For a couple of years I was really ill and also needed two hip replacements so I could barely do anything at all. I did not amend my soil for 2 years with compost or even top soil and was amazed at how badly it effected 20 years of hard work. I’ve got it almost up to what it was again but just 2 years of slack really showed me how important it is to keep growing and amending the soil with composts, organic matter. Great advice you give.
Thank you! This is exactly the level of explanation I needed for a foundation. I have listened to soil biologists and it is way over my head. This makes so much sense.
Thank you. I'm going to implement the summer cover crops! I've planted a bunch of marigolds over the years and they never last. Could there be something I'm missing in my rather small garden areas? I plant whatever wherever. I have 5 different areas roughly 10x6 around the yard. Different amounts of sun,water, care and marigold die in all. Usually I plant all plants everywhere and watch what takes in the different areas. Not really worried about losing some.
Sunn hemp. You are correct! Crotalaria juncea, known as brown hemp, Indian hemp, Madras hemp, or sunn hemp, is a tropical Asian plant of the legume family (Fabaceae). It is generally considered to have originated in India. Source: Wikipedia
Thanks for this video on the importance of our soil ecosystem. A question I have along those lines, is do you put composted chicken manure in your garden? If so, do you feed your chickens organic chicken feed? I have rabbits and am feeding them organic rabbit pellets with greens from the yard. It is sooooooo expensive!!!!! Do the many pesticides on non-organic feed harm the rabbits and then the worms, and bacteria? It only makes sense that it would.?
I do choose to yes feed organic yes but we are directly consuming the eggs whereas you aren’t with the rabbits. That being said there are definitely systemic pesticides that can pass through digestion and into the manure which can impact soil productivity and health. But it’s something you need to weigh out for your personal situation as to where your money is best spent.
Excellent video Elise, I need to order more worm castings, it really does make a difference in my garden, thanks for sharing such valuable information 🌱🌱🌱🌱
most of my plants are in grow bags and i have had a massive problem with root knots this year. should i leave the roots in the grow bags that have root knots?
Great stuff as always! One thing that I’ve heard from traditional grass lawn landscapers is spraying heavily diluted molasses to stimulate soil microbes. Supposedly it’s a well known trick to cause thatch and mulched grass to break down more quickly because the microbes are drawn towards the topsoil by the sugars. Have you heard of that before? Just wondering if that might be a more accessible/local option for people versus having to buy a probiotic amendment.
the sugars definitely help to feed and bolster numbers (they will reproduce more given abundant food source). But they do still have to be present in some number to start that action. If its been years of heavy pesticide and herbicide applications it may take longer. But if its just an "abandoned" yard or what not it likely wont take long.
My dog is a major fan of Bokashi compost and Espoma fertilizer. And they told me that Bokashi does not draw pests! Bokashi and the leachate is also fantastic as a compost accelerator....if I can keep it in the soil/compost and away from the pup....or maybe I should skip her expensive probiotics and let her eat the Bokashi bran instead?
Very helpful video! I’m still new to gardening and trying to learn the most organic natural ways to do it. I have a small back yard that also has a septic system which hinders some of the things I can do. I also live in an HOA which means my front yard needs to be kept neat. I struggle with my front yard being dug up from pests going after whatever insects are in there. I would love to have no grass and have a lawn that doesn’t require so much water as I live in the Florida panhandle and it’s extremely hot and can get dry. Do you have any suggestions for my situation?
Perennial peanut is cold hardy, no water, no fertilizer, no mow lawn alternative that cant take light foot traffic. I also have an entire video on 12 ground covers here: ruclips.net/video/FCteBOfmlfU/видео.html
Something is destroying my cowpeas I ordered. The plants are beautiful but after I get a flower and small pod...something is eating the pods. Do you have a previous show on how to prevent this. I do see very tiny black insects on the plant.
The information in this video was great! I have a question for you. I recently moved to a place and our garden plot outside is a really dense clay soil. Is there a decent amount of micro organisms in that as well? Ive already started amending the top of the ground with a bunch of grasses etc to start changing the clay to a more organic compost type of soil, but will definitely take some time! Thanks.
There is generally speaking soil life in almost any condition. There are soil organisms in the artic tundra even. Keep working in as much organic matter as possible and be very cautious about tilling the soil. In clay soil it can actually cause more harm than good if not approached properly.
