Wow you master the art of clarity in your speach my friend. So well done, not just on the content but on the way you present and say/show it. All of the videos I've seen from you guys (didnt watch all of them yet) are top notch, full of valuable info and with a great attitude. Thank you again
I just discovered your channel because of your 337 lbs of potatoes episode. I live in New Bruunswick and it is so nice to see a Canadian Content show like this that deals with our colderclimate. Your programs are fantastic and so infromative. I subscribed and I am now binging your past episodes. Since I retired I took up beekeeping and love it. With the land you have and your love of the land you should get a couple of hives to both pollenate your gradens and produce your own honey. If you do get into bee keeping do not both with the Top Bar system, your bees will freeze over winter.
This will be my first year planting a garden and your videos have been immensely helpful. It doesn't hurt that you talk clearly and precisely. Like a CBC broadcaster lol.
Hi you guys ! Hope this finds you well and happy. I googled “lazy gardener” a while back because I wanted the food without the work. Consequently I found you guys and got hooked on your vlogs. Then I got inspired ! Then I got to work ! Long story short, in February I had a lawn and now at the end of May I have enough food in my garden to feed us every night for months ahead. I can’t thank you enough for sowing that seed. All my previous efforts had been half hearted, half productive and hard work. I wish I could send you some pictures of what you’ve help create. I’m even cooking my own compost for next year to feed the whole garden. If ever you hit the road again and end up in the UK there’s a mobile home looking over the veg garden and you’ll be very welcome any time 😊
I had the results of growing my potatoes in mulch in 2 different beds this year. They were about 5 m by 50 cm. One had a wheelbarrow worth of compost so around 1 cm, potatoes placed on top, and a thick mulch of chipped Christmas trees from the city, about 15 cm. Then the other bed had double the compost, same mulch. Without any surprise, the bed with more compost produced more (but not double). Taste was about the same IE very good, a lot better than I expected for this Mona Lisa variety which is pretty standard. The "normal" potato beds, dug and without any mulch, produced more, without surprise again. It had a lot of horse manure the previous year so it was rich. But it was a lot more work for sure, also a lot of work to dig out the potatoes, and more to make the ground ready for planting again. For the mulched potatoes, I simply removed a bit of the mulch to plant leeks, and put the mulch back in. The leeks are going fine. I'll try it again next year, with more compost. Also, we had an unfortunate late frost, in early May, which hadn't happened in 15 years, and hit the mulched potato beds the hardest to its unsheltered location, so that affected yields IMO. I planted in mid April.
Hello Derek, Paula!! I cannot wait to find some spoiled hay, I’m getting up there n age to work a garden the hard way, not to mention that I have a few pains. I have heard of this method for a long time now “I did not know about Ruth Stout” but wish I did n the beginning of my gardening days, I have heard the good, but mostly bad on using hay, so I asked other youtubers about it, very few answered, and I read many negative comments from viewers, so I stayed away from it. But seeing that y’all started using it two years ago, and still r, not to mention, who would know better than an elder, one who has proven that it works...Ruth Stout. I Thank her, I Thank the both of u, now I just need to find untreated spoiled hay and enjoy easy gardening!!! Thank u both
I started gardening about 2 years ago and have been maintaining an small orchard since 2011. Your channel is a virtual gold mine!! I had been wondering what to do with all the branches and limbs I have after pruning my trees each year. PROBLEM SOLVED!...now I can try this Ruth Stout method. I have quite a few palm trees (Pindos) as well. This will be interesting.
Hey there; just a tip from a 'Ruth Strout" er from the 1970's........ The only limiting factor in the whole system is the availability and affordability of mulch. My 'free' mulch disappeared the third year. AND the amount of bulk required to keep the weeds in check was mind boggling.
Hi thought I would check on you guys. We have watched all your videos and were wondering if your planning on uploading any more content. Hope all is well.
New favorite channel. I learned the Ruth Stout method by accident. Mulched my forsythia bushes with straw. Best mulch ever (until I bought some that still had the seed heads, which of course grew oats. Pulled up easily, but still not happy.) it sure made the ground beneath soft and nutrient dense.
I've just watched some of your older videos (van life times). I can see you guys and me and my gf have SO many things in common! About the same age, we went nomads for some time (5 years), bought a small property 2 years ago to settle and farm (garden + forest + tiny house). If you guys ever come to Spain, we'll take you out! :D Cheers and keep on with the amazing videos and inspiration!
I used a round bale too, way cheaper than squares and i have plenty to spare. That said some people fund my huge round bale pretty amusing sitting in my yard.
I just want to say that your channel is great and loving all the technical information and you guys showing how easy it is to do. Hugely inspirational! From someone trying to get back to the real reality with not alot of know how as a foundation.
