We have a song thrush here on the Big Island of Hawaii that came from China. There was a terrible fire on Oahu in Chinatown and people who had the thrushes in cages released them when they were fleeing for their lives. Some made their way to most of the islands. Their songs are truly lovely
I’m just learning about growing my own food I’m 4 weeks in and I’m blown away I’ve started growing Carrots Spuds Onions Peppers Tomatoes All from seeds and supermarket vegetables They are coming on amazing My mini greenhouse comes next week Making my own compost too You have inspired me Chris Bless you x
Absolutely love the willow weaving hedge you've started. It's gonna take off and be a really beautiful asset there, I'm betting. Also be a nice windbreak for tender spring plants low to the ground. That's a real bummer concerning the weed killer. They're industrial shortcuts, made to push carrying capacity of land beyond anything possible without a huge amount of manual labor. Little thought was given to their effects a decade or two ago. I am hopeful that changes. Frankly, you're doing your part here in that struggle. It may have been a sour note to end on, but it's good to get the word out. Keep on living and working. I'm loving what you do.
For anyone whos interested: a good substitute for those garden sieves is to use those plastic crates you see fruit and veg shops throwing away all the time. Picked up a stack of them from a grocer on the high street. works a treat for getting stones and rubble out of out garden beds.
It's brilliant what you have achieved and such a lovely Home.Bliss the birds and sheep noise real calming and relaxing instead where I live traffic noise.Keep up the great work your both doing. ☺
I just love watching you and your lady it really has been helping with my depression and the stress of potentially losing a job I've been at for 11 years. Edited to add ..I am sorry to hear about the weedkiller affecting your crop I can't beileve they sell that crap and I wonder does that stuff affect horses as well?.
Dear Mr. Kris. 👍👌👏 Very well done again. The willow hedges will be fantastic. Great channel way out west blog uses poplar for a lot of things and does a lot of gardening too (greenhouse, strawberries in pipes hanging of the ceiling etc.p.p.). If you don't know this channel already I highly suggest that you watch some videos from this great couple. 2) Uuuuh, what a pity and a shame because of that weed killer after all that work/effort/energy you two put in the vegetable gardening. It's really strange that the horses weren't affected. 3) I can hardly wait to watch the greenhouse build. 4) Thanks a lot for making teaching recording editing uploading and sharing. Best regards, luck and health to all of you.
Your garden is really coming along nicely. I especially love the idea of a willow hedge / fence surrounding the garden. Looking forward to the greenhouse build. Stay safe and hugs from South Africa
Everything is looking good and coming on great. I am gutted for you both as well, I can only imagine the feeling after weeks of labour on it all. Fingers crossed the plants pull through. Thank for the content.
Hi Kris, A tip on filling seed trays. Use the bottom of a spare tray to compact the compost down on the tray you are filling, one push will do the lot. Nice Vlog. Keep safe
The other thing I heard of was what they worm horses with, which can also affect our compost! Keep up gardening Kris and Dot, awesome what you're doing in the garden, doing the same downunder going into winter but doing the prep work for spring.
So hard to get the purity we want in in what we put in our gardens. Hope that compost works out. All the best . You are a great gardener. Hello from Canada 😉🌱🇨🇦
Love the idea of a greenhouse built with timber frame. Don't feel like you have to explain yourself too much about not doing other large projects. You've been going strong for so long, and now that you have a comfortable setup, it's time to decompress and enjoy life a little more.
Hey Kris I don't live in the UK I live in the states but have been gardening for about 30 to 40 years off and on and have had laying hens a great deal of the time and that's all I used was the chicken manure and it does a fantastic job. And also I had some neighbors that breed rabbits and I had really good luck with the rabbit poo as well so with you having hens you should be all set. Keep up the great work !!!!
Hi Kris, loved video. It’s great to see that you’re able to take time during these times to enjoy the gardening and work on the smaller projects. Sounds like a good idea to hit pause on the top workshop. I’d love to hear your plans about the new house if you’re considering a ‘just talk at the camera’ video. All the best to you and Dot.
