I remember when someone told me it took 2 years for a pineapple to fruit.. and I remember thinking that was too long....then a year went by and then another year went by and I thought to myself....if I would have planted that pineapple 2 years ago I would have had a pineapple.....!! that was 6 years ago....since then I have had quit a few pineapples...I guess what I'm saying is...you can't eat what you don't plant..even if it takes 2 years to get it. same concept with my fruit trees I put in last year... if it takes 3 years to fruit and I don't plant it, guess what...in 3 years I won't have anything...!! stay blessed...

You are killing it, James! I've added 6-8" of woodchips to my garden and my plants are LOVING it. I've even made a believer of my dad, who thought I was out of my mind with all those woodchips! I showed him your videos so he could have an idea what a multi-year food forest looks like. May God continue to bless you😊

You have really developed as a presenter over the years. I’m in year 3 of the Back To Eden method. When I started, I had zero worms and compacted soil. I am only applying wood chips and compost and some organic fertilizer to get things going. The worms are everywhere and there are parts of the garden I could dig with my hand.

We are in the early stages of planting a food forest, and we have learned a lot by watching your videos. We are enjoying seeing how your garden progresses, and pray God's richest blessings on you!

This last year was the first time I have ever used diakon radish in my garden as a way to build soil, and I am amazed by their ability to penetrate deep down, just as you were saying about carrots. If you haven't already tried diakon, I highly recommend it for your situation. Get yourself some seeds and just sow them randomly throughout that food forest. Love your channel, James. Thanks for bringing the rest of us these videos.

Your positive attitude makes learning a pleasure. I live on sandy soil too, and after five years of soil building last year was my best harvest ever and it was because of you! Thanks so much.

This is a lifesaver for me. I am one dune away from the beach and gardening on pure sand. Was stressing about having to dig the soil over and over. Now I know I never have to dig, I can let nature do the work!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your channel! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, passion and love of life with us!

I'm just starting to branch out of buckets and pots and this helps immensely! My vision is to have a garden with veggies and fruit trees mixed in amongst one another. I started small and have been learning a lot. I have a dream of creating a garden that everyone can feel free to help themselves to! They can plant and grow in their own section if they wish even!. I believe that we should all try to bring a family touch to our place of comfort. Wouldn't that be wonderful! I have been working on it, one day at a time :) Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me, this will absolutely help me step closer to achieving my dream! The glass greenhouse for winter growing ( and to keep me at peace😉) would Thank you again! Have a most magnificent day/night or morning, my friend!

You present the best videos on youtube. You acted like a mosquito bit you. I'm a diabetic, and they used to come to get me from miles around. I started eating three cloves of garlic a day. They now buzz around me, but never get bit. I used to have lumps all over me when I would head to the house of the evenings. Just trying to help you as you do all the rest of us. The garlic is good for all kinds of other things too. Always waiting for your next video.

Preach it James. I just got my wood chips into the garden today, took months of waiting but it finally happened. Neighbors are interested and will compare their tilled garden to mine. Wife is not convinced but helped fork chips anyways. Every video you put out keeps my motivation going. Thank you.

I have watched a number of your videos. In my opinion, this is your best presentation yet. You have become a pro in front of the camera, your teachings are clear and much more concise. Most importantly, your garden is beautiful. Congratulations.

I never considered planting anything with a strong taproot to break up my clay soil. I've been building from top up for about 3 years, lots of fungi out there now. However still the compacted clay under the top layer of gold. Part of the organic matter in my beds is a gazillion acorns. I've always pulled they baby oaks out and let them rot elsewhere. . . Oaks = taproots... but that carrot idea, for worm food, I love it... great video

It is exiting to allow soil to become a living entity, like you explain here. And it smells so nice!

I have hard clay soil but I've trenched it on contour and I allow the wild plants to grow to their final stage of life before mowing 80% of them down. They do a fairly good job breaking up the surface layers of clay on their own. Things like wild leaks and plantain and wood sorrel and dewberry are what make up most of the natural ground cover on my land.

Another great root crop to breakup hard compacted clay soil is Daikon Radish....they grow a really long and strong tap root.

