i suffered with severe depression after losing my darling 4 years ago.Thanks to you i have taken up veggie gardening and fully enjoy it. Thank you Mark
MIchael, Loss is difficult no matter what type it is. Also staying "indoors" and without being in the sunlight, too long contributed to depression. The more light and open air exposure the better for your overall mental & emotional health. Gardening is one of the best organic healers we find in existence. That is why Depression/Anxiety of Gardeners/Farmers is so low it is nearly non-existent, unless they are in financial “make or break” factors situations. If your livelihood [$$] is on the edge then it puts them in a different category. Just general Gardening/Farming is the best Mental Health exercise known to mankind. Even if people are only Gardening in containers on their patio's, or on their sidewalks and paths. it is still excellent sunlight exposure [Vitamin D] and a calming effect on the psyche. I wish you all the luck and success in your GREEN THUMB future.
@@ms.farmgirl Thank you Suzzy i am feeling much better now but i will always belong to my wife in this world as i know she is waiting for me in the next life.
You know what I like about your videos? It’s the fact that you don’t ramble on about nonsense for 90% of the video, and give the helpful content at the last 10% of the video. You get right into it #👍🏼 and make the entire video pleasant and satisfying to watch, without any unnecessary sciences 🙄. Always my go to guide whenever I need a second opinion “other than my own 🤣”. Good man👍🏼👌🏽. Keep it coming
Once the yard waste is in place, add layers of newspaper or cardboard to smother any weeds or grass that might come through. This is an inexpensive way to create a barrier and prevent weeds from growing. After that, it's time to add soil. Look for bulk soil in your area, which is usually cheaper than buying bags of soil at a store. Be sure to mix the soil with compost to add nutrients and organic matter to the bed. Another way to save money when filling raised vegetable garden beds is to use organic straw bales. Remove the wire from the bales and use them as the bottom layer of the bed. Straw is an excellent organic material that will break down over time and improve the soil. In the following years, simply add more garden soil and maybe some straw mixed in to keep the bed healthy and productive. By using these simple methods, you can fill your raised garden beds without breaking the bank.
I'm about to start trying to use raised garden beds. Before watching this, I naively assumed that I should fill the entire thing with with the bagged high quality dirt. Good thing I saw this before getting started, that will save me a lot of money.
Check out Sepp Holzer in Austira he farms up a mountain and uses Hugelkulture (the log drainage) you should see the stuff he grows! Love Mark's channel too : )
My wife thought worms were bad and used to take them out of the soil,i explained to her how they broke down organic plants and bugs and turned them into nutrients for plants,and showed her your videos....now she gathers them up and puts them around her favourite plants....thanks Mark.
One thing I recommend for anyone who has voles, moles, or burrowing mice is to put hardware cloth down first, put the bed frame on top of it, then add the soil. I fought in the Great Mole War of 2006 and lost badly, lol!
I hear that stainless steel lasts a lot longer, but how long will the less expensive material last?... It can be hard to find 48 inches wide with 1/4 inch mesh. (Or even 1/2 inch.)
Maybe put mesh wire on top of the black cloth, then your mix? but if you have a family of raccoons, then that increases the problem 10x. They can climb the box.
Some Karen probably got offended that he mentioned cow manure on the internets, lol! Haters gonna hate. :P I can't imagine anyone not liking this guy. They must be sad, soulless creatures.
Love this idea! Using the yard resources to fill is genius! For those who don’t my Neighbor friend is building a 3ft tall raised bed and going to add organic straw bales (wire removed) on the bottom layer. There’s a farm nearby where they’re $4 ea. It’ll completely break down by the next season. It saves in cost the first yr so next yr they just add more garden soil and maybe straw mixed in.
@@roflstomps324 Rolf I have asked numerous question to Mark & have never once received a reply & this also goes for another gardener that emailed me. We live in Brisbane Northside which is Sub-Tropical near Mark & just have no idea why no answers as I have given him my Email / Mobile number etc. If you now why please let me know. Cheers Denise
@@denisebrady6858 Hi Denise, If you see the large amount of comments below us, I think it would simply get lost amongst the rest. He is but one person. I wouldnt take it personally. I think hes giving us a beautiful dose of knowledge that we can utilize in our own garden. Abit of research goes along way also. He doesn't live anywhere near me so I have to figure out things that suit my area, zone etc. Good luck, maybe post your questions again in a local garden forum?
🦻I appreciate the attention to your subtitles, “leaves crunch”, “soil falls into wheelbarrow”, “spade scrapes against the wheelbarrow”, “spade crunches into soil”, “birds chirp”, “water sprays”.
Howdie from the States! In a word, gorgeous! So much great information even tho we live half a world apart, the tenets of growing work everywhere. Thanks for the big tip on filling a raised bed on the cheap.
I have spent a thousand hours in the last year, reading and watching tips tricks do’s and dont’s to the point where I thought, djeezz it proves that nature for the most part decides whether or not your crop is gonna grow or not, else there wouldn’t be so many different techniques. However you say it in a way that makes sense. You “are” nature. I totally love your work and explanations. your info feels different. Thanks a lot. I want a t-shirt. Greetings to you my fellow earthperson, Julian
You are a brilliant gardener! People only need to watch your videos and take your advice to reap the benefits of great harvests!! Thanks so much for your videos, you are a real blessing to folks just getting started becoming gardeners.
Sir, you are a true gem! Thank you so much for all the incredible information you share. I’ve learned so much just in the last couple of weeks from watching your channel and I know without people like you being so willing to share decades worth of hard earned knowledge, I’d be so lost on how to even start growing my garden. Best of luck to you and your family!
filling raised vegetable garden beds doesn't have to be expensive. By using yard resources such as grass clippings, leaves, and branches, along with bulk soil and compost, you can create a healthy bed that will provide a great harvest. Using organic straw bales as the bottom layer is also an excellent way to save money and improve the soil. With a little creativity and resourcefulness, you can have a thriving garden without spending a lot of money.