Yay, a greenhouse build, looking forward to seeing your design come to life! Compost issue is a nightmare, but don’t dwell on it. I hear you though it’s a terrible situation humans are producing and as always comes down to money and greed! Making your own will resolve the issue moving forward so your on course! Please give us an update on your findings and solution.
I’m so sorry about the poison in your garden. What a low blow. Sending good thoughts your way, and hoping you’ll still be able to eat some of the produce.
Yes priorities Kris and have some down time in the garden, Mr Dowding great very easy guy to follow, works from the soil (no dig, well amended soil) right through seedlings (multi sowing), thermal heat from compost to aid germination ........... just watch his channel you'll get it, so very satisfying when you start to harvest your own produce, so tasty. It has been problem for a lot of gardeners the weed killer issue we have had some commercial bagged compost which Im sure has been affected by it, but oddly not all my plants have been stunted just some areas totally agree should never have been allowed and now we have to deal with it, so we just pull the plants damaged, mark the areas affected leave them till next season, hopefully you won't lose to much. Im just loving watching your Homestead take shape, you have achieved so much when you think back to when you first started living on site, keep up the good work.
What a bummer about the insecticide. I feel bad after all the hard work you guys put into it. But looking on the bright side, it’s better than you found out now. Lesson learned. Best of luck, you’re doing a great job
Hi Kris, so sorry about the fertilizer issue ... didn't see that coming and I'm sure, neither did you. Well, now we know. I would think you're going to have to get it out of there ... that will put a stop to the consent thinking about it. The fence is serene to look at even if it didn't grow ... I hope it grows though, can't wait to see what it looks like. Willow is a wonderful plant. Thanks for bring us along ... all my best to you both.
Love all your videos. Thanks for producing and sharing them. One note, in the world of companion planting, peas and most legumes are mortal enemies (opposite of companions) of Onions, most alliums including leeks. Keep them apart for best results. Peas are friendly to most things because the add nitrogen, and are good for heavy feeders like corn, curbits, tomatoes and peppers.
In most apprenticeships your goal is to get red seal certified. In your gardening apprenticeship your goal is to get green thumb certified. Love the idea of the hedgerow. Hopefully it will all take root.
Kris - so sorry to hear about the weedkiller after all your work. On the other hand better to find out about it now and be able to devise a way (perhaps) of ensuring that you do not get caught out again. So interesting to see your work on the garden (another side of you). Not all your work is lost - the fences - layout etc will still be there for the future.
I was so enjoying you planting and how wonderful everything was growing. The you came back on with this devastating news about the poison. I hope most of the plants can survive and are eatable
Awwww that's such a disaster for you. You're doing amazing things on your land. I cant wait to buy some land and do something similar on a much smaller scale
I realize this is a bit after the fact and you probably know this now, but when i was young we had a garden and always planted the squash and pumpkins in hills about 3 to 4 feet apart. These were the kind that grew with vines. I guess the seeds need good drainage-susceptible to rot, hence the hills. I do miss getting good soil under my fingernails. Good relaxing and stress relief the natural way. Good job.
Unless you eat a lot of radishes or are selling them, plant about 50 cm of radishes every couple of weeks. They can be planted in between other plants quite well also. Sucks about the compost. Love the willow fence. Something to consider in the short term is set some beds along the fence to grow your peas and beans! Best of luck!
I had a similar problem with broad beans and thought it was me not doing something right so that is for sharing - I reckon your video helped me recognize a problem I didn’t even think about. I bought an organic compost for container gardening on my balcony and had some produce but really mixed results and the plants really struggled to grow. Unfortunately I ate everything I could 😐 I watched a video by Charles Downing after yours about how to remedy this and contact with actual soil and the organisms that live in soil heals the compost with some time. That’s not an option for my balcony veg containers though so I guess I’ll have to get rid of it completely 🙁 but again thank you for sharing your bad news because without it I don’t think I would have even considered it because I bought flipping organic compost! Crazy world we live in.
