Here is how you can support me, more videos, and The Rusted Garden... The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks... Companies I am Affiliated With... Bentey Seed Company bentleyseeds.com GreenStalk Garden Vertical Towers: lddy.no/4eal Vegega Metal Raised Beds:www.vegega.com/?ref=le64f3gm30 AgroThrive Water-Soluble Fertilizer: bit.ly/3qx7rot The Rusted Garden 'Scan & Grow' Seed Collection www.therustedgarden.com/search?type=product&q=qr Just scan the QR code and watch a planting video: Follow me on Instagram instagram.com/therustedgarden/ Join The Rusted Garden Homestead FB Group facebook.com/groups/Therustedgardenhomestead Follow me on TikTok www.tiktok.com/@therustedgarden My Books The Modern Homestead Garden: amzn.to/43iXbyx Growing and Edible Landscape: amzn.to/3NgMUxj Visit My Amazon Store Front I earn from any eligible purchases you make. www.amazon.com/shop/garypilarchiktherustedgarden Become an affiliate of The Rusted Garden and Earn 15% on sales.

@dreamangelsgarden5078

9 ай бұрын

What can I do for small snails I'm starting to see here and there? "Organically" as possible

I did this when you put out your first video on this. Worked great.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

Excellent. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

Another option is horse bedding pellets. It's not as compacted as wood pellets and easily expanded when sprayed with water. Just fyi. 🌱

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the idea. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

I have been using Alfalfa pellets from Tractor Supply for my 5 gallon buckets for 2 years and had great results with peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini. I usually hydrated the pellets 8 hours or more and have also spread the pellets in the raised bed to allow spring raing to hydrate and incorporate them about 6 weeks before May planting. I have a woodstove and never thought of adding wood ash like I did in my old in ground garden. The addition of wood pellets is also new to me.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

8 ай бұрын

Perfect. Thanks for the info. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

I've done this many time. I would like to point out a few more tidbits. I've found alfalfa in small and medium pellets and as cubes. All work well as small pellets work fastest and cubes take the longest. Cubes break down to a grainy compost. I've used wood pellets as well as horse bedding consisting of wood or corn cob. All work well.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the extra info. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

Thanks for the compost recipe! I like your compost tumblers too. Right now I’m just using a tote with holes drilled and turning it with a shovel. Yours looks easier.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

A spin is much easier. These are a no brand that I can recall but I found them years ago at Tractor Supply Store. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

Great ideal, I've used the alfalfa pellets in my garden but didn't think of wood pellets as well... Thanks for the info 😊

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

Works well! The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

@roncatlin7271

9 ай бұрын

make sure that the wood pellets are composted or somehow activated before adding them directly to your garden. if not, they will totally wreck your efforts. the will steal nutrient sources from your garden causing your plants to starve to death.

That’s a fantastic idea!

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

6 ай бұрын

It works well www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

Good idea. Thanks.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

8 ай бұрын

Thanks The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com

Very cool.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

Thanks The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

I have friends save bags of leaves for me in the fall-- no weeds or trash, just leaves that I can compost. I'm going to put them through the shredder and mix with the alfalfa pellets and see how that turns out.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

Always a good experiment. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

Excellent video🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

Thanks The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

🌟Gary Thanks again or the tips and tricks!🌟

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

]Glad to share. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

Oh I like that consistency (wood pellets alone) after it's absorbed the water and now I'm thinking might be a good top dress around my strawberry plants to see if the slugs will avoid it. 💡

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

5 ай бұрын

Not sure. Interesting thought. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ - Seeds, Starting Supplies, Neem Oil, Peppermint & Other Oils, Calcium Nitrate & More.

Hi Gary - I did the alfalfa / wood pellet compost today - the wood pellets broke down in 5 minutes, but the alfalfa did not break down completely even after being totally submerged for an hour - they were softer, but …. I’m hoping they will break down in my compost tumbler over the winter - I mixed the combo today with a small amount of my finished 2 year old leaf mold. Ty for all the info over the years ! Steve - zone 6b.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

8 ай бұрын

Interesting. Mine have always. They do take longer. But they should absorb the water eventually. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

i have done this method for years. i do use a mix of about 1/4 royal oak pellets, always looking for them on sale, and 3/4 wood pellets. for liquid i use drunk compost and it works even faster. i was checking out some videos about auto-toxicity of alfalfa on legumes that i discovered last year so now i have slowed down a bit on alfalfa and i am grinding beans (weight of whole grains not ground) and layer feed to mix (ground) with the wood pellets and it seems to work just as well. the fungal growth in the compost can't hurt either. it's kind of a pain to grind all those grains though.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

That works. Good luck. My understanding of auto-toxicity is mature alfalfa plants effecting future alfalfa seeds from germinating. I haven't seen evidence that it is an issue for other plants. I'll read more about it but I have used it pretty heavily on places and plants dont seem effected. A lot of plant inhibition come from the roots, like with sunflowers. But it is worth reading more about. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

@roncatlin7271

9 ай бұрын

@@THERUSTEDGARDEN i'm still working on researching it myself. you couldn't tell anything toxic about my garden at all but i don't grow many legumes and i'm definitely not growing them for seed - yet. i wouldn't have thought anything of it at all but it came from a source that i respect.