So nice to see another video from you two. I got spoiled when I found your channel and had all the old videos to watch. This being patient between videos is now a challenge! *grin* I had to start my own RUclips channel so I had more to do. I really enjoy how you put your videos together. Looking forward to summer!
Well my dears, my Ruth Stout garden has had a problem. I didn't start it soon enough last year and we had a very dry winter so the hay just wouldn't rot. I am also having a problem with weeds that are coming up through the thick hay. South Carolina weeds are apparently quite tough to kill - especially the Dollar weed and wild Blackberries. I will keep plugging on. So enjoy your videos.
Oh no, sorry to hear that Ann. We do occasionally get some grass that just won't take the hint, so some pulling may be required. Sounds like your's is a bit tougher than ours though. Good luck, and please let us know how it turns out over the season.
Good to see a video from you guys again. No-stress is def the way to go. Wish round bales were available around here, but then, if they were I doubt I'd get it through my garden gate ;-) - so I use what I have in abundance, leaves.
My favorite gardeners. Always a pleasure to see your channel pop up. Really like the garden area. Hay rolling over the rows sure would save time and energy. Looks perfectly ready now. Just need some warm spring days. Looking forward to your next video. Thanks. 😊👍
I looooove using hay. Round bales are so much cheaper and that rolling trick we learned from listening to Gabe Brown give a talk about how he planted potatoes. He literally drives along, plops the potatoes down from the bag in the truck, then rolls out bales of hay on top. I was sold.
I see your love for getting back to reality and simplicity , yet using the little grey cells to explore " new" ares of life that are possible and Doable ..as in Help is here for us. Ever had a look at Earthships and the gardens incorporated into the home ? Would the Huglekulture and Ruth Stout methods be great in a setting like that ? I wonder.
Hay is supposed to have more nutrients, but I've noticed that it sprouts like crazy in Georgia, so I'll probably try straw next year. In the meantime, I'm pulling out all that fresh alfalfa, and trying to mix kitchen-scrap compost, leaves and pine straw in my beds in preparation for planting -- just a little time in each bed, one bed a day. I'm running late this year, more like your timing in Canada, but we have a long growing season, so I think we might still have a good crop. Learning something new each season -- experience is supposed to be the best teacher, but I surely do value what I've learned from you two, as well. Thanks for all your marvelous ideas.
I love the round bales rolling clips and the summary of your experience with different mulches over time. I'm working on cleaning up a burnt 60 foot trailer on 3/4 acre of woods, conversation to Ruth Stout & Digger style garden. No till over Rocky clay. I've also worked with wood chips (Back to Eden style) and leaves. Hay is so easy to transport, spread, and affordable. Breaks down faster than chips and leaves it seems. Seems higher in nitrogen also. Thanks y'all! ♥️🙏🐾
Thanks for the video. So glad to hear from you guys! Great trick with the round bale. I do a no till method sort of. I live in a town with a small yard and use wood chips for mulch. I can't wait to start planting. We are zone 3/4.
Bought a farm in Ontario as well and you folks are absolutely our model. Its really excellent to be working with similar conditions and views. Thanks for the videos and inspiration! Cheers to year 3!
I can't stop laughing at your delight in finding that round bales simply roll out. Something that seems simple to someone who grows up with it is a process of discovery for those new to the lifestyle. Its the only way we truly ever learn... by doing. Enjoy watching your journey. And yes... spoiled hay should be free for the asking... just ride some back roads and you are sure to come across some sitting beside the road. Just track down the owner and ask... its almost always yes... and many are happy to help you load it with their tractor if its not too big an inconvenience for them at the time.
Finally! A new video from Back to Reality! -I've been just waiting for one of these....a sure sign of spring to see another one of your videos! I live in Minnesota and it looks like you are ahead of us-bud cases are just now falling off the new leaves. I can't wait to see how your chop and drop worked-I'll be looking forward to that video.
Gardening can be very stressful. All the do's and don't cause me to pause and say "nope, not this year" but your series has given me such a buzz that I am absolutely going to get a a few beds ready for next spring. I am hoping that the Ruth Stout method will kick some royal bootie for my grapes I wanna grow, and some watermelon tho I am thinking the hugelkultur method would be divine for those tough vines.
I have been tempted by round bales because the farmer a mile down the road uses them. I didn't think I would be able to manipulate them without a tractor. But now, oh the possibilities!
Love this system. Last summer I grew Potatoes under a Thick straw layer, and this spring broad beans are growing in the same place. My "mistake" is that I dug it before broad beans were planted , nut results are so good. But I have a doubt, where is nitrogen? Ideal compost Has 1 portion of Nitrogen and 30 of Carbon. Straw ratio is 1 of Nitrogen per 500 Carbon. This suggests that green materials should be mixed with straw or hay.
