I’m going to do that this summer. With two old people we don’t have much in the way of kitchen scraps so I’m going to grow collards mainly for greens to put in compost. We will eat a little occasionally after I learn to cook and hopefully like them. 😉😂
Thank you very much for this series. I’m 61 partially disabled. But I’m blessed with the sunniest slot in the neighborhood. I have been walking and meeting my neighbors.. I have one friend that lives a couple doors down. There is plenty of garden this year I gave him some of my extra seeds.. there is a paint store that lets you take their pallets, so I’m attending on breaking them up and making some 3 foot beds for shorter vegetables. And shorter vegetables for corn, sorghum and amaranth. My neighbor, let me know that I have the city dumped some of its mulch. I was also also picking up some of the neighbors yard bags meant to use as a filler for the larger planter boxes. Met a new neighbor. He was thankful for me to take him. He had about 30 of them.. for Americans to work together when their victory gardens!
The tomato plants that grew unexpectedly from my compost pile grew bigger and produced more tomatoes than the same varieties I started inside. I was shocked. These were seeds that had overwintered outside and I never fertilized them throughout the summer. I just let them grow wild. I looked it up and some people plant their tomato seeds in the fall and just let them come up in the spring on their own.
Ty for addressing hardiness zones! It drives me crazy watching people discuss zones when planting vegetables and asking for advice. I don't know who started this falacy but it is leading people astray. Glad you are giving correct and helpful information to all who will listen. So far I am enjoying this series and I appreciate your efforts greatly!
Thing is, your planting zone doesn't have a lot to do with your frost dates and growing season - things like sun angle, altitude, local conditions, etc. - really do. Check with your county extension office or local nurseries - they'll have calendars that will give you useful guidance for your local area.
@@susanmiller2082 Hello, fellow Iowan!👋 Raspberries do pretty good in our soil, but they like compost added to them every year. Stefan Sobkowiak from Permaculture Orchard has some great videos on growing Raspberries. I'd grow blueberries in raised beds as most of our native soil is not acidic enough. You'll have to do your homework on buying/maintaining acidic soil for blueberries. I'm in NC Iowa. What area are you in?
I ADORE you, for doing this series!! I’ve persistently FAILED, EVERY ATTEMPT AT GARDENING!! I even KILL CACTI!!!! My husband has grown an interest in cooking, and NOW wants to “follow my dream”, of a small-medium sized, container garden. These lessons are INVALUABLE to me!! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!! ✌🏻❤️ Catherine, FL.
I use to kill cacti too 🌵 Now I can grow most things. I’m still working on carrots. Last year I declared it to be my pepper year this year onions. Think of gardening like cooking. If you have all the Ingredients you should do well. Unless mother nature has other plans 🤔😂
I want to point out that Brian’s ground does not look like potting soil- small even particles. That was one of the unnecessary things I obsess about when I started gardening. I now understand that all that organic matter will eventually break down and be useful later on.
Hi Brian, just a quick ‘for info’ you mentioned that for green onions that you can plant the bottoms again as it’s the green part you eat. That’s the case in the States but in other countries such as the Uk they’re called spring onions and it’s the bottom white part we eat and not so much the greens!! Obviously you can eat both but if you’ve not eaten the bottom, bulb part you’re missing out!! They’re delicious and usually chopped or sliced thinly in salads. I live in the states now so eat the whole thing!! Lol
I'm 3 minutes in. When he said if anyone uses landlines; I worked at a small telecommunications company for 10 years. Fun fact, landlines are still used. They supply the cellphone towers and route to a landline switch (you know the old pictures of the ladies working at a switchboard same concept just done by a computer now.) So yes if someone disrupted your landlines, your cellphone would not work, and your internet would not work, unless you are using a satellite. This new technology is built off the old technology. You still have a physical network. Hope that helps anyone that has also wondered if landlines are still used. P.S. Yes, fiber does work in a different way than the cooper lines from the past. However, it does not change the fact that there still is a physical connection established. The main difference is that fiber uses "light" lasers to transmit the message instead of "resistance. " That does make fiber dependent on a power supply as well. If you have a cooper connection, a landline would work when the power went out. Fiber will only work if it has a backup power source.
Great to hear you admit you have to refer back to your book. You don’t have a “horrible memory”, as you say; there’s just so much to remember when gardening!
I'm so hyped for March and April I'm not growing a big garden just some tomatoes and cucumbers and maybe a couple of melon vines. I also love to find a good bargain I have a small budget but it's even better if I can save some of that. I'm binging gardening videos for Ideas.
Hi Bryan - i’ve been a vegetable gardener for well over 50 years, but I still learned new stuff in this video. You do a great job! I bought your book 2 years ago and it was well worth the money.
Hi Brian I am guilty of growing veggies I don't like but I just love gardening and if I can save somebody at least $5 and they eat the veggie it becomes a win win win! I will try anything with a seed❣️😂😂😂💝
I didn't know that about brassicas. I'm going to try mixing them into other beds to see if it stops the butterflies because I hate having to cover them with netting.
Have been no dig for over 30 years, but about six years ago realised that the carrots were getting shorter, now dig their area each year, still do rotation for brassicas, tomatoes and potatoes due to club root and potato physild, garden New Zealand.
