Hello Mark, I'm a young man from north Africa and I'm a big fan of you. I've been growing all kinds of crops with my dad ever since I was a kid and I didn't realize that we were actually using a very ancient way to grow food in our garden. I started watching videos on TH-cam after I started learning English and I'm really glad that I've come across your channel. It's really good to find people who inspire others to do more and be positive about it. Thank you so much for your efforts. Much love from Algeria.
By far my favorite gardener you inspired me at the age of 21 wanting to garden for a better healthy life I thank you for helping me find my way in life just by watching your youtube videos.
enjoy to gardening journey mate. it makes me happy to see more and more younger people exploring a passion in growing their own food and building gardens! you're on a good track
I hope that someday I will get to shake this gentleman's hand and thank him personally for inspiring love for gardening. People in touch with gardening are always filled with wonder and delights that are absent from city life.
i love how you use both "natural" and artifical products/methods and explain why either is better for a certain task, instead of just dismissing one as inherently worse.
Thank you! I like to "try" and keep an open mind in most areas of my life because it broadens options and it surprises me sometimes how perceptions can be wrong when the facts are revealed. Cheers :)
G'day Everyone, go here to get Birdies Raised Garden bed in the USA: shop.epicgardening.com/ and use SSME2020 for a 5% discount. This video took me quite a while to put together, hence the extra time between uploads - better late than never! Hope you enjoy it... Cheers :) selfsufficientme.com/
Finally someone who's honest about spending time in the garden! Time and passion (or the lack of them) are I think the most common reason why most people fail at gardening
Sage advice Mark!! rain reigns; suns a rising star; healthy soil keeps your garden grounded; gardens don’t always need mushroom; always enough thyme; good location gives a seeding edge; organic farmers till it like it is. I’m rooting for you!!!
"Add on the current instability in the world today, we are as motivated today as ever to grow as much food as possible." I totally agree and I am going to invest in fruit and nut tree's this coming spring.
I love this guy & I love his enthusiasm for sustainability. One year ago I left my inner city apartment for a home in regional Australia. Since that move I am in the process of creating a garden that reflects Mark's lifestyle than the one I had lived for so many years. I have not one regret.
Another reason to keep garden veggies out of the main food forest: Fruit trees grow best in a soil that favours fungal growth, forming symbiotic relationships with tree roots. Garden veggies, on the other hand, tend prefer a soil that contains more beneficial bacteria. The vegetable garden also experiences more soil disturbance as annuals die and are replaced season to season, something that would be disruptive in fungal dominant soil. Perennial shrubs are a better choice for the forest garden. This channel is awesome! It's so inspiring to see the potential of having a home garden.
That's an excellent explanation Irene thanks for sharing your knowledge! I have also planted some pigeon pea this year for the first time and we have peas on the small plants already - I have a feeling this will be a top long-lived perennial on our property and suitable as a gap filler amongst our fruit trees. Cheers :)
Irene Baker, thanks for your post. I recently moved to Florida and have been thinking about the food forest. I didn't know your info about the fungal connection to fruit trees and hadn't considered the disruption of the soil for veggies as a problem. The citrus greening disease has been thought to not be a problem for native oranges growing under the canopy of live oak trees, so, food for thought.
You are the best. The way you explain every aspect of gardening-good and bad- makes it more attainable and understandable for the regular person. I’m a fan
@@bamanature5258 mark, im hoping you can help me. My crop of self sewn tomatoes were just deciminated by shield beetles. Massive crop but most just destroyed with the little bites which then caused rot. Is there a natural product that i can use to destroy tis beetle? Regards Barb Wilson Walkerston out of Mackay.
I share your overall belief of where we are at. Started working on 1 Acre in the WA Weatbelt. Clay below shallow fertile soil @ 30 mm, no bores, started raised beds, need more water storage. I remain confident and committed. Yours Stuart
Yeah Stuart, that clay is a real PITA - it plays havoc with several varieties of trees here on our property (especially avocados). Building up is definitely the way to go. Cheers :)
@@Selfsufficientme Thank you for the reply, my brother offered me some young Avacado so I did a little research and concluded it ain't that easy in Kendenup. So have stated to plan my next raised bed, for the plants. I,we, the many, much appreciate your work !
I just sold my 500sqm plot in city & zeroed in on a half an acre countryside plot in India and shall close the buying by April end. You and Permaculture exponent Vinay Kumar are my inspiration. God Bless you both for the positive vibes you guys exude and teaching us how to live with nature and not live off it.
Where I live, getting enough sunlight is my biggest challenge, I’m shaded out by so many trees, but with what little sun I have, I’ve been able to grow some thing :)
Love your videos Mark you have inspired me to make my own gourd tunnel, my son and I built it from mostly recycled materials because we are on a tight budget. Love your passion for gardening Keep the great videos coming! Much love from South Australia 😊
I live in a duplex. I grew veggies in fabric pots outside on the wall that faces east since that is the side of my unit which got the most sun. I had a lot of cucumbers and tomatoes. I used the cucumbers up; but, ended up dehydrating the tomatoes. Dehydrated tomatoes take up less room than canned or frozen tomatoes; so, it has worked out for me. Next year, I want to grow peas and beans along with the cucumbers and tomatoes. I want to try potatoes and onions, as well. Even having a container garden helped me so much.
Right on Donna! Container gardening is so awesome. It's amazing what you can grow in just a little bit of space. Definitely try out some vine peas. They have miminal root systems so often you can actually grow 2-3 plants in a single container!
So much inspire to do farming ,so love to see and watch your videos.sooner I will have mine too.thank you so much for the advice .Take care and May Godless you all.
One of the things I love about your channel, aside from the great gardening advice with a smile, is hearing and seeing all the birds and animals in your backyard; it makes me feel like I'm in a rainforest! Thanks for another great video!
