I just found your channel. I usually watch a lot of horrific true crime stories, police videos or interrogation footage of murders lol. I'm trying to watch more positive stuff and your videos really help 😄 I love gardening, but I live on the 3rd floor. Can't wait to get my balcony garden going soon❤
Happy New Year Ben, I confess I was sitting in bed with an early morning cuppa watching this video , I love your enthusiasm and I’m finding this year I really need a kickstart to get going , my achievements so far have been to sow some onion seeds , I shall need to watch a few more videos to get me motivated as the constant rain has really dampened my spirits , ❤️
Another great video. Thank you. My ginger is finally coming up. I started it inside as you had suggested. I’m itching to get my peas in the ground but we here in western Oregon are supposed to get some below freezing weather next week. I tried planting them in gutters one year but I made the sections too long and it was hard to get them to slide out. I really appreciate your wonderful videos. There is always something new to learn no matter how long you’ve been gardening! Bless you
I think this may be the first time I've ever seen a gardening video where someone discussed and demonstrated cleaning and sharpening pruning shears. Such useful information. I' definitely going to be doing this!
Oh to be in England in January. As it is I’d have to brush off a foot of snow and use a jackhammer to break up the soil. Lovely video to dream by though :)
I just started a bunch of elderberry bushes, I’m excited for spring but my wife isn’t thrilled with the pots filled with twigs scattered around the house
Hello Ben, and wishes for a wonderful New Year to you and your family! This is just the video I needed for peace and quiet, and encouragement. We've had 14 inches of heavy wet snow here, so everything is sleeping under a nice cool blanket and I'm surrounded by seed catalogs. Kudos to the writers, I'm now convinced I've never really grown a tomato or anything else since I haven't grown "their" tomatoes. hahaha... happy gardening!
Well, I'm gonna have to make time to clean off that garden I keep eyeing as I hurry past to do another chore. Also starting my tomatoes and peppers u see a grow light inside this month. Last years heirlooms provide this years plants. Lots of work ahead, but its raining cats and dogs for now. Watering that ground and softening up all that compost for use. Also need to cut back my blackberry canes that have finally died down. This crazy weather has kept them green and alive . Have a blessed Sunday all !!
And if like me you have the opposite problem to acidic soil and have very chalky, alkaline soil (and the opaque tap water to match!) coffee grounds help make the alkalinity a bit less extreme. Jealous of the lovely azaleas and blueberries people with acidic soil must be able to grow!
Thank you for an inspiring video which I watched to see what I should have been doing, [and found that I more or less had so now feel smug]. I planted a cabbage in my new to me untouched for over 20years garden nearly 4 years ago, because I can't bear to kill seedlings and plant the extras elsewhere for the cabbage whites. [they ignore those plantings and still target the sacred ones] Methuselah is still going strong in his original position and has earned the right to stay where he is, although age is turning him into Cerberus.
Surely many people have told you that you are very charming when narrating, right? The way you create videos and talk is really scientific, making it easy for viewers to visualize. I also tried planting potatoes one year in November and harvesting them in February the following year. The feeling of harvesting was really fun even though the yield was not high. The land you have is what I desire 😅
Happy 2024 Ben. Thanks your enthusiastic videos. Can't wait to get wired into the garden again. That's my manure loaded into my compost bay for potting in the summer.
That thumbnail!! 🤣 Ben, you always make me smile. Love your sense of humour, your ample alliterations and the gardening advice is not bad either 😉 Looking forward to gardening together in 2024!!
Happy New Year Ben and family 🎉. Not under snow ❄️ yet maybe next week 😢 but we have also been told we could hit minus 18c at night so all things on hold. Sowed some onions inside but that it. Have an amazing week, Ali 🇨🇦
My own Winter 2024 situation is driven by a newly constructed house on hard-clay ancient lake bottom dirt. The entire yard both front & back are as infertile as pure rock. I'll start with gypsum to break down the clay. Then I'll add steer manure & tree bark compost & churn it together. My late father in law was a great fan of steer manure for everything except house plants. Bless his departed soul. Buy springtime I hope to have this dirt converted into topsoil or at least something like it before the sod surrounded by raspberry plants goes in. Meanwhile my garden veggies will be grown in buckets in racks. In my new cellar woodshop I'll construct the racks out of 2"x4"x8' boards with my new Chicago Tools table saw from Harbor Freight.
Well done Ben! Your video-making and editing skills have gotten so much better than when you first started, you've rly improved! Keep up the inspiring work!
As a total newcomer to gardening I'm finding your videos super-useful, so big thanks for that. Also helps prep me ahead of time (as I tend to procrastinate, so it's good to have a "must do by Jan 31st" or whatever deadline to work to) so thanks for that too. One tiny point that some may not be aware of but which stood out to me after years of amateurish twiddling of spanners: it wasn't clear what you sprayed on your garden cutters/secateurs? It looked like an aerosol, in which case I'd just like to mention that WD40 isn't a good lubricant - it runs off too easily and is actually designated as a penetrating oil or "release agent" for un-sticking corroded or stuck nuts, bolts, etc. For lubrication you're best off with a few drops of "3-in-1" oil or similar ("other lubricating oils are available") and I find the old school dropper bottles/cans last miles longer than the aerosols, which I find tend to fling a load of oil around, only a little of which actually ends up where you want it. That way your tools will stay corrosion-free, hopefully all season long, with the bonus that you won't drip potentially harmful substances all over your lovely fresh veg plants. Thanks again for a really excellent gardening channel ... this will be my very first year of trying to grow my own veg and although we're behind on making the raised beds (I'm disabled due to spinal injuries so I have to take things very steady) we're hoping to get some crops in later, and I find your videos really, really useful in helping me focus on what I need to think about next, plus you always seem to have the best way of doing a given thing, so many thanks and all the best to you.
