Should You Amend Your Garden Soil Now?
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- čas přidán 14. 07. 2024
- In this video, I address a question from a recent comment: Now that it is late Fall, should you amend your garden soil now, or should you wait until Spring is closer? The answer: it depends! This video explains when to amend garden soil based on your unique situation and which soil amendments are best for healthy garden soil.
Amending garden soil is something that must be done for healthy soil, but with so many possible soil amendments, where do we begin? Do we use fertilizers, compost, mulch, other forms of organic matter or other commercial products? Do we use different procedures for earth bed gardens and raised bed gardens? And when do we apply them? This video breaks it all down for you!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 Should I Amend Soil Now?
1:08 Scenario #1: Amend In Fall
2:07 Scenario #2: Amend In Fall
3:24 Scenario #3: Amend In Fall
4:28 Scenario #4: Do NOT Amend Yet
7:27 Scenario #5: A Huge Waste Of Money!
11:22 Why You MUST Cover Garden Soil
12:52 Adventures With Dale
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If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😀TIMESTAMPS here:
0:00 Should I Amend Soil Now?
1:08 Scenario #1: Amend In Fall
2:07 Scenario #2: Amend In Fall
3:24 Scenario #3: Amend In Fall
4:28 Scenario #4: Do NOT Amend Yet
7:27 Scenario #5: A Huge Waste Of Money!
11:22 Why You MUST Cover Garden Soil
12:52 Adventures With Dale
Hello Dear Dale, eat hearty❤❤❤
Boy, can that boy yet 🐶
Protecting your soil, last tip is the most important tip to remember and to actually do.
Most don’t. It just sits and bakes all winter 😔 It makes a difference. Even if you just toss a tarp over it, it helps.
Every fall I gather up all the fallen leaves with my mower and put a thick layer over the vegetable garden. The worms break them down by springtime. I will add fertilizer for corn and other heavy feeders but that's pretty much all I do to mine.
Some things seem so common sense, but we don't always consider them. Thanks for bringing this to our attention!
Unfortunately, it isn’t typical for us to analyze what we’re doing 😂 So many of us just go through motions. If you take the time to think about it, it makes sense!
We are big fans of planting Winter Rye in late October. Winter Rye breaks down very quickly when tilled in the spring.
Parsley is growing on... everywhere, it went crazy.
Mine just germinated last week. It'll be awhile before it gets big. I'm impatiently waiting!
Our parsley is nuts too! We had a spot where it bolted during the summer, but the same plant some how carried on, and now I have a massive parsley bush! Time to break out the dehydrator.
Maryland too
Our parsley was happy all summer under the shade of a tomato plant
The frost last week killed off the tomato but the parsley looks great
I just seeded some seeds for parsley. (Zone 9a).
I accidentally put bolted parsley into my not-very-hot compost and now have parsley growing as a weed in 10 places. I love it! I put parsley in everything now.
You are amazing
You not only say do this, but you actually explain why. I've been spreading you like seed. 🤣
Thank you very much! I appreciate the sharing very much!
Yay. Dale gets breakfast in bed. I approved this message. When we started our small backyard garden about 5 years ago it was a struggle to to get a garden that flourished and thrived. Zone 6 b. We changed up our game and starting covering our garden in ways you've suggested here. It's a joy. In our mid 70's no dig.
Im a Ruth Stouter.... I added hay , leaves 😊and chicken litter in Co. The chickens are my tillers.
I'm sure that works out quite well.
This was quite informative, and thank you to the person who asked the question 😊
I'm glad it was helpful! Thanks so much for watching!
Great breakdown on this topic🙏
Thank you!
Thank you MG! 😊👍👍
You're welcome!
Great tips, thank you!
You're welcome!
I find it amazing that you address issues like this on the day I've been thinking about it. You confirmed my opinion that I should add all of my garden scraps to my garden beds before I cover them with a tarp for winter. Thanks for all of the info! You just cut my research on this subject down by a few hours today.
I try to make my videos about what I’m doing at this exact moment. It tends to work out best this way. I’m glad the video was helpful!
