As an aspiring small farmer that is starting with literally nothing, Your video releases keep me in seasonal timing and I am soooo very thankful for it!!! I’ll never forget your help as long as I live.
Aspiring small farmer here as well, highly recommend looking into Dr. Elaine Ingham and Chris Trump.. these two have formed the foundation for me and what it means to BE a farmer, and am better for it. Wish you the best
Ben - I cannot tell you how useful and inspirational your vids are especially late winter/early spring when its too miserable to go out in the garden. Time to get that compost/manure on the beds! Cheers.
Excellent ideas, thanks for posting. I'd always assumed home compost to be a poor cousin to "muck" so am delighted to hear you rank compost the best. I got serious with composting the summer before last. Previously I'd just pile up everything in a corner and eventually, sometimes several years later, dig the pile out and use the good stuff on vegetable beds. Now instead I have several plastic compost bins (the Dalek type). Our allotment often has second hand ones available for a few pounds. I began shredding stuff with an electric shredder. I found fresher stems shred better than dried stuff (that surprised me, I expected dry stuff to be brittle and chip easily but I found the fresher stuff chopped up easier). I also use all the vegetable waste from my kitchen and torn up paper and cardboard. When added to the Daleks, it composts really quickly. It's always a little disappointing how much the volume reduces as it decomposes but I never run out of stuff to add. For invasive weeds like bindweed and stuff in seed I avoid composting directly but instead steep them in a lidded dustbin full of water where they slowly rot. This gets emptied once a year, by which time the weeds are a nasty slimy dead mess which I spread out to dry and air a little before adding to the compost. The foul liquid is diluted and used as a liquid fertiliser. .
i don't know about the UK, but in the USA horses are often wormed with stuff that is quite nasty to plants, so we have to check whether they were wormed recently as well.
I'm going to have to remember to put my composted manure in the greenhouse BEFORE it freezes solid. I've been putting cold tolerant veggies in my (unheated) greenhouse for the past week, cussing myself for not doing that in October. My compost is frozen to the tumblers, and the manure piles are under about a foot of snow. I had to go out and buy "organic" raised bed mixes to get the soil depth back up. **grumble** Thanks for all you do. I've got 4 pages of notes so far from your videos. I'm a more or less experienced gardener, and I've learned something with almost every video. My husband and I crack up every time we see you've swiped something from your daughter or your kitchen. Hubs ends up grousing at me at least once a year for missing silverware, missing utensils, etc. We both agree that you and that shovel should get a room. 🤣🤣🤣 (RE: the caring for tools video)
Haha - we probably should! Thanks so much for your lovely comment. It's really reassuring to know there are tips for more experienced gardener too. Thanks for watching. :-)
@@GrowVeg That video about carrots made us cringe though...that part about having to get your carrots out with a pickaxe hit way too close to home. I've heard over and over again how people just leave them in the ground and pull as needed. Doesn't work in the Idaho mountains. We had to go the pickaxe route. I'm sure you would have laughed yourself silly. Wish I'd watched YOUR video first. What a mess. I'm hoping to salvage them as soon as the ground thaws, and hope they're still edible.
I've printed off 50 or so pictures of Ben's face and scattered them around my vegetable beds. In addition to this I use a Bluetooth speaker and play Bryan Adams everything I do I do it for you on repeat into the earth. This combination brings my soil happiness and joy. I recommend you try it for yourself.
@@46FreddieMercury91 yes, but this early in the year when there's still a chance of frost I also play Peter Andrés Mysterious girl and that tends to do the trick too.
Bryan Adams? I'm a Canuk and even I wouldn't go that route, poor plants. Go full Brit or go home since you already have pix of Ben in there....some Bauhaus, Throbbing Gristle, John Foxx (Europe After the Rain is great for spring showers) and that ought to make the veg happy.
Thanks for the video. I've started small the last few years and keep adding a new plant or two every year to see if there's any success. I've been lucky so far. I love the videos they make me want to do so much more. I've just sown peas, my first time, on 1st Feb ( St. Bridgets Day in Ireland- our first bank holiday for her this year) and they are going strong, thanks for all the great tips
Thanks Ben, getting ready here for the grow season in 9b Sacramento. I am very fortunate that I have an arborist who I hire to trim my trees, he is good enough to drop by chipped mulch whenever I ask and he only drops off what I need. ie if I want 2 wheelbarrows full, that is all he dumps on my driveway. I too have used steer manure, sometimes it's so strong that I run it thru my compost to dilute it. Like you, I am looking forward to a great new growing season. Thanks for the latest vid.
I have a huge supply! My neighbor gets chips dumped from tree companies in the corner right next to my yard :) they mix it with horse manure with a tractor but a lot got pushed between some trees... anyways they can't get at it with the tractor so I can get all I want by hand :)
This is a wonderful video, Ben, and so much needed as our winter here drags on and on. I still have 15" of snow all over my farm, and garden, but your video gives me hope that warm Spring days are coming. Thank you!
I’m almost, just about, nearly, self sufficient in homemade compost I reckon I’m making about 10-12 cubic meters each year by collecting everything I can but it’s amazing how much you need in the initial start up of a no dig garden, I’ve also just started making leaf mould to make my own seed sowing compost mix in future and I’ll do videos on this in future on my channel, sorry little plug there 😆 Great video as always 👍
Sorry Ben, don[t know if you do much about chickens but since this is an issue of the day is the only reason I put it here. What about a meal worm farm? Homestead Corner has a video today 2/12/23 on meal worm farms for the fav feathrd fri ends.
Going to concentrate on improving the soil in my vegetable patch this autumn so thank you for this information. Looking for a strong arch to grow my beans etc next year and wondering where you got yours? Thank you for all your helpful videos.
Thank you soo much for mentioning garden compost as the first choice. As a plant-based food grower I greatly appreciate it as so many channels focus on animal-based products. More people are going plant-based and I hope they find your channel. Wish I had more access to deciduous leaves...living amongst conifers makes finding leaves a challenge...they are such a great compost source! And thank you so much for using low-cost items like old windows and cardboard... this way everyone can grow amazing food!