Love your channel. I live in an apartment with a tiny balcony so a lot of your projects won't work for me but your tips on filling the base of containers with woody waste, direct sowing seeds, and mulching are all adaptable for balcony gardens and working really well! (Used tea leaves make really good mini-mulch for balcony planters hahaha)
My favourite part of this video is your wife praising you Mark. I’d like to hear her voice more often. She has so much love that could be shared through her voice. ❤️
Same here Rey. I have a little tin garden bed and really wanting to set it up and get growing....Now that I know I can put off cuts in the bottom, that is really going to help me on the finance side of things. This video was very inspiring to watch. Thank you!
I had a wonderful raised bed some time ago. For irrigation, I used clay pots with the bottom sealed. You "plant" the pots in the ground and fill them with water. The water transmigrates through the clay walls very slowly, but keeps the bed soil moist. It is very efficient in the consumption of water and takes very little time to fill up the pots. You just need to cover the top to avoid evaporation and mosquitos.
@@JustMe-gs9xi yes, mostly warm. You can do the same in a green house. If pots freze, they will brake. In winter you can take them of the grownd. They work realy well.
I called a company that removes trees and asked them if they had wood chips that they were wanting to dispose of. Their shop isn't that far from my house and they have tons of the stuff and can't get rid of it so they brought their truck over and dumped it into my back yard. I just filled up the wheelbarrow and filled the beds about 3/4 of the way full and then put topsoil from my yard on top of that. It's been about 8 years now and the level has gone down a few inches but I've replaced that with some other top soil from a landscaping company that removed the sod from a neighbor's back yard in order to install an irrigation system. The sod came with about an inch of soil under it so I just folded it into a compost pile until it degraded down and then put it on top of my garden. The wood chips soak of the rain and slowly release it into the soil above but it doesn't rot away because of the low oxygen environment.
I signed up on line for “chip drop” 1 week later A very large pile of mulch was dumped in front of the house of chipped cypress. It was wonderful! Free!
I love gardening and I follow fellow gardeners. Mark, "Self Sufficient me" is marvelous. He loves gardening, he talks from know how, he has experience, uses simple language everyone can understand. Rest assured, outside there, some one is practicing from your tutorials. Be Blessed.
There are many yard resources that can be used to fill raised beds, such as leaves, grass clippings, and even fallen branches. These materials can be collected for free, and when they break down, they will add valuable nutrients to the soil. Composting is another way to create a nutrient-rich soil amendment from yard waste. This can be done by simply piling up yard waste and letting it decompose over time. Composting can take several months, so it's important to plan ahead and start early. Another way to save money on filling raised beds is to use organic materials such as straw bales or hay. These materials are relatively inexpensive and can be used to fill the bottom layer of the raised bed. As they break down over time, they will add organic matter to the soil and help retain moisture. If you're worried about weed seeds in the straw, you can add a layer of cardboard or newspaper on top before adding the soil. This will prevent weeds from germinating and help to suppress their growth. By using yard resources and organic materials to fill raised beds, you can save money and create a healthy, productive garden.
The timber raised beds are great, I'm making 6 at the moment and the uprights are 100 to 150mm above the edge so that if the beds need netting or covering I can bend a bit of 20mm poly over and with 20mm saddles attach it to the uprights. Almost instant cover support.
I always fill pots and raised beds with weeds veg scraps shredded paper grass, not only does it help fill them up it helps with drainage. Plant roots only need about a 12” depth or less . All compost will eventually compact at the base, so frequent mixing and turning is essential
It's almost like you read my mind! I've been struggling for the last few days with trying to fill my garden beds without shelling out hundreds of dollars and by far this has been the most helpful solution. I've been watching many of your videos these past few weeks and have learned so much. Thanks a ton and keep that finger green!
this is my first year using my raised bed. you sir, have inspired me. I started building it in oct of 2019. i might have to add another 300 lbs or so of soil. I used up tons of compost filling it! I added a video of my garden and raised bed after I built my gourd tunnel! Thank you so much Self Sufficient Me
G’day Mark. I lost you over Winter. It’s great to see you back on here. I’m in the early stages of planting more Vegies. Tomatoes, Rhubarb. Thyme , Basil . For now. We’ve had a BIG heap of rain here in THE WEST this Winter.
I am building two big raised bed and was about to order 10 big bags of top soil and they are not cheap but I have lots of vegetable roots to take it to garden recycling center to dump. After seeing this I only need to order about 5 bags. Thank you so much for your advice sir.
One of the absolute best personalities on TH-cam! Keep up the great work Mark! Even though our growing zones are completely different I've gained a ton of valuable information and I thank you for that. Cheers from the east coast of Canada!
😂😂😂love the Aussie humour. “A much younger me of yesterday”. Love it. In all seriousness this is so informative!! I just started doing this veggie garden thing. Maybe one day I can get on an off the grid lifestyle!
I’ve been getting so much from your channel for a few years now and I just wanna say keep up the good work, I’m so glad to see so many people catching on to your channel during this crisis. Thank you for everything you do and stay safe!!!
Mark your vids blitz anything I've ever seen on any portal. I've nver been a Green anything yet you provide encouragement with such simple methods. Thankyou for the time and effort you put into these amazing free to air Vids 10/10 champ.
Thank you for always mentioning how waist-high beds make gardening easier. I've convinced my parents to let me build (4) 3' x 8' beds out of metal roofing panels next to a 30' row of pole beans. There's about a 5'walkway in between above which I'll install a few cattle panels for an arbor.I cant wait for fresh beans, toms and peppers. Your channel is an inspiration mark keep up the good work
This is a wonderful video. My raised veg garden will be on a smaller scale, but I appreciate learning how to layer it with a variety of materials - some that I already have! I love the care he shows for his worms. It's true, though - healthy insects are a reflection of how successful a garden bed is. Thank you so much, for making this very helpful video, Mark (from Self-Sufficient Me)!