It's always rewarding to know that these videos could assist in making decision-making process easier.
the raccoons and other small animals would tear that up in a new york minute lol. i prefer a secure composting bin. easy to make one out of a metal trash barrel.
Thank You for the great advice .. as always, good video!!
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.
Good information. Thanks.
You're welcome!
Thanks so much, I've learned a lot from this video.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the excellent explanation! ❤
You're welcome!
Thanks very much for your posts. You think outside the box, and in my experience have been correct.
You're welcome! I'm glad the video was helpful!
I always love watching all your videos I've been doing alot of these in my garden. My new bed is going to be awesome
Excellent! I appreciate you watching.
Very helpful indeed, MG!👍 Thanks!
Yummy dessert! 🐕
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for posting this video, very educational.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Great information. Before this video I never thought about mulching the top of an empty garden bed. But your tips are valuable. Thanks.
It's very important. Exposed soil is sterile soil. Protecting the soil will make it much healthier and you'll build a much healthier soil microbiome.
Dale looks like a really sweet dog.
He is a wonderful boy.
Wow thanks for all this useful info
Glad it was helpful! You're very welcome!
Good morning, I came over from SelfSufficientMe and checked out your channel. Very nice indeed. I have subscribed to follow your channel.
Thanks for subscribing! I appreciate it!
Tyrone watching the garden 😄
Thank you!
Great information 👍
Dale said 🌟 ⭐ 🌟⭐🌟😊
His complaint was small portions 😆
it looks amazing
Great job 👏
Where i live in PA i compost all my kitchen scraps. I do the leaves on my raised beds and surrounding ground. I do the no till method. I do my compost right before im getting ready to plant. Thanks for this info. Ir is snowing here today and it snowed yesterday.
Yikes. Snow. It's been very cold here the last few nights. Tonight will be our 4th night in a row in the upper 20's to mid 30's.
Thank you
You’re welcome!
Great informative video
Glad it was helpful!
Dale is super. He scores 10/10
He’s a 13/10 😊
I definitely fall into the third scenario for amending where I always place a layer of well shredded leaves on the soil covered by a layer of grass clipping I've been saving up. I either place the finished compost on the beds when I'm ready to plant, or I plant a fast growing cover crop if I'm not ready to plant in the spring!
I would guess that's probably working out well. The timing sounds correct.
Plants don't use nutrients from compost. They use nutrients released by micro-organisms that feed on your compost. Applying compost a few months before planting gets this ecological system 'Fungi, Worms etc' established before your plants come. for best results, compost application should be continuous, not a one time affair. long periods without compost will plummet your soil microbes which will hunt you. Your worms will migrate to a more generous neighbor who constantly feeds their soil.
I want to mulch my garden area but can never be certain what to buy. My garden is in the ground. Do I put down lime first since winter is just starting? I have pine trees near the garden, so I have a high ph. Also, don't think I want cider mulch. Just don't know what to do each year, so I do nothing. The garden never produces much after my hard efforts. All the advice I find is so confusing and overwhelming. You are the first person who makes sense.
Angela, you can submit soil samples to your local Extension Office where an agri lab will break down the true pH and mineral content of your soil. When you identify your location source as “vegetable garden”, you’ll also get a breakdown of what to add to amend soil for veg success (note that “at home pH test kits” are not as effective!). Wishing you the best of luck with that garden! As I understand it, cedar is slow to decompose. That makes it attractive for some purposes, but I agree with your caution. I’d rather have a mulch that decomposes quicker.
You are having a nice buddy 🐕
Dale is a good boy 🐶
Respecting the soil biome - LOVE THAT! Seriously thought I spoiled my own dog…..ha, not compared to Dale! (Great Xmas hoodie design, btw! ❤)
❤Dale approved the yummies!!🥧🐕👍
He complained about the portion size. He says they need to be bigger.
another garden question: What type of weed barrier do you use, and how often do you need to replace it? We are going to be digging up some Jerusalem Artichokes that we missed last year, clearing out the weeds and laying down some weed fabric this weekend.