Thanks so much for watching. You are right in that 3-in-1 oil is best - I have some of that somewhere and should probably have used that! I hope your first your of growing veg goes well. It must be very exciting to get started on this. I'm sure you'll do a great job and will be picking delicious, garden-grown goodness very soon. Happy gardening! :-)
@@GrowVeg At the moment it's all somewhat overwhelming, to be honest ... as I say, I'm limited in what I can do, physically, and although my able-bodied fiancé helps me as much as she can she has a full-time job so it's a bit tricky coz I don't want to keep asking everything ... hence the looking around for information and (thankfully!) finding your channel - I find the information you give out is both useful and worthwhile, so it engages me far more than some of the other gardening channels out there. So my priorities for this year are 1) get at least 2 raised beds up and running so I can garden directly instead of having to ask for help, 2) to somehow get some Globe Artichokes grown (my fave veg ever) and then 3) things we both like to eat (I'm a keen amateur cook too) like Aubergines, Tomatoes, Potatoes, and maybe Peppers & Chillies. Oh and we both like brassicas like Cavolo Nero and Savoy Cabbage, so I'm going to watch your planning video and try to work out what we can grow (realistically) and therefore when things will need to happen. It's all a bit daunting ATM but I figure if I take it step by step and map out the times I need to sow by, I can try little and often ... I've already put some old garlic cloves into an old raised former flower planter and they're sprouting like wildfire and growing nicely (from clove to 15cm tall shoots in maybe 4 weeks), and as I've got some room left in that I thought I might try to grow some Ginger from your video on the subject so I'm going to try that too as I do a lot of Asian cooking so garlic & ginger would be super useful. I'm planting the odd cloves of leftover garlic when they sprout inside in the kitchen, so that hopefully I'll end up with a staggered crop, if and when they're ready to harvest - little and often would be great :) One question, if you'll forgive me: where do you buy your seeds from? (or are you not allowed to say?) I've seen some big operators (like "Mr Fothergill", who seems to have everything) but the prices seem a bit steep ... do you know where to get seeds or seedlings at a reasonable price? I've heard some people save their own seeds from last year's crop - do you do that? Yes I confess it's rather exciting and it's really grabbed my attention - I've never grown food before other than the odd herbs (we've got some Thyme, Rosemary, Flat Leaf Parsley and a fresh Bay Tree all growing in one area near the back door, though the dill died off v fast - having a young puppy didn't help in that case) so the thought of cooking using veg I've grown is really interesting, plus money is tight for almost everyone just now so saving a few pennies would be a good idea. Thanks again fellah and all the best.
please can you do a video on how to test your garden soil. a easy one for beginners. This will be my 3 yr trying to grow . last yr all i could grow was tomatoes, beans and cucumber (and this because my friend gave me her well established plants) and some tinny corn heads. i presume it is due to the soil and ph level?
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your channel found me yesterday and I love you already. "Ditch the dawdling". "pH Picky Plants". Love your descriptions.
We have until end of March beginning of April to do anything. We had record warm December and the temps went backwards: Halloween 36*F, T-Day 41, Christmas 52 and NY Day 27. We finally cooled off and have a dusting of snow instead of rain on Christmas. I was concerned the plants would start budding. This weather is abnormal no matter if it is El Niño. It seems we are getting colder and more snow later every winter. It rained last January and winter sow projects didn’t do well. Up north and others have tulips, mums and wild honeysuckle shrubs growing.
Ben absolutely love your videos and how practical you are. Quick question- if you order main crop potatoes now, do you start chitting them straightaway? If. It how do you store them so they don’t grow those ugly leggy stems? Thx
I just got my greenhouse together three days ago barely in time to drag peppers and tomato cuttings in before frost. Struggling with a shortening candle to drive off condensation...
Everyone seems to have it all figured out and know exactly what to do. But I actually feel so overwhelmed about starting a garden. I'm in Sweden (moved here a year ago from The Netherlands), it's been more cold than usual, -28 °C at night and there's still a thick layer of snow on the ground. This does mean that I still have time for planning and ordering or buying seeds and materials. I have been trying to plan things out for the coming year. I have some seeds already, mainly for flowers and wild plants that I would like to have growing on my property, and I have put on my calender when to sow them indoors or directly in the ground so that I won't forget. I also want to start growing food, but I have terrible decision paralysis about it, like where on my property is the best location to put a vegetable garden, in the ground or in raised beds (that I would still have to build), how big to make the garden for just me and my husband, what to grow, where to get materials like fencing against deer, and where to get seeds, and what kind of seeds to get, where to get compost. And I don't know if I can even do it, there's just so much to learn about all the different plants, when to sow the seeds, how to sow them, the planning of where, what and when. I did try your garden planner, but I just stared at it for a good couple of minutes, and didn't know where to start and then didn't do anything with it afterwards. I feel very lost and I would love for someone to just tell me what to do. I know and have been telling myself that I should just start, and that I will learn by doing, and that making mistakes is okay, and that I will learn from those... But it's difficult. I have spent an entire year observing my property since I moved here, which was usefull. I have also compiled a 22 page word document of information regarding permaculture, because I'm also planning on growing a food forest. We got our neigbour to help dig a swale on our property last autumn. Despite all the research and observing, I still don't have concrete plans of where to put what in the food forest. And I'm also going to need a LOT of woodchips. We have a wood chipper, that we've used last year to make woodchips for a path, that worked great, but it takes SO much to cover a small area, I need so much more than I can make myself, but I don't know where to get them. I know there's a lot of forestry here in Sweden so I would think there are ways of getting free woodchips, but I don't know if that's true, or if I can only buy them somewhere, and where? I don't expect any help from people on here, but I just had to get this off my chest, and I can't be the only one that's overwhelmed and confused, so I thought it might be good to represent that in the comment section as well.
The best advice I can give is to just start small, master that, and then work out from there. Even starting a few beds would be a great start - e.g. th-cam.com/video/NlS_dTDsHHQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=CNSd23eQJLQ2kWyb The Garden Planner offers several 'Sample Plans' which are pre-designed - you just need to plant what's shown or tweak it according to your tastes. If in doubt, please do contact the customer services team who will be happy to help. :-)
Start small. That’s what we did with ours a couple of years ago. The garden will evolve, it always does 😊. Start with collapsible raised beds or grow bags if you are unsure about the location. North-South orientation gets the best sunlight. Good luck with your gardening journey!
