• Home
  • In the Garden
  • Life & Faith
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

The Beginner's Garden

Helping Beginners Grow a Rewarding, Successful Garden

  • Home
  • Meet Jill
  • Blog
  • The Beginner’s Garden Podcast
  • Speaking
  • Shop
  • Contact

Building Healthy Soil – Interview with the Organic Gardener Podcast’s Jackie Marie Beyer

in In the Garden· Organic Gardening· Spring Garden· The Beginner's Garden Podcast

FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedInEmail

In my first year to get serious about gardening, healthy soil didn’t cross my mind. Not really, anyway. I had other things to worry about, like which plants to grow and when to plant them.

Because of a conviction to grow as organic of a garden as possible, I had no plans to purchase conventional fertilizer and I planned to try my hand at composting, but that’s about as far as it went.

And, my first year, I’m pretty proud of how healthy my garden ended up.

first garden

But as the years went on and production slowed a bit, I realized I needed to focus on soil health and fertility. Just like humans burn energy we consume in food, plants also take up nutrients from the soil. Without a plan in place to replace those nutrients, we’ll find our garden less healthy, less productive, and more prone to pest damage and disease.

On this episode of the Beginner’s Garden Podcast, I chat with Jackie Marie Beyer of the Organic Gardener Podcast about this very subject. Jackie talks to garden experts all over the world and she’s pretty passionate about growing a natural, organic, healthy garden.

In our chat, we talk about building healthy soil through compost and other methods, and we compare how her short-season garden in Montana compares to my long-season garden in Arkansas. Click to listen to our conversation, and I’ve included the highlights of our conversation and the resources she mentions below.

3 Simple Steps to Building Healthy Soil Naturally and Organically

 

Start Making Your Own Compost

Making your own compost at home isn’t as hard as it seems, and all you have to do is start with what you already have. By re-using your kitchen, animal, and yard waste, you’re building the foundation of long-term soil fertility.

Get started by compiling waste you may already have like:

  • grass clippings (don’t use if you’ve used herbicides or pesticides on it!)
  • crushed up egg shells
  • coffee grounds
  • banana peels
  • autumn leaves (mow over them to break them into smaller pieces)

Click here to listen to my podcast on Composting Basics for the Beginner.

Use Animal Manure Safely in Your Garden

Chicken, cow, and goat manure can be gold both in your compost pile and also as a fertilizer in themselves for your garden. But here are some cautions:

  • Make sure the manure has aged for several months — either on its own or in a compost pile — before placing it directly in the garden. Composted manure shouldn’t smell like manure or have clumps like fresh manure has.
  • Ensure that the livestock has not eaten weed-free hay. If the hay is weed free, most likely it had been treated with weed-killer, which can remain in tact when you place it in your garden. This, in turn, can destroy your garden both this season and in seasons to come.

Organic Fertilizer Options

*Some links below are affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, I will be compensated at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure at the bottom of this page.

If you can’t make enough compost for your garden or if you notice your plants need a boost, there are a multitude of organic options available, such as:

  • Sea Kelp
  • Blood Meal
  • Pittmoss
  • Organic All-Purpose Fertilizer

Jackie’s Top Garden Tips

Jackie talks with scores of experts in the field of gardening, and I asked her to list her top tips for beginning gardeners from her interviews on the Organic Gardener Podcast:

  • Make sure you know what you’re fertilizing your garden with. Know the source of your compost and any animal manure you use.
  • Start small.
  • Grow what you’re going to eat.

Resources Jackie Recommends

  • Elliot Coleman’s book Four Season Harvest
  • Anna Hess’s book Homegrown Humus
  • Article by Rodale Organic Life, Everything You Need to Know about Organic Fertilizer
  • The Broadfork for aerating the soil without tilling

Connect further with Jackie Marie Beyer on her podcast, the Organic Gardener Podcast here.

Do you get overwhelmed with garden planning?

Subscribe here for my best tips to plan your garden in just 7 days -- all for FREE.

Plus, I'll send you my "In the Garden E-mail" on Fridays, periodic updates on garden resources relevant to you, and you'll receive access to my entire bank of free garden downloads!

You are also agreeing to our privacy policy.

Success! Now check your email to access your 7-day garden plan, plus several free downloadable garden resources!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Other Posts You Might Like:

FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedInEmail

Filed Under: In the Garden, Organic Gardening, Spring Garden, The Beginner's Garden Podcast Tagged With: compost, Garden planning

Previous Post: « Tomato Trellising – Deciding Which Method is Right for You
Next Post: 5 Ways to Prepare Your Garden for Going on Vacation »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mark says

    April 22, 2018 at 11:14 am

    My daughter and I have been planting gardens now for three years now. Ever year we add on a new area and crop to grow. The problem we are starting to have is the water bill is starting to get a little out of control in the summertime. I’m looking for any ideas on how much we should water. We are thinking about collecting rain water in a barrel but does that really work well. We live in Massachusetts. We have about 4-5 months to garden. I have been getting a lot of good tips from your site here. Can’t wait to get gardening. ???