Gary, this may seem like a dumb question but can I mix this with my existing compost pile? I throw banana peels, ends of veggies, egg shells, napkins, avocados that were overripe, etc. It’s a beautiful thing. But, I want even more compost because I’m greedy like that. Lol. Thanks in advance.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

You can. For quick compost the tumbler helps keep it warm and all that but you can make this and put it in piles anywhere. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

@treasuretreereynolds1764

9 ай бұрын

@@THERUSTEDGARDEN Thanks, Gary!

A slight correction: Alfalfa cannot contain pyridine carboxylic acid herbicides. Aminopyrilids affect broad leaf plants, including legumes like alfalfa. If hay is composed of alfalfa or contains alfalfa or other broadleaf weeds, it is NOT contaminated with those chemicals and is safe for composting. I buy in 2000+ bales of hay every year for my livestock and I make sure it is either alfalfa or a mixed hay with alfalfa in it. I do not have a problem with herbicide toxicity. Grain straws like wheat, oat, or rye CAN have herbicide residue in them since they are grasses, not broadleaf plants. Straight grass hays can indeed be contaminated and I would not use those or manure from animals fed straight grass hays or bedded on straw.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

Thanks The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

We throw alfalfa pellets into the pile when we need to cook a lot of leaves down quickly. You can also just dig them into the garden to improve the soil (don't just scatter them on top, or you'll attract visitors).

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

4 ай бұрын

They work well Thanks! Over 1500 gardening videos on my YT channel. Here is how you can support me, & The Rusted Garden... Please Subscribe & The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/

Great video and very informative. I do have a question though, if you don’t have the ability to have a compost tumbler is there an alternative for mixing? Thank you!

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

You can mix it in a wheelbarrow and just let it compost on the ground. Just turn it with shovel. It might dry out faster like that so, keep it moist. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

@ofrecentvintage

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for asking this question. I was gifted a small hand-me-down compost tumbler from Aldi but I haven't cleaned and tried it yet so I was thinking about alternatives. I was thinking of keeping it in the 5 gallon bucket and rolling the bucket on its side to simulate "tumbling." But maybe the heat would be a problem. Not sure.

Any thoughts on mixing it up in a wheelbarrow...wetting it etc...and then just topping off alllll the raised beds and leaving it for the winter? Or does it truly need a compost tumbler.. enclosed etc

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

8 ай бұрын

It needs the tumbler as this mix is meant to heat up and decompose more quickly. If you just sprinkle it across beds, it will dry and the process slows. You can sprinkle alfalfa as I do do that and it breaks down faster than sawdust. The sawdust just isn't good directly added to beds. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com

So glad I found this video for making an alternative compost. Does anyone know if I can substitute a 5 gallon bucket for the compost tumbler if I keep the bucket vented and stir the mixture every 7 days?

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

3 ай бұрын

You could for sure. Thanks! Over 1500 gardening videos on my YT channel. Here is how you can support me, & The Rusted Garden... Please Subscribe & The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/

@ofrecentvintage

3 ай бұрын

@@THERUSTEDGARDEN Thank you so much for your response!!

So, if I make this mixture and work it into my garden beds not composted but raw, would it help my beds for next spring? I intend to make a batch in my composter but wondered if it could/would compost down in the beds over winter.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

8 ай бұрын

I would not add wood pellets raw to earth. That has to compost down or it will take nitrogen from your soil. But you can add alfalfa pellets as you described. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com

Thoughts on trench composting this mixture directly into a raised garden bed in the fall?

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

8 ай бұрын

With a place to pile it and let decomposes, I dont do that much anymore. For this mix, you would need to make sure you have a solid 3-5 months for it to breakdown. I might just use the alfa and not the wood pellets if you were going to do that. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

could you compost this right in the raised bed over the winter??

I live in area with lots sand south central ga....lots of peanut n cotton grows but my yard had to hold water...plz help....yes added peatmoss ...will be adding vermiculite....hopefully will help ...

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

Really just lots of compost, however you make it. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

I appreciate your willingness to experiment and change your soulless recipes as necessary. Great video!!t Thank You.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching, The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

Is this ok to use in houseplants, or when potting up vegetable or flower seedlings in the spring?