Thank you! It certainly can get busy and noisy here at times with all the wildlife around - sure, they sometimes pinch a bit of produce but we don't mind. Cheers :)
This is honestly the best TH-cam gardening channel out there!!! Also Mark keep up the great work!!! Your garden design is amazingly beautiful and unique!!!
I like putting in fruiting shrubs between our fruit trees. Usually you can find some type of berries that don't mind a little more shade than the bigger fruit trees or vegetables. I think when I have the rest of the trees we have left to put in all planned out, I'll probably put perennial flowering plants at the ends of the rows and in the open spaces. I haven't had a whole lot of luck with lots of vegetables in part shade, but some perennial herbs do quite well (such as chives).
"You can burn money. But you can't eat it." Exactly. Been watching your channel for a while. Followed some of your suggestions and after two years of work, finally had a massive harvest this year. Starting with tomatoes then peppers , onions, garlic, cucumbers and carrots. I had so much that I had to give some my neighbors. I consider it a good problem because I was able to figure out the proper times to plant, treat the soil and water content needed to sustain production. And I am doing this in Texas. Everything you mentioned in this video I have done and have been just as successful. But I don't own a 3 acre lot. Not yet. I do all of my gardening in the backyard of my house using raised beds. And it is all organic which I discovered, (quite by accident), that all of my produce keeps much longer than anything I buy at the market. Keep doing what you are doing and I will keep watching. Cheers!
My brother you're such an inspiration to me and I love that bit at the end. I'm totally with you. I grow successfully on my apartment balcony and someday hope to have just a fraction of the amount of land you have. I have a passion for gardening because there's truly nothing else like it and I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about. The fact that a single tiny little seed could grow into an enormous plant that produces fruit still blows my mind daily. Keep changing lives! God Bless.
I moved from the UK and now live in the South West Alentejo region of Portugal only 2 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. We enjoy a Mediterranean climate but the Alentejo is basically a desert in the summer months from April/May to October/November. If it wasn't for an integrated regional irrigation system nothing would grow. Indeed my house doesn't even enjoy town water. I could talk to you for hours about the challenges of growing here but this isn't the correct forum. You should add Portugal to your travel itinerary and compare the different regions. In fact I will offer you free accommodation in one of our Yurts and show you around our local area for few days if you're interested. Some of the local farming techniques haven't changed since the Christians kicked out the Moors 800 years ago. Fir now I'll just watch, listen, learn and get ideas. Good fortune and keep the topics coming. Many thanks. Phil Austin. 👍
I absolutely love your videos. Although I am almost completely blind and physically unable I don't see how I could actually do a garden like this. It's wonderful to watch someone who can and listen to how you're doing it. I also share your videos on my Facebook. Thank you for what you do. God bless
Thank you Mark I really appreciate your videos they have helped me a lot I am very much looking forward to the spring planting season this year. I live in Florida Orlando Florida that is in the good old United States. At first I started watching your videos cuz I like the way you say tomatoes. But I have really grown to enjoy the way you go about presenting everything and then you're growing tips or something I'm going to follow to the T. So again thank you for what you do by sharing your Garden expertise and knowledge
I have an Allotment in the UK and it’s fascinating to see what you grow in what seasons. Even though we are on the other side of the world so many of the principles are the same. With global warming impacting our hot summers it’s really valuable to have your experience on watering as well.
Very good - and especially your summation - too many folk are far too removed from food production. Kids sadly have no idea where their food comes from or what it looks like growing let alone how it grows or who grows it - if everyone who had a bit of space could grow something - especially with their kids, it would help our environment and the understanding of what makes it tick, so much! Thank you, Mark!
Well said small wonda. I'm saddened that growing food and farming education is not part of the curriculum for young kids in elementary school. Generations are being lost as to where our food actually comes from!
Love it! I only have .39 of an acre and I've got 30 fruit trees, a couple large raised gardens, and some other potted stuff.. Watching this makes me want to do a lot more. Thanks for the inspiration!
Here is a tip for increasing yields on your pepper plants. Cut the top off just below where the stem starts to fork, Y Thank you Mark for all of the wonderful information you share with the world!
The secret to success in my garden is a dedicated mark from self sufficient me shrine. I have constructed a life sized model of him so I can pray to and make daily offerings.
Just completed 14 new raised beds for next year. After a successful experiment with them this year, everything will be in raised beds next year. We love your channel and gardens! 👍 Cheers from northern Canada
You're totally blessed with the bountiful fruits and vegetables you have there. It's awesome to see your garden continue to thrive throughout the drought period. You're videos are always informative so please keep it up. Aloha from Hawaii 🤙
Just started a small vegetable garden, and love your content. Very informative and doesn't put me to sleep like alot of others. :) think the storm and weather has just hit South Aus. Praying for some rain for everyone suffering the drought.
Really interesting. Food for thought. I'm still working full-time, so I have to pace myself: space - limited, passion - plenty, time - limited. But as you say, be SS in something. I'm always inspired by your presentations. (and yes, I like to feel the soil/compost with my hands too!)
Congratulations for this and also other very well produced videos! Quality productions like this related to garden and planting are not Easy to find and It certaintly motivates begginers in this area. And also the consciousness you have about what investing in self sufficiency and homemade garden means! You're indeed generating a good impact for the world at all!
oo i wonder how prickly pear cactus would grow in your area? might be a nice crop to have in drought times, the fruit is great for jams/jellies and the paddles can be eaten raw or cooked. plus they generate green foliage from minimal water so you could continue to make compost even during drought.
Mark, I always love your videos❤️! We are about to close on our homestead this week in Florida. I've never lived in Florida, but it is sub tropical as well. I love getting new ideas from your channel for what I can grow, and I want to grow everything!!! 😁 Keep up the great videos 👍😍.
