Love the trick with the reflective cardboard. I've not tried growing strawberries from seed... Iwillnotbuymoreseeds, Iwillnotbuymoreseeds, Iwillnotbuymoreseeds.
🤣😂You too? I said that, over and over.......and over....But, these BOOKS keep showing up! I have enough seeds to feed half the town....and I just got more seeds..BUT-THIS-IS-IT! .......I tell myself! 😂😂
Hee Hee. One year at the grocery store the "seed man" was pulling old stock and freshening the display rack. We chatted a bit. When I left and was loading my groceries into my car he turns up as his van was next to me. We laughed and I asked what happens with the old packets as most of the seeds are still viable for several years. He looked around and said pick out what you want but don't tell anyone. I wasn't greedy. Honest. One company donated them to the master gardeners program. I was a master food preserver and was in the shared office staffing the phone and got to share in those seeds.
I'll just admit it. I buy transplants for tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. I'm in California, we can have good growing weather in February. I buy from a good $$$ local nursery that only carries varieties that thrive here with plenty of heirlooms and unusual varieties. I have a tiny veg garden in my urban yard. And my partner gave me a very nice gift certificate for them. A real old fashioned paper gift certificate. Happy planting everyone.
Nice video again. I planted pepper and chilli early this year. I moved them to my kitchen window, which is north facing, to overwinter them. What has surprised me is that they have still been flowering, producing peppers and they're even ripening in that location. And I live in the Hebrides!
Did you remove the leaves on them? I saved my Sweet peppers on a South West facing window sill. I put them in clean soil and cut off all of the fruits, leaves and a majority of the length of the stems. But at this moment 2 of the 4 are looking very sad and I wonder if they'll make it back in my allotment next season.
I didn't do anything to them. I actually neglected the watering once and about 3-4 plants look like they've died but I still have around 2 dozen plants looking happy.@@La_app82
SOW Excited. 😅 Eggplants are the one thing I’m allergic to and I wish I wasn’t. Eggplant parmigiana is so good. Thanks, Ben! So nice to hear your cheery voice this cold morning.
The leaves have a lot of hairs on them and if you breathe them in they can irritate your tubes and lungs, in the greenhouses I worked in we used to have to wear masks. Phil.
You are a true gent Gaz. Thank you so much! Really appreciate that. I’ve been really enjoying your videos also. Some great stuff there. Here’s to a very productive 2024 let’s hope! :-)
Hi Ben - I'm so excited that you have pretty much found plants to sow for every month through the winter!! I get so depressed when it's time to clear out the garden at the end of the season. There is nothing that puts a smile on my face more than pulling all my seed supplies out to start sowing and yelling to my husband, "it's planting season!!" LOL!! I rely on every one of your videos for my gardening adventures! A big thank you from New Jersey!! :)
Sow? I'm still growing! A good crop of Chard harvested on Christmas morning to go with the turkey and lettuce still giving me salads. Very smug and very chuffed 😊
My set is old but works well. Nowadays I'd recommend LED grow lights, which will use much less electricity. This article is a great summary of what to look for: www.growveg.co.uk/guides/3-shopping-tips-for-plant-grow-lights/
Thank you so much for being such a positive and happy personality for the cold winter days. I was thrilled to see your video come up. ❤👏Happy New Year 😊
What a nice video! A bit distressed watching that nice colourful scarf being rubbed consistently on the table and getting dirty with potting mix 😂. I find these to be very good tips, especially the potting mix for chillies, and the trick of the white cardboard to reflect light and prevent plants from growing crooked. Have a nice end of the year!!
Wow, I wish I could sow peppers in January. Being up North I couldn't possibly risk planting out into a cold greenhouse until at least May. You're so lucky to be able to do things so early.
I can't grow too many peppers in January as they will be jostling for position under the grow lights. The plan is to grow them on under there till maybe late Feb/very early March, then move them outside to the greenhouse on milder days and back in at night. A bit of juggling!
I've used heating mats for a few years now, never thought of adding the under padding to prevent heat loss, or using white to reflect the light back, genius! Keep them coming, always learn something new watching your updates!
Hi from Denmark. Seeds for aubergines can be started off as early as august the year before....I have been growing one plant as perennial, fruiting for four years. Happy new year and new season
Thank you for the top tip with the white cardboard. I'll also paint the inside of my wooden coldframes white to help with reflecting light- as I don't have a greenhouse.
Another good video from Ben - one tip I would add is to thoroughly soak the potting mix BEFORE sowing carrot seeds, to reduce the chances of them being dislodged or washed away by watering.
Always great advice! Since moving to my home in North Florida, I invested in a set of 2' x 3' shelving, and 3' LED 5000k lumen shop lights and heat mats for each shelf, and use either 162 cell or 338 cell Protek trays. Yes, the trays are expensive, but you could drive a car over them and not hurt them! I've had some of mine for about 7 years now, and they're like new. My seed starting station is set up in my unheated laundry room. I'm in US growing Zone 8, and we do get some mornings in the low 30's and occasionally upper 20's, but with heat mats and plastic covers, I have no trouble starting peppers, egg plant or celery. If you have a vertical space with an electrical outlet close by, you'd be amazed at how much you can start with this setup.
Thank you for the advice on aubergines in particular. Years ago when I had more space I grew them without difficulty. Last year, thinking back to the warmth of 2022, I decided to try again. I can’t accommodate them in my tiny greenhouse and of course last summer was cold and wet in North Yorkshire. I managed one fruit, it was small but perfect and we relished every mouthful! I don’t have grow lights or the space to accommodate a set up like yours so will probably give aubergines a miss this time. A pity because they really are lovely fresh from the plant. Peppers and chillis struggled last year, first time I have ever had peppers fail to ripen, most went soft as the autumn advanced so ended up in the compost. On a positive note, the chillies are still ripening on a bedroom window ledge, the little red fruits look very Christmassy and am hoping that the same plants might produce again this coming summer. Thank you Ben, for so many amazing videos! I have been gardening from childhood so around 50 years but there is always something to learn and you have a knack of pointing us in the right direction time after time. Very best wishes for happy and productive gardening during the coming year 💐
I live in south Yorkshire, so similar weather. I tried growing aubergine's from seed a few years ago and got nowhere so have been, for the last few years, buying grafted ones which come as little plugs about April. I grow them on for a bit in my little greenhouse before planting them into the border. I usually get 3. Last year they didn't do so well because of the cold wet summer but in previous years I have had a good crop. Maybe for 2025 I will look to try and sow them again starting off much earlier as I do have both grow lights and a propagator as the grafted plants have now got quite expensive.