Questions 1/3 what is the benefits to add worms in your raised bed? 2- Does cow manure more effective than regular vegetable fertilizer or fruit fertilizer? 3- how about chicken manure? 4- which is better/more efficient in crop/yield when you use cow manure or chicken manure or blood manure? What is the benefit of build up a raise bed than to plant directly to the soil specially raised bed use a lot of compost and more money to put it together? Look forward to hearing from you Thank you in advance I’m would to see this up coming summer more videos
@@Selfsufficientme you ain't kiddin. I might have to take a post raised bed filling muscle picture in my new self sufficient me shirt when it gets here.
@@matthewtwright84 I've got Myself a 'ramp' out of some scrap wood, drive the barrow on it and then simply empty it, no need to shovel back and forth save your back - Work smart ! Cheers
@JW L yes stay away from those. Regular wood lasts a long time Enough time for you to throw your change in a can to save for the next round of chemical free wood. Even better is rough cut lumber!!! I use pallets my self Make sure they have "HT burned/stamped onto the sides HT=heat treated Safe for your garden
Found this video after working for hours to try and fill one of three big beds with soil from our woods. We're about halfway done. This is so helpful! I know what I'm doing tomorrow! Thank you from NE Wisconsin!
Thank you for showing us your gardening skills. We are very thanful we watch your video .thank you for sharing that others like us can learn to become sustainable and self sufficient of growing gardening. Have a wonderful day!God bless you! from Michigan!
I really appreciate your videos. Just started this last year. I started prepping for a garden right before Covid hit and had a really successful first garden. No raised beds yet... but they are on the way.
I filled two 4x16x3 foot beds with soil/compost. An easier way to fill I found is to turn two 5 gallon buckets upside down against the bed and used a piece of plywood as a ramp for the wheel barrow . Easy enough to move around to fill from the sides or ends. Just my 2¢. My next beds I'll try with logs on the bottom. The height is worth every penny. Not only saves your back but makes everything easier to access and harvest and inspect and weed etc. Shout out from New England, USA 🇺🇸. Love love love your vids!
I love watching your videos . I was in the garden when I could walk on my own I’m 69 yrs old now , the best part of helping in the garden was eating fresh good tasting stuff , once I told my daughterinlaw that when I was a kid almost all corn on the cob had a worm in it and apples too had worms , she said what did you do , I said we cut them out and ate it . She couldn’t fathom that , but anyhow I know a lot of the stuff u do . But I am open minded and learn from you and other videos . Keep up the good work young man
Can't wait to try this out! The soil here is pretty bad and rocky, there's remnants from where the previous owners of the house tried to do a traditional garden, but it didn't appear they had much luck with it. Definitely will be looking into some raised beds, and hopefully I can find a good way to keep the deer out.
Mark, you are awesome ! Love your knowledge and how much you like working with earth. It is very helpful to know how to build raised veggie beds. I’m going to do it for my parents house. Thanks again for this video.
Great way to add organic materials and build the soil level. I'll have to try this
4 ปีที่แล้ว +5
Mike, your videos are awesome! My grandpa used to till the whole garden every year to plant veggies, and he also kept removing weeds all the time, which if I'm correct resulted in having a soil, which dried out quicker than a garden filled with any type of plants, even weeds and he constantly had to water them. Having raised garden beds seem to be a very good way of separating high quality soil from the rest of the garden and seems to be much easier to maintain. Thanks for all the great and informative videos!
I just found this channel and thank God I did. I've been using mainly soil. My garden isn't very deep but I could have saved hundreds of dollars knowing these small yet helpful and efficient tricks.
That slow mo dirt flip made me laugh and almost choke on coffee. These videos really are some of the best ways to learn about gardening, I will definitely be mirroring some of the techniques i've seen on your channel this year. I want to grow enough food to be self sufficient for a year, but the growing times in The Great State Of Maine are not very optimal. You have helped many more people than just me travel on the path to healthy living, so thank you for making these videos and allowing people like me to learn from your experience.
@@rachellee5797 Your not wrong about that, seems like there's rocks everywhere here, but wild harvested stone makes for good looking and essentially free landscaping material. Also, Maine does ship tonnes of dirt/stone and land fill to places like Massachusetts every year, so you could say we have a thriving rock market.
@earthy ring 👩🦳🙋♀️👁read and👍both of your comments. I concur on the 1st and enjoyed your classy, informative repost, to the joker. Good on you, and good on Maine, for creatively filling the State's coffers. Cheers from Michigan, the 2 mitten State!
So pleased to have found this channel, thanks. Just the well presented knowledge I needed to start us off with some raised beds. Great groundwork, it's going to be a better year in the garden
I put another 4X8 raised bed this spring. I wanted to be able to plant some more crops but I don't always have enough fill available. Then the light bulb went on. I put a partition inside part way up and planted about 1/3 of it. now I can finish filling during the summer and get some fall veggies in. I like when the light bulb goes on. It just doesn't burn as bright as it used to.
I like your raised bed, i think it has a nice rustic feel. And it's given me inspiration for how i'm going to deal with a small slope I've been needing to level but didn't know what I would do with the extra dirt.
Hi Mark. Just discovered your Channel and really enjoying it. I’m in Brissy so not far from you. My world is very hectic with work and multiple children (that I know of) but thank you for sharing and allowing me a slow down to enjoy your good advice, humour and antics. My dad was an incredible avid gardener and I may have a green tinge in my thumb but wish I had more time. One day soon I Hope. In the words of my dear old man who is no longer with us ... you could grow grass on a billiard ball. His ultimate compliment for a gardener such as yourself lol !
I just loved your talking to the 🪱 worms😄. I do the same, save every one I see and carry them to my compost and potting soils with the message; here you are my pals, go, work and multiply! They’re my best little friends.