My family were gardeners in my homeland and they always told me, only grow plant's you're going to use and eat. So it's mind blowing to me that people grow things just because they think they look good, especially with vegetables and hebs 😂 I just planted some carrots, peas and cucumbers ... aswell as some herbs to deter bugs from the vegetables. Hoping I have a bigger harvest than last year! I had some shade issue with one of my crops and the drought cut my cucumber season short too. Hoping for no drought this summer and no hurricanes!
Umm.. I got a problem with this episode. Its too short! 😅 love you my online friend! I stopped growing plants I do not eat. However green onions grow ridiculously well so while I eat them, I have a LOT of them and cant keep up. Thinking I might try dehydrating them. Hubby just added a 6 inch rise to my raised beds so Im excited to have even better raised beds. And sowing seeds a couple years ago outdoors made the birds a delightful free lunch. No more! Im starting my seeds indoors and am happy to keep my plants thank you.
No-dig is great if you start with halfway decent soil. If you're on heavy clay, as I am, you're going to have to work some amendments into the soil when you start gardening. compost and other organic waste, gypsum, maybe some coarse vermiculite and perlite. Once you're underway, you can back off on the digging.
Yep, fellow heavy clay Gardner here. Also had Bermuda grass..ughh!! HAVE to double dig and then add amendments back to start off. 1st year beds are lots of work, but following years are much easier.
I'm trying to exercise more self control and only grow a few varieties of things I like to eat. Last year I grew 5 varieties of cukes just to see what they were like. Discovered there were really only 2 that I want to grow this year. I'm also finding and saving ways to eat fresh and/or preserve everything I grow so I have less waste.
I'd say that is knowledge you have gained. How do you know what cucumbers you like unless you eat different varieties? That may involve growing them so you know.
I have a phone line! This was my hubby's grandparent's house and we have the same phone number they got when this house was built in 1970. There's some old school for ya! I have to say I'm guilty of planting things just to see them grow. I get all the seed catalogs and as soon as they get here I start looking. Sometimes I grow something for fun and end up keeping it year after year, even though I never eat it. Job's Tears comes to mind. AKA Cherokee Tears. I started growing them just because of the story behind them and I love them. I almost always grow a "new" tomato every year. Other than my Currant and Sweetie tomatoes I Still haven't settled on a tomato that just makes me rave about the flavor. This year I am growing Thorburn's Terra Cotta along with my regulars, maybe it will be the one.
3 dozen flats and nearly 2000 soil blocks made. Been sewing seeds since the 5th of January. Eggplant strawberries and some brassicas on the first round. Herbs and salad greens on round two and 3. Peppers and tomatoes in round 3. First plants going into the ground, under a row cover, come the first week of March
This is a fun series, I am using it as a challenge. I do have a few more weeks to look for compost amd materials, I plant out over Memorial day. Except the peppers and tomatoes, those wait until the middle of June. last year we had a killing frost on June 23rd. I needed to replant.
I have thousands of slugs. I went to high raised beds. I also am going to try lettuce ,cabbage and other vegetables in containers on an outdoor bench to get them off the ground. I hope it works
I always tell people if you’re not a huge eggplant fan, grow Louisiana green eggplant. You have to peel them but they’re mild, creamy, and soooo delicious. It’s a MUST grow in my garden.
Wow! That was an info packed video! I grew walking onions, beets, & romaine lettuce together a couple of years ago. The onions were huge, the beet greens were medium size, as was the romaine (6 or 8 in. tall, most less). The largest beet I harvested was about the size of a golf ball. It was very disappointing to say the least. Please help? Your ideas for carrots & cabbage give me courage to try those this year, & the green onions, too. Your no dig method is a big plus for me! The Spring ground is easy to work but, once it gets warmer the ground is a lot like cement. Anything I need to dig must be well soaked first. Very helpful “class”. Thank you so much.
Yes, I’ve grown plants from seeds even when they weren’t a favorite of mine. I’m learning to only grow what I like. I have a habit of planting too much.
My opinion on crop rotation.... Why not? Myself in a small 200sq ft usable garden. Still rotate my crops. Disease is a major variable, but nutrition is a part of the equation. I feel that all verities of plants produce require the same basic nutrition, there are differences in nutritional requirements. If one plants a verity in the same plot year after year, there will be depletion in required nutrition. I know I'm not an expert but "Two steps to the left can't hurt" BTW, love the channel!
From the UK ... I agree - although with my agreement comes the proviso that - IMO - it depends somewhat on what you are growing, your climate and what the disease and nutrition 'risks' are.
I was able to get a strawberry plant from seeds obtained from strawberries we got free from our church's food bank. Only one plant survived, but I have already transplanted several runners, or snipped the runner stem to let new plants grow in place. Asparagus is cheap to grow from seed. It just takes a few years to get a harvest.
I used cardboard (like you have suggested in the past) to cover my carrot seeds last year to help germinate them and it worked wonderfully. thank you for the tip.
I love that I don't have to dig or till anymore. I've spent good money on a small tiller that is just a pain to maintain and use. It was just something that everyone seems to do here or did.