I am a unique garden - 1.2 acres (American) with bayou access (really really far south Louisiana) . About 80-87% of usable land but lots of clay and high brackish water table. Believe it or not your channel helps a lot because of weather similarities and raised bed gardening. I am in the process of providing raused areas for fruit trees because of coastal erosion and etc. making it a necessity. Despite all the challenges, I'm planning on being sustainable in the next 5 years. Thankyou for you channel and dedication. Its inspiration!
I'm in south eastern Arizona in America, so I pretty close to your climate, I bit cooler, probably a little more dry. I love your videos, so helpful and encouraging.
I have a 7th thing that helps create a successful garden: physical stamina and ability. I know even in a wheelchair a person can garden, but for some, the higher raised beds are expensive. I know that gardening can increase stamina, but for some who suffering from physically limiting disorders it is difficult to be out in the garden enough to make a positive difference to the garden. I once got a small grant to improve gardening at the local senior center. I used it to have wheelchair accessible raised beds put in and filled and for drip irrigation and shade cloth cover (to help with blistering desert sun) added. Now I'm a senior and could use some of those super high raised beds. I'm struggling up and down onto my kneeler still.
Sushi good luck over there . So far everything he said sounds like philippines specially the land that we bought is in theprovince. Planning to build a nipa hut and a simple life style
EastGhost i was very serious about a guard goose but some of my friends told me that it can eat the plants and poo everywhere , so i am not sure about that
Thanks so much for your video and knowledge you pass on today for all of us. Im in usa, ( Florida ). My third season growing so still learning a lot from people like you. Building my garden up for food once i retire in a couple of years. Happy Gardening
We've moved in our forever property in Western Australia and are attacking the established, though overgrown, garden - we are excited about what we will make - though it is a bit daunting! Mark, your videos have provided clear guidance and this one is no exception. Particularly the 'time' aspect - we're fortunate to now be taking this on when we can make it our full time job. But as you say, you don't want to discourage anyone from giving growing a go - so I'd echo your thoughts and encourage folks to start small and see what works.
love it man, great inspiration, I only have a couple of small raised beds in my rental but I love going out there and growing, we haven't had to buy a salad leaf or a tomato for months once they kicked off.
Like you I am a passionate gardener, and sometimes I over do it a little. I have a small plot now, but for over 40 years I had acres to plant. It's hard to get away from the more is better mentality. With 5 in the family I canned a lot of food, plus we raised our own meats. Now I live in small town America and have less than 1/2 acre. I really like your growing tubs and am going to invest in a couple myself.
I smashed my thumb so it would be BIG so I could give your video the BIG Thumbs Up you deserve. Love your videos, and esp the last point on this videos 6 points... PASSION... That is the main thing that keeps me going back to my Oklahoma/America full sun summer heat humidity dripping sweat garden, and the cherokee purple maters etc of course. Keep up your good work and stay safe you and yours.
Yes it's really good to have a bit of garden in our backyard just like I do in New Zealand.Its very rewarding and get some extra money by selling it to neighbours and at Facebook marketplace.I wish I have bigger section.You are inspiring mate.
I have watched your videos for a very long time, and I am always inspired to continue my gardening journey. You my friend are a very wise man and dish out the best gardening advice 😊
I'd like to send a prayer to the thumbs down crowd in this video........ "God, please do not punish the unwise for they DO NOT KNOW THE FRUITS OF LOVE/LABOR U ARE DEMONSTRATING THROUGHOUT THIS BROTHER FROM ACROSS THE WORLD " Great video bro !!! The learning I've acquired from you is PRICELESS.
happy to see you give the extra thought to make six instead of only five, which is not always the most viable number for lists, because it is prime and special.
The conclusion to this video really resonated with how I’ve been feeling for the last year or so. Thanks for all your informative and inspiring uploads🌏 ✌️
@@kushegga95 It rained a bit at the end of last week and we got a small thunderstorm on Friday. The grass did actually green up a bit just from those couple days, but any rain is good.
These 6 things make perfect sense too me mate. I live by each of them as you are aware. Gardening is a passion for me, In fact, I'm sure I get withdrawal when I don't get into the garden. (wonder of its a drug if thats the case) On top of it all, you get the best tasting nutrient-dense foods you just can't buy in the shops. Brill video mate.
Well ol' chap you've done it again. Another great video full of a wealth of information and knowledge on gardening. I frequently (every night) watch your videos. I must admit I have watched a couple others but none compare as personable as yours. I don't even bother with anyone else's channels anymore. My night times are all well spent watching 2+ hours of watching just your channel. Might seem a bit of an obsession, and you would be correct. Now that I'm retired I have taken up the hobby of landscaping and gardening. Living in the Boston area in the north eastern US my gardening season is very limited to what I can and cannot grow in my area. But learning of what you are able to grow is all very interesting to me. I'm almost glad I don't live in your climate area. I would never sleep. I would always be planting something new. Either way, I enjoy your videos very much. Those I have seen before of produce I am able to grow, I tend to watch over since at my age my memory is not what it was when I was much younger. I always seem to pick up on a few bits of information I may have forgotten or over looked. I'm very jealous of all the varities you can produce. We all seem to want what others have while living in other locations around the world. For instance, you might be jealous of people in my area that have access to a multitude of fish and shellfish such as lobsters, scallops, and clams to name a few. I have to admit I cannot live without my seafood but being able to still grow my own food is quite rewarding. Although my growing season is limited to only six months out of the year, it doesn't stop me from growing plants indoors as well. It's currently December 1st right now which means planting seeds indoors is keeping me busy. Right now I'm trying to start blueberry, and rose bushes from seeds. This should be quite challenging since I have no idea what I'm doing but as I always say, Columbus took a chance! I dedicated a spare bedroom into a growing and food storage area. I live in the city but have one of the largest yards in my area. I planted six blueberry bushes this past spring along with five rose bushes and a few lemongrass plants. Not knowing at the time that lemongrass is not fit to survive below 45°F. I had to cut down to a foot high and dig up in October to store in my basement. Leaving them in a cool dark area will leave them dormant till the spring when they can be replanted outdoors. Now that I'm aware of their growing enviroment I'll leave them in pots so I don't have to dig them up again. They grew into massive size plants like yours and when I first planted them in June they were scrawney little three leaf plants. Now they are a foot wide and come springtime I'll break them up into scrawney little plants again and give some away. Their leaves cut up do make a great mosquito repellent to spread out around an area I choose to sit in. I also learned a slice of lemon with cloves in it works even better. I just wanted to comment here though to let you know how much I enjoy your channel and thank you for all the information you share with us all. Time to get outside right now and mulch up some more leaves that have fallen and add them into my compost pile before the snowy season starts. A beautiful 43° day out there. Perfect for some more yardwork. Gotta love the months of Oct-Dec. Here to provide me with lots of fallen leaves for mulching. All great garden compost for next season, good'ay!