I love your videos, man. No bullshitting, straight to the topic with some interesting facts and humour, and I love how you try to do gardening in harmony with nature (f.e. worms). Keep up the good work, wish you and your family the very best! Cheers from Hungary
Good idea to fill bottom of raised beds with organic materials. I use rotting logs myself and I pick them up off the side of the road and bring home at no cost. I'm not a big fan of super tall raised beds, though. I know people like them because they are easier to work on without stooping. In any climate that freezes, though, tall beds will freeze much faster than the ground. They'll also dry out quicker. Anything over 1 ft tall is overkill, counterproductive. But, to each his own.
We made some raised beds from old tires last year and had great crops in them. Right now we are in the process of building 10 raised beds. They are all going to be hugelkulture style. Once done it will be a lot better for our worn out backs....as long as we survive building them! Lol
I really like watching your videos. Thank you. I live in a very different climate, in the desert of northern California, US, lol, but really your videos are helping me understand how to use what I have and have caused me to do further research for what will work here. Particularly these ideas of growing food from food from the grocery store. For one, we really do not know what we are buying, so that opened my eyes.
Mark thank you so much! You’re teaching me how to garden from scratch! I aim to grow as much of my own veggies and fruits and possible. You’re the best!
~5:11 - speaking of tools that make the job easier, I noticed the use of the wheelbarrow and shovel and was reminded of an accessory for the wheelbarrow handles I had seen probably over a decade ago which might very well save time and strains due to repetitious shoveling. It's these swinging grips for tbe wheelbarrow handles once you were to align a lumber ramp to the edge of the beds: simplydumpit.com/products/simply-dump-it-pivoting-wheelbarrow-handles
I'm so happy I found your channel I recently moved and for the first time I have a little bit of land to work with and make my own food forest. Your channel has been such an inspiration I love watching you and how passionate you are about being self-sufficient. I just wanted to stop binge watching your channel so I could tell you how much I appreciate you and how much you helped so far. 😊
Thanks so much for all of your informative, simple and fun videos! I have a question about ergonomics. I've just started learning about no dig / raised bed / market gardening and I wonder why more people don't build waist-height raised beds like you do, to avoid having to bend over so often. It seems as though most jobs would be easier, or as easy to do with a waist-high bed VS ground-height bed. With the exception possibly of filling the bed for the first time and amending with compost. I am a total beginner so I feel like I must be missing something. What are your thoughts? Thanks again, cheers from Canada! 😊
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
i suffered with severe depression after losing my darling 4 years ago.Thanks to you i have taken up veggie gardening and fully enjoy it. Thank you Mark
Best wishes from a Welshman gardening in France. Be happy, enjoy happy memories and great veggies.
Good for you. Very fulfilling.
MIchael, Loss is difficult no matter what type it is. Also staying "indoors" and without being in the sunlight, too long contributed to depression. The more light and open air exposure the better for your overall mental & emotional health. Gardening is one of the best organic healers we find in existence. That is why Depression/Anxiety of Gardeners/Farmers is so low it is nearly non-existent, unless they are in financial “make or break” factors situations. If your livelihood [$$] is on the edge then it puts them in a different category. Just general Gardening/Farming is the best Mental Health exercise known to mankind. Even if people are only Gardening in containers on their patio's, or on their sidewalks and paths. it is still excellent sunlight exposure [Vitamin D] and a calming effect on the psyche. I wish you all the luck and success in your GREEN THUMB future.
@@ms.farmgirl Thank you Suzzy i am feeling much better now but i will always belong to my wife in this world as i know she is waiting for me in the next life.
Hi I try juicing celery and see it it helps your depression ,you can add other greens as well,I I heard a herbalist saying it helps to calm the body
You know what I like about your videos? It’s the fact that you don’t ramble on about nonsense for 90% of the video, and give the helpful content at the last 10% of the video. You get right into it #👍🏼 and make the entire video pleasant and satisfying to watch, without any unnecessary sciences 🙄. Always my go to guide whenever I need a second opinion “other than my own 🤣”. Good man👍🏼👌🏽. Keep it coming
I definitely ramble on. I need to get better about that as well as just working on better content.
Once the yard waste is in place, add layers of newspaper or cardboard to smother any weeds or grass that might come through. This is an inexpensive way to create a barrier and prevent weeds from growing. After that, it's time to add soil. Look for bulk soil in your area, which is usually cheaper than buying bags of soil at a store. Be sure to mix the soil with compost to add nutrients and organic matter to the bed.
Another way to save money when filling raised vegetable garden beds is to use organic straw bales. Remove the wire from the bales and use them as the bottom layer of the bed. Straw is an excellent organic material that will break down over time and improve the soil. In the following years, simply add more garden soil and maybe some straw mixed in to keep the bed healthy and productive. By using these simple methods, you can fill your raised garden beds without breaking the bank.
But when he does ramble i love it 😂
Really enjoy your videos, information is great, I am envious if your area to garden. Inspirational info and so much practical info.
Anyone else just discover this man today and are now on their 10th or so video? Addictive!
Haha. Yes!!!!
@@nataliedowd5568 me too
I discovered him from the Epic Gardening channel who recommended him on one of his videos. Now I’m addicted to watching them both.
Off topic, but I feel like he would give a good hug, he has such a gentle manner
Definitely a good hugger
🥰
My mate recently said he's the Dad you wished you had
Think he's giving good info. Easy 2 understand. Demonstrates as he goes. Will watch him again. Ur American friend. Txs 4 ur time & info
Tee
100%
I must say it's nice to have Russel Crowe giving me gardening tips.
😆
Lol
Im new to this channel and a vid about gladiator tomatoes, his favorite kind. Made me laugh.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 I know who would ever though Russel Crowe would give up the movie business for gardening 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'm about to start trying to use raised garden beds. Before watching this, I naively assumed that I should fill the entire thing with with the bagged high quality dirt. Good thing I saw this before getting started, that will save me a lot of money.
Yea, I think everybody thinks that before they learn better.
Me too
Great ideas.
Same
Exactly! Also in SoCal you have to prevent gophers from going up into the bed by starting with 1/2# cage wire
I just started. I removed old bark a few weeks ago. I could of used at the base. Great video.
One of the best things about this channel is just to see how much he enjoys what he's doing. That's my favorite part.
