I watched MIgardener a few times and I couldn’t handle him because he only ever just sits in front of a garden bed and talks and talks and talks. But you, you go out and show us what you’re talking about and actual examples. Your explanations are informative and don’t drone on and I can see how much you actually enjoy what you’re doing. You’re amazing man. Thank you every time.
Watched a couple if his videos, and I can't say I'm a fan. He seemed way too "you HAVE to do it like this or else" for my tastes, when gardening isn't like that at all, and Mike here is big on giving you alternatives and the two sides of every coin
Exactly!! That mi gardener has some videos that look great but most of the video is just talk. I really enjoy all the self sufficient me videos and im learning a lot.
G,day Mark, been watching you for years now, bloody brilliant mate. I am an Aussie living in Thailand, we are on about 5 acres in oz size. I grow all my fav. veg from oz. plus every fruit tree u can imagine plus thai veg. I have adopted your mulch mrthods and it has worked brilliatly. The best thing is all the thais have now called me Mr Fruit, thanks to u. even the commercial growers pay me a visit to see what I do. The grandkids sell fruit for pocket money and they are sold out in a day.. sorry for the long rant, but cheers mate. Paul
In Canada its illegal for kids to sell vegtables. Must be a part of the several thousand dollar entry fee association as far as I've been told. Impossible for a small farm to profit
I love direct sowing, but my reason for indoor start is if I have rare and expensive seeds that I want to give some extra love and attention to. Think rare chili peppers in my case.
We love our coffee and these days of course coffee comes in plastic bucket basically. I've been recycling them to use as plant starter pots. Works great and saves me money.
I usually can't stand gardening videos on TH-cam but your channel is just phenomenal! I can watch your videos all day. Keep up the great work! So jealous of your gardens!
Thanks Jordan! I do try and make gardening a little more exciting but even I do struggle sometimes... Don't get me wrong I do think food gardening is exciting it's just that videos and talking about gardening is often boring as watching grass grow lol. I hope I can convince more people that gardening is great fun and also interesting to consume as a content here on YT. Cheers :)
I agree! They are the only gardening videos I like. It's your insight, vast knowledge, success, personality, video/audio/content quality and detail that all come together to make it well worth watching all of them
Good timing Mark. Planted two rows of corn. As soon as a few sprouted a varmint raided them and pinched the seeds. Planted two more rows and sprayed with lavender and mint oil..rained. seeds gone again. Bit off the few shoots i had left. Didn't touch the peas but? Sow now i am sowing corn into pots. Its odd as last year i grew corn until it was 4 foot, parrot ripped into it..lol. Mice, parrots, drought..it's a doddle this gardening. 😉 Loving it.
Self Sufficient Me gardening video's are straight forward and easy to follow. This information beats anything you will find on gardening on Television. Thanks Mark, keep them coming.
i am in the middle ish of the usa. we just had our last frost. i have one of those little greenhouses, and i use it for a seed house. every two weeks i move them down the shelves from top =seeds, middle =starters, bottom shelf=ready to go in the dirt!
Absolutely! Far better way to do it, I can still hear my dad say when I was little, 'in situ" very fancy way of saying Direct Sow lol. Thanks for confirming this
Hello from Missouri in the US. Just wanted to pop in and tell you that I am really enjoying and learning from your videos. I started watching you abt 3wks to a month ago. I went all the way back to the beginning and starting watching those and working my way to the present. I'm up to 4 years ago now, so I watch you alot. Have a great day.
Found myself nodding all the way through at our shared experiences with direct sow vs. plants. I also - as always - learned some things I didn't now. So thank you once again. Your videos are just the best!
Direct sowing is usually the preferred method. But over here in Germany it's not possible to direct sow things like chilies, pepper, tomatoes because we have our last frosts during the middle of May. So you have to pre-grow those. I also like to pre-grow zucchinis and pumpkins/squash.
This is true, and since nature seems to be lagging three, four weeks behind, I'm being careful and patient this year. I buy live plants for zucchini, tomatoes, chilies, bell peppers, cucumbers and a few other things (I don't really have room to pre-grow things in the house) but I think this year I'll wait until after 20 May. I do germinate some seeds indoors, wrapped in wet paper towel, or stratify them in the fridge. That gives seeds a bit of a head start before I sow them out without taking up a lot of room. I sow pumpkins, squash, melons and corn directly; I've had a lot of success with that when the ground is warm enough after the last frost.
You´re so right, I'm in Denmark and we have the same problem as you described, furthermore growing produce like cucumber and tomato isn't really possible outside the greenhouse. Right now I still have patches of snow and frost in the ground :( But he actually mentioned that we here in Europe have had a hard winter and we should plant seedlings rather than direct sow. th-cam.com/video/_Wc4LDAZxkk/w-d-xo.html But in the end, if possible direct grown is always to prefer, but in Scandinavia must vegetables other than roots wont be that succesful, since the season will be to short.
Thank for the incite on how you plan your garden in Germany this is very interesting to know and lead to others becoming involved in the conversation. All the best! :)
@ZaphodBeeblebro: You're even further north than we are in Germany I think (my geography sucks, haha!). Can you sow things like kale, celeriac, Brussels sprouts, collards, lamb's lettuce, spinach, salsify, green onion, Jerusalem artichoke, chives and parsley, etc., things that don't really mind the cold or short seasons? I'm growing a lot of these things this year since this weirdly long winter is daunting me a little.
We can grow most things, just have to keep an eye on the temperatures as many things will fail when the temperature drops at night, but starting the seedlings out in tunnels or under plastic helps alot. My father in law from finland grows the same crops as we do here but sometimes wont plant until mid may since the cold and frost can linger.
Great stuff! I direct sow whenever possible for all the reasons you state. I do not transplant two times due to high probability of root damage. When I have to transplant, I only do it once by starting the seeds in a nest made of several coffee filters (very inexpensive when you buy them in bulk) with as much homemade starter mix as they will hold. I make my mix from worm poop, coir or peat moss and perlite or sand. I buy all this stuff in large quantities to keep the unit cost down. When the seedlings are ready to transplant, I do not remove them from their coffee filter nests. I bury everything intact to keep from disturbing the roots. Kinda like using a peat cup, but only a fraction of the cost.
