Building Great Soil Starts with Adding Plants (Don't Overthink It!) 

Roots of all plants till the soil for FREE and grow soil feeding those amazing microbes. Nature is always correct. Great Video.

Something that I think you missed, was not just plants, but different plants with different rootzones. Your plants if I remember, should have 1 metre deep (3ft) root depth, can't remember the spread. That's good but what's better is a multi-zone plan. I'll use our newly planted orchard as an example (the last trees arrive today via mail lol) We have 2 large gum trees close to the orchard. They have root zones around the 3m to 4m mark (9ft to 12ft), our fruit trees, that are dwarf varieties, will have roots in the 2m-3m range (6ft - 9ft), we will plant pumpkins, watermelons and peas that all have 1m deep roots (3ft) and I have blackberries, raspberries and strawberries for the around 30cm range or 1ft. We are building soil from wherever the roots touch. The key is the trees always has been, most trees have deeper roots, and those roots can get to things most other things can't and bring those nutrients etc up and bring soil building blocks back down and the kicker, you don't need many of them to see a benefit.

I agree I've had wood chips in one part of my yard as a sheet mulch for about 2 years now. In another part of my yard, there are wood chips around a hedge of mine, the soil is loaded of worms and the wood chips are breaking down way faster and they've only been there for about 2 months now.

"Don't over think it!" Words to live by. Frankly I don't monitor my escapades enough. How ever if there are difficulties or failures that's when I drill down. Diego is doing all my homework for me anyway! Thanks Diego.

I use most of my vegetables beds in winter here in Australia, over summer very little, I allowed grass to grow over unused beds. Prior to this the soil just became a dust and looked exhausted, but allowing grass growing over it in the summer allows a nice soil structure that holds water and nutrients.

That's amazing knowledge brother. The plant sustains the soils fertility.

Love this video! When we started draining surface water by spraying compost tea on hay crops we knew we were effecting root growth. I had a wierd thought this year so I tried it. I urinated in a watering can and added water and molasses and watered with it. I didn't messure it but it looked like about a 2" growth over night. We are missing something simple here.

Thank you

I'm with you and I Am Organic Gardening... I'm all about letting roots do the work and just trying to allow living soil to develop and thrive. I haven't bought salt-based fertilizers in three years now; I buy cover crop seeds instead. It costs less, it's much less trouble in the long run and it just plain works *better*.

All the best soil has plants in it

Excellent analysis👍 Another factor that very few people are aware of is that plants will pass on in the genes within their seeds the ability to thrive in the immediate local soil biology and climate. So that if you save seeds from year to year, the succession of plants will always be far superior to plants grown from purchased seeds. Many factors such as disease resistance, climatic adaptation, microbiome symbiosis, drought tolerance, etc improve with each new generation. Human inputs, which are temporary and unsustainable disruptions, just muck things up.

Your a fantastic educator, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and making these great videos.

Diego, I'm really starting to enjoy your videos. I like how you're testing everything. I feel like i'm on the same page as you with trying things as I study more. My garden this year was an epic fail in my book, and I'm not sure this next year will be any better to be honest, as I'm trying another approach. I'm not sure if you know who Dr. Elaine Ingham is but she has a bunch of videos about soil microbiology, and how to grow things, and what you're saying here is almost what she says. It is because of that I'm trying my new approach. I'm planting perennial rye grass in a part of my garden I just spread out some fill dirt. My goal is to get the rye grass to grow deep roots, then plant other plants in rows. Anyway keep up the good work.

Diego footer - UNDERRATED.

Poppies punch down several inches... but then of course, you ALWAYS have Poppies. Which, in my mind is awesome!

I couldn't make much compost, so I added dissolved alfalfa, 2-3 yr old wood chips to raised boxes. When I transplant my starts, I'll mix in a little of what compost I have. I hope that'll work. 🤷‍♀️ The woods chips have broken down a lot & have mycelium all over them. I tossed bloodmeal on top in case they deplete the nitrogen. I'm also supplementing a little water-soluble fertilizer bc I tested & I don't have low nitrogen & Potassium (tested in Feb in zone 6). Next fall I'll grow garlic, hairy vetch & something else as a cover crop.

So true !

That was a good one, really good one! It would be interesting to see what a soil test would report right there. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks.well explained

Try using a broad fork to open up the should a bit, maybe add some innoculated biochar into the open cracks left by the broad fork.

Ha, terrific video, thank you! After a rather frustrating season with very challenging weather, I've decided to change my mindset to that of 'a patch of thickly-growing nature with some food plants in there somewhere.' I'm only producing for myself, and I need a low-maintenance system. So, yeah - hey! - maybe let the billion-year-old system have a try.

Diego..I can see that well drained soil is also important. I have clay soil,so I need to do something like this too? Plant tree that will amend the soil? Thanks for the video,it is helpful and I can understand your point clearly

Your aproach is very impressive. Also love your drawing :)

New to your channel. I'm doing container gardening using promix peat moss with mycorrhizal and perlite included from the manufacturer. From what I've read this is an inert medium I assume to mean zero microbes, fungi, bacteria etc in said soil. What amendment should I use to add beneficial bacteria fungi nematodes microbes and so on? Thank you.