Thank you so much for sharing your gardening knowledge and experience with the world! I have learned so much from you! Ever since finding your channel, I've been gaining the confidence to go bigger every year and try new plants
I have a small worm farm going, and some local horses, so I add horse manure and compost worms to my compost heaps. It works a treat. In the autumn, I sifted out all the stubborn uncomposted stuff, mostly twigs, roots and tufts of grass, chucked all it in a ton bag, then added two feed bags of manure and a fork full of worms. They've been busy in there all winter churning it into beautiful compost, and I've just forked it into the polytunnel, worms and all.
My raised beds, and grow bags have been covered with a thick layer of leaves since autumn, and I have been keeping my compost bin full. I even filled up two trash bins with chopped up leaves for use later in the season. Very soon, I will start the process of mixing in the decaying leaves into the soil, and planting transplants, or direct sowing seeds. My greenhouse project is nearly finished. It needs a little more soil to level the ground in the front, then it will be ready for the cover. Next on my to do list is making the three raised beds that will be placed inside it, and moving my planting table inside after that. All is on schedule. I have 20 tomato seedlings started, five cherry, the rest large, two trays of Red Bearded Bunching Onions, a tray of Rainbow Swiss Chard, Luccullus Swiss Chard, Fordhook Swiss chard, New Zealand Spinach, Tokyo Bekana Mustard, Japanese Giant Red Mustard, two trays of assorted lettuce, and 92 pepper plants (15 varieties). Next week, I will sow seeds for snow peas and radishes, and the following week, Danvers, Komatsuna, Tatsoi, Chijimisai, Kale, Boc Choy, turnips, and beet root. I have 25 Seascape Strawberry plants on order that I will be planting too. In three weeks, it is potato time. And so the planting season begins. When the weather warms up a bit in April, I will finish the garden by planting cucumbers, pole beans, summer squash, winter squash, assorted herbs, and flowers to attract pollinators.
Spoken like a YOUNG gardener who still has a supple spine and boundless energy. I USED to work like that. Have a fun-filled Summer ☀️ watching things grow.
@@nancyarchibald9095 Not too young 59, disabled after Widow Maker heart attack and triple bypass-very low stamina, but I am very determined, and stubborn.
@@jaytoney3007 I'll say you're determined and stubborn. Be sure to be determined and stubborn about taking healthy breaks and taking time to really enjoy what you're doing. Good Luck, gardener!
@@conniewojahn6445 Depending on the amount of work I am doing, it is about 15-30 minutes of work, followed by 30-60 minutes of rest. In between I write. I think I am working on my 22nd book and I just signed a contract with SavagePlanets Magazine. The Oracle will be making its debut appearance in the October Issue.
@Jay Toney - Sounds familiar. I'm 67yrs, disabled with arthritis up spine, in hands, wrists, right hip. (left hip replaced in 2008). But I have an inborn stubbornness too!! It goes deep & wide. I work WAY past fatigue, then pay with 2-3 days of recovery. I'm not sure I can do it again this year. But I will try. I will start seeds next month and see how it goes. I know now "HOW" to get great results, great harvests.
Have a horse farm near me that gives away free, 1 year aged manure. Gonna grab some this month and let it settle for Spring. Heard the tip last year and its going to save SO MUCH money on my new raised beds. Really excited to see how this year goes. Cheers.
"More time to get your $&!# together" wasn't expecting that today. :0) Never thought to grow the seeds before covering with the cardboard. Thanks for sharing.
Love it ! I have sheep, chickens, and a rabbit so I try to get my sh☆☆ together all year: ). With that and leaves and compost, it makes me feel good to feed the soil. I am so excited for Spring!!
I did two tests on some horse manure I got from a local farm a few months ago. I did one test on it by adding worms to make sure there was no active dewormer (my worms survived!). Now I'm testing for persistent herbicides by growing green beans indoors in both soil enriched with manure and plain soil. The manure won't be ready for my beds this spring in any case, but at least I know whether I can add it in the fall and, in the meantime, feed some of it to my worm farms.
Thanks again Ben. I have been lazy this year. I have a zillion seeds,but have not even opened the packages. I could use one (or six)😂of those huge bags of compost. God Bless you and yours, may your garden be the best it has ever been and you have bountiful produce.
Really informative video, thank you! I have compost that is ready to be put on the beds, however, plants are going in within the next month or two. Is it a problem to not allow the compost to meld with the soil for a few months before planting? Thanks!
Not at all - but it's worth getting the compost on the soil as soon as you are able, so it can start blending with your native soil - the worms will do a lot of the work for you.
6:00 WESC Method: I never thought of pre-germinating the weed seeds already in the soil, then disrupting the growth of their sprouts by kind of composting them back into the soil. 🤔 Weeds are so determined. Won't the tiny roots just start "taking root" again, and continue growing?
Some may re-root, but you can just go back and hoe those off too. Keeping the soil surface moving like that would make it very hard for weeds to reestablish. This WESC method is really best for annual weeds rather than pernicious perennial weeds.
Video idea for spring. I'm sick of weeding and covering so this yr I'm attempting cover crops in the beds. Buckwheat grows up in a few weeks so chokes out weeds trying to sprout (or so they say). When it's time to plant you mow it down and leave it to become mulch (it feeds the soil) part it and plant amongst the cut plant debris. If it flowers before you're ready one just cuts the heads off before they seed. Maybe you could give it a go in one bed and let us know how it goes.
I get free manure from a neighbor that sets bags out by the road twice a week making it easy and economic for me to fill containers and raised beds! Thanks for all the great information! When I see these type of videos starting with someone holding bags of store bought chemicals and amendments I just laugh and switch to something else
@@GrowVeg Youre welcome I love your bright well spoken personality and the fast pace of your very informative videos and your daughter is so adorable! ! Im so grateful for my neighbors generosity, its been a game changer!
Ben, what are your views on bokoshi composting? I started because our house has a massive about of fruit and vegetable skins 🤔 it's all disappearing into the soil but I yet to grow vegetables in it.
Hi Ben I got it wrong about the chilli I’m growing! It a jays peach ghost scorpion chilli nearly twice as hot at 900,000 on the Scoville scale.🤯🔥☠️👍🏻🤠🙏
Hi Ben! I had a question for those who didn't get their shit together during the winter... Spring is around the corner where I live in 9b and we're already past a frost. Is there anything I can do to get my beds ready this late in the game?
Absolutely Mayra. It's still worth getting well-rotted, crumbly organic matter onto your beds, as it will still have plenty of benefit to the plants growing in it. But make sure it's well-rotted so plants can go straight in.