Can someone give this guy his own tv show....legend!
I love how he loves the earthworms. A real gardener with a great heart 💜
That was one of the most energetic worms I've seen!
My Granpa used to say that earthworms were the best workers he ever had. They never complain and work for free, 24-7
That gives me some worm feelings!
@@ih82bfake yasssssss💜
Wow the log drainage is like an underground ecosystem full of nutrients for the plants especially when their roots touches it.
Check out Sepp Holzer in Austira he farms up a mountain and uses Hugelkulture (the log drainage) you should see the stuff he grows! Love Mark's channel too : )
Hugelkulture !!!
Ohhh it doesnt act like a drainage like rocks do but the opposite. It holds moisture
For years to come by The time that stuff breaks down it'll be black as night full of nutrition and goodness
Those wood roaches scare me . It’s a phobia
My wife thought worms were bad and used to take them out of the soil,i explained to her how they broke down organic plants and bugs and turned them into nutrients for plants,and showed her your videos....now she gathers them up and puts them around her favourite plants....thanks Mark.
No way! 😅
😂
That was rather adorable, good on you two 👍🏾❤️
The intestines of the earth
One thing I recommend for anyone who has voles, moles, or burrowing mice is to put hardware cloth down first, put the bed frame on top of it, then add the soil.
I fought in the Great Mole War of 2006 and lost badly, lol!
Thanks for the suggestion, we fight with burrowing mice, tiny squirrels and moles in Southern California.
@@jimandmissylima9789 yes my gophers are annoying. get the right hardware cloth width, i think i got 1/4 inch, not 1/2.
I hear that stainless steel lasts a lot longer, but how long will the less expensive material last?... It can be hard to find 48 inches wide with 1/4 inch mesh. (Or even 1/2 inch.)
Maybe put mesh wire on top of the black cloth, then your mix? but if you have a family of raccoons, then that increases the problem 10x. They can climb the box.
Nail/fasten it to the bottom.
How does anyone dislike these videos? It's like learning from a dad. Homegrown knowledge
Some Karen probably got offended that he mentioned cow manure on the internets, lol!
Haters gonna hate. :P
I can't imagine anyone not liking this guy. They must be sad, soulless creatures.
This man is a legend.
bet protams :)
Well he is Russell Crowe.
When he eats a banana he becomes Banana Man!
jeyo fronda
P
YES!
Love this idea! Using the yard resources to fill is genius! For those who don’t my Neighbor friend is building a 3ft tall raised bed and going to add organic straw bales (wire removed) on the bottom layer. There’s a farm nearby where they’re $4 ea. It’ll completely break down by the next season. It saves in cost the first yr so next yr they just add more garden soil and maybe straw mixed in.
Straw bale gardening is a thing
I like his no bullshit gardening approach. its all about common sense, easy to do steps. Love it! Thanks mate.
Try getting an answer to a question because we can't
@@denisebrady6858 What?
@@roflstomps324 Rolf I have asked numerous question to Mark & have never once received a reply & this also goes for another gardener that emailed me. We live in Brisbane Northside which is Sub-Tropical near Mark & just have no idea why no answers as I have given him my Email / Mobile number etc. If you now why please let me know. Cheers Denise
@@denisebrady6858 I don't mean to sound mean or obtuse but why would he? What's his obligation?
@@denisebrady6858 Hi Denise, If you see the large amount of comments below us, I think it would simply get lost amongst the rest. He is but one person. I wouldnt take it personally. I think hes giving us a beautiful dose of knowledge that we can utilize in our own garden. Abit of research goes along way also. He doesn't live anywhere near me so I have to figure out things that suit my area, zone etc. Good luck, maybe post your questions again in a local garden forum?
Gotta be one of the best gardening and gandeners on all of YT. Friendly demeanor and great knowledge, well delivered too
🦻I appreciate the attention to your subtitles, “leaves crunch”, “soil falls into wheelbarrow”, “spade scrapes against the wheelbarrow”, “spade crunches into soil”, “birds chirp”, “water sprays”.
Howdie from the States! In a word, gorgeous! So much great information even tho we live half a world apart, the tenets of growing work everywhere. Thanks for the big tip on filling a raised bed on the cheap.
I have spent a thousand hours in the last year, reading and watching tips tricks do’s and dont’s to the point where I thought, djeezz it proves that nature for the most part decides whether or not your crop is gonna grow or not, else there wouldn’t be so many different techniques. However you say it in a way that makes sense. You “are” nature. I totally love your work and explanations. your info feels different. Thanks a lot. I want a t-shirt. Greetings to you my fellow earthperson, Julian
You are a brilliant gardener! People only need to watch your videos and take your advice to reap the benefits of great harvests!! Thanks so much for your videos, you are a real blessing to folks just getting started becoming gardeners.
Sir, you are a true gem! Thank you so much for all the incredible information you share. I’ve learned so much just in the last couple of weeks from watching your channel and I know without people like you being so willing to share decades worth of hard earned knowledge, I’d be so lost on how to even start growing my garden. Best of luck to you and your family!
filling raised vegetable garden beds doesn't have to be expensive. By using yard resources such as grass clippings, leaves, and branches, along with bulk soil and compost, you can create a healthy bed that will provide a great harvest. Using organic straw bales as the bottom layer is also an excellent way to save money and improve the soil. With a little creativity and resourcefulness, you can have a thriving garden without spending a lot of money.
Love your channel. I live in an apartment with a tiny balcony so a lot of your projects won't work for me but your tips on filling the base of containers with woody waste, direct sowing seeds, and mulching are all adaptable for balcony gardens and working really well!
(Used tea leaves make really good mini-mulch for balcony planters hahaha)
My favourite part of this video is your wife praising you Mark.
I’d like to hear her voice more often. She has so much love that could be shared through her voice. ❤️
Bless for making this, I’ve been trying to figure out how to fill my raised beds on next to no money and this video saved my wallet
Same
Same here Rey. I have a little tin garden bed and really wanting to set it up and get growing....Now that I know I can put off cuts in the bottom, that is really going to help me on the finance side of things. This video was very inspiring to watch. Thank you!