You never fail to disappoint. Love the content and the little backstory on why you started to grow your food garden. We are currently transitioning to a similar lifestyle for similar reasons, and your videos are full of good info and inspiration. Thank you!
Idk if someone has already did this, but on the rainwater collection, lots of places in the US have laws about collecting rain water, especially in aquifer recharge zones, so if you're considering installing a rainwater collection tank, make sure it's allowed in your area.
I’m sorry but it’s absolutely essential that you post much more often. I’m completely addicted. An idea for a video is which crops to purpose with others in different sized raised garden beds. Love your work irrespective mate. Cheers!
Great video mate, we started our yard garden for the same reasons and are enjoying some amazing veges, you absolutely cannot compare the taste of home grown veges to anything from the mass market. Thanks for the inspiration!!
However small your patch, grow some food, mine is tiny tiny, but this year I grew beans and peas, got lots of meals off them. Next year I plan on doing corn and cougettes too... the courgette in a large pot I think. I live alone so I don't need more than one plant... Toms of course, but I got blight this year, so they will all have to be in pots with fresh compost. I will not give up, I love growing stuff that I can eat.
Mate your videos give me inspiration to work on my garden. The only I hate about your video is how bloody good your Tom's are. I wish mine would be that good. Keep up the vids mate and be that aussie battler we need in this country
Loved this video thank you! Another “food security” point I hear more and more of it hat people are more concerned with what chemicals the produce they eat has been exposed to eg. fly spray smelling fruit. I liked your reasoning with keeping the vegetables seperate in raised beds, if people don’t have much sun then some salad crops can do pretty well in the shade still, we grow some of our lettuce that would normally bolt in the shade in summer and it stops it bolting so quickly. Definitely envious of your tropical climate!
Northwest Alabama in the U.S. has had one of the wettest years on record as of today 4/1/20 we have had over 30 inches (76cm)of rainfall since January 1st. And it's 43°F (6.1°C) two days ago it was 80°F (26.7°C). And will be back almost that hot within 2 or 3 days
I have just started my gardening journey here in Sweden, and thought we have different climate your TH-cam videos are great inspiration source! Thumbs up for you 👍
Hello Mark, I'm a young man from north Africa and I'm a big fan of you. I've been growing all kinds of crops with my dad ever since I was a kid and I didn't realize that we were actually using a very ancient way to grow food in our garden. I started watching videos on TH-cam after I started learning English and I'm really glad that I've come across your channel. It's really good to find people who inspire others to do more and be positive about it. Thank you so much for your efforts. Much love from Algeria.
By far my favorite gardener you inspired me at the age of 21 wanting to garden for a better healthy life I thank you for helping me find my way in life just by watching your youtube videos.
Good luck!
@@ThahnG413 thanks bloke
That's great to hear Lachlan and very kind of you to say - all the best mate! :)
@@Selfsufficientme thank you so much mark you made my day
enjoy to gardening journey mate. it makes me happy to see more and more younger people exploring a passion in growing their own food and building gardens! you're on a good track
I hope that someday I will get to shake this gentleman's hand and thank him personally for inspiring love for gardening. People in touch with gardening are always filled with wonder and delights that are absent from city life.
Actually, better make that an elbow bump.
i love how you use both "natural" and artifical products/methods and explain why either is better for a certain task, instead of just dismissing one as inherently worse.
Thank you! I like to "try" and keep an open mind in most areas of my life because it broadens options and it surprises me sometimes how perceptions can be wrong when the facts are revealed. Cheers :)
@@Selfsufficientme 🙏👍💯
G'day Everyone, go here to get Birdies Raised Garden bed in the USA: shop.epicgardening.com/ and use SSME2020 for a 5% discount. This video took me quite a while to put together, hence the extra time between uploads - better late than never! Hope you enjoy it... Cheers :) selfsufficientme.com/
Self Sufficient Me very much so! Thanks mate
I really enjoyed it, especially the part where you compared the food forest concept to your method.
Cheers / diolch, absolutely love your vids, I've learned a lot. Greetings from Wales.
You are a voice of reason, Mark. I thank you for this and the information you bring forth.
Cheers from Western Europe.
Great video!
Finally someone who's honest about spending time in the garden! Time and passion (or the lack of them) are I think the most common reason why most people fail at gardening
Sage advice Mark!!
rain reigns; suns a rising star; healthy soil keeps your garden grounded; gardens don’t always need mushroom; always enough thyme; good location gives a seeding edge; organic farmers till it like it is.
I’m rooting for you!!!
1. (1:15) Water
2. (4:45) Climate
3. (6:22) Soil (& fertilizer)
4. (8:28) Location
5. (11:18) Time
6. (12:09) Passion
"Add on the current instability in the world today, we are as motivated today as ever to grow as much food as possible." I totally agree and I am going to invest in fruit and nut tree's this coming spring.
Many nut trees take up to 10 yrs to bear food.
I love this guy & I love his enthusiasm for sustainability. One year ago I left my inner city apartment for a home in regional Australia. Since that move I am in the process of creating a garden that reflects Mark's lifestyle than the one I had lived for so many years. I have not one regret.