It was a challenging summer last year. I think we were all caught out by the hot summer of 2022 and maybe expected a re-run given the warm June. Anyway, here's to a fab growing season for 2024. happy gardening! :-)
There are varieties that grow small and do well in pots that you could grow indoors. I have some inside called Jewel Amethyst that I got from Botanical Interests. I started them on a heat mat, but you could pop them on top of your fridge and get them going that way.
It’s always a delight to see your fabulous videos! 🤩 Seeing you growing peppers reminds me of when I lived in a bedsit & used to grow peppers, garlic & herbs on any available ledge & shelf. I’m so lucky to now have a little plot of land, where with your incredible guidance, I’m able to grow so much more which I’m able to share with others. Wishing you & loved ones a fantastic year ahead, with lots of love, laughs, great health & good fortune! The same wishes to all your wonderful subscribers around the world who share their advice & experience of what they grow✌️🌎❤️🌏🙏🌍 Thank you Ben 🥕🍆🌶🍓🧄✌️🙏
I live much farther north than you do so I have to wait until February or March before I can start sowing. In the meantime I have plenty of time to work on my garden while I'm planning my crops for the next year.
I live in NY, zone 6a (1st frost early Oct; last frost early May). In January, I'm starting artichokes (per Eliot Coleman suggestion), asparagus and onions--in addition to some of what Ben has going on. Very excited!
This year, I started my eggplant and peppers on March 5th and they did very well for the most part. I wonder how much higher yield I can achieve by starting in January as Ben is. Hmmm 🤔
@ofrecentvintage I'm in zone 7b and have tried different start dates over the past decade. I'm finding February as a good month to start nightshades using heat mats and seed trays with humidity covers. Once a majority of seedlings have started to sprout I'll turn off the heat mats (since they've done their job) and remove the covers. I'll raise the seedlings inside until the overnight temp is consistently above 50F (10C) before acclimating them to the outdoors. I do have the benefit of a greenhouse and tomatoes will usually stay in there until they're 2-3 feet (or even a meter!) high before planting. When I started in January I had to find space for ~1000 seedlings until temps were high enough to put out. Something to think about!
@@joemccall8991 Yes, space for seedlings upon seedlings is my main concern. I ran into this challenge this year because I wasn't able to transplant seedlings outside on schedule/as planned (my new mini greenhouse was stolen) & I had to care for far too many too large seedlings for too long. It became stressful! Before seeing this video, I'd resolved to try sowing a few select nightshade varieties on February 15th for a bit of a jumpstart. Maybe I'll stick with my original plan. Thank you for caring enough to chime in with your response/advice! 🌱
Perfect to drive the cold winter blues away!! I'm overwintering two Tabasco pepper plants and two mild Jalapeno plants inside plus various citrus plants. I'm chomping at the bit to start some seeds. I'm going to double my gardening efforts this summer. With the prices of food and the nasty stuff they are throwing in, we had best be growing and preserving more. I got some nice chickens even though I live inside city limits....Speckled Sussex, Lavender Orpingtons, Rhode Island Blues, and Buff Brahma. I try to keep them concealed to avoid being harassed. Sorry, Klaus & Kissinger....I'm not control material.😊😂🐔🐔🐔🐤🐓🐣.
@@lynnlamont3485 I hope to have a few indoor citrus plants soon! Just have to work out how to supply enough lighting for them to fruit. Any tips? And all of your chicken names/breeds sound very cool. Like fairy tale names almost!
This is the hard struggle for me , growing in a cold climate , where we have a short growing season . Our last frost date is June 7 . Our first frost date is early September, or anytime in between. How much longer do I add on to your sowing dates for my own indoor seed starting ? I’d love a video where you discuss sowing dates for cold , short season gardening !
I would suggest maybe waiting till late February to start the peppers, eggplant etc. That way they'll be good to go out when the frosts have passed. Your suggestion for a video is a great idea, thank you!
I'm also in a short garden climate. I might be getting too excited but I'm going to try a few seeds Late Jan to Feb to see how big I can get them for June.
I gave up, started ordering starts for peppers and such. Still get to order in January so it helps a bit Obviously if you're planting a lot it's probably not worth it. But 4 or 5 plants on preorder for me due at the end of May.
😂 I kept thinking 🤔 your wife is going to be upset about you dragging your scarf through the dirt. I use coir too it’s a great additive 👍. Rosie got a haircut 😊. Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas Ben and here’s to a very Happy New Year and grow season 2024, Ali 🥳🇨🇦
Ha ha, indeed! Yes, a really fab time had here for Christmas. Looking forward to the new growing season already. Not long now! :-) Happy New Year to you.
I've been breaking down crates and collecting lumber from construction sites for a couple months now. Today, i have some time away from the kiddos. Gotta build a couple hundred feet of trellis, a chicken coop, and a small frame for my hot house. Temps are near freezing, the wind is blowing, and the sun has barely poked its head over the horizon. Life is good
@@GrowVeg Hot house is done, bunch of old pre-fab windows make it quite quick. Onto the trellises. It's on a standard spacing, so that should go quickly as well. The chicken coop may take a bit of time lol
Thank you Ben, you are our Garden Hero!! Thank you for sharing and showing and sowing. I think we can cover the seeds too much, it is better to be careful and just sprinkle some topping. Love how the strawberries thrived. Hope you are not too cold, all the very best for 2024 and for the family. Happy gardening and thank you showing us how. Kind regards.
Thank you so much for all of your support in watching the videos this year. Yes, the strawberry seedlings are off to a really flying start! Happy gardening :-)
Morning Ben. This was truly a master class in seed growing. I always get very nervous about growing anything from seed. And a little impatient. Soaking seeds and germinating on a paper towel is a new concept to me. Ianot having much luck with coriander. So I will try germinating in a paper towel. Fingers crossed 🤞😃.
