Ever wish there was a simple gardening method that required a lot less work and no synthetic fertilizers? Well, you're in luck.
TikTok survivalist and community gardener SageSmokeSurvival (@sagesmokesurvival) shared the regenerative technique he's had massive success with.
@sagesmokesurvival Stop depending on fertilizer and grow healthier food. Start a regenerative garden! #fyp #survival #homestead #selfsufficient #garden #growyourfood #nature #regenerative #organic #sagesmokesurvival ♬ original sound - SageSmokeSurvival
"Stop depending on fertilizer and grow healthier food," he said in his post.
The scoop
His hack utilizes the Back to Eden permaculture technique to build healthy soil season after season. He explains, "It works with nature to grow better soil every year."
Per SageSmokeSurvival, you start by putting down a three-inch layer of compost over the soil where you want to grow. If you don't have compost, you can use six inches of grass clippings, hay, or straw as an alternative base layer that will break down into compost over time.
Next, cover the garden with six inches of wood chip mulch.
That's where the magic happens. Mulch naturally suppresses weeds and retains moisture better than bare soil. This allows the garden to thrive with less water and little maintenance. The wood chips decompose into soil that's full of microbes and nutrients, which in turn feed the garden.
Once you're ready to plant, you simply create a trench in the mulch down to the soil level to sow seeds, then pull the mulch back after the plant sprouts.
"With this method, your food will be better than organic," he says.
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Not enough time ⏳ How it's helping
According to SageSmokeSurvival, this method has proven to be a cheap and easy way to grow an abundance of food.
Since this is a no-till method, it requires a lot less labor and uses less water than a conventional garden, which also cuts down on costs. The wood chip mulch breaks down naturally to create super-rich soil that doesn't require expensive chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides, which have been proven to contaminate our environment.
SageSmokeSurvival also explained that the rich ecosystem created through this method encouraged wildlife like frogs and toads to move into their garden, where they symbiotically work as nature's pest control.
What people are saying
TikTok users were inspired by the technique. "One of the most helpful overall garden videos I've seen this year," said one user. Another commented that "mulch is seriously underrated."
One user even dropped their own hack, "Check with local tree cutting companies, many provide the wood chips for free!"
Another user enthusiastically commented, "We just bought 4 acres and this is what we plan to do!"
SageSmokeSurvival offered some additional advice to them, "Start small is my suggestion! You can fit a ton of crops on a small space."
He added, "One family needs less than one acre of garden to provide all the produce for a year."
If you're inspired to take the plunge and start your regenerative garden, check out our guide to growing your own food for more tips.
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