Mark. We directly sow our beans called 'Vitalis' variety ( Phaseolus vulgaris). They are so damn awesome you could do a 'Grow a ton of beans' video. You will be amazed at how well they grow. They are stringless, grow to about 20 -25cm long and we grow a whole years worth to blanch and freeze for the two of us from just a couple packets of seeds. please try them and show people how well they grow. they are extremely resistant to bugs and mosaic variety. We are so glad we found them and are stunned how tasty and how easy they are to grow. Also whilst on variety's, we plant 'Nante' type carrots as they have round blunt noses and don't fork or split as easily. Many people are put off by growing carrots as they fork every time the root tip hits anything bigger than a grain of salt. Try those two and tell us what you think...:)
My tip: paper (best) or peat (okay) pots. You then plant the entire pot into the ground when the plant is ready to go. No root disturbance--good air circulation--roots will grow right through it. The paper or peat disintegrates over time anyway. Between the two, I like the paper just a bit better, it seems my plants do better in the paper. (These are commercially made paper pots that I get at garden stores and hardware stores that sell seeds and gardening products in the US. They are molded it seems or pressed paper fibers. Direct sewing always gives me stronger plants, but it isn't always an option. Great video, Mark! PS: You could make paper pots by folding paper yourself--just avoid printed paper or other undesirable papers or ones that have glues.
A cheaper (or if you have banana and coconut trees like me, completely gratis) and easy way for people in tropical countries to make seeding pots. Maybe there are other suitable seeds from other trees in other climates. This ⤵️ is a very short example of how to make it (TH-cam short): th-cam.com/users/shortsMdtd882_A4w?feature=share Cheers.
I think like most gardeners (certainly in the UK) I do a mixture of both direct and indoor sowing. As you pointed out, our climate dictates when we can start stuff and we're constantly looking at the last frost dates. I get my onions, beans, shallots, leeks, brassicas and peas started indoors and stuff like lettuce, beetroot, parsnips, garlic and carrots I just direct sow. If the rabbits and mice don't get them, then 9 times out of 10 everything comes up no problem. It just depends where in the world you live as to how much indoor or outdoor sowing you can do. Great video as always Mark. Cheers Adam
Thanks for sharing your experience Adam and the main crops you start indoors or direct sow - that's quite interesting! I often also do brassicas, leeks, and onions, in containers first then plant them out because our summers linger on (opposite issue to your winter) and planting out some crops too early just kills them or bolts to seed. Cheers mate :)
I've had birds dig & eat my seeds, when I planted seeds directly into a garden. Now, I live in an apartment and have to use grow lights & am moving my veggie plants from sunrise to sunset sun (front to back). So far, so good. Already harvested lettuce, jalapenos, and okra.
Hey Mark, I love your videos, especially what drew me was how positive you are and how calming it is to watch your videos. I started my seeds indoors a few weeks ago. Since I live in a city in Eastern Europe I don't have a garden but I am planting: cherry tomatoes, small cucumbers, peas, beans, a ton of herbs, chilli peppers, carrots, beets, salad greens in pots on my balcony. I want to learn how to grow food since it's relaxing and I bet it's satisfying to eat food you grew yourself. Keep up the great work and have a nice day!
Hi. Nicole Howard asked about leggy seedlings. I am in Canada and start tomatoes, etc about end of March on a sunny window sill. I find that gently brushing my hand over the plants several times a day keeps them shorter and sturdier. Someone suggested they use a fan. This apparently makes the plants think they are outside. Then when I plant outside, I plant them sideways in a trench with just the top few leaves out. Works here in our short season. Now if I could just get rid of raccoons........
Wow. So many varied opinions. I directly sow because I'm a lazy gardener but I do live along the tropic of capricorn and coastal so frost doesn't bother me.
Yeah, there are lots of opinions on this matter! I hope more people keep the conversation going here in the comments section because it's very interesting! Cheers :)
Great video! Thanks again! When I direct show seeds I soak them in water overnight for beans and mellons, and 2 nights for onions. I have even pre sprouted some seeds before planting by placing them between wet paper towel. For small seeds like lettuce, carrots and onions I soak for 2 - 3 days then let them dry out just a bit on paper towels so they are easier to handle. I always direct seed mellons and cucumbers, they are just to root sensitive. I hope this helps
Great video, Mark! You made some valid points for both types of sowing. I've found here on the west coast of Canada I can't plant peas in the ground in early spring. They either rot from our wet soil or something comes and steals them! So I've had good results with pre-seeding them in my greenhouse and then planting them out. Now in late summer, I have planted them directly in the ground and they've sprouted in less than a week!
Thanks Mark! I have been watching you for a year or so and love your channel. I finally got off try rump and started a raised bed this year. Wish me luck. 🤞
Hello from a new subscriber in Caboolture! Loving your videos, they're so entertaining and easy to understand. My husband and I just restarted our veggie garden a couple weekends ago and this time, we are following your tips every step of the way! So far so good 🌱
I love growing chiles, have been doing so for about 20 years, mostly in containers. Texas weather is too temperamental to direct-sow. A surprise late frost or a spring thunderstorm/hailstorm can destroy weeks of work in minutes. Also, I have found that cats love to eat chile seedlings. So I start seeds in Jiffy pots and transplant when at least 3 sets of true leaves have grown. Also, succession planting is much easier this way.
I don't think you mentioned succession planting, although it's probably in the comments already - sowing in trays and then planting out as soon as a space becomes available in the garden is more efficient on space and so more productive, especially in smaller gardens.
I like to grow bush and pole beans, potatoes and tomatoes here in southern Ontario, Canada. It seems as though the wildlife are also pleased with my choices. The raccoons have left the potato patch looking like a war zone full of bomb craters and the squirrels and chipmunks have eaten some of the beans and redistributed the rest! Nice video - thanks.
I'm learning what to direct sow and what not. Hardening off is difficult for me. Pepper plants seem to work much better if I start then indoors first, but squash (particularly pumpkins) do not!
Hey buddy.. have been watching your videos for about a year now have learn a lot and encourage me to grow our own fruits and veggies. I grow mine in green house first as we got funny weather here in New Zealand just before we go halfway to spring but we make most of it from tropical and subtropical fruits and veggies 🍆👍😊 Cheers
I like to start my tomatoes early in my aero garden hydroponic. It makes incredible roots then I transplant into my homade dirt into pots leaving them in partial light for three days than full sun than plant in garden.
If you make paper pots, you don’t disturb the roots too much. The roots grow through the paper and eventually rots away. So less disturbance. Most people use the local newspaper to make them, even make origami style large cubes. I also saw a recent video by an Aussie permaculture guy, showing how to make them and create a self watering wicking bed using an unused cat litter tray, coarse sand and a bottle. The channel is ‘under the choke tree’ and he’s in western Sydney 😀
+Carol Ann, The is basically what I do , you can also use the cardboard egg containers inside a larger cardboard container inside larger, .. I am fortunate, my local foodworks is 1 house away and they love me taking the cardboard boxes etc... saves me digging and saves then drudging a long way to the skip.... TU for the video tip... I make my selfwatering, with wood limbs in bottom of big pots with piece of old towelling and have the towel come up the centre of pot. works for me and costs zilch, as I have plenty of rags and branch cuttings.