I got mine from a local supplier (North Oxfordshire Topsoil) but there are suppliers all over the place. One nationally supplier is Springbridge, for example.
Another great video, thanks Ben! I mulched with well-rotted manure last year but then read some worrying stuff recently about the potential of spreading nasty diseases to the veg, it sounds like good old compost (peat-free obvs) is a safer bet but do you have any advice here?
Garden compost is always best, but if you order manure from a trusted source - such as a supplier selling it in the bags I bought - it should be safe to use.
If you raise large numbers of Earthworms, they will chomp through everything ASAP, and what goes through the gut of an Earthworm stands a very high chance of being PERFECT! That is my gut instinct - 'scuse the pun! .
Maybe a suggestion for a future video. Like you I have trees around my garden. After three years, the productivity of my nearest beds went way down. I dug in and saw that large tree roots had obviously sucked out all the nutriments. How do you deal with that? Next year I plan to dig them all out and lay down a root barrier. Then I’ll have to re-amend the whole thing but I’m sad to completely disturb these no-dig beds.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13) The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalms 34:18)
You are literally amazing. Thank you so much for your videos. I'm a young mum and began veg gardening with no experience during the lockdown. My Mum was my go to for knowledge, we gardened together and she taught me the basics. Last year she became very unwell and died after her 60th birthday last November. I didn't have the time to grow anything last year between work, parenting and caring for my dear mum. I just began getting back into gardening this week and it's been difficult without my mum on hand, reminding me of my grief etc. A quick look on TH-cam and your channel came up and I've binge watched it the last few days and I've learnt so much. I hope I can manage to grow the veg my mum taught me to this year. I'd love any tips on how to prevent broccoli, cabbage and, raspberries from getting eaten by what I think is moth larvae... They are possibly different types of what look like small green caterpillars. Every year my raspberry bush gets eaten alive and the last time I grew cabbage and broccoli they were also covered and the leaves all eaten! Thanks so much.
So sorry to hear about the loss of your mum, but gardening will be a great way to pay tribute to her and to carry on her great work. :-) Your broccoli and cabbage are likely being ravaged by cabbageworms/cabbage white butterflies. More on those here: www.growveg.co.uk/pests/uk-and-europe/cabbage-white-butterfly/ Raspberries probably being eaten by raspberry beetles, if it's the fruits being eaten: www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/raspberry-beetle Or it could be borers: www.thespruce.com/getting-rid-of-raspberry-pests-2539580
Ants are fine in the compost pile. They are just part and parcel of a living heap. If they bother you though, keeping the heap a bit moist can help, as they prefer drier conditions.
Snow drops! I've got snow drops brightening my dark soil. So spring! Lots of them, too. I'm encouraged by how they've naturalized in my flower beds. Meanwhile, my tulips have gone away. I'm looking forward to daffy blooms. They're up four inches or more already. I love their cheery yellow smiles. Who wouldn't? I'm still shifting and spreading leaf debris that's been in my compost bins for years and still hasn't rotted down. I have to rub it into a screen to break it up because it's too wet to shred with a machine. Got any tips to speed that up so I can get it spread before there's more growth on spring plants?
Snowdrops lift the spirit, they really do! For your compost, if it's wet I'd try and add in some dry materials to balance it out - old leaves or torn-up cardboard, for example. This video may help: th-cam.com/video/_K25WjjCBuw/w-d-xo.html
Every time there's the wording, "a couple of months after winter" as a cold climate gardener, I'm just sad. A few months and the growing season has gone byebye XD
Time to address the tab water; it contains so much chlorine and even other unhealthy stuff! The tab water is actually an issue. A filter is necessary to keep you as well as your plants out of chlorine; even in the shower an bath tub. The skin is said to be the body´s biggest organ, and your immune system is depending on the probiotics in your gut, intestines; not a very good idea to kill the probiotics then, is it. There are filters that are not that expensive, appr 70 dollars on line; easy to install; no tools needed.
Duck Manure can be used right away due to its not as acidic as chicken manure and grass fed animals. A tip I got from an elder friend from Ireland. Much love all!
I counted on well rotted manure last year and it was not well rotted at all but quite hot n killed a few trees and so i got some bagged soil that was hot also and killed some berries. This year everything coming from bags gets dumped into a compost pile for a few weeks before it goes anywhere new my alive things
We're so many months behind you, here in SE Idaho. (Abt 100 mi straight West from Jackson Hole, Wyoming) We still have nearly 2 ft of ICE on our roofs, 4 ft of snow on our lawns. With only 113 Average Days from Frost-Frost, our growing season is substantially less as well. BUT, I can get a tremendous harvest if I pre-sprout most seeds and fertilize weekly with a 16-16-16, adding trace minerals and Epson salts. Last year, we fertilized with rabbit manure and worm castings, BUT these organics were spent by mid-July.
I started container gardening last year and learned a great deal from your videos , the information you give is so valuable and appreciated,I’m hoping for a good growing season ,and look forward to your videos this year
Hi Ben. I'm sure you may have said before, but I was wondering where you purchased your metal garden arches?. They look strong, and am I correct, galvanised?
They are galvanised. Very well made, but not cheap, alas. I got them from Agrs: www.agrs.co.uk/products/elegance-round-arch?_pos=2&_sid=ca1d6441b&_ss=r
Awesomeee! Thank you... for the tips.. Time to get started in the garden..We are here in the French countryside.. today, 11 Feb it was 17C outside, and felt like around 20/21 C ... I worked out in the garden most of the day... What a great feeling to be back outside, after a cold winter.. beautiful warm and sunny day! Felt like spring!
I was just wondering, is "wesc" the official name for this method? Because I just made a (much lower quality) video about this. But I just called it false/ fake seedbed method. That's how u literly translate it from Dutch.
I"m in the U.S. and I'm not sure where to post this comment, but here goes: THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH! I had found your garden app when I was planning out a traditonal garden, but then found out about square foot gardening about a week ago. I read up a bunch, and decided I would go that route, but felt like I couldn't use your app as well as I could have when I was planning on planting in rows. You crafty bunch were already ahead of me, and I found the button for square foot gardening and am once again happily and excitedly planning out where I'll put all my current and future starts (and without paper!) Thank you from a very giddy zone 7A gardner!
