Are logs bad for raised beds? Recently there’s been talk of how this popular method for filling tall raised beds might not be all it’s cracked up to be.
But why? Well, there is a phenomenon called nitrogen immobilization. The simple explanation of why this happens is because adding a ton of wood or wood chips into a soil mixture will result in a fungally dominant soil food web, which will pull nitrogen from the soil immediately surrounding the wood to help break the wood down, thus robbing it from your plants.
While this is TRUE, there are a few considerations:
1. Most gardeners bury logs deep enough in their beds that the root systems of plants grown above in the soil mix rarely make it to the log layer
2. The nitrogen is only pulled from the soil directly surrounding the wood
3. The scale of nitrogen immobilization relative to causing a true plant deficiency is minimal
in the end, we still highly recommend this method, as it saves 50 to 60% or more on soil cost, and is a great way to repurpose organic material.
28 Comments
rocks… heavy but cheap
You can do this with your houseplants, too
What misleading bullshit.
Clearly doesn't put nitrogen soil on top for rotting & nutrients
I didnt subscribe to this channel for scat play sir, save it for OnlyFans.
Question? Commercial
Soil isn’t good because they put organic matter like crushed wood and stuff, roots don’t grow in that decaying stuff – all the dead leaves, wood & decaying stud stays on the surface and filters down into the soil to feed the roots – Plus I read there is a special fungus that helps roots and even allows plants to communicate thru the soil ? Decomposed granite is good w perlite and peat moss, those 3 for avocados and citrus then you add the fungus, natural fertiliser and mulch on top right? Your thoughts
Same thing happens when I put marbles in my shoes 👞
Hugelkulture. If you haven't heard of it before please look it up. An old and wonderful gardening method. Basically what you're doing here. You lay down old logs (possibly even tree trunks), cover it with smaller and smaller branches/ sticks/ plant matter, and cover it in soil/compost to create a tall mound to plant on and your crops are easier to reach. The wood absorbs and releases water as needed and as it breaks down it creates fertilizer for decades to come.
For anyone wondering what his list was for things not to put at the bottom of the bed here it is:
1. Paint cans
2. Jet fuel
3. Dead bodies
4. Crude oil
5. Grenades
6. Plutonium
So bodies r ok ?!
Bro a 30 inch plant is not tall it should be like 60 or 70 😂
In houston some of the COMMUNITY garden's have raised beds like yours for wheelchair gardener's.😊😊
Put logs as a border around something, then look at the soil within a foot of tge log one year later. Youll never worry about any negative talk of logs ever again.
You didnt put it in the comments 🙁
Mines are full of pop cans, beer Plastic bottles
My grandma who grew beefmaster tomatoes the size of softballs would just let the plants die and just before winter would use a motorized post hole digger and pull the soil up from the bottom. Made for imensly fertile soil. He parents and grandparents were farmers.
It's called hugelkultur.
How about big rocks?
Help…What happens if I used dried unchipped coconut husk?
I use rocks 🌻🐝
Wood tying up nitrogen is BS guys, you can use wood at the bottom of your beds, it's called hugelkultur and it's fantastically productive.
The description does not address his comments made in the video but repeats statements:
Description
Are logs bad for raised beds? Recently there's been talk of how this popular method for filling tall raised beds might not be all it's cracked up to be.
But why? Well, there is a phenomenon called nitrogen immobilization. The simple explanation of why this happens is because adding a ton of wood or wood chips into a soil mixture will result in a fungally dominant soil food web, which will pull nitrogen from the soil
While this is TRUE, there are a few considerations:
1. Most gardeners bury logs deep enough in their beds that the root systems of plants grown above in the soil mix rarely make it to the log layer
2. The nitrogen is only pulled from the soil directly surrounding the wood
3. The scale of nitrogen immobilization relative to causing a true plant deficiency is minimal
in the end, we still highly recommend this method, as it saves 50 to 60% or more on soil cost, and is a great way to repurpose organic material.
Soak the logs in high quality urine and feces and bury it. It'll work miracles. Obviously not human feces but cows and goats and horse.
imagine thinking wood is bad for plants. Wonder how literal woods work then lmfao
@epicgardening ummmmm I’m still searching for the things I shouldn’t be adding 👀
No actually, that only applies to beds that aren’t connected to the ground through drainage holes. If you have holes of space for decomposers to come in, the dead logs and compost can act as good food. Which will cause the decomposers to deposit nitrogen and other fertilizer through their poop. ❤
I have a friend who did that this year. He's already gotten 5x the spinach that he did last year
We do this too….along with compost and it's good.
This was not a very informative video. Great channel but…huh?