I’m closed to the beach too . Sandy soils are tricky.... but I love to work with it.... it has so many advantages .... the sandy soils becomes better throughout the years. ❤️🇵🇷

Another great instructional vid James, I live in Perth Western Australia and have horrible sand like you, put a layer of cardboard down to kill the weeds and topped with a couple of inches of free woodchips from a local lopper, bam..... 6 months later after a rainy winter I have worms in my soil with a great composition. Just starting my food forest after seeing your channel. Thankyou for changing my life and ideas

I love watching your old and new videos. I learn so much.thank you.

I brought in 10 semi loads of mulch from a land clearing company. Not dump trucks but 53ft semi loads! 🤣 my family thought I had lost my mind but now they are seeing the benefits. Keep up the good work your videos are very informative! 👍🏼

Your knowledge and excitement about this topic and gardening in general is infectious! So inspiring! Keep up the great work!

I'm using woodchips on my clay. I've noticed after 2 years my soil has improved a lot. I'm about to start growing king stropharia mushrooms in the woodchips because it helps to break down the woodchips faster. Apparently they are a good tasting mushroom too, so that will be a bonus. Better soil and an extra food source. I've also heard that bees use the mycelium of this fungus as medicine. Apparently bees will move woodchips to get to it. I hope to see this for myself.

To Miracle Grow and Scott's, you're public enemy #1! Keep it up baby!

One thing I love about gardening is the constant learning. Thanks for this video, it definitely added to my knowledge!!!! We’ve been doing woodchips for about 18 months and the evolution of our garden/foodforest is incredible!!

You are spot on! Wood chips changes everything. I have clay soil and since the wood chips everything is growing abundantly!

I think I see a great teacher in the making!

Thanks for the tip about planting carrots and letting the tap roots rot. Great idea

I took a bunch of eggs and a lot of vegetables scraps, and rice and put it in a 50 gallon garden pot with regular Alabama front yard dirt and it makes the plants that's in it grow 10 times better. The plants get so heavy that there hanging out of the pot and can't stand up straight after the get long. Your are 100% right about building soil. Its all about the longjevity.... Thanks.

Another inspiring lesson! I love the long taproot idea for clay! Love seeing your excitement while talking about your soil.

I love watching your videos so much. I just soak in everything you say and then implement it in my own garden. I gardened the wrong way (tilled) for years but those days are over, thank goodness. But I also love to listen to you when I get off work, it literally "zens" me lol. You're putting good into the soil and into the world, God bless you!

farmers work awfully hard to produce a great crop! How I appreciate them more everyday for their courage, hard work, and patients. We don't pay them enough money, nor give them the credit for the hard good work they put forth in order to produce an enormous, nutritious plants to market. Just in my little garden, I've learned to appreciate them with the challenge I have to grow things. God bless every farmer!

Thank you 💜💜💜 I have all raised beds because I Am surrounded by Clay. Planting the deep rooted plants is such helpful information. I really appreciate it. 🏡🧑🏾‍🌾🍉🍅💜

Hey James. I'm currently building a, what I hope to be, small food forest in a previously weedy, wasted space, on borrowed property, in mid NSW coast, Australia. Found the soil to be mostly sand w 2" of nice dark soil above. Disappointed! Watched a heap of your videos for the last 3yrs. This 1 gives me more confidence! I have access to free woodchips, & seagrass, close by. Started with cardboard & sticks, (hugelcultur) then the top 2" from dug woodchip paths & whatever else I could find on top. Im growing (& or plan to) herbs, spices, vegies & fruit trees. Keeps me (& my dog "Rabbit") busy while not being able to work. Also, we are living the "Vanlife" locally. Love your work 👌

Used to work on a grape farm on the side of an interstate highway. Terrible clay soil. We would go through yards and yards of wood chips every year. It was miraculous how much the soil changed. The best part is that you can usually ask tree removal companies to dump their wood chips for next to nothing.

I wish I had your video 8 years ago when I started my garden. I just found your video in the last 6 months. I am convinced you are right on the chips. The only problem is I am having a real problem getting wood chips. Since gardening is getting harder because of my age I am trying very hard to cover my garden with wood chips to keep out the weeds and hold in moisture as well to enrich the soil. I can already tell the difference in the area I have chipped.

