I know this video is about gardening, but I couldn't help to think about how there are so many life lessons present. We ARE the plants in this world. If there is a problem with a plant, it's usually the soil (environment). Negative people (bad bugs) are going to be around so surround yourself with great people (good bugs). The weeds (bad times) in your life aren't always bad for us....they attract the bugs and birds (things and people) we need. With all that said, have patience as you grow and learn to enjoy your failures as you share them with people just like you. Then celebrate the success of others either way. I love this! Thank you Gardener Scott!
If you live pathologically, then you pathologicalize your society and if enough people do that it creates a hell. This was in reference to people who live nihilist existences.
What a wonderful experience listening to your videos Gardener Scott!! You explain things so clearly without talking down at us newbies; you speak with so much passion and understanding of gardening that it makes me want to go out and get started immediately. But am just starting my compost pile while waiting to build my raised bed. I moved to the Mpumalanga Province in South Africa a year ago and unfortunately we're on solid bedrock you cant make a 10cm hole without an excavator LOL it's that bad. We have vast citrus Macadamia nut and avocado farms surrounding us and everything seems to flourish even though it's largely orange clay soil covering the rock. So I'm doing lots of research to try and get the best soil mix possible but there's so much information out there. Please tell me, does Bokashi have any benefits as a compost additive? I'm reluctant to use chemical fertilizers but will have to use it if there's no other option. I firmly believe in Bone Meal (my dad had a marvellous garden always and this was his regular go-to) I don't know if this is correct but his results were good. I'm sorry this is so long but I'm a lady of 63, my brother is 70 and I so much want our veg patch (14m x 2m) to be a success, just to see his pleasure. He still works a six day week as a welder boilermaker repairing earth moving machinery and making frames for the most beautiful exotic wood tables but gratefully the co. is letting him retire in Dec and we shall hopefully have immeasurable joy from watching our garden grow. He hasn't had the time over the last 14 yrs but I do now. Three weeks ago we planted four young fig trees and we couldn't believe it when we saw the first three tiny figs forming on Kadota cultivar!! It was leap in the air kind of joy truly. I'm going to watch your 'Make Great Soil' video now; thank you so much for your presence on RUclips and for your kind and patient knowledge you're sharing with us. Blessings and love from SA! Felicity and Alan.
I agree. But, all my favorite RUclips gardeners are like that. I think the garden is a metaphor for life and the best garden teachers show that well!!!
Gardener Scott Thank you so much. I'm a new gardener of 57 who values your wisdom and experience and I needed to hear these words today. More than you know, but I'm sure you can imagine. So I got knocked down again ( compost failure) turns out copperheads loved my compost pile of leaves. On to plan B. What I'm saying is one failure after another can hurt your feelings but to keep going and find what works for you, priceless!!! I'm sure the fruit will be sweeter when I get there, No, I know it will!!! Relax except and learn. Because when your green there is room to grow. Well that's what I took from this video, so Thank you again! Sincerely, Cathy
I have one more to add. It is ADDICTIVE! And if it ever gets in your blood you can't help yourself. After CHRISTMAS and the trimmings are put away, those thoughts start to creep in. You find yourself checking out seed catalogs, thinking of soil amendments or changing the layout of your plants for better use of sun and rain. I can't help myself. This time of year I just have a need to scratch in the dirt.
1)Soil is Key; 80% of all issues/success are due to soil. Soil = 40% Mineral; 25% Air; 25% Water; 5% Organic matter (Test your soil for mineral content.) 2) Bugs happen. Don't kill them, attract the good bugs instead. 3) Weeds will win. Learn to control them with MULCH; don't give up. 4) Patience is a virtue. Plants take time to. grow. 5) Learn from your failures; Share failures with fellow-gardeners. DO NOT USE CHEMICALS FOR ANY ISSUES!
Hey Gardener Scott! The most successful gardener in our family was my grandfather who has long since passed. I am so glad I saw this video because I hear a lot of his wisdom in your words of advice. As a new gardener I pride myself on not giving up after one season and hope to one day be as confident in my own garden in Queensland as you are in Colorado (I have visited Colorado Springs multiple times and remember with fondness seeing a painting by Arthur Dove entitled "Fog Horns" in the Fine Arts Center. Cheers!
Sin #6: I don't trust my seeds. Instead of planting 1-2 of them in each little hole I plant 3-4 seeds. And then I'm having a hard time choosing which little plant will live and which shall be sacrificed.
If we have never killed a plant, we have never tried to grow one. Old timers like me realize we are trying to conduct a symphony, making everyone play nice together, but sometimes we hear a sour note. Just keep on playing. Great video.
Elbert, right on. I had family stay with us two weekends in a row. Talk about sour notes, we had a few. I've come to the conclusion that I can accept and work with the good and the bad. I love them all.
I love your messages, Gardener Scott. You have an amazing and positive message about gardening. I've just this year made MY very first garden. I have been around gardens most of my life. My grandmother had a HUGE garden. My dad and stepmom had a nice large garden. And I helped them with their gardens. I didn't know how much I'd absorbed of their knowledge, but I'm not so foolish to think I know it all. I searched online for guidance and found you. We now have a lovely raised bed garden. This year I planted summer squash, zucchini, corn, watermelon, green and purple beans, mini butternut squash, cherry tomatoes, beef steak and Cherokee purple tomatoes, sweet potato, sweet red bell peppers, green onion (WOW those little things are potent!!!), carrots and purple carrots, beets, radishes, thyme, basil, dill, and mixed lettuce. I have learned so much this year. I have learned that some things need more room than I gave them (zucchini, squash) and I've learned there is a reason my parents and grandma made mounds and rows, and I've learned to be more patient for things to sprout. I was worried that I'd done something wrong, but boy was I wrong. My garden by the end of this growing season was nuts!!! Next year will be more organized, and easier to harvest from. Boy those zucchinis are hiding genius'!