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 22, 2018 at 8:51 pm

      That’s a great question, Mark, and one I plan on discussing on a future podcast and post. For now, I’d recommend if you haven’t yet, use a soaker hose or drip irrigation system, and water early in the morning. We have a timer that turns ours on at 4 a.m. These methods will minimize evaporation and make the most of the water you do use, allowing you to use less. As far as a rain barrel goes, we used to use it but since we moved our garden away from our house, it was no longer feasible. I hope to do it again someday, using the roof of the chicken coop. The only drawback is the water pressure. But for a small garden area near the house, many have found it an ideal way to irrigate.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy * for Click to select the duration you give consent until.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm Jill McSheehy and I'm so glad you stopped by! If you're a beginning gardener needing help getting started or an everyday gardener looking for new ideas, you're in the right place!

You'll find gardening articles, The Beginner's Garden Podcast, and more!

To learn more about me and follow along in my journey, visit "Meet Jill" here, and subscribe above for instant access to all of my free gardening downloads, plus my Friday e-mail full of relevant gardening tips and ideas to help you grow your best garden!

From the Shop

Learn More

Most Popular Posts

  • 7 Common Mistakes in Raised Bed Gardening
  • 3 Raised Bed Soil Mixes Compared
  • Growing Blueberries? Avoid these 4 Beginner Mistakes
  • Is Indoor Seed Starting Right For You?

