How to Keep Up a SUCCESSFUL GARDEN and Avoid Overwhelm

If one of your kiddos are doing the filming they are doing a great job!!! (Just wondering cause you are both in the video)❤❤❤🕊️

Cody & Michelle. I am just blown away by the questions people ask you. I've heard of this from many other YouTube's, and it just seems like everyone, wants to be everyone else's dictator of control. SO what if you are barefooted in the garden, of who cares what close or sandals you ware. I could care less if you were eating the dirt, and throwing cow pies at one-another. Why can't people just ask true questions of education, to better themselves in events they need to learn about.

About the need to mulch potatoes: The green on the potato is chlorophyll, which is not toxic BUT when chlorophyll is present the potato might have also produced solanin and chakonin and those are toxic (can cause nausea, stomach ache, diarrea). These substances are mostly concentrated near the skin, so peeling the potato will lower the amount. Still, it's a good idea to avoid eating spuds if they are green.

I love walking around barefoot around my yard too. I do occasionally step on a thorn or thistle needle, but it’s pretty rare. I can’t justify the plastic weed fabric, so I collect cardboard boxes from friends and family and then stop a tree company in the area to dump wood chips at my house if I see them working in the area. Also in Ohio!! To stake down the cardboard I use homemade stakes. My uncle gets his work shirts dry cleaned so he ends up with a lot of really thin metal hangers. So while I’m watching TV or doing something mindless, I grab a pair of wire clippers, and start cutting the angled corners and I end up with mini yard stakes/pins.

I LOVE being barefoot outside and in the garden ❤ getting grounded is everything ✌🏽❤️😁

I've been growing our foods for 50 yrs, I'm still learning.

I just love seeing the two of you working together. That is what my husband and I used to do ; however two and a half months ago he went home to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ after a battle with cancer. Now when I work out in the gardens alone I cherish the beautiful memories I have of my precious husband and I working together. Take a lot of photos. You wouldn't regret it.😊 Canada

Leaf mulch is truly golden and free!! The sun was eating my 9B garden alive and despite having a light layer of leaf mulch I went back and added a thick layer and it has saved my garden. The leaves really help with holding in moisture and depressing weeds. Your secret sauce does work!!

I would remove the leaves on the landscape fabric since that will turn into soil and grass will grow through the fabric and you'll have to replace it yearly. I lay the Dewitt fabric down and nothing else.

I find your family so calming, besides leaning so much.

The filming of this video is better than 90% of the Homesteaders l watch. Seriously. Was it a professional, or one of your children? Good job whoever 👏 filmed!!! God Bless you all and ☦️ many prayers. Nurse Judi in Scottsdale AZ and Eucharistic Minister ☦️ 🙏🏻 💙 ❤️

Those leaves are more than just mulching. In the long run they'll be incorporated into the soil as organic manure. The simplicity and hands-on approach in your day to day work is so great. This is what I call back to basics in terms of bringing up your family and I wish you the best as you go on. I'm from Zimbabwe and I buy 100% into your philosophy. I'll keep on following for inspiration and hope we'll engage in exchange and more correspondence in the future coz m also up the same track though a bit behind in a number of aspects. Much respect and all the best. Keep them coming

About the mulch on the TARP. I use Cedar Chips. They last about 4-5 years before biodegrading. Cheaper than pavers and feel OK on the feet.

Hello! Im a single mom and i love this time of year, growing season! Im proud of you guys for actually accomplishing what you do! I try more and more gardening every year. I find it so satisfying. Wishing you guys all the best and thanks for teaching us!

You guys doing great. On the first say i noticed your channel, i watched 15 videos within 2 days. Thank you for sharing valuable tips for us❤️greetings from İstanbul, Turkey.

Weed fabric should be enough, easy to walk on without adding leaves. Hope iT all works ok. Appreciate all the tips. Michelle is so right about a huge garden. I had 100 tomato plants one year and 200 the next. Wasted a lot of tomatoes and many did not do well. Only 22 this year. I'm 70 and can hardly walk in the garden. Wishing I had tall raised beds.

Living in rural Southern Australia I am lucky enough to have a garden all year round, therefore, my garden has never been as large as yours. I've just picked the last of my tomatoes at the beginning of this month (it's winter now). At the start of August my asparagus will be ready. I almost always garden barefoot, but I grew up in the country rarely wearing shoes at home, even in winter, so barefoot gardening is normal to many of us.

I’m so happy I stumbled across this channel. I’ve been so hooked the past week watching. Makes me stay motivated in my garden.

Greetings from Healesville Victoria Australia….cold here at the moment, but really enjoy having found your u-tube, to inspire my plans for spring. In the past I used to put saw-dust/shavings on the paths with a layer of chicken manure in between. The next year it was nicely rotted and top dressed the beds. We’re so lucky to have this amazing facility to share all around the world, and learn from each other. Blessings to your beautiful family 🎶💕🐸

Well spoken Michele. I agree, a small vege garden is so much easier to maintain.