plastic roofs. Covers other open ground as much as possible. Greetings from a snowy Viking land! 💞 🇸🇪
Same thing here in Ohio, 1 year beans, next year corn...✌
nice one.thankyou.