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43 Comments
Here in central NH unless we have a continuous good snow cover it is impractical to get below frost depth. For years I have been rototilling in my plants at the end of the season. With a couple of months of relatively warmer weather at the end and beginning of the season, I assume I am doing something similar to what you are doing. Seems to work for me, thanks for the video.
People can also add worm towers to their gardens.
I would like to add to this informative post- It is Fall. I used chopped up Apples that have fallen from my mature Apple tree. Why did I chop them up? to spread them further and feed the worms. AND did the same with my Halloween Pumpkins (No Seeds). Only because I already had plenty for the pies. I had great results in my following growing season. In fact you could see a very visual difference in the rich living composted soil vrs the dry almost lifeless Garden Dirt (in spots). I find it kind of funny how we (as Gardeners) throw away branches and sticks and then go out and buy some for supports in the Garden. Kind of the same thing with composting.
I have been doing this for awhile and works well. The compost pile doesn’t stay hot here and larger things like broccoli, Brussels and sunflower stalks don’t breakdown very well. Do chop things up before putting in compost or trench because large or vining type matter makes it difficult to breakdown and or turn. I don’t trench too shallow in planting area because it gets in the way next spring when planting. Yes, all those nutrients are draining under the compost pile.
Is there much concern about disturbing the soil life doing this?
What about the spines on some squash plants? Will they remain sharp after the rest of the plant decomposes?
Doing these for some years now, works great
Im totally doing this tomorrow
Run those fall greens over with your lawn mower a couple of times. Much smaller pieces, much less work than shovel chopping!
The explanation of the leeching was VERY useful! Things around my compost pile DO grow like gangbusters!
I think I'll do this next week. I'm going to use a mower to break up all the plant matter.
Is this counterintuitive to the no-dig garden theory?
I always used to dig out my tomato beds and Bury the plants right back into the bed.
I usually do chop and drop and clean up after the winter, but I think I'm going to use my scraps and dying plants from the garden to help build a new bed for next year and see how it goes! I have worms like crazy here and they should help with the addition of some finely mulched leaves and grass clippings!
I am definitely going to try this. I am in zone 9A (NW Florida) and once I harvest my cabbages, I will give it a shot. What a great idea!! Thanks!
Years ago when we installed the compost bin, we made the mistake of placing it in full sunlight. Not only is this less than ideal for composting, it also took away space that could have been used to grow plants that need full sun. The bin is too old and rickety to move. So this year, I decided to make the most of it by planting squash around the bin, specifically angled luffa. It grew exceptionally well in that location. Don't want to move your compost around? Move your plants to your compost.
I have done a bit of this because it just made sense. Thank you, so much easier and so much good sense. I feel like I have confirmed and feel stronger in choosing this as one of my methods of feeding living soil.
Don't think putting a nightshade plant back in the bed may be a good idea. I can see it with most anything except those. Also, I wouldn't put something in the soil that has been ravaged by pests.
What about minimizing soil disturbance? I like the idea…but it it worth digging the hole?
I have a trash can with no bottom that I use as a compost bin inside my raised bed and move to a different bed year to year to recapture leeching and top off that bed.
I've done this a few times. The last time I did it a racoon and marsh rats dug it up and ate it. I bury them deeper and then cover with a tarp to help with critters.
Will you plant zucchini in this bed next year? Great information! Thank you!
Thicker things like cornstalks, corn cobs, and sunflower stems might not break down by spring. I would also be hesitant about doing it with squash/zucchini plants. I understand your reasoning with the powdery mildew, but perhaps the better reason not to would be the pests, particularly the squash bug. I've always understood it best to burn those (along with tomato plants), and then those ashes (which aren't much) can be composted or added to the garden.
A good video, though! I would certainly do this with most other garden "by products" – radish/carrot leaves, vegetable skin/seeds leftover from canning, anything like that, skins, banana peels, etc.
I put mine in a garbage can and hit it with the weedeater. Makes it nice and small.
I had a plague of squash bugs this year, I didn't think that I should compost those plants back onto the same area…….
This is great, but chop&drop or compost-in-place are less work for me.
Japanese have been doing it for centuries
Yep I did exactly that!
Why you wouldn’t use grass clippings? I chopped up the expired plants with the mower. Some grass got mixed in; is this harmful to the raised beds?
Good tip, thanks. I have a compost tumbler and it's full; I have a bunch of Malabar spinach vines that I wasn't sure what to do with. Now I know!
Definitely going to try this method this year. So much easier. Thank you
I'm doing that. Trying to get cabbage, broccoli, collards, radish, and carrots I started in August. Sun, water, good soil. Carrots are so frustrating
Texas coast zone 9.
Good luck. Luke
I actually did this this past couple years in a few of my beds. I do it with my bokashi, but will finish this year's cleanup and do it with the remaining plant material. Thanks for the tip!!
Grass? Use it as light mulch
Putting that fungus infected plant material back in the ground is going to give you problems next year. I learned the hard way myself. Put some copper fungicide down when it starts to warm up or you'll be in trouble.
Sounds like way more work for this 76 year old lady. But was encouraged to hear I can throw my diseased plants on the compost. I’ll go take them off the burn pile. 😊
OH MY GOODNESS DUDE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!! The balance you talk about is going to be thrown off majorly from turning that stuff back in to the soil. You'll be gett'n some copper next year I promise.
Does this method disturb the worms?
Luke. Don’t you have to worry about disease from the plants?
That's amazing! Now can you plant in that bed after you do that? Or you leave it over the winter?
It's "Ancient" because it's mimicking nature when the seasons drop leaves, fruit ; and the plants are finally felled by the cold & wind… and more leaves fall. Then in Spring, after the rain and snow, a seedling from the closed loop system emerges — or we plant some. [Now say that in David Attenborough's voice.]
85 degrees in Michigan. Meanwhile, in Georgia, I've turned the heat on a couple times already. We got into the low 40‘s here.
I love his accent. 😊
Yep doing this this weekend, all my compost bays are full and have been putting off the garden cleanup…why didn’t I think of this sooner