From Abandoned Land to Organic Garden (First Results!)

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:00]A few weeks ago, I acquired this beautiful land in Sicily and my first goal was to create my vegetable garden to grow my own organic food. And today, it's time to make it happen. So, let's grow. I just acquired this land and it's currently totally off-grid. No electricity, a collapsing ruin, but lots of dreams [music] and potential. I just discovered the natural water source and I can start now my organic garden to grow my own food. It's a lot of work, but we're building a closed-loop system to reuse as many resources as possible.

[00:00:32]Join me in this adventure. This 12-hectare land has so much to offer.

[00:00:39]Welcome to this new video. This past weeks, I worked a lot in the garden to basically create the first steps of this Sicilian organic garden and I can already tell you the results are quite amazing. It's really encouraging and fascinating and in this video, I want to share with you how I prepared my soil.

[00:01:02]We're going to talk about like fertilizing the soil, irrigation, what to plant, and also some quite interesting organic gardening techniques. But before working the soil together, I just wanted to remind you how this whole space looked like a few weeks ago.

[00:01:18]I decided to create the garden in the lower part of the land where rainwater naturally accumulates and where trees can provide natural shade.

[00:01:27]This area was completely overgrown with flowers that we had to clear and only then we could finally reveal the space and the bare soil beneath.

[00:01:37]But when you have a tough soil like this, it's very hard to plant in there.

[00:01:42]Like so, what we need is actually to loosen up the soil, to aerate the soil, and to decompact it. Because right now, this soil cannot welcome new plants.

[00:01:53]It's super hard to dig into this soil and also it won't retain any water. So, we really need like to create the favorable conditions to welcome an organic vegetable garden.

[00:02:07]This soil had been abandoned for years, depleted, compacted, and full of rocks.

[00:02:13]So, I chose to start with a light surface intervention to open it up, relieve compaction, and bring air back into the soil. This is a one-time intervention, not something I would ever recommend as a regular practice. It's only a simple way to reset the condition and kick-start the regeneration process that we will explain later on.

[00:02:35]So, in our case, we really made like this surface tilling to aerate the soil, recreate the good condition for the soil to absorb water, retain moisture, and also add a lot of organic matter. But, for sure, we only do it once. I won't do it twice here because we want the soil to welcome life. So, here on my right, you have like the soil as it was, and ah, as you can see, it's super hard like to dig in it. It's very, very compacted.

[00:03:08]That's why we wanted to rework the soil.

[00:03:11]And here, on my left, you have actually the soil that has been turned and aerated. And as you can see, there is like a lighter structure. So, now the soil can absorb more water, can absorb all the organic matter and nutrients that I will place on it to create like the fertile condition for an organic vegetable garden. So, now that we have a soil that is a bit more loose, open, and decompacted, the big task is actually to remove all these stones now because it's easier to remove them, but they are still in the soil.

[00:03:48]Uh so, yeah, let's collect them because it's a nice resource to reuse later on.

[00:03:54]So, let's be honest. I definitely don't have tough farmer hands yet. So, I wear gloves. Not just for comfort, but actually also for safety. Snakes and insects can sometime hide under these rocks. So, it's better to be cautious.

[00:04:10]In just a few weeks on this land, I'm kind of mastering the discipline of launching stones in the wheelbarrow even without looking at it.

[00:04:19]And don't get me wrong. I don't see stones as the enemy in the garden. Of course, you cannot plant directly on them, but they do contribute minerals to the soil. So, I only remove the larger ones and leave many smaller ones in place within the beds. They have a crucial role to play. So, as you can see, just to prepare like this garden bed just on this small surface, look at all the stones we have.

[00:04:46]Like the wheelbarrow is already full.

[00:04:49]It's kind of crazy.

[00:04:51]So, this soil definitely needed some uh aeration and decompaction. And then for sure, we need to remove all these stones because you cannot plant tomatoes on [music] stones. Um so, it's actually a good organic resource that we will anyway reuse for the borders of our bed.

[00:05:11]>> [snorts] >> If anyone wants some stones, I think you are at the right place.

[00:05:25]And now that we remove basically all the rocks, we're going to use our broadfork.

[00:05:39]Okay.

[00:05:40]We are ready.

[00:05:41]If I could only recommend one tool to use for organic gardening, it would definitely be a broadfork. I love this tool. I've been using it for years and the tines penetrate deep into the soil creating channels that will help water and organic matter move through more easily.

[00:06:01]They are like some people like saying yeah, actually gardening is not a sport.

[00:06:08]Yeah.

[00:06:09]Come with me on my land and use the broadfork.

[00:06:14]I can tell you it makes [snorts] you a good workout [music] session.

[00:06:18]No need to subscribe to a gym center and pay hundreds of euro every month.

[00:06:25]>> [laughter] >> So, if you want to practice, come on my land.

[00:06:28]There is a bit of space. This good broadfork session not only help my summer body, I was also able to remove more of the larger stones and it also helps to remove [music] some of the deep roots.

[00:06:46]So, [snorts] we removed all the rocks, but there are still some, as you can see.