That was the best video I have seen on the pros and cons of direct sowing vs starting indoors. My kitchen and living room are full of seeds sprouting early to get produce faster. Not crazy about doing it. A lot of trouble. I live in southern Indiana USA.
We start cool weather crops like broccoli, cauliflower, celery, etc. indoors because we have a short spring and very hot summer, so there isn't time for the plants to mature if they're directly sown when the soil is the right temperature. North America, southwest region, grow zone 8 can be tricky with the dry heat.
I would love gardening in Australian climate. In the Netherlands we really need nurseries, otherwise our first direct seedings would be in late april...or may even
Have you ever tried egg shell for the started seeds? I have and it works great. Because you just put the seedlings and egg shell right in the ground. You don't have to worry about roots and that shell has vitamins
I have read and practiced seed compost and then re-pot into a good fully fed compost, Now seed compost has little if any food to feed the seed's once they have germinated, the reason seed compost was designed was due to the light make up of seed compost "so the seed can germinate and push through to get to the light Plus the seed compost was also designed to keep moist, normal compost can cause the seed to rot due to the weight of normal compost and the fact that this compost can cause the seed to rot, Hence i find with some seeds it is better to get the seed to germinate "But" as soon as this has happened "now" is the time the young plants need food "hence a good compost i find helps the plant to grow strong roots and weather permitting plant it out.
I set up a green house with no covering inside and move plants into bigger pots out to the back deck for summer bring in Michigan we can get 2 or 4 crops of radisshes in
This is what great about being an Aussie, 6 weeks ago I was washing ice off the windscreen to go to work and now I'm scrambling to find hay so I don't turn my new beds to dust with the heat, fighting both ends of the weather in the garden. You think it would be easy living in a farming town to get hay hey? Problem is most are 100 bale minimum order, I want 10 max.
Thanks for the video it has answered a few of my questions. I've grown cayenne pepper for several years by just putting them in a pot, and they did fine. This year I'm growing two other types and thought I'd do it the way every one else recommends and they are growing so slow, now I know why and I can adjust next year. Thanks again for the video I appreciate all the time you put in to help the rest of us.
Thanks for another helpful video. I live in a warm climate (Houston) and have a rooftop garden in the city. I've had great luck direct sowing and this video helps confirm for me that unless there are special circumstances I should cut out the middle man and go direct.
love your videos! just curious, maybe you can make a video of how self sufficient you are? myself and others would love to know at your level, how self sufficient we could expect to be? i think this would be a very important video for you to make as the video would be an update of your namesake. please make this video ! thank you so much for all of the amazing videos you have produced so far, i have learned so much. i too am a veteran with grey hair and learning to use my mind more than my body more in these later years. i love how your videos always have the "work smarter not harder" mentality. please keep up the good work !!
I use cell trays for a lot of my sowings, especially those susceptible to frost as I'm at 54.5º North. Round carrot varieties work multiple sown in cells, as do onions, both spring & round, turnips & beetroot. The other thing is I grow in 1.2m wide, slightly raised beds I can cover using hoops & polythene sheet for warmth.
Another reason I will start seeds in pots is succession planting. My growing season here in Nebraska US is kind of short for lots of things. We have about 5 months of reliably frost free weather. In order to get a second crop of some things, I will start them in the greenhouse and wait until I have space in my garden as the earlier crops finish up. Also, things like cabbages and daikon will bolt if I try to grow them in the cool of spring. So I start them in the shade in pots and then move them to garden when space is available.
I pre plant my seeds every year. When I am ready to plant them out doors I cut the bottom out of the little cup that I start it in. So I don’t Disturb the plant at all and they grow just as good . But I never take the plant out of the cup
I like to make my own soil plugs or sow in soil loosely packed in egg cartons. I want to chickens and ducks next year, but I need to do a lot of work before that's feasible (dogs, cats, foxes, fisher cat, coyotes). For carrots I use toilet paper tubes sometimes. Pretty short growing season here, and I love to harvest carrots all summer, so I start most crops early.
I just got a tip from an old italian gardener he said put them in an ice cream cone to germinate. it will then breakdown in the soil much like the cup but no need to to remove the bottom
Hi, love watching your videos. We can't always direct sow because we have a small amount of raised beds. If we grow in trays (not root crops) and bring them on, they are ready to go as soon as a bed becomes available from a previous crop. Also to get a head start on the season because of the frost.
hello mark ive been following ure videos for some time now and they make the whole planting process simple and fun.thanks r in order keep up the great work.
I agree with direct showing if you live in a warmer climate. When you li e in n a cooler climate you need to germinate separately in a warm enclosure so you can propogate for the year.
I just found your channel a month or so ago and now I'm addicted. I finally have my own house block so I can get back into gardening. It would be handy if you could mention tropical climate issues as well as subtropical and cold. Here the heat is a big problem, never the cold, so our growing period is also limited. I had to stop halfway through your Hugelkulture video and race out and buy a raised garden bed 😁 which is getting its final ute load of soil tomorrow so I can start planting. Otherwise I have been direct sowing seeds in random places as I don't yet have specific beds laid out. Keep up the great work!
All the best with your new raised bed! Such a great way to garden I tell ya - especially as I get older the happier I am to not have to bend so much! Cheers :)
I agree 100%. Last year I did a tray of corn, and I planted an identical number directly into the garden. Guess what? I picked all the rows of corn at the same time.
Good Day Mark! I love your videos, I have learned so much from you and still learning. Although we are in two different parts of the world, you get straight to the point. Thank you so much! By the way, I'm from good ole U.S.A.!
Q: for anybody in colder climates - have you ever tested growing with stones in the garden bed? > the stones heat up during the day and emit warmth, even if buried - however they could also burn the roots.. --> so if anyone has experience, do share!
You are totally Mark Crowe but in the garden, I keep telling my friends about you. Love the channel been addicted to watching ever since I saw the first one, think it was how to grow a ton of Tomatoes.
This sells it for me. Thanks for breaking down this topic. Other sources I've found are hardcore one way or the other. Another gooder from SSM. Cheers!
I was happy with my childhood who never thought anything but throw anything to the garden and let the nature do the rest. my simple happiness was to see the sprout popping up from the ground, watching them grow everyday. but when they were fruiting and gotten very ripe, I was too obsessed with them that I didn't let anyone to touch and pick them. I remembered I saw my first rippen tomato gone when I was back from school. I cried and blamed my mother for picked it and cooked it.
