My book Organic Gardening for Everyone: Homegrown Vegetables Made Easy - Signed, personalized copies available at calikimgardenandhome.com/books/organic-gardening-for-everyone/. CaliKim Seed Collections and CaliKim Smart Pots: calikimgardenandhome.com Good Dirt Indoor Potting Mix: good-dirt.com 10% off with code “calikim10” Smart Pots containers (excluding CK Smart Pots): 10% off w/ code “calikim” at smartpots.com Vermisterra Worm Castings, Worm Tea: 10% off w/ code “calikim” at vermisterra.com As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases: Amazon search page: amzn.to/3897OqD Seed starting supplies: amzn.to/30kbmDG Garden fertilizers:amzn.to/2uQkhBh Garden disease and pest control: amzn.to/2FMw6L7 Grow Lights: amzn.to/2NlY5FB Garden Tools: amzn.to/2RiwRRq Amazon lawn & garden supplies: amzn.to/30kFe2Z Are you composting in your garden? Thanks for watching!

@bastownsend2281

7 жыл бұрын

Lisa Pittman n

@russellpetts3375

6 жыл бұрын

CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY

@richardtippett1636

6 жыл бұрын

CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY if.

@bobbrawley2612

4 жыл бұрын

You and MIgarderner use mostly green stuff which debunks the ubiquitous 60/40 recommendation. And the height of your pile anti nothing to wright wright home about. Both you and MI Garderner report excellent results . I'm gravitating to wards your method with the little experience I have experience . A low pile does heat up

@mwangomalauni9112

4 жыл бұрын

Marvelous

I'm a simple man, I see compost i click "like".

When I have run out of leaves/browns, I use shredded paper.... works very well!

"It's free, works for me," perfect!

Just cut and thatched my lawn and had the idea to start a pile. I have to say I absolutely enjoyed this video and really appreciated your presentation here. Great information and your presence is so fun and enjoyable! Thank you!

I dump my grass clipping at the edge of the bank by my yard after every mowing. By the time the following spring gets here, it is great looking mulch.

This is such a great video Kim! Thank you so much for sharing!! I love making my own home made compost! It's so great for the garden!

Wow, that is really nice. You are very disciplined and productive.

Built my first compost bin and filled it today. Thank's for all the usefull info. 👌

Reminds me when my Dad had me shovel cow manure for his tomato plants, he grew some gigantic tomatoes!

I just wanted to Thank you CaliKim29 for making easy for me to understand how my garden works. I have been doing community gardens since 2010, but 2016 will be my 1st attempt at year round gardening. BTW 1st time making compost, your way really works!

i'm going to start this as soon as the snow melts - thanks for good ideas and nice videos - cant wait till spring

My students and I are making a compost pile with one of our beds. This video makes it look so easy. I'm going to show it to them tomorrow.

I’m so glad I found your site. I love your content it’s so inspiring. I’m gonna start my own gardening thanks to you. I live in the Imperial Valley and if you didn’t know it gets super hot here but thanks to your advice I will make it work, thanks again . Look forward to seeing all of your expertise.

Hi CaliKim, After watching your video, I decided to make my own using approx 6 bags of grass clippings, water melon and cantaloupe skins with egg shells and few sticks. I cannot believe that after 6 bags of grass clippings, I was able to get about one bag of compost. It was fun but a lot of work. On a different note, one of my friends gave me a trailer of horse manure. I am so grateful to him especially when I see the earthworm in the manure. Anyway thanks for the video.

Sounds simple enough, and we’re going to give it a go!! Thanks ☺️

Thanks a lot for this awesome vid! Planning to turn my front yard into a mini food forest but want to keep things as simple as possible.

Kim, I couldn't agree more that grass clippings are great for compost. We don't have a lawn, but we get grass clippings from neighbors when we can.

@CaliKim29

10 жыл бұрын

OneYardRevolution but you do collect a lot of leaves in the fall, which also work wonderfully. I did find that the grass clipping compost heated up quicker, though. Hopefully your neighbors will part with some grass clippings for you! Thx for stopping by, Patrick!

@adriancarlyle4659

6 жыл бұрын

Make sure that the grass clippings you using are free of lawn chemicals such as weed and feed or any kind of weed killer.

@log7029

3 жыл бұрын

Adrian Carlyle good tips

@FavDogBisquit

2 жыл бұрын

@@adriancarlyle4659 why? I’m new to thus area of expertise

@TechDaddyFr

2 жыл бұрын

@@FavDogBisquit Because you don't want chemicals (like pesticides) in your compost. It would be harmful to whatever you are trying to grow with that compost.

