I'm in zone 8a Southern New Mexico, right near the edge of the Chihuahua Desert, the White Sands Desert, and the Lincoln Forrest. So while we have a roughly 10 month growing season, we don't have a lot of rainfall. In our raised beds good quality soil "sandwich" of straw on top, the layer of healthy soil, and then a thick layer of leaf mold has led to our best success. We water these beds 2-3 days per week even in the peak of summer and get good production, and the soil retains pretty significant moisture. And in the in ground beds we've spent a few years developing, straw on top of greenery that we've used as a mulch works really well. With the same 2-3 days per week frequency. For us cover-crop or a very intensive crop rotation so that we don't have much downtime for the soil is very beneficial for keeping the soil healthy as the altitude, UV, and heat tend to lead to compact and clay like native soil if uncared for. As always thanks for your videos and the information that's always available in them.
Awesome video. My wife and I bought some land where there were horses, didn't mow the pasture for over 1.5 years because we're planning on using it for crops. My in laws were appalled, I tried to explain about root exudates but they aren't nerds like us.
@@nathanclay682 Not sure as to how good of a "friend" you might want to be with a broadfork. Really a chore plus when using one. Then over time it will get easier and easier and then you may not need to use it again. Best of luck!
@@aileensmith3062 I broad forked 3 of my garden plots this spring, still can't push a tomato stake deep enough to hold itself up. I never walked on the gardens but that Ohio clay settled right back to a cement slab.
Please take this complaint as a compliment. I wanted this to last longer. No doubt it's really hard to make one of these, so I get it, but I still want longer videos from you. You're one of my favorite channels.
Shredded leaves and leaf mold is the ticket for me. My plants do well with bare soil but as soon as I get the leaf mold on as mulch they go nuts. The soil stays cool and damp and full of life with minimal watering even in extreme heat.
@@eb1684 $50 electric leaf shredder directly into black garbage bags, wet it a bit, then just leave in a pile all winter and it's ready by spring planting time. Usually don't even need to poke holes in the bags if I'm also shredding small sticks/twigs. I live in Iowa, Zone 5A, so we have cold winters but the black bags help keep the leaves biologically active. I can also put about 1 foot of leaves onto the beds, cover them with cardboard, and then snow sits on top. I'll pull back the cardboard and trench compost directly into the raised beds all winter as well. By the time I start prepping the beds in spring the leaves are 100% gone and so is all the trenched food scraps and the soil is teeming with earthworms. They stay active all winter in there because they are insulated with the leaves and cardboard.
@@tannerfrancisco8759 My leaf mold pile was in the southern Adirondack mountains so was frozen solid every winter. I would mix it up a few times in summer. The final product was excellent and smelled great!
Straw mulch was a garden saver for me this year. I tripped over my hose while watering at the start of the drowt and messed up my knee. Thankfully, my straw mulch has kept most of my plants alive while I've been unable to water. I've used my downtime to research drip irrigation because that hose is dangerous! 😝
I'm going to meet with a property owner in the area in a few hours to discuss the potential of using his land to grow veggies for market. Fingers crossed that it's a viable spot, I've been looking for the right opportunity since 2015 🤞 And again, thanks for sharing all your content and knowledge, it's definitely been a noteworthy resource during my learning journey!
Really enjoyed this overview of cover crops/mulching & soil moisture. I learned quite a bit. The results on the leaf mulch were suprising. This is "good stuff". Like the promo for local TV station says....."News you can use..."