My advice is start small with things you really like..plant some herbs on your windowsill now and just keep plating some seeds as they grow ... as time goes on your will be forced to find a spot for them and you will end up moving things around no matter how much you plan ...I planned my whole garden then realised that actually I had very little soil and the weeds were growingbwell in other places so I transplanted my raspberries to where the qeeds were big and got big fat berries. I made a pond and then kept falling into it because of where I had decided to put it and had to move that... but the big mistake I made was buying a ton of seeds and then not being able to keep it all up. My raspberries do well so this year I'm going to plant more of those because that's what seems to work and then I'll sell them and buy the things that I have found I am useless at fgrowing like I cant grow mint for some ungodly reason! And I can't grow potatoes they always end up bad. But you won't find any of that out looking at the planner. I would also say to get a hot bed going if youre in a cold place. The hardest part is when you've got seedlings going but the weather is gone mental in arpil snows and you can't plant anything out yet a hot bed will mean you can plant things I think he had a video fo a hot house ...its a square meter of manure or even stray with fertiliser which heats itself up by bacteria creating heat for the plants inside. And if you go out in your garden and see where the weeds grow big that told me where the soil was good for things which need better soil. I have veey bad soil the landlady took 2 feet away as a kindness to me and I was so upset. She's a farmer so totally ignorant about gardening. Lol! But where the weeds grew best I had deeper soil and better looking. Hope that helps. Even if all you do this year is have some salad and herbs you'll learn a lot and not be discouraged by a huge amount of things ...
Thanks for the advise. I have spent these two weeks since my last comment researching more and I have made a ton of progress. The most important is that I feel more positive now, and I am itching to get started! Here's what I did: I found a website in my country where I want to buy my seeds, and I have actually started picking out a number of crop seeds (considering which varieties would work best for me), but not too many, and also flowers for companion planting. I have made a plan to make 6 raised beds, and I think I know roughly where to put them. I have drawn a plan on paper for which plants will go where, considering all kinds of things I've learnt from videos. I'm getting row cover material for protection against pests (I did see cabbage white butterflies last year). My husband found a place online that sells fencing, which I want to put around the raised bed garden to prevent deer and hares from nibbling on our crops. I want to get some IBC tanks for more rainwater collection that I can use in the garden. I also have plans to make a bigger composting area with at least 3 compartments, 1 for filling up, 1 for actively composting, 1 for finished compost. I really want to crank up compost production this year, we have so much land with vegetation and even forest with lots of fallen branches and small trees that are too close together that I can turn into woodchips. So there's potential to make a lot of compost! I'd also like to try making liquid fertilizer this year, because it will take a while before the compost will be ready probably. I also made plans to meet up with a neigbour and her sister who are both also into gardening next week, so we can look at what seeds we all have, and maybe share some. Connections are important too and since I'm very introverted, the fact that I've taken the initiative to meet up with people is a huge step for me. Thanks for reading this long comment😅
What do you do if you live on nearly pure sand and don't have money for raised beds and soil. I compost some but just moved in. Thanks for any advice! I appreciate your channel and hope to finally commit to a larger garden this year
Sounds like raised beds and bags of soil is the way you will need to go to get started. You should watch videos of people who garden on rooftops or in cities as they are very creative with their containers and soil. It doesn’t matter what your native soil is if you use raised beds or containers
The best I can suggest is to tirelessly add organic matter to your garden - in any form. Compost, manure, leaf mold, collected leaves - anything that will help to build soil hummus and eventually help you get a less sandy texture. Raised beds can help you concentrate growing areas, but aren't essential by any means. Just get on and beg, borrow and steal as much organic material as you can to gradually improve your soil over time.
We just had our gutters removed and they took them away to recycle. BEN, you are 2 weeks late 😂😂 Just kidding, I thought about it, but, they were so long, I didn't want to get out and cut them up while the roofers were here.
Great program, excellent information and brilliant encouragement! Question: you are in England and you are planting your beans and peas now at what temperature? I'm in New York and I'm looking forward to my bean crop this year And do not want to plant them too early. What temperature would be best?
I'll jump in here if that's OK. Beans need warm soil 60-80F. Any colder and they're likely to rot. I'm in NE Ohio and I usually do mine around Memorial Day since our last frost can be as late as May 15th. Beans grow so quickly an early start doesn't buy you much. I grow lots of beans and always get a full harvest by planting at the end of May, first of June. Happy Gardening.
@@pauleenwardbrownpeas can handle more frost than beans, so some people plant the pea plants out before the last frost. They sprouted them inside and then plant out. Some people do a second round of them going into fall
Hi Pauleen. The beans I'm sowing are fava beans, which are much, much hardier than other beans. These guys can be sowed at a much cooler temperature. They will germinate at around 45-50F, though cope with mild frosts too. It depends on where you are in New York, but I would maybe suggest waiting until mid to late February to sow in most of NY, particularly upstate.
I'm trying to avoid ordering potatoes or buying them. I'd rather interested how to save a part from my harvest for the next year seed. I made my first experiment on it last autumn and waiting now to see how they did..
Hello! I've just found your channel and look forward to watching more. I wondered if you had any advice. I'm in a rented property that doesn't have a lawn or any soil, just stones and paving; but I really want to get into gardening and feel like this is a bit of a barrier. I fear produce getting waterlogged. Do you have any advice/recommendations - on where to begin, what kind of plants (especially produce) to plant in just pots? I was considering trying to grow chillies from the fruit to start off but I'm really not confident
There's lots you can grow in containers. Pretty much all salads, potatoes, beans - all good choices to start with. This video offers some more ideas I hope: th-cam.com/video/JQNrfMT8Dhw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=A5XPeI3Yn6LML5V3
I would maybe wait to sow the sweet peas till spring if it's very cold where you are. Sweet peas can be sown in the autumn to overwinter, but if you missed that sowing window, best to wait till it's warmed up a touch more.
I don't think that he has forced rhubarb before as he is going to get crown rot doing that. I hope that the black plastic bin doesn't get any direct sunlight.... Corregated Cardboard might have been a better choice especially if there is some sunshine.
You might like my video on growing in containers: th-cam.com/video/JQNrfMT8Dhw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=UoY6-21mfczFKjT- and also our recent tour of this front yard: th-cam.com/video/3aYlFj6-cLQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=sqZeBZALM3kUpbhW Lots of ideas there to help you maximise productivity.