Just started gardening and love this series, thanks so much. Live in Central Florida so hoping to learn more about gardening in CF!

I've been considering having a small grassed area only for the cuttings - we currently don't have any grass at all but I've noticed the difference it makes to my heap when I use the cuttings from the grass the council cuts near our house. Great video, thank you.

That shovel POV!

hello you are also making me excited about your compost

You've done well to get it to break down so quickly. Important. Good job.

Hi Kim, just wanted to say thanks for your great videos. It is almost spring here in New Zealand and I can't wait to put what I have learnt into action. Just a quick tip for those wanting to build a hot compost pile with a large amount (several cubic metres) of garden waste. Build the compost pile around several stakes which have been wrapped in chicken wire. This provides the aeration necessary for a compost pile that is too large to turn over and helps with the smell and rate of decomposition.

Exactly what I wanted to know, and easy to watch to boot! Thanks!

Absolutely best compost video ever 💪

Awesome, i too love the smell of beautiful compost. Well done.

I love this video cuz most of my fast compost comes from grass clippings great information great teacher

Looks like composting saves on landfill AND gym membership!

@oxylifegardening7679

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah

Absolutely gorgeous!! Thanks for the tips!

I've started blending or seriously chopping up my food scraps and it helps a lot

I was watching some other growing channel and then youtube recommend yours. So far so good.

Yes. It sure looks good from here!

- Great form -- I noticed you, using your legs to do the heavier lifting. - Love the rebar idea for checking the temperature of the pile. Thanks for sharing.

@CaliKim29

7 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome, Bob! Do you have a compost pile? Thanks for watching!

@BobG127

7 жыл бұрын

Yes I do, Kim. I am presently using an Earth Machines composter that I picked up for $20 during a local initiative several years ago. (It has vent holes in the side which will allow me to stick a "temperature probe" into the pile. :-) ) I use mine a bit differently than the designers intended, as I tend to fill it to the point that stirring the contents becomes an exercise in frustration. I have taken to simply picking it up, off the pile, and moving it over. When there's a fair amount of usable compost in the newly exposed pile, I'll sift it (using a sieve I made from 1x2's and hardware cloth) into a wheelbarrow; the remainder gets put back into the composter, effectively turning over the pile in so doing. Effectively, it's really not much different from what you're doing with a tarp and second container. It works well -- when I keep up with it. :-| As for my watching, you're welcome, but it's my pleasure, really. I appreciate your having taken the time to share your tips and experiences. We cal all learn from one another -- but mostly when people such as you do take that time and go through the trouble to share what you know!

@CaliKim29

7 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome, Bob! Do you have a compost pile? Thanks for watching!

Cheers for the tips on storing food in one's freezer. Of course a 3-week compost ... wow!

Thanks for sharing, love your fencing and your garden tools hanging system.

that is a great compost pile. I build my compost pile a lot bigger but I have a pretty big garden, but I use my food scraps ,grass clipping, horse manure, and wood chips. I keep an eye out for the temp to peek and then pour a cheap beer in the center it speeds up the production and draws the worms to it. great video and keep growing

@CaliKim29

8 жыл бұрын

Great tip on the beer! I've heard this really breaks things down! Thanks for stopping by!

@metarun

7 жыл бұрын

Wow.. I gotta try that myself. Thanks

@deannaschweizer5739

7 жыл бұрын

CaliKim29 Garden & Home DI

Kim, I learned that compost us the only way to have high production from this Tn clay dirt. Let me see your garden. Please

This is like a lasagne for gardeners :) thank you for sharing this video, it's been so helpful

*Yesss, I luv your compost, looks so vibrant and healthy!!*

took me 6years to do a 15x30 foot garden started with silt in naugatuck connecticut 1985

Nice touch from inside the box, great layering!

oooow that is good i realy benefited i had problem with this kine of things but now it solved thanks for your generous work you open my eyes

@CaliKim29

8 жыл бұрын

+Yusuf Sheikh That is perfect! I love to hear stories like this! Thank you for taking the time to write about it. What are you growing now?

Your compost is very easy on the eyes!♥️ Thanks for posting!

all of a sudden, I'm into composting 😁

Thank you for the video! I'm in the process of starting my own compost bins.

@CaliKim29

7 жыл бұрын

Awesome, let me know how they turn out, Carlos. Thanks for watching!

Thanks so much, can’t wait to try your way of composting. I bought a 3 foot high chicken wire so I can enclose the pile somehow& be able to scoop it up high. Never thought about saving my scraps in the frig . Great job.