I'm in winter currently. But these were my observations from the root harvest this year. Where I have chipped paths the crops harvested were poor. But weeds were down. However the beds that had grass paths running along side them produced a much better crop. However couch grass wax the issue. I'm going to try interplanting with alysumm this coming season and see if that helps. Thanks for the inspiration. Blessings from NZ phil❤
Heat on the soil draws moisture up from below, I believe, even without roots. I’m no expert, but I have clay soil, and I’m in California. If I have had winter and spring rain, there is water in the clay to last a long time (I get no rain from April or May to October), the long-rooted plants (oaks, stone fruits, late season weeds do fine). Adding mulch/cover probably helps ration it and slow evaporation like putting a lid over a hot cup of coffee so the shallower roots can harvest water from the bottom of the lid. But drying/heat is what pulls water up.from below, like a basket of wet laundry eventually dries in the sun. The trick is to recharge the clay when there is rain, by preventing or slowing runoff, and doing things to help plants that need it, access it. Anyway, I’m no expert, but it has seemed to me that the heat is not necessarily bad; it can help, but temperature control is helpful to ration moisture to make it last once it nears the surface. A mulch lid can help reduce temperature and have water condense and drip back down when the air cools at night. My biggest problem is with water phobic mulch on the surface when I need to irrigate new plantings near the surface. I try to use drip lines under the mulch.
Remember, your plant root architecture is just one part of the story. Beneficial fungi are going to bring water to the plants in exchange for sugars. Your buckwheat is very likely getting an assist!
Buckwheat is known to be mycorrhizal fungi scavengers (as such) right? Perhaps the buckwheat patch is firing well with its fungal friends and able to scavenge more water?
From my observation there is pretty much the same effect with extremely wet weather. Cover crops and mulches will protect the soil from excessive water. Compost mulch is so handy for intensive crops but is clearly less resilient in extreme conditions all around. In my climate in appalachian Quebec, hay and straw mulch will keep the soil to cool for some crops but we are lucky to have acces to leaf mulch and also use sillage tarp and solarization on heat loving crops. Good day to you! One thing is for sure life is truly on our side!
Seems intuitive that the soil below cover crop residue would retain more moisture because of the insulating layers and the morning dew would pause any transpiration before the crop was terminated. Would be interesting to see a little bit more in depth analysis between a terminated cover crop and a hay/straw mulch layer. Have a feeling that the crop residue still performs better because of the moisture it can retain in the leaves. I grew my grass about 5’ tall and even during the heat wave with temps in the 90s, the amount of moisture trapped close to the surface was incredible where as now that it was mowed down, the areas kind of matted with hay won’t retain as much.
Did someone mention drought? Still have not reached two inches of moisture here. Heck tomorrow it will be July 1st. So what's the rush??? We have had a few 110 degree days. We will persevere and continue with our N0-Till strategy though. Best of luck and glad to hear that you did get some rain!
I took the tour. We didn’t get “Hey, Nerds!” Very disappointed. However, the tour was outstanding! The diversity of plants is wonderful. The soil is to die for.
Last year we had a six week drought, right in the midst of testing various no/covers/etc here. I found standing rye collected enough dew plus drawing moisture from deep below it was able to sprout beans broadcast into them. Flattened rye worked well to grow too, but better to strip till and plant into standing rye then flatten the rye after the crop is up (corn/beans) so the weeds can't catch up. The conventional 'green manure' method of disking in the cover and planting was a disaster. So I've switched to using Rye as the cover crop; though it needs to be planted no later than six weeks before expected first frost, close to three bu/acre, and worked into the soil so the birds don't get it - that way it can drown out the grass that will otherwise still be a little problematic.
im in NC, my garden bed (about 6in of whatever the cheapest miraclegro garden bed mix is in like a 6x6 square) is on top of our native red clay soil, its been there for a few years now and i almost never have to water it though i do anyways just to feel better, i have alyssum sewn throughout the bed that keeps the soil covered up and i have perennials (a few prairie wildfire daylilies, a red twig dogwood shrub thats massive now, 2 small blueberry bushes and some goji berry bushes) which have definitely dug into the native soil extensively, ive also grown a variety of sunflower and other deep root plants in it that have also contributed to breaking up the soil below the bed
A theory...would the symbiotic relationship between the soil fungi and the buckwheat not possibly have helped with the fungi procuring water from under the living pathways for the buckwheat 🤔
Last year we had a one month+ drought and I used that time to dig a rainwater capture pond for my ducks, and then the overflow goes into ditches in the center of my pathways at the worst area of my gardens. Used plastic 2L holders to keep the pathways level while letting water move through the ditches. Been a little wetter this year, but I'm fighting tree roots in that area and haven't had to water yet so I know its helping. I can time out cleaning the pond (ecosystem pond, only needs it every few months) when I need water the most.