Great to hear from you again! I binge-watched your channel a few months ago and I wanted to thank you for all of this content! It's very inspiring. I'm normally all about analysis paralysis, but seeing you just go for it made me feel excited to do the same. I'm going to try a small hugelkultur mound this year. Thanks again, and good luck with this year's growing!
That was cute :) You discovered how range cattle are fed...yes the rolls are unrolled in a line and the cattle graze on it. I would love to get spent rolls! Just a heads up for folks to not breathe in the mold dust when you break open old hay bales. I've had new bales of straw in my garden sprout new wheat (it's not a big deal but you do wind up weeding for a time)...so yea make sure they are weathered before you use. :)
I've tried covering with leaves and straw and found that the moles really liked spending time in there......now trying to find ways of ridding off moles and voles. Thanks for the videos!!!
Great seeing you guys back at it!!! I might try a round bale when I start my back orchard. I am wanting to build up my soil because it's heavy clay and I don't want my tree roots to drown. But I'm a year or two away from planting. Dirt work first!
Dang! Pretty sure I've been keeping up on your videos, but was surprised to see how extensive your space is, and how many hugelkultur mounds you have. Probably operator error while attempting to access memory banks. :) Love how you figured out the most efficient way to utilize the round bale. As long as you have easy access to them, and they aren't a pain to collect & haul, I'd keep using the deep leaf mulch technique too. I use loads of leaves in the garden, mulching foot paths, and feeding them to the compost pile. They're eventually going to become some wonderful humus, which goes well on whole wheat crackers. Wait - that's hummus!
Cute! Back To Reality has the tea on mulching! I am a gardener in the outskirts of Toronto Canada so we are surrounded by farms. Definitely going to try and source some round hay bales! Thanks for the idea!
Happy Spring!! Like you, we have a source for "spoiled hay", and we're thrilled. We only have a 1/4 yard - including the house - so our 'garden' is small, and we plant in other areas around the yard. We do have straw bales...under the roof where the rain pours off the metal, but only hay goes on our garden. The hay breaks down so much easier and better, and my understanding is it has more nutrients than straw. However, if straw was all I had...I would use it. Well done!
Your garden is very similar to mine, although I live in Norway and have never met anyone with a similar garden! Recently I watched Ruth Stouts garden video, it's also very similar. I guess it's something that happens instinctively.
do you mow the paths between your beds? I've used hay to build garden soil for decades, as well as woodchips and compost. In our later years we began to raise livestock (beyond chickens). We bale our own hay. Every year I have my husband drop off rained on bales near the garden, for use the following year. I'm pretty sure there were none last year for me though, so, bummer. It was a horrible hay year as we had so much rain. One thing I never do is refer to our own hay as "free", haha. We consider hay to be such a resource that we never look for it to leave the farm, except as a kindness to bless a neighbor or one of our kids. We don't really like the idea of our nutrients leaving the farm, except as meat and eggs and vegs. We'd really like to repair and rebuild our soil :) Do you ever test your soils? I'd be curious how your "before" soil compares with your various built up soils. Do you ever use animal manures (beyond the wild ones)? Most of my newer gardens were created with barnyard clean up, which for us is a mix of hay, manure, and dirt from areas that built up during the winter where the grass-fed cow congregated. The sheep and chickens do a better job of spreading their own, ha. In the fall I have my husband fill a couple of large buckets with this and store it in my potting greenhouse for starting seeds in the spring. It continues to break down over the winter. When I share this stuff it means I truly love the recipient :) I too am glad to see a new video. Thank you.
I was wondering..have you perhaps heard of a wheel herb grinder? I found your channel while looking for how to dry garlic for making garlic powder and I got to thinking when I saw your video. You mentioned how you could use a mortar and pestle if you wanna do it off grid style, but I think that the type of grinder I'm thinking of would do a good job, it has a trough that you place your item you want to grind up in and then you have a wheel with a handle through it so it can roll back and forth. You roll the wheel back and forth and if it runs up the sides you use the wheel to scrape them down and keep doing this till it's done. I've seen a few made of wood but the most common are made of cast iron but nobody really talks about them outside of Eastern Medicine where in Japanese they are called Yagen (have to be careful looking them up as there is an anime character with the same name). I think that type of grinder might be something you could look into for not only your garlic powder and garlic salt but any nuts or the like you wanna grind up too.
