I want to explore in more detail about the role that the permaculture gardening technique of chop and drop can play in a no dig garden. In this video, I share why chop and drop works, and provide context and examples to back this up. I honestly think that chop and drop is one of the most useful techniques available for improving soil health and fertility in our raised beds in the vegetable garden. And the best thing is that unlike waiting for compost to break down, you can do chop and drop whenever suits you!
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Intro 0:00
What is Chop and Drop? 0:28
The Link with Nature 0:54
Why Organic Matter is Amazing 1:29
The Change a 1% Would Make 1:51
The Plant Material Needed 2:12
Organic Matter & No Dig 2:41
How to Utilize Chop & Drop 3:53
Fundamental 1 4:25
Fundamental 2 4:52
Let’s chat slugs 5:17
Chop & Drop at Harvest 5:39
What about just composting everything? 6:16
CRUCIAL Last Tip 7:04
Hi Huw, I like this idea of chop and drop. Is this not an invitation for unwanted insects though during the season before the cold sets in?
Great ideas! We have slugs, so I'll do the light drop.
So clearly explained!
I always chop and drop around fruit bushes. I get really bad creeping buttercup but it makes a great mulch around the blackcurrants and saves a lot of time and effort just to leave it where I pull it.
Thank you I've been doing the chop and drop for a couple years to build my soil, so good to see others use this easy way to use up plant scraps.
Cider is much better than tea. It also comes from the garden and goes back into it afterwards.
puedes rotar la tierra? cuando pasa la temporado de cosechar?
Love that u had a cuppa by the fire to end it! Thanks for the video, and I will likely do this more, in addition to making compost
My first year gardening and I started the chop and drop for a number of reason. I live in the city and can not burn, and don't want to send my green matter to the land fill. So chop and drop and compost is it for me.
Great information, I'll give this a go!
I have a bit of a problem…not sure if it's me or the weather or what? Anyway, after the snow is gone and I go to plant, the soil is always compacted under any mulch wether thin or thickly spread. I have to dig up the top layer to free it up for planting. Is this normal? Or is it supposed to get better after years of chop n drop? And kind of on the same note, I grow a lot of root vegetables…so when I harvest, I dig them out. Is there any way to keep from messing up the soil when harvesting the root veggies? Thanks to anyone who can help with my conundrum:)
I keep about 20 sheep and the mix of hay stems (which they won't eat) and urine and poo that accumulates on the barn floor can go straight on the garden and the abundant worms there break it down in months to crumbly dark compost, so I have no need of chop and drop but I am at a loss what to tell people who don't have sheep so from now on I'll send them to watch this video. If they don't want to come help me clean out my sheep barn. They usually don't.
Couple questions: 1- Chop and drop isn't really a MUST, is it? Dowding doesn't C&D, and his no-dig gardens are successful. and 2- Isn't there a benefit from the chop-move-drop method by spreading around the microbiology living in the leaves and stems in each plant type, thus creating greater biodiversity over the entire garden?
Your videos just get better and better!
Here in Brazil we use everything. Especially wood. Leaves have more cellulose and wood have more lignin, which give a lot more of organic matter to the soil. But we also put a thicker layer, maybe 10-15cm. It decomposes really fast and from agroforestry concepts, you keep feeding this cover layer all the time as you prune the plants. And as you said, you can plant rapid growth plants to be used for this objective. Like banana trees, pinus trees, sunflower and others.
The reason why this increases soil it's because the growth of the plant it's the "sum" of nutrients from the soil + energy from the sun. When you put it on the soil, you're feeding the little animals and microorganisms of the soil and their poop is exactly what composes soil. So, you're giving back the nutrients the plant took from the soil, plus adding more energy from the sun. Basically you're giving back more then you took and that's why soil increases.
I'm learning so much with is channel
I really like this idea. It will save me a trip to the compost pile. I already did this with the tobacco, but not with other garden plants.
Do a video on making tea. I also enjoy a warm cup of Grandma Towler’s tea, near the garden.
Muchas gracias Huw!!! Siempre aprendo algo nuevo en tu canal!!! Gracias por compartir!
For 20 years I've beaten my head against the Miracle Grow mindset.
Composting, in all it's forms and methods, is the end all and be all of organic growing.
If you want nutritious vegetables, put the nutrients back where they came from, whenever possible. Simple rule, really.
It seems a difficult thing for the mind to wrap itself around the fact that plants do not have teeth on their roots! They are fed by organisms in the soil. Those organisms will not be present if the nutrient they seek is not present. If they are not there, your produce has a deficiency you cannot see.
The Glomus species of fungus excretes Glomalin from it's hyphae, and literally creates Humic soil. Glomalin cannot be replicated in a lab. Chemical NPK fertilizers sterilize the soil. NPK fertilizers destroy Humic soil, and the only thing that can remediate it, is naturally finished compost, to bring the life back to the soil.
The Glomus species of fungus is the Internet of the soil, binding to the roots of every plant in the soil, exchanging biochemicals among those in the 'network' for nutrient exchange and pest defense. When you till the soil, you destroy everything's ability to react and defend itself.
But there is a limit, and you simply look to the changes wrought by Mother Nature for clues: Nature composts in cycles, so unless you want a fallow cycle, separate your composting and your growing areas. Over time, Chop and Drop, if done too much, will begin to affect the alkalinity of the soil, and therefore PH. The effort is to reintroduce the fungus that is being killed off by the UV light, not create a 6 inch thick layer of composting where the fungus takes over and drives an alkaline system.
In the woods you find composting and high fungal counts. (Nature packing away nutrients)
In the meadows you find growth and high bacterial counts. (Nature opening crates and eating)
Chop and Drop, done correctly, preserves the fungal count out in the open, where it would normally begin to die off, for that permanent Fringe area growth pattern, which occurs at the edges of the woods in Nature.
Huw Richards is my Totem animal. 🙂
I love chop and drop, but when I moved to the land slugs, I had to stop.They loooove all that nice rotting stuff on the ground and on! Looks! Leaves! Bare compost for us. But at least we can compost the "chope.
Your garden looks amazing! Thank you for the awesome information
Very informative video Huw.
I tend to only use chop and drop around perennials and fruit trees as it can be a bit messy around short-lived crops.
I will try to add some finely chopped garden leftovers when I switch crops in the main beds next time.
Currently moving gardens and home again so most kitchen and garden scraps are being composted.
Have you ever tried moving a stack of garden beds and fruit trees? My advice is don't.
I've had to do it a few times and while most plants survive, it sets them back and it's a huge amount of work to physically do it.