We're getting our rain now, very near you. Good, wet rain. Two hugelculture beds, one was 1-1-1 peat, rice hull, compost. Then I ran out of peat and tripled compost on upper bed. They both handled the dry but the triple compost bed is crazy lush n green. Tomato sets on all.
Good to know. Here in Payson, Utah we are 6B also and we haven't had rain in a while. I've been looking at different mulches to help. My soil is very similar to your native soil. Love the videos.
I'm also in Kentucky. I have a bed where I put logs on the surface in early spring then never removed them and now there's squash growing there and the logs seem to preserve a lot of moisture in the soil under them. I used wool on most of my main vegetable garden as mulch - it suppresses everything but bindweed. The plants are thriving like they have never done in this kind of heat - I think the effects are multiple - keeps the soil cooler by reflecting light back up, holds moisture, & traps dew. Even toward noon on a day where it was really humid the night before the wool is wet like a sponge. Kentucky has a wool pool and the price is really low lately, so some farmers are just throwing the wool away, so it can't hurt to ask about it if you see sheep grazing in a field. They pretty much always throw out below-grade wool that's coarser or dirty, and it's still good for mulch.
An added benefit to the wool is the urea, nitrogen and suint trapped in the fibers from the time on the animal. It takes a long time to fully compost, but that is a good thing in my book. Suint “tea” is a super energy boost to the plants also. I raise sheep and always have some wool soaking before scouring to spin into yarn. The gross stuff soaked off makes for some impressive health in my gardens.
Ditto all the conclusions! We've had a quarter inch of rain in a month where we are in Upstate SC and you are spot on. Also, took your soil remediation advice to go up and went up and away from the tainted soil with a hot box and another "Huw-style" compost bin that I call my "Pinterest bin" . Harvesting cukes, squash, zucchini & watermelons where there was nothing before! TOTAL WIN.
all good info.. thank you.. another win for cover crops!.. (south UK here) we've just had a couple of weeks of drier weather, we touched about 28C peak a couple of times in the last two weeks.. so the ground is no longer saturated, instead the uncovered clay as swapped from icky-goo to solid rock, however the muched clay seems to be holding some moisture and is showing the first hints that it might be moving towards soil. Our biggest problem is the blackbirds throwing our mulch all over the place as they hunt the worms, haven't been able to earth the potatoes successfully as a result.
I always find more worms and insects in areas that i tarp. Buckwheat is so resilient. Some of ours this year are planted on soil that is virtually rock.
Was just thinking about this question yesterday. We have this non native grass taking over called cheat grass. It gets the upper hand by starting growing in the fall so it's already established and growing in the early spring. If you try to control it by mowing it short it sends up seeds anyway from 1 inch tall blades. It would be amazing if not for the seeds which are long and pointed and sharp when they dry. I've been experimenting with using it to deep mulch my garden. Right now it has finished it's life cycle and is dried out and laying down in a thick mat. Yesterday I was pulling it up from where I don't want it and was surprised how wet the soil was underneath. Here it is about sheltering the soil from the sun but also the wind. Also wet in the bed I had previously mulched with it. I can't make enough compost to cover my beds thick enough to keep the soil from drying out. Cheat grass pulls up easily where many of the grasses here are firmly rooted and have to be dug out a foot deep with a shovel. Trying to turn a problem into a solution!
Thanks mulch in drought whether natural or artificial is needed. I am no till in 3 -10 foot raised vegetable beds, wicking tubs, and ornamental beds. The ornamental have ground Texas Cedar mulch (a garbage tree) and maintain moisture. I use ground hardwood mulch and lawn clippings, on vegetables. Finding mulch is difficult in Austin metro and store bought is forced on me for coverage.
Kentucky is notoriously humid, not Florida humid, but still humid. Do you believe dew was a factor, especially under the mulched or tarped areas? Dew, even on the planted areas might make it's way down the stalks and onto the soil surface such as on the buckwheat. Also, it seems that whatever area was covered was shielding the sun/heat from drying the soil. Thoughts? ThanQ for all you do for us!