I had a wonderful raised bed some time ago. For irrigation, I used clay pots with the bottom sealed. You "plant" the pots in the ground and fill them with water. The water transmigrates through the clay walls very slowly, but keeps the bed soil moist. It is very efficient in the consumption of water and takes very little time to fill up the pots. You just need to cover the top to avoid evaporation and mosquitos.
you must be in a hot climate???
@@JustMe-gs9xi yes, mostly warm. You can do the same in a green house. If pots freze, they will brake. In winter you can take them of the grownd. They work realy well.
Always have a soft spot for Aussie from my days in Vietnam. Have been a fan since I moved to southern Oregon. Building my raised now. Thank you
I called a company that removes trees and asked them if they had wood chips that they were wanting to dispose of. Their shop isn't that far from my house and they have tons of the stuff and can't get rid of it so they brought their truck over and dumped it into my back yard. I just filled up the wheelbarrow and filled the beds about 3/4 of the way full and then put topsoil from my yard on top of that. It's been about 8 years now and the level has gone down a few inches but I've replaced that with some other top soil from a landscaping company that removed the sod from a neighbor's back yard in order to install an irrigation system. The sod came with about an inch of soil under it so I just folded it into a compost pile until it degraded down and then put it on top of my garden.
The wood chips soak of the rain and slowly release it into the soil above but it doesn't rot away because of the low oxygen environment.
I signed up on line for “chip drop” 1 week later A very large pile of mulch was dumped in front of the house of chipped cypress. It was wonderful! Free!
I just started my first raised garden bed and I'm filling it up today. Timely video. Thanks!!
All the best with your new raised bed John! :)
Thank you! I have saved myself a lot of grief just by listening to your videos!
I enjoy your videos. They are so interesting and relaxing. I tend to enjoy gardening even more.
Just what i was looking for....got a backyard full of old tree roots,so raised beds are the go,thanks for all your hard earned advice.
I love gardening and I follow fellow gardeners. Mark, "Self Sufficient me" is marvelous. He loves gardening, he talks from know how, he has experience, uses simple language everyone can understand. Rest assured, outside there, some one is practicing from your tutorials. Be Blessed.
There are many yard resources that can be used to fill raised beds, such as leaves, grass clippings, and even fallen branches. These materials can be collected for free, and when they break down, they will add valuable nutrients to the soil. Composting is another way to create a nutrient-rich soil amendment from yard waste. This can be done by simply piling up yard waste and letting it decompose over time. Composting can take several months, so it's important to plan ahead and start early.
Another way to save money on filling raised beds is to use organic materials such as straw bales or hay. These materials are relatively inexpensive and can be used to fill the bottom layer of the raised bed. As they break down over time, they will add organic matter to the soil and help retain moisture. If you're worried about weed seeds in the straw, you can add a layer of cardboard or newspaper on top before adding the soil. This will prevent weeds from germinating and help to suppress their growth. By using yard resources and organic materials to fill raised beds, you can save money and create a healthy, productive garden.
whenever i see worm, i feel a good support to my gardening, they're the natural soil keeper , love this video, give me ideas on my gardening . thanks
The timber raised beds are great, I'm making 6 at the moment and the uprights are 100 to 150mm above the edge so that if the beds need netting or covering I can bend a bit of 20mm poly over and with 20mm saddles attach it to the uprights. Almost instant cover support.
This is probably the best channel I've discovered by accidents in the last few years. You've earned this sub 👍
I always fill pots and raised beds with weeds veg scraps shredded paper grass, not only does it help fill them up it helps with drainage. Plant roots only need about a 12” depth or less .
All compost will eventually compact at the base, so frequent mixing and turning is essential
It's almost like you read my mind! I've been struggling for the last few days with trying to fill my garden beds without shelling out hundreds of dollars and by far this has been the most helpful solution. I've been watching many of your videos these past few weeks and have learned so much. Thanks a ton and keep that finger green!
this is my first year using my raised bed. you sir, have inspired me. I started building it in oct of 2019. i might have to add another 300 lbs or so of soil. I used up tons of compost filling it! I added a video of my garden and raised bed after I built my gourd tunnel! Thank you so much Self Sufficient Me
You're videos are always reliable and straight to the point. Keep it up Sir and God bless you always💓
G’day Mark. I lost you over Winter. It’s great to see you back on here. I’m in the early stages of planting more Vegies. Tomatoes, Rhubarb. Thyme , Basil . For now. We’ve had a BIG heap of rain here in THE WEST this Winter.
You are such a bright spot in a dark time. Thanks so much, you make this bearable and give us something to do and hope for:)
I am building two big raised bed and was about to order 10 big bags of top soil and they are not cheap but I have lots of vegetable roots to take it to garden recycling center to dump.
After seeing this I only need to order about 5 bags.
Thank you so much for your advice sir.
One of the absolute best personalities on TH-cam! Keep up the great work Mark! Even though our growing zones are completely different I've gained a ton of valuable information and I thank you for that. Cheers from the east coast of Canada!
Thank you Nicholas! Cheers mate :)
😂😂😂love the Aussie humour. “A much younger me of yesterday”. Love it. In all seriousness this is so informative!! I just started doing this veggie garden thing. Maybe one day I can get on an off the grid lifestyle!
I’ve been getting so much from your channel for a few years now and I just wanna say keep up the good work, I’m so glad to see so many people catching on to your channel during this crisis. Thank you for everything you do and stay safe!!!
You all those videos are unique and much effective for plantations.
Your conversation together at the end just put a smile on my face today. Very sweet with each other, and I'm living for your videos!!
Mark your vids blitz anything I've ever seen on any portal. I've nver been a Green anything yet you provide encouragement with such simple methods. Thankyou for the time and effort you put into these amazing free to air Vids 10/10 champ.