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

5 ай бұрын

I never used it indoors but good to add into potting up anything outdoors. Get your GreenStalk Vertical Gardening Towers now for a spring series. Grow Vertically! Use the Discount Code THERUSTEDGARDEN on GreenStalk 'Vertical Tier Systems'. Use this link and enter my code for the discount greenstalkgarden.com/?rstr=therustedgarden

I only grow in containers. No room in my small yard for an in-ground garden. I use 4 GreenStalk planters and about 35 grow bags, mostly 5-gallon bags. I made my own potting mix this past spring based on one of your videos. It worked great, and I had a successful gardening season. To replace the existing potting mix in my containers with this compost would be cost prohibitive for me. I always add amendments to my potting mix when growing a new veggie crop each season. Could I make some of this compost and just blend it with the existing potting mix in my containers? How much would I add? Thanks, Gary.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

I have videos on refreshing Container soil and recommend you do reuse it. I dump it out and add about 1/3 new material. Compost, peat, fresh soil, organic granular. It can be what you can afford but you just fluff it all up and make sure you added some fertilizer. That works. Even 1/4 new compost is just fine. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

Looks like an interesting project ! Any idea what the PH of the finished product is ?

@dodril17

9 ай бұрын

always depends on the individual situation

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

No but I do know it sits it a range plants can grow. You have to get below 5.7 and over 7.1 in my experience to notice issues. Composting often helps manage pH keeping stuff in the 6's. But I dont know the value. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

Do you have to compost it or can you throw the wet mix direct into the raise bed dirt?

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

Composting gets the wood to decay and breakdown. Wood itself will borrow nitrogen from the garden to decay and it gives back once composted. So a lot of wood could challenge plants for nitrogen early on. It also dries fast and can blow around. However, I do just scatter the alfalfa pellets on beds. I have videos on that. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

Have you done this using alfalfa hay??? Would it work the same as the pellets just curious I have access to ground alfalfa hay. Thanks

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

8 ай бұрын

I have not tried the hay but it wouldnt be much different. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

Instead of hardwood fuel pellets can you use the pine bedding pellets? Does it make any difference?

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

I think you could. If you have local saw mills, you can use sawdust and it is often free. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

Gary, I have tons of coffee grounds. What ratio would I use with the wood pellets?

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

Ай бұрын

I am not sure. I would start with 2/3 WP and 1/3 coffee grounds. See how it heats up as you can add more. The Rusted Garden Vegetable Seeds & Home Garden Supplies: www.therustedgarden.com Earn 15% and become a TRG Affiliate for our seed & garden shop Sign Up Here: bit.ly/4aarkDD

Could I possibly use sawdust in place of the hardwood pellets? Would the sawdust have to be hardwood sawdust?

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

8 ай бұрын

Sawdust would be fine and does not have to be hardwood. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

@jillpellegrin4137

8 ай бұрын

Thank you.

Went out got the exact products you showed in the video. Looking forward to mixing it up and getting compost for the spring. My compost tumbler is 1/4 full of 2 year old leaf much , so……Ty so much for all your expertise.

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

8 ай бұрын

Good luck. The compost from the video is heating over 120 degrees as of yesterday. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

@stephenmoberg8807

8 ай бұрын

Hi Gary- after letting the blend sit for a week per your instructions, it looked just like yours on the video! Very excited about this method. Ty so much ! Steve zone 6 b

wondering if pellets have chemicals.....thanks for info

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

You can call the manufacterer and ask The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

@thecatniplife

9 ай бұрын

The pine bedding pellets are marked as chemical free.

I’ve read that alfalfa is sprayed with persistent herbicides that don’t break down. I noticed store bought alfalfa caused the leaf curling symptom on my tomatoes. I wonder if anyone else experienced this effect?

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

4 ай бұрын

It's possible but I have not had this issue. Best to contact the company and find out about any product you use. Thanks! Over 1500 gardening videos on my YT channel. Here is how you can support me, & The Rusted Garden... Please Subscribe & The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/