Have you experiment say planting a fall cover crop and say incorporating maybe beets, brocolli, carrots and other vegetables within the cover? I'm curious, I am going to try it in my high tunnel this year here in Louisiana.
I had the most moisture under cut grass clippings ( about 6" thick, and leaf mulch about 2 inches thick... the grass clippings were pretty matted though
Sorry your weather has been so hideous; same up here but at least we have a bit of elevation and northernness for a bit of mitigation. Interesting experiment! Thanks.
HEY, who DOESN'T want sweet corn? When you come across people who've never been in farm country and you're in that brief period of time that Silverqueen is ready for harvest and then don't have much experience with corn on the cob and you tell them you cook it for 2.5 - 3 minutes (2.5 minutes if you have enough water in a pot so when you drop the corn in the water is still about at boiling point) they seem a bit surprised. Sometimes I miss being on the east coast. But then I load a boat up and put it on a 35,000 acre lake and I forget all about it.
After a very wet spring June only had 1,4 inches vs the average of 4. So far July is at zero. Garden looks great so far which is great because there is no water over there.
I’m trying to find dry region permaculture models to see if it is possible to convert my family’s farm here in southern Italy. Have you guys met anyone doing this?
1 month without rain in israEL in summer hehe still not called a drought, because rain stops in June and is back in September/October for thousands of years. Pretty good though for picking wheat 🌾 that can rot if it rains and get flattened to the ground making it very bad to harvest with the machinery and also would knock its seeds to the floor so yeah every climate works for a reason but despite this is not good to lose a crop like not adapted to this so find water how you can but is a blessing in many ways to have rains in the us in the summer. Specially in sandy soils to get plantations going faster and aid compost decomposition
Wish it would not rain at my farm for four weeks. Need to cut second crop badly, but it rains every other day. We have had 6” of rain in the past week, over 30” since the beginning of April. SW WI
When soil "reaches" a level of dryness that feels "bone dry"... the soil still has ~60% of its "fully hydrated" state. Unbelievable....but true (heat the soil to drive out the rest of the water & you'll come up with the surprisingly high "additional" water loss). Microorganisms operate in a thin layer of water that covers the soil particle surfaces of this "bone dry" soil...if the soil is healthy. Unhealthy "Dead" soils that depend on inorganic fertilizers DEPEND ON flowing water to deliver the ionic nutrients to the roots. In healthy soils, the microorganisms can still deliver nutrients to the roots so long as enough water exists to keep the microorganisms alive - even without water "flowing" between the soil particles.
Good points and glad you brought this up! I debated including something about soil moisture and texture like this as an addendum, but it's just kind of complicated by soil organic matter, crops, and soil type. I think you said it well. Important to keep in mind that, as vegetable growers, our plants generally require pretty high soil moisture levels (especially on an intensive scale) for adequate production. So "60% of it fully hydrated state" still equates to very low production even if the plants/microbes are technically able to sustain themselves (which as you said, they totally and amazingly are for quite a while). However, if the goal is to reduce water needs and still maintain solid production (for profitability or maximization of space), feeling bone dry is, for our purposes, still bone dry and therefore not ideal for growing food.
Of course not all of that water is available to plant roots. There's a percentage that is chemically bonded to soil particles and will never be available compared to the 'free' water that's available. Much of the water content that is driven off by heating to high temps was never available
Inspiring as always jesse. I also have havy clay, with a very high water table chucked into the mix and years of compaction from aimless tillage prior to me getting on this new peice of land 3 years ago. Too much water on my land is a big issue im dealing with currently which is improving every year with a deep mulch system and cover crops in the winter. Hopefully this winter we will see some improvements.
I enjoyed that short scene at the end, Jesse: RAIN! Oddly enough, it seems we are enjoying a similar drought here in Colorado, and we got a short reprieve yesterday: a heavy rain like you got! Let's hope there some more rain coming in future weeks!
Did you account for changes in topology where any water would eventually run to the lowest point on the land? Would that have made a difference on your land?