You can buy kits where you take a soil sample, dissolve in water and read off against a colour chart. These are very cost effect, but for a tester you can use time and again you might want to consider a soil testing probe - e.g. www.amazon.co.uk/Suplong-Testing-Moisture-acidity-Outdoor/dp/B077WX15NF/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=1JUMJS14V3488&keywords=pH+tester&qid=1704890552&sprefix=ph+tester%2Caps%2C69&sr=8-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
Has anyone ever successfully stored dahlias in their shed over winter? I don’t have a porch or garage so my options are currently a wheelie bin, in the shed or in a cupboard in the house 🤔
Yes. I put a layer of dahlias in a cardboard box, then a layer of newspaper, then more dahlias etc (like a lasagne). Left in the shed all winter. They all bloomed very well the next season. Good luck!
I have a garden bed near an evergreen tree that has developed moldly soil that looks like white strands. Growing mushrooms. How do I correct to grow vegetables please?
The white strands are likely just a naturally occurring fungus in the soil and nothing to be concerned about. This is usually a sign that composts/organic material added to the soil are still breaking down.
What is your opinion on using sprouted potatoes from last years harvest. Still worth planting if they have been sprouted for months and a bit leggy. Or should i toss and start with new seed potatoes
It's always best to start with fresh seed potatoes, which will be disease free and the most vigorous. That said, you may get a decent crop by just planting what you have - there's just a bit more of a risk that's all.
I try to grow a few potatoes in builders buckets but they have done very badly the last couple of years. They have lots of manure and are earthed up as they grow but hardly produce any. Can’t work out what I’m doing wrong.
I wonder if it's too heavy - the growing medium? Also, make sure the buckets have good drainage at the bottom. Keep the buckets out of hot sun too, which can slow growth.
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Found a cooler with legs by the curb and made it a raised bed, and today I’m building a cold frame to put on top to grow greens in the cold.
That sounds fun!!
@@Ashas.Garden 🌱🌿🥬
This is genius.
@@SkyHighHarvest Thank you! I love to recycle, renew, reuse.
i've got an old terrarium im going to use :)
15 degrees Fahrenheit and high winds in Pennsylvania… my only solace is binge watching your channel and making lots of notes! Hi Rosie❤
Rosie says ‘woof’ back! :-)
I just found your channel. I usually watch a lot of horrific true crime stories, police videos or interrogation footage of murders lol. I'm trying to watch more positive stuff and your videos really help 😄 I love gardening, but I live on the 3rd floor. Can't wait to get my balcony garden going soon❤
So pleased you've chosen to watch our channel - a very warm welcome to you! :-)
In the quiet of winter, I hear the stern-but-fair voice of Ben whisper "Ditch the dawdling" and suddenly I understand that it's go time.
Come on... come... step to it! :-)
Great tips again, thank you! If you add vinegar to the water for cleaning tools, it will remove rust.
Great tip, thanks so much. :-)
Your garden planner is brilliant! Thank you for providing it for free!
Thanks for your support and kind comment. :-)
Yes thank you!!!
Loving the term "Gardening bling" :D
Happy 2024, Ben and adorable Rosie! 🎉
Thanks for the reminders, encouragement, and new knowledge! I love your videos!👩🏾🌾💕
Thanks so much, very kind of you. Happy New Year to you too. :-)
Thank you will be starting those potatoes
And pruning chores
Happy New Year Ben, I confess I was sitting in bed with an early morning cuppa watching this video , I love your enthusiasm and I’m finding this year I really need a kickstart to get going , my achievements so far have been to sow some onion seeds , I shall need to watch a few more videos to get me motivated as the constant rain has really dampened my spirits , ❤️
Hope the rain's eased off where you are Lynda. Nice and dry and cold here now - love it! :-)
Another great video. Thank you. My ginger is finally coming up. I started it inside as you had suggested. I’m itching to get my peas in the ground but we here in western Oregon are supposed to get some below freezing weather next week. I tried planting them in gutters one year but I made the sections too long and it was hard to get them to slide out. I really appreciate your wonderful videos. There is always something new to learn no matter how long you’ve been gardening! Bless you
Oh goodness... you're right, it's almost pea time here in the maritime PNW! Next week is planning week and then here we go 😊
So pleased you enjoy the videos Suzanne. Here's to a fab 2024 growing season! :-)
I think this may be the first time I've ever seen a gardening video where someone discussed and demonstrated cleaning and sharpening pruning shears. Such useful information. I' definitely going to be doing this!
So pleased you found this helpful. Happy gardening! :-)
Had to laugh at "luxuriating in the extra 10 minutes"--because I am too! 😂🎉
It makes all the difference! :-)
@@GrowVeg Indeed! 🌞 🌱
Oh to be in England in January. As it is I’d have to brush off a foot of snow and use a jackhammer to break up the soil. Lovely video to dream by though :)
I just started a bunch of elderberry bushes, I’m excited for spring but my wife isn’t thrilled with the pots filled with twigs scattered around the house
My house has always been a greenhouse in the winter. 😂😂
😂
They'll bring joy very soon though! :-)
Hello Ben, and wishes for a wonderful New Year to you and your family! This is just the video I needed for peace and quiet, and encouragement. We've had 14 inches of heavy wet snow here, so everything is sleeping under a nice cool blanket and I'm surrounded by seed catalogs. Kudos to the writers, I'm now convinced I've never really grown a tomato or anything else since I haven't grown "their" tomatoes. hahaha... happy gardening!
Haha - they can be very persuasive can't they! Happy gardening! :-)
Well, I'm gonna have to make time to clean off that garden I keep eyeing as I hurry past to do another chore. Also starting my tomatoes and peppers u see a grow light inside this month.
Last years heirlooms provide this years plants.
Lots of work ahead, but its raining cats and dogs for now. Watering that ground and softening up all that compost for use.
Also need to cut back my blackberry canes that have finally died down. This crazy weather has kept them green and alive .
Have a blessed Sunday all !!
Hope you manage to make a good start on the garden soon Tonie. :-)
Thanks so much Ben, I always appreciate your guidance!
Cheers for watching Jill. :-)
Sound advice, I always learn something new
I was looking for this video 2 days ago I knew you would be the best source of info! Thanks again, Ben! ❤
Ah super, glad it's come in handy. :-)
Absolutely love your videos! I live in Illinois and I use all your tricks and tips for my garden
That fab to hear. Happy gardening! :-)
good info ,I already have lettuce in the homemade greenhouse doing great.
great videos ,keep em coming
Best wishes for 2024! Thank you for sharing your ideas- I am looking forward to another season of gardening with your advice😊
Plenty more to come. :-) Happy New Year too.