Is this the next experiment? I love watching your experiments. Saves me having to do them! I have a section of ground behind my house that sits underwater a lot. The construction is just finishing, and that spot was dozed, then run over by heavy equipment a bit while pad was built, and then run over and parked on by pickups and trailers, concrete trucks, etc. So, yeah, it's compacted. It was sand/clay subsoil mix mostly, but with the occasional torrential rain here in North Florida it has ended up with a clay coating that is preventing the water from soaking in as it does elsewhere on the property. It's also the lowest spot near the house (except one I made in what I hope will be my banana circle.) Watching this has made me consider just planting ryegrass or something there next time it gets dry enough. There's some sort of grassy weed that is managing growing in the water right now, maybe that is doing the work that needs doing, but can't tell so far. There has been an inch or three of standing water there for months now. If I can manage it with plants, will be cheaper than trying to have more equipment in to reshape that area a bit. It's only about 5 feet from my back patio slab so it's just too close for my liking. And if it stays that wet, mosquito breeding may be a problem, unless the local masses of tree frogs like it. Haven't seen any tadpoles so far. No a shady spot... yet. Maybe I should plant cattails... :p

got a portion of topsoil in my yard its like red sandlmao i let it get overgrown by weeds in my last summer and i plant on letting that happen again this summer after a little but of extra organic matter or i might just scatter sow some hrdy greens that my pets can nibble on

I can see that well drained soil is also important. I have clay soil,so I need to do something like this too? Plant tree that will amend the soil? @diego footer

How are perennial cover plants incorporated into a bed of annual crops?

Thank you Diego you are a smart guy I appreciate the video 🥒

Getting plants in the ground can be quite expensive! Especially when ur trying to create a diverse food forest.. I’ve tried to incorporate many of these principles.. soil testing, planting varieties of plants for my region, cover cropping, holistic foliage sprays, mulching, composting, etc.. With my approach, I expected much better results.. I’ve noticed slow growth, disease issues, poor quality fruit, dying plants, etc.. It has been quite the challenge.. I’m hoping over time the plants will get stronger and grow better as my inputs create a healthier soil..

A teaspoon of molasses to the water may help with feeding microbes & plants too.

Great video as always! You’ve probably stated this before but what’s your education/career background? You seem to know more about soil biology than the average gardening RU-vidr lol It truly feels like I’m taking a soil masterclass when I watch your channel.

What you didn't show is the root ball of your cucumber starts when you planted them. They were probably sitting in a nice fat blob of potting soil, which is what they're growing in even after you plant them out. Plenty of nitrogen and other goodies in there that will keep them going for a good long time even in terrible soil, as long as water retention and drainage are ok. I'd have been more curious about how seeds fare in that ground, because that's what people would be doing to get a cover crop going. Cucumbers maybe aren't a go-to plant for that. Nonetheless, I agree with you on the basic point. If I look at my own plants, I'm usually shocked by how little care I can get away with. I think a lot of the internet hype on heavy mulching with compost is because people want to get rid of weeds, and think, while I'm mulching, might as well use compost.

i am new to the permaculture movement and was clearing a new plot that was full of weeds. what i now realize after watching this video i was also removing the mycorrhiza! aarrrgggh! now i know.

Any advice for "soil" that is actually a sand dune with some weeds on it (Western MI, 3 miles from Lake Michigan). Each year the sand increases and people around here say it rains sand. Runoff prevents soil from getting damp even when we have a good rain that should be soaking. I am studying permaculture solutions. I plan to plant comfy in spring, but would like to do a cover crop this fall.

Diego.. I love your channel but I do want to ask you about your statement (0:42) where you said that "tilling" "for sure" makes things better. I thought you were strictly no-till? I was surprised by you saying that and was wondering if you could explain more what you meant by that statement. From everything I have read and seen, tilling can ruin soil structure and destroy the established soil mycorrhizae network that helps the root systems of plants overall. Any thoughts?

Tell us a little bit more about your climate, please, mean temperature eg. Here it’s 40 celsius with no rain during 2 months.

Hello, Diego I'm one of your new subscribers and I love your approach on how and why should we be doing stuff while dealing with the soil. I loved every second of this video except a few sentences you have uttered :"This is how mother nature designed it for millions of years", bear in mind that nature can do nothing without the will of the one and only God who designed nature in such a unique way that it serves us, all humanity even when we die. Currently, I have hired a house with an acre of barren land (I just couldn't say garden) where I am planning to revive the soil and grow stuff in your way. However, the pruning and the other hard work is just a painstaking process for a 50 year old guy like myself. I hope I can manage to be a soil lover like you...

do you know Michael Rizza? I heard he is a real fun guy

I agree, but plants aren't enough long term. When you think about it, humans are always extracting the most nutrient-dense portions of the plants, so something needs to be added to restore the balance. I've noticed that new gardens are often extremely fertile and productive for the first 3 or 4 years, but then, even with the addition of compost, mulching, the partnering of complementary plants ("guilds"), and minimal tilling, the fertility of the soil will inexorably decline. I've come to the conclusion that manure is what needs to be added, especially composted chicken manure. Good old guano. But you have to be careful about how you do it so you do not "burn" your plants or soil.

Will the soil biology work in “fake” soil. Like miracle grow bagged soil? I wonder or does it have to be in real soil?

I couldn't help but watch the water you poured into those holes. Pretty bad the soil here was that way now infiltration is 14 inches a hour

Sorry Diego but I got confused when you said a plants dry weight is both carbon and water. Did you mean half of the plants dry weight is just carbon

Okay, but i dont got 100's of 1000's and million of years. I need to start next season :p

Dry soil is dead soil.