Love the vids👌 You said your adding vermiculite but looked like perlite, I know perlite is good for aeration and drainage and vermiculite is good water retention so is vermiculite better to use
Howdy Ben and Rosie!👋 I love seeing what folks are growing for the next gardening year!😃 You dropped seeds for some yummy foods!😋 From time to time our fall temps extend into December; thus, we are still harvesting tomatoes and zucchini. Our winter weather will arrive next week.🥶 We usually sow potatoes on Valentine's Day...we have a pretty short winter most years. Ben, I wish y'all an amazing 2024! I'm looking forward to all the great new knowledge I will obtain from you in the New Year!👩🏾🌾💕
Ahh, it's that time again when I start rummaging through the seed box and wondering what to grow next season. I grow about 300+ tomato plants to sell each year so have to pace myself and not plant too early. I put my warm germinating seeds on top of my tropical fish tank though, it's always 24℃ in there, works a treat.
Im using an aquarium light this year, full spectrum led with some great success. Theres plenty available and they are generally a lot cheaper than the ones marketed for growing.
Great timing Ben. I was half way thru' your video and couldn't wait to start. So N/Y eve I was out sowing chilli peppers and sweet peppers (I have heat mats and grow lights🙏) and today two big containers of carrots in the g/h. I'm very excited to start more sowing next month. Thank you for what you share and Happy New Year 🎉🌟💚
...'gsnezsucsh up again'. The Pupper said Up!❤❤😂 So glad to meet Rosey later in the video. Love your work, thankyou for so many green tips! I've been out at Townsvilles Eco Fiesta, at Andersen Botanic Gardens.Great day for it, happy gardening, loved the Gingers episode.❤
Excellent video and channel. This will be my go-to feed for the rest of the year. After a missed summer caused by house renovations and living in a summer let, I have plenty of catching-up to do.
I never thought to start aubergines in Jan, but I'll give it a try as last year and this year my harvest wasn't as expected. Pepper and Chili are already going 🙂 Have a nice day.
I made a "growing" table to go in one of our bay windows (initially for my son, who was filling every available place with seed trays!). It has two tiers and under the top one I fixed a grow light panel for plants on the lower tier. The seedlings grown under the lights are much more robust than before. I also grew some raspberry canes from seed - it seems unlikely, but it worked well!
With my prior pair of cats, I was able to use heat mats and get seeds started early. My last frost date is in February so I'm glad I have a long growing season. I started getting back into gardening after a few years off (and thank you for being so inspirational!) and my current pair of cats thinks that my seedlings are their salad bar. So I need to find something different. this time.
Hi Ben (and Rosie of course!) - I’ve never seen the temperature probe put in to the soil before. I’ve always just left it dangle in the air so to speak 😂 Great video! Thank you. Tracy.
Thanks Tracy. I popped it into the soil as that's what we're trying to regulate - the soil temperature where the seeds are. Hope you have a very productive start to the year. :-)
Ben is a delightful fellow. He looks like Elton John. Thanks for the information and demos, especially growing strawberries from seed. Wish I had built a small greenhouse when building costs were cheaper. Good job.
Time has gotten away from me !!! I need to plant my tomato seeds and peppers. I use a grow light and my spare bedrokm.lol😄. But that's a great idea with the white boards. Last year I had great heirloom tomatoes I saved the seeds again for this years crop. Looking forward to my garden , anything warm weather, don't like winter ugh😑. Hope you and Rosie had a happy Christmas and your family has a blessed and happy New Year !!God is good
If you're looking for faster germination, I suggest a spicy pepper in the Capsicum Annuum species as opposed to Tobasco peppers, which are from the Capsicum Frutescens species. However, both are faster than Capsicum Chinense, which are the super spicy peppers you were referencing.
Yes, definitely at this time of year. If you don't fancy the cost then just delay sowing by another month. But I reckon the grow lights are definitely worth the investment to get a bit of a head start.
Thanks for the great advice. You inspired me to go out this afternoon to prep pots & putter around the garden, while contemplating the 2024 garden season.
It may be worth starting beets and radish off in plug trays first, so you've got little clusters of seedlings to plant out - if you're struggling to get them to germinate directly outside that is.
Cheers mate! It feels like the new growing season is bearing down on us far too quickly! Hope you have an awesome start to 2024 also. It's going to be a great (and productive!) year I'm sure! :-)
I'll be starting my onions and shallots in January. The rest I'll start February and March. I appreciate your growlight setup, it makes me smile seeing the ingenuity to keep it going: ).
The earliest potatoes will be sold as 'first early' potatoes - lots to choose from and all very early to mature. Rocket is often recommended for early planting. Then for maturing towards the end of summer you're simply looking for maincrop potatoes. You might want to choose a variety sold as good for storing.
Wonderful. Just need some space in my tiny greenhouse or on my very crowded windowsills. I do have some carrot seedlings outside that I planted in November so looking forward to hose if they survive. Happy new year!
Happy New Year Ben! I wish you happy gardening and bountiful harvests this coming year. I'm starting Basil and flowers on New Year's day, it's been so cold here my larger greenhouse isn't getting heated yet, but the one built-in to the horse barn has heat and I brought almost all my herbs indoors in October just before the 4 degreesF and snow. I need to feel the soil in my hands again! Thank you for your contagious enthusiasm and overflowing energy!
Thanks for another useful and very timely prompt! Some more advice on specific growlights would be a great addition... 😁 Looking forward to a happy New Year's gardening for us all. 😎
Great video again, love it, so today I started sowing in a mini greenhouse with a heating mat underneath : 9 types of tomatoes, 2 types of peppers, 3 types of bell peppers, and 5 types of melon. Wondering when the first seedlings will be visible, then the lights can be turned on :) In Belgium it's not cold but wet, wet, wet ...
I cover cardboard with foil or space blanket to reflect light back Even a space box to sit my small grow lights over while seedlings are small. Has to stretch as I pot on 🤨
As always, thank you for your wonderful videos. We seem to be getting frosts and blizzards later every year, so it makes it difficult to know when we can safely put our plants out here. Even the rule of not starting an outdoor garden until Memorial Day isn't always guaranteed to to keep them safe. One day, we may set up a greenhouse, but until then, I'll just have to keep fingers crossed and fleece at the ready. Good luck with your garden, and hopefully we can both harvest our strawberries grown from seed this year.