And if like me you have the opposite problem to acidic soil and have very chalky, alkaline soil (and the opaque tap water to match!) coffee grounds help make the alkalinity a bit less extreme. Jealous of the lovely azaleas and blueberries people with acidic soil must be able to grow!
Great suggestion, thank you. :-)
He's so happy.
Cheers! :-)
I love your channel , I always learn something new from you 😊❤Happy New Year from California ❤
Thanks so much for saying. Very happy gardening to you too! :-)
Hello from the US
Hello Susan - great to have you watching. :-)
I love watching your videos. Cheers from the United States!
Cheers Philip - great to have you here! :-)
Brilliant stuff as always .Love your videos , They always give me that AHH!!!..."Thats the best way to do that" moment. Thank You.
You're most welcome - thanks for watching. :-)
These are excellent tips no matter your temperate zone! Thank you!
How interesting.....never heard of forcing rhubarb. Will have to try it next year.
Definitely give it a go. :-)
Thank you for an inspiring video which I watched to see what I should have been doing, [and found that I more or less had so now feel smug]. I planted a cabbage in my new to me untouched for over 20years garden nearly 4 years ago, because I can't bear to kill seedlings and plant the extras elsewhere for the cabbage whites. [they ignore those plantings and still target the sacred ones] Methuselah is still going strong in his original position and has earned the right to stay where he is, although age is turning him into Cerberus.
Surely many people have told you that you are very charming when narrating, right? The way you create videos and talk is really scientific, making it easy for viewers to visualize. I also tried planting potatoes one year in November and harvesting them in February the following year. The feeling of harvesting was really fun even though the yield was not high. The land you have is what I desire 😅
Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm very impressed you planted potatoes in November!
For the climate where I live, it is also the right time to plant potatoes. Wishing you a warm and happy evening!@@GrowVeg
Good information Ben ,I did spot you on tv the other day .Well done .
Thanks so much Ian. :-)
Thanks for the very inspiring tips.. can’t wait to start my garden on may since we had a lot of snow here till March or April.. very positive vibes❤
Hoping you have a great start to the season once it comes. :-)
Thank you Ben. Have a new allotment plot and eager to dug over. Have ordered potatoes & veg seeds. Happy New year!
Very exciting times ahead! Enjoy your first year on the plot. Happy gardening! :-)
The pleasing plump wonderful winter warmer, rhubarb! 😁
Oh yes! :-)
Thanks for sharing your video with us.
You could have a fourth D for branches going wild. Delinquent,
Dead
Diseased
Damaged
& Delinquent
Yes, great fourth D! :-)
Very beautiful video. You have grown a lot of vegetables. Thank you very much for sharing this video, it was nice to see you.❤
Thanks so much - lovely to have you watch the channel. :-)
Great video!
The way you cut that fruit tree i thought you were going to take a load off but you pulled off one branch made me laugh lol ❤
Glad to have raised a smile! :-)
Happy 2024 Ben. Thanks your enthusiastic videos. Can't wait to get wired into the garden again. That's my manure loaded into my compost bay for potting in the summer.
Happy gardening. Here's to a very productive 2024!
Hello from Canada
Welcome! :-)
Happy new year
And to you! :-)
You're such a good teacher! Thank you
Thank you so much! :-)
That thumbnail!! 🤣 Ben, you always make me smile. Love your sense of humour, your ample alliterations and the gardening advice is not bad either 😉 Looking forward to gardening together in 2024!!
Cheers so much! Look forward to hanging out via your TV/computer screen and seeing you along to a superb 2024 harvest!
Cheers Ben, appreciate it, love from Ireland
Thanks so much! Much love back right at yer! :-)
Happy New Year Ben and family 🎉. Not under snow ❄️ yet maybe next week 😢 but we have also been told we could hit minus 18c at night so all things on hold. Sowed some onions inside but that it. Have an amazing week, Ali 🇨🇦
Have a great week too Ali. Stay warm!
My own Winter 2024 situation is driven by a newly constructed house on hard-clay ancient lake bottom dirt. The entire yard both front & back are as infertile as pure rock.
I'll start with gypsum to break down the clay.
Then I'll add steer manure & tree bark compost & churn it together. My late father in law was a great fan of steer manure for everything except house plants. Bless his departed soul.
Buy springtime I hope to have this dirt converted into topsoil or at least something like it before the sod surrounded by raspberry plants goes in.
Meanwhile my garden veggies will be grown in buckets in racks. In my new cellar woodshop I'll construct the racks out of 2"x4"x8' boards with my new Chicago Tools table saw from Harbor Freight.
I hope you manage to improve the soil. It may take time but you sound determined and to have a plan. Good luck with it. :-)
@@GrowVeg you're exactly right:
It's going to take longer than I thought.
Happy new year 🎊 what potato do u advise if I want to grow big jacket potato’s pls ?? Thank u 👍👍
Something like Maris Piper or the classic King Edward would be fantastic for jacket potatoes.
good stuff!! time to get crackin
Well done Ben! Your video-making and editing skills have gotten so much better than when you first started, you've rly improved! Keep up the inspiring work!
Thanks for your kind words. Can't take the credit for the video editing though - we've got two incredible video editors, so we're very lucky!
As a total newcomer to gardening I'm finding your videos super-useful, so big thanks for that. Also helps prep me ahead of time (as I tend to procrastinate, so it's good to have a "must do by Jan 31st" or whatever deadline to work to) so thanks for that too. One tiny point that some may not be aware of but which stood out to me after years of amateurish twiddling of spanners: it wasn't clear what you sprayed on your garden cutters/secateurs? It looked like an aerosol, in which case I'd just like to mention that WD40 isn't a good lubricant - it runs off too easily and is actually designated as a penetrating oil or "release agent" for un-sticking corroded or stuck nuts, bolts, etc. For lubrication you're best off with a few drops of "3-in-1" oil or similar ("other lubricating oils are available") and I find the old school dropper bottles/cans last miles longer than the aerosols, which I find tend to fling a load of oil around, only a little of which actually ends up where you want it. That way your tools will stay corrosion-free, hopefully all season long, with the bonus that you won't drip potentially harmful substances all over your lovely fresh veg plants.