I'm in the north of England, where it's usually cold, grey, wet, windy and horrible - apart from one day in early August which we call 'glorious summer'. 🤭 Direct sowing isn't really practical for me. Nothing gets long enough to grow, and the slugs and snails are present in vast numbers, so tender young shoots simply disappear. Even if plants do survive, being chomped sets them back weeks, so the season's almost over before they've got started! I don't use slug-poison on my (tiny) garden because I have 6 hens wandering about, so I prefer to give my veg a head-start in pots in my little (7') unheated lean-to greenhouse. Sown early in March (we get late frosts in April and sometimes May) - they're then bushy and strong enough to withstand any pest damage. I grow one seed per 3" pot, and then tip the whole thing out without disturbing the roots. With no thinning-out, pricking-out or fiddling about, they soon get established. I cover them with wire mesh cylinders to keep the wild birds and chickens off.
This is my first time watching your video. It makes me happy that you have so much passion on gardening. Thank you for the video, really helped me in answering my biology homework and even interest me in gardening, I may try it soon Thank You!
Another reason, related to the climate, the growing season might not be long enough to grow the plant to maturity if one direct sowed. For instance, a Beafsteak tomato takes 120 or more days to grow to maturity, and in someplace like western New York, where I live, there isn't any reliable way for it to survive on its own, unless you have an outdoor greenhouse with a dirt floor. That being said, a cherry-type tomato, which grows to maturity within 80 days, might be able to do it. I hope to try it with a Patio Choice variety.
I love cherry tomatoes, so that's what I grow usually, but I tend to start tomatos inside (in egg cartons or coconut coir pots) or buy plants at the local nursery for common varieties. Zone 4b where I am in new hampshire. Squash I tend to grow in containers so I can transplant and have them ready to harvest before first frost or bring them inside (such a pain) if we start getting frost early.
Thanks for another great video! I’m looking forward to expanding our garden this year. One thing I’ve been wondering- what methods do you use to preserve all the food you guys do not eat? Have you made any past videos on this? Or, would you consider making one?
Hey! I concur with your observations of seedlings establishing themselves better with direct seeding over transplants... Unfortunately, all plants can't be planted as such since, for example, small seeded vegetable plants have to compete with upcoming unrelenting weeds. Celery, tomato, pepper to name a few.
In terms of tips...i try sometimes... Because I live far away from the area where I plant come on I set my feelings within the seedling tray and leave it in the open or sometimes just set that seedling flat down on the ground in the garden area that I'm planting. That way, I don't have to worry about having to harden off my plants. Additionally, some seeds that would eventually make it too a natural seedling in my nice shaded Nursery area would not normally make it out in the harsh conditions of the hot sun and high temperature grounds. This is to say that allowing them to start in an environment that is as close as possible to their final destination allows the high-potential seeds to make it to healthy seedlings
Hi Mark I love your video shows I also live in Queensland a Mackay area I would love to know though when to plant what veggies and what time of the year where in summertime now so what’s the best veggies and fruit trees to plant this time of the year thank you mate,cheers Zeffer
Hi love your advice I'm having a hard time trying to get my beetroot an radish also cucumbers growing any ideas. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us
Mark: sorry about all the noise damn neighbors lawn mower Me: literally just hears crickets He's so attuned to his land that he can hear the slightest noise meanwhile we can't tell at all
I saw direct because I'm lazy :) That means sometimes I don't get to harvest anything before the first snow.. :) But it all makes good compost for next year...
I direct sow everything but peppers. Those I start inside in January. I sow my carrots like I'm feeding chickens...just toss them in the ground in fall. Our harsh winters dont kill them as long as they have a month to grow first.
Very helpful! I've always wondered why but googling didn't yield any answers. I've a related question: if I'm growing my plants in pots, is it necessary to grow them in smaller pots before moving them to bigger ones rather than growing them in a big pot straight away? If yes, what are the reasons? Thank you!
What I do is when I crack my eggs, crack it towards the top, and then use the rest of the eggshell as seedling container, make a whole at the bottom, fill with growing medium and once seedling develops crack the shell on the sides and put in the soil
Richard i will do what you say...i tried seedlings transplanting in bigger pots and lose half seedlings because of disrupting the roots. I am saving toilet and paper pots. Thx jean
I sow in trays for two reasons: Climate - getting it started before direct sowing allows; and inability to tell the difference between weeds and the seedling while young.
I buy rockwool and put 3 seeds in each handpick the best and pinch off others. The prepared ones they sell work great but you pay for them.thats why I make my own.check roots while growing they should be white if you see any browning immediately put them in dirt and cut off any brown with scissors.
I watched MIgardener a few times and I couldn’t handle him because he only ever just sits in front of a garden bed and talks and talks and talks. But you, you go out and show us what you’re talking about and actual examples. Your explanations are informative and don’t drone on and I can see how much you actually enjoy what you’re doing. You’re amazing man. Thank you every time.
I like his show. I think he may just needs to adjust his meds. The last couple of vids have been talk talk talk.
Watched a couple if his videos, and I can't say I'm a fan. He seemed way too "you HAVE to do it like this or else" for my tastes, when gardening isn't like that at all, and Mike here is big on giving you alternatives and the two sides of every coin
That would be great feedback for him to know so he can possibly adjust his approach.
Exactly!! That mi gardener has some videos that look great but most of the video is just talk. I really enjoy all the self sufficient me videos and im learning a lot.
Yeah I feel it. As a fellow Michigander his personality is hard to bear
Am I the only person who binge watches this guy’s videos for 4 hours?
me too :P
Me too😅
Ditto!! Love these videos!! 🥬🍅🌶🍊🧄🧅
🙋mee toooo
Nope, I do the same!
G,day Mark, been watching you for years now, bloody brilliant mate. I am an Aussie living in Thailand, we are on about 5 acres in oz size. I grow all my fav. veg from oz. plus every fruit tree u can imagine plus thai veg. I have adopted your mulch mrthods and it has worked brilliatly. The best thing is all the thais have now called me Mr Fruit, thanks to u. even the commercial growers pay me a visit to see what I do. The grandkids sell fruit for pocket money and they are sold out in a day.. sorry for the long rant, but cheers mate. Paul
@Reformed Anti-semite I think he is using the royal we.
@Reformed Anti-semite He probably married a Thai
Am I the only one who read this in a Australian accent?
In Canada its illegal for kids to sell vegtables. Must be a part of the several thousand dollar entry fee association as far as I've been told. Impossible for a small farm to profit
I love direct sowing, but my reason for indoor start is if I have rare and expensive seeds that I want to give some extra love and attention to. Think rare chili peppers in my case.