Thank you for always mentioning how waist-high beds make gardening easier. I've convinced my parents to let me build (4) 3' x 8' beds out of metal roofing panels next to a 30' row of pole beans. There's about a 5'walkway in between above which I'll install a few cattle panels for an arbor.I cant wait for fresh beans, toms and peppers. Your channel is an inspiration mark keep up the good work
Sounds like a top project Mike! All the best with your build and growing all that amazing fresh as you can get produce. Cheers :)
You are by far one of the most pleasant people to watch! I am SO thankful I subscribed to your channel!👍🌞🍉🍐🍆🥑🍎🍇🍏🍑🍊🍋🍈🍒🥕🌽🍓🍌🍍🍅🥒🥔🥜🍄🌾👨🌾
This is a wonderful video. My raised veg garden will be on a smaller scale, but I appreciate learning how to layer it with a variety of materials - some that I already have! I love the care he shows for his worms. It's true, though - healthy insects are a reflection of how successful a garden bed is. Thank you so much, for making this very helpful video, Mark (from Self-Sufficient Me)!
Questions
1/3 what is the benefits to add worms in your raised bed?
2- Does cow manure more effective than regular vegetable fertilizer or fruit fertilizer?
3- how about chicken manure?
4- which is better/more efficient in crop/yield when you use cow manure or chicken manure or blood manure?
What is the benefit of build up a raise bed than to plant directly to the soil specially raised bed use a lot of compost and more money to put it together?
Look forward to hearing from you
Thank you in advance
I’m would to see this up coming summer more videos
I have a 12 foot trailer full of soil to shovel today. Maybe we need a self sufficient work out video.
Good for the biceps! ;)
@@Selfsufficientme you ain't kiddin. I might have to take a post raised bed filling muscle picture in my new self sufficient me shirt when it gets here.
@@matthewtwright84 I've got Myself a 'ramp' out of some scrap wood, drive the barrow on it and then simply empty it, no need to shovel back and forth save your back - Work smart !
Cheers
@JW L yes stay away from those.
Regular wood lasts a long time
Enough time for you to throw your change in a can to save for the next round of chemical free wood.
Even better is rough cut lumber!!!
I use pallets my self
Make sure they have
"HT burned/stamped onto the sides
HT=heat treated
Safe for your garden
This man is a hero. He recycles pallets.
What an awesome Australian channel, no bullshit, no click bait. Good on ya mate!
Found this video after working for hours to try and fill one of three big beds with soil from our woods. We're about halfway done. This is so helpful! I know what I'm doing tomorrow! Thank you from NE Wisconsin!
How perfectly well-timed! Im ready to fill my first raised bed today! Greetings from Chicago, USA!!
Hello from a raised bed gardener in the Chicago south suburbs. Hope it worked out for you : )
Thank you for showing us your gardening skills. We are very thanful we watch your video .thank you for sharing that others like us can learn to become sustainable and self sufficient of growing gardening. Have a wonderful day!God bless you! from Michigan!
I really appreciate your videos. Just started this last year. I started prepping for a garden right before Covid hit and had a really successful first garden. No raised beds yet... but they are on the way.
I filled two 4x16x3 foot beds with soil/compost. An easier way to fill I found is to turn two 5 gallon buckets upside down against the bed and used a piece of plywood as a ramp for the wheel barrow . Easy enough to move around to fill from the sides or ends. Just my 2¢. My next beds I'll try with logs on the bottom. The height is worth every penny. Not only saves your back but makes everything easier to access and harvest and inspect and weed etc. Shout out from New England, USA 🇺🇸. Love love love your vids!
Based on my limited knowledge of Ozzie culture, I imagine Mark was quite the beast on the old rugby field back in the day.
Probably was more into cricket.
I think rugby too
I love watching your videos . I was in the garden when I could walk on my own I’m
69 yrs old now , the best part of helping in the garden was eating fresh good tasting stuff , once I told my daughterinlaw that when I was a kid almost all corn on the cob had a worm in it and apples too had worms , she said what did you do , I said we cut them out and ate it . She couldn’t fathom that , but anyhow I know a lot of the stuff u do . But I am open minded and learn from you and other videos . Keep up the good work young man
Can't wait to try this out! The soil here is pretty bad and rocky, there's remnants from where the previous owners of the house tried to do a traditional garden, but it didn't appear they had much luck with it. Definitely will be looking into some raised beds, and hopefully I can find a good way to keep the deer out.
Wow. You are a very hardworking man. God bless you Mark
Mark, you are awesome ! Love your knowledge and how much you like working with earth. It is very helpful to know how to build raised veggie beds. I’m going to do it for my parents house. Thanks again for this video.
You a man who given our garden new life impulse fantastic job you are doing I learn a lot today from you thank you so much for this!
Sincerely dude...you're my Dundee! I love you. Praises and prayers to your family.
Great way to add organic materials and build the soil level. I'll have to try this
Mike, your videos are awesome! My grandpa used to till the whole garden every year to plant veggies, and he also kept removing weeds all the time, which if I'm correct resulted in having a soil, which dried out quicker than a garden filled with any type of plants, even weeds and he constantly had to water them. Having raised garden beds seem to be a very good way of separating high quality soil from the rest of the garden and seems to be much easier to maintain. Thanks for all the great and informative videos!
I just found this channel and thank God I did. I've been using mainly soil. My garden isn't very deep but I could have saved hundreds of dollars knowing these small yet helpful and efficient tricks.
That slow mo dirt flip made me laugh and almost choke on coffee. These videos really are some of the best ways to learn about gardening, I will definitely be mirroring some of the techniques i've seen on your channel this year. I want to grow enough food to be self sufficient for a year, but the growing times in The Great State Of Maine are not very optimal. You have helped many more people than just me travel on the path to healthy living, so thank you for making these videos and allowing people like me to learn from your experience.
Maine grows rocks right? :p
@@rachellee5797 Your not wrong about that, seems like there's rocks everywhere here, but wild harvested stone makes for good looking and essentially free landscaping material. Also, Maine does ship tonnes of dirt/stone and land fill to places like Massachusetts every year, so you could say we have a thriving rock market.