1 of my hibiscus just flowered. In December. In Arizona. Crazy
If they’re tropical hibiscus, they don’t understand winter 😆
Lots of good information as always. I’m always aware of my raised beds and containers getting their nutrients washed away but hadn’t thought about the sun bleaching them away. Will be mindful to mulch everything very well from now on. I use coco coir throughout my whole garden. It’s very comfortable and spongy when I’m gardening barefoot. The birds will even plant seeds in pots with left over soil if there’s no mulch. It was nice this year however because a most beautiful small variety of sunflowers 🌻 came up.
From central CA coast 🏖️ take care.
A good way to think of it is an open field versus a forest floor. The open field usually has poor soil and can't grow much but grass, weeds and anthills. Enter the forest where the soil is protected by tree canopies and mulch from the constantly falling leaves and you have rich, thriving soil that can grow anything. The sun gives life, but it also sterilizes. Having your garden soil unprotected is very harmful. Keeping it protected under a mulch layer and tarp makes it healthy like a forest instead of sickly like an open field.
Good info. I'm in Cyprus, Europe. I guess we are equivalent to US Zone 10. We may get one night of frost every three or four years. Regarding getting the soil amended for the Spring, I have a mango seedling in a pot at the moment and I want to plant it in ground in the Spring. My problem is that I have alkaline soil around 7.8ph. I'm wondering what the best way is to acidify the soil ready for the mango. I have eight citrus trees, lemon, different oranges, mandarin and pomelo.I also have a tree that I grew from a lemon seed that has two fruits on it for the first time but they're definitely not lemons! They look like big warty oranges. Can't wait to try them. Do you think I can bury the peels from these fruits in the planting area and lower the ph that way? I do have some sulfur but I have tons of citrus fruits! I went out and bought a Persimmon after watching your in depth video so thanks very much for that.
I grow more fruit trees than anything else (SoCal now upgraded to 9A). For evergreens like citrus, I went ahead and removed the wood chip mulch, added organic fertilizer, worm castings and compost, and replaced the mulch. What I’m not sure of is should I do the same for my deciduous fruit trees to get them ready to pop when spring comes, or should I just wait until spring?
I question your overwinter logic on compost in beds.
Reason, applying nutrients on bed, then add compost, then shredded leaves on top thus allows winter to slowly breakdown for spring activity.
Having compost applied in spring for us in 7a means it is a mulch, not actively contributing to the soil life in time to help plants for growth.
Per practice, my beds are primed for gardening come late spring by setting up in fall.
If I do not plan to use shredded leaves on compost in beds, then I would use tarp on beds after compost application.
As for nutrients in fall, it does leach down to a degree, but using azomite, bone meal, and kelp, it takes those winter months to be readily available come spring for roots to go deep.
I also apply small amount come spring in holes where I will have staggered readiness.
This again is for us in colder zones then yours. I believe you need to be in zone where ground gets cold enough to slow this activity you are against.
I think the confusion is surrounding the word "compost." Finished compost implies the nutrients are immediately bioavailable. It's already broken down, meaning you don't need to wait for it to contribute to plant growth. When you apply finished compost to plants, it begins working immediately. What you're describing is raw organic matter that is not fully composted and bioavailable yet. In this video, I tell you to apply organic matter that will take a long time to break down now, but save your money on finished compost. "Finished" compost is ready to go now, and applying it to bare soil with nothing growing is a waste of money, since rain is just going to wash those nutrients away over the next 3-4 months.
Great video. Valuable info. Question(s)-I garden in containers. What are your thoughts on covering the container soil with burlap potato/coffee bags. Also what about using black plastic to cover my containers?
Tarping your containers during the off-season is a good idea. They wash out terribly. I recommend you check out my video on renewing container gardens here: czcams.com/video/_FmroOI-l4A/video.htmlsi=VaIxZUL1y4VLHBVG
Super helpful thanks! Good time to mulch up all of the fallen leaves and work them in? Will they break down in the next 3 months?
Dried brown leaves are rich in carbon, so they may take a long time to break down. Especially if you’re in a cold climate with freezing winters. What you can do is work kitchen scraps and coffee grounds into your soil, then cover them in chopped up leaves. If you want to work the leaves in, I would run them through a mower and catch them in a bag so they’re well mulched.