Kris so sad to hear about the garden So a while back my neighbor told me about wood chips. My soil has a lot of clay and in the summer it turns to concrete. So I had the local tree guy dump a load of wood chips in driveway for free. I spread them out in a couple of places. the next year in the summer I move the chips to one side and I could push my finger right down into the grown. Trees roots go deep in the grown and pull up minerals that plants need. So as they decompose they make these nutrients available for your plants. I have been doing this for 5 years now and I have lush fertile black soil. My vegetables are the envy of the neighborhood. I would be happy to send you pictures of the garden and the soil. James has been doing this garden channel as long as you have been building and has a lot of great info. Good luck. So I also am a wood worker and all my wood chips saw dust and such go right in the compost pile along with all my garden and tree trimmings. I have 2 6 ft in diameter piles, at the end of the year I take the oldest pile and spread around my garden. then repeat each year. ru-vid.com
kris; i think i have similar soil structure like yourself and have even had similar problems with horse manure. i have since used pine/fir tree mulch in my garden and the acidity has helped even out the soil. helped get rid of some of the garden issues including for my fruit trees which had spots on the leaves and unhealthy fruit. this year im looking at a bumper crop of fruit and veggies...
Re the weed killer... your crop should be okay to eat... try aerating the soil as often as possible over the Summer. Put the rest of the manure on flowers and maybe trees. If my memory serves me well Charles Dowding did a vlog about it a few years back. Charles n Huw are fantastic ... Huw especially should be helpful re sowing and planting times as he is near your area. PS. The slugs n snails will find you soon.... save wild BlackBerry sticks and place them along side your seedlings. The pesky varmints won't want to slide over the prickles. Have fun. xx
Weed killer. How gutted would you be mate. All that work. Damn. We’ve started a garden about the same time as you and have used the neighbours horse manure. It could happen to us also. So many toxic chemicals around in agriculture. If you need to start again, so be it. You’re an encouragement. A year from now, this setback will be forgotten. I once had a toxic battery leak and had to remove 100 tonnes of soil in a tip truck. It almost broke me, but it’s only a memory now.
Ive not been a sub of ur channel for long, but i want to say i love what ur doing and wat u have done! To me its the perfect life! Working to better urself and ur life, not making someone else rich!
Lovely to see the garden again, and the hedge looks great! There is definately more than one cause for curling leaves like that, so I've got my fingers crossed that you find out its not weedkiller after all and you can still get a good crop.
Somewhere in the middle of the video I started picking at dry skin on my hand from chemicals I had come in contact with and wondered if you had noticed any improvements to your skin and body after moving away from the city. Then you talked about the weed killer in the horse hay and my heart sank. Best of luck there - you've put in a lot of work on the garden.
Bad news about the beans and peas but it seems the majority of your garden is doing well. If the compost has been sitting that long hopefully there is enough weed killer to hurt it, but not kill it and as the plant gets more mature and hardy it might adapt to its environment. I would just double check the food grown from is still safe to eat. He probably also gets the horse feed from multiple sources and possibly you were lucky enough to end up with a portion of it that had the weed killer for that bed. Good luck man and thanks for sharing!
sorry about your mishap Kris! that sucks. hopefully your plants pull through. usually heating these compounds causes them to decompose or at least significantly reduce their effectiveness (kinda like drugs). since compost piles can get really hot it might be partially neutralized. in the future if continue using your neighbors compost - which is a great source for free, you might want to figure out a way to test for the compound in the compost or even find a way to disable it. maybe by laying compost in the thin layer in the son, or covered by black tarp to increase heat. IDK, could be a solvable problem. i hope it works out for you best way possible
I worked in the pesticide industry, I grow organic on my 5 acre plot. I also used to do small beds, but the use of mechanical weed control (rotavator) now means I use one large ploughed area, with plenty of space between crop. Its a lot less time consuming, the plants get masses of space, and so less intensive, with less of an input requirement. Between row with rotavator, in row with hoe/hand fork or mini rake. Be aware of the wind when you construct your greenhouse, it takes one gust in a storm to destroy, i used twin wall polycarbonate. Doesn't break when it gets blown out! Just have to find it again. No rabbit issues? Crows have had 2 of my chicks so far this year..