@earthy ring 👩🦳🙋♀️👁read and👍both of your comments. I concur on the 1st and enjoyed your classy, informative repost, to the joker. Good on you, and good on Maine, for creatively filling the State's coffers. Cheers from Michigan, the 2 mitten State!
Looks away from garden for a night, wind blows all the pinemeedles for miles around into your garden.
I know what you mean. zone 5 here.
I could chill with this dude all day
So pleased to have found this channel, thanks. Just the well presented knowledge I needed to start us off with some raised beds. Great groundwork, it's going to be a better year in the garden
As I start my voyage into raised bed gardening coming this Spring this video showed up just in time!
Hahaha... Now you believe things happen for a reason right? How are you doing and the weather over there?
Get you someone who thinks your raised beds are cute. That's love right there!
I put another 4X8 raised bed this spring. I wanted to be able to plant some more crops but I don't always have enough fill available. Then the light bulb went on. I put a partition inside part way up and planted about 1/3 of it. now I can finish filling during the summer and get some fall veggies in. I like when the light bulb goes on. It just doesn't burn as bright as it used to.
"A full thumbs up" coming your way
th-cam.com/video/AVqmtavBuqc/w-d-xo.html
I only had half a thumb to spare, sorry.
I like your raised bed, i think it has a nice rustic feel. And it's given me inspiration for how i'm going to deal with a small slope I've been needing to level but didn't know what I would do with the extra dirt.
Hi Mark. Just discovered your Channel and really enjoying it. I’m in Brissy so not far from you. My world is very hectic with work and multiple children (that I know of) but thank you for sharing and allowing me a slow down to enjoy your good advice, humour and antics. My dad was an incredible avid gardener and I may have a green tinge in my thumb but wish I had more time. One day soon I Hope. In the words of my dear old man who is no longer with us ... you could grow grass on a billiard ball. His ultimate compliment for a gardener such as yourself lol !
Absolutely love this video. I need to see this. Great help. Love from TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🙌♥️♥️♥️
Same here!! 🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹🇹 in the house!! Learning as I go! Hope to do this soon, he's such a good teacher!!
Such a great video. Im always trying to figure out how to not spend a fortune on filling my garden bed. This is genius.
I just loved your talking to the 🪱 worms😄. I do the same, save every one I see and carry them to my compost and potting soils with the message; here you are my pals, go, work and multiply! They’re my best little friends.
I love your videos, man. No bullshitting, straight to the topic with some interesting facts and humour, and I love how you try to do gardening in harmony with nature (f.e. worms). Keep up the good work, wish you and your family the very best! Cheers from Hungary
Good idea to fill bottom of raised beds with organic materials. I use rotting logs myself and I pick them up off the side of the road and bring home at no cost. I'm not a big fan of super tall raised beds, though. I know people like them because they are easier to work on without stooping. In any climate that freezes, though, tall beds will freeze much faster than the ground. They'll also dry out quicker. Anything over 1 ft tall is overkill, counterproductive. But, to each his own.
"Oh crickey, look at those worms!" Love the channel, thanks for the info as I'm building a raised garden bed in Arizona!
We made some raised beds from old tires last year and had great crops in them. Right now we are in the process of building 10 raised beds. They are all going to be hugelkulture style. Once done it will be a lot better for our worn out backs....as long as we survive building them! Lol
Love your work! Would be good to see more videos on growing fruit trees in pots as I only have a court yard.
I really like watching your videos. Thank you. I live in a very different climate, in the desert of northern California, US, lol, but really your videos are helping me understand how to use what I have and have caused me to do further research for what will work here. Particularly these ideas of growing food from food from the grocery store. For one, we really do not know what we are buying, so that opened my eyes.
Mark thank you so much! You’re teaching me how to garden from scratch! I aim to grow as much of my own veggies and fruits and possible. You’re the best!
No BS approach and well edited. Glad to see a typical Aussie giving us a great tutorial. 👍🏻😁🇦🇺
Love your videos. I’m just starting my home garden and you make it seem less intimidating. 😁
I,like your every one videos. ....because i think you are a honest adviser for grading tips ... thanks
Hey Mark make sure to make a video showing all the tools you are using in the garden so that we get an idea
~5:11 - speaking of tools that make the job easier, I noticed the use of the wheelbarrow and shovel and was reminded of an accessory for the wheelbarrow handles I had seen probably over a decade ago which might very well save time and strains due to repetitious shoveling. It's these swinging grips for tbe wheelbarrow handles once you were to align a lumber ramp to the edge of the beds: simplydumpit.com/products/simply-dump-it-pivoting-wheelbarrow-handles
Roll up the wheelbarrow to the bed's edge then lift the swinging handles to dump the contents as opposed to shoveling. 🤷♂️👏👍
I love what your doing sir it's back to basics which is healthy lifestyle
Love your channel. You're what got me into starting my raised beds and backyard gardening this year.
I find your Tutorials very educational and I find them practical.
Love your videos, keeps me motivated with my own garden. It's looking better than ever before, and now expanding!
Please keep posting 😁
I'm so happy I found your channel I recently moved and for the first time I have a little bit of land to work with and make my own food forest. Your channel has been such an inspiration I love watching you and how passionate you are about being self-sufficient. I just wanted to stop binge watching your channel so I could tell you how much I appreciate you and how much you helped so far. 😊
Thanks so much for all of your informative, simple and fun videos! I have a question about ergonomics. I've just started learning about no dig / raised bed / market gardening and I wonder why more people don't build waist-height raised beds like you do, to avoid having to bend over so often. It seems as though most jobs would be easier, or as easy to do with a waist-high bed VS ground-height bed. With the exception possibly of filling the bed for the first time and amending with compost. I am a total beginner so I feel like I must be missing something. What are your thoughts?
Thanks again, cheers from Canada! 😊
I built four veggie beds using this technique. They’ve been fantastic!