Good morning from VA ! Ihave watched you since you were on PBS in the US. My 81 yr old sister has discovered TH-cam. She was all excited the other day telling about this man (who talks funny) with so many good things about gardening. Lol😃 It was yku,of course. She isn't able to garden anymore, but I usually make her a small plot with cucumbers and tomatoes. And she orders me what she wants that I have to plant ! I'm sure she will have lots of things to help me with from watching you . So you have yet another fan in the family . Keep up the good work.
Here in Eastern Washington (USDA Zone 6b) it is still snowing-however the compost bin has been ranging from 170 degrees on down to 80 or so. Tomorrow I will turn the bin and incorporate a bunch of new kitchen scraps! Can’t wait for Spring to arrive! Thanks so much for the garden porn 😂!
I'm always wary of manure as conventional farmers use deworming medications, antibiotics and other chemical treatments on their animals which will of course have an impact on the manure. You don't want to kill off your earthworms with deworming meds in the manure! My chickens help me make the best black gold compost and I know the origins of an the ingredients 😎
Ben, thank you for your videos! I’m going to be digging into my compost heap next week. I’m new to composting- I noticed that you had quite large sticks in your compost. Would you take those out? Leave in? Won’t they be a problem for small plants? Also are there any plants that you cut back that you wouldn’t put into a compost? Thanks
Hi Jan. Ideally the compost would be a little more decomposed, but what I had wasn't bad. I'll planting plug plants, so they don't need the very fine compost and should cope just fine. As far as plants - really you can add anything.
Hi Ben! I'm just starting out (I have done a bit of slash and burn to clear a patch to start growing some veg, so my compost heap should be great next year!!), so I bought some compost from a garden centre, but when I opened the bag, it is covered in white fluffy mould! Is it OK to use, or should I take it back?
I never knew you cam use leaves as compost. We have a tree that hate with passion lol. The leaves fall daily all year around. I asked myself why are the previous owner plant the tree, our yard looked nice and clean for few hours when the wind blows there goes the leave i got so tried of raking it i just wait until it 2 ft deep then rake it and throw it away. If i only knew i can use it as COMPOST. As i am speaking there are plenty for me to rake lol. I am going to start saving it for my baby garden! Because I've been buying woodchips and picked the the falling leaves from my garden and threw it away i thought it was bad for my plants. Thank you for the information! So helpful
My chicken bedding gets worked into the beds along with whatever kitchen scraps their spoiled little selves rejected. My crappy back is necessitating raised beds this year, so I'm kind of in a rather depressing state of starting over.
The recycling business I use in the US charges $34 for a c.y. of compost (no manure) or topsoil (has manure) so I get both and mix it. $75 for delivery. Mulch is free from the arborists.
“If you don’t have your soil ready, time is ticking!” Me, staring out at 6 feet snow drifts on my garden beds…” 😂
Same
😅😅
Me….starting out at 6 feet snow drifts…..the winter AFTER I first thought about starting a garden
😂
Yup me too. 0:41
As an aspiring small farmer that is starting with literally nothing, Your video releases keep me in seasonal timing and I am soooo very thankful for it!!! I’ll never forget your help as long as I live.
That is a joy to hear - thank you so much for watching, and very best of luck with the coming growing season. :-)
Aspiring small farmer here as well, highly recommend looking into Dr. Elaine Ingham and Chris Trump.. these two have formed the foundation for me and what it means to BE a farmer, and am better for it. Wish you the best
Hi Ben loving your energy and enthusiasm 😎
Cheers very much! :-)
Ben - I cannot tell you how useful and inspirational your vids are especially late winter/early spring when its too miserable to go out in the garden. Time to get that compost/manure on the beds! Cheers.
You're welcome. Get that compost/manure spread - chop, chop!
I just found a source last week for rabbit manure,,,,,unlimited rabbit manure..
.I am R I C H and blessed. I'm s o excited...
Truly a gardener's black gold.
Excellent ideas, thanks for posting. I'd always assumed home compost to be a poor cousin to "muck" so am delighted to hear you rank compost the best. I got serious with composting the summer before last. Previously I'd just pile up everything in a corner and eventually, sometimes several years later, dig the pile out and use the good stuff on vegetable beds. Now instead I have several plastic compost bins (the Dalek type). Our allotment often has second hand ones available for a few pounds. I began shredding stuff with an electric shredder. I found fresher stems shred better than dried stuff (that surprised me, I expected dry stuff to be brittle and chip easily but I found the fresher stuff chopped up easier). I also use all the vegetable waste from my kitchen and torn up paper and cardboard. When added to the Daleks, it composts really quickly. It's always a little disappointing how much the volume reduces as it decomposes but I never run out of stuff to add. For invasive weeds like bindweed and stuff in seed I avoid composting directly but instead steep them in a lidded dustbin full of water where they slowly rot. This gets emptied once a year, by which time the weeds are a nasty slimy dead mess which I spread out to dry and air a little before adding to the compost. The foul liquid is diluted and used as a liquid fertiliser. .
Love your composting techniques - and what a great way to deal with the weeds!
i don't know about the UK, but in the USA horses are often wormed with stuff that is quite nasty to plants, so we have to check whether they were wormed recently as well.
Thanks for that advice Carol, I hadn't realised.
I'm going to have to remember to put my composted manure in the greenhouse BEFORE it freezes solid. I've been putting cold tolerant veggies in my (unheated) greenhouse for the past week, cussing myself for not doing that in October. My compost is frozen to the tumblers, and the manure piles are under about a foot of snow. I had to go out and buy "organic" raised bed mixes to get the soil depth back up. **grumble**
Thanks for all you do. I've got 4 pages of notes so far from your videos. I'm a more or less experienced gardener, and I've learned something with almost every video. My husband and I crack up every time we see you've swiped something from your daughter or your kitchen. Hubs ends up grousing at me at least once a year for missing silverware, missing utensils, etc. We both agree that you and that shovel should get a room. 🤣🤣🤣 (RE: the caring for tools video)
Haha - we probably should! Thanks so much for your lovely comment. It's really reassuring to know there are tips for more experienced gardener too. Thanks for watching. :-)
@@GrowVeg That video about carrots made us cringe though...that part about having to get your carrots out with a pickaxe hit way too close to home. I've heard over and over again how people just leave them in the ground and pull as needed. Doesn't work in the Idaho mountains. We had to go the pickaxe route. I'm sure you would have laughed yourself silly. Wish I'd watched YOUR video first. What a mess. I'm hoping to salvage them as soon as the ground thaws, and hope they're still edible.