@lorrainedurgee1761

5 жыл бұрын

Forgot to tell the date 2019 -APRIL

Kim, you remind me of my former roommate, she knew about farming and was soooo good looking.

Shovel cam rules!

Thanks for this I'm just starting, this helps a lot and I will check out your DIY.

The metal rod is a great idea. I never would have thought of that. Great video!

@CaliKim29

10 жыл бұрын

Tami Smith thanks , Tami. I actually got that idea from a viewer. I learn so much from what is shared on the comments! Thx for watching - really do appreciate it!

Did you ever do the follow up video on the compost. I was looking forward to seeing how it went.

your layers are amazing

Hi.this rookie gardener appreciates you sharing your knowledge.thankU

Wow! This is so simple! Thanks for the tips!

That there is a unicorn my friends a very pretty one..

Great videos easy to follow your instructions. Thank you

You remind me I have lots to do in my yard!...TY Kim

Perfect explaining of how compost been made. And about the grass. This is the first time I see someone use it I thought it was just me who does that ... I add one more thing in mine ( cardboard ) I it works good too

I wish my wife would love gardening like you.

@jsnjcnt

7 жыл бұрын

same here, its good exercise too

thanks for these videos. I have been composting and it is actually getting hot and breaking down. I can't stop watching composting videos. how did this happen to me?

I just saw a few of your videos for the first time. Very well done. Nice presentation and information.

greetings from Arizona zone 9b! we have had 3 different batches of compost this summer and just started our 4th last night! thanks for all the tips and tricks.

Gorgeous, smart & hard working..... WOW!!!!!

@hansimuli

4 жыл бұрын

One sexy mamma.

Good information in an entertaining format presented by a very attractive young lady. CaliKim you get multiple thumbs up!

Enjoying the composting from here in Scotland.

Thank you!! I'm going to start a comedy pile but have been worrying about not having enough scraps e.t.c. Hopefully I'll get it done this coming weekend. 😀

Good vid. Although, you may want to move your compost pile away from the house. Direct sunlight is a huge helper as well. Keep composting.

Namaste from India!! I have started composting after watching your video...it is fun, thank you!!

@CaliKim29

9 жыл бұрын

Amritanshu Bhardwaj So glad to hear this! It is fun to see all that waste that you would just throw away turn into wonderful nutrients for your garden! Thx for the feedback!

@GoldTreeIndia

6 жыл бұрын

Sounds great. All the best.

Great video. I agree that getting a good workout in while doing the things you enjoy is so much better than being inside the gym. The idea of using old fruit and scraps was a great idea. Thanks again..

@CaliKim29

7 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome, T! Do you have a compost pile going right now? Thanks for watching and happy gardening!

What an all-around gal...talent and beauty. She reminds me of lyrics to the song "she don't know she's beautiful." Honestly...it's great to see a beautiful lady that don't mind getting her hands dirty.

I think you would love the work of Elaine Ingham. You work from a carbon to nitrogen (brown to green) ratio of 30 to 1. Its all about making airobic compost and you measure the compost pile temps in the middle and when it heats up you turn the pile to prevent it going anerobic, adding air back into the pile and reducing temps. If it goes anerobic it grows bad bacteria/fungi and smell bad, as you say here. Your looking to make a fungal dominant/rich airobic compost for most veg/fruit that is brown (not black). If your getting bad smells from your compost pile thats anerobic bacteria and you need to turn it. If your going to use that, use it on your brassicas (cabbages, kale etc) as they prefer a bacteria dominated compost and dont make mycorrhizal symbiosis. Diversity is the key to a good compost too, more different ingrediance the better. Any questions on that please feel free to ask.

@seigeengine

7 жыл бұрын

I think people focus too much on ratios and turning schedules, and so on. It's a pile where you stick things to rot. The only thing you need to do is look at it occasionally and not be an idiot and it'll work out. You only benefit from faster turnover times if you have very large volumes of compost and can't devote the space to it, or in the short term while you're getting started. And anaerobic bacteria aren't bad. They're just unpleasant. You also generally want high temps if you're going for fast compost. Anyways, people overthink things way too much. We're people making some compost, not an industrial plant that needs to achieve maximum turnover.

@mdsegara101

2 жыл бұрын

Just pile every material and let sit..it will definitely decompose for sure..takes time,yes but it will decompose..point here is just don't think too much..just do it..nature decomposition doesn't work with all of your theory..and no,,I won't ask you..

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. I definitely need to up my compost game!

Thanks for that good stuff! Cheers Kim....