The best thing about learning how to garden and solve problems today is RUclips! It's so easy to find answers now. I don't know how the old timers did it.
I too have grown to love weeding. I set a schedule for each area of my landscape/garden and when it pops up on my to do list for the week I go out and put on a good audio book and get to work. I have used weeding to read dozens and dozens of books about everything from gardening to stock trading and a few good star wars books.
The gardener's mantra----NEXT Year! It's why we live FOREVER.....because we're waiting for that perfect year. Loved the video. I've also gardened for 30 years and I love it more every year. Greatest joy there is.
I can so relate. I did so many things that weren’t helpful or productive, like not covering my soil in winter. I love your channel. You are so helpful!
Decades later I finally understood that the soil is alive. As guardians, it is our job to feed and nourish this magical stuff. Look at the rewards. Very nice video.
Probably why I never had a problem with gardening, from the first year. I knew about compost and quickly learned about beneficial insects. That prepared me for *&$ last year when I started a no-till veggie garden from scratch and had to deal with all the pests from wireworms to deer and everything in between. Luckily after 15 years of decent gardening I was almost prepared for the heartbreak. Next year I'll get a fence to keep the damn deer out. They are still frustrated by the netting and frost blankets I'm currently using. Haven't figured out how to foil those, but the damn voles were certainly happy in there.
@@marshwetland3808 Crop protection is number one priority. I have an endless hoard of predators, bed scratchers, heap diggers, garbage spreaders, hole chewers, angry biters, venomous serpents, and a zillion bugs.
Wise words mate. I’m always amazed at how good wasps are at controlling pests. A few years ago I had an infestation of flea beetles on beat spinach. I held off spraying and the wasps picked every last one!
Love your attitude, your calm, your smarts, and your honesty. I feel like I'm talking with someone with a lot of experience and, like me, has learned valuable lessons.
A happy little apple tree. A happy little bug. A happy little weed. Bob Ross’ brother for sure. And I loved watching him paint. This is a great channel for information. Thank you!
Thank goodness that you make these videos! As a fairly new gardener (previous to this year I only grew succulents and potatoes!) it’s good to know others make the same mistakes and how best to fix. Good in good out!! Bug’s definitely happen🤣🤣🤣
I've been a what I call a sporadic gardener but have carried a love for it since I was very young and in 4-H in northern Minnesota. Now that I'm retired, I want to grow as much of my own food as I can, so I have LOTS to learn! Love your channel and have learned so much already! Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge!
I have been southwestern desert gardening since 1999 and still learn something every year and have had so many bad years it would fill a book, but the rewarding moments when it all comes together is pure magic and under the desert sun you learn humility real quick. We have two growing periods, mid to late February till about June 1st and late August till first freeze if we even get one. This is vine country, if it has a vine it will do fine and of course Fig and Moringa trees grow great in the heat. Keep up the patience and doing a service for our community, the human race. I have some long island cheese pumpkins tried for the first time which I pray will be ready for the grandkids to carve and have fun with. All the best
Grew up in central California. Never used any soil amendment. Now I live in blue ridge mountains in north Carolina. Having to rethink all my techniques. Just have fun with it😃
Interesting. I live on the gulf coast, and growing up the only gardening books I saw were for gardens much further north. One day it hit me as I was reading a seed packet that said, “Direct sow after last chance of frost.” and realized we don’t even have any frost most years! Once I understood the importance of soil, zone, weather my “luck” improved greatly!
I get a soil test done every year...what surprised me last year was the report came back that I needed to add zinc....never thought about that being something in the dirt..Gardening is my stress reliever ...when I am in the garden I forget all about my worries and stresses of life.
This is not just another "5 things I wish I knew", it is important, distilled wisdom. I knew most of these, but I forgot I know them. Thanks for the reminder!
Thank you Scott! Your video (and voice) has had a calming effect on me. I've taken to farming 3 years ago at age 52, and have been facing exactly what you were talking about. Now i feel more hopeful than ever with your 5 amazing tips.
Totally agree. One of the things that make gardening so enjoyable is that there are a lot of ways to fail. It's not easy, but all of those ways that one can fail are manageable. It's fun to learn how to be better and to do better. The reward is food! Do this difficult task and you will be rewarded with food that didn't exist until you wanted it to...Pretty cool.
Gardener Scott, thanks for the life lessons. We enjoyed listening while eating breakfast. My hubby and I kept nodding our heads in agreement with you. We've been gardening for 9 years since my youngest was around 4 years old. There's so much to learn from nature and tending a garden is one of the best ways to interact. Plus the kids learn where food comes from. I've named my garden "Hardin ni Nanay" in honor of my grandmother who grew the sweetest white corn, hanging gourds, roma tomatoes, etc. She wasn't the nurturing and interactive type of grandma but by example, she taught me and now I often think of her. Don't give up on your garden, folks!
What I love about gardening is everything it teaches yo, like what you have just laid out is applicable to life. We can learn much about life by observing the garden.
I love watching your videos Gardener Scott. This video has inspired me to continue to enjoy gardening. I grow boysenberries (which is not a very common fruit), and I remember it took almost 2 years for them to grow I had to learn that patience is key. I also experienced failure but then was told that it happens and I did not let that stop me! And even though there’ll be weeds, I use them to make a stinky weed tea fertilizer and I was amazed by the results of that liquid fertilizer! I never even used pesticides with chemicals in them. I always made my own. And the rest of the facts you mentioned in this video 100% make sense and makes very excited to continue enjoying gardening in the future! And I hope to continue growing boysenberries in the future!
Well I sure learned alot here.my failer was that I planted all my okras in a cluster group next year I promise to read the package and do them right.lol
I have a black thumb, I was born with it so watching videos like this and learning I am hoping and praying that this year I will actually produce some vegetables in my garden. Gardner Scott your advice is so easy to follow thank you for putting these videos out there for a newbie like me they are absolutely vital! Happy gardening
You are correct in not planning on help from others with your garden as my friends let me know that gardening is your passion. . My garden area is starting out on a small scale which I can handle.. I did ask a few senior friends to help and reel some of the harvest.