My fingers are itching!! Seed trays are out, seeds are out. Not time yet to start here in mid-Kentucky. I'm liking this series Brian. It's always good to hear other perspectives on gardening.
What is helpful for us when planting seeds is to save up our milk jugs, cut the bottom off and place the jugs over the seeds (need some kind of thin stake or stout wire stuck in through the top to keep them from blowing away). This acts like a mini greenhouse and gives the seedlings a boost and prevents the birds from jerking them out. Once the seedlings are well established just recycle the jugs. By then they don't need the greenhouse and they are too big for the birds to be interested in them.
Another great video full of inspiration and information keeping gardening simple. I am zone 8b Coastal SC. I have had success direct sewing tomatoes, bellpepers, basil before the weather warms up using milk/water jugs as mini green house. Leave cap off during warmer part of day for air, caps on overnight. When I run into grubs, bad caterpillar is, mole crickets, I feed them to my local blue birds, Robin's and wrens. I swear when I'm outside, I hear them chattering about me outside and what they are gonna get, lol. I believe they watch over my garden for all the bad bugs.
I love using herbs for companions because we dry them and use them through the winter. My goal is getting all our growing to be what we eat and use and enough of it for the full year plus a little bit. These videos are really helping me get in the planning mode. Thanks!
I love this series! I always know I can learn something or get an answer to a question I didn't know I had. Thank you. We decided to scale down this year and only grow what we love and eat regularly so, it was funny to hear your comments about that subject. I am planning my garden for this year and am always a little stumped when it comes to figuring out what vegetables should be sowed once the spring veggies are harvested. What is that called - succession planting? Crop rotation? What-to-plant nexting? Maybe you can address this in future videos....please!
Yes! This is my biggest headache. My growing season in Canada is short so I try to get in as many crops as possible but my timing is often off too early or too late when trying to succession plant
Good explanations on the "whys" of some gardening practices. I was going to plant nasturtiums further away but maybe I will plant them along side my carrots. Another perennial veg plant is rhubarb.
Rather than using boards on carrot seeds use leaf compost bags. They don’t press down as hard and let a little bit of light through. They also don’t leach as bad as most particle boards. Amazing germination this way. Just split the bag in half so it’s a single layer and weigh down with rocks on the edges.
I reuse clear plastic lids instead of throwing those away. Most of us can collect lots of plastic to reuse, instead of throw. They can be thrown away when they are no longer useful, which delays our consumption of them.
My herb garden has varieties I rarely use, and I let the sage flower because it’s so pretty and I can’t say no to the bees. Mostly I plant far more tomatoes and varieties than I need.
Absolutely loving this series! I have a very tight budget but really want to try my hand at gardening this year. This has been perfect timing for me! ❤
I have in the past grown things I didn’t like but like growing plants. Now that I have goats I am growing a “goat garden” to supplement their feed. I have raised beds and don’t till. I just add compost on top and plant.
Grow your goatie friends some wormwood (Artemisia). It's really good for parasite control internally, and fly control externally. They love it so much though that they will kill it, we put ours between the pasture and the milk parlor, and the does were given 1 to 2 minutes each to rub it on their heads and bodies and take a nip or two. It worked well, although the wormwood needs help as the goats can destroy it.
I love you even more now Brian!!! Referrencing the Griswolds, come on!! It just doesn't get any more classic than that! If I wasn't already subscribed I would be now!!😁
Brian, I've been gardening my whole life and no one has ever mentioned anything about companion plants in the detail you did. I only know of 2 companion plants you put AROUND the garden to deter pests but never knew things like green onions and garlic can deter pests from certain plants. Yeah. Another book sold. I need to learn more.
thank you so much. I really wanted to add some garden space this year, but the idea of digging more clay is just too much to bear. I was a big skeptical, but seeing you pop seeds into the compost you just poured over some cardboard is very exciting. I've heard such things are possible, but now that I've watched someone I trust do it, I'm going to give it a try! Yay! You just may have quadrupled my garden space already!
thank you. I moved last winter so it was my first year with this new soil. Think I'll try to do a home soil sample test and see what it needs exactly. I appreciate the information. @@MichaelRei99
I'm so excited for this series! I'm nowhere close to having the space or my own garden at the moment, but it's always been a dream and this year I'm helping my mother in her garden. We're trying to really get it going but we don't really know what we're doing and we don't have lots of money to spend. So your videos are really helpful! It's fantastic what you can do without spending money with just a bit of creativity. Can't wait for the rest :)
Also can I just say how delighted I am at how genuinely kind you seem, Brian? Not using up the free seeds that are available because you CAN afford to buy them, leaving the free ones for those who can't spare the money... absolutely wonderful :)
I cannot eat eggplant; it makes me sick. But I have been known to grow it in my garden because I love the beautiful flowers. I do have a friend who loves it and she does benefit, hugely, in the years I grow it. 😊
We are moving our garden so haven’t done anything in months. Finally getting started to prepare the new garden space this weekend so I’m happy. Not sure when it will be done but not worried. Whenever it’s done will start gardening again. Was looking at a catalog today for perennials but everything I liked was not for my zone…probably for the best 😂
I love your book! I use it all the time and have little post its for certain things that I never remember LOL. I keep it with my seeds, so before I start anything I check.