Thanks for information about creating great rich soil with wood chips, planting plants to provide that soil with fruit trees, adding compost, adding egg shells or nutrients to the soil. I love what you are teaching me. God bless you as you grow and experience new relationships with soil building to create a forest of fruits and veggies..

I loooove the ennergy!!! The energy that you have is very motivating!! This video is also very informing!! 👍🏾👍🏾

Been waiting for this video. Many don't realize the biology in the soil. When you don't have that biology you have dirt. Even in the sand those aggragites will get in there not to mention the space in the sand will take in the organic matter from above and eventually you will literally change the soil structure in the sand. Man nature is awesome. Way to go man.

I own an 8 acre property. It has multiple kinds of soils. I’m close enough to Myrtle Beach to have alot of sand but I’m also far enough away that I have alot of clay. I’ve found different colors of sand and different colors of clay on my property as well. Before I plant a tree I dig down a couple of feet to see what the soil looks like under it before planting now. I made alot of mistakes and lost alot of trees bc I planted them in the wrong location.

I started with rocky sand soil . I added manure and mulch and my soil improved in 6 months. I do my fertilizing in the fall just like nature to assure optimum results.I hope that in 5 years I will only put 3 inches of chicken manure down in fall. cant wait for my chickens( my soil manufacturing plant) Greetings from Bulgaria

Thank you James. I really needed to know about sandy soil to plant. Need wood chips! God Bless you James.😍

There are a lot of videos that claim back to Eden doesn't work. But everything you say makes sense. I'm going to give it a shot. I got a bag Mykos from Amazon last week. Got half the garden covered in contractor paper and wood chips I got off a tree guy last fall. I know I'm getting a late start for this season but I'll take what I can get for this year. 😀 Thanks for all the great info!

That is what I’m seeing...my garden is not improving but going down. My butternut squash is the size of a baseball! My sunflowers that used to be huge are small. I got one old German tomato. 8 San Marzano. And most the cherry tomatoes are the size of a fine. The leek are puny, too. Sigh....I’ve been tilling. That’s it! I’m done. Tomorrow I’m going to get mulch and other organic to start layering. Again, thank you for this no bull no hype video. You get right down to it. I’ll pick up some sweet clover too.

I had to add a comment for this video. U truly made me aware of how to produce healthy soil. I like the way u broke it all down. Yes I heard of mulching but now I c the importance it does

You actually gave me hope to improve my very very sandy soil I was wondering how am I gonna build my soil from the bottom up I wanted a healthy soil all the way around not just adding mulch on top and call it a day . God bless you 💜

I feel like you made this video for me.....you're right!.....let nature do what it's been doing for thousands of years.!.... Great video!

Me encantan tus videos y realmente disfruto leyendo, pues no hablo al cien por ciento el inglés y estoy muy agradecida que hayas activado la configuración para poder activar nuestro propio idioma de acuerdo a la necesidad de cada uno de los que te vemos. Estoy aprendiendo cada día cosas buenas y maravillosas de la agricultura orgánica, así que me decidí a mejorar el suelo de mi terreno, vivo, en el área 7b, Tulsa Oklahoma, entonces esto es arcilloso, he aprendido un montón con cada video tuyo que estoy cada vez más convencida de lo que quiero. Tal vez no me alcance la vida para ver completamente todo lo que me gustaría hacer, pero he comenzado con el paso 1, que es ponerme en acción. Así que, aquí tienes tal vez un tema, o yo no he llegado al video si es que ya lo tienes. Ok. Yo tengo diez grandes árboles en mi terreno, cinco de ellos son de nogal, entonces, muchos me dicen que esas hojas no me van a servir, pero solo en algunos sitios puedo leer que estas hojas sí sirven, entonces, haciendo oídos sordos, he juntado todas las hojas y las estoy compostando, para hacer la famosa tierra de hojas, cuál es tu opinión al respecto? sirven o no? he mezclado las hojas de los diez árboles. Gracias por leer mi carta... perdón, mi mensaje.

❤️ Tuck, too!