I've printed off 50 or so pictures of Ben's face and scattered them around my vegetable beds. In addition to this I use a Bluetooth speaker and play Bryan Adams everything I do I do it for you on repeat into the earth. This combination brings my soil happiness and joy. I recommend you try it for yourself.
Seriously?!
@@46FreddieMercury91 yes, but this early in the year when there's still a chance of frost I also play Peter Andrés Mysterious girl and that tends to do the trick too.
I hired a meditation & yoga instructor, and a panpipe player, to come by once an hour and teach my plants to grow. Works a treat.
@@canadiangemstones7636 I hadn't really given that a thought before. Noted.
Bryan Adams? I'm a Canuk and even I wouldn't go that route, poor plants. Go full Brit or go home since you already have pix of Ben in there....some Bauhaus, Throbbing Gristle, John Foxx (Europe After the Rain is great for spring showers) and that ought to make the veg happy.
I absolutely love this man's enthusiasm about compost.
Thanks for the video. I've started small the last few years and keep adding a new plant or two every year to see if there's any success. I've been lucky so far. I love the videos they make me want to do so much more. I've just sown peas, my first time, on 1st Feb ( St. Bridgets Day in Ireland- our first bank holiday for her this year) and they are going strong, thanks for all the great tips
Glad you've got off to a strong start Michelle.
Just found this channel, I love him! So educated and enthusiastic, great to watch, I'm hooked !!!
Thanks so much Jemma. Welcome to the channel!
☺️ your personality always shines through! Love this video 😊
Thanks so much! :-)
@@GrowVeg 😊
The WESC idea is brilliant
Nice but there is still 4 feet of snow here in northern Minnesota and below zero here
Great information and much needed as I embark upon my first allotment. thanks 😁
Thank you for your good video.
Thanks Ben, getting ready here for the grow season in 9b Sacramento. I am very fortunate that I have an arborist who I hire to trim my trees, he is good enough to drop by chipped mulch whenever I ask and he only drops off what I need. ie if I want 2 wheelbarrows full, that is all he dumps on my driveway. I too have used steer manure, sometimes it's so strong that I run it thru my compost to dilute it. Like you, I am looking forward to a great new growing season. Thanks for the latest vid.
Cheers Stephen. Your arborist sounds like a really useful chap to know!
Thank you for this. Today, we unveiled our own homemade compost from kitchen scraps. It was a year in the making but so so pleasing! 😁
A very satisfying moment!
Lovely stuff and right in time! (Zone 7a, checking in.) I was just looking at my beds and wondering if I should have a stab at them yet. Thank you!
I have a huge supply! My neighbor gets chips dumped from tree companies in the corner right next to my yard :) they mix it with horse manure with a tractor but a lot got pushed between some trees... anyways they can't get at it with the tractor so I can get all I want by hand :)
What a great resource to have to hand!
This is a wonderful video, Ben, and so much needed as our winter here drags on and on. I still have 15" of snow all over my farm, and garden, but your video gives me hope that warm Spring days are coming. Thank you!
Those warmer days really are around the corner I promise!
I’m almost, just about, nearly, self sufficient in homemade compost I reckon I’m making about 10-12 cubic meters each year by collecting everything I can but it’s amazing how much you need in the initial start up of a no dig garden, I’ve also just started making leaf mould to make my own seed sowing compost mix in future and I’ll do videos on this in future on my channel, sorry little plug there 😆
Great video as always 👍
That's a great volume of compost to be making - good on you!
That bleeped out bit in the middle 😅🤣🤣🤣 🎉 thanks for that!
And the final sign off shot was epic and lovely!
Cheers! :-)
And faked with an empty cup. Terrible outro.
An Englishman‘s tea cup is never empty 😁
Sorry Ben, don[t know if you do much about chickens but since this is an issue of the day is the only reason I put it here. What about a meal worm farm? Homestead Corner has a video today 2/12/23 on meal worm farms for the fav feathrd fri ends.
Interesting Jeanette. I've not come across those before, but seems like a very logical and sound idea.
Going to concentrate on improving the soil in my vegetable patch this autumn so thank you for this information. Looking for a strong arch to grow my beans etc next year and wondering where you got yours? Thank you for all your helpful videos.
My arches were from Agrs: www.agrs.co.uk/products/elegance-round-arch
Thank you soo much for mentioning garden compost as the first choice. As a plant-based food grower I greatly appreciate it as so many channels focus on animal-based products. More people are going plant-based and I hope they find your channel. Wish I had more access to deciduous leaves...living amongst conifers makes finding leaves a challenge...they are such a great compost source! And thank you so much for using low-cost items like old windows and cardboard... this way everyone can grow amazing food!
Thanks Trish. As you say, you definitely don't need animal-derived amendments for your soil to thrive.
Hi Ben, great video on getting ready with plenty of information for the next season. Thanks for sharing and take care 🙂
Cheers Christine. I hope you have a great start to spring. :-)
Really like WESC 🙂 very innovative. Planning to give that a go.
Love these videos!!! Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Wonderful video & advice 👏 This is exactly what I needed! Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your gardening knowledge and experience with the world! I have learned so much from you! Ever since finding your channel, I've been gaining the confidence to go bigger every year and try new plants
That's really lovely to hear Hannah! Thanks so much for watching. :-)
Time to get your Sh** together... literally! 😂😂🤣🤣😂 I do love your sense of humor Ben. Thank you for the laugh. 🤗
Cheers Laura - glad to have raised a smile! :-)
I have a small worm farm going, and some local horses, so I add horse manure and compost worms to my compost heaps. It works a treat. In the autumn, I sifted out all the stubborn uncomposted stuff, mostly twigs, roots and tufts of grass, chucked all it in a ton bag, then added two feed bags of manure and a fork full of worms. They've been busy in there all winter churning it into beautiful compost, and I've just forked it into the polytunnel, worms and all.
That's superb - really handy having those worms. They're doing a grand job for you!
We accidentally done this last year and we have lots of lovely compost in tonne bag, easiest compost ever! 😂
The pupper put on his best behaviour for the final scene🥰
It was Pawfect! ❤️
Right place, right time - we were very lucky!