Yeah, I’m growing some mustard greens… yuk. They came up easy though. Lol. Our raised beds have just been cleaned out of cypress roots. The soil was hard as a rock and I just felt like giving up. I had a gardener help me. Beets! I love beets! Artichokes! I’ve tried asparagus with no luck. Will try again. I’ve got some brussel sprouts started. Good that I’m watching these again. I’ve been distracted with crime. Oof there are some awful people out there. Depressing. Good to get back to gardening. I got your book, the spiral one. Used on Amazon.
I planted kale knowing I didn't love it because I also knew it'd grow well. I ate a whole lot of kale still. By fall though I was mulching my garden with kale. Especially the one kind I really didn't like. It's actually pretty good for that. Growing a bunch of leaves every 1-2 weeks haha. Plenty of things I planted just didn't grow though. Like I had 2 2inch cucumber plants the entire growing season xD I turned terrible soil into a garden with no real inputs so I was okay with that
🎉welllllll. Brian.... I beg to differ...about 5 years ago, I have very limited budget and some one gave me FREE Okra seeds 🤢 yeck!! But, I planted them ONLY b/c they were FREE, i could afford free: while I was "poor" and, I absolutely LOVE homegrown OKRA❣❣ absolutely delicious 😋 I was shocked 🎉 AND, Okra, Simpson Okra = gives you a GORGEOUS Flower and THEN provides a delicious Okra. Such a Win Win 😍
I have used marigolds and basil and...dont get mad but I also used marijuana plants to cover the smell of my plants.. and it works...Thank you for the suggestions for companion planting 😊
❤ Your channel. Great information on no dig and simple basics about planting and allows easier decision. Discovered on problem which is my county has free compost and much but reviews show plastic, trash and lots of not composted material. Lots of areas have wonderful FREE compost and mulch. Thanks to you I plan to direct plant many seeds instead of buying plants. Idea for free plants is to check with friends. I give away extra seeds, artichoke plants ( from when I separate them) and herbs like mint. I ❤ giving them and extra plants to other
A huge tip for cheap gardening is saving seeds from store bought veggies. Tomatoes and peppers are really easy to save (avoid green pepper, usally havested early, seeds might not be matured). If you want organic seeds, save em from organic produce.
Hi Brian, totally guilty of growing things I don’t like to eat but I love to offer that part of the harvest to my neighbors!
I can’t help but notice the roof on the house . Is that arthificial ? It looks Amazing !!! 👍❤️
I do the same thing, sometimes I just wanna know if I can plant and grow it 😂 am glad am not the only one
@@brendacox2852that’s a thatch roof
I’m going to do that this summer. With two old people we don’t have much in the way of kitchen scraps so I’m going to grow collards mainly for greens to put in compost. We will eat a little occasionally after I learn to cook and hopefully like them. 😉😂
feed your cabbage worms and grubs to your chickens. Love this series!
Thank you very much for this series. I’m 61 partially disabled. But I’m blessed with the sunniest slot in the neighborhood. I have been walking and meeting my neighbors.. I have one friend that lives a couple doors down. There is plenty of garden this year I gave him some of my extra seeds.. there is a paint store that lets you take their pallets, so I’m attending on breaking them up and making some 3 foot beds for shorter vegetables. And shorter vegetables for corn, sorghum and amaranth. My neighbor, let me know that I have the city dumped some of its mulch. I was also also picking up some of the neighbors yard bags meant to use as a filler for the larger planter boxes. Met a new neighbor. He was thankful for me to take him. He had about 30 of them.. for Americans to work together when their victory gardens!
Great video. It's like a 101 video for new gardeners but it's a great reminder for all. 🌱🌸
Life's a garden, just dig it!
JOE DIRT
The tomato plants that grew unexpectedly from my compost pile grew bigger and produced more tomatoes than the same varieties I started inside. I was shocked. These were seeds that had overwintered outside and I never fertilized them throughout the summer. I just let them grow wild. I looked it up and some people plant their tomato seeds in the fall and just let them come up in the spring on their own.
Ty for addressing hardiness zones! It drives me crazy watching people discuss zones when planting vegetables and asking for advice. I don't know who started this falacy but it is leading people astray. Glad you are giving correct and helpful information to all who will listen. So far I am enjoying this series and I appreciate your efforts greatly!
💯
@@NextLevelGardeningLooks like 4 of my 6 Artichoke plants will survive this winter in zone 7A!
Thing is, your planting zone doesn't have a lot to do with your frost dates and growing season - things like sun angle, altitude, local conditions, etc. - really do. Check with your county extension office or local nurseries - they'll have calendars that will give you useful guidance for your local area.
Love how you likened tilling to tearing up our modern infrastructure. Really helps to visualize the effects.
YES!!!Those catalogs are dangerous. One year I had to have a hard talk with myself. "Why did I need 8 varieties of basil?"
I dont know how to prepare ground for berries! Can you help? I have raspberries, and blue berries. I live in IA zone 5.