My dad recently shared this nugget of wisdom with me - we all learn from experience. They key is to learn from *someone else's* experience so you don't make the same mistakes.
Great advice ..... I think the patience point is paramount and as mentioned in other comments trancends just gardening into a metaphor of life in general
This spring, I planted zucchini, cucumber, and okra. The bugs decimated my cucumbers and squash, but my okra is going strong. Now, I'm going to try a few fall/winter plants: brussel sprouts, Kale, radishes, jalopenos, and Beets. I hope to have success. Soil prep is huge and I'm not sure how exactly, but mixed topsoil, compost, manure, and mulch all together and filled up my raised bed. I'm thinking of getting a soil ph tester to better prepare. I'm learning still.
Thank you for your videos! This is my first year gardening. I started in a plot where my family had torn down failed grape vines because they were not properly cared for. Next year I want to start some raised beds and plant flowers that attract pollinators
Love your channel! Just stumbled upon it and I’m hooked. Thank you for being a wealth of knowledge. Your videos are amazing - the most calming voice, clear concise information and great advice!!
instant gratification of todays culture, where everyone instantly can get whatever they want, has truly soiled our ability to enjoy the wait. I was born in the early 90s, and my generation and those after me are so caught up in how quickly they can get anything, yet its never quite as good as what they had hoped it would be. more people need to garden, and watch this video to maybe change some mindsets. thanks for sharing, Scott!!
Thank you for your wisdom. I agree that many of your generation lack patience. It's satisfying to see someone like you who has discovered gardening and have set yourself up for enjoyment in life.
This was great, thank you. I'm new to gardening and have learned that birds dig up seedlings! I'm going to spend the morning tomorrow putting chicken wire over my containers. I never knew birds did this 🤷♀
Thanks for taking the time to remember and educate new gardeners like myself. You offer us wonderful insight. I particularly was impressed with the video showing comparison between peat moss and coconut coir.
Greetings from Connecticut Gardner Scott! Thank you for another awesome video. I’ve got a small garden approximately 400 ft.² that I’ve pretty much done the same thing with for 20 maybe 25 years. This year something changed with the help of your videos. I planted my first fall garden and added a garlic and shallot bed that I m really excited about. Next year will be all organic and heirloom and I’m more enthusiastic than ever. Thank you very much for so freely sharing so much of your knowledge. I’ll be studying and looking forward to more great videos. Sincerely grateful, Dale
That is a terrifically informative video! It got me thinking of how much my approach to gardening has changed from more than 30 years ago. Probably the most significant change was when I decided (after too many years of experience) to simplify my gardening - radically! Today I use nothing but home-made compost and water. No gimmicks, no tricks, no magic solutions to "super-size" my veggies. The one thing thing that I wish I knew when I started was that I didn't have to dig or till my soil every fall. I used to dread that chore. A little more than 5 years ago I heard about this approach and I thought it was too good to be true. I dedicated two of my eight raised beds to "no-dig" for two years and found that I was getting equal or better results in these beds compared to the others. No more digging for me! All that being said, brand new gardeners usually have visions of perfection ... finding the perfect ingredients, techniques and practices that will optimize their harvests. That was me too many years ago. I wanted to try out all those miracle recommendations. It was fun (but for the most part, futile). Would I have listened to all this sound advice back then? Probably not ... I wanted to be creative and see for myself. So for brand new gardeners, I'll give this advice: If you don't want to follow this "simple" approach, reserve at least a small part of your garden as a "do nothing" area (beyond compost, water and mulch). Cheers and thanks for posting.
Thanks. Funny how a do-nothing approach often works better. I have my tiller in my shed; I used it every year too. Can't remember the last time I brought it out. It's all part of the journey. Thanks for sharing.
77 people hit the thumbs down button? Apparently there are 77 people that "know it all" and think they can have a weed free garden with apple trees that fruit the year you plant them, and likely missed the entire point of this video. So to those 77 of you, for your own sake I hope you learn patience, and become wise enough to know that all knowledge has value. Thanks for the great video as usual, patience is my key struggle. This was a great reminder to enjoy the fruits of my labor over time, and not focus on instant gratification.
I am beginer to start growing some plant at my back yard, I am so lucky to view this video to creat some basic concept in my mind. Thank you so much for your sharing ur experience to me!
Such valuable advice. I am just a fledgling gardener starting out - quite proud of what I've achieved so far, but boy - have I experienced everything you've stated already! The bugs, the weeds, the failures - and battling with soil problems (plus having NO clue how much water is "enough"). I've had to learn to shelve my "perfectionist" attitude and let nature take it's course in many instances - and often times, it turns out okay. Thanks Scott.