My dream is to have a plot of land and grow a garden similar to yours someday. Your success is my inspiration!
just make use of what space you have. if you have a balcony or window that gets sun you can grow some herbs at least. give it a go?
3 acres. What a wonderful luxury. I'm happy for you!
Another reason to keep garden veggies out of the main food forest: Fruit trees grow best in a soil that favours fungal growth, forming symbiotic relationships with tree roots. Garden veggies, on the other hand, tend prefer a soil that contains more beneficial bacteria. The vegetable garden also experiences more soil disturbance as annuals die and are replaced season to season, something that would be disruptive in fungal dominant soil. Perennial shrubs are a better choice for the forest garden.
This channel is awesome! It's so inspiring to see the potential of having a home garden.
That's an excellent explanation Irene thanks for sharing your knowledge! I have also planted some pigeon pea this year for the first time and we have peas on the small plants already - I have a feeling this will be a top long-lived perennial on our property and suitable as a gap filler amongst our fruit trees. Cheers :)
Irene Baker, thanks for your post. I recently moved to Florida and have been thinking about the food forest. I didn't know your info about the fungal connection to fruit trees and hadn't considered the disruption of the soil for veggies as a problem. The citrus greening disease has been thought to not be a problem for native oranges growing under the canopy of live oak trees, so, food for thought.
So easy to do at the Sunshine Coast! Enough water, no frosts or 45+ degrees temps for weeks on end.
You are the best. The way you explain every aspect of gardening-good and bad- makes it more attainable and understandable for the regular person.
I’m a fan
Beautiful garden 😍 I simply loved this place 👍
I find my plants like rain water more than my tape water too
Your garden is really beautiful and amazing
Thank you for sharing 🙏 😊
Thank you Sherry! Yes, there's nothing better than good old rainwater for a garden I agree :)
@@Selfsufficientme
Quick question how do you keep the mosquitoes from breeding in your rainwater storage.
@@bamanature5258 mark, im hoping you can help me. My crop of self sewn tomatoes were just deciminated by shield beetles. Massive crop but most just destroyed with the little bites which then caused rot. Is there a natural product that i can use to destroy tis beetle? Regards Barb Wilson Walkerston out of Mackay.
I share your overall belief of where we are at. Started working on 1 Acre in the WA Weatbelt. Clay below shallow fertile soil @ 30 mm, no bores, started raised beds, need more water storage. I remain confident and committed. Yours Stuart
Yeah Stuart, that clay is a real PITA - it plays havoc with several varieties of trees here on our property (especially avocados). Building up is definitely the way to go. Cheers :)
@@Selfsufficientme Thank you for the reply, my brother offered me some young Avacado so I did a little research and concluded it ain't that easy in Kendenup. So have stated to plan my next raised bed, for the plants. I,we, the many, much appreciate your work !
@Ants C Thanks I will
I did, there is much to be learned from this young lady.
I just sold my 500sqm plot in city & zeroed in on a half an acre countryside plot in India and shall close the buying by April end. You and Permaculture exponent Vinay Kumar are my inspiration. God Bless you both for the positive vibes you guys exude and teaching us how to live with nature and not live off it.
Where I live, getting enough sunlight is my biggest challenge, I’m shaded out by so many trees, but with what little sun I have, I’ve been able to grow some thing :)
Love your videos Mark you have inspired me to make my own gourd tunnel, my son and I built it from mostly recycled materials because we are on a tight budget. Love your passion for gardening
Keep the great videos coming! Much love from South Australia 😊
I live in a duplex. I grew veggies in fabric pots outside on the wall that faces east since that is the side of my unit which got the most sun. I had a lot of cucumbers and tomatoes. I used the cucumbers up; but, ended up dehydrating the tomatoes. Dehydrated tomatoes take up less room than canned or frozen tomatoes; so, it has worked out for me. Next year, I want to grow peas and beans along with the cucumbers and tomatoes. I want to try potatoes and onions, as well. Even having a container garden helped me so much.
Right on Donna! Container gardening is so awesome. It's amazing what you can grow in just a little bit of space. Definitely try out some vine peas. They have miminal root systems so often you can actually grow 2-3 plants in a single container!
So much inspire to do farming ,so love to see and watch your videos.sooner I will have mine too.thank you so much for the advice .Take care and May Godless you all.
One of the things I love about your channel, aside from the great gardening advice with a smile, is hearing and seeing all the birds and animals in your backyard; it makes me feel like I'm in a rainforest! Thanks for another great video!
Thank you! It certainly can get busy and noisy here at times with all the wildlife around - sure, they sometimes pinch a bit of produce but we don't mind. Cheers :)
Passion is so important.
Also, loved the bit at the end about getting away from the system
This is honestly the best TH-cam gardening channel out there!!!
Also Mark keep up the great work!!! Your garden design is amazingly beautiful and unique!!!
I like putting in fruiting shrubs between our fruit trees. Usually you can find some type of berries that don't mind a little more shade than the bigger fruit trees or vegetables. I think when I have the rest of the trees we have left to put in all planned out, I'll probably put perennial flowering plants at the ends of the rows and in the open spaces. I haven't had a whole lot of luck with lots of vegetables in part shade, but some perennial herbs do quite well (such as chives).
"You can burn money. But you can't eat it." Exactly. Been watching your channel for a while. Followed some of your suggestions and after two years of work, finally had a massive harvest this year. Starting with tomatoes then peppers , onions, garlic, cucumbers and carrots. I had so much that I had to give some my neighbors. I consider it a good problem because I was able to figure out the proper times to plant, treat the soil and water content needed to sustain production. And I am doing this in Texas. Everything you mentioned in this video I have done and have been just as successful. But I don't own a 3 acre lot. Not yet. I do all of my gardening in the backyard of my house using raised beds. And it is all organic which I discovered, (quite by accident), that all of my produce keeps much longer than anything I buy at the market. Keep doing what you are doing and I will keep watching. Cheers!