Morning Hugh, from a cold rainy sw London. I just love your enthusiasm. Bit like yourself I am itching to get growing something or anything. I do have a few questions. I have a small allotment a bit shady but not a great problem 😃 I don’t have L.E.D lights or a heat pad🤔 Is better for me to wait till next month before I plant my carrot, Aurbergine lettuce seeds
I need all the motivation I can get this year Ben , last season was very much hit and miss , some things did well but quite a lot didn’t, at the moment the constant wind and rain is not encouraging me into my Polycarbonate greenhouse as it rattles alarmingly. I’m just hoping we get a normal spring warm but not hot like last year.🤞
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Ben I'm really looking forward to the coming season, my little garden has, with your guidance gone from strength to strength over the past year Thank you so much for your hard work
I get a bunch of that wool with a particular frozen dog food delivery. I do the same thing with the heat mats; and the surplus wool gets composted to become the soil itself!
I always have problems trying to grow peppers, thanks for the info! Very cold and wintery here but I'm getting antsy. I may start my peppers now and my tomatoes in February.
Usually you are not standing up inside the greenhouse, i always thought it was a bit taller! My greenhouse stands taller because the low winter sun mostly hits above the ground so the plants want to be overhead.
From a semi beginner but new subscriber. I have often wondered if i had been water my seedlings to much and end up watering them to little. (obviously) . Any clever tips on watering just right?
It's always worth lifting the pots or cell trays to get an idea of its weight. If it is very light then that usually means it is quite dry and could do with a water.
Last september a friend gave me small bellpepperplants. Way to late to fully grow them, but I keep them in small containers in the window to wait for spring. So far they are surviving.
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![Perfectly Spaced Carrot Sowing [Gardening Allotment UK] [Grow Vegetables At Home ]](/img/n.gif)
Love the trick with the reflective cardboard. I've not tried growing strawberries from seed... Iwillnotbuymoreseeds, Iwillnotbuymoreseeds, Iwillnotbuymoreseeds.
🤣😂You too? I said that, over and over.......and over....But, these BOOKS keep showing up! I have enough seeds to feed half the town....and I just got more seeds..BUT-THIS-IS-IT! .......I tell myself! 😂😂
Seeds are a very healthy, happy habit to have. You have my permission to buy more!!
Hee Hee. One year at the grocery store the "seed man" was pulling old stock and freshening the display rack. We chatted a bit. When I left and was loading my groceries into my car he turns up as his van was next to me. We laughed and I asked what happens with the old packets as most of the seeds are still viable for several years. He looked around and said pick out what you want but don't tell anyone. I wasn't greedy. Honest. One company donated them to the master gardeners program. I was a master food preserver and was in the shared office staffing the phone and got to share in those seeds.
@@renel7303The percentage of germination reduces as the years go by; but some seeds have still been viable for thousands of years, haven’t they?
I'll just admit it. I buy transplants for tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. I'm in California, we can have good growing weather in February. I buy from a good $$$ local nursery that only carries varieties that thrive here with plenty of heirlooms and unusual varieties. I have a tiny veg garden in my urban yard. And my partner gave me a very nice gift certificate for them. A real old fashioned paper gift certificate. Happy planting everyone.
Makes total sense to buy them in that case. :-)
Nice video again. I planted pepper and chilli early this year. I moved them to my kitchen window, which is north facing, to overwinter them. What has surprised me is that they have still been flowering, producing peppers and they're even ripening in that location. And I live in the Hebrides!
That is really quite remarkable! I'd have thought the poor light levels would see them struggle. Good on you for keeping them going like that! :-)
Maybe your kitchen lights are brighter than your lighting in the rest of the house?
Did you remove the leaves on them? I saved my Sweet peppers on a South West facing window sill. I put them in clean soil and cut off all of the fruits, leaves and a majority of the length of the stems. But at this moment 2 of the 4 are looking very sad and I wonder if they'll make it back in my allotment next season.
I actually hardly have the lights on. :)@@newcamomile
I didn't do anything to them. I actually neglected the watering once and about 3-4 plants look like they've died but I still have around 2 dozen plants looking happy.@@La_app82
The puppy peering in to see what's afoot! 😂 So precious. Happy gardening as always!
And to you! :-)
Now. I'm getting all excited to start up again. Thx for the tips!!
Love the new month by month planting videos!
So pleased you're enjoying them. :-)
SOW Excited. 😅
Eggplants are the one thing I’m allergic to and I wish I wasn’t. Eggplant parmigiana is so good.
Thanks, Ben! So nice to hear your cheery voice this cold morning.
Great to join you this morning Joy. Happy gardening! :-)
The leaves have a lot of hairs on them and if you breathe them in they can irritate your tubes and lungs, in the greenhouses I worked in we used to have to wear masks. Phil.
You’re the best Ben, videos get better & better
You are a true gent Gaz. Thank you so much! Really appreciate that. I’ve been really enjoying your videos also. Some great stuff there. Here’s to a very productive 2024 let’s hope! :-)
I never thought you’d get into growing food….
Getting us all fired up again Ben . Great tips & ideas to start the year 💡 🙏🏻
Fab stuff - thanks for watching! :-)
Hi Ben - I'm so excited that you have pretty much found plants to sow for every month through the winter!! I get so depressed when it's time to clear out the garden at the end of the season. There is nothing that puts a smile on my face more than pulling all my seed supplies out to start sowing and yelling to my husband, "it's planting season!!" LOL!! I rely on every one of your videos for my gardening adventures! A big thank you from New Jersey!! :)
Yes indeed - plenty to keep us excited and looking forward to spring! :-)
Sow?
I'm still growing! A good crop of Chard harvested on Christmas morning to go with the turkey and lettuce still giving me salads. Very smug and very chuffed 😊
And so you should be - that's awesome! :-)
Rosie just want to see what’s happening inside the greenhouse ❤😊 lovely! Thanks for the tips Ben as always ❤️👍😊👩🌾
Can you talk more about grow lights and examples/links to ones you recommend for small gardeners?
My set is old but works well. Nowadays I'd recommend LED grow lights, which will use much less electricity. This article is a great summary of what to look for: www.growveg.co.uk/guides/3-shopping-tips-for-plant-grow-lights/
Thank you so much for being such a positive and happy personality for the cold winter days. I was thrilled to see your video come up. ❤👏Happy New Year 😊
That's such a lovely thing to say, thank you! And a very happy New Year to you also. :-)
I’d call the white pumice material perlite, vermiculite is heated and therefore expanded mica, which is a golden color.
Yes indeed, it is perlite. I said the wrong thing - meant perlite.
What a nice video! A bit distressed watching that nice colourful scarf being rubbed consistently on the table and getting dirty with potting mix 😂. I find these to be very good tips, especially the potting mix for chillies, and the trick of the white cardboard to reflect light and prevent plants from growing crooked. Have a nice end of the year!!
Thanks so much for watching. I've vowed to take better care of my scarf in 2024! Happy New Year. :-)
Wow, I wish I could sow peppers in January.
Being up North I couldn't possibly risk planting out into a cold greenhouse until at least May.
You're so lucky to be able to do things so early.
I can't grow too many peppers in January as they will be jostling for position under the grow lights. The plan is to grow them on under there till maybe late Feb/very early March, then move them outside to the greenhouse on milder days and back in at night. A bit of juggling!
I've used heating mats for a few years now, never thought of adding the under padding to prevent heat loss, or using white to reflect the light back, genius! Keep them coming, always learn something new watching your updates!
Thanks for your kind words - glad there were a few new tips in the video for you. The white card makes such a difference!
Hi from Denmark. Seeds for aubergines can be started off as early as august the year before....I have been growing one plant as perennial, fruiting for four years. Happy new year and new season
That's fantastic - what a result! :-)
Thanks
The doggie looking in is so cute
She's a great help (!) in the garden. :-)
Thank you for the top tip with the white cardboard.
I'll also paint the inside of my wooden coldframes white to help with reflecting light- as I don't have a greenhouse.
That's a great idea. :-)
Another good video from Ben - one tip I would add is to thoroughly soak the potting mix BEFORE sowing carrot seeds, to reduce the chances of them being dislodged or washed away by watering.
Yes, that's a great idea. :-)
Thank you for the month by month breakdown - really helpful!
I very much enjoy your videos, simple and to the point. Thank you.
Thanks so much for watching! :-)
Always great advice! Since moving to my home in North Florida, I invested in a set of 2' x 3' shelving, and 3' LED 5000k lumen shop lights and heat mats for each shelf, and use either 162 cell or 338 cell Protek trays. Yes, the trays are expensive, but you could drive a car over them and not hurt them! I've had some of mine for about 7 years now, and they're like new. My seed starting station is set up in my unheated laundry room. I'm in US growing Zone 8, and we do get some mornings in the low 30's and occasionally upper 20's, but with heat mats and plastic covers, I have no trouble starting peppers, egg plant or celery. If you have a vertical space with an electrical outlet close by, you'd be amazed at how much you can start with this setup.
Sounds like you've got a superb setup. :-)
@carolavant3778 This was the exact advice I was looking for thank you!
I love watching your videos! You have helped me so much in my garden. You are greatly appreciated! Love from Roseburg, Oregon.
That is so lovely to hear. Thank you so much for your support in watching the videos. Happy gardening! 😀
What a fantastic Video. Full of enthusiasm and passion and of course facts. I love watching your videos.
Thanks so much! :-)
Thank you Thank you Thank you so much growveg I followed your video by sowing chilli seeds and they have almost sprouted Thanks to you !
That’s really a joy to hear. :-)
This vid was perfect timing good sir! I’m jazzed for early spring already in zone 6-b southern Indiana- thanks for this effort Ben!!
Fab stuff! Spring isn't (too!) far off now! :-)
@@GrowVeg right!!
Thank you for the advice on aubergines in particular. Years ago when I had more space I grew them without difficulty. Last year, thinking back to the warmth of 2022, I decided to try again. I can’t accommodate them in my tiny greenhouse and of course last summer was cold and wet in North Yorkshire. I managed one fruit, it was small but perfect and we relished every mouthful!
I don’t have grow lights or the space to accommodate a set up like yours so will probably give aubergines a miss this time. A pity because they really are lovely fresh from the plant.
Peppers and chillis struggled last year, first time I have ever had peppers fail to ripen, most went soft as the autumn advanced so ended up in the compost. On a positive note, the chillies are still ripening on a bedroom window ledge, the little red fruits look very Christmassy and am hoping that the same plants might produce again this coming summer.
Thank you Ben, for so many amazing videos! I have been gardening from childhood so around 50 years but there is always something to learn and you have a knack of pointing us in the right direction time after time.
Very best wishes for happy and productive gardening during the coming year 💐
I live in south Yorkshire, so similar weather. I tried growing aubergine's from seed a few years ago and got nowhere so have been, for the last few years, buying grafted ones which come as little plugs about April. I grow them on for a bit in my little greenhouse before planting them into the border. I usually get 3. Last year they didn't do so well because of the cold wet summer but in previous years I have had a good crop. Maybe for 2025 I will look to try and sow them again starting off much earlier as I do have both grow lights and a propagator as the grafted plants have now got quite expensive.
It was a challenging summer last year. I think we were all caught out by the hot summer of 2022 and maybe expected a re-run given the warm June. Anyway, here's to a fab growing season for 2024. happy gardening! :-)
There are varieties that grow small and do well in pots that you could grow indoors. I have some inside called Jewel Amethyst that I got from Botanical Interests. I started them on a heat mat, but you could pop them on top of your fridge and get them going that way.
It’s always a delight to see your fabulous videos! 🤩
Seeing you growing peppers reminds me of when I lived in a bedsit & used to grow peppers, garlic & herbs on any available ledge & shelf. I’m so lucky to now have a little plot of land, where with your incredible guidance, I’m able to grow so much more which I’m able to share with others.
Wishing you & loved ones a fantastic year ahead, with lots of love, laughs, great health & good fortune!
The same wishes to all your wonderful subscribers around the world who share their advice & experience of what they grow✌️🌎❤️🌏🙏🌍
Thank you Ben 🥕🍆🌶🍓🧄✌️🙏
What lovely words. I wish you a very successful start to the New Year. And happy gardening! :-)
I live much farther north than you do so I have to wait until February or March before I can start sowing. In the meantime I have plenty of time to work on my garden while I'm planning my crops for the next year.
Great to have stuff to be cracking on with in the meantime. :-)
I live in NY, zone 6a (1st frost early Oct; last frost early May). In January, I'm starting artichokes (per Eliot Coleman suggestion), asparagus and onions--in addition to some of what Ben has going on. Very excited!
This year, I started my eggplant and peppers on March 5th and they did very well for the most part. I wonder how much higher yield I can achieve by starting in January as Ben is. Hmmm 🤔
@ofrecentvintage I'm in zone 7b and have tried different start dates over the past decade. I'm finding February as a good month to start nightshades using heat mats and seed trays with humidity covers. Once a majority of seedlings have started to sprout I'll turn off the heat mats (since they've done their job) and remove the covers. I'll raise the seedlings inside until the overnight temp is consistently above 50F (10C) before acclimating them to the outdoors. I do have the benefit of a greenhouse and tomatoes will usually stay in there until they're 2-3 feet (or even a meter!) high before planting.
When I started in January I had to find space for ~1000 seedlings until temps were high enough to put out. Something to think about!
@@joemccall8991 Yes, space for seedlings upon seedlings is my main concern. I ran into this challenge this year because I wasn't able to transplant seedlings outside on schedule/as planned (my new mini greenhouse was stolen) & I had to care for far too many too large seedlings for too long. It became stressful! Before seeing this video, I'd resolved to try sowing a few select nightshade varieties on February 15th for a bit of a jumpstart. Maybe I'll stick with my original plan. Thank you for caring enough to chime in with your response/advice! 🌱
Perfect to drive the cold winter blues away!! I'm overwintering two Tabasco pepper plants and two mild Jalapeno plants inside plus various citrus plants. I'm chomping at the bit to start some seeds. I'm going to double my gardening efforts this summer. With the prices of food and the nasty stuff they are throwing in, we had best be growing and preserving more. I got some nice chickens even though I live inside city limits....Speckled Sussex, Lavender Orpingtons, Rhode Island Blues, and Buff Brahma. I try to keep them concealed to avoid being harassed. Sorry, Klaus & Kissinger....I'm not control material.😊😂🐔🐔🐔🐤🐓🐣.
@@lynnlamont3485 I hope to have a few indoor citrus plants soon! Just have to work out how to supply enough lighting for them to fruit. Any tips? And all of your chicken names/breeds sound very cool. Like fairy tale names almost!
This is the hard struggle for me , growing in a cold climate , where we have a short growing season . Our last frost date is June 7 . Our first frost date is early September, or anytime in between. How much longer do I add on to your sowing dates for my own indoor seed starting ? I’d love a video where you discuss sowing dates for cold , short season gardening !
I would suggest maybe waiting till late February to start the peppers, eggplant etc. That way they'll be good to go out when the frosts have passed. Your suggestion for a video is a great idea, thank you!
I'm also in a short garden climate. I might be getting too excited but I'm going to try a few seeds Late Jan to Feb to see how big I can get them for June.
I gave up, started ordering starts for peppers and such. Still get to order in January so it helps a bit
Obviously if you're planting a lot it's probably not worth it. But 4 or 5 plants on preorder for me due at the end of May.
Great idea with the cardboard reflector; I’m hoping it will keep some of my new seedlings a bit straighter!
😂 I kept thinking 🤔 your wife is going to be upset about you dragging your scarf through the dirt.
I use coir too it’s a great additive 👍. Rosie got a haircut 😊. Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas Ben and here’s to a very Happy New Year and grow season 2024, Ali 🥳🇨🇦
😂
Ha ha, indeed! Yes, a really fab time had here for Christmas. Looking forward to the new growing season already. Not long now! :-) Happy New Year to you.
I've been breaking down crates and collecting lumber from construction sites for a couple months now. Today, i have some time away from the kiddos.
Gotta build a couple hundred feet of trellis, a chicken coop, and a small frame for my hot house.
Temps are near freezing, the wind is blowing, and the sun has barely poked its head over the horizon.
Life is good
Wow - that's a big jobs list. Hope you manage to crack on through it. Enjoy!
@@GrowVeg Hot house is done, bunch of old pre-fab windows make it quite quick.
Onto the trellises. It's on a standard spacing, so that should go quickly as well.
The chicken coop may take a bit of time lol
Thank you Ben, you are our Garden Hero!! Thank you for sharing and showing and sowing. I think we can cover the seeds too much, it is better to be careful and just sprinkle some topping. Love how the strawberries thrived. Hope you are not too cold, all the very best for 2024 and for the family. Happy gardening and thank you showing us how. Kind regards.
Thank you so much for all of your support in watching the videos this year. Yes, the strawberry seedlings are off to a really flying start! Happy gardening :-)
Morning Ben. This was truly a master class in seed growing. I always get very nervous about growing anything from seed. And a little impatient. Soaking seeds and germinating on a paper towel is a new concept to me. Ianot having much luck with coriander. So I will try germinating in a paper towel. Fingers crossed 🤞😃.
Hope you get some good germination from your coriander this time round. :-)
Love the vids👌
You said your adding vermiculite but looked like perlite, I know perlite is good for aeration and drainage and vermiculite is good water retention so is vermiculite better to use
My apologies. I meant to say perlite but said vermiculite instead. It's definitely perlite you want.
Howdy Ben and Rosie!👋
I love seeing what folks are growing for the next gardening year!😃
You dropped seeds for some yummy foods!😋
From time to time our fall temps extend into December; thus, we are still harvesting tomatoes and zucchini. Our winter weather will arrive next week.🥶
We usually sow potatoes on Valentine's Day...we have a pretty short winter most years.
Ben, I wish y'all an amazing 2024!
I'm looking forward to all the great new knowledge I will obtain from you in the New Year!👩🏾🌾💕
Oh wow - tomatoes and zucchini in December - that's quite something! Thanks for watching and have a superb start to 2024! :-)
Brilliant video, thank you. We try something new each year in the garden and after watching this we are going to try peppers. Thank you x
That's fab to hear. Hope they grow well for you. :-)
Ahh, it's that time again when I start rummaging through the seed box and wondering what to grow next season. I grow about 300+ tomato plants to sell each year so have to pace myself and not plant too early. I put my warm germinating seeds on top of my tropical fish tank though, it's always 24℃ in there, works a treat.
What an ingenious way to use up what would’ve been wasted heat. Love it!
Im using an aquarium light this year, full spectrum led with some great success. Theres plenty available and they are generally a lot cheaper than the ones marketed for growing.
Great idea. :-)
Great timing Ben. I was half way thru' your video and couldn't wait to start. So N/Y eve I was out sowing chilli peppers and sweet peppers (I have heat mats and grow lights🙏) and today two big containers of carrots in the g/h. I'm very excited to start more sowing next month. Thank you for what you share and Happy New Year 🎉🌟💚
That's wonderful - what a fab way to start the year! :-)
...'gsnezsucsh up again'. The Pupper said Up!❤❤😂 So glad to meet Rosey later in the video. Love your work, thankyou for so many green tips! I've been out at Townsvilles Eco Fiesta, at Andersen Botanic Gardens.Great day for it, happy gardening, loved the Gingers episode.❤
Excellent video and channel. This will be my go-to feed for the rest of the year.
After a missed summer caused by house renovations and living in a summer let, I have plenty of catching-up to do.
Thanks so much. A very warm welcome to the channel! :-)
This my 1st time here. It's nice to meet you. I ❤gardening!!
Lovely to meet you too! Thanks so much for visiting the channel and I hope you'll become a regular viewer. Happy gardening! :-)
Really impressed with your videos - imformative and really inspiring - many thanks Ben!
👌
Thanks so much for those kind words. :-)
I never thought to start aubergines in Jan, but I'll give it a try as last year and this year my harvest wasn't as expected. Pepper and Chili are already going 🙂
Have a nice day.
Great stuff - do try sowing now. :-)
Says he is using vermiculite and then adds perlite ! Happy growing
Yes, meant perlite, sorry! :-)
I made a "growing" table to go in one of our bay windows (initially for my son, who was filling every available place with seed trays!). It has two tiers and under the top one I fixed a grow light panel for plants on the lower tier. The seedlings grown under the lights are much more robust than before. I also grew some raspberry canes from seed - it seems unlikely, but it worked well!
Wow - raspberries from seed is very impressive!
Truth is, it was surprisingly easy!@@GrowVeg
With my prior pair of cats, I was able to use heat mats and get seeds started early. My last frost date is in February so I'm glad I have a long growing season. I started getting back into gardening after a few years off (and thank you for being so inspirational!) and my current pair of cats thinks that my seedlings are their salad bar. So I need to find something different. this time.
Oh no - that's a nuisance! Hope you can find somewhere out of their reach.
Hi Ben (and Rosie of course!) - I’ve never seen the temperature probe put in to the soil before. I’ve always just left it dangle in the air so to speak 😂 Great video! Thank you. Tracy.
Thanks Tracy. I popped it into the soil as that's what we're trying to regulate - the soil temperature where the seeds are. Hope you have a very productive start to the year. :-)
Ben is a delightful fellow. He looks like Elton John. Thanks for the information and demos, especially growing strawberries from seed. Wish I had built a small greenhouse when building costs were cheaper. Good job.
Cheers for watching! :-)
Time has gotten away from me !!! I need to plant my tomato seeds and peppers. I use a grow light and my spare bedrokm.lol😄. But that's a great idea with the white boards. Last year I had great heirloom tomatoes I saved the seeds again for this years crop.
Looking forward to my garden , anything warm weather, don't like winter ugh😑. Hope you and Rosie had a happy Christmas and your family has a blessed and happy New Year !!God is good
Thank you so much for your kind wishes - and to you and yours. Spring isn't too far off now (he says optimistically!).
If you're looking for faster germination, I suggest a spicy pepper in the Capsicum Annuum species as opposed to Tobasco peppers, which are from the Capsicum Frutescens species. However, both are faster than Capsicum Chinense, which are the super spicy peppers you were referencing.
Thanks for that insight William.
That little dog! 🤩
Are grow lights worth it to avoid leggy seedlings?
Yes, definitely at this time of year. If you don't fancy the cost then just delay sowing by another month. But I reckon the grow lights are definitely worth the investment to get a bit of a head start.
I'm thinking of ordering some
Thanks for the great advice. You inspired me to go out this afternoon to prep pots & putter around the garden, while contemplating the 2024 garden season.
Awesome stuff! :-)
Hi Ben lovely to see Rosie, hope you all had a wonderful Christmas xx
We did thanks Lucy. Hope you did too. :-)
love your videos. i can never get my carrots, beets, radishes to grow UNDER the top of the earth. no matter how soft my earth is.
It may be worth starting beets and radish off in plug trays first, so you've got little clusters of seedlings to plant out - if you're struggling to get them to germinate directly outside that is.
Great video Ben. And so it begins again mate. Happy New Year to you and your family. Hope you have a great 2024
Cheers mate! It feels like the new growing season is bearing down on us far too quickly! Hope you have an awesome start to 2024 also. It's going to be a great (and productive!) year I'm sure! :-)
I'll be starting my onions and shallots in January. The rest I'll start February and March. I appreciate your growlight setup, it makes me smile seeing the ingenuity to keep it going: ).
Great to have started off the onions and shallots - a good head start there. :-)
Cont…Also what are the earliest potatoes to grow? And something for mid summer and late autumn?? Again potatoes. Thank you👏
The earliest potatoes will be sold as 'first early' potatoes - lots to choose from and all very early to mature. Rocket is often recommended for early planting. Then for maturing towards the end of summer you're simply looking for maincrop potatoes. You might want to choose a variety sold as good for storing.
Miracle grow nutrients every 2 to 3 days is good during hot days in cold maybe every 4 to 6 days
Thank you, very helpful. I got a Vivosun heat mat a couple years back and it's been great, the top of the fridge for warmth is a great idea.
Yes, really enjoying my (new) heat mat.
I need to get cracking as well, it is almost January.
Wonderful. Just need some space in my tiny greenhouse or on my very crowded windowsills.
I do have some carrot seedlings outside that I planted in November so looking forward to hose if they survive.
Happy new year!
And to you! :-)
Happy New Year Ben! I wish you happy gardening and bountiful harvests this coming year. I'm starting Basil and flowers on New Year's day, it's been so cold here my larger greenhouse isn't getting heated yet, but the one built-in to the horse barn has heat and I brought almost all my herbs indoors in October just before the 4 degreesF and snow. I need to feel the soil in my hands again! Thank you for your contagious enthusiasm and overflowing energy!
I know what you mean about feeling the soil in your hands - it's so good for us! Happy New Year to you too! :-)
Ive been wanting to add white reflectors to my greenhouse to surround with more light, fun to see my idea is proven there.
Thanks for another useful and very timely prompt! Some more advice on specific growlights would be a great addition... 😁 Looking forward to a happy New Year's gardening for us all. 😎
Thanks for watching Anthony. Here's some really good advice on grow lights: www.growveg.co.uk/guides/3-shopping-tips-for-plant-grow-lights/
Loads of useful tips. I’m definitely going to get some of these going. Thanks
Great stuff! :-)
I grew strawberry s from seed last year and they did very well.
That's great to hear. Mine have already germinated and are doing well.
Great video again, love it, so today I started sowing in a mini greenhouse with a heating mat underneath : 9 types of tomatoes, 2 types of peppers, 3 types of bell peppers, and 5 types of melon. Wondering when the first seedlings will be visible, then the lights can be turned on :) In Belgium it's not cold but wet, wet, wet ...
Yes, very, very wet here too!
motivating..its summer in Sydney,Australia now, but your videos alway inspire me2 get out into my garden.
That's lovely to hear. Hope you're getting a not-too-hot summer so far.
I cover cardboard with foil or space blanket to reflect light back Even a space box to sit my small grow lights over while seedlings are small. Has to stretch as I pot on 🤨
still too cold here in Iceland, it will go to -26 on Saturday and we still only have 3 - 4 hours of light
Oh wow, that is rather fresh! Yes, probably best waiting another month or two! :-)
As always, thank you for your wonderful videos. We seem to be getting frosts and blizzards later every year, so it makes it difficult to know when we can safely put our plants out here. Even the rule of not starting an outdoor garden until Memorial Day isn't always guaranteed to to keep them safe. One day, we may set up a greenhouse, but until then, I'll just have to keep fingers crossed and fleece at the ready. Good luck with your garden, and hopefully we can both harvest our strawberries grown from seed this year.
Hope you manage to get a good crop from your strawberries also. Very satisfying to grow them from seed. :-)
Hi Ben, another great video with lots of helpful information on sewing seeds. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊
Thanks so much. Happy New Year! :-)
Great information, Ben! Thank you for warming things up for us!
Thanks for watching. It's great to be thinking ahead to the growing season. :-)
Morning Hugh, from a cold rainy sw London. I just love your enthusiasm. Bit like yourself I am itching to get growing something or anything. I do have a few questions. I have a small allotment a bit shady but not a great problem 😃 I don’t have L.E.D lights or a heat pad🤔 Is better for me to wait till next month before I plant my carrot, Aurbergine lettuce seeds
Yes, if you don't have grow lights etc. then perhaps wait until mid-February to start the likes of peppers and aubergine off.
@@GrowVeg Thank you so much!🙏🏻
I need all the motivation I can get this year Ben , last season was very much hit and miss , some things did well but quite a lot didn’t, at the moment the constant wind and rain is not encouraging me into my Polycarbonate greenhouse as it rattles alarmingly. I’m just hoping we get a normal spring warm but not hot like last year.🤞
Yes, let's hope it's a normal spring. We need a bit of cold weather first to set us up!
Happy New Year ! Thank you
And to you! :-)
I was so glad to see your video always cheers me up thanks Ben and sweet little rosie ❤xx
That is so lovely to hear. Happy New Year to you! 😀
I'd love to live in such a nice climate
Yes, I have a couple of heat mats for my peppers and eggplants as well
They’re really handy aren’t they! :-)
@@GrowVeg indeed,especially like, I love to grow my tropical plants
Thank you for this video.
Great reuse of the placemats at the end of the growlight contraption!😂 I have the same ones somewhere unused in a drawer.
Very useful for propping up the lights!
Thank you for the video video. I need some inspiration to get started and you provided it.
So pleased this video's inspired. Happy gardening! :-)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Ben I'm really looking forward to the coming season, my little garden has, with your guidance gone from strength to strength over the past year
Thank you so much for your hard work
That's so lovely to hear, thank you. A very happy New Year to you also - happy gardening! :-)
I get a bunch of that wool with a particular frozen dog food delivery. I do the same thing with the heat mats; and the surplus wool gets composted to become the soil itself!
It's really useful stuff isn't it!
I always have problems trying to grow peppers, thanks for the info! Very cold and wintery here but I'm getting antsy. I may start my peppers now and my tomatoes in February.
That's not a bad move. If you have grow lights, it's definitely worth starting peppers a bit earlier if you can.
super solid information, appreciate these as always. on your mix was that actually vermiculite or was that perlite?
Do you know what, I got my words mixed up. You're right - it was perlite, not vermiculite. Doh! Either would be fine though. :-)
Thank you for sharing the good stuff
Usually you are not standing up inside the greenhouse, i always thought it was a bit taller! My greenhouse stands taller because the low winter sun mostly hits above the ground so the plants want to be overhead.
Yes, good to get the plants up into the light if you can.
Plant carrots in January? I never would have thought of that!
From a semi beginner but new subscriber.
I have often wondered if i had been water my seedlings to much and end up watering them to little. (obviously) . Any clever tips on watering just right?
It's always worth lifting the pots or cell trays to get an idea of its weight. If it is very light then that usually means it is quite dry and could do with a water.
Last september a friend gave me small bellpepperplants. Way to late to fully grow them, but I keep them in small containers in the window to wait for spring. So far they are surviving.
Yes, hopefully they should overwinter and then they will give you a really good Headstart on the new season. :-)