I am very impressed with the thoroughness of your video and the advice you have given Scott. It is absolutely the same way I have learned by mistakes made during the first ten years of my gardening. Ten years of spending very frustrating hair pulling, spending lots of money and time just to see poor results. First of all I learned about the type of soil I had in my yard in San Diego, CA. I now know it was hard-pan clay. The the builder of my home prepared my lot by bulldozing all the topsoil down the rear hill to level the lot. That rich topsoil took tens of thousands of years to develop... now all gone. The hard-pan clay while rich in minerals would not pass water due to the fine sticky particles. Not one worm lived in this soil at least I never found one when digging! The percolation was just about zero. Hardly anything would grow except a few weeds that barely grew at all. So my soil needed major re-structuring. So just to grow grass I had to buy bulk organic material just to get the clay broken up. I decided that a 6" layer of this redwood would do the structure change I needed. That cost a lot because it was 67 cubic yards of nitrolyzed redwood and the time to spread and till that in even with the tractor took a while too. After doing this I put in the sprinkler system and started planting the whole yard in grass. The grass grew very well because I made this massive structure change in the soil. At that point I kept all my flowers in containers on my wood deck. After three or four years I decided to again try to put in some flower beds. I concentrated creating one bed at a time as time and finances permitted (I had 3 children and a wife to take care of) so I was pretty busy with working and taking care of the family. I contacted a horse farm nearby and asked if I could please have some of their horse manure. They offered me to take all I wanted without charge! Ask and ye shall receive! I spread this well rotted manure/straw/hay in a 12" height in top of the soil, then added Rock Phosphate dust, Jersey Greensand, and soil sulfur in top of that and then tilled it in making a raised bed. That's when I started with the brick mortar edging to hold that soil in. And yes I learned how to do the used brick work myself from books. I did the best I could do but it was also a learning curve. I purchased one of those Compact CompostTumbler makers from a company in Lititz, PA and started making compost from leaves, grass, coffee grounds and vegetable scraps from the kitchen. It would make a lot of compost at a time and was very easy to turn with the geared crank mechanism. There would be steam profusely venting outta that drum from the first day and the compost would be ready in about 15 days. I added this to my flower bed and worked it into the soil watered it in and then got ready to plant some flowers. That was done and I will tell you it was absolutely amazing how the plants grew! I was one happy gardener. Every year I still go to the horse farm and get trailer full loads of well rotted horse manure and top dress the beds. Now after 3 years, I have so many earthworms it is unbelievable. I hope this helps someone on your site. I agree with all you teach here. If you take care of your soil the plants will thrive! Again thank you for your video outstanding Scott!
Thank you for sharing your story, Michael. Lots of work and money over lots of time is too often the only fix for others' mistakes. Glad to hear it's now working in your favor.
Thank you for this video. Most gardening channels make it look so easy, they show the successes and bountiful harvests which makes new gardeners feel like losers when they can't replicate what they researched. I suspect that many gardeners use commercial fertilizers and have more help than they admit. For those of us that don't have acres, irrigation systems and grow rooms, the story is quite different.
This could very well be a video about life in general! 1.) Cultivate good soil. 2.) Expect and accept problems and failure. 3.) Use problems to your advantage! 4.) Have patience. Great video, Gardener Scott! Thanks for the great sermon...er, I mean the helpful gardening hints!
I relate to your advice about failures. In the moment, that's what we focus on, but I look back at photos from the garden in past years, and in retrospect, every year has been a success! The failures are small compared to the successes. Mother nature is generous!
I think hydroponics can be a great option for many growers who focus on indoor gardening. My main reason for not doing yet is the startup costs, but I plan to add it to my future plans.
@@GardenerScott With your clear skills and attention to detail, I shall watch out for that with great interest. Start small, say with a few mason jars and your existing T5 lights. That kind of setup is pretty cheap.
I have trouble with composting outdoors. Temperate rainforest zone, soggy almost every month. I decided to get compost year round, using worms that are naturally here, red wigglers. I keep the bins indoors, feed scraps from kitchen (except dairy, meat and acidic foods, onions citrus, garlic). The compost doesn't smell except for a nice "earthy" smell. It's cheap, easier than turning compost piles, and it doesn't get soggy unless I make it soggy.
I know this video is about gardening, but I couldn't help to think about how there are so many life lessons present. We ARE the plants in this world. If there is a problem with a plant, it's usually the soil (environment). Negative people (bad bugs) are going to be around so surround yourself with great people (good bugs). The weeds (bad times) in your life aren't always bad for us....they attract the bugs and birds (things and people) we need. With all that said, have patience as you grow and learn to enjoy your failures as you share them with people just like you. Then celebrate the success of others either way. I love this! Thank you Gardener Scott!
This comment is great! These videos are too. I feel like I’ve found my people!
That's pretty good bro. I wish more people thought that we should all lift each other up. More on this later.
If you live pathologically, then you pathologicalize your society and if enough people do that it creates a hell. This was in reference to people who live nihilist existences.
What a great way to explain life.
This is actually pretty good advice for life in general.
This could be a life coach speech heavily laden with garden metaphors!
I agree; listening to him makes you not only a better gardener, but also better in life general!!
Thank you sir, for sharing your experience 👌
What a wonderful experience listening to your videos Gardener Scott!! You explain things so clearly without talking down at us newbies; you speak with so much passion and understanding of gardening that it makes me want to go out and get started immediately. But am just starting my compost pile while waiting to build my raised bed. I moved to the Mpumalanga Province in South Africa a year ago and unfortunately we're on solid bedrock you cant make a 10cm hole without an excavator LOL it's that bad. We have vast citrus Macadamia nut and avocado farms surrounding us and everything seems to flourish even though it's largely orange clay soil covering the rock. So I'm doing lots of research to try and get the best soil mix possible but there's so much information out there. Please tell me, does Bokashi have any benefits as a compost additive? I'm reluctant to use chemical fertilizers but will have to use it if there's no other option. I firmly believe in Bone Meal (my dad had a marvellous garden always and this was his regular go-to) I don't know if this is correct but his results were good. I'm sorry this is so long but I'm a lady of 63, my brother is 70 and I so much want our veg patch (14m x 2m) to be a success, just to see his pleasure. He still works a six day week as a welder boilermaker repairing earth moving machinery and making frames for the most beautiful exotic wood tables but gratefully the co. is letting him retire in Dec and we shall hopefully have immeasurable joy from watching our garden grow. He hasn't had the time over the last 14 yrs but I do now. Three weeks ago we planted four young fig trees and we couldn't believe it when we saw the first three tiny figs forming on Kadota cultivar!! It was leap in the air kind of joy truly. I'm going to watch your 'Make Great Soil' video now; thank you so much for your presence on RUclips and for your kind and patient knowledge you're sharing with us. Blessings and love from SA! Felicity and Alan.
Agreed.
I agree.
But, all my favorite RUclips gardeners are like that. I think the garden is a metaphor for life and the best garden teachers show that well!!!
