5 Common Garden Planning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

[@elysejolliff5876]

I’m in the US, and honestly, the price of produce was a large factor for me. I currently find myself buying less produce (which isn’t great) and I really wanted to try gardening. Plus, it’ll give my children and I something to do in the summer.

[@bartcop2742]

Same for me

[@lettucesalad3560]

So convenient to grab something fresh in the backyard.

[@nevermore1045]

Same here. I always ask the kids to pick what they would want to grow and eat. It gets them invested. I'm about 2 yrs in and getting better all the time. Give it a go its fun and rewarding!

[@GrowVeg]

I think so many more of us are thinking of growing more food with all the price rises.

[@tamidavis3730]

Not just the cost but the taste- home grown anything just tastes so much better!

[@SLEEP-236]

Going into my 3rd year of growing my own veg. The biggest mistake I've made in the past is over planting and expectation. This year I'm keeping it simple. Growing only what I know grows well and will definitely want on my plate is the plan. I've invested in an inexpensive polytunnel so that should help and I'm looking forward to using my own compost for the first time. Good luck gardeners. Peace.

[@GrowVeg]

That sounds like a very sensible approach. Good luck with the new growing season. :-)

[@k2lar]

We're first-time gardeners this year -- because we recently bought a house and for the first time have access to and control of a tiny patch of land! I'm excited to be able to contribute to our household economy in a new way, while also giving our daughter the chance to better connect with and understand both the earth and our food supply chain.

[@Beaguins]

I remember the thrill (three years ago) of having a house and land of my own for the first time. It's a lot of work, but it's inspiring. I hope you have a wonderful garden!

[@GrowVeg]

You will find so much joy in your new garden.

[@maryallan453]

For me, it is the satisfaction of nurturing the plants and being able to eat food within minutes of harvesting. Food doesn't get any fresher - or more delicious - than when you grow it yourself.

[@flowerheit4512]

I like to use excess seeds that are past or nearly past their sow by date to grow microgreens when i can! Broccoli seeds are especially good because I end up with so much extra.

[@CutoDracon]

I love being able to grow something then enjoy it in a dish I have cooked.

[@gnadenhofluna3388]

I love your dog 🐕 so much, so I had to watch the video several times… 🤣🙈 because my heart and mind was overwhelmed 💞🐕 by this fluffy little sweetheart 💞

[@MrCountry6145]

I have been planting things since I was 6 years old. I am near 77 now. I come from a long line of farmers centuries long. I have really enjoyed your videos and planner.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for the kind comment Royce. It's great to have such a life-long love of gardening.

[@chaddamp2894]

Brill..can't wait til new season really gets under way !

[@TeamArVes]

Respect to all Gardeners😄👍❤

[@GrowVeg]

Absolutely!

[@valoriegriego5212]

Lovely to see supervisor Rosie hard at work. Love the close ups of her. 🙂🙂 As usual this was another helpful video. Wishing all the new gardeners on your channel a very happy and successful year!🙂

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for watching Valorie. Rosie keeps me in line!

[@DanCooper404]

Sound advice about starting off small! During the Spring of 2020, I started not one, but TWO vegetable gardens at our new house, and it was a lot to maintain. I overextended myself again last year, but this year, the garden that's furthest from the hose spigot is going to become a wildflower patch instead. 😃 I'm consolidating everything into the front garden, interplanting, and instead of growing 30 tomato plants again, doing 6 or so and adding new crop species in their place. I've been growing far more than my wife and I could possibly eat, then trying to give the excess away. Time to be smarter about this.

[@GrowVeg]

It sounds like you have a smart strategy for this year Eric. I hope it is a very fruitful one for you.

[@fuubar21]

The garden planner is seriously such a great tool! This is my second year and it's really a fun thing to play around with in the winter and plan out how I can maximize my garden. Cheers!

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased you find it handy!

[@toniedalton5448]

Bonjour ! I’m in SW Va. I had no choice as I was raised on a farm. Hated it as a child, because it was the work. I always missed that fresh out of the garden taste of foods though thru the years. I moved back “home” 12 years ago to care for my older sis. Back here it was natural to start up the garden again. Seems I gave away more than I used, but I’m getting the hang of it again. Food prices and quality are awful right now. It’s best to grow your own and know what is in it. Even if it’s only windowsill lettuce. I look forward to your vids. I’ve watched you for years, even when I had no garden. So, it is in my “roots” (sorry) ! Have a blessed Sunday all !

[@GrowVeg]

I love the pun there Tonie! Thanks so much for watching. :-)

[@eileen386]

I love to garden. It calms my nerves, gives me fresh air and I know what we are eating at our house

[@kellyblinkhorn6088]

Hi Ben, Like you I had my first veg garden at the age of 10 and I'm now 41, giving it a 3rd go at growing my own food and hope to someday have enough harvest to give to my local food banks. At age 10, I started with peppers, carrots and potatoes in an area that was more of a flower bed along the edge of our house in the suburbs! Then we moved out more into the backwoods area where I added corn, squash and pumpkins to my garden plan. I had very small harvests but yet I still felt so accomplished!!! Seeing those first signs of growth moving up through the soil is one of the most rewarding feelings!!! Thanks for your knowledge and videos, I truly enjoy watching them!! Best, Kelly

[@GrowVeg]

How fab to have made such an early start also. And some great veggies to have started with! :-)

[@patjoyce7247]

Thanks Ben, very practical. Loads of things keep me going back to gardening for more...A couple of things - Strangely enough I love trying to make good compost (well, I don't make it it makes itself I just add the ingredients). I think the most amazing thing I never tire of is planting a seed and behold! It grows into something amazing. This is en extremely simplistic description of the miracle that occurs.

[@GrowVeg]

It is like a miracle though isn't it.

[@frankburns8871]

"Growing your own food is amazing." Couldn't agree more, Ben! I just wish I could get pork chops and ribeye steaks to grow like tomatoes; the grocery store would miss me entirely were it so. I guess the closest I can realistically plan on is raising chickens for their eggs...growing them for poultry gets more involved in a lot of ways, not the least of which is the need to introduce roosters. Anywho, looking forward to the new growing season; suffering from cabin fever, but the days are getting longer, so it won't be too much longer here.

[@vanessataylor4125]

Hi Frank You can grow beef steak and pork chops in your garden in the form of black beans also known as Turtle beans😋. They have as much protein as beef and no beautiful animals have to die! Give it a go. I grow them in the uk and when they are dried I cook large batches and freeze them. Try other beans like Borlotti too. When you grow them yourself they are far, far tastier. My Borlotti beans last year were the size of olives and tasted out of this world. Plus, there are no growth hormones, antibiotics or all the herbicides, fungicides etc that your poor dead animal was fed - which you then consume. You can be in control of what you eat 👍

[@frankburns8871]

@@vanessataylor4125 Thanks for the tips. There are also some mushrooms that are at least vaguely reasonable facsimiles of real meat, and I use them as such occasionally. But I also embrace my innate human omnivorousness (spell check doesn't like that, but I'm sticking with it) without guilt. I do buy locally sourced meats from small farms, where at least the animals weren't caged in tiny spaces like the mass-produced ones are, as much as possible. Did you know that animal proteins were a huge factor in humans developing the complex brains we benefit from today? Life eating life to survive is just a rather savage reality on this planet, across all species.

[@vanessataylor4125]

@@frankburns8871 Thank you for your reply Frank. I understand and accept that everyone doesn’t think the same. I was born and brought up on a jersey dairy farm in Norfolk and years later when I eventually stopped eating meat and then fish my