Aloha! We love your channel! :) Hearing you talk about a blank canvas I wonder: Have you considered a sun scoop? Piles of rocks to encourage small creatures? Larger hugelcultures (6 ft?) Do you need to plant trees for windbreaks or does your forest go all around you? Thank you so much for the wonderful videos! My 5 yr old can tell people the Ruth Stout method and is so excited when there is a new video. And, actually, I am too! :)
You do an incredible job with the voice-over work -- AND -- you gave us great content in the video. Thank you! (👍#335 and comment #45). Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA
No I didn't pay much attention to the miss spelled words. I can't spell anyways so why would I point out someone else miss spelling words. Everyone makes mistakes. Loved how you finally figured out how to work much smarter w/the round hay. That's how I was taught by my Grandfather in his garden. So I do it every year to have a weed free garden. Great job. Keep doing what your doing. Love the videos, Chris from Missouri
Hello :D ! Fellow Canadian here, but on the Quebec side. I'm enjoying your channel tremendously, and learning LOADS !! I am won over by your gardening philosophy, and your channel ;-) Given how you guys are located in Eastern Ontario, we probably share similar climate conditions, and that makes me hopeful that I could replicate your incredible results. May I ask a question? I see that you are planting in a field, which entails that the 'base' soil was probably ideal for cultivating. Do you know whether the Ruth Stout method can be applied to a regular urban lawn? Since the method creates rich soil, I am thinking of trying it on land that is either of poor soil, or as mentioned earlier, an urban backyard. >> I definitely need to read and watch more on the Ruth Stout method ^_^ Any resources you'd recommend? Thank you for uploading such great videos. You've got me hooked and thrilled !
So glad to see a video, thank you! Looking forward to your summer garden. Have you thought about wearing masks while spreading spoiled hay? Or is your limited contact with the mold spores not long enough to warrant the inconvenience?
We've been doing this method for about 3 years now. It's really beneficial to keep weeds down/out--but it also has it's cons(everything does). As you showed in one clip your ground was still frozen--part of soil being more exposed with less insulation helps it warm up faster and thus grow things faster. Second, how has your experience been with slugs with such wet soils and ground cover? Ours has been pretty bad---slugs love the moisture and they're all over our garden using this method. We've got chickens in a moat surrounding our garden this year, but we're also looking into using toads and keeping them within the area of our garden to help. Last, have you guys ever used a seeder? We tried one this year(a Jang JP-1) and the straw is a pain in a butt when it comes to this... we had to slightly til the top inch and pull away the straw really well or it'd get caught up in our seeder. Good video---just consider putting the cons of this also.
Maybe you’ve addressed this in another video, and if so you can let me know which one. I’m wondering - if I cover my existing garden (just black dirt currently) now with hay, and I hope to plant in 3-4 weeks, will that work? And if it does, what is the best way to plant? Pull it apart make rows, and gently cover? Also, after you rolled out the round bale, would it be best to pitch fork it to lighten it up so the hay isn’t so dense?
Ah shoot! Anyone notice the typo in the video?
It's ok Gardning gives it more of that country vibe ;)
yup, 'No wok gardning'
lol, true. Perhaps I should just embrace it then ;)
Didn't notice it... I was too busy being in awe of how simple that process can be... I'm so glad I found you... Thanx for sharing.
Nope!
It’s time for another video!!!
Hope all is well, missing your videos.
Wow you master the art of clarity in your speach my friend. So well done, not just on the content but on the way you present and say/show it. All of the videos I've seen from you guys (didnt watch all of them yet) are top notch, full of valuable info and with a great attitude. Thank you again
this. he's seriously good at de-mystifying all of it ... while giving really valuable visuals.
I just discovered your channel because of your 337 lbs of potatoes episode. I live in New Bruunswick and it is so nice to see a Canadian Content show like this that deals with our colderclimate. Your programs are fantastic and so infromative. I subscribed and I am now binging your past episodes. Since I retired I took up beekeeping and love it. With the land you have and your love of the land you should get a couple of hives to both pollenate your gradens and produce your own honey. If you do get into bee keeping do not both with the Top Bar system, your bees will freeze over winter.
This will be my first year planting a garden and your videos have been immensely helpful. It doesn't hurt that you talk clearly and precisely. Like a CBC broadcaster lol.
Hi you guys !
Hope this finds you well and happy. I googled “lazy gardener” a while back because I wanted the food without the work. Consequently I found you guys and got hooked on your vlogs. Then I got inspired ! Then I got to work ! Long story short, in February I had a lawn and now at the end of May I have enough food in my garden to feed us every night for months ahead. I can’t thank you enough for sowing that seed. All my previous efforts had been half hearted, half productive and hard work. I wish I could send you some pictures of what you’ve help create. I’m even cooking my own compost for next year to feed the whole garden.
If ever you hit the road again and end up in the UK there’s a mobile home looking over the veg garden and you’ll be very welcome any time 😊
I have to confess here. I've been waiting all winter for a potato storage update. Thanks for the great videos.