Gardener Scott Thank you so much. I'm a new gardener of 57 who values your wisdom and experience and I needed to hear these words today. More than you know, but I'm sure you can imagine. So I got knocked down again ( compost failure) turns out copperheads loved my compost pile of leaves. On to plan B. What I'm saying is one failure after another can hurt your feelings but to keep going and find what works for you, priceless!!! I'm sure the fruit will be sweeter when I get there, No, I know it will!!! Relax except and learn. Because when your green there is room to grow. Well that's what I took from this video, so Thank you again! Sincerely, Cathy
Agree with you. I look at failures as a challenge to get it right next time.
I have one more to add. It is ADDICTIVE! And if it ever gets in your blood you can't help yourself. After CHRISTMAS and the trimmings are put away, those thoughts start to creep in. You find yourself checking out seed catalogs, thinking of soil amendments or changing the layout of your plants for better use of sun and rain. I can't help myself. This time of year I just have a need to scratch in the dirt.
Great message Gardner Scott. I got my Gardner Scott t-shirt and love it! Thank you. Have a great day sir 😊
1)Soil is Key; 80% of all issues/success are due to soil.
Soil = 40% Mineral; 25% Air; 25% Water; 5% Organic matter
(Test your soil for mineral content.)
2) Bugs happen. Don't kill them, attract the good bugs instead.
3) Weeds will win. Learn to control them with MULCH; don't give up.
4) Patience is a virtue. Plants take time to. grow.
5) Learn from your failures; Share failures with fellow-gardeners.
DO NOT USE CHEMICALS FOR ANY ISSUES!
Good synopsis.
thank you! :)
How do you find the proper balance???
How do you measure the amount of air in the soil?
5% Sweat, or tears.
Hey Gardener Scott! The most successful gardener in our family was my grandfather who has long since passed. I am so glad I saw this video because I hear a lot of his wisdom in your words of advice. As a new gardener I pride myself on not giving up after one season and hope to one day be as confident in my own garden in Queensland as you are in Colorado (I have visited Colorado Springs multiple times and remember with fondness seeing a painting by Arthur Dove entitled "Fog Horns" in the Fine Arts Center. Cheers!
Sin #6: I don't trust my seeds. Instead of planting 1-2 of them in each little hole I plant 3-4 seeds. And then I'm having a hard time choosing which little plant will live and which shall be sacrificed.
I learned that too. I now plant 2 per pot unless the seed is really old, then I plant 3 to 4.
I have a hard time with that thinking because I want them all to live and it seems like a waste of seeds.
Thumbs up if you love the dog trying to get in on the video, so cute!!!
Thanks. She likes to be involved. 🙂
If we have never killed a plant, we have never tried to grow one. Old timers like me realize we are trying to conduct a symphony, making everyone play nice together, but sometimes we hear a sour note. Just keep on playing. Great video.
Thanks, Elbert. The symphony analogy is spot on.
Elbert, right on. I had family stay with us two weekends in a row. Talk about sour notes, we had a few. I've come to the conclusion that I can accept and work with the good and the bad. I love them all.
Beautifully said
Thanks for your thoughts couldn't have said it better myself happy gardening
His words are so soothing, even the dog went sleep, lol.
This is actually pretty good advice for life in general.
You are the Bob Ross of gardening.
The Bob Ross of gardening. Love your positive vibes man
I love your messages, Gardener Scott. You have an amazing and positive message about gardening. I've just this year made MY very first garden. I have been around gardens most of my life. My grandmother had a HUGE garden. My dad and stepmom had a nice large garden. And I helped them with their gardens. I didn't know how much I'd absorbed of their knowledge, but I'm not so foolish to think I know it all. I searched online for guidance and found you. We now have a lovely raised bed garden. This year I planted summer squash, zucchini, corn, watermelon, green and purple beans, mini butternut squash, cherry tomatoes, beef steak and Cherokee purple tomatoes, sweet potato, sweet red bell peppers, green onion (WOW those little things are potent!!!), carrots and purple carrots, beets, radishes, thyme, basil, dill, and mixed lettuce. I have learned so much this year. I have learned that some things need more room than I gave them (zucchini, squash) and I've learned there is a reason my parents and grandma made mounds and rows, and I've learned to be more patient for things to sprout. I was worried that I'd done something wrong, but boy was I wrong. My garden by the end of this growing season was nuts!!! Next year will be more organized, and easier to harvest from. Boy those zucchinis are hiding genius'!
The best thing about learning how to garden and solve problems today is RUclips! It's so easy to find answers now. I don't know how the old timers did it.
I too have grown to love weeding. I set a schedule for each area of my landscape/garden and when it pops up on my to do list for the week I go out and put on a good audio book and get to work. I have used weeding to read dozens and dozens of books about everything from gardening to stock trading and a few good star wars books.
God Bless You Gardner Scott.
The gardener's mantra----NEXT Year! It's why we live FOREVER.....because we're waiting for that perfect year.
Loved the video. I've also gardened for 30 years and I love it more every year. Greatest joy there is.
That's right! Thanks.
I can so relate. I did so many things that weren’t helpful or productive, like not covering my soil in winter. I love your channel. You are so helpful!
Gardener Scott you are just a good person , and wise❤️
I have a 97 yr old GPaw and his gardening advice is invaluable! What an amazing resource! ❤️❤️❤️🌺🌷
Decades later I finally understood that the soil is alive. As guardians, it is our job to feed and nourish this magical stuff. Look at the rewards. Very nice video.
Thanks. It may have taken awhile, but it's important that you know now.
I'm trying to consider and educate myself as someone who primarily grows soil. Everything else can be built up from that.