Today i put down fertilizer and worm poop and covered everything with shredded leaves. Before i covered with the leaves i also used an auger attachment on my drill to make 1 ft holes every 3 ft or so and dumped some of the organic fertilizer down there. Sounds life i should've saved the fertilizer for the spring.
Can you plant anything in it now? Now is a good time for most to plant garlic. Other good options may be leeks, kale, carrots, radishes, and lots of cold hardy greens.
@@TheMillennialGardener zone 7. I know garlic is possible, never tried the others but maybe I'll do that. One is the things I love most about gardening is trying new things. Thanks for the suggestion. I learn a lot from you and this channel.
Ok, great advise BUT, and you may be interested in this in particular, what if you live in an area where you can pretty much grow all year. I live in...north central Florida. It's December and I'm still growing tomatoes in my raised bed. They are coming to an end now but I planted lettuce, onions, kale, broccoli, spinach and other cold weather veggies in my bed.
My question is, since my bed really isn't resting, maybe about 6 weeks in January and Feb, how do I handle this? Should I just treat it like a giant pot?
gonna need that crustless pumpkin pie recipe!!
Type "Eagle Brand Pumpkin Pie Recipe" into Google. Do exactly that, but don't pour it into a crust. Pour it into a greased non-stick 8x8 baking pan instead, or a 9 inch round pan that you're confident you can get the slices out without it sticking or scratching the bottom.
Awesome, thanks!@@TheMillennialGardener
As much as I garden organically this is the time of the year where I use chemical fertilizers with my onions and garlic because its cold enough that organic fertilizers dont really work well, I add some compost this time of year though but it doesnt really benefit what im growing. I still have tons of crops in the ground because I can grow 12 months out of the year, I dont get freezing temps but organic fertilizer does not like temps in the 30's or 40's here
I recently made a video where I express this same exact thing: czcams.com/video/N6wjUkqflvQ/video.htmlsi=UfRMWNWX8Iew--ab
Water soluble fertilizers are more effective in cold soil, because the microbiology will be too slow/dormant to efficiently process nutrients. I like mixing fish fertilizer with diluted strength Jack's 20-20-20 for these occasions. It isn't organic, but it is completely fine to use twice a month. There's no downside.
Great video once again!
My compost is loaded with earwigs and pill bugs. When I put it on my beds in the spring it's a rough go. They munch everything. This time I put it down on the beds in the fall when I closed the beds. I'm betting the problem is my compost is still too loaded with goods to keep the pests present. Regardless I thought I'd share my issue.
I wondered about that, too.
It sounds like your compost isn't finished, and that is the problem. If the compost is finished, those bugs should be gone. That, to me, is an indicator your compost is still pretty raw. If that's the case, it's ok to apply it much earlier, but I still think it's a good idea to tarp the beds after application.
I got ahold of 2 dozen old pumpkins from a neighbor and they are already going in for the winter. 7b
For storage? Or compost? Don’t bury those seeds unless you want 100 hybrid pumpkins 😆
@@TheMillennialGardener I am burying them in my beds with about 99% of the seeds removed.
I’m surprised you don’t do cover crops living that far south.
I grow in raised beds, which don't get tilled. Cover crops are more for earth beds that you would then till under.
For cover crocs, you’d have to go the whole way south to Florida…😂
@@margaretmarshall3645 plenty of people are having success with things like Crimson clover far to the north. And there are ways to terminate without tilling.
What about adding bagged chicken manure under a mulch layer this time of year. Southern oregon zone 8b?
Last yr I did a strawbale garden. For Christmas I got a galvanized raised bed. I would like to fill it with the old straw. Should I get some regular soil to put with it? I also have a bag of chicken manure. Would it be ok to mix that in too.
i have an old plastic garbage can i use to make compost. should i keep throwing kitchen scraps in through the winter? i live in nyc and the winters are brutal. i dont know if it will break down over the winter and when the spring comes, there will be just a pile of leftover scraps. thank you
I love your videos man! Do you mess with growing microgreens? Im in so-cal and grow what I can in my small backyard and greenhouse. I've been absolutely loving growing microgreens as they only take a week. What are your thoughts on them?