Still working on that one. But it's coming. I promise :)
I had the results of growing my potatoes in mulch in 2 different beds this year. They were about 5 m by 50 cm. One had a wheelbarrow worth of compost so around 1 cm, potatoes placed on top, and a thick mulch of chipped Christmas trees from the city, about 15 cm. Then the other bed had double the compost, same mulch. Without any surprise, the bed with more compost produced more (but not double). Taste was about the same IE very good, a lot better than I expected for this Mona Lisa variety which is pretty standard. The "normal" potato beds, dug and without any mulch, produced more, without surprise again. It had a lot of horse manure the previous year so it was rich. But it was a lot more work for sure, also a lot of work to dig out the potatoes, and more to make the ground ready for planting again. For the mulched potatoes, I simply removed a bit of the mulch to plant leeks, and put the mulch back in. The leeks are going fine. I'll try it again next year, with more compost. Also, we had an unfortunate late frost, in early May, which hadn't happened in 15 years, and hit the mulched potato beds the hardest to its unsheltered location, so that affected yields IMO. I planted in mid April.
Glad to see your up walking around with no crunches.
Me Too! Thanks ;)
Your channel is my favorite!!!!!!
Hello Derek, Paula!! I cannot wait to find some spoiled hay, I’m getting up there n age to work a garden the hard way, not to mention that I have a few pains. I have heard of this method for a long time now “I did not know about Ruth Stout” but wish I did n the beginning of my gardening days, I have heard the good, but mostly bad on using hay, so I asked other youtubers about it, very few answered, and I read many negative comments from viewers, so I stayed away from it. But seeing that y’all started using it two years ago, and still r, not to mention, who would know better than an elder, one who has proven that it works...Ruth Stout. I Thank her, I Thank the both of u, now I just need to find untreated spoiled hay and enjoy easy gardening!!! Thank u both
I started gardening about 2 years ago and have been maintaining an small orchard since 2011. Your channel is a virtual gold mine!! I had been wondering what to do with all the branches and limbs I have after pruning my trees each year. PROBLEM SOLVED!...now I can try this Ruth Stout method. I have quite a few palm trees (Pindos) as well. This will be interesting.
Hey there; just a tip from a 'Ruth Strout" er from the 1970's........ The only limiting factor in the whole system is the availability and affordability of mulch. My 'free' mulch disappeared the third year. AND the amount of bulk required to keep the weeds in check was mind boggling.
Hi thought I would check on you guys. We have watched all your videos and were wondering if your planning on uploading any more content. Hope all is well.
You have a talent at narrating videos. That is no easy feet. Congrats.
Thanks so much!
Finally! Been waiting for what seems like forever!
New favorite channel. I learned the Ruth Stout method by accident. Mulched my forsythia bushes with straw. Best mulch ever (until I bought some that still had the seed heads, which of course grew oats. Pulled up easily, but still not happy.) it sure made the ground beneath soft and nutrient dense.
Brilliant idea with the round bale.
I've just watched some of your older videos (van life times). I can see you guys and me and my gf have SO many things in common! About the same age, we went nomads for some time (5 years), bought a small property 2 years ago to settle and farm (garden + forest + tiny house). If you guys ever come to Spain, we'll take you out! :D Cheers and keep on with the amazing videos and inspiration!
Thanks so much manuc, we'll absolutely take you up on that! :)
I used a round bale too, way cheaper than squares and i have plenty to spare. That said some people fund my huge round bale pretty amusing sitting in my yard.
Rolling is easier than lugging. A wet or damp bale is quite heavy.
As a somewhat lazy person that likes the outdoors, this video is so much yes for me. lol
I just want to say that your channel is great and loving all the technical information and you guys showing how easy it is to do. Hugely inspirational! From someone trying to get back to the real reality with not alot of know how as a foundation.
ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOUR VIDEOS AFTER ALL THESE YRS !
So nice to see another video from you two. I got spoiled when I found your channel and had all the old videos to watch. This being patient between videos is now a challenge! *grin* I had to start my own RUclips channel so I had more to do. I really enjoy how you put your videos together. Looking forward to summer!
Well my dears, my Ruth Stout garden has had a problem. I didn't start it soon enough last year and we had a very dry winter so the hay just wouldn't rot. I am also having a problem with weeds that are coming up through the thick hay. South Carolina weeds are apparently quite tough to kill - especially the Dollar weed and wild Blackberries. I will keep plugging on. So enjoy your videos.
Oh no, sorry to hear that Ann. We do occasionally get some grass that just won't take the hint, so some pulling may be required. Sounds like your's is a bit tougher than ours though. Good luck, and please let us know how it turns out over the season.