Probably why I never had a problem with gardening, from the first year. I knew about compost and quickly learned about beneficial insects. That prepared me for *&$ last year when I started a no-till veggie garden from scratch and had to deal with all the pests from wireworms to deer and everything in between. Luckily after 15 years of decent gardening I was almost prepared for the heartbreak. Next year I'll get a fence to keep the damn deer out. They are still frustrated by the netting and frost blankets I'm currently using. Haven't figured out how to foil those, but the damn voles were certainly happy in there.
@@marshwetland3808 Crop protection is number one priority. I have an endless hoard of predators, bed scratchers, heap diggers, garbage spreaders, hole chewers, angry biters, venomous serpents, and a zillion bugs.
@@dystopiagear6999 absolutely!
I am learning gardening and English. Excellent tips. Thank you Scott ! Rom from France
You are welcome. Thank you, Rom.
Wise words mate. I’m always amazed at how good wasps are at controlling pests. A few years ago I had an infestation of flea beetles on beat spinach. I held off spraying and the wasps picked every last one!
Love your attitude, your calm, your smarts, and your honesty. I feel like I'm talking with someone with a lot of experience and, like me, has learned valuable lessons.
A happy little apple tree. A happy little bug. A happy little weed. Bob Ross’ brother for sure. And I loved watching him paint. This is a great channel for information. Thank you!
Thank you. This is the first video I’ve ever seen laying out these important truths. Great content. Thank you sir
Being concise in speech is a powerful skill
Mr Scott your videos are so helpful and i can’t stop watching to it! THANK YOU !
Thank goodness that you make these videos! As a fairly new gardener (previous to this year I only grew succulents and potatoes!) it’s good to know others make the same mistakes and how best to fix. Good in good out!! Bug’s definitely happen🤣🤣🤣
Gardening is one of the finest way to get calm.
Lot of information for the New gardeners
I've been a what I call a sporadic gardener but have carried a love for it since I was very young and in 4-H in northern Minnesota. Now that I'm retired, I want to grow as much of my own food as I can, so I have LOTS to learn! Love your channel and have learned so much already! Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge!
I have been southwestern desert gardening since 1999 and still learn something every year and have had so many bad years it would fill a book, but the rewarding moments when it all comes together is pure magic and under the desert sun you learn humility real quick. We have two growing periods, mid to late February till about June 1st and late August till first freeze if we even get one. This is vine country, if it has a vine it will do fine and of course Fig and Moringa trees grow great in the heat. Keep up the patience and doing a service for our community, the human race. I have some long island cheese pumpkins tried for the first time which I pray will be ready for the grandkids to carve and have fun with. All the best
Grew up in central California. Never used any soil amendment. Now I live in blue ridge mountains in north Carolina. Having to rethink all my techniques. Just have fun with it😃
Interesting. I live on the gulf coast, and growing up the only gardening books I saw were for gardens much further north.
One day it hit me as I was reading a seed packet that said, “Direct sow after last chance of frost.” and realized we don’t even have any frost most years!
Once I understood the importance of soil, zone, weather my “luck” improved greatly!
I get a soil test done every year...what surprised me last year was the report came back that I needed to add zinc....never thought about that being something in the dirt..Gardening is my stress reliever ...when I am in the garden I forget all about my worries and stresses of life.
Good for you. Regular soil testing is a smart way to do it.
This is not just another "5 things I wish I knew", it is important, distilled wisdom. I knew most of these, but I forgot I know them. Thanks for the reminder!
Thanks Gardener Scott. I'll try again this year!
Thank you Scott! Your video (and voice) has had a calming effect on me. I've taken to farming 3 years ago at age 52, and have been facing exactly what you were talking about. Now i feel more hopeful than ever with your 5 amazing tips.
Thank you, Pete. Glad I could help.
Totally agree. One of the things that make gardening so enjoyable is that there are a lot of ways to fail. It's not easy, but all of those ways that one can fail are manageable. It's fun to learn how to be better and to do better. The reward is food! Do this difficult task and you will be rewarded with food that didn't exist until you wanted it to...Pretty cool.
Absolutely. Few things in life can give us such a reward, even when we get it wrong.
Gardener Scott, thanks for the life lessons. We enjoyed listening while eating breakfast. My hubby and I kept nodding our heads in agreement with you. We've been gardening for 9 years since my youngest was around 4 years old.
There's so much to learn from nature and tending a garden is one of the best ways to interact. Plus the kids learn where food comes from. I've named my garden "Hardin ni Nanay" in honor of my grandmother who grew the sweetest white corn, hanging gourds, roma tomatoes, etc. She wasn't the nurturing and interactive type of grandma but by example, she taught me and now I often think of her. Don't give up on your garden, folks!
Thanks for listening and thanks for sharing your story.
What I love about gardening is everything it teaches yo, like what you have just laid out is applicable to life. We can learn much about life by observing the garden.
My oh my, what a beautiful presentation on the art of gardening. Excellent!!
Thank you so much for your kindness to share your knowledges !!! God bless you and your family !
Great advice! Thanks Gardner Scott! - Chris from Mississippi
THANK YOU for this advice! Perfect for what I needed to hear as a newer gardener! I’m still a work in progress….not a failure. HAPPY GARDENING!
Nice to see your dog in the video!! He looks very content! Right now I love my strawberries.. easiest thing to grow. Starting garlic in fall.
I learn a lot of things about soil and life, ty
Love your videos. Very informative for a new gardener.
Thank you for your wisdom!
Bless you. So much wisdom.
I love watching your videos Gardener Scott. This video has inspired me to continue to enjoy gardening. I grow boysenberries (which is not a very common fruit), and I remember it took almost 2 years for them to grow I had to learn that patience is key. I also experienced failure but then was told that it happens and I did not let that stop me! And even though there’ll be weeds, I use them to make a stinky weed tea fertilizer and I was amazed by the results of that liquid fertilizer! I never even used pesticides with chemicals in them. I always made my own. And the rest of the facts you mentioned in this video 100% make sense and makes very excited to continue enjoying gardening in the future! And I hope to continue growing boysenberries in the future!