@@TheUrbanHarvest Great thanks! Unfortunately I had to till the soil quite a lot because the plot of land that I intended to garden was absolutely FULL of weeds, grasses, etc. It had been left alone to its devices for 10-15 years. Now that it is all cleared I will leave it alone as much as possible. Cheers and happy gardening.
All that you say is true, but one of the biggest problems to gardening in Florida is the harmful soil nematodes. How do you promote the beneficial soil life without making our nematode problems worse?
yes. like most things in nature it is all about balance. The vast majority of nematodes are actually beneficial and many of predators of other nematodes. By encouraging soil life in general, even nematodes, we are allowing those natural interactions to occur. anecdotally there is some evidence that it can be an effective means of minimizing root knot nematodes.
@@TheUrbanHarvest buy a cayenne pepper powder and sprinkle it where you don't want your dogs digging . Cayenne won't hurt them and after their first taste they will stay away from the treated area. If is rains or is very humid, the pepper can be applied again when its effect wears off.
Soil health is very important. But not all of us can afford all the organic stuff. It's very hurtful to be told that organic is the only way to grow our own food. That it's healthier and better for you. If you took one head of lettuce grown by an organic grower and one of mine, there is no difference. It's the same thing. Scientists can't tell the difference. I don't have time to wait for your organic fertilizer to break down enough for it to be available to my plants. And the OMRI is a joke. No inspections occur to see if they are doing what they are supposed to do or follow the so-called rules. Just fill out paperwork, and magically, they are OMRI approved. Research it. You will get an eye-opening experience.
I definitely agree that a certificate is not the difference here. Many organic farms are terrible for the environment and not much better than conventional farms. But you can absolutely build soil health for free in a very short time frame with many of the suggestions in this video.
@The Urban Harvest - Homegrown Education That's what I'm currently working on. My garden is doing great. I use as much of the "no dig" as possible. But still use regular fertilizers. The Florida sun, as I'm sure you know, literally eats compost. I use straw on top for mulch.
I have a friend who buries her food scraps into her soil. She has more worms than she knows what to do with. We’re here in Florida. I’m starting to do the same
I don't have worms. Probably won't. I'm on an old muck farm. It is hard as rock and doesn't drain. I have raised beds, but no sides. Just built up 8-10 inches above ground level. I have to do it that way, or they would be under water. There's not much between me and the hard pan. Only what I bring in. And I can't afford a whole lot of that. Heck, Chip Drop doesn't even come out here. I get a load of what is called garden soil, but it really isn't anything to brag about. I have to add peat moss or vermiculite and some minerals and compost. And there goes the budget. At least I can make compost cheaply. The good thing is that it's working. My food is good and I get lots of it. Thankful I like cowpeas and okra. I grow buckets full. I've been putting up tomatoes like crazy and still more coming. Learning something new every day. Thank the Lord, I'm still able-bodied enough to do it.
You have hard pan because you have old bad farming practices of tilling and chemicals. Regenerative farming DOES make big differences in soil structure, microbiome, minerals, your health and the taste.
What do you need Paul for if you are talking all the time and not giving him a chance to speak. You are even saying Paul told me so and so earlier. For Heavens sake, let the man tell us his information first hand instead of him sitting there listening to you tell us what he told you earlier. What a torture for Poor Paul.
iv3 added worm casting blood meal bone meal lime and great soil and peatmoss amd compost STILL ALLLLL MY TOMATOES PLANTS LEAVES ARE EITHER ALL DEAD OR DYING. I GOT MAYBE THREE TOMATOES PER PLANT!. IM REALLKLLLLYYY FRUSTRATED! all my leaves go from green to light yellow whit with black areas
For a couple of years I was really ill and also needed two hip replacements so I could barely do anything at all. I did not amend my soil for 2 years with compost or even top soil and was amazed at how badly it effected 20 years of hard work. I’ve got it almost up to what it was again but just 2 years of slack really showed me how important it is to keep growing and amending the soil with composts, organic matter. Great advice you give.
That must have been such a difficult hurdle to overcome! But I'm glad your back to prior production! Nature is so resilient.
Thank you! This is exactly the level of explanation I needed for a foundation. I have listened to soil biologists and it is way over my head. This makes so much sense.
Thank you. I'm going to implement the summer cover crops!