We love our coffee and these days of course coffee comes in plastic bucket basically. I've been recycling them to use as plant starter pots. Works great and saves me money.
I usually can't stand gardening videos on TH-cam but your channel is just phenomenal! I can watch your videos all day. Keep up the great work! So jealous of your gardens!
Thanks Jordan! I do try and make gardening a little more exciting but even I do struggle sometimes... Don't get me wrong I do think food gardening is exciting it's just that videos and talking about gardening is often boring as watching grass grow lol. I hope I can convince more people that gardening is great fun and also interesting to consume as a content here on YT. Cheers :)
I agree! They are the only gardening videos I like. It's your insight, vast knowledge, success, personality, video/audio/content quality and detail that all come together to make it well worth watching all of them
Good timing Mark. Planted two rows of corn. As soon as a few sprouted a varmint raided them and pinched the seeds. Planted two more rows and sprayed with lavender and mint oil..rained. seeds gone again. Bit off the few shoots i had left. Didn't touch the peas but?
Sow now i am sowing corn into pots. Its odd as last year i grew corn until it was 4 foot, parrot ripped into it..lol.
Mice, parrots, drought..it's a doddle this gardening. 😉
Loving it.
Self Sufficient Me gardening video's are straight forward and easy to follow. This information beats anything you will find on gardening on Television. Thanks Mark, keep them coming.
I like these videos better than any of the others. I am just starting container gardening and he is extremely helpful. Plus, I like the accent
i am in the middle ish of the usa. we just had our last frost. i have one of those little greenhouses, and i use it for a seed house. every two weeks i move them down the shelves from top =seeds, middle =starters, bottom shelf=ready to go in the dirt!
I wish I would live in a climate where directly sowed tomatoes worked. Greetings from Austria to Australia. 😊
Absolutely! Far better way to do it, I can still hear my dad say when I was little, 'in situ" very fancy way of saying Direct Sow lol. Thanks for confirming this
Hello from Missouri in the US. Just wanted to pop in and tell you that I am really enjoying and learning from your videos. I started watching you abt 3wks to a month ago. I went all the way back to the beginning and starting watching those and working my way to the present. I'm up to 4 years ago now, so I watch you alot. Have a great day.
Found myself nodding all the way through at our shared experiences with direct sow vs. plants. I also - as always - learned some things I didn't now. So thank you once again. Your videos are just the best!
Direct sowing is usually the preferred method. But over here in Germany it's not possible to direct sow things like chilies, pepper, tomatoes because we have our last frosts during the middle of May. So you have to pre-grow those. I also like to pre-grow zucchinis and pumpkins/squash.
This is true, and since nature seems to be lagging three, four weeks behind, I'm being careful and patient this year. I buy live plants for zucchini, tomatoes, chilies, bell peppers, cucumbers and a few other things (I don't really have room to pre-grow things in the house) but I think this year I'll wait until after 20 May. I do germinate some seeds indoors, wrapped in wet paper towel, or stratify them in the fridge. That gives seeds a bit of a head start before I sow them out without taking up a lot of room. I sow pumpkins, squash, melons and corn directly; I've had a lot of success with that when the ground is warm enough after the last frost.
You´re so right, I'm in Denmark and we have the same problem as you described, furthermore growing produce like cucumber and tomato isn't really possible outside the greenhouse. Right now I still have patches of snow and frost in the ground :(
But he actually mentioned that we here in Europe have had a hard winter and we should plant seedlings rather than direct sow. th-cam.com/video/_Wc4LDAZxkk/w-d-xo.html
But in the end, if possible direct grown is always to prefer, but in Scandinavia must vegetables other than roots wont be that succesful, since the season will be to short.
Thank for the incite on how you plan your garden in Germany this is very interesting to know and lead to others becoming involved in the conversation. All the best! :)
@ZaphodBeeblebro: You're even further north than we are in Germany I think (my geography sucks, haha!). Can you sow things like kale, celeriac, Brussels sprouts, collards, lamb's lettuce, spinach, salsify, green onion, Jerusalem artichoke, chives and parsley, etc., things that don't really mind the cold or short seasons? I'm growing a lot of these things this year since this weirdly long winter is daunting me a little.
We can grow most things, just have to keep an eye on the temperatures as many things will fail when the temperature drops at night, but starting the seedlings out in tunnels or under plastic helps alot. My father in law from finland grows the same crops as we do here but sometimes wont plant until mid may since the cold and frost can linger.
Great stuff! I direct sow whenever possible for all the reasons you state. I do not transplant two times due to high probability of root damage. When I have to transplant, I only do it once by starting the seeds in a nest made of several coffee filters (very inexpensive when you buy them in bulk) with as much homemade starter mix as they will hold. I make my mix from worm poop, coir or peat moss and perlite or sand. I buy all this stuff in large quantities to keep the unit cost down. When the seedlings are ready to transplant, I do not remove them from their coffee filter nests. I bury everything intact to keep from disturbing the roots. Kinda like using a peat cup, but only a fraction of the cost.
Really enjoy the videos. Thanks from the USA mate!
Mark. We directly sow our beans called 'Vitalis' variety ( Phaseolus vulgaris). They are so damn awesome you could do a 'Grow a ton of beans' video. You will be amazed at how well they grow. They are stringless, grow to about 20 -25cm long and we grow a whole years worth to blanch and freeze for the two of us from just a couple packets of seeds. please try them and show people how well they grow. they are extremely resistant to bugs and mosaic variety. We are so glad we found them and are stunned how tasty and how easy they are to grow. Also whilst on variety's, we plant 'Nante' type carrots as they have round blunt noses and don't fork or split as easily. Many people are put off by growing carrots as they fork every time the root tip hits anything bigger than a grain of salt. Try those two and tell us what you think...:)
My tip: paper (best) or peat (okay) pots. You then plant the entire pot into the ground when the plant is ready to go. No root disturbance--good air circulation--roots will grow right through it. The paper or peat disintegrates over time anyway. Between the two, I like the paper just a bit better, it seems my plants do better in the paper. (These are commercially made paper pots that I get at garden stores and hardware stores that sell seeds and gardening products in the US. They are molded it seems or pressed paper fibers. Direct sewing always gives me stronger plants, but it isn't always an option. Great video, Mark! PS: You could make paper pots by folding paper yourself--just avoid printed paper or other undesirable papers or ones that have glues.
A cheaper (or if you have banana and coconut trees like me, completely gratis) and easy way for people in tropical countries to make seeding pots. Maybe there are other suitable seeds from other trees in other climates.
This ⤵️ is a very short example of how to make it (TH-cam short):
th-cam.com/users/shortsMdtd882_A4w?feature=share
Cheers.