Thank you! Its all about the soil. You're like my own personal soil encyclopedia. How do you store all that information☺

THANK YOU JAMES! I know you always read all the comments cause you always answer mine, and this is the second time you’ve answered my comment in a video. I knew when you didn’t answer in the comment section that I should pay attention to the coming videos. And this one is the best answer so far cause it is not only that you gave the answer within a video, but you actually made a whole video only on the subject of my question! Thank you so much, it was very complete and clear to understand, and I feel honored to get such a beautiful and fantastic answer. I was maybe not the only one asking that sort of question, so there are surely a lot of people being helped. 👍🏼🤗🙏🏼☘️🍂🌷🌳😃❣️

my new favorite video on building soil!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you james!!!!!!!!! so much to glean in this one!!!!! all of them!!!!!

Thanks again James. Great advice. I started 2 years ago my soil is so nice I can use my hand instead of a shovel.

SO MUCH YES.

I tried the wood chips/back to eden method and got a ton of grubs that killed and ate the roots of my plants...i mean “a whole lot.” It was the most bizarre occurrence, so i removed the chips and life was back to normal. I hv raised beds, not sure if thats a factor. New to this channel James. Love ur enthusiasm and knowledge.

Excellent video and topic! It confirmed an inspiration I had many weeks ago to cover my entire backyard (which was pure hardpan) with a layer of compost. It took 10 pickup loads, or about 10 cubic yards to cover the backyard with about one inch of compost. Will repeat the process after the leaves have fallen from my trees this Fall, which will give me two inches of compost on top of the hardpan. Then plan on covering all that compost with two inches of mulch. From just the one inch of compost, the hardpan after just 6 weeks or so, has started to become moist and loose - like real soil! Keep up the good work! It really is all about the soil.

You are my favorite channel. You have opened up my world and brought it together! Thank you for all you do for us!

My soil is hot and sandy. Very little rain. I’m slowly using these techniques and they are working. Love your videos! This comment is four years later but if you made a video on retaining rain water, that would help me!

I am from a beach city too,live really far from the beach but still there's sandy soil everywhere..this is definitely encouraging.

Simple and clear explanation. Thank you! I have no garden of my own but am working in the garden of a family member. It's interesting and challenging to try to implement permaculture principles while sharing a space with other people that know "conventional" gardening. Besides that, the time I can invest in the garden is limited. This is creating a system where I have to bargain for some permaculture elements without being too invasive for the other gardener. Currently, I believe that in such a scenario, short term there should be some allowances for disrupting the soil to keep the interest of the other gardener(s) who are used to this, and slowly move towards healthier soil... A layer of mulch for the paths and some areas with clover or prettier deep-rooted plants might still have a long-term impact?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Followed through with ur advice and now i was fortunate to get two loads of chips dropped off!...20 yards! I hardly water my plants, despite the unbearable heat here in Texas.

I have salty black clay..so years ago I hauled in trucks of what I thought was sandy loam ..I got gypped.. it was brown depleted clay for nothing grew on it for years...cactus and mesquite grow well here..south Texas..cabbage grows well too on a raised bed with amended clay soils.

This is so True.You are awsome.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

So awesome me and my gf watch your videos all the time, love the energy!!!! We are turning our desert back yard in west texas into a food forest. But with our lack of tress, and bountyfull used animal bedding we laid down a layer of that. And after almost a month of 100+ days no rain full sun i havent watered my plants yet they are so healthy and alive. we are on our way to createing our own homestead, with alot of help from all of your videos!!

OMG!! I've been following your channel for a couple of years and I had no idea you were growing in sandy soil, I have basically beach sand where I live and have tried everything in the world to turn my sand into soil and then I stumbled onto this video!! I'm putting in Hugelkultur this winter since even the Terra Preta didn't work. Nothing I have done has worked, all I have to show for my efforts is darker colored sand...

i am looking to get my back yard sorted out so i can grow stuff anywhere on the ground... My soil is horrible and like clay! when it rains, the surface acts as a waterproof layer so the water builds up on the surface and floods! i have been looking into it and doing homework and find that adding organic matter over time will gradually give me great soil! im hoping so anwyays... lol im going to send the kids down to the big field in autumn to collect bags of fallen leaves and i will head out to the woods to collect anything of good use for incorporating into it too :D i cannot wait to get started! you have inspired me to do this man!