Thanks! I don't grow micro-greens, technically. I do grow arugula and leaf lettuces. I think if I were to harvest them small enough, they may fit into that category, but I don't. I believe micro-greens are often grown indoors and in greenhouses. I only grow outdoors, so I need things that are pretty hardy.
What’s your opinion about using wood chips as a mulch and your vegetable raised bed?
I'm iffy on it, and I don't do it personally. The reason why is because the large chunks of wood makes it very hard to sow your garden. You have to rake them out of the way every time you want to plant something, which doesn't work well in raised beds. For that reason, I only use fine mulches. Finely shredded hardwood bark is my favorite. Old, partially decomposing wheat straw is also good.
Now is when I cover my beds with crushed leaves and any unfinished compost.
If you don't plan on using them for awhile, that's a great idea.
Great information! What do you think about putting down mulch then covering with cardboard?
I would imagine the cardboard would have to be removed come spring. Cardboard doesn't break down well on top of soil. It has to be buried to break down efficiently. I would use a tarp, personally.
Thank you! I will use a tarp instead:
Buried my kitchen scraps just today, it wont decompose till late march here in northern indiana
I bet leafy greens will be gone in a month, even now, if you bury them 8-12 inches deep.
Is it ok to put mushroom compost in my high tunnel now I’m in zone 7b
How about a recipe for the Dale pumpkin treat? I'm always looking for a healthy treat for my dogs.
It was basically just canned pumpkin purée, eggs and cinnamon. Spoon it into a muffin tray, bake, let cool, pop out. I can’t really tell you how much to put in. I don’t use recipes. Usually pumpkin pies call for 2 large eggs for a 14oz can of purée. The consistency should be like pumpkin pie filling, and you bake at 350°F til a toothpick comes out cleanish. They bake quickly. Maybe 10-15 mins?
Thank you!@@TheMillennialGardener
In my area ranchers feed rounds of hay and periodically move feeding stations. What's left are a mixture of manure and trampled hay decomposing on the ground. I normally apply it lightly to raised beds in spring and work it in. Is that the correct time? Any problems?
This is not something I have the capability of doing living in a neighborhood, so I can't tell you exactly how long something like that is going to take to break down. It also can vary widely depending on climate - it's going to take longer in December in Iowa than in Florida to break down. I would imagine if that's the way you refresh soil, you'd probably want to give it 3-4 months, so now is probably a good time for a March planting, if I had to guess. You may be able to speed up the process by covering the area with a silage tarp after the manure and hay is placed.
Looking for Dale's review on Google😂😂😂😂😂❤🥰😍🐕🐕🐶
It got 4 drips and a drool.
@@TheMillennialGardener 😂😂😂😂👍🐕💕
What are your thoughts on adding phosphorus and potassium organic fertilizers to fruit trees in December? Zone 7A
If they are evergreen and grow year round, yes. If they are deciduous, no. I don't fertilize trees that are entering dormancy. I would wait until sometime in February when you're 30-45 days from bud break and sap flow is beginning to return.
I always cover my soil. This year I was considering intentionally sterilizing my dads garden because he has the invasive Asian jumping worms that turn the top layer of soil into crumble. I was wondering if you ever considered this for killing off other invasive pests (say you had a bad whitefly infestation in a specific bed). Obviously I don’t want it to wash away, but I was thinking what if I just put clear plastic over bare soil for a few months, could I cook the top inch or so enough to kill the pests without using chemicals. I know many people like to say never ever but some problems are easier to fix than others.
That is an excellent question! I admire your approach. Do you have a local Extension Office where you can get advice on how to eliminate those horrid worms? I bet chickens would be one effective way to eliminate some jumping worms (don’t know of any chicken-rental agencies tho). Obviously, adding organic matter would only help those worms to thrive. If you solarize, I wonder if black cover would gather more heat and therefore be effective? I also wonder if solarized garden beds might send the worms out into surrounded land while not eliminating the culprits. Sincere best wishes on your struggle! 👍🏻
“It’s a 10/10, Daddy!” Said Dale
He definitely wanted more 😆
have you considered making liquid compost and adding that to the soil?
No. It’ll just wash out from all the winter rain. Water soluble nutrients are valuable and expensive. Pouring them into empty soil is a waste in my opinion.