I think like most gardeners (certainly in the UK) I do a mixture of both direct and indoor sowing. As you pointed out, our climate dictates when we can start stuff and we're constantly looking at the last frost dates. I get my onions, beans, shallots, leeks, brassicas and peas started indoors and stuff like lettuce, beetroot, parsnips, garlic and carrots I just direct sow. If the rabbits and mice don't get them, then 9 times out of 10 everything comes up no problem. It just depends where in the world you live as to how much indoor or outdoor sowing you can do. Great video as always Mark. Cheers Adam
Thanks for sharing your experience Adam and the main crops you start indoors or direct sow - that's quite interesting! I often also do brassicas, leeks, and onions, in containers first then plant them out because our summers linger on (opposite issue to your winter) and planting out some crops too early just kills them or bolts to seed. Cheers mate :)
I've had birds dig & eat my seeds, when I planted seeds directly into a garden. Now, I live in an apartment and have to use grow lights & am moving my veggie plants from sunrise to sunset sun (front to back). So far, so good. Already harvested lettuce, jalapenos, and okra.
Hey Mark, I love your videos, especially what drew me was how positive you are and how calming it is to watch your videos. I started my seeds indoors a few weeks ago. Since I live in a city in Eastern Europe I don't have a garden but I am planting: cherry tomatoes, small cucumbers, peas, beans, a ton of herbs, chilli peppers, carrots, beets, salad greens in pots on my balcony.
I want to learn how to grow food since it's relaxing and I bet it's satisfying to eat food you grew yourself.
Keep up the great work and have a nice day!
love binge watching your gardening videos honestly, lots of info in a entertaining form
Hi. Nicole Howard asked about leggy seedlings. I am in Canada and start tomatoes, etc about end of March on a sunny window sill. I find that gently brushing my hand over the plants several times a day keeps them shorter and sturdier. Someone suggested they use a fan. This apparently makes the plants think they are outside. Then when I plant outside, I plant them sideways in a trench with just the top few leaves out. Works here in our short season. Now if I could just get rid of raccoons........
Wow. So many varied opinions. I directly sow because I'm a lazy gardener but I do live along the tropic of capricorn and coastal so frost doesn't bother me.
Yeah, there are lots of opinions on this matter! I hope more people keep the conversation going here in the comments section because it's very interesting! Cheers :)
Can't sleep? Me neither. Love your vids
Luke Sanders me neither lol
I watch his vids in the middle of the night, sometimes, and have horny dreams about him. He's my kind of guy!
If I can't sleep, I learn
I like the idea of thinning by eating over planting,makes sense.
Great video! Thanks again!
When I direct show seeds I soak them in water overnight for beans and mellons, and 2 nights for onions. I have even pre sprouted some seeds before planting by placing them between wet paper towel.
For small seeds like lettuce, carrots and onions I soak for 2 - 3 days then let them dry out just a bit on paper towels so they are easier to handle.
I always direct seed mellons and cucumbers, they are just to root sensitive.
I hope this helps
Great video, Mark! You made some valid points for both types of sowing. I've found here on the west coast of Canada I can't plant peas in the ground in early spring. They either rot from our wet soil or something comes and steals them! So I've had good results with pre-seeding them in my greenhouse and then planting them out. Now in late summer, I have planted them directly in the ground and they've sprouted in less than a week!
Thanks Mark! I have been watching you for a year or so and love your channel. I finally got off try rump and started a raised bed this year. Wish me luck. 🤞
Thank you for helping me grow. I have so much basil I have to give it away to my neighbors (for a fee!) Thank you again, Mark! Cheers!
Hello from a new subscriber in Caboolture! Loving your videos, they're so entertaining and easy to understand. My husband and I just restarted our veggie garden a couple weekends ago and this time, we are following your tips every step of the way! So far so good 🌱
I love growing chiles, have been doing so for about 20 years, mostly in containers. Texas weather is too temperamental to direct-sow. A surprise late frost or a spring thunderstorm/hailstorm can destroy weeks of work in minutes. Also, I have found that cats love to eat chile seedlings. So I start seeds in Jiffy pots and transplant when at least 3 sets of true leaves have grown. Also, succession planting is much easier this way.
Thank you for your valuable info and advice how to grow plants successfully.
I don't think you mentioned succession planting, although it's probably in the comments already - sowing in trays and then planting out as soon as a space becomes available in the garden is more efficient on space and so more productive, especially in smaller gardens.
I like to grow bush and pole beans, potatoes and tomatoes here in southern Ontario, Canada. It seems as though the wildlife are also pleased with my choices. The raccoons have left the potato patch looking like a war zone full of bomb craters and the squirrels and chipmunks have eaten some of the beans and redistributed the rest! Nice video - thanks.
I'm learning what to direct sow and what not. Hardening off is difficult for me. Pepper plants seem to work much better if I start then indoors first, but squash (particularly pumpkins) do not!
Hey buddy.. have been watching your videos for about a year now have learn a lot and encourage me to grow our own fruits and veggies. I grow mine in green house first as we got funny weather here in New Zealand just before we go halfway to spring but we make most of it from tropical and subtropical fruits and veggies 🍆👍😊
Cheers
I like to start my tomatoes early in my aero garden hydroponic. It makes incredible roots then I transplant into my homade dirt into pots leaving them in partial light for three days than full sun than plant in garden.
If you make paper pots, you don’t disturb the roots too much. The roots grow through the paper and eventually rots away. So less disturbance. Most people use the local newspaper to make them, even make origami style large cubes. I also saw a recent video by an Aussie permaculture guy, showing how to make them and create a self watering wicking bed using an unused cat litter tray, coarse sand and a bottle. The channel is ‘under the choke tree’ and he’s in western Sydney 😀
+Carol Ann, The is basically what I do , you can also use the cardboard egg containers inside a larger cardboard container inside larger, .. I am fortunate, my local foodworks is 1 house away and they love me taking the cardboard boxes etc... saves me digging and saves then drudging a long way to the skip.... TU for the video tip... I make my selfwatering, with wood limbs in bottom of big pots with piece of old towelling and have the towel come up the centre of pot. works for me and costs zilch, as I have plenty of rags and branch cuttings.
Paper pots usually mold.
Awesome power tip Carol paper or other biodegradable pots are definitely helpful! Thank you :)
That was the best video I have seen on the pros and cons of direct sowing vs starting indoors.
My kitchen and living room are full of seeds sprouting early to get produce faster. Not crazy about doing it. A lot of trouble.
I live in southern Indiana USA.
Thank you Patricia! I am imagining your living room and kitchen with all those starter plants - how wonderful! Cheers :)
Patricia Nunez How are you fairing with starting indoors?