My raised beds, and grow bags have been covered with a thick layer of leaves since autumn, and I have been keeping my compost bin full. I even filled up two trash bins with chopped up leaves for use later in the season. Very soon, I will start the process of mixing in the decaying leaves into the soil, and planting transplants, or direct sowing seeds. My greenhouse project is nearly finished. It needs a little more soil to level the ground in the front, then it will be ready for the cover. Next on my to do list is making the three raised beds that will be placed inside it, and moving my planting table inside after that. All is on schedule. I have 20 tomato seedlings started, five cherry, the rest large, two trays of Red Bearded Bunching Onions, a tray of Rainbow Swiss Chard, Luccullus Swiss Chard, Fordhook Swiss chard, New Zealand Spinach, Tokyo Bekana Mustard, Japanese Giant Red Mustard, two trays of assorted lettuce, and 92 pepper plants (15 varieties). Next week, I will sow seeds for snow peas and radishes, and the following week, Danvers, Komatsuna, Tatsoi, Chijimisai, Kale, Boc Choy, turnips, and beet root. I have 25 Seascape Strawberry plants on order that I will be planting too. In three weeks, it is potato time. And so the planting season begins. When the weather warms up a bit in April, I will finish the garden by planting cucumbers, pole beans, summer squash, winter squash, assorted herbs, and flowers to attract pollinators.
Spoken like a YOUNG gardener who still has a supple spine and boundless energy. I USED to work like that. Have a fun-filled Summer ☀️ watching things grow.
@@nancyarchibald9095 Not too young 59, disabled after Widow Maker heart attack and triple bypass-very low stamina, but I am very determined, and stubborn.
@@jaytoney3007 I'll say you're determined and stubborn. Be sure to be determined and stubborn about taking healthy breaks and taking time to really enjoy what you're doing. Good Luck, gardener!
@@conniewojahn6445 Depending on the amount of work I am doing, it is about 15-30 minutes of work, followed by 30-60 minutes of rest. In between I write. I think I am working on my 22nd book and I just signed a contract with SavagePlanets Magazine. The Oracle will be making its debut appearance in the October Issue.
@Jay Toney - Sounds familiar. I'm 67yrs, disabled with arthritis up spine, in hands, wrists, right hip. (left hip replaced in 2008). But I have an inborn stubbornness too!! It goes deep & wide. I work WAY past fatigue, then pay with 2-3 days of recovery. I'm not sure I can do it again this year. But I will try. I will start seeds next month and see how it goes. I know now "HOW" to get great results, great harvests.
Have a horse farm near me that gives away free, 1 year aged manure. Gonna grab some this month and let it settle for Spring. Heard the tip last year and its going to save SO MUCH money on my new raised beds. Really excited to see how this year goes. Cheers.
What a great resource to have to hand! :-)
"More time to get your $&!# together" wasn't expecting that today. :0)
Never thought to grow the seeds before covering with the cardboard. Thanks for sharing.
You're very welcome. :-)
Great video, love my compost bin, also love the dog what a good dog, wish mu dog was that well behaved lol
She has her moments!
Love it ! I have sheep, chickens, and a rabbit so I try to get my sh☆☆ together all year: ). With that and leaves and compost, it makes me feel good to feed the soil. I am so excited for Spring!!
👏🤣🤣 That sounds great Kathleen and I like your sense of humour 😃🤣
That's a lovely mix of muck!
I did two tests on some horse manure I got from a local farm a few months ago. I did one test on it by adding worms to make sure there was no active dewormer (my worms survived!). Now I'm testing for persistent herbicides by growing green beans indoors in both soil enriched with manure and plain soil. The manure won't be ready for my beds this spring in any case, but at least I know whether I can add it in the fall and, in the meantime, feed some of it to my worm farms.
That's a really smart move!
Thanks again Ben. I have been lazy this year. I have a zillion seeds,but have not
even opened the packages.
I could use one (or six)😂of those huge bags of compost.
God Bless you and yours,
may your garden be the best it has ever been and you have bountiful produce.
And yours as well. Here's to a superb growing season!
Really informative video, thank you! I have compost that is ready to be put on the beds, however, plants are going in within the next month or two. Is it a problem to not allow the compost to meld with the soil for a few months before planting? Thanks!
Not at all - but it's worth getting the compost on the soil as soon as you are able, so it can start blending with your native soil - the worms will do a lot of the work for you.
@@GrowVeg thanks!
What is your opinion on soil block makers?
They seem like a good idea, but I've never used them personally.
Spring is nowhere near us here in Canada.
Thyme is ticking!
6:00 WESC Method:
I never thought of pre-germinating the weed seeds already in the soil, then disrupting the growth of their sprouts by kind of composting them back into the soil. 🤔
Weeds are so determined. Won't the tiny roots just start "taking root" again, and continue growing?
Some may re-root, but you can just go back and hoe those off too. Keeping the soil surface moving like that would make it very hard for weeds to reestablish. This WESC method is really best for annual weeds rather than pernicious perennial weeds.
Video idea for spring. I'm sick of weeding and covering so this yr I'm attempting cover crops in the beds. Buckwheat grows up in a few weeks so chokes out weeds trying to sprout (or so they say). When it's time to plant you mow it down and leave it to become mulch (it feeds the soil) part it and plant amongst the cut plant debris. If it flowers before you're ready one just cuts the heads off before they seed. Maybe you could give it a go in one bed and let us know how it goes.
Great idea Jo. I do need to grow more cover crops - it's the gardener's secret weapon!
I get free manure from a neighbor that sets bags out by the road twice a week making it easy and economic for me to fill containers and raised beds! Thanks for all the great information! When I see these type of videos starting with someone holding bags of store bought chemicals and amendments I just laugh and switch to something else
Thanks for watching. What a fantastic neighbour you have!
@@GrowVeg Youre welcome I love your bright well spoken personality and the fast pace of your very informative videos and your daughter is so adorable! ! Im so grateful for my neighbors generosity, its been a game changer!
@GrowVeg,love your manure puns during the video,the getting your sh...t together,etc.?. That's mindset every gardener should have while there?.
Cheers for watching. :-)
Ben, what are your views on bokoshi composting? I started because our house has a massive about of fruit and vegetable skins 🤔 it's all disappearing into the soil but I yet to grow vegetables in it.