Hi Kris. Charles Dowding did a video about aminopyralids. If I remember rightly, it only affects some species like beans and tomatoes and potatoes, but is broke down by soil organisms in a year.
Broadbeans and Dill are as I've heard good companions against blackfly. Marigolds are helpful too against something.... don't know the English word. And onions and carrots love eachother, both in the ground and in the pan. (Look up the recipes for hutspot, kale stamp pot and more of those 😀)
You are really amazing. I've never known anyone who has done all the things you do. Back in the late 60s and 70s had a book called, "Crocket's Victory Garden," that was one of the first issues. You remind me of him. Also I use to get, "Mother Earth News," which is still around. Bet they would be interested in doing some articles on what you do. Everything looks GREAT!
Sorry to hear about the weedkiller Kris! Mankind has used and abused the earth for millennia.. but it is quite surprising how quickly it can bounce back given a little helping hand, which is what you are doing! Just doing your bit, and reaping the edible benefits in the process. 🍇🍊🍋🍅🍄🌽🍏🍓🥒🥕🥔👏 Well done mate!
I was feeling waaaay too hot to carry on with my construction jobs here, and so stopped for some water and a motivation top-up ... and found you’d just uploaded a new video. Happy days, and an early finish ;)
So lovely to visit with you and Dot today. I have lost much of my motivation since my 90 year old mother died in March. A DIY gal, she would have delighted in your projects and successes. Loving the Willow hedge. Made a tiny version many years ago. It got decimated by my son and his dog!🥺 So sorry about your veggies. DANG BLASTED WEEDKILLERS!🤬 I use white vinegar if I have to use anything. Hope some things are salvageable. Take care and God bless.
Not a boring video... Just relaxing to play while I work on a new project.🙂 And I'm so sorry about the compost issue. I honestly believe weed killers and pesticides in our food chain have created health problems that didn't exist decades ago... Like maybe celiac disease? Even those of us who don't have that disease can be extremely sensitive to wheat flour that hasn't been organically grown. I wish we humans could take better care of the planet, working with it instead of against it.
A great trick to get the „crossing points“ in the willow fence to grow together. skrew a skrew at the cross point... this will damage the cabium starting of the process and soon it will be grown together... making the hedge alot stronger...like super basik grafting!
Hi Kris, have you considered Hugelkultur beds for your garden? I'd have thought it ideal with all the wood / organic material available to you. On the weed killer thing, I believe from watching some other gardening channels that this is a problem even with a lot of commercially available compost. Hope the plants come through OK and you're able to enjoy all your hard work. Thanks for all the videos.
will be great to watch the greenhouse project i would like a mini one for my garden, by the way if you want to control your slug population, get yourself some friendly toads
Thanks for highlighting this. We had to stop growing tomatoes an potatoes a couple of years ago due to what we thought was blight but looking at the pictures of aminopyralid damage I fear that we may have brought in contaminated compost. It was banned for a period but how they were able to get their licence to sell the stuff reinstated is near criminal.
Use coir peat expandable bricks. It is a bi-product of coconut processing. Wonderful water retaining product and protects our precious natural peat bogs.
That was real bad news right at the end the way the weed killer found its way to you in such a round about fashion, hopefully it won't be too bad and things will grow and be edible. Great video yet again.
So sorry about the weed-killer. Humans eh? Love the garden. Hope maybe you will consider putting up a water tank at some stage. in case the summers get drier. If anyone can sort the garden, you can Kris. At least you discovered the problem early.
Plant some yarrow in your contaminated bed. Cut off all the flowers before they open to protect your pollinators. Pull the plants out roots and all at the end of the season and dispose of them. Yarrow is used to clean out even heavy metals (like cobalt and lead). I suppose as PA breaks down within 18 months you could compost the yarrow in a spot downhill from your food gardens/orchard.