I'm just leaning this about carrots after I temporarily put them in a small pot. Thank You for letting me know . Love Your videos.
I tend to plant into small pots while waiting for other plants to finish. This way I get the next season's crop started at the right time.
We start cool weather crops like broccoli, cauliflower, celery, etc. indoors because we have a short spring and very hot summer, so there isn't time for the plants to mature if they're directly sown when the soil is the right temperature. North America, southwest region, grow zone 8 can be tricky with the dry heat.
I would love gardening in Australian climate. In the Netherlands we really need nurseries, otherwise our first direct seedings would be in late april...or may even
Have you ever tried egg shell for the started seeds? I have and it works great. Because you just put the seedlings and egg shell right in the ground. You don't have to worry about roots and that shell has vitamins
I have read and practiced seed compost and then re-pot into a good fully fed compost, Now seed compost has little if any food to feed the seed's once they have germinated, the reason seed compost was designed was due to the light make up of seed compost "so the seed can germinate and push through to get to the light Plus the seed compost was also designed to keep moist, normal compost can cause the seed to rot due to the weight of normal compost and the fact that this compost can cause the seed to rot, Hence i find with some seeds it is better to get the seed to germinate "But" as soon as this has happened "now" is the time the young plants need food "hence a good compost i find helps the plant to grow strong roots and weather permitting plant it out.
I set up a green house with no covering inside and move plants into bigger pots out to the back deck for summer bring in Michigan we can get 2 or 4 crops of radisshes in
This is what great about being an Aussie, 6 weeks ago I was washing ice off the windscreen to go to work and now I'm scrambling to find hay so I don't turn my new beds to dust with the heat, fighting both ends of the weather in the garden. You think it would be easy living in a farming town to get hay hey? Problem is most are 100 bale minimum order, I want 10 max.
Suck up to this... :) Thanks again Mark, I asked this very question today on another one of your vids. To direct sow or not. This helps a lot.
Thanks for the video it has answered a few of my questions. I've grown cayenne pepper for several years by just putting them in a pot, and they did fine. This year I'm growing two other types and thought I'd do it the way every one else recommends and they are growing so slow, now I know why and I can adjust next year. Thanks again for the video I appreciate all the time you put in to help the rest of us.
Thanks for another helpful video. I live in a warm climate (Houston) and have a rooftop garden in the city. I've had great luck direct sowing and this video helps confirm for me that unless there are special circumstances I should cut out the middle man and go direct.
Always enjoy your shows. Your presentations are very informative and your are so lovable. 😊😘
Awesome videos!!! You have answered every single question i have typed into TH-cam
love your videos! just curious, maybe you can make a video of how self sufficient you are? myself and others would love to know at your level, how self sufficient we could expect to be? i think this would be a very important video for you to make as the video would be an update of your namesake. please make this video ! thank you so much for all of the amazing videos you have produced so far, i have learned so much. i too am a veteran with grey hair and learning to use my mind more than my body more in these later years. i love how your videos always have the "work smarter not harder" mentality. please keep up the good work !!
I use cell trays for a lot of my sowings, especially those susceptible to frost as I'm at 54.5º North. Round carrot varieties work multiple sown in cells, as do onions, both spring & round, turnips & beetroot.
The other thing is I grow in 1.2m wide, slightly raised beds I can cover using hoops & polythene sheet for warmth.
Another reason I will start seeds in pots is succession planting. My growing season here in Nebraska US is kind of short for lots of things. We have about 5 months of reliably frost free weather. In order to get a second crop of some things, I will start them in the greenhouse and wait until I have space in my garden as the earlier crops finish up. Also, things like cabbages and daikon will bolt if I try to grow them in the cool of spring. So I start them in the shade in pots and then move them to garden when space is available.
I pre plant my seeds every year. When I am ready to plant them out doors I cut the bottom out of the little cup that I start it in. So I don’t Disturb the plant at all and they grow just as good . But I never take the plant out of the cup
Another great tip to minimise root disturbance! Thank you :)
I like to make my own soil plugs or sow in soil loosely packed in egg cartons. I want to chickens and ducks next year, but I need to do a lot of work before that's feasible (dogs, cats, foxes, fisher cat, coyotes). For carrots I use toilet paper tubes sometimes. Pretty short growing season here, and I love to harvest carrots all summer, so I start most crops early.
I just got a tip from an old italian gardener he said put them in an ice cream cone to germinate. it will then breakdown in the soil much like the cup but no need to to remove the bottom
I really enjoy your videos, dude. You always have well thought out advice. Im glad youre on youtube!
Hi, love watching your videos. We can't always direct sow because we have a small amount of raised beds. If we grow in trays (not root crops) and bring them on, they are ready to go as soon as a bed becomes available from a previous crop. Also to get a head start on the season because of the frost.
Great tips. Thanks Mark.
hello mark ive been following ure videos for some time now and they make the whole planting process simple and fun.thanks r in order keep up the great work.
I agree with direct showing if you live in a warmer climate. When you li e in n a cooler climate you need to germinate separately in a warm enclosure so you can propogate for the year.
I so enjoy watching your videos as I learn so much from you. Thank you for sharing.
Am I the only one that gets annoyed by the thumbs down... Love you're videos! BTW! 👍👍 Self Sufficient Me channel rocks!
I just found your channel a month or so ago and now I'm addicted. I finally have my own house block so I can get back into gardening. It would be handy if you could mention tropical climate issues as well as subtropical and cold. Here the heat is a big problem, never the cold, so our growing period is also limited.
I had to stop halfway through your Hugelkulture video and race out and buy a raised garden bed 😁 which is getting its final ute load of soil tomorrow so I can start planting. Otherwise I have been direct sowing seeds in random places as I don't yet have specific beds laid out.
Keep up the great work!
All the best with your new raised bed! Such a great way to garden I tell ya - especially as I get older the happier I am to not have to bend so much! Cheers :)
I agree 100%. Last year I did a tray of corn, and I planted an identical number directly into the garden. Guess what? I picked all the rows of corn at the same time.
Good Day Mark! I love your videos, I have learned so much from you and still learning. Although we are in two different parts of the world, you get straight to the point. Thank you so much! By the way, I'm from good ole U.S.A.!
Q: for anybody in colder climates - have you ever tested growing with stones in the garden bed?
> the stones heat up during the day and emit warmth, even if buried - however they could also burn the roots..
--> so if anyone has experience, do share!
You are totally Mark Crowe but in the garden, I keep telling my friends about you. Love the channel been addicted to watching ever since I saw the first one, think it was how to grow a ton of Tomatoes.
