Composting 101: Four Types of Compost to Know & Making Compost Tea

This video kicks off the Composting 101 series where I will begin to scratch the surface of compost, what it is, how to use, how to make it, and everything we can think of in-between. In this video we discuss the different types of compost that exist and how to get the most out of your compost by making compost tea! Please share any of your compost questions and suggestions in the comments!

00:00 - Intro
01:03 - Nutritional Compost
04:21 - Fertilizing Compost
06:15 - Mulching Compost
08:12 - Homemade Compost
14:26 - Inoculating Compost
23:43 - Applying Compost Tea
27:08 - Outro

IN THIS VIDEO
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[richardgreer]

PBS should reach out to you, Jacques. You’re like the Bob Ross of gardening. Your videos are calming, educational, and enjoyable.

[ericarose]

Excellent post! Thank you for driving home that we won’t be able to make 100% of our compost at home, I have been feeling really guilty about that and now I don’t!

[ILoveTheMoodyBlues]

It was great to hear your explanation of why the compost would become hydrophobic. I live in a dry area and yes my compost is usually on the dry side so now I understand I need to make sure to keep it more moist. You’re the first person I’ve heard mentioned the hydrophobic problem !

[simonem.]

Absolutely loved the content and way presented. You have a gift for explaining things and know just what we need to learn.
*Also, loved the intro. You are finding your groove. 😬

[geraldineheywood]

Thank you. This was the best explanation of compost I have ever heard. I learned so much. Look forward to updates.

[rufia]

Jacques: You'll NEVER be able to produce as much compost as you need.
Me: Challenge accepted.

Haha, but for real, I make alot of my own compost from these free external resources: starbucks/local coffee shops used coffee grounds, municipal arborist woodchip pile, driving around neighbourhood in Autumn and collecting bagged leaves. Using these 3 sources you can get a pretty good blend going, though don't use more than 25% coffee grounds, I'd say and you need to shred the leaves. Takes a bit of time, but once you have a good cycle going, you can produce ALOT of compost with a simple 3 bay pallet system.

[UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks]

Here's an easy compost calculator for raised beds: Most people compost roughly a cubic yard at a time. 3x3x3=27 cubic feet. The average raised bed is 4x8x12" deep or 32 cubic feet. Since most people don't quite fill the bed to make room for digging and such, one cubic yard will fill each bed perfectly. This will help you calculate how much compost you need to get started, and how many beds you can add each year with the amount you can produce.

[AmallieGames]

lol this is really dumb but I've been trying to make all my own compost. My garden hasn't been very productive and I've been frustrated. Hearing you say you buy compost and will *never* be able to make all your own was very profound for me, as simple as that was. I'm going to go buy a lot of compost now!

[rlslingwine]

Jacque: You can never make all of your own compost
Horse guardians: Challenge accepted, hold my pitchfork!

Seriously though if you're not able to have your own horse to meet all of your homemade compost needs then most horse farms and boarding facilities will give away manure for free, so if you have a trailer and ask nicely you could easily get a bunch of composting material! I would ask a little about where their hay comes from and if it has any pesticides, chemical treatments, etc. but it's something to consider.

[Yowhatsupman]

Great video - just some personal recommendations- use an old sock and put your compost in it, also use some unsulphured molasses about 1 tbsp per gallon of water. This will give the microbes something to eat, as they will double every thirty minutes or so. There are a lot of other additives like kelp, bat guano, etc - find what works for you and start small like you're doing. I also like to use it as foliar spray for roses, bushes, grass, strawberries - basically anything can benefit from compost tea.

[everythingrecycled]

Hi Jacques 👋🏻 I’ve just started vegetable gardening on my balcony in Australia and recently read a book called “Soil”. It was totally eye opening and it’s really cool to see practical ways of developing microbial life on your channel. I’m about to put my first Bokashi bin into a “soil factory” (essentially burying it in garden ready mix to turn it into dirt hopefully). I’ve been a bit nervous but I think tomorrow is the day. 🤞🏻 🍃

[erolgns]

You can also use a tap water conditioner for aquariums to remove both chlorine and chloramine from the water.

[tristavanengen]

I appreciate that you explain everything as if we are beginners that don't know anything but don't make us feel stupid. I really need help with dealing with pests, how about a video on that

[ronniebrace]

I’ve watched a lot of videos on composting and this topped the list! Looking forward to seeing your future videos and do include clips of you smiling with your dog. It may be a little thing but because you come across as quiet and shy those clips really helped me to connect with you as a person and not just a information station. It makes your channel personable. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and honesty!

[kyana]

best video on composting I've seen. simple and straightforward

[shirleytaves]

Such a nice time learning from you in this video! I've been gardening and composting and mulching and watering for years yet you were able to frame your message so I could understand compost so much better
THANK YOU Garden Hermit!

[pagandragon]

I'm new to gardening so I'm late to the party. However, as a previous aquarium enthusiast you can get check valves that will keep the water from back flowing into the pump in the case power goes out.

I truly appreciate Jacques teaching methods!!!

[stlynch]

Love your videos. One mistake that I was making with my teas was leaving the filter in my sprayer. Make sure to remove those to get the most biology out of the sprayer. Also makes it easier to clean the lines after applying. Keep up the great work!

[rebeccasanderson]

Fantastic video, very informative, definitely saving this one to be rewatched at different times during the season. Looking forward to part 2 😊

[a.l.a.]

a list of all the special connectors, timers, etc. and links to your amazon affiliate would help folks buy the right stuff that you have on your hoses and drip irrigation for the great inoculation project you showed us today. thanks!