Thanks For Your Informative Videos.
Tips start at 2:36 everything before is a nice heartfelt speech.
Well I sure learned alot here.my failer was that I planted all my okras in a cluster group next year I promise to read the package and do them right.lol
I have a black thumb, I was born with it so watching videos like this and learning I am hoping and praying that this year I will actually produce some vegetables in my garden. Gardner Scott your advice is so easy to follow thank you for putting these videos out there for a newbie like me they are absolutely vital! Happy gardening
You are correct in not planning on help from others with your garden as my friends let me know that gardening is your passion. .
My garden area is starting out on a small scale which I can handle..
I did ask a few senior friends to help and reel some of the harvest.
Sounds like a good way to do it. Start small and invite others in. Very nice.
GREAT gardening advice!
Thanks G.S.
My dad recently shared this nugget of wisdom with me - we all learn from experience. They key is to learn from *someone else's* experience so you don't make the same mistakes.
Good advice!
Great advice ..... I think the patience point is paramount and as mentioned in other comments trancends just gardening into a metaphor of life in general
This video may have contained the best advice for life ever...and the gardening tips were great too!
Not just gardening lessons but life lessons as well
Absolutely.
Excellent list. Patience and learning are very important.
Thank you for sharing your experience, it is strengthening and inspiring. Take care. Juan
Excellent advice for new gardeners... shared very good knowledge about success and failures... great job
Thank you
I see this is 3 years old, just came across it, I am glad I did!
This spring, I planted zucchini, cucumber, and okra. The bugs decimated my cucumbers and squash, but my okra is going strong. Now, I'm going to try a few fall/winter plants: brussel sprouts, Kale, radishes, jalopenos, and Beets. I hope to have success. Soil prep is huge and I'm not sure how exactly, but mixed topsoil, compost, manure, and mulch all together and filled up my raised bed. I'm thinking of getting a soil ph tester to better prepare. I'm learning still.
Being a new gardener, this video is so helpful! Thank you! Actually these 5 points are good advise for life in general!
I'm so glad it was helpful. I agree with you... the lessons of gardening can be helpful in life.
Thank you for your videos! This is my first year gardening. I started in a plot where my family had torn down failed grape vines because they were not properly cared for. Next year I want to start some raised beds and plant flowers that attract pollinators
great advice to us newbes on the path .thanks
Amen brother. Failure is a learning opportunity.
Love your channel! Just stumbled upon it and I’m hooked. Thank you for being a wealth of knowledge. Your videos are amazing - the most calming voice, clear concise information and great advice!!
Thank you for sharing
instant gratification of todays culture, where everyone instantly can get whatever they want, has truly soiled our ability to enjoy the wait.
I was born in the early 90s, and my generation and those after me are so caught up in how quickly they can get anything, yet its never quite as good as what they had hoped it would be.
more people need to garden, and watch this video to maybe change some mindsets. thanks for sharing, Scott!!
Thank you for your wisdom. I agree that many of your generation lack patience. It's satisfying to see someone like you who has discovered gardening and have set yourself up for enjoyment in life.
this is my second year and I'm still learning. I will not give up. thank you for the info
That's the way to approach it. Enjoy!
This was great, thank you. I'm new to gardening and have learned that birds dig up seedlings! I'm going to spend the morning tomorrow putting chicken wire over my containers. I never knew birds did this 🤷♀
Thanks for taking the time to remember and educate new gardeners like myself. You offer us wonderful insight. I particularly was impressed with the video showing comparison between peat moss and coconut coir.
My favourite quote: "Feed the soil, not the plants. The plants will look after themselves."
I like that quote too. Thanks.
@@GardenerScott you should check out Back to Eden Gardening channel name L2Survive .
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Let food be thy medicine...
Greetings from Connecticut Gardner Scott! Thank you for another awesome video. I’ve got a small garden approximately 400 ft.² that I’ve pretty much done the same thing with for 20 maybe 25 years. This year something changed with the help of your videos. I planted my first fall garden and added a garlic and shallot bed that I m really excited about. Next year will be all organic and heirloom and I’m more enthusiastic than ever. Thank you very much for so freely sharing so much of your knowledge. I’ll be studying and looking forward to more great videos.
Sincerely grateful, Dale
Hello, Dale. So glad to hear you're trying new things and enjoying it. Thanks.
Great tips. Thank you. There is no OFF position on the GENIUS switch. Let's get cooking.
Best advise on gardening and life as a whole. Thanks
That is a terrifically informative video! It got me thinking of how much my approach to gardening has changed from more than 30 years ago. Probably the most significant change was when I decided (after too many years of experience) to simplify my gardening - radically! Today I use nothing but home-made compost and water. No gimmicks, no tricks, no magic solutions to "super-size" my veggies.
The one thing thing that I wish I knew when I started was that I didn't have to dig or till my soil every fall. I used to dread that chore. A little more than 5 years ago I heard about this approach and I thought it was too good to be true. I dedicated two of my eight raised beds to "no-dig" for two years and found that I was getting equal or better results in these beds compared to the others. No more digging for me!
All that being said, brand new gardeners usually have visions of perfection ... finding the perfect ingredients, techniques and practices that will optimize their harvests. That was me too many years ago. I wanted to try out all those miracle recommendations. It was fun (but for the most part, futile). Would I have listened to all this sound advice back then? Probably not ... I wanted to be creative and see for myself.
So for brand new gardeners, I'll give this advice: If you don't want to follow this "simple" approach, reserve at least a small part of your garden as a "do nothing" area (beyond compost, water and mulch).
Cheers and thanks for posting.
Thanks. Funny how a do-nothing approach often works better. I have my tiller in my shed; I used it every year too. Can't remember the last time I brought it out. It's all part of the journey. Thanks for sharing.
I'm 10 years in and still learning. Very sage advice...thank you and, blessings!
Thank you.