I've never tried it Margaret, but have heard only great things about it.
Hi Ben I got it wrong about the chilli I’m growing! It a jays peach ghost scorpion chilli nearly twice as hot at 900,000 on the Scoville scale.🤯🔥☠️👍🏻🤠🙏
Spicy to say the least!!!
Hi Ben! I had a question for those who didn't get their shit together during the winter... Spring is around the corner where I live in 9b and we're already past a frost. Is there anything I can do to get my beds ready this late in the game?
Absolutely Mayra. It's still worth getting well-rotted, crumbly organic matter onto your beds, as it will still have plenty of benefit to the plants growing in it. But make sure it's well-rotted so plants can go straight in.
hi can i ask where you got your manure delivered from
thanks
I got mine from a local supplier (North Oxfordshire Topsoil) but there are suppliers all over the place. One nationally supplier is Springbridge, for example.
I love the quick information!
Another great video, thanks Ben! I mulched with well-rotted manure last year but then read some worrying stuff recently about the potential of spreading nasty diseases to the veg, it sounds like good old compost (peat-free obvs) is a safer bet but do you have any advice here?
Garden compost is always best, but if you order manure from a trusted source - such as a supplier selling it in the bags I bought - it should be safe to use.
If you raise large numbers of Earthworms,
they will chomp through everything ASAP,
and what goes through the gut of an Earthworm
stands a very high chance of being PERFECT!
That is my gut instinct -
'scuse the pun!
.
Get yo sh*t together! 😂😂😂
Like the prep for a seed bed Ben, thanks i'll give that a go. Good job there wasn't any tea in that cup or you would have been soaked. 😉🤣
Haha - very observant!
I’ve learned so much from your videos, thank you 🥬🌺
Maybe a suggestion for a future video. Like you I have trees around my garden. After three years, the productivity of my nearest beds went way down. I dug in and saw that large tree roots had obviously sucked out all the nutriments. How do you deal with that?
Next year I plan to dig them all out and lay down a root barrier. Then I’ll have to re-amend the whole thing but I’m sad to completely disturb these no-dig beds.
Great idea Andre. It sounds like you're doing the right thing though.
Where did you get your delivered manure?
From North Oxfordshire Topsoil, but there are national suppliers too, e.g. Springbridge.
Looks like you’re having a warm winter. Here in Nova Scotia Canada the weather can’t decide if it’s winter or spring.
It's that changeable time of year. Seems like spring really is around the corner here.
Love the bits of humor sprinkled into all of the useful information.🥰
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7)
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalms 34:18)
You are literally amazing. Thank you so much for your videos. I'm a young mum and began veg gardening with no experience during the lockdown. My Mum was my go to for knowledge, we gardened together and she taught me the basics. Last year she became very unwell and died after her 60th birthday last November. I didn't have the time to grow anything last year between work, parenting and caring for my dear mum. I just began getting back into gardening this week and it's been difficult without my mum on hand, reminding me of my grief etc. A quick look on TH-cam and your channel came up and I've binge watched it the last few days and I've learnt so much. I hope I can manage to grow the veg my mum taught me to this year. I'd love any tips on how to prevent broccoli, cabbage and, raspberries from getting eaten by what I think is moth larvae... They are possibly different types of what look like small green caterpillars. Every year my raspberry bush gets eaten alive and the last time I grew cabbage and broccoli they were also covered and the leaves all eaten! Thanks so much.
So sorry to hear about the loss of your mum, but gardening will be a great way to pay tribute to her and to carry on her great work. :-)
Your broccoli and cabbage are likely being ravaged by cabbageworms/cabbage white butterflies. More on those here: www.growveg.co.uk/pests/uk-and-europe/cabbage-white-butterfly/
Raspberries probably being eaten by raspberry beetles, if it's the fruits being eaten: www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/raspberry-beetle Or it could be borers: www.thespruce.com/getting-rid-of-raspberry-pests-2539580
well spring for us in Adelaide Australia isn't happening................. but we are summer here and Aurtum will be happening soon...
ANts in my compist pile....what to do
Ants are fine in the compost pile. They are just part and parcel of a living heap. If they bother you though, keeping the heap a bit moist can help, as they prefer drier conditions.
Wonderful advice sir
Snow drops! I've got snow drops brightening my dark soil. So spring! Lots of them, too. I'm encouraged by how they've naturalized in my flower beds. Meanwhile, my tulips have gone away. I'm looking forward to daffy blooms. They're up four inches or more already. I love their cheery yellow smiles. Who wouldn't? I'm still shifting and spreading leaf debris that's been in my compost bins for years and still hasn't rotted down. I have to rub it into a screen to break it up because it's too wet to shred with a machine. Got any tips to speed that up so I can get it spread before there's more growth on spring plants?
Snowdrops lift the spirit, they really do! For your compost, if it's wet I'd try and add in some dry materials to balance it out - old leaves or torn-up cardboard, for example. This video may help: th-cam.com/video/_K25WjjCBuw/w-d-xo.html
Every time there's the wording, "a couple of months after winter" as a cold climate gardener, I'm just sad. A few months and the growing season has gone byebye XD
Jesus 60 for a ton bag I pay 20 for two bags from Homebase and that’s a bag u can carry probs weighs 15 20kg
Well done!
Time to address the tab water; it contains so much chlorine and even other unhealthy stuff! The tab water is actually an issue. A filter is necessary to keep you as well as your plants out of chlorine; even in the shower an bath tub. The skin is said to be the body´s biggest organ, and your immune system is depending on the probiotics in your gut, intestines; not a very good idea to kill the probiotics then, is it. There are filters that are not that expensive, appr 70 dollars on line; easy to install; no tools needed.
Duck Manure can be used right away due to its not as acidic as chicken manure and grass fed animals. A tip I got from an elder friend from Ireland. Much love all!
Great tip - thanks for sharing. :-)
Oh you just gave me a good idea
Where do you buy your manure from
I bought it local to me (North Oxfordshire Topsoil) but there are national suppliers too, such as Springbridge.
£60 per bag?! That’s incredible. Much more round me.