You can come help me with my garden any time kim :)

I know this video is almost a year old, but I thought I should inform you the reason the grass compost smells is because the grass heats and ferments and creates a smell. If you ever heard of "silage" that's kinda what it is, however as you can tell it works wonders for the garden. :)

@CaliKim29

9 жыл бұрын

ll Apollo ll Thanks for the info - and yes, it does work wonders for the garden! Love it! Thx for watching!

@clayvanbrimmer5255

2 жыл бұрын

So my cows would probably love it if started feeding them compost instead of expensive silage

I just subscribed after watching your compost video. You reminded me of watching our Dad in his garden.

thanks for this great video. I've been trying to compost for a couple of years and mine works, but really slow. Thanks for tips on layering and the volcano shape.

@CaliKim29

8 жыл бұрын

+Paul Adams You are welcome - thank YOU for stopping by to watch. The volcano shape really gives it the size it needs to heat up! Let me know how it goes with your compost pile!

I filled one of those 54 gallon plastic totes with grass clippings just to use later in the season and it heated up like nobody's business. I didn't add anything. No lid. It even rained on it and it's still hot!

@CaliKim29

9 жыл бұрын

Edwin Luciano crazy, it doesn't take much, does it? Thanks for watching, Edwin!

Good video thanks for the tips. And your also steaming hot :)

Great video. Anytime you add green to compost pile it will get hotter. Happy Gardening.

I just watched a video on making dirt and thoroughly enjoyed it. TY

@CaliKim29

Ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! Please be sure to subscribe and follow ! CaliKim

I went from “Wow, she’s cute” to “Go back, I need to write that down” in about 2 minutes.

@jsmythib

3 жыл бұрын

There seems to be a running theme to my homesteading subs.... Delightful, followed by lifetimes of info..simply said :)

The compost isn't the only thing in this video that's super hot.

Good job! Sucess is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration

I really love your work and your chanel Well done

The commentary and simple explanation, with great tips really makes this a solid video. Thanks CaliKim.

Do you usually do some physical exercises or garden itself can help you to be in such beautiful shape? Very good explanation! Thanks a lot!!!

@CaliKim29

8 жыл бұрын

+The Beauty of Football HD First, thank you very much for the very nice compliment. Yes, I do work out (at home, not at a gym), I eat right (but have my cheat meals, too) and the big'ol hill i have to constantly climb in the garden helps, too! Thanks for stopping in-

@carsengineering8505

8 жыл бұрын

CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY I know I have little chances but I'll try: May I add you in, for example, whatsapp? If you don't mind of course

@CaliKim29 I'm glad that I stumbled across your channel. You've got really great info, and I appreciate how you break the processes down in simple terms that anyone with ears should be able to understand and put into practice for themselves. I live in Cali as well (Monterey Bay area) which has a fairly mild climate most of the time. I'm assuming you may be located in SoCal somewhere? I'm curious, what's the weather like during the summer months in your neck of the state? I hope to have good enough weather/ temps to produce some decent ice box rainbow watermelon this season... maybe I should try some of that black plastic to maintain the heat in my soil? This is my 3rd season growing in our home garden, and I am looking forward to applying some of the ideas that I've learned from your videos. Thanks! P.S. ... I had no idea that gardening tip videos would be so chalked full of oddly desperate dudes (I assume?) that apparently feel compelled to comment about your looks, etc. Sorta creepy if you ask me but hey call me old school I guess 😂👍🍻

😍😍😍😍 love learning from Cali

Very interesting, the hubby and I have been thinking of doing starting a compost pile, and this seems to work and will suit our needs..good job, helps a lot!

You're in amazing shape!!

I don't know, the amount of work you put in to make that compost , was it worth it? all I ever do is dump everything compostable in a 6x6 bin I made, turn it over a few times while it cooks and in the spring it's ready to till into my garden.

very good AV Thank you Cali....its a great job for our society and mother nature

you girlfriend are the reason why I decided to try to do a youTube channel . your the first youTube channel I ever watched. this is the first youTube segment that I watched before I even knew anything about subscriptions. I am still trying to perfect the editing. Thank you Thank you