We use wood chips for deep mulch in much of our garden space, and it is amazing how much moisture stays down there below the chips! I've noticed it's better in areas where I've sifted it into smaller pieces, compared to where I just dumped wheelbarrows straight from the chip drop pile. But in either case we don't need to water near as often as we used to, even once our temps reach the 90s and higher.
Thanks for the video. Your look at all of the different spots in your farm were insightful. We have had the same type of weather you have had the last month or so
I tried using hay to retain moisture this year and bad luck on all but sweet/regular potatoes. Everything else did poorly. A video on what to use hay/straw on? I have always tilled and added black kow compost.
interesting observations Jesse, had to laugh at the penetrometer thing, I seem to be getting spammed by soilworks short videos, where it seems the penetrometer is THE tool for selling Ca lol
Haha, I guess to be fair, I suppose if you're a research and you need super-exact results, then by all means, penetrometer away. For the average farmer though, rebar does the job nicely!
This spring, i struggled with too much water retention, due to the leaf mulch i brought in andddd never shredded. However, with ground temperatures reaching in excess of 125 degrees in the sunlight, this same mulch is holding onto water like a champ 💪 A number of beds received no mulch, and the few beds full of plants, but without mulch, have thrived. The beds with carrots and parsnips, recently harvested, are sad looking. Cleaning out the seed starting area to get something ready for august. Had 100% germination rate on some store bought navy beans. Gonna soak those, plant and shade cloth the empty beds. Any growth is good right?
Indeed, one thing about leaves is that they are oddly water-repellent, especially if you do not shred them. I've also found, if you don't partially compost the shredded leaves, they will blow into your lettuce mixes. So tough to get out!
What an awesome observational video ... thank you! Your timing is perfect! I've been contemplating the summer ahead (it's deep winter here now) and how to manage without the hay I normally access (now contaminated with herbicide). This gives me lots to think about.
Hi Jesse, thanks for all the information. Do you think with the mulch and cc aspects that maybe not only because of living roots the soil is more moist but (rather) the more shaded the soil is the more moist it is? Thanks for your work, i love the videos!!
I have family in Australia, near Melbourne. They laser level fields and flood irrigate is that done over there? They still rely heavily on rain the irrigation is just for in between rains, if it doesn't rain they don't waste the water and just let the crop die. I've been there and you could loose a jandle in the deep cracks in the dirt
Yes flood irrigation is used here in Montana. I think a lot of the fields that have access to the irrigation canals (they are called ditches here) that bring water from the river are planted in alfalfa to feed cattle during the winter. The river is large so there's water for the canals even during drought, but the rest of the land dries up hard. It's very fine sand but not quite clay so it compacts into concrete rather than cracking.
👍👍Another great video! Hey Jesse, I'm Mike and I'm awesome (lol). Following your lead, I've adopted living pathways in my vegetable garden and so far am very happy with them!!!
I’ve not watered anything in over a week because the forecast keeps saying we’re gonna get tons of rain any hour now and it never happens. We were supposed to get something like .75” of rain last night and I heard the wind and thunder but when I got up this morning it wasn’t much more wet than we get from a heavy dew. Everything is doing good though, I think the crazy humidity is helping keep things from getting too dry, but growth is definitely a little on the slow side
I've found that Murphys Law applies here. Anytime my garden needs watering but they "say" it's going to rain, it entirely depends on my actions. If I don't water, it won't rain. If I DO water, it certainly will. For the sake of my garden, and giving Murphy the finger, I water anyway. Lol 😂
The compost mulch results are somewhat surprising to me. I would have assumed that given the dark color the soil surface temperature would have been elevated during the day leading to more evaporation of sub-surface moisture. I've been under the impression that the light color of the mulch was responsible for temperature mitigation more than any physical characteristic of the mulch itself, however it may be that once the solarized layer of compost dries out its density prevents any further drying of the deeper layers. Thanks for putting this together and condolences for the drought. keep up the great work.
to clarify, if you have trees in your garden leaf mulch is an obvious go to. cover cropping or straw might work better for plants that naturally live in grasslands.