Love it! I am going to plant 20 lbs of seed potatoes in straw like you guys did. I'm so excited to see our harvest!
can potatoes be planted mid April in Southern Ontario
Good to see a video from you guys again. No-stress is def the way to go. Wish round bales were available around here, but then, if they were I doubt I'd get it through my garden gate ;-) - so I use what I have in abundance, leaves.
My favorite gardeners. Always a pleasure to see your channel pop up. Really like the garden area. Hay rolling over the rows sure would save time and energy. Looks perfectly ready now. Just need some warm spring days. Looking forward to your next video. Thanks. 😊👍
I looooove using hay. Round bales are so much cheaper and that rolling trick we learned from listening to Gabe Brown give a talk about how he planted potatoes. He literally drives along, plops the potatoes down from the bag in the truck, then rolls out bales of hay on top. I was sold.
I LOVE the FAQs you answered!
I see your love for getting back to reality and simplicity , yet using the little grey cells to explore " new" ares of life that are possible and Doable ..as in Help is here for us. Ever had a look at Earthships and the gardens incorporated into the home ? Would the Huglekulture and Ruth Stout methods be great in a setting like that ? I wonder.
Hay is supposed to have more nutrients, but I've noticed that it sprouts like crazy in Georgia, so I'll probably try straw next year. In the meantime, I'm pulling out all that fresh alfalfa, and trying to mix kitchen-scrap compost, leaves and pine straw in my beds in preparation for planting -- just a little time in each bed, one bed a day. I'm running late this year, more like your timing in Canada, but we have a long growing season, so I think we might still have a good crop. Learning something new each season -- experience is supposed to be the best teacher, but I surely do value what I've learned from you two, as well. Thanks for all your marvelous ideas.
I love the round bales rolling clips and the summary of your experience with different mulches over time. I'm working on cleaning up a burnt 60 foot trailer on 3/4 acre of woods, conversation to Ruth Stout & Digger style garden. No till over Rocky clay. I've also worked with wood chips (Back to Eden style) and leaves. Hay is so easy to transport, spread, and affordable. Breaks down faster than chips and leaves it seems. Seems higher in nitrogen also. Thanks y'all! ♥️🙏🐾
Thanks for the video. So glad to hear from you guys! Great trick with the round bale. I do a no till method sort of. I live in a town with a small yard and use wood chips for mulch. I can't wait to start planting. We are zone 3/4.
Bought a farm in Ontario as well and you folks are absolutely our model. Its really excellent to be working with similar conditions and views. Thanks for the videos and inspiration! Cheers to year 3!
This is the best channel
It’s well made interesting and fun to watch
Keep up the good work
And another cycle begins! Have a great season!
You guys are awesome. Brilliant idea. I’ve been gardening the old fashion way. Gotta try your was. Thank you for sharing. God bless.💕☀️🌈🙏🏻🌎
Hey you two... happy Easter/spring.
Thanks Paul, same to both of you!
I can't stop laughing at your delight in finding that round bales simply roll out. Something that seems simple to someone who grows up with it is a process of discovery for those new to the lifestyle. Its the only way we truly ever learn... by doing. Enjoy watching your journey. And yes... spoiled hay should be free for the asking... just ride some back roads and you are sure to come across some sitting beside the road. Just track down the owner and ask... its almost always yes... and many are happy to help you load it with their tractor if its not too big an inconvenience for them at the time.
Any updates?
Finally! A new video from Back to Reality! -I've been just waiting for one of these....a sure sign of spring to see another one of your videos! I live in Minnesota and it looks like you are ahead of us-bud cases are just now falling off the new leaves. I can't wait to see how your chop and drop worked-I'll be looking forward to that video.
Libby Jensen ....hey I live I’m Minnesota too !!!
I’m between Park Rapids and Bemidji....zone 3 :(
Gardening can be very stressful. All the do's and don't cause me to pause and say "nope, not this year" but your series has given me such a buzz that I am absolutely going to get a a few beds ready for next spring. I am hoping that the Ruth Stout method will kick some royal bootie for my grapes I wanna grow, and some watermelon tho I am thinking the hugelkultur method would be divine for those tough vines.
I have been tempted by round bales because the farmer a mile down the road uses them. I didn't think I would be able to manipulate them without a tractor. But now, oh the possibilities!
Love this system. Last summer I grew Potatoes under a Thick straw layer, and this spring broad beans are growing in the same place. My "mistake" is that I dug it before broad beans were planted , nut results are so good.
But I have a doubt, where is nitrogen? Ideal compost Has 1 portion of Nitrogen and 30 of Carbon. Straw ratio is 1 of Nitrogen per 500 Carbon. This suggests that green materials should be mixed with straw or hay.
Derrick we think your terrific but it was very nice to see Paula . I hope she feels better.