@@TheMillennialGardener Brilliant advice!
It looks like your beds have a rubble of fine pine bark mulch. Does that not change the ph? Thanks in advance.
I use mostly shredded hardwood bark mulch. I don't use pine bark in my beds. It's just leftover chunks of wood that haven't fully decomposed. If you were to use pine bark mulch, I doubt it would matter. Almost all annual vegetables prefer soil pH that is acidic, anyway. Things like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucurbits, etc. like pH's in the 6's.
I covered my beds with unfinished compost in the hopes it might break down over the winter. If not, I can remove it in the spring. I'm not sure if I should cover it with leaves, or let it sit exposed. Any ideas?
I would recommend you cover it with leaves or a tarp. That will actually help break it down more quickly. The leaves/tarp will protect it from sunlight and keep it moist, which will encourage the growth of more beneficial bacteria and fungi to break it down. Leaving it exposed to the weather will actually make it dry out and the sun will prevent the growth of microbes, slowing down the process. Always cover your compost if possible.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you for the reply. I'll do that.
6:46 the sun. if you stare into it, it will hurt😂
Imagine being a plant, staring into it all day ☀️
What zone were you in before the hardiness zone update?
8a, but it doesn't matter. The weather hasn't changed, so no changes should be made based on these zone changes.
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you, I appreciate that!
Can I cover it with cardboard? For the winter, I'm zone 5b.
Sure. But keep in mind the cardboard won't break down on top of the soil, especially in winter. It would basically be a thick paper tarp.
Yes, I'd remove it in the spring for planting. Love your videos and thanks for a quick reply, much appreciated.
We have extra weed barrier fabric. Do you think this would be an effective mulch/barrier if we used it as a tarp on the raised beds?
Yes. Weed barrier is permeable, so the water will pass through, which isn't a bad thing. I think it would make an excellent tarp for your beds.
Thank you!
I still can’t wrap my head around the alfalfa pellet trick…seems like a waste. Better off feeding it to chickens or rabbits and saving their manure while getting some meat and or eggs in the process. We are trying to produce food efficiently correct?
Aha! I’m delighted to read that someone else had the same thought I had. Why spend money on alfalfa pellets? 🤣 Of course, I DO buy the pellets for my rabbits 🐇🐇🐇. Lots of ready bunny poo fertilizer here! Meat rabbits 👍🏻
Whats you thoughts on when to add chicken poo?
I discuss this at 6:57
Cooking some with sawdust now.
Cooling outside in central Florida but compost will be ready in 3 months.
Thanks @@TheMillennialGardener wasn't sure if you were taking just Horse or cow.
what about burying fish.
You can, but you need to make sure your garden is fenced in very well so nothing can dig it up.
Compost is not plant fertilizer....it feeds the soil food web biology and that's what feeds the plants. As such, it can be applied anytime, including in the fall. The biology doesn't wash away! 🙂
Finished compost does contain a fertilizer component. For example, if you buy a bag of Black Kow, it specifically comes with a guranteed analysis NPK ratio of 0.5-0.5-0.5. While compost is not fertilizer, finished compost does contain some readily available nutrition. If you apply finished compost in the fall, don't expect that NPK to be there in spring.
If you research several market farmers famous for no dig / no till (like Charles Dowding, Richard Perkins, Jesse Frost, Coner Crickmore) you might form a slightly different opinion. 🙂
czcams.com/video/s71f18ila1c/video.htmlsi=NI-t-5EcgIb6PTnK
Can you also top off the weed barrier with mulch or wood chips? @themillennialgardener
Do you mean the weed barrier I have in the walking paths of my raised bed garden? If so, yes, that can be topped off. If you're going to place weed barrier on top of your garden soil as a tarp to protect it, you wouldn't want to add mulch on top.
@TheMillennialGardener ok so it's not recommended topping off the weed barrier to stop weeds.
how do you get organic maple syrup???????????????
It was either at Aldi or Lidl. I don't remember. But it is the best maple syrup I've ever had. I don't like brown liquor, but that bourbon barrel maple syrup has the best flavor of any I've ever had.