@@susanmiller2082 Hello, fellow Iowan!👋 Raspberries do pretty good in our soil, but they like compost added to them every year. Stefan Sobkowiak from Permaculture Orchard has some great videos on growing Raspberries. I'd grow blueberries in raised beds as most of our native soil is not acidic enough. You'll have to do your homework on buying/maintaining acidic soil for blueberries. I'm in NC Iowa. What area are you in?
My husband would say, so you can roll in it! His dream is to have a garden of nothing but basil.
Done that! Also ordered 6 different snap peas when I have room for 2. Love those snap peas ❤
I don’t think there’s such a thing as too much basil….😂
I've grown things that look interesting. One year, I grew patipan squash, never again. 😊
I ADORE you, for doing this series!! I’ve persistently FAILED, EVERY ATTEMPT AT GARDENING!! I even KILL CACTI!!!! My husband has grown an interest in cooking, and NOW wants to “follow my dream”, of a small-medium sized, container garden. These lessons are INVALUABLE to me!! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!! ✌🏻❤️ Catherine, FL.
You're so welcome!
I use to kill cacti too 🌵 Now I can grow most things. I’m still working on carrots. Last year I declared it to be my pepper year this year onions. Think of gardening like cooking. If you have all the Ingredients you should do well. Unless mother nature has other plans 🤔😂
@@mneraasen224 Congrats on your success!! Sending you good vibes for those carrots!! 🥕🥕 ✌🏻
@@catherineg9943 Thank you🥰
Me too! Love these lessons! ❤
I want to point out that Brian’s ground does not look like potting soil- small even particles. That was one of the unnecessary things I obsess about when I started gardening. I now understand that all that organic matter will eventually break down and be useful later on.
Hi Brian, just a quick ‘for info’ you mentioned that for green onions that you can plant the bottoms again as it’s the green part you eat. That’s the case in the States but in other countries such as the Uk they’re called spring onions and it’s the bottom white part we eat and not so much the greens!! Obviously you can eat both but if you’ve not eaten the bottom, bulb part you’re missing out!! They’re delicious and usually chopped or sliced thinly in salads. I live in the states now so eat the whole thing!!
Lol
I'm 3 minutes in. When he said if anyone uses landlines; I worked at a small telecommunications company for 10 years. Fun fact, landlines are still used. They supply the cellphone towers and route to a landline switch (you know the old pictures of the ladies working at a switchboard same concept just done by a computer now.) So yes if someone disrupted your landlines, your cellphone would not work, and your internet would not work, unless you are using a satellite. This new technology is built off the old technology. You still have a physical network. Hope that helps anyone that has also wondered if landlines are still used.
P.S. Yes, fiber does work in a different way than the cooper lines from the past. However, it does not change the fact that there still is a physical connection established. The main difference is that fiber uses "light" lasers to transmit the message instead of "resistance. " That does make fiber dependent on a power supply as well. If you have a cooper connection, a landline would work when the power went out. Fiber will only work if it has a backup power source.
I still use one and have my childhood telephone number. I took over my parents place a dozen years ago. Lol
That is very interesting. I only have a landline. No cell phones for me!
@@KristinSaunders-hu8hp I want a landline but you can’t get a new one any longer, only internet based lines. 😢
@@artstamper316 That's not good. I was afraid that would eventually happen. I am in Canada - are you in the U.S.?
Thanks for the interesting information.
Great to hear you admit you have to refer back to your book. You don’t have a “horrible memory”, as you say; there’s just so much to remember when gardening!
I'm so hyped for March and April I'm not growing a big garden just some tomatoes and cucumbers and maybe a couple of melon vines. I also love to find a good bargain I have a small budget but it's even better if I can save some of that. I'm binging gardening videos for Ideas.
Hi Bryan - i’ve been a vegetable gardener for well over 50 years, but I still learned new stuff in this video. You do a great job! I bought your book 2 years ago and it was well worth the money.
Thank you!
Hi Brian! My chickens love love love cabbage worms. It gives me satisfaction to feed them to my girls. 🐛 😆
Hi Brian I am guilty of growing veggies I don't like but I just love gardening and if I can save somebody at least $5 and they eat the veggie it becomes a win win win! I will try anything with a seed❣️😂😂😂💝
Brian,
Love that you're demonstrating the use of companion planting 1st hand--makes it much easier to remember/learn how to do it!
Thank you. 😊
I didn't know that about brassicas. I'm going to try mixing them into other beds to see if it stops the butterflies because I hate having to cover them with netting.
Raspberries and Blackberries are an easy grow alongside strawberries for lovely summer puddings and require little maintenance
Have been no dig for over 30 years, but about six years ago realised that the carrots were getting shorter, now dig their area each year, still do rotation for brassicas, tomatoes and potatoes due to club root and potato physild, garden New Zealand.
My family were gardeners in my homeland and they always told me, only grow plant's you're going to use and eat. So it's mind blowing to me that people grow things just because they think they look good, especially with vegetables and hebs 😂 I just planted some carrots, peas and cucumbers ... aswell as some herbs to deter bugs from the vegetables. Hoping I have a bigger harvest than last year! I had some shade issue with one of my crops and the drought cut my cucumber season short too. Hoping for no drought this summer and no hurricanes!
Yup, I want to love Bok Choy because it is so pretty.