Great to hear from you again! I binge-watched your channel a few months ago and I wanted to thank you for all of this content! It's very inspiring. I'm normally all about analysis paralysis, but seeing you just go for it made me feel excited to do the same. I'm going to try a small hugelkultur mound this year. Thanks again, and good luck with this year's growing!
Omg I have so much to learn from you before I start my garden 😮❤
Are you guys done making vids?
Love this video. Now I know how to spend less time preparing the bed for the garden
That was cute :) You discovered how range cattle are fed...yes the rolls are unrolled in a line and the cattle graze on it. I would love to get spent rolls! Just a heads up for folks to not breathe in the mold dust when you break open old hay bales. I've had new bales of straw in my garden sprout new wheat (it's not a big deal but you do wind up weeding for a time)...so yea make sure they are weathered before you use. :)
Your presentation is perfect in everyway!
When can we expect your next video?
You are a great story teller ❤️🐶👍😊😺
Thanks for sharing your adventure. You are inspirational and I can't wait to start my garden!
I miss you guys!
Amazing! Year 3 already!
More please.
This is my fav! Best episode yet. Cheers!
Nice to see you both for a change. Love your videos!!!!
Awesome Possum ! Now all I need is a plot of Earth. Thank you. Great fun learning here !
Glad you guys have things started... can we get a garlic update. Mine started sprouting back in March.
Ours have just started sprouting over the past week or so.
FINALLY A NEW VIDEO!!!!!! Can't wait to see it
I really enjoy your videos -they are very informative and THANK YOU for the clear way you speak... listening to you is a pleasure ;-)
Very good video wow I thought when parked the camper no one would watch wow I was wrong congrats on 100# 🛠🛠🛠🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
I've tried covering with leaves and straw and found that the moles really liked spending time in there......now trying to find ways of ridding off moles and voles. Thanks for the videos!!!
Leave the moles and voles. They are harmless and they add tunnels to your garden which allow more entrances for water, nutrients, earth worms, etc.
Great seeing you guys back at it!!! I might try a round bale when I start my back orchard. I am wanting to build up my soil because it's heavy clay and I don't want my tree roots to drown. But I'm a year or two away from planting. Dirt work first!
As always,informative, to the point, and enjoyable. A+ from our mid fl. Garden 😉
Dang! Pretty sure I've been keeping up on your videos, but was surprised to see how extensive your space is, and how many hugelkultur mounds you have. Probably operator error while attempting to access memory banks. :) Love how you figured out the most efficient way to utilize the round bale. As long as you have easy access to them, and they aren't a pain to collect & haul, I'd keep using the deep leaf mulch technique too. I use loads of leaves in the garden, mulching foot paths, and feeding them to the compost pile. They're eventually going to become some wonderful humus, which goes well on whole wheat crackers.
Wait - that's hummus!
Cute! Back To Reality has the tea on mulching! I am a gardener in the outskirts of Toronto Canada so we are surrounded by farms. Definitely going to try and source some round hay bales! Thanks for the idea!
GREAT VIDEO!!! Full of Wonderful information!!!! Very useful!!! 🍅🌽🌶🥒🌱🌿🌾~ Ms K
Happy Spring!! Like you, we have a source for "spoiled hay", and we're thrilled. We only have a 1/4 yard - including the house - so our 'garden' is small, and we plant in other areas around the yard. We do have straw bales...under the roof where the rain pours off the metal, but only hay goes on our garden. The hay breaks down so much easier and better, and my understanding is it has more nutrients than straw. However, if straw was all I had...I would use it. Well done!
You guys ROCK! Keep making them videos - pretty please, with hay on top ☘️
You inspire me to do gardening
Your garden is very similar to mine, although I live in Norway and have never met anyone with a similar garden! Recently I watched Ruth Stouts garden video, it's also very similar. I guess it's something that happens instinctively.
Are yall going to try making pine rosin potatoes? It's a old southern tradition and its was used to keep the fresh.
do you mow the paths between your beds?
I've used hay to build garden soil for decades, as well as woodchips and compost. In our later years we began to raise livestock (beyond chickens). We bale our own hay. Every year I have my husband drop off rained on bales near the garden, for use the following year. I'm pretty sure there were none last year for me though, so, bummer. It was a horrible hay year as we had so much rain. One thing I never do is refer to our own hay as "free", haha. We consider hay to be such a resource that we never look for it to leave the farm, except as a kindness to bless a neighbor or one of our kids. We don't really like the idea of our nutrients leaving the farm, except as meat and eggs and vegs. We'd really like to repair and rebuild our soil :)
Do you ever test your soils? I'd be curious how your "before" soil compares with your various built up soils.