[00:06:50]>> [snorts] >> But, the soil is now like really more open. So, now it's time to add organic matter. We're going to work with [music] vermicompost.

[00:07:02]So, why vermicompost?

[00:07:04]Because [snorts] this is another gold. This is really gold. This is basically our waste transformed by earthworms and you have >> [music] >> this rich and fertile soil. So, it's full of nutrients.

[00:07:19]Uh versus manure, I also like it more because it's more balanced in terms of nutrients, so it does not like burn, [snorts and music] you know, like the roots of your seedlings or plants.

[00:07:30]Um it's balanced, it's organic, uh and it retains also like more moisture. So, really adding this on top of our soil, now [music] that the soil is open, it will also penetrate inside the soil. So, it will really like fertilize the soil [music] like perfectly. And I hear you, you know, no-dig fans. Probably you were thinking in the beginning, "But why is he opening the soil? You should not touch the soil."

[00:07:53]Yeah, I agree with you. When you have a good soil, yes, a good base to start, yes, you can do no-dig.

[00:08:01]With me doing like no-dig basically on stones, I'm not [music] sure it would have been like extremely successful. And it would have taken probably years before having results and before having a soil in which I can plant. So, [music] yeah, I think that I will definitely experience no-dig on other parts of the garden just to show you the difference, but I'm pretty convinced that what I'm making [music] now is the best choice to have like a fertile soil quickly [snorts] and to have like also life within the soil. So, let's go.

[00:08:32]>> [snorts] >> I spread worm castings directly onto the soil and use a rake to distribute them evenly.

[00:08:52]This is actually pure gold for the soil, feeding it, improving moisture retention, and helping to bring back life underground to start a true regeneration process.

[00:09:04]So, our garden bed is now enriched with a lot of organic vermicompost. It's time to put irrigation.

[00:09:11]In our last episode, I was showing you the discovery of a source of water coming into the system. [music] Now that basically the well system is set up, I can irrigate the garden using drip lines. These pipes already have small holes that allow for slow, efficient watering, saving water while gently nourishing the soil.

[00:09:36]I'm installing two lines for this bed to optimize the space and grow as many crops as possible through companion planting.

[00:09:44]So, our two irrigation lines are in place and to finish our bed, we're going to make some mulch.

[00:09:52]And so mulch we can basically put some straw.

[00:09:57]Uh problem is that we're in Sicily, there is like uh yeah, very hot summer. And straw can also fly away.

[00:10:06]This organic cardboard is actually a great alternative to plastic tarp and to plastic mulching because this will actually totally degrade over time.

[00:10:17]And it will cover the soil.

[00:10:19]>> [music] >> So, imagine a soil, a bare soil in full sun all day long. You can irrigate a lot, but the water actually will evaporate. If you add basically a cover and this cover, like with organic cardboard this will go over your soil.

[00:10:35]So, basically this will limit evaporation and this will retain moisture [music] way longer in your soil. So, right now we're going to put this beautiful cardboard mulch sheet.

[00:10:50]I'm quite a huge fan of this organic cardboard mulch. It's very easy to install on the bed. Just secure it with stones along the edges so that it does not blow away with the wind.

[00:11:01]Since I have plenty of stones, I like using them to create a natural border.

[00:11:06]It honestly looks so raw, but also so beautiful. And it also helps retain moisture within the bed.

[00:11:15]If insects or snakes are hiding under rocks, that's for a reason because it's fresher and also there is more moisture.

[00:11:34]Ah.

[00:11:37]Last stone.

[00:11:40]And here we go. Look at our bed.

[00:11:42]>> [snorts] >> So, now it's fully covered.

[00:11:45]And yeah, we will put on the irrigation so that it will make the soil very humid, very moist so that the vermicompost plus the soil that is a bit more open now can basically absorb everything. So, everything will assimilate under the tarp.

[00:12:02]And now we're going to also plant some beautiful plants in our beautiful bed.

[00:12:12]So, we have beautiful plants here.

[00:12:14]And uh today we are going to plant some aubergine, eggplants. Two different varieties.

[00:12:21]I also have like some tomato seedlings.

[00:12:26]Uh like it's a special purple variety.

[00:12:28]So, super cool. Uh we have some uh lettuce. Woohoo. Lettuce here. And of course, we're in Sicily, the south, some beautiful basil.

[00:12:39]Wow, smells amazing. And uh we have here two companion plants that are extremely important. Uh and I really recommend that in any organic garden.

[00:12:50]Firstly, it's calendula.

[00:12:52]Uh it's really like a a huge and a great companion plant for tomatoes.

[00:12:57]Uh and here we have nasturtium. And nasturtium are actually kind of a magnet for aphids. Uh so, basically aphids will go on the nasturtium and will leave your plants alone. So, it's really a beautiful companion planting strategy.

[00:13:13]And also, the great point, nasturtium fully edible.

[00:13:20]Fully edible. You can eat everything.

[00:13:22]Mhm.

[00:13:24]And I mean it tastes amazing. And look how beautiful it is cool. Like really cool.