Thanks again for a really excellent gardening channel ... this will be my very first year of trying to grow my own veg and although we're behind on making the raised beds (I'm disabled due to spinal injuries so I have to take things very steady) we're hoping to get some crops in later, and I find your videos really, really useful in helping me focus on what I need to think about next, plus you always seem to have the best way of doing a given thing, so many thanks and all the best to you.
Thanks so much for watching. You are right in that 3-in-1 oil is best - I have some of that somewhere and should probably have used that!
I hope your first your of growing veg goes well. It must be very exciting to get started on this. I'm sure you'll do a great job and will be picking delicious, garden-grown goodness very soon. Happy gardening! :-)
@@GrowVeg At the moment it's all somewhat overwhelming, to be honest ... as I say, I'm limited in what I can do, physically, and although my able-bodied fiancé helps me as much as she can she has a full-time job so it's a bit tricky coz I don't want to keep asking everything ... hence the looking around for information and (thankfully!) finding your channel - I find the information you give out is both useful and worthwhile, so it engages me far more than some of the other gardening channels out there. So my priorities for this year are 1) get at least 2 raised beds up and running so I can garden directly instead of having to ask for help, 2) to somehow get some Globe Artichokes grown (my fave veg ever) and then 3) things we both like to eat (I'm a keen amateur cook too) like Aubergines, Tomatoes, Potatoes, and maybe Peppers & Chillies. Oh and we both like brassicas like Cavolo Nero and Savoy Cabbage, so I'm going to watch your planning video and try to work out what we can grow (realistically) and therefore when things will need to happen. It's all a bit daunting ATM but I figure if I take it step by step and map out the times I need to sow by, I can try little and often ... I've already put some old garlic cloves into an old raised former flower planter and they're sprouting like wildfire and growing nicely (from clove to 15cm tall shoots in maybe 4 weeks), and as I've got some room left in that I thought I might try to grow some Ginger from your video on the subject so I'm going to try that too as I do a lot of Asian cooking so garlic & ginger would be super useful. I'm planting the odd cloves of leftover garlic when they sprout inside in the kitchen, so that hopefully I'll end up with a staggered crop, if and when they're ready to harvest - little and often would be great :)
One question, if you'll forgive me: where do you buy your seeds from? (or are you not allowed to say?) I've seen some big operators (like "Mr Fothergill", who seems to have everything) but the prices seem a bit steep ... do you know where to get seeds or seedlings at a reasonable price? I've heard some people save their own seeds from last year's crop - do you do that?
Yes I confess it's rather exciting and it's really grabbed my attention - I've never grown food before other than the odd herbs (we've got some Thyme, Rosemary, Flat Leaf Parsley and a fresh Bay Tree all growing in one area near the back door, though the dill died off v fast - having a young puppy didn't help in that case) so the thought of cooking using veg I've grown is really interesting, plus money is tight for almost everyone just now so saving a few pennies would be a good idea.
Thanks again fellah and all the best.
Well? Yesterday evening we had half a meter of snow - 18.9 celsius. I woulden even find my rubarbs.😅☃️ Greatings from Thomas in the south of Sweden.
Oh wow - that's quite a contrast to here! :-)
Love your channel and tips.
Thanks so much. :-)
Happy New Year, I love your optimism, and great alliteration, pleasingly plump...thanks Ben.
Haha, yes indeed. I do love my alliterations! :-)
so do I !@@GrowVeg
Great video, thank you for the reminders!
Thanks Ben. Great information. Happy gardening 😃
And you! :-)
Sebuah kebuh yang bagus dan menginspirasi 👍👍
Terima kasih :-)
Clean and sharpen tools..always forget that one!
I'm building a solar powered dehydrator. I got free wood from a neighbor that was throwing away old kitchen cabinets.
What a smart move - love it!
Best channel for my location, rural Lincolnshire, not as exotic as some off your viewers.
Lincolnshire's pretty awesome too! :-)
Thank you, Ben! Good motivation! Lots to do before spring!
please can you do a video on how to test your garden soil. a easy one for beginners. This will be my 3 yr trying to grow . last yr all i could grow was tomatoes, beans and cucumber (and this because my friend gave me her well established plants) and some tinny corn heads. i presume it is due to the soil and ph level?
Thanks for the suggestion. This is definitely something I will look to cover at some point in the future. I hope you get to grow more this summer. :-)
nice
thanks for sharing
9likes
Cheers so much! :-)
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your channel found me yesterday and I love you already. "Ditch the dawdling". "pH Picky Plants". Love your descriptions.
Thanks so much. And a very warm welcome to the channel! :-)
We have until end of March beginning of April to do anything. We had record warm December and the temps went backwards: Halloween 36*F, T-Day 41, Christmas 52 and NY Day 27. We finally cooled off and have a dusting of snow instead of rain on Christmas. I was concerned the plants would start budding. This weather is abnormal no matter if it is El Niño.
It seems we are getting colder and more snow later every winter. It rained last January and winter sow projects didn’t do well.
Up north and others have tulips, mums and wild honeysuckle shrubs growing.
The weather does seem a bit haywire. Finally getting some decent cold weather here too.
Great show Ben.
Starting my potatoes.
happy new year!
And to you Nathon. :-)
Ben absolutely love your videos and how practical you are. Quick question- if you order main crop potatoes now, do you start chitting them straightaway? If. It how do you store them so they don’t grow those ugly leggy stems? Thx
Yes indeed, get on and start chitting your potatoes the moment you get hold of them. Just pop them onto a bright windowsill or similar. :-)
Don't forget, not only raise the pH, but, many plants prefer acidic soil: Berries for one, Hydrangae, too. AND tomato prefer slightly acidic soil.
Thanks Ben as always WONDERFUL INFORMATION !!
Thanks so much. Happy gardening! :-)
Quality content as always. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I just got my greenhouse together three days ago barely in time to drag peppers and tomato cuttings in before frost. Struggling with a shortening candle to drive off condensation...
Weird late freeze here normally woulda been too late.