People, I have been selling fertilizer and chemicals to professional turf and ornamental managers, golf course superintendents and such for 20 years. So I speak with some authority. PLEASE!! Make sure whatever you use in your compost, know where it came from. Make sure it was not treated with pre emergents like Barricade (prodiamine) or Dimension (Dithiopyr) or post emergents such as 2,4,D, or quinclorac and many others. These products may not be completely processed and made inert through composting. I do not propose to say either way whether composting will render the chemicals harmless or not. I am though, strongly urging caution to those who use their lawn clippings or other green waste in any form, composted or raw, in a food crop. If you have a lawn service, find out what they are applying. Read the labels and SDS sheets carefully. Contact the manufacturers if you’re uncertain. Or, even call the poison control hotline. Many years ago a family of 4 became strangely ill. It was traced back to a post emergent herbicide applied by their lawn care company. The father had collected the clippings, and, without composting them in full disclosure, but he spread them around his tomato plants and other parts of his vegetable garden. The minute traces of the chemicals that translocated through the plants and to the family were enough to cause them to become ill. I wish I had or remembered more details. But I was working for the company that sold the product. I saw the memo on the change of the label to restrict residential, (homeowner) usage. And I saw the label when it changed. Y’all be careful, stay healthy!

@Debbie_Bcool

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the very valuable information! I believe the lawn care company we use maybe put the chemicals that you mentioned on our lawn.

@brianagee2790

4 жыл бұрын

Wow. thank you! I'd thought I might be starting to compost my grass clippings however, I'll now rethink this as I have recently treated my lawn to a broadcast of liquid Tenacity which acts as both a pre and post-emergent. I'll now be far more careful, thanks to your heads up!!!

@cherylsanders5783

4 жыл бұрын

And the moral of this story is never, never use nasty commercial chemicals in your garden (or home if you can help it) if you don’t use them in the first place you will have nothing to worry about!

@Danielson1818

3 жыл бұрын

That is VERY good information. I figured that most people that make their own compost for their own edible gardens would also do their own mowing, or keep chemicals out of their lawns. The comments proved me wrong (No offense, it just seemed logical). Luckily or unluckily, I am poor as hell, so I can't afford a lawn service, or want chemicals, so I'm hoping the natural grass, weeds, wild strawberries, shrubs, and whatever will breakdown well, and are safe with the food waste. All I want is peppers, chives, and tomatoes next year, so we'll see. I'm sure I'll mess it up somehow.

@richardsinger01

3 жыл бұрын

Daniel LaDue I disagree, it’s not that useful at all except as a general warning not to misuse garden chemicals. What was the chemical used for goodness sake? Why was it used recklessly so as to cause this problem in the first place? This is fundamental. Personally I am sceptical about the reliability of this story due to the lack of tangible facts, but I will agree that agrochemicals should be avoided wherever possible because there is usually an alternative less harmful to nature. And what does it matter if there are a few weeds in the lawn anyway?

I have three rabbits, I am using only, to produce fertilizer. It works pretty easy. I pour food into their dish and shortly after, i get rabbit manure, that will help break down all my compost from vegetable peels, grass and leaves. I'm just trying to figure out how I can make it coin operated.

@CaliKim29

8 жыл бұрын

+HolyDiverBronco Now that is a great idea - especially if you can make it coin op! I've heard rabbit pellets are great fertilizer. We've seen a few wild ones hopping around the front yard the past few weeks. I"m nervous they might find their way in to my garden and gobble up my lettuce. Maybe I should try to catch them and enlist their help in my garden in this way! Thanks for the tip - and for stopping by to watch!

@Oldhillbilly

8 жыл бұрын

rabbit manure is not strong enough to burn your plants, best fertilizer ever...

@HolyDiverBronco

8 жыл бұрын

ozzkar71 In the past, it has worked very well.

@Patriot3

7 жыл бұрын

I read this like it said I have three rabbits and only two are producing manure. Had to read that twice.

@folseerynd7642

7 жыл бұрын

Make sure you don't take all their "manure" rabbits make pellets, they don't get much nutrition from the first pass of grass through their bowels so they redigest their poop basically. You'll know if you're not leaving enough pellets cause the rabbits will get mad when you take their droppings.

You are the greatest I am glad that I found you.

Thanks Kim I was wondering if I was doing it right and I am thanks for all your tips. Gary

I started composting for the first time and when I went to turn it over the color of the leaves turned black and is breaking down. It hasn't been that warm here in Michigan but it seems to be breaking down well. I must say I didn't check as often as your video suggests (it sat outside for 2 weeks before I checked on it). I don't have a pitchfork and the ones at Home Depot cost $50. I didn't want to spend that much so I was looking on Amazon and saw a few but the comments about the handle breaking turned me off. Where did you get your pitchfork?

@geoffstowe3049

4 жыл бұрын

Rummage sales can be a good place

@rayvin357

2 жыл бұрын

the 50 $ pitchfork is good for 50 years- each year add one tool to your collection-eventually you will have all the tools you will ever need for gardening etc. etc.