We Tilled our NO DIG Beds! Sabbath Year is COMPLETE

Welcome back to 1870s Homestead! In this video, Rachel and Todd take you on a journey as they officially end their garden Sabbath year and prepare their garden for the upcoming growing season. The garden had become overrun with weeds, and the decision was made to till the no-dig garden beds for a fresh start.
Watch as they share their reasons for tilling the garden and the process of weeding, broad forking, and soil preparation. They also discuss the removal of tomato trellises from the previous season and a trade they made for compost and worm castings.
The video highlights the importance of early garden preparation, especially after a year of neglect, and hints at potential changes in garden bed design. If you're interested in organic gardening, soil health, and sustainable gardening practices, this video provides valuable insights and tips for your own garden.
Join Rachel and Todd in this essential stage of their gardening journey and get inspired to prepare your garden for a successful growing season. Don't forget to subscribe for more gardening content and stay tuned for the next video, where they'll share their garden bed preparation process in more detail. Happy gardening!

00:00 The END of our Garden Sabbath Year
01:00 Checking Raised Beds
01:39 Tilling our NO DIG Garden Beds
03:35 Soil Results
05:12 Why we're tilling
08:12 Homestead Bartering System
10:26 Rachel's Tumble
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That 1870's Homestead
P.O. Box 179
Newport, MI 48166
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The video discusses the end of a garden Sabbath year and the need to prepare the garden for the upcoming growing season.
The garden is described as being overrun with weeds, and the decision is made to till the no-dig garden beds for a fresh start.
Tomato trellises from the previous season were removed, and a trade for compost and worm castings was made.
The garden soil is mentioned as being compacted and in need of aeration and amending with compost.
The video emphasizes the importance of early preparation for the next growing season and hints at future changes in garden bed design.
garden Sabbath, no-dig garden, garden preparation, garden weeding, garden tillage, garden bed design, tomato trellises, compost trade, soil aeration, garden amendments, organic gardening, worm castings, garden maintenance, no-till vs. tillage, garden bed health, gardening tips, sustainable gardening, garden soil health, garden rejuvenation, garden season preparation

[judyjohnson]

God commanded the sabbath for a reason. As a child, I was raised a Seventh Day Adventist and we always rested on Saturday. I think we should do more of that. You might try to cover the bed next time with a tarp.

[lorithornhill]

I was raised on 7 acres. My parents had a glorious huge garden every year for close to 30 years. They tilled every year. We raised goats and barn clean out went on the garden and everything got tilled in. I only have raised beds and a back yard garden no farm land. Its your garden your choice. Im so happy to see you in the dirt again. Enjoy.

[jewlstime]

Our family will also be honoring the 7th year rest for our land!! May your family and your land reap the bountiful blessings of doing so!!

[campbellprater]

ARE YOU OKAY? Hi precious, I haven’t commented in some time (because I don’t have internet or cell service where I live now) but I’m SO concerned because I saw you fall at the end. Please let us know how you are!! Praying

[billybass]

I sometimes sit in one spot and just look at my garden for 30 minutes, then move to another place and look at it from that angle for 30 minutes.

[gardengrowinmawmaw]

Don't beat yourself up for tilling. Old timers tilled twice a year, threw on the manure, and never looked back, or worried about anything except rain. Maybe we need to do that sometimes, too.

[thehumblehomestead]

You awoke the soil after her year of rest. What a beautiful thing 🌱

[vjohnson]

Your Sabbath year away from gardening was obviously meant to be since you had a lot of other unforeseen commitments to deal with during 2023. Todd is so very thoughtful and has put Rachel uppermost in many decisions. Good bargaining on the compost etc. neighbours have been trading this way for generations - it never gets old. Looking forward to gardening with you in 2024.

[hannahsbackyard]

I til my garden every year in the spring. In the fall I add a years worth of horse manure and let it sit til April. Then we till it all in. I had one of the best years in the garden this year!

[emilyneal]

Yikes Rachel! I hope you’re ok after the broad fork fall. That looked like it could of hurt. That soil is fabulous. Can’t wait to grow with you this coming year.

[wandamorrow]

I’m so fond of you! I love how you love what you do in your garden. You are such a wonderful inspiration ❤

[arlinerobertson]

Sometimes the earth needs a fresh start. What a blessing

[mommamoore]

I would like to also see what your basement food storage looks like before you start preserving again. Thank you for sharing!

[Kenisproactivehere]

Rachel hope you didn’t hurt you back on the fall. Todd you really inspire me with your work ethic. I’m 68 and been serious about developing a self sufficient/ Homesteading attitude and I find it a great deal of work. It’s worth every sore muscle and something that has helped me get thru the death of my 40 yr old prodigal son. Our hearts have been broken and you both have been a great comfort in a hardship. So many things you have shared in so many ways, thank you for sharing your lives. Wish you were our neighbors but at least we’ll meet in heaven so day. Your a blessing. More fish videos please Todd😊😊

[dustyflats]

I don’t want to add too much because I love the sandy soil as it’s easy to work, but it cleans off the root crops, bulbs and tools easily. I see many adding loads of amendments, for me I don’t feel it’s necessary. Not all crops or flowers like rich soil. Hugelkulture is said to provide fertile soil for decades. I just use leaves, broken down wood chips and fertilize with bonemeal and blood meal at times depending on the crop. We have chickens again this year and that’s all I’m using. I have a couple different compost piles and one is just for old potting mix and sometimes I just bury scraps right in the rows.
I believe doing everything in the garden on a dime. Bags of stuff is very costly on a larger scale. I have a couple RBs, but find it more beneficial in many ways to do wide long rows and just outline with reclaimed boards to hold wood chips in the path.
To me money spent on shade cloth and bug netting is well spent. The severe drought pushed us to drip emitter irrigation. The cloths, irrigation and changing varieties that are best for my garden settled a long mystery about beets, carrots and radishes— I can grow all of them now and had state fair sized rutabagas. I never, nor could I not garden for a year.
If you have bugs get some birds. I observed one of our roosters today digging and he uncovered a cut worm. He didn’t eat it right away until I asked if he planned on doing so. He clucked a couple times to his buddy as if he caught the catch of the day and then ate it.😂

[beccasbythebay]

This is fabulous. You'll be Glad you tilled. We've been tilling and building our soil for 7 years. Less bugs & less disease & less weeds. We started solarizing in the hottest part of summer to knock back bugs. We add homemade bokashi when we plant out our seedlings. We make leaf mold Compost, composted deep litter chicken run with leaves & worm vermiculture composter. The Bible talks a lot about tilling the soil. No til just doesn't make sense especially in clay or sandy soil. ❤❤❤

[stacymcclain]

Your garden, your rules. My dad tilled his garden every year and we lived off everything he grew from year to year. Mama didn't have to buy much produce or meat when we were growing up. What we didn't eat fresh, we water bath canned ~ ❤

PS ~ hope you're ok after the fall ~ 🙏✝️

[rachelrodriguez]

I can't wait to see you guys THRIVE next season!! 😊

[tamimowes]

Your soil looks amazing! Your hard work is paying off

[jonesfamily]

We have a 5 acre homestead with a horse, 3 goats, chickens, bees and soon to be rabbits. Our garden feeds 5 people with plenty of extras( our canning storage my husband built was shared in your comments on a fb post) and is around 1/2 to 3/4 of an acre. We till it every year due to the amount of clay in our soil even after 15 years of composting and amendments. Even with the tilling every year our garden is very bountiful as we till in our goat and chicken bedding and composted horse manure. Can't wait to see you get back into it next year!