Hops also seems to come back like strawberries. A volunteer started growing in my community garden and it comes back every year, putting out runners.
Why would there be anybody without your book? It's awesome!
Another great video. No matter how much I think I know, I can always learn something from you(r videos).
Thanks!
Umm.. I got a problem with this episode. Its too short! 😅 love you my online friend! I stopped growing plants I do not eat. However green onions grow ridiculously well so while I eat them, I have a LOT of them and cant keep up. Thinking I might try dehydrating them. Hubby just added a 6 inch rise to my raised beds so Im excited to have even better raised beds. And sowing seeds a couple years ago outdoors made the birds a delightful free lunch. No more! Im starting my seeds indoors and am happy to keep my plants thank you.
Those wire baskets from Dollar Tree can be placed over the seeds & baby plants.
I did buy your book on Companion Planting & it’s one of my Garden Bibles❤ I’ve found it to be very helpful❣️❣️
🎉 I enjoy Brian's Companion Planting book tremendously also!!! Very helpful book 😊
I’m so excited. I just received my companion planting book in the mail. Thank you, Brian!
Thank YOU!
No-dig is great if you start with halfway decent soil. If you're on heavy clay, as I am, you're going to have to work some amendments into the soil when you start gardening. compost and other organic waste, gypsum, maybe some coarse vermiculite and perlite. Once you're underway, you can back off on the digging.
Yep, fellow heavy clay Gardner here. Also had Bermuda grass..ughh!! HAVE to double dig and then add amendments back to start off. 1st year beds are lots of work, but following years are much easier.
I'm trying to exercise more self control and only grow a few varieties of things I like to eat. Last year I grew 5 varieties of cukes just to see what they were like. Discovered there were really only 2 that I want to grow this year. I'm also finding and saving ways to eat fresh and/or preserve everything I grow so I have less waste.
I'd say that is knowledge you have gained. How do you know what cucumbers you like unless you eat different varieties? That may involve growing them so you know.
I have a phone line! This was my hubby's grandparent's house and we have the same phone number they got when this house was built in 1970. There's some old school for ya! I have to say I'm guilty of planting things just to see them grow. I get all the seed catalogs and as soon as they get here I start looking. Sometimes I grow something for fun and end up keeping it year after year, even though I never eat it. Job's Tears comes to mind. AKA Cherokee Tears. I started growing them just because of the story behind them and I love them. I almost always grow a "new" tomato every year. Other than my Currant and Sweetie tomatoes I Still haven't settled on a tomato that just makes me rave about the flavor. This year I am growing Thorburn's Terra Cotta along with my regulars, maybe it will be the one.
3 dozen flats and nearly 2000 soil blocks made.
Been sewing seeds since the 5th of January. Eggplant strawberries and some brassicas on the first round.
Herbs and salad greens on round two and 3.
Peppers and tomatoes in round 3.
First plants going into the ground, under a row cover, come the first week of March
🇦🇺Last year for my daughter’s birthday I bought her seeds, a storage box for the seeds, gardening books and tools.
This is a fun series, I am using it as a challenge. I do have a few more weeks to look for compost amd materials, I plant out over Memorial day. Except the peppers and tomatoes, those wait until the middle of June. last year we had a killing frost on June 23rd. I needed to replant.
I have thousands of slugs. I went to high raised beds. I also am going to try lettuce ,cabbage and other vegetables in containers on an outdoor bench to get them off the ground. I hope it works
Use coffee grounds around the edges of the bed and in little circles around your plants. Caffeine is a slug neurotoxin.
I did find a seed library at my public library.
I agree...I've learned a lot over the years from the comment sections.
I’m growing, eggplant and okra, and I do not like either one! But there for my family members!
I always tell people if you’re not a huge eggplant fan, grow Louisiana green eggplant. You have to peel them but they’re mild, creamy, and soooo delicious. It’s a MUST grow in my garden.
Thanks!
thank YOU!
I really appreciate you taking the time to have these free sessions. Very informative. Thanks
I am giving this link in my gardening groups, thank you for efforts. I learn something in all your videos.
Wow! That was an info packed video! I grew walking onions, beets, & romaine lettuce together a couple of years ago. The onions were huge, the beet greens were medium size, as was the romaine (6 or 8 in. tall, most less). The largest beet I harvested was about the size of a golf ball. It was very disappointing to say the least. Please help? Your ideas for carrots & cabbage give me courage to try those this year, & the green onions, too. Your no dig method is a big plus for me! The Spring ground is easy to work but, once it gets warmer the ground is a lot like cement. Anything I need to dig must be well soaked first. Very helpful “class”. Thank you so much.
Yes, I’ve grown plants from seeds even when they weren’t a favorite of mine. I’m learning to only grow what I like. I have a habit of planting too much.
My opinion on crop rotation.... Why not? Myself in a small 200sq ft usable garden. Still rotate my crops. Disease is a major variable, but nutrition is a part of the equation. I feel that all verities of plants produce require the same basic nutrition, there are differences in nutritional requirements. If one plants a verity in the same plot year after year, there will be depletion in required nutrition. I know I'm not an expert but "Two steps to the left can't hurt" BTW, love the channel!