Thanks James, you are an inspiration.

Great content on vegetable gardening from a fellow east coast gardener 👍👏

I'm using an organic cover crop for the first time this year, in my vegetable garden. I definitely have earth worms and the soil's residual breakdown, after you dig maybe 2 inches down, is a dark, dark brown/black color.

Amen brother, I also layer organic material in my garden to grow soil first and afterwards I plant fruit trees and food. Please keep these informative videos coming.

Thanks for the soil tutorial. I’m working with a clay base and this has been very helpful

Had to come back to this one man, it touches on several good points. This is the video I need to start sharing this with people to expose them to ideas on why and how to stray away from chemicals. Thanks for sharing!

Good, clear instruction. Thanks.

this is actually what i wanted to know. im sick and tired of all these "gardeners" who have flashy gardens and buy $$$$$ amount of compost mixes. i wanted to know how we can do it naturally without all the other extras. because the truth is...if you want to be self sufficient you should also not buy all those mixes because if shit really does hit the fan...those mixes wont be accessible to 99% of people. this is more educating. thank you.

Thank you.

Good Video James and Tuck. Elaine Ingham say's the plant is in control. There has to be living roots.

I also have sandy, rocky soil which is a bit salty. I have been adding local organic matter to the soil for almost 5 years now and finally have clumps when I fork the soil. I also have "nurse trees" mesquites, screw beans and Guamuchil that fix nitrogen in the soil. No worms though, might be too hot here.

Thank you!

Im a beginner gardener and its tough cause i have very hard clay soil!! I live in Tennessee... i think in zone 7!! I have made a bed for my plant but i know that they may die because i have a lot in a small space... i think its been a month and my plant are looking good! Just keep up the good work and keep making vids!!

Hey James. How bout some comfrey to help the soil from bottom up (deep tap root) and top down (chop and drop leaves). Working for me !

Thanks for the info James, I live 8 miles from the beach south of tallahassee, this is just what I needed to know!

Sandy soil is the best to start with!

This video is stellar! Thank you!!!

Great explanation and info. Thanks for posting

This was such a good video James, thanks! I have completely sand soil in my garden also.

Awesome .....I like the way You talk straight to the point ...Greetings from Long Branch , NJ

You get it. Keep it up!

thanks so much for this great info, you're very effective at communicating the facts! Keep it going, we need you here.

This is a great video. I like that you highlighted that you build soil from the top and below. I hadn't connected this idea before. You have a great garden.

So glad I found your channel James ! I've been working on my soil for few months now . Out here in Massachusetts dealing with clay . But I'm on my way , planted my first fruit trees and and berries recently . Thankyou for sharing your knowledge.

thnx james, love learning from u and ur dog

You are so cool! James!

Love your vibes, great vid. Thankyou

Hi James, I have sandy soil, just started building it to healthy soil in december, but it is a lengthy process, every gardener must have patience... I do not, but watching your videos motivate me, thank you!

In my community garden 3 years ago it was clay. but with wood chips and nitrogen rich matter mixed in. Now its like 8 inches deep of black rich soil before you hit the mineral and moisture-rich clay layer. Now I use my pathways as worms beds and screen the material for more soil.since i screen the path ways i keep it weed free. if you do it all right.you will make more soil then you know what to do with.

Great info here; I was just out in the garden teaching my kids that roots and plants build soil, so the only weeds I am actually removing from the soil is the crazy crabgrass, the other weeds in the beds are there to stay for some time or have just been chopped off above soil. I have been planting sunflowers all around the garden to get those roots in there. Gotta love the science of nature. Props to you for teaching folks how it all works.

I'm also spraying compost tea.

I love hearing all the birds loving your food forest too!

Excellent! Thanks for being all in with the soil, with your production, and with teaching. Well done!

my soil is full of a couple of things, worms both red worms and the longer ones. those spring tail thingies (those white flea looking things that jump around a lot) earwigs, the rollie pollies, and millipedes. only once did i find a land planarian flatworm (thats a predatory worm that eats earthworms.) oh and i have lots of slugs too. i noticed the number of these creatures has increased ever since i started adding new soil and other organic stuff.

Love it! Am now doing it! Soil food web 💚👍😁🙏