Everyone seems to have it all figured out and know exactly what to do. But I actually feel so overwhelmed about starting a garden. I'm in Sweden (moved here a year ago from The Netherlands), it's been more cold than usual, -28 °C at night and there's still a thick layer of snow on the ground. This does mean that I still have time for planning and ordering or buying seeds and materials. I have been trying to plan things out for the coming year. I have some seeds already, mainly for flowers and wild plants that I would like to have growing on my property, and I have put on my calender when to sow them indoors or directly in the ground so that I won't forget. I also want to start growing food, but I have terrible decision paralysis about it, like where on my property is the best location to put a vegetable garden, in the ground or in raised beds (that I would still have to build), how big to make the garden for just me and my husband, what to grow, where to get materials like fencing against deer, and where to get seeds, and what kind of seeds to get, where to get compost. And I don't know if I can even do it, there's just so much to learn about all the different plants, when to sow the seeds, how to sow them, the planning of where, what and when. I did try your garden planner, but I just stared at it for a good couple of minutes, and didn't know where to start and then didn't do anything with it afterwards. I feel very lost and I would love for someone to just tell me what to do. I know and have been telling myself that I should just start, and that I will learn by doing, and that making mistakes is okay, and that I will learn from those... But it's difficult. I have spent an entire year observing my property since I moved here, which was usefull. I have also compiled a 22 page word document of information regarding permaculture, because I'm also planning on growing a food forest. We got our neigbour to help dig a swale on our property last autumn. Despite all the research and observing, I still don't have concrete plans of where to put what in the food forest. And I'm also going to need a LOT of woodchips. We have a wood chipper, that we've used last year to make woodchips for a path, that worked great, but it takes SO much to cover a small area, I need so much more than I can make myself, but I don't know where to get them. I know there's a lot of forestry here in Sweden so I would think there are ways of getting free woodchips, but I don't know if that's true, or if I can only buy them somewhere, and where?
I don't expect any help from people on here, but I just had to get this off my chest, and I can't be the only one that's overwhelmed and confused, so I thought it might be good to represent that in the comment section as well.
The best advice I can give is to just start small, master that, and then work out from there. Even starting a few beds would be a great start - e.g. th-cam.com/video/NlS_dTDsHHQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=CNSd23eQJLQ2kWyb
The Garden Planner offers several 'Sample Plans' which are pre-designed - you just need to plant what's shown or tweak it according to your tastes. If in doubt, please do contact the customer services team who will be happy to help. :-)
Start small. That’s what we did with ours a couple of years ago. The garden will evolve, it always does 😊. Start with collapsible raised beds or grow bags if you are unsure about the location. North-South orientation gets the best sunlight. Good luck with your gardening journey!
My advice is start small with things you really like..plant some herbs on your windowsill now and just keep plating some seeds as they grow ... as time goes on your will be forced to find a spot for them and you will end up moving things around no matter how much you plan ...I planned my whole garden then realised that actually I had very little soil and the weeds were growingbwell in other places so I transplanted my raspberries to where the qeeds were big and got big fat berries. I made a pond and then kept falling into it because of where I had decided to put it and had to move that... but the big mistake I made was buying a ton of seeds and then not being able to keep it all up. My raspberries do well so this year I'm going to plant more of those because that's what seems to work and then I'll sell them and buy the things that I have found I am useless at fgrowing like I cant grow mint for some ungodly reason! And I can't grow potatoes they always end up bad. But you won't find any of that out looking at the planner. I would also say to get a hot bed going if youre in a cold place. The hardest part is when you've got seedlings going but the weather is gone mental in arpil snows and you can't plant anything out yet a hot bed will mean you can plant things I think he had a video fo a hot house ...its a square meter of manure or even stray with fertiliser which heats itself up by bacteria creating heat for the plants inside. And if you go out in your garden and see where the weeds grow big that told me where the soil was good for things which need better soil. I have veey bad soil the landlady took 2 feet away as a kindness to me and I was so upset. She's a farmer so totally ignorant about gardening. Lol! But where the weeds grew best I had deeper soil and better looking. Hope that helps. Even if all you do this year is have some salad and herbs you'll learn a lot and not be discouraged by a huge amount of things ...
Thanks for the advise. I have spent these two weeks since my last comment researching more and I have made a ton of progress. The most important is that I feel more positive now, and I am itching to get started! Here's what I did: I found a website in my country where I want to buy my seeds, and I have actually started picking out a number of crop seeds (considering which varieties would work best for me), but not too many, and also flowers for companion planting. I have made a plan to make 6 raised beds, and I think I know roughly where to put them. I have drawn a plan on paper for which plants will go where, considering all kinds of things I've learnt from videos. I'm getting row cover material for protection against pests (I did see cabbage white butterflies last year). My husband found a place online that sells fencing, which I want to put around the raised bed garden to prevent deer and hares from nibbling on our crops. I want to get some IBC tanks for more rainwater collection that I can use in the garden. I also have plans to make a bigger composting area with at least 3 compartments, 1 for filling up, 1 for actively composting, 1 for finished compost. I really want to crank up compost production this year, we have so much land with vegetation and even forest with lots of fallen branches and small trees that are too close together that I can turn into woodchips. So there's potential to make a lot of compost! I'd also like to try making liquid fertilizer this year, because it will take a while before the compost will be ready probably. I also made plans to meet up with a neigbour and her sister who are both also into gardening next week, so we can look at what seeds we all have, and maybe share some. Connections are important too and since I'm very introverted, the fact that I've taken the initiative to meet up with people is a huge step for me. Thanks for reading this long comment😅
@@Paravetje Planning goes a long way. Good luck!
What do you do if you live on nearly pure sand and don't have money for raised beds and soil. I compost some but just moved in. Thanks for any advice! I appreciate your channel and hope to finally commit to a larger garden this year
Sounds like raised beds and bags of soil is the way you will need to go to get started. You should watch videos of people who garden on rooftops or in cities as they are very creative with their containers and soil. It doesn’t matter what your native soil is if you use raised beds or containers
The best I can suggest is to tirelessly add organic matter to your garden - in any form. Compost, manure, leaf mold, collected leaves - anything that will help to build soil hummus and eventually help you get a less sandy texture. Raised beds can help you concentrate growing areas, but aren't essential by any means. Just get on and beg, borrow and steal as much organic material as you can to gradually improve your soil over time.
The three D:s?
Destination, determination and deliberation. Right? 🤔
Those will do too! :-)
wood ash from twigs & leaves rather than logs will give you a better nitrogen boost too
Great suggestion, thanks.
Any small rusty stuff emerce in lemon juice overnight .it works brilliantly.