From the UK ... I agree - although with my agreement comes the proviso that - IMO - it depends somewhat on what you are growing, your climate and what the disease and nutrition 'risks' are.
I was able to get a strawberry plant from seeds obtained from strawberries we got free from our church's food bank. Only one plant survived, but I have already transplanted several runners, or snipped the runner stem to let new plants grow in place. Asparagus is cheap to grow from seed. It just takes a few years to get a harvest.
I used cardboard (like you have suggested in the past) to cover my carrot seeds last year to help germinate them and it worked wonderfully. thank you for the tip.
I love that I don't have to dig or till anymore. I've spent good money on a small tiller that is just a pain to maintain and use. It was just something that everyone seems to do here or did.
My fingers are itching!! Seed trays are out, seeds are out. Not time yet to start here in mid-Kentucky. I'm liking this series Brian. It's always good to hear other perspectives on gardening.
What is helpful for us when planting seeds is to save up our milk jugs, cut the bottom off and place the jugs over the seeds (need some kind of thin stake or stout wire stuck in through the top to keep them from blowing away). This acts like a mini greenhouse and gives the seedlings a boost and prevents the birds from jerking them out. Once the seedlings are well established just recycle the jugs. By then they don't need the greenhouse and they are too big for the birds to be interested in them.
I have your companion book. So glad I do.
Another great video full of inspiration and information keeping gardening simple. I am zone 8b Coastal SC. I have had success direct sewing tomatoes, bellpepers, basil before the weather warms up using milk/water jugs as mini green house. Leave cap off during warmer part of day for air, caps on overnight. When I run into grubs, bad caterpillar is, mole crickets, I feed them to my local blue birds, Robin's and wrens. I swear when I'm outside, I hear them chattering about me outside and what they are gonna get, lol. I believe they watch over my garden for all the bad bugs.
I been waiting for episode 2 thanks Brian
I start all my tomatoes, peppers, and some cucumber, cantaloupe, squash in a window and then harden them off before planting.
I love using herbs for companions because we dry them and use them through the winter. My goal is getting all our growing to be what we eat and use and enough of it for the full year plus a little bit.
These videos are really helping me get in the planning mode. Thanks!
I love this series! I always know I can learn something or get an answer to a question I didn't know I had. Thank you. We decided to scale down this year and only grow what we love and eat regularly so, it was funny to hear your comments about that subject. I am planning my garden for this year and am always a little stumped when it comes to figuring out what vegetables should be sowed once the spring veggies are harvested. What is that called - succession planting? Crop rotation? What-to-plant nexting? Maybe you can address this in future videos....please!
Yes! This is my biggest headache. My growing season in Canada is short so I try to get in as many crops as possible but my timing is often off too early or too late when trying to succession plant
Good explanations on the "whys" of some gardening practices. I was going to plant nasturtiums further away but maybe I will plant them along side my carrots. Another perennial veg plant is rhubarb.
Rather than using boards on carrot seeds use leaf compost bags. They don’t press down as hard and let a little bit of light through. They also don’t leach as bad as most particle boards.
Amazing germination this way. Just split the bag in half so it’s a single layer and weigh down with rocks on the edges.
I reuse clear plastic lids instead of throwing those away. Most of us can collect lots of plastic to reuse, instead of throw. They can be thrown away when they are no longer useful, which delays our consumption of them.
Instead of boards to germinate carrots, I use burlap. Burlap will stay moist and you will have less slugs. Soon as carrots emerge remove burlap.
Works well for parsley too!!
@@carmenlamanna5391 Good to know! I already have burlap. 😊
I'm totally loving this series!!!!!!!!!
My herb garden has varieties I rarely use, and I let the sage flower because it’s so pretty and I can’t say no to the bees. Mostly I plant far more tomatoes and varieties than I need.
Absolutely loving this series! I have a very tight budget but really want to try my hand at gardening this year. This has been perfect timing for me! ❤
Thanks B I can always learn more!!!
I have in the past grown things I didn’t like but like growing plants. Now that I have goats I am growing a “goat garden” to supplement their feed. I have raised beds and don’t till. I just add compost on top and plant.
Grow your goatie friends some wormwood (Artemisia). It's really good for parasite control internally, and fly control externally. They love it so much though that they will kill it, we put ours between the pasture and the milk parlor, and the does were given 1 to 2 minutes each to rub it on their heads and bodies and take a nip or two. It worked well, although the wormwood needs help as the goats can destroy it.
I love you even more now Brian!!! Referrencing the Griswolds, come on!! It just doesn't get any more classic than that! If I wasn't already subscribed I would be now!!😁
Brian, I've been gardening my whole life and no one has ever mentioned anything about companion plants in the detail you did. I only know of 2 companion plants you put AROUND the garden to deter pests but never knew things like green onions and garlic can deter pests from certain plants.
Yeah. Another book sold. I need to learn more.
Wonderful video. Thank you!
Fantastic Brian.
I'm loving all of these videos. Learning a lot.
Thank you.
❤great thanks! Not only great information and class ibstruction but lively entertainment right now, weeks before I can even start seeds here. ❤
Enjoying your videos
Zones totally different in Australia 👍😁
... and in the UK, where temp, soil type and climate (as well as accent!) can, and often do, vary _significantly_ in places less than 10 miles apart.