Categories

Follow Me on Instagram

Notice a difference between the cabbage seedlings Notice a difference between the cabbage seedlings on the left and the ones on the right?
.
.
I just love testing different things in my garden, and for these seedlings I tested two treatments I’ve never tried before: foliage feeding and a “root dip” using the plant growth product, Organic REV.
.
.
The plants on the left were untreated; the ones on the right were treated.
.
.
A few weeks ago I filled a spray bottle with a diluted Organic REV mixture (per their instructions) and I sprayed the young seedlings on the right. They responded well and began to outpace the untreated group slightly — it was small but definitely noticeable.
.
.
Then last Friday I transferred the seedlings into these larger pots, but before I did it, for the plants on the right, I dipped the root ball in a 50/50 REV/water mixture, saturating the soil and roots before transplanting. Again, the plants on the right were the only ones that got this root dip.
.
.
The soil all plants are growing in is the same: a potting mix plus some Plant Tone organic fertilizer.
.
.
It was after this root dip and transplant that the seedlings on the right started pacing much more ahead of the ones in the untreated group.
.
.
While all the seedlings (treated and untreated) are growing in this fertile soil medium, what Organic REV is supposed to do is appearing to prove true — at least in this test. It helps plants more efficiently take up and use the nutrients that are present in the soil.
.
.
.
.
Organic REV is now a brand partner of the Beginner’s Garden. They sent me their product to try first, and I’m continuing to test it in different ways.
.
.
But what I’m sharing with you is my own experience and results. If you’re interested in their product, look them up here: @buyorganicrev Use my affiliate code JILL10 to get 10% off if you want to try it for yourself.
.
.
.
.
#organicrev #foliarfeed #foliarfeeding #indoorseedstarting #indoorseedlings #pottingup #cabbage #cabbageseedlings #organicgardening #organicfertilizers
I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to harvesti I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to harvesting from my garden in the winter. It snowed today, even! (Okay, just a dusting, and it already melted, but in central Arkansas, any snow is worth celebrating! 😂)
.
.
Although I’ve grown cabbage in the spring before, this is my first time harvesting a fall crop. (My last two attempts were thwarted by hungry rabbits or rogue hens 😡.)
.
.
I have several more plants that I’m hoping to harvest from now that the days are getting longer and maybe the heads will start growing again. And I also have a new crop started in my grow room.
.
.
Four-season gardening may sound daunting but I assure you, fall and winter gardening is almost a hands-off endeavor. The only thing it really takes is a little planning (and some nurturing in the beginning).
.
.
And the reward of picking from your garden in the winter (when your climate allows) can’t be overstated. It’s fabulous!!
.
.
If you’re interested in learning how to incorporate more seasons in your garden growing, I have several exciting new resources coming up, starting with tomorrow’s first podcast of the new year on deciding if indoor seed starting is right for you!
.
.
As much as I’m enjoying this winter harvest, I’ve already got one eye in spring! You, too? 😊
.
.
.
#cabbage #growingcabbage #wintergarden #winterharvest #zone7b #arkansasgarden #zone7gardening #gardenplanning
This fall-planted parsley 🌱 has done really wel This fall-planted parsley 🌱 has done really well in my Greenstalk Vertical planter. I recently harvested the lower leaves and dried them for use in the kitchen. But the rest of the plant is still growing well, and I expect to harvest from it for months to come.
.
.
I planted the parsley along with other plants in the Greenstalk planter in September. Although the lettuce is done and I harvested the celery, the herbs like parsley, cilantro, chives, and oregano are going strong!
.
.
I LOVE that I don’t have to buy almost all herbs from the store, even in the winter.
.
.
.
.
#herbs #parsley #herbgardening #greenstalkplanter #greenstalkverticalplanter #containergarden #containergardening #containerherbgardening #wintergarden #winterharvest #winterherbs #zone7b #zone7gardening
I’ve spent the better part of two days selecting I’ve spent the better part of two days selecting and ordering seeds for this year. My husband thinks my intensive research is a bit over the top. Maybe.... 🤔
.
.
But here’s what I do:
.
1️⃣ Select the seed companies I’ll purchase from. Most of my orders were from @southernexposureseed because I’m in the SE US and the varieties there fit my climate well. Next, I placed a large order from @territorialseedcompany (great selection, informative catalog, and some of the best prices). From there, I supplemented with seeds from @bakercreekseeds (high quality heirloom seeds, highly dependable, free shipping), @johnnys_seeds (unique varieties for different needs than I can get elsewhere), and @seed_savers_exchange (heirloom seeds with a great mission).
.
.
2️⃣ I went through my top 3 catalogs, circling varieties I was interested in.
.
.
3️⃣ I entered each variety in my Seed & Plant Research sheet from my Complete Garden Planner, noting unique characteristics, days to maturity, and price. (Not all seed packets are equal in quantity so it pays to be a savvy shopper.)
.
.
4️⃣ I chose which seeds to purchase.
.
.
I usually plan my entire garden before ordering seeds, but I was a bit nervous about the seed supply (thankfully only a few varieties were sold out), so I did my best in choosing what I’d need.
.
.
The process was LONG but a great way to spend the last two days of 2020 — with HOPE for the 2021 garden season! 💕
.
.
Have you ordered seeds yet? Where do you like to order from?
.
.
(My printable Complete Garden Planner is available in my shop, link in profile.)
.
.
#seedshopping #orderingseeds #gardenseeds #garden2021
#gardenplanning #gardenplans #seedcatalog #seedcatalogs #wheretobuyseeds #gardening #gardeningtips #gardentips
My greenhouse lettuce is coming along! 🥬 I expe My greenhouse lettuce is coming along! 🥬 I expect now that the day length ☀️ will be increasing, the growth will accelerate in the next couple of months.
.
.
I think I planted these in early October, so you can see how slow they grow this time of year, even in the warmth of the greenhouse. But it’s so nice to see signs of growth and hope for future lettuce harvests! 🥬
.
.
I’m almost to the end of my main fall lettuce, so I’ll be glad when these are ready to eat!
.
.
#lettuce #greenhouse #greenhousegardening #wintergarden #wintergardening #greenhouselettuce #falllettuce #growbag #growbags #greenhousegardener #containergardening #containergarden #containerlettuce
Would love to hear your personal experience using Would love to hear your personal experience using shredded leaves as mulch! 🍂
.
.
🌲 The trees on my property are mainly pine trees, so I’ve never had fallen leaves to collect and use as mulch. (That’s mainly why I use wood chips.) But when my dad offered to collect and bag up his leaves and give them to me, of course I said yes!
.
.
Twenty-five bags later I realized I needed to figure out how to best use them. I knew they’d blow away if I just dumped them on the garden and they’d take forever to break down if I threw them in the compost pile. So I watched a few YouTube videos and settled on a leaf shredder.
.
.
(A lot of people use lawn mowers to mulch their leaves but we don’t have a mower like that. I also tried the weed-eater as an immersion blender in a trash can idea once and it was a disaster.)
.
.
I LOVED this leaf shredder! It was really easy to use and I shredded 25 bags in just a couple of hours. Most people shred the leaves into bags but I created a simple wired bin to collect mine, and I shredded the leaves directly into it. I applied the leaves to several beds already but I have half of them still in the bin to use later.
.
.
How do you use fall leaves in your garden? I’m excited to try this method that I have enviously watched so many gardeners use over the years!
.
.
.
#leafshredder #leafmulch #leafmulching #leafmulcher #fallenleaves #autumnleaves #mulch #gardentips #fallgardening #gardenchores #compost #leavesasmulch #fallgardencleanup @worxtools
Follow on Instagram

Join Me on Facebook

Join Me on Facebook

Footer

Disclosure:

Some links on this site are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you purchase products I recommend. This does not cost you any more but does help me offset some of the costs associated with this blog. I only promote items I personally recommend and think provide benefit to my readers. Journey with Jill is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Read my Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, and Terms of Use.

Stay Connected

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2021 Jill McSheehy | Design by The Design Diva | Development by MRM