Great tip, thanks for sharing this. :-)
We just had our gutters removed and they took them away to recycle. BEN, you are 2 weeks late 😂😂 Just kidding, I thought about it, but, they were so long, I didn't want to get out and cut them up while the roofers were here.
Haha - they're surprisingly handy aren't they!
Great program, excellent information and brilliant encouragement! Question: you are in England and you are planting your beans and peas now at what temperature? I'm in New York and I'm looking forward to my bean crop this year And do not want to plant them too early. What temperature would be best?
I'll jump in here if that's OK. Beans need warm soil 60-80F. Any colder and they're likely to rot. I'm in NE Ohio and I usually do mine around Memorial Day since our last frost can be as late as May 15th. Beans grow so quickly an early start doesn't buy you much. I grow lots of beans and always get a full harvest by planting at the end of May, first of June. Happy Gardening.
thank you @@dianeladico1769
@@pauleenwardbrown 🥦🍓🍈🍇❤
@@pauleenwardbrownpeas can handle more frost than beans, so some people plant the pea plants out before the last frost. They sprouted them inside and then plant out. Some people do a second round of them going into fall
Hi Pauleen. The beans I'm sowing are fava beans, which are much, much hardier than other beans. These guys can be sowed at a much cooler temperature. They will germinate at around 45-50F, though cope with mild frosts too. It depends on where you are in New York, but I would maybe suggest waiting until mid to late February to sow in most of NY, particularly upstate.
I'm trying to avoid ordering potatoes or buying them. I'd rather interested how to save a part from my harvest for the next year seed. I made my first experiment on it last autumn and waiting now to see how they did..
Yes, you can certainly hold back some of your potatoes as seed for the next crop.
Hello! I've just found your channel and look forward to watching more. I wondered if you had any advice. I'm in a rented property that doesn't have a lawn or any soil, just stones and paving; but I really want to get into gardening and feel like this is a bit of a barrier. I fear produce getting waterlogged. Do you have any advice/recommendations - on where to begin, what kind of plants (especially produce) to plant in just pots? I was considering trying to grow chillies from the fruit to start off but I'm really not confident
There's lots you can grow in containers. Pretty much all salads, potatoes, beans - all good choices to start with. This video offers some more ideas I hope: th-cam.com/video/JQNrfMT8Dhw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=A5XPeI3Yn6LML5V3
@@GrowVeg Oh this is great, thank you so much!
😊this is very inspirational thank you for getting me started although l am afraid of facing the 🥶 cold.
The cold will wake you up and make you feel alive I promise!
I want to wow sweet pease but it says on the packet sow in May. I don't have all the space for a runner beans now.
I would maybe wait to sow the sweet peas till spring if it's very cold where you are. Sweet peas can be sown in the autumn to overwinter, but if you missed that sowing window, best to wait till it's warmed up a touch more.
Felco pruners are the best out there
They are considered the best that's for sure. I like the fact they are so easy to take apart to replace parts etc.
@@GrowVeg - I have 3 myself and still have the original blade from 23 years ago.
Your videos are awesome., Thank You! Can you tell me what size your green house is?
Thanks so much! The greenhouse is roughly 10x12ft.
Can I use the contents of my gutter clearing on the garden as mulchoron the compost heap or stored in a black sack to rot down?
Yes, you can just add the stuff from your gutter (leaves etc) onto the compost heap, no problem.
I like the idea of forcing rhubarb for an early crop..
I don't think that he has forced rhubarb before as he is going to get crown rot doing that. I hope that the black plastic bin doesn't get any direct sunlight.... Corregated Cardboard might have been a better choice especially if there is some sunshine.
I had a little peek beneath and so far so good. :-)
🖤🖤🖤
Hello Ben. Do you have any tips for growing in a small terraced back yard please. It’s a South facing yard.
You might like my video on growing in containers: th-cam.com/video/JQNrfMT8Dhw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=UoY6-21mfczFKjT- and also our recent tour of this front yard: th-cam.com/video/3aYlFj6-cLQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=sqZeBZALM3kUpbhW
Lots of ideas there to help you maximise productivity.
@@GrowVeg Thank you.
❤❤❤❤❤
What do you recommend as the best pH tester for soil? Thanks in advance!!!
You can buy kits where you take a soil sample, dissolve in water and read off against a colour chart. These are very cost effect, but for a tester you can use time and again you might want to consider a soil testing probe - e.g. www.amazon.co.uk/Suplong-Testing-Moisture-acidity-Outdoor/dp/B077WX15NF/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=1JUMJS14V3488&keywords=pH+tester&qid=1704890552&sprefix=ph+tester%2Caps%2C69&sr=8-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
I’m in Zone 5b in Ontario, Canada. When should I start to cover my rhubarb, in April?
I would look to cover it maybe early March.
Has anyone ever successfully stored dahlias in their shed over winter? I don’t have a porch or garage so my options are currently a wheelie bin, in the shed or in a cupboard in the house 🤔
Yes. I put a layer of dahlias in a cardboard box, then a layer of newspaper, then more dahlias etc (like a lasagne). Left in the shed all winter. They all bloomed very well the next season. Good luck!
Ah amazing, thanks!
I have a garden bed near an evergreen tree that has developed moldly soil that looks like white strands. Growing mushrooms. How do I correct to grow vegetables please?
The white strands are likely just a naturally occurring fungus in the soil and nothing to be concerned about. This is usually a sign that composts/organic material added to the soil are still breaking down.
Thank you Harry Enfield. ;D +1Sub. :D
Amazing! Thanks for the sub! :-)
What is your opinion on using sprouted potatoes from last years harvest. Still worth planting if they have been sprouted for months and a bit leggy. Or should i toss and start with new seed potatoes
It's always best to start with fresh seed potatoes, which will be disease free and the most vigorous. That said, you may get a decent crop by just planting what you have - there's just a bit more of a risk that's all.
Iv'e always used the ones from my local supermarket with no problems and they are cheaper too :)
I try to grow a few potatoes in builders buckets but they have done very badly the last couple of years. They have lots of manure and are earthed up as they grow but hardly produce any.
Can’t work out what I’m doing wrong.
I wonder if it's too heavy - the growing medium? Also, make sure the buckets have good drainage at the bottom. Keep the buckets out of hot sun too, which can slow growth.