Pun intended? Lol
77 people hit the thumbs down button? Apparently there are 77 people that "know it all" and think they can have a weed free garden with apple trees that fruit the year you plant them, and likely missed the entire point of this video. So to those 77 of you, for your own sake I hope you learn patience, and become wise enough to know that all knowledge has value. Thanks for the great video as usual, patience is my key struggle. This was a great reminder to enjoy the fruits of my labor over time, and not focus on instant gratification.
I appreciate your support. I wonder about the thumbs downs too, but don't let it bother me.
I am beginer to start growing some plant at my back yard, I am so lucky to view this video to creat some basic concept in my mind. Thank you so much for your sharing ur experience to me!
You can do it!
Such valuable advice. I am just a fledgling gardener starting out - quite proud of what I've achieved so far, but boy - have I experienced everything you've stated already! The bugs, the weeds, the failures - and battling with soil problems (plus having NO clue how much water is "enough"). I've had to learn to shelve my "perfectionist" attitude and let nature take it's course in many instances - and often times, it turns out okay. Thanks Scott.
Thank you. You're on the right journey.
Woowooo! Man you are an inspiration! May God be with you!
I am very impressed with the thoroughness of your video and the advice you have given Scott. It is absolutely the same way I have learned by mistakes made during the first ten years of my gardening. Ten years of spending very frustrating hair pulling, spending lots of money and time just to see poor results. First of all I learned about the type of soil I had in my yard in San Diego, CA. I now know it was hard-pan clay. The the builder of my home prepared my lot by bulldozing all the topsoil down the rear hill to level the lot. That rich topsoil took tens of thousands of years to develop... now all gone. The hard-pan clay while rich in minerals would not pass water due to the fine sticky particles. Not one worm lived in this soil at least I never found one when digging! The percolation was just about zero. Hardly anything would grow except a few weeds that barely grew at all. So my soil needed major re-structuring. So just to grow grass I had to buy bulk organic material just to get the clay broken up. I decided that a 6" layer of this redwood would do the structure change I needed. That cost a lot because it was 67 cubic yards of nitrolyzed redwood and the time to spread and till that in even with the tractor took a while too. After doing this I put in the sprinkler system and started planting the whole yard in grass. The grass grew very well because I made this massive structure change in the soil. At that point I kept all my flowers in containers on my wood deck. After three or four years I decided to again try to put in some flower beds. I concentrated creating one bed at a time as time and finances permitted (I had 3 children and a wife to take care of) so I was pretty busy with working and taking care of the family. I contacted a horse farm nearby and asked if I could please have some of their horse manure. They offered me to take all I wanted without charge! Ask and ye shall receive! I spread this well rotted manure/straw/hay in a 12" height in top of the soil, then added Rock Phosphate dust, Jersey Greensand, and soil sulfur in top of that and then tilled it in making a raised bed. That's when I started with the brick mortar edging to hold that soil in. And yes I learned how to do the used brick work myself from books. I did the best I could do but it was also a learning curve. I purchased one of those Compact CompostTumbler makers from a company in Lititz, PA and started making compost from leaves, grass, coffee grounds and vegetable scraps from the kitchen. It would make a lot of compost at a time and was very easy to turn with the geared crank mechanism. There would be steam profusely venting outta that drum from the first day and the compost would be ready in about 15 days. I added this to my flower bed and worked it into the soil watered it in and then got ready to plant some flowers. That was done and I will tell you it was absolutely amazing how the plants grew! I was one happy gardener. Every year I still go to the horse farm and get trailer full loads of well rotted horse manure and top dress the beds. Now after 3 years, I have so many earthworms it is unbelievable. I hope this helps someone on your site. I agree with all you teach here. If you take care of your soil the plants will thrive! Again thank you for your video outstanding Scott!
Thank you for sharing your story, Michael. Lots of work and money over lots of time is too often the only fix for others' mistakes. Glad to hear it's now working in your favor.
I LOVE me some Gardener Scott! just straight chill
Thank you for this video. Most gardening channels make it look so easy, they show the successes and bountiful harvests which makes new gardeners feel like losers when they can't replicate what they researched. I suspect that many gardeners use commercial fertilizers and have more help than they admit. For those of us that don't have acres, irrigation systems and grow rooms, the story is quite different.
Great advice for beginners and a timely reminder for the seasoned gardeners. Btw love the dog must be a joy to have him/her around
Thanks. Yes, she is fun to have around. Especially when she behaves in videos.
This could very well be a video about life in general! 1.) Cultivate good soil. 2.) Expect and accept problems and failure. 3.) Use problems to your advantage! 4.) Have patience. Great video, Gardener Scott! Thanks for the great sermon...er, I mean the helpful gardening hints!
I agree! That's how I like to live.
I relate to your advice about failures. In the moment, that's what we focus on, but I look back at photos from the garden in past years, and in retrospect, every year has been a success! The failures are small compared to the successes. Mother nature is generous!
you’re awesome scott! thank you for all this information
Thank you for the information you are a hidden gem channel and that is what makes you valuable
I appreciate that. Thank you.
What are your thoughts on hydroponics? I do it indoors. No bad soil, no weeds, no weather/seasons, bugs are rare.
I think hydroponics can be a great option for many growers who focus on indoor gardening. My main reason for not doing yet is the startup costs, but I plan to add it to my future plans.
@@GardenerScott With your clear skills and attention to detail, I shall watch out for that with great interest. Start small, say with a few mason jars and your existing T5 lights. That kind of setup is pretty cheap.
I have trouble with composting outdoors. Temperate rainforest zone, soggy almost every month. I decided to get compost year round, using worms that are naturally here, red wigglers. I keep the bins indoors, feed scraps from kitchen (except dairy, meat and acidic foods, onions citrus, garlic). The compost doesn't smell except for a nice "earthy" smell. It's cheap, easier than turning compost piles, and it doesn't get soggy unless I make it soggy.
I love your videos and your gardening wisdom!