I love your book! I refer to it all the time; and I even gave it away at Christmas I stand by it so much.
thank you so much. I really wanted to add some garden space this year, but the idea of digging more clay is just too much to bear. I was a big skeptical, but seeing you pop seeds into the compost you just poured over some cardboard is very exciting. I've heard such things are possible, but now that I've watched someone I trust do it, I'm going to give it a try! Yay! You just may have quadrupled my garden space already!
You can change the structure of your soil by just adding compost every year. Adding a liquid humic acid supplement works great too!
thank you. I moved last winter so it was my first year with this new soil. Think I'll try to do a home soil sample test and see what it needs exactly. I appreciate the information. @@MichaelRei99
Do not forget to wet the cardboard really good, so it starts to decompose fast. That was my mistake! 😆
Good luck!
I love all of the food!
Great job Brian
I'm so excited for this series! I'm nowhere close to having the space or my own garden at the moment, but it's always been a dream and this year I'm helping my mother in her garden. We're trying to really get it going but we don't really know what we're doing and we don't have lots of money to spend. So your videos are really helpful! It's fantastic what you can do without spending money with just a bit of creativity. Can't wait for the rest :)
Also can I just say how delighted I am at how genuinely kind you seem, Brian? Not using up the free seeds that are available because you CAN afford to buy them, leaving the free ones for those who can't spare the money... absolutely wonderful :)
I cannot eat eggplant; it makes me sick. But I have been known to grow it in my garden because I love the beautiful flowers. I do have a friend who loves it and she does benefit, hugely, in the years I grow it. 😊
I have already purchased your book…love it ❤
This new series is great.
I grow mostly for my chickens and the tortoise!😆
Oh yea!! And some for humans!!
Fabulous series Brian. Your information has always been great. I love your Companion Planting book.
This is such a fun series, thank you!
Hi Brian , i just received your book. i love it been reading it learning alot.
We are moving our garden so haven’t done anything in months. Finally getting started to prepare the new garden space this weekend so I’m happy. Not sure when it will be done but not worried. Whenever it’s done will start gardening again. Was looking at a catalog today for perennials but everything I liked was not for my zone…probably for the best 😂
I love your book! I use it all the time and have little post its for certain things that I never remember LOL. I keep it with my seeds, so before I start anything I check.
Love that!
I found LOTS of seed varieties at Wal Mart for 50 CENTS last week., just FYI budget friendly!
I was guilty of growing things i didnt think i would like....and then ended up loving them!😂
Pretty good
Ordered my companion planting book 😍
Yeah, I’m growing some mustard greens… yuk. They came up easy though. Lol. Our raised beds have just been cleaned out of cypress roots. The soil was hard as a rock and I just felt like giving up. I had a gardener help me.
Beets! I love beets! Artichokes! I’ve tried asparagus with no luck. Will try again. I’ve got some brussel sprouts started.
Good that I’m watching these again. I’ve been distracted with crime. Oof there are some awful people out there. Depressing. Good to get back to gardening.
I got your book, the spiral one. Used on Amazon.
I planted kale knowing I didn't love it because I also knew it'd grow well. I ate a whole lot of kale still. By fall though I was mulching my garden with kale. Especially the one kind I really didn't like.
It's actually pretty good for that. Growing a bunch of leaves every 1-2 weeks haha.
Plenty of things I planted just didn't grow though. Like I had 2 2inch cucumber plants the entire growing season xD
I turned terrible soil into a garden with no real inputs so I was okay with that
🎉welllllll. Brian.... I beg to differ...about 5 years ago, I have very limited budget and some one gave me FREE Okra seeds 🤢 yeck!! But, I planted them ONLY b/c they were FREE, i could afford free: while I was "poor" and, I absolutely LOVE homegrown OKRA❣❣ absolutely delicious 😋 I was shocked 🎉 AND, Okra, Simpson Okra = gives you a GORGEOUS Flower and THEN provides a delicious Okra. Such a Win Win 😍
I have used marigolds and basil and...dont get mad but I also used marijuana plants to cover the smell of my plants.. and it works...Thank you for the suggestions for companion planting 😊
I live in North Carolina and flea beetles have always like eggplants as well.
Such a great video! Thank you.
❤ Your channel. Great information on no dig and simple basics about planting and allows easier decision. Discovered on problem which is my county has free compost and much but reviews show plastic, trash and lots of not composted material. Lots of areas have wonderful FREE compost and mulch. Thanks to you I plan to direct plant many seeds instead of buying plants.
Idea for free plants is to check with friends. I give away extra seeds, artichoke plants ( from when I separate them) and herbs like mint. I ❤ giving them and extra plants to other
Excellent. Thank you.
Ok I’m following and duplicating exactly!
A huge tip for cheap gardening is saving seeds from store bought veggies. Tomatoes and peppers are really easy to save (avoid green pepper, usally havested early, seeds might not be matured). If you want organic seeds, save em from organic produce.
I have grown fruit trees from store bought fruit. They aren't clones, but different than the fruit bought, but they were free and still taste good!