This sells it for me. Thanks for breaking down this topic. Other sources I've found are hardcore one way or the other. Another gooder from SSM. Cheers!
Another point to be noted too; never overfertilise your soil
I was happy with my childhood who never thought anything but throw anything to the garden and let the nature do the rest. my simple happiness was to see the sprout popping up from the ground, watching them grow everyday. but when they were fruiting and gotten very ripe, I was too obsessed with them that I didn't let anyone to touch and pick them. I remembered I saw my first rippen tomato gone when I was back from school. I cried and blamed my mother for picked it and cooked it.
I'm in the north of England, where it's usually cold, grey, wet, windy and horrible - apart from one day in early August which we call 'glorious summer'. 🤭
Direct sowing isn't really practical for me. Nothing gets long enough to grow, and the slugs and snails are present in vast numbers, so tender young shoots simply disappear.
Even if plants do survive, being chomped sets them back weeks, so the season's almost over before they've got started!
I don't use slug-poison on my (tiny) garden because I have 6 hens wandering about, so I prefer to give my veg a head-start in pots in my little (7') unheated lean-to greenhouse. Sown early in March (we get late frosts in April and sometimes May) - they're then bushy and strong enough to withstand any pest damage.
I grow one seed per 3" pot, and then tip the whole thing out without disturbing the roots. With no thinning-out, pricking-out or fiddling about, they soon get established.
I cover them with wire mesh cylinders to keep the wild birds and chickens off.
It’s always the Australians that give the best advice haha
good day to you Mark !! great advice and information on the pros and cons of direct sowing
This is my first time watching your video. It makes me happy that you have so much passion on gardening. Thank you for the video, really helped me in answering my biology homework and even interest me in gardening, I may try it soon
Thank You!
Well done! Always good things to learn here... please stay full-time. Personally, I only plant on days I want to eat!
Thank you! I live in Canada and was wondering about this. I'm planning on starting my tomatoes inside for sure, maybe more. Thanks again!
Another reason, related to the climate, the growing season might not be long enough to grow the plant to maturity if one direct sowed. For instance, a Beafsteak tomato takes 120 or more days to grow to maturity, and in someplace like western New York, where I live, there isn't any reliable way for it to survive on its own, unless you have an outdoor greenhouse with a dirt floor.
That being said, a cherry-type tomato, which grows to maturity within 80 days, might be able to do it. I hope to try it with a Patio Choice variety.
I love cherry tomatoes, so that's what I grow usually, but I tend to start tomatos inside (in egg cartons or coconut coir pots) or buy plants at the local nursery for common varieties. Zone 4b where I am in new hampshire. Squash I tend to grow in containers so I can transplant and have them ready to harvest before first frost or bring them inside (such a pain) if we start getting frost early.
All depends.
These videos are great.
Thanks for another great video! I’m looking forward to expanding our garden this year. One thing I’ve been wondering- what methods do you use to preserve all the food you guys do not eat? Have you made any past videos on this? Or, would you consider making one?
Great to watch
Hey! I concur with your observations of seedlings establishing themselves better with direct seeding over transplants... Unfortunately, all plants can't be planted as such since, for example, small seeded vegetable plants have to compete with upcoming unrelenting weeds. Celery, tomato, pepper to name a few.
In terms of tips...i try sometimes... Because I live far away from the area where I plant come on I set my feelings within the seedling tray and leave it in the open or sometimes just set that seedling flat down on the ground in the garden area that I'm planting. That way, I don't have to worry about having to harden off my plants. Additionally, some seeds that would eventually make it too a natural seedling in my nice shaded Nursery area would not normally make it out in the harsh conditions of the hot sun and high temperature grounds. This is to say that allowing them to start in an environment that is as close as possible to their final destination allows the high-potential seeds to make it to healthy seedlings
Hi Mark I love your video shows I also live in Queensland a Mackay area I would love to know though when to plant what veggies and what time of the year where in summertime now so what’s the best veggies and fruit trees to plant this time of the year thank you mate,cheers Zeffer
Hi love your advice I'm having a hard time trying to get my beetroot an radish also cucumbers growing any ideas. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us
Thanks for the advice many times I sow then transplant. I am from the island of Trinidad West Indies.Blessings to u and family.
Thanks Naomi and blessings to you and yours also! :)
Mark: sorry about all the noise damn neighbors lawn mower
Me: literally just hears crickets
He's so attuned to his land that he can hear the slightest noise meanwhile we can't tell at all
I think they do this on purpose..really...
I saw direct because I'm lazy :) That means sometimes I don't get to harvest anything before the first snow.. :) But it all makes good compost for next year...
I direct sow everything but peppers. Those I start inside in January. I sow my carrots like I'm feeding chickens...just toss them in the ground in fall. Our harsh winters dont kill them as long as they have a month to grow first.
I do love your channel! I don't have a long enough growing season unfortunately for some of my crops! Love your idea for beets, I will try that!!
Very helpful! I've always wondered why but googling didn't yield any answers. I've a related question: if I'm growing my plants in pots, is it necessary to grow them in smaller pots before moving them to bigger ones rather than growing them in a big pot straight away? If yes, what are the reasons? Thank you!
KEEP GOING MATE NEARLY AT A MILLION SUBS! HOPE U-CHUBE IS PAYING YOU WELL FOR ALL THESES EYEs!
One trick is to plant seeds into paper pots or used toilet rolls then plant the whole thing into your beds.
What I do is when I crack my eggs, crack it towards the top, and then use the rest of the eggshell as seedling container, make a whole at the bottom, fill with growing medium and once seedling develops crack the shell on the sides and put in the soil
Richard i will do what you say...i tried seedlings transplanting in bigger pots and lose half seedlings because of disrupting the roots. I am saving toilet and paper pots. Thx jean
@@yusufakals wow! Will fo this too! Thx
Richard, doesn't the toilet paper disintegrate when you water the seedlings?
I sow in trays for two reasons:
Climate - getting it started before direct sowing allows; and inability to tell the difference between weeds and the seedling while young.
I buy rockwool and put 3 seeds in each handpick the best and pinch off others. The prepared ones they sell work great but you pay for them.thats why I make my own.check roots while growing they should be white if you see any browning immediately put them in dirt and cut off any brown with scissors.
I truly agree you! I know longer sue trays to start my seedlings! Great video
I also direct-sow beans, even for a 3-month growing season. Bean transplants hardly ever worked for me.
Brilliant informative video! Thanks . Pat in the UK, waiting for the weather to warm up!
Funny you would mention the possum. Been finding dead one's in yard and learned my dog has been helping.
Possums are very useful . They eat tons of fleas and ticks etx