I counted on well rotted manure last year and it was not well rotted at all but quite hot n killed a few trees and so i got some bagged soil that was hot also and killed some berries. This year everything coming from bags gets dumped into a compost pile for a few weeks before it goes anywhere new my alive things
We're so many months behind you, here in SE Idaho. (Abt 100 mi straight West from Jackson Hole, Wyoming) We still have nearly 2 ft of ICE on our roofs, 4 ft of snow on our lawns. With only 113 Average Days from Frost-Frost, our growing season is substantially less as well. BUT, I can get a tremendous harvest if I pre-sprout most seeds and fertilize weekly with a 16-16-16, adding trace minerals and Epson salts. Last year, we fertilized with rabbit manure and worm castings, BUT these organics were spent by mid-July.
Glad you still manage to grow a good harvest Nancy. :-)
Where to find a sack of compost that size for £60?
I got mine from a local supplier called North Oxfordshire Topsoil: www.northoxfordshiretopsoil.co.uk/collections/composts-manure/
He is so CHEERFUL about his compost in this video I thought he was going to smell or taste it!
Excellent as always!
I started container gardening last year and learned a great deal from your videos , the information you give is so valuable and appreciated,I’m hoping for a good growing season ,and look forward to your videos this year
Very best of luck with this year's growing season Elizabeth. :-)
I don't weed my garden, I deep mulch. No till for 6 years now.
Hi Ben. I'm sure you may have said before, but I was wondering where you purchased your metal garden arches?. They look strong, and am I correct, galvanised?
They are galvanised. Very well made, but not cheap, alas. I got them from Agrs: www.agrs.co.uk/products/elegance-round-arch?_pos=2&_sid=ca1d6441b&_ss=r
@GrowVeg thanks for the reply. They look great but out of my price range I'm afraid 😕
Such great information. Thank you 😊
Awesomeee! Thank you... for the tips.. Time to get started in the garden..We are here in the French countryside.. today, 11 Feb it was 17C outside, and felt like around 20/21 C ... I worked out in the garden most of the day... What a great feeling to be back outside, after a cold winter.. beautiful warm and sunny day! Felt like spring!
Definitely spring-like temperatures! :-)
I was just wondering, is "wesc" the official name for this method? Because I just made a (much lower quality) video about this. But I just called it false/ fake seedbed method. That's how u literly translate it from Dutch.
In Britain we call it a 'stale seedbed'. Same idea. WESC is something I made up as a catchy acronym!
Welp.... Time to get my $h!t together...🏃♀️🏃♀️🤣🤣
I"m in the U.S. and I'm not sure where to post this comment, but here goes: THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH! I had found your garden app when I was planning out a traditonal garden, but then found out about square foot gardening about a week ago. I read up a bunch, and decided I would go that route, but felt like I couldn't use your app as well as I could have when I was planning on planting in rows. You crafty bunch were already ahead of me, and I found the button for square foot gardening and am once again happily and excitedly planning out where I'll put all my current and future starts (and without paper!) Thank you from a very giddy zone 7A gardner!
That's really lovely to hear Kendra. The app is very useful like that - with a few surprises tucked away like the square foot gardening mode. :-)
Good morning from VA ! Ihave watched you since you were on PBS in the US. My 81 yr old sister has discovered TH-cam. She was all excited the other day telling about this man (who talks funny) with so many good things about gardening. Lol😃 It was yku,of course. She isn't able to garden anymore, but I usually make her a small plot with cucumbers and tomatoes. And she orders me what she wants that I have to plant ! I'm sure she will have lots of things to help me with from watching you .
So you have yet another fan in the family . Keep up the good work.
That's really lovely to hear! Great to be keeping the green thumb in at any age - it keeps you young I'm almost certain! :-)
Here in Eastern Washington (USDA Zone 6b) it is still snowing-however the compost bin has been ranging from 170 degrees on down to 80 or so. Tomorrow I will turn the bin and incorporate a bunch of new kitchen scraps! Can’t wait for Spring to arrive! Thanks so much for the garden porn 😂!
No problem at all Jennifer. Not long till spring now!
GET YOUR MANURE TOGETHER :)
I'm always wary of manure as conventional farmers use deworming medications, antibiotics and other chemical treatments on their animals which will of course have an impact on the manure. You don't want to kill off your earthworms with deworming meds in the manure! My chickens help me make the best black gold compost and I know the origins of an the ingredients 😎
Definitely preferable to make as much of your own compost as possible.
Ben, thank you for your videos! I’m going to be digging into my compost heap next week. I’m new to composting- I noticed that you had quite large sticks in your compost. Would you take those out? Leave in? Won’t they be a problem for small plants?
Also are there any plants that you cut back that you wouldn’t put into a compost? Thanks
Hi Jan. Ideally the compost would be a little more decomposed, but what I had wasn't bad. I'll planting plug plants, so they don't need the very fine compost and should cope just fine. As far as plants - really you can add anything.
@@GrowVeg thank you so much. Really appreciate your advice. My compost is looking fabulous! 👍
If it not snowing, raining or hail stoning etc we are stuck in with really bad colds
Great video. Just the information I need to get motivated!😊
Hi Ben! I'm just starting out (I have done a bit of slash and burn to clear a patch to start growing some veg, so my compost heap should be great next year!!), so I bought some compost from a garden centre, but when I opened the bag, it is covered in white fluffy mould! Is it OK to use, or should I take it back?
That would be fine to use. Mould is part of the decomposition process and it just shows it's still actively decomposing. It's fine to use.
I never knew you cam use leaves as compost. We have a tree that hate with passion lol. The leaves fall daily all year around. I asked myself why are the previous owner plant the tree, our yard looked nice and clean for few hours when the wind blows there goes the leave i got so tried of raking it i just wait until it 2 ft deep then rake it and throw it away. If i only knew i can use it as COMPOST. As i am speaking there are plenty for me to rake lol. I am going to start saving it for my baby garden! Because I've been buying woodchips and picked the the falling leaves from my garden and threw it away i thought it was bad for my plants. Thank you for the information! So helpful
Leaves are an incredible resource - definitely worth collecting! :-)
My chicken bedding gets worked into the beds along with whatever kitchen scraps their spoiled little selves rejected. My crappy back is necessitating raised beds this year, so I'm kind of in a rather depressing state of starting over.
I hope you get the raised beds set up without a problem. You'll be back to full growing speed again before long. :-)
The recycling business I use in the US charges $34 for a c.y. of compost (no manure) or topsoil (has manure) so I get both and mix it. $75 for delivery. Mulch is free from the arborists.
That's a great price!