I've planted a bunch of marigolds over the years and they never last. Could there be something I'm missing in my rather small garden areas? I plant whatever wherever. I have 5 different areas roughly 10x6 around the yard. Different amounts of sun,water, care and marigold die in all. Usually I plant all plants everywhere and watch what takes in the different areas. Not really worried about losing some.
My CC translated his favorite cover crop to Sunhun, is it Sun Hemp??
Sunn hemp. You are correct!
Crotalaria juncea, known as brown hemp, Indian hemp, Madras hemp, or sunn hemp, is a tropical Asian plant of the legume family (Fabaceae). It is generally considered to have originated in India.
Source: Wikipedia
Thanks for this video on the importance of our soil ecosystem. A question I have along those lines, is do you put composted chicken manure in your garden? If so, do you feed your chickens organic chicken feed? I have rabbits and am feeding them organic rabbit pellets with greens from the yard. It is sooooooo expensive!!!!! Do the many pesticides on non-organic feed harm the rabbits and then the worms, and bacteria? It only makes sense that it would.?
I do choose to yes feed organic yes but we are directly consuming the eggs whereas you aren’t with the rabbits. That being said there are definitely systemic pesticides that can pass through digestion and into the manure which can impact soil productivity and health. But it’s something you need to weigh out for your personal situation as to where your money is best spent.
Excellent video Elise, I need to order more worm castings, it really does make a difference in my garden, thanks for sharing such valuable information 🌱🌱🌱🌱
You bet! And don’t forget how easy making your own can be to!
most of my plants are in grow bags and i have had a massive problem with root knots this year. should i leave the roots in the grow bags that have root knots?
Great stuff as always! One thing that I’ve heard from traditional grass lawn landscapers is spraying heavily diluted molasses to stimulate soil microbes. Supposedly it’s a well known trick to cause thatch and mulched grass to break down more quickly because the microbes are drawn towards the topsoil by the sugars. Have you heard of that before? Just wondering if that might be a more accessible/local option for people versus having to buy a probiotic amendment.
the sugars definitely help to feed and bolster numbers (they will reproduce more given abundant food source). But they do still have to be present in some number to start that action. If its been years of heavy pesticide and herbicide applications it may take longer. But if its just an "abandoned" yard or what not it likely wont take long.
My dog is a major fan of Bokashi compost and Espoma fertilizer. And they told me that Bokashi does not draw pests!
Bokashi and the leachate is also fantastic as a compost accelerator....if I can keep it in the soil/compost and away from the pup....or maybe I should skip her expensive probiotics and let her eat the Bokashi bran instead?
Haha your dog is something. She knows the good stuff. Lechate is super great, I use it in food forest.
Very helpful video! I’m still new to gardening and trying to learn the most organic natural ways to do it. I have a small back yard that also has a septic system which hinders some of the things I can do. I also live in an HOA which means my front yard needs to be kept neat. I struggle with my front yard being dug up from pests going after whatever insects are in there. I would love to have no grass and have a lawn that doesn’t require so much water as I live in the Florida panhandle and it’s extremely hot and can get dry. Do you have any suggestions for my situation?
Perennial peanut is cold hardy, no water, no fertilizer, no mow lawn alternative that cant take light foot traffic. I also have an entire video on 12 ground covers here: ruclips.net/video/FCteBOfmlfU/видео.html
Great video thanks! I'm learning each year how important it is to amend the soil.
Glad it was helpful!
Something is destroying my cowpeas I ordered. The plants are beautiful but after I get a flower and small pod...something is eating the pods. Do you have a previous show on how to prevent this. I do see very tiny black insects on the plant.
Same thing here. It's aphids
1:20 the guy in the background looks like he was about to take a leak until he saw the camera. That would've been hilarious
Ha he was back there working but 🤷🏻♀️
Another super helpful video - thank you!
Wonderful glad to hear that
As always very informative and helpful! Thanks Elise!!!!
Glad to hear, hope all is well!
The information in this video was great! I have a question for you. I recently moved to a place and our garden plot outside is a really dense clay soil. Is there a decent amount of micro organisms in that as well? Ive already started amending the top of the ground with a bunch of grasses etc to start changing the clay to a more organic compost type of soil, but will definitely take some time! Thanks.
There is generally speaking soil life in almost any condition. There are soil organisms in the artic tundra even. Keep working in as much organic matter as possible and be very cautious about tilling the soil. In clay soil it can actually cause more harm than good if not approached properly.