Do you ever use animal manures (beyond the wild ones)? Most of my newer gardens were created with barnyard clean up, which for us is a mix of hay, manure, and dirt from areas that built up during the winter where the grass-fed cow congregated. The sheep and chickens do a better job of spreading their own, ha. In the fall I have my husband fill a couple of large buckets with this and store it in my potting greenhouse for starting seeds in the spring. It continues to break down over the winter. When I share this stuff it means I truly love the recipient :)
I too am glad to see a new video. Thank you.
I was wondering..have you perhaps heard of a wheel herb grinder? I found your channel while looking for how to dry garlic for making garlic powder and I got to thinking when I saw your video. You mentioned how you could use a mortar and pestle if you wanna do it off grid style, but I think that the type of grinder I'm thinking of would do a good job, it has a trough that you place your item you want to grind up in and then you have a wheel with a handle through it so it can roll back and forth. You roll the wheel back and forth and if it runs up the sides you use the wheel to scrape them down and keep doing this till it's done. I've seen a few made of wood but the most common are made of cast iron but nobody really talks about them outside of Eastern Medicine where in Japanese they are called Yagen (have to be careful looking them up as there is an anime character with the same name). I think that type of grinder might be something you could look into for not only your garlic powder and garlic salt but any nuts or the like you wanna grind up too.
great vid. Im a cover crop guy but will try that out somewhere in my gardens
I really miss your cheerful hellos at the beginnings of the videos.
Aloha! We love your channel! :) Hearing you talk about a blank canvas I wonder: Have you considered a sun scoop? Piles of rocks to encourage small creatures? Larger hugelcultures (6 ft?) Do you need to plant trees for windbreaks or does your forest go all around you? Thank you so much for the wonderful videos! My 5 yr old can tell people the Ruth Stout method and is so excited when there is a new video. And, actually, I am too! :)
You do an incredible job with the voice-over work -- AND -- you gave us great content in the video. Thank you! (👍#335 and comment #45). Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA
Love your channel 🌸
No I didn't pay much attention to the miss spelled words. I can't spell anyways so why would I point out someone else miss spelling words. Everyone makes mistakes.
Loved how you finally figured out how to work much smarter w/the round hay. That's how I was taught by my Grandfather in his garden. So I do it every year to have a weed free garden.
Great job. Keep doing what your doing. Love the videos,
Chris from Missouri
thanks for the video.
Great video! Thanks!
So happy your back!!! Question when will you be planning potatoes?????
Hello :D ! Fellow Canadian here, but on the Quebec side. I'm enjoying your channel tremendously, and learning LOADS !! I am won over by your gardening philosophy, and your channel ;-) Given how you guys are located in Eastern Ontario, we probably share similar climate conditions, and that makes me hopeful that I could replicate your incredible results. May I ask a question? I see that you are planting in a field, which entails that the 'base' soil was probably ideal for cultivating. Do you know whether the Ruth Stout method can be applied to a regular urban lawn? Since the method creates rich soil, I am thinking of trying it on land that is either of poor soil, or as mentioned earlier, an urban backyard. >> I definitely need to read and watch more on the Ruth Stout method ^_^ Any resources you'd recommend? Thank you for uploading such great videos. You've got me hooked and thrilled !
Interesting enough.
Great video. I will be trying hay in the garden this year. Can't wait to see how it works out.
Love your videos!
So glad to see a video, thank you! Looking forward to your summer garden. Have you thought about wearing masks while spreading spoiled hay? Or is your limited contact with the mold spores not long enough to warrant the inconvenience?
you're my favourite gardners!
We've been doing this method for about 3 years now. It's really beneficial to keep weeds down/out--but it also has it's cons(everything does). As you showed in one clip your ground was still frozen--part of soil being more exposed with less insulation helps it warm up faster and thus grow things faster. Second, how has your experience been with slugs with such wet soils and ground cover? Ours has been pretty bad---slugs love the moisture and they're all over our garden using this method. We've got chickens in a moat surrounding our garden this year, but we're also looking into using toads and keeping them within the area of our garden to help. Last, have you guys ever used a seeder? We tried one this year(a Jang JP-1) and the straw is a pain in a butt when it comes to this... we had to slightly til the top inch and pull away the straw really well or it'd get caught up in our seeder. Good video---just consider putting the cons of this also.
Good point. There are pros and cons to everything. We'll try to put together a video about that.
Have you thought about adding a wall garden
Upload more frequently!!
Subscribed today, AWESOME VIDEO AND THANKS FOR SHARING!
Maybe you’ve addressed this in another video, and if so you can let me know which one.
I’m wondering - if I cover my existing garden (just black dirt currently) now with hay, and I hope to plant in 3-4 weeks, will that work? And if it does, what is the best way to plant? Pull it apart make rows, and gently cover? Also, after you rolled out the round bale, would it be best to pitch fork it to lighten it up so the hay isn’t so dense?
BRAVO!
when is there a new video coming out ???