3 Reasons to Stop Gardening with Fertilizer (and What to Do Instead)

You don't have to douse your plants in Miracle-Gro to grow an abundant and beautiful garden. You don't even have to use fertilizer at all. (I don't!)

Now, I'm not talking about natural minerals or animal products. I'm talking about synthetic materials. Here's why I think you should stop using fertilizer in your garden and what to do to nourish your veggies instead.

And check out my book Leaves, Roots & Fruit for more tips on how you can grow WITH nature, not against it:

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[Peoplespilates]

I'm from India, thank you so much. Love your video. I stopped buying fertilizer and soil!! I grow everything in homemade compost from kitchen scraps and leaves. It works excellently. I don't spray any pesticides and do lose some strawberries, beans, tomatoes, green chillies, grapes squash, muskmelon, watermelon, malabar spinach, (moringa) drum stick, passion fruit, herbs, phalsa, guava, blackberries, karvanda and flowers, roses, to pests.😊 It's not too bad at all. I'm OK with some pests too.
It's a well balanced garden with the good and bad of everything.I don't stress at all. I'm hoping to grow bananas😁
Enjoying every minute!!

[johnnamaravelis]

I just retired & am starting an organic container vegetable garden on my porch & sidewalk utilizing companion planting methods. I’ve been composting for many years. You reinforced why this is such a great idea. Garden the way God does naturally. Thank-you!

[CarrieLovesLife.]

I never fertilize anything in my garden, no one is running around fertilizing things in nature.
What a scam.
I do focus on soil building.

[spiritual]

This is how I garden. It is nice to be validated!❤

[OneTakeTuber]

I was fortunate enough to have YouTube gardeners at teachers when I started gardening during COVID. Every day is a learning day and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks Teach! 👍🏾

[fayepreuss]

To be honest I didn’t want to listen to this video because it was just after fertilizing all of my fruit trees. I’m glad that I did and will reconsider my methods

[TracyMcDowell]

"Trust nature, " and that is the miracle. I love it

[Jacq]

Topped off my raised bed with fresh homemade compost. It was truly beautiful. Im also trying to remove plastics from the garden.

[laruebrough]

I make compost tea with the leaves of various plants and even broadleaf weeds as well as comfrey. It’s stinky, but it works well.

[MarlenevT]

Comfrey is a plant growth stimulator. It grows abundantly if you have the space. Also great for healing broken bones.

[Sryker]

As a geoscience major, we learn about the environmental costs of fertilizer and pesticide use. The run off enters our tributaries and pollutes them. It is especially bad in the Mississippi River and has created a very large 3000 sq mile hypoxic zone (dead zone) that sucks all the oxygen out and makes it uninhabitable for sea life. Its responsible for mass casualties in ocean and stream wildlife.

[smhollanshead]

I agree you need to feed the soil. Organic compost is an essential ingredient for most gardens. Also try cut grass, straw, alfalfa pellets, bone meal, and blood meal.

[viviant]

Your message needs to be shared to all gardeners.❤

[sufficientgrace]

One thing I’ve been conflicted about, that you have straightened out for me, is what to do with compost. I used to mix it into the soil every spring but then I learned about no-till gardening, which is more like how nature does it. But then I didn’t know what to do with the compost. I realize that in nature, the compost is always added to the top. This makes lots of sense, as the water runs through it, and as it breaks down, the good stuff runs down into the soil and roots. I can’t believe I was so resistant to top dressing with compost but so happy I’ve overcome!

[pencilhead]

I stay away from that stuff and my garden is doing great! I could not figure out why soil for planters had a child warning on it- kids love digging playing with dirt - but that soil came with a warning- people please ask questions. Thanking you sharing your knowledge.

[MelyndaVang]

You are so brilliant. I am so glad that I found you. Will totally subscribe. I value intelligent and amazing people like you who are kind enough and generous enough to share your knowledge with the world. Thank you.

[honeydew]

We started our garden in the Autumn of 2021. We created three compost bins in our green house, and grew plants in trays on top of the bins. This Spring 2024 there was enough black gold in those bins to fill all our garden beds. This was in just 2 1/2 years. Thank The Lord! Now we are seeing the worms come in and we are focusing on building good soil. Thank you for your videos. I am loving how you present your content and thank you for sharing your knowledge. God bless you.

[ebradley]

I love Big Bend. Have been there 3 times. On my 1st trip I too was amazed at the variety of plant life. The desert is truly beautiful. While I make compost and have a worm bin, my perennial beds live under a bed of leaves. Due to limitations in my yard, I have been using sunflowers, short and tall, to provide summer shade. ☺️

[sharondawilliams]

I loved this so much I had to pause and take notes. I will be following your direction for my spring / summer garden.

[GoodThingsEtc]

Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us! After gardening for 7 years mostly in pots, i have learned to stop buying anything with chemical fertilizers! i am now learning to grow from seed, and wow it is teaching patience! Gardening saved my life so now its up to us to care for mother nature the right way!!! You rock girl!!!!