@@TheUrbanHarvest Great thanks! Unfortunately I had to till the soil quite a lot because the plot of land that I intended to garden was absolutely FULL of weeds, grasses, etc. It had been left alone to its devices for 10-15 years. Now that it is all cleared I will leave it alone as much as possible. Cheers and happy gardening.
Like always love the help.
New here thx for sharing
Welcome!
Great video!
Yes especially our drop in guest ; )
All that you say is true, but one of the biggest problems to gardening in Florida is the harmful soil nematodes. How do you promote the beneficial soil life without making our nematode problems worse?
yes. like most things in nature it is all about balance. The vast majority of nematodes are actually beneficial and many of predators of other nematodes. By encouraging soil life in general, even nematodes, we are allowing those natural interactions to occur. anecdotally there is some evidence that it can be an effective means of minimizing root knot nematodes.
My dogs eat the warm castings 🤣 and try to dig it up and kill my plants 🌱
Oh no lol I’ve heard of dogs going for things like bone/feather/blood meal but not worm castings!
@@TheUrbanHarvest buy a cayenne pepper powder and sprinkle it where you don't want your dogs digging . Cayenne won't hurt them and after their first taste they will stay away from the treated area. If is rains or is very humid, the pepper can be applied again when its effect wears off.
Well that was a easy sub. Time for the archives. 😏
lol glad its helpful and lots more to dig through : )
Need to stop using salty animal manures!!!
Soil health is very important. But not all of us can afford all the organic stuff. It's very hurtful to be told that organic is the only way to grow our own food. That it's healthier and better for you. If you took one head of lettuce grown by an organic grower and one of mine, there is no difference. It's the same thing. Scientists can't tell the difference. I don't have time to wait for your organic fertilizer to break down enough for it to be available to my plants. And the OMRI is a joke. No inspections occur to see if they are doing what they are supposed to do or follow the so-called rules. Just fill out paperwork, and magically, they are OMRI approved. Research it. You will get an eye-opening experience.
I definitely agree that a certificate is not the difference here. Many organic farms are terrible for the environment and not much better than conventional farms. But you can absolutely build soil health for free in a very short time frame with many of the suggestions in this video.
@The Urban Harvest - Homegrown Education That's what I'm currently working on. My garden is doing great. I use as much of the "no dig" as possible. But still use regular fertilizers. The Florida sun, as I'm sure you know, literally eats compost. I use straw on top for mulch.
I have a friend who buries her food scraps into her soil. She has more worms than she knows what to do with. We’re here in Florida. I’m starting to do the same
I don't have worms. Probably won't. I'm on an old muck farm. It is hard as rock and doesn't drain. I have raised beds, but no sides. Just built up 8-10 inches above ground level. I have to do it that way, or they would be under water. There's not much between me and the hard pan. Only what I bring in. And I can't afford a whole lot of that. Heck, Chip Drop doesn't even come out here. I get a load of what is called garden soil, but it really isn't anything to brag about. I have to add peat moss or vermiculite and some minerals and compost. And there goes the budget. At least I can make compost cheaply. The good thing is that it's working. My food is good and I get lots of it. Thankful I like cowpeas and okra. I grow buckets full. I've been putting up tomatoes like crazy and still more coming. Learning something new every day. Thank the Lord, I'm still able-bodied enough to do it.
You have hard pan because you have old bad farming practices of tilling and chemicals. Regenerative farming DOES make big differences in soil structure, microbiome, minerals, your health and the taste.
What do you need Paul for if you are talking all the time and not giving him a chance to speak. You are even saying Paul told me so and so earlier. For Heavens sake, let the man tell us his information first hand instead of him sitting there listening to you tell us what he told you earlier. What a torture for Poor Paul.
iv3 added worm casting blood meal bone meal lime and great soil and peatmoss amd compost STILL ALLLLL MY TOMATOES PLANTS LEAVES ARE EITHER ALL DEAD OR DYING. I GOT MAYBE THREE TOMATOES PER PLANT!. IM REALLKLLLLYYY FRUSTRATED!
all my leaves go from green to light yellow whit with black areas
additionally all my leave start green and turn light green yellow white.....
additionally all my leave start green and turn light green yellow white.....
additionally all my leave start green and turn light green yellow white.....
additionally all my leave start green and turn light green yellow white.....
additionally all my leave start green and turn light green yellow white.....