[00:13:31]So the good news is that the irrigation system is working properly. There is better water retention under the cardboard mulch sheet. So we can plant into soil that's already moist.

[00:13:43]To plant in the garden bed, I always start with larger crops, [music] the ones that will take the most space like eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, spacing them properly. Then I will add smaller plants and herbs in between to create a companion planting system that supports natural pest control.

[00:14:25]So yeah, everything is planted and yeah, for sure it was some work, >> [snorts] >> a lot of work out.

[00:14:33]But look at that, it's like just so beautiful. We have like a garden bed that is fully organic, reusing stones, with vermicompost, with a tarp that is biodegradable, retaining moisture, avoiding weeds growing, and beautiful companion plants, calendula, nasturtium, aubergine, basil.

[00:14:57]We have like lettuce, tomatoes.

[00:14:59]Look at that, it's absolutely beautiful.

[00:15:02]If plants are happy, they will develop beautifully and we just have like to take care of them from time to time, but >> [music] >> but yeah, so that's just one bed, but actually if you think about like all the varieties I'm planting, it can be just this bed a lot of harvest. So that's really like optimize space and fertile space and I will show you right now what I did on other parts of the garden because this is just one bed but there are other ones right here.

[00:15:33]And I'm super happy to show you basically the garden, the main part.

[00:15:38]Uh I did this like 2 weeks ago and >> [snorts] >> what can I say?

[00:15:44]I'm like just amazed.

[00:15:47]>> [snorts] >> It's so beautiful.

[00:15:48]And it's crazy to see like the before after where basically the tractor was just like passing by and now we can create this. It's absolutely beautiful.

[00:16:00]Strawberry, nasturtium, we have here some sunflowers, calendula, basil, tomato.

[00:16:08]Yeah, I mean everything to be happy, right? It's just like a so beautiful.

[00:16:14]So and now that we have a a new garden, it's actually time to put my garden sign that I have a since my first adventure when growing food on my balcony. So it follows me everywhere. So yeah, it's with a bit of emotion that I'm basically putting my garden sign here in this new garden.

[00:16:39]Yeah, a new adventure.

[00:16:41]Now I want to share with you a very special moment.

[00:16:46]If you remember well at the beginning we were seeing like some beautiful lettuce and actually we will harvest one together and that's the first time I will harvest something from the land and I want to share that with you. So let's go.

[00:17:05]Yeah, and it's time now to finally enjoy the first uh >> [snorts] >> vegetable from the the garden from this new Sicilian garden and uh yeah, [snorts] I planted this like months and a half ago and I followed exactly the same technique as for our garden bed and and look at that. It's absolutely beautiful. I have to say they're so beautiful that I almost don't want to harvest them, you know, I just want to stop the time so that they can stay like this and that I can enjoy the view every day but honestly it's wow.

[00:17:42]Such a dream and such a a beautiful moment for me so yeah.

[00:17:49]Let's uh harvest this lettuce.

[00:17:59]Wow.

[00:18:02]Look at that.

[00:18:04]Amazing like wow.

[00:18:07]Beautiful.

[00:18:08]And the [snorts] green the green is definitely green love.

[00:18:13]So cool.

[00:18:15]So do you hear [music] that crunch?

[00:18:17]That's amazing.

[00:18:21]Ah.

[00:18:23]So we're going to wash it with water also from the land. So basically it's a beautiful closed loop. Everything is from the land.

[00:18:36]Like the water the soil the resources and we have now this home grown lettuce that's I'm sure will [music] be delicious.

[00:18:50]But I'm not just going to eat it like this. Wait a moment.

[00:18:54]Actually I want to taste it [music] with some olive oil from Sicily. Indeed before like producing our own olive oil from this land.

[00:19:03]Uh so yeah.

[00:19:05]Let's just put a bit of olive oil.

[00:19:09]And now let's give >> [music] >> a bite to this home grown lettuce.

[00:19:20]Wow.

[00:19:27]The taste of nature [music] and um after such a long day shooting this video and [snorts] building the bed, it was like really a lot of work. I'm uh for sure tired.

[00:19:42]But when I have this taste, I'm like there is a reason why I do this because it's beautiful. Purely organic [music] and uh Mhm.

[00:19:54]I wish you could really taste this amazing lettuce and uh so happy.

[00:19:59]The first one of many more to come, I hope.

[00:20:03]And um yeah.

[00:20:05]Wanted to share with you this special moment.

[00:20:09]I hope you truly enjoyed this video.

[00:20:11]Thank you so much for watching and uh but I was super happy to share with you uh this technique of uh organic uh growing and uh yeah, there are like many different techniques. I think, you know, the most important thing is to basically adapt to your local climate and to your local condition and most importantly to the condition of your soil, of your soil structure. So, yeah, truly hope you enjoyed. If you have any comments or suggestion, please write a because I'm like really really like enjoying reading all your comments and suggestion. So, yeah, thank you so much and uh next episode will be kind of cool. It will be about like uh building the camp, like building a even bigger camp. So, yeah, thanks so much [music] again and of course green love to you.

[00:21:18]>> Mhm.