This seems like a huge waste of money and tbh resources that could be put to better use. This is way more expensive than peat moss and I'm not so sure it's near as good, but I'll pretend it's equivalent. I don't understand why you wouldn't use something like a basic coir instead of peat. It's already a common substitute with established ways to substitute it effectively. As far as peat's main benefit soil consistency and drainage coir is just as good. To be clear I am not saying it's a 1:1 substitution in the sense you won't need to make other changes amendment wise compared to prior regiment of amending your peat based soil, but it's just as good perhaps better than peat in most cases than peat. The main issue with swapping them is ph. Coir is neutral around 7 where as pear can be as low as 4. Given ppl use as high as 1/3 peat in a mix that sorta over all ph difference substituting the coir will evveft nutrient absorbtion. This is neither good or bad btw it's just to be accounted for. Whether it's good or bad depends on the crop. For me coir made my container plant mix drift towards 8 overtime and I saw a lot of micro nutrients deficiency. I diagnosed this as the issue by watering with a super low ph solution and as that solution adjusts to the soil oh it would drift thru the entire range of ph preferred by each nutrient, albeit that is suboptimal and not a permanent solution to the issue but it does show enough absorbtion of the previously locked out nutrients to make the plants look better and help you diagnose soil ph is the issue. Oh this is important my soil got to 8 because I used lime in the mix because I was using a recipe that used peat. The fact is lime is used in those recipes to offset the low ph peat. With coir you don't want lime or the soil will likely have too high a ph. Anyways, coir is a very good soil conditioner as far as drainage and aeration go, it's also inert. If you know how to use it it can easily replace peat. If your soil ph is too high use something like elemental sulfur or ferrous sulfate. Do not use ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate and a few others you'll see recommended. The problem is they are using the term change soil ph" incorrectly when they refer to those other compounds acidifying soil. For example you will burn your plants with nitrogen acidifying soil with ammonium sulfate because the acidifying process creates nitrate and a ton of it. For this reason you cannot add enough ammonium nitrate to significantly change soil ph in a reasonable time. Ferrous and aluminum sulfate as well as elemental sulfur are best to actually change soil ph permanently in a reasonable time. Interestingly however when I said I diagnosed the issue using the ph drift method my solution used ammonium sulfate to get the solution ph super low. You wouldn't want to keep watering with that solution tho for aforementioned reasons

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

This is a lot cheaper than coir. 80 pounds for $30. Coir is a huge carbon burner to wash, prepare, and ship. Plus they are cutting down forests to grow coco trees. It's really not that great. Alfalfa has a nature root stimulant. It is a 2-1-1 NPK. The fine particles feed microbes and worms and build soil. Peat doest feed anything and has little NPK. It is great for soil making for sure but this is much better than you might think. The swap is a soil conditioner that is effective with bonus. The composting process mitigates pH quite a bit but you can always add wood ash to raise it or other things to lower it. The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: www.therustedgarden.com/ My new Podcast: The Rusted Garden Homestead https: https:bit.ly/443SSGL Visit my blog, The Rusted Garden Journal, for the written DIY recipes and more garden information: therustedgarden.blogspot.com Thanks...

@Thee-_-Outlier

9 ай бұрын

​​​​​​​​@@THERUSTEDGARDEN I agree with shipping to a point depending on where you live, but you can buy it unwashed not RDY for garden and soak and wash it yourself. I also don't think weight is a great metric here because I personally wouldn't want a dense soil condition with a high absorption capacity like alfalfa and wood pellets. I'm also not saying your method is horrific, it's just not the price you said it is near me. Those wood pellets aren't cheap because they're sold to the trendy dad grilling market at a premium. I'm sure you can source them cheap, just not really near me. I've also not seen alfalfa cheap. I use alfalfa in my soil already, so idk how you can use that as a conditioner cost wise. Anyways, I believe you that is what you're paying and perhaps I could source it here if I really tried, but it's not at the home Depot or local garden center or pet store for those prices here in philly. Composting organic matter generally lowers ph, but it takes time. Some organic matter is more adept at this like pine bark, but organic breakdown generally acidifies to some degree. The problem tho, in containers at least with coir is if you use say composted cow poop and stuff you will offset the drainage too much. You need to include compost that is also not fully broken down in some cases. I noticed after amending with compost over time it threw off the drainage I had originally. It took a few years but it eventually needed to be reconstituted. Anyways, your idea may be good if it's that cheap, but I would need to test it over time because I'm not so sure that combo is comparable to drainage of peat. I feel that you're simply adding unfinished compost using alfalfa and wood. I mean alfalfa is grass and grass doesn't make mud loose and drain it turns it into a brick, literally. Idk man, time will tell ig

@THERUSTEDGARDEN

9 ай бұрын

Those are smoker pellets with specialty wood. This is for wood burning stoves. Under $8 a bag. Anyway, you can use sawdust. And unless you make it, you won't understand the value of the consistency. I use direct AA in my soil but that is a longer process of decay. You can have pretty good compost in 60 days like this. Its the wood and the fiber of the alfalfa that is different than grass. And yes this does get used up over time.

@Thee-_-Outlier

9 ай бұрын

@@THERUSTEDGARDEN sounds good. What about mixing all that wood through the soil? Ik wood mulch potentially takes up some nitrogen, I would imagine running it all thru the root zone would be worse. Not saying catastrophic. Anyways, I'll take your word for it becuse as you said I haven't seen it personally or used it. I'm just thinking of potential issues. I have done similar myself tho. When I was dealing with high pH one thing I did was aerate with pine needles from under my huge pine tree instead of adding more coir. I didn't have an issue but it was only a round or two I used that mix

@bdomeier121

9 ай бұрын

🤦‍♂️