That's great to hear! It sounds like you don't need to upsize with all the produce you've grown - good stuff. All the best :)
My brother you're such an inspiration to me and I love that bit at the end. I'm totally with you. I grow successfully on my apartment balcony and someday hope to have just a fraction of the amount of land you have. I have a passion for gardening because there's truly nothing else like it and I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about. The fact that a single tiny little seed could grow into an enormous plant that produces fruit still blows my mind daily. Keep changing lives! God Bless.
I moved from the UK and now live in the South West Alentejo region of Portugal only 2 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. We enjoy a Mediterranean climate but the Alentejo is basically a desert in the summer months from April/May to October/November. If it wasn't for an integrated regional irrigation system nothing would grow. Indeed my house doesn't even enjoy town water.
I could talk to you for hours about the challenges of growing here but this isn't the correct forum.
You should add Portugal to your travel itinerary and compare the different regions. In fact I will offer you free accommodation in one of our Yurts and show you around our local area for few days if you're interested. Some of the local farming techniques haven't changed since the Christians kicked out the Moors 800 years ago.
Fir now I'll just watch, listen, learn and get ideas.
Good fortune and keep the topics coming.
Many thanks.
Phil Austin. 👍
I absolutely love your videos. Although I am almost completely blind and physically unable I don't see how I could actually do a garden like this. It's wonderful to watch someone who can and listen to how you're doing it. I also share your videos on my Facebook. Thank you for what you do. God bless
Thank you very much Beckey! God bless you too :)
@@Selfsufficientme by the way I am in Central Florida USA
Try some black cumin. It should help with your vision.
Thank you Mark I really appreciate your videos they have helped me a lot I am very much looking forward to the spring planting season this year. I live in Florida Orlando Florida that is in the good old United States. At first I started watching your videos cuz I like the way you say tomatoes. But I have really grown to enjoy the way you go about presenting everything and then you're growing tips or something I'm going to follow to the T. So again thank you for what you do by sharing your Garden expertise and knowledge
Just bought a farm in Thailand and I'm finding your channel very useful.... Cheers mate 😁
I have an Allotment in the UK and it’s fascinating to see what you grow in what seasons. Even though we are on the other side of the world so many of the principles are the same. With global warming impacting our hot summers it’s really valuable to have your experience on watering as well.
Very good - and especially your summation - too many folk are far too removed from food production. Kids sadly have no idea where their food comes from or what it looks like growing let alone how it grows or who grows it - if everyone who had a bit of space could grow something - especially with their kids, it would help our environment and the understanding of what makes it tick, so much! Thank you, Mark!
Well said small wonda. I'm saddened that growing food and farming education is not part of the curriculum for young kids in elementary school. Generations are being lost as to where our food actually comes from!
Love it! I only have .39 of an acre and I've got 30 fruit trees, a couple large raised gardens, and some other potted stuff.. Watching this makes me want to do a lot more. Thanks for the inspiration!
Your enviable passion for gardening, and your vast knowledge of the subject, is what keeps me coming back !!
Here is a tip for increasing yields on your pepper plants. Cut the top off just below where the stem starts to fork, Y Thank you Mark for all of the wonderful information you share with the world!
The secret to success in my garden is a dedicated mark from self sufficient me shrine. I have constructed a life sized model of him so I can pray to and make daily offerings.
RottenPelican Hoof Ⓥ 😂
Lol
पिछले एक साल से आप प्रेरणादायक हैं प्रेरणा स्रोत हैं। धन्यवाद।भाई जी कुछ प्रश्न हैं संतरे नींबू मौसमी के पेड़ो के बारे में।
Just completed 14 new raised beds for next year. After a successful experiment with them this year, everything will be in raised beds next year. We love your channel and gardens! 👍 Cheers from northern Canada
You're totally blessed with the bountiful fruits and vegetables you have there. It's awesome to see your garden continue to thrive throughout the drought period. You're videos are always informative so please keep it up. Aloha from Hawaii 🤙
Aloha Leilani! Yes, we're lucky here compared to our suffering farmers and town folk out west and inland. Thank you :)
Thank you for generously sharing your knowledge in small scale farming
Passion 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻Passion can be started by influence. Your positive influence. ☺️👌
Just started a small vegetable garden, and love your content. Very informative and doesn't put me to sleep like alot of others. :) think the storm and weather has just hit South Aus. Praying for some rain for everyone suffering the drought.
Really interesting. Food for thought. I'm still working full-time, so I have to pace myself: space - limited, passion - plenty, time - limited. But as you say, be SS in something. I'm always inspired by your presentations. (and yes, I like to feel the soil/compost with my hands too!)
Congratulations for this and also other very well produced videos! Quality productions like this related to garden and planting are not Easy to find and It certaintly motivates begginers in this area. And also the consciousness you have about what investing in self sufficiency and homemade garden means! You're indeed generating a good impact for the world at all!
oo i wonder how prickly pear cactus would grow in your area? might be a nice crop to have in drought times, the fruit is great for jams/jellies and the paddles can be eaten raw or cooked. plus they generate green foliage from minimal water so you could continue to make compost even during drought.
Mark, I always love your videos❤️! We are about to close on our homestead this week in Florida. I've never lived in Florida, but it is sub tropical as well. I love getting new ideas from your channel for what I can grow, and I want to grow everything!!! 😁 Keep up the great videos 👍😍.
"You can burn money, but you can't eat it"
I will keep this message dear to me! Thanks for all the love Mark!
Enjoy watching you explaining gardening with such passion. Especially when u sample the fruits of your labor!
I am a unique garden - 1.2 acres (American) with bayou access (really really far south Louisiana) . About 80-87% of usable land but lots of clay and high brackish water table. Believe it or not your channel helps a lot because of weather similarities and raised bed gardening. I am in the process of providing raused areas for fruit trees because of coastal erosion and etc. making it a necessity. Despite all the challenges, I'm planning on being sustainable in the next 5 years.
Thankyou for you channel and dedication. Its inspiration!
I'm in south eastern Arizona in America, so I pretty close to your climate, I bit cooler, probably a little more dry.
I love your videos, so helpful and encouraging.
I have a 7th thing that helps create a successful garden: physical stamina and ability. I know even in a wheelchair a person can garden, but for some, the higher raised beds are expensive. I know that gardening can increase stamina, but for some who suffering from physically limiting disorders it is difficult to be out in the garden enough to make a positive difference to the garden.
I once got a small grant to improve gardening at the local senior center. I used it to have wheelchair accessible raised beds put in and filled and for drip irrigation and shade cloth cover (to help with blistering desert sun) added. Now I'm a senior and could use some of those super high raised beds. I'm struggling up and down onto my kneeler still.
I cant wait to live in 1500sqm little farm that we bought, hopefully next year and getting your tips, . Watching from philippines
good luck over there :) im trying to plant a jungle in my backyard here in south australia 😂
Sushi good luck over there . So far everything he said sounds like philippines specially the land that we bought is in theprovince. Planning to build a nipa hut and a simple life style
Nice size! You be able to grow plenty in that space and climate - all the best! :)
@@okandthen1234 A guard dog or a guard goose sounds essential XD
EastGhost i was very serious about a guard goose but some of my friends told me that it can eat the plants and poo everywhere , so i am not sure about that
I like that you added passion to the list...it's so important
Thanks so much for your video and knowledge you pass on today for all of us. Im in usa, ( Florida ).
My third season growing so still learning a lot from people like you. Building my garden up for food once i retire in a couple of years.
Happy Gardening
We've moved in our forever property in Western Australia and are attacking the established, though overgrown, garden - we are excited about what we will make - though it is a bit daunting! Mark, your videos have provided clear guidance and this one is no exception. Particularly the 'time' aspect - we're fortunate to now be taking this on when we can make it our full time job. But as you say, you don't want to discourage anyone from giving growing a go - so I'd echo your thoughts and encourage folks to start small and see what works.
Thanks Cynthia and all the best with your new property in WA - that does indeed sound very exciting! Cheers :)
Your videos are so inspiring. Thank you for this.
I agree its more important than ever to have a garden
love it man, great inspiration, I only have a couple of small raised beds in my rental but I love going out there and growing, we haven't had to buy a salad leaf or a tomato for months once they kicked off.
A few small raised beds can still grow a heap mate as you've found out! Cheers :)
I am a Filipino I enjoy to watch your video I like this kind of living.
Like you I am a passionate gardener, and sometimes I over do it a little. I have a small plot now, but for over 40 years I had acres to plant. It's hard to get away from the more is better mentality. With 5 in the family I canned a lot of food, plus we raised our own meats. Now I live in small town America and have less than 1/2 acre. I really like your growing tubs and am going to invest in a couple myself.
Sounds like you have a wealth of experience Mary and downsizing as you alluded isn't necessarily a bad thing either. Cheers :)
I smashed my thumb so it would be BIG so I could give your video the BIG Thumbs Up you deserve.
Love your videos, and esp the last point on this videos 6 points... PASSION... That is the main thing that keeps me going back to my Oklahoma/America full sun summer heat humidity dripping sweat garden, and the cherokee purple maters etc of course.
Keep up your good work and stay safe you and yours.
Hey I’m from Toowoomba originally too. Just started to binge your videos over the last fortnight. Thank you.
Yes it's really good to have a bit of garden in our backyard just like I do in New Zealand.Its very rewarding and get some extra money by selling it to neighbours and at Facebook marketplace.I wish I have bigger section.You are inspiring mate.
Your beautiful huge garden is really something to wake up to each morning👍❤️😉👌🌷
I have watched your videos for a very long time, and I am always inspired to continue my gardening journey. You my friend are a very wise man and dish out the best gardening advice 😊
I'd like to send a prayer to the thumbs down crowd in this video........ "God, please do not punish the unwise for they DO NOT KNOW THE FRUITS OF LOVE/LABOR U ARE DEMONSTRATING THROUGHOUT THIS BROTHER FROM ACROSS THE WORLD "
Great video bro !!! The learning I've acquired from you is PRICELESS.
7:10 - Indeed, symbiotic relationship between animals, fun guy, and plants :D
Pozdrawiam Aleksandro :)
happy to see you give the extra thought to make six instead of only five, which is not always the most viable number for lists, because it is prime and special.
I agree with ALL your reasons for having a food garden. I love the idea of self sufficiency. ONE BIG THUMBS UP
The conclusion to this video really resonated with how I’ve been feeling for the last year or so.
Thanks for all your informative and inspiring uploads🌏 ✌️
Hello from here in Toowoomba! It makes sense that you're from the 'Garden City'.
I love these videos, they're inspiring and amusing.
🍅🍋🥑🥬🌽
Has the rainfall gotten any better?
@@kushegga95 It rained a bit at the end of last week and we got a small thunderstorm on Friday.
The grass did actually green up a bit just from those couple days, but any rain is good.
@@Katebrown273 yayy :D that's good to hear.
G'day Kate! Yeah, I heard the COF was still very good this year despite the lack of water so that's good at least. Cheers :)
These 6 things make perfect sense too me mate. I live by each of them as you are aware. Gardening is a passion for me, In fact, I'm sure I get withdrawal when I don't get into the garden. (wonder of its a drug if thats the case) On top of it all, you get the best tasting nutrient-dense foods you just can't buy in the shops. Brill video mate.
@Jennifer Little Totally agree Jennifer. The world would be a much nicer place
Appreciate the time and info given. Im in California north of LA and been trying to apply some of your ideas in my backyard.
Thanks again!!
Terrific vid. So much wisdom jn yr lifestyle. Love all yr vids
Well ol' chap you've done it again. Another great video full of a wealth of information and knowledge on gardening. I frequently (every night) watch your videos. I must admit I have watched a couple others but none compare as personable as yours. I don't even bother with anyone else's channels anymore. My night times are all well spent watching 2+ hours of watching just your channel. Might seem a bit of an obsession, and you would be correct. Now that I'm retired I have taken up the hobby of landscaping and gardening. Living in the Boston area in the north eastern US my gardening season is very limited to what I can and cannot grow in my area. But learning of what you are able to grow is all very interesting to me. I'm almost glad I don't live in your climate area. I would never sleep. I would always be planting something new. Either way, I enjoy your videos very much. Those I have seen before of produce I am able to grow, I tend to watch over since at my age my memory is not what it was when I was much younger. I always seem to pick up on a few bits of information I may have forgotten or over looked. I'm very jealous of all the varities you can produce. We all seem to want what others have while living in other locations around the world. For instance, you might be jealous of people in my area that have access to a multitude of fish and shellfish such as lobsters, scallops, and clams to name a few.
I have to admit I cannot live without my seafood but being able to still grow my own food is quite rewarding. Although my growing season is limited to only six months out of the year, it doesn't stop me from growing plants indoors as well. It's currently December 1st right now which means planting seeds indoors is keeping me busy. Right now I'm trying to start blueberry, and rose bushes from seeds. This should be quite challenging since I have no idea what I'm doing but as I always say, Columbus took a chance! I dedicated a spare bedroom into a growing and food storage area. I live in the city but have one of the largest yards in my area. I planted six blueberry bushes this past spring along with five rose bushes and a few lemongrass plants. Not knowing at the time that lemongrass is not fit to survive below 45°F. I had to cut down to a foot high and dig up in October to store in my basement. Leaving them in a cool dark area will leave them dormant till the spring when they can be replanted outdoors. Now that I'm aware of their growing enviroment I'll leave them in pots so I don't have to dig them up again. They grew into massive size plants like yours and when I first planted them in June they were scrawney little three leaf plants. Now they are a foot wide and come springtime I'll break them up into scrawney little plants again and give some away. Their leaves cut up do make a great mosquito repellent to spread out around an area I choose to sit in. I also learned a slice of lemon with cloves in it works even better.
I just wanted to comment here though to let you know how much I enjoy your channel and thank you for all the information you share with us all. Time to get outside right now and mulch up some more leaves that have fallen and add them into my compost pile before the snowy season starts. A beautiful 43° day out there. Perfect for some more yardwork. Gotta love the months of Oct-Dec. Here to provide me with lots of fallen leaves for mulching. All great garden compost for next season, good'ay!
What an absolutely gorgeous piece of property. Congratulations on all the fruits of your labours. Thank you for sharing:)
You never fail to disappoint. Love the content and the little backstory on why you started to grow your food garden. We are currently transitioning to a similar lifestyle for similar reasons, and your videos are full of good info and inspiration. Thank you!
Idk if someone has already did this, but on the rainwater collection, lots of places in the US have laws about collecting rain water, especially in aquifer recharge zones, so if you're considering installing a rainwater collection tank, make sure it's allowed in your area.
I’m sorry but it’s absolutely essential that you post much more often. I’m completely addicted. An idea for a video is which crops to purpose with others in different sized raised garden beds. Love your work irrespective mate. Cheers!
I enjoy watching your plants
Great video mate, we started our yard garden for the same reasons and are enjoying some amazing veges, you absolutely cannot compare the taste of home grown veges to anything from the mass market. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Love the ending ! Gonna keep planting on my 1/10 acre till i have no more room.
Great video trying to get my winter gardens in now self reliance is key to sustainability
Mark, I really enjoy your videos. I would love to see some of your favorite recipes with your fruits and veggies.
However small your patch, grow some food, mine is tiny tiny, but this year I grew beans and peas, got lots of meals off them. Next year I plan on doing corn and cougettes too... the courgette in a large pot I think. I live alone so I don't need more than one plant... Toms of course, but I got blight this year, so they will all have to be in pots with fresh compost. I will not give up, I love growing stuff that I can eat.
Mate your videos give me inspiration to work on my garden. The only I hate about your video is how bloody good your Tom's are. I wish mine would be that good. Keep up the vids mate and be that aussie battler we need in this country
All your motivations make me so much empowered in moving in the direction I am.
Loved this video thank you! Another “food security” point I hear more and more of it hat people are more concerned with what chemicals the produce they eat has been exposed to eg. fly spray smelling fruit. I liked your reasoning with keeping the vegetables seperate in raised beds, if people don’t have much sun then some salad crops can do pretty well in the shade still, we grow some of our lettuce that would normally bolt in the shade in summer and it stops it bolting so quickly. Definitely envious of your tropical climate!
You inspired me at 13 to start gardening, keep on doing what you do.
I'm so jealous of your land! Thanks for uploading man, much appreciated!
Great video. I am trying no dig gardening, and spend about 4 hours a day in the garden. It has always been a passion.
Hard to think of a better place to be Kenny then out in the garden mate! Cheers :)
Northwest Alabama in the U.S. has had one of the wettest years on record as of today 4/1/20 we have had over 30 inches (76cm)of rainfall since January 1st. And it's 43°F (6.1°C) two days ago it was 80°F (26.7°C). And will be back almost that hot within 2 or 3 days
I have recently discovered your channel and am enjoying the heck out of it! You're fun, funny, knowledgeable and an all around good guy. Thank you!
P.S. I live in Seattle Washington USA.
Making the world a better place! Thank you!!!
This was one of your top 10 videos in our opinion. Thanks so much, for all of the growing-gardening info and tips you provide. Cheers!
Looking lush Mark! My place still looks like a desert.
I have just started my gardening journey here in Sweden, and thought we have different climate your TH-cam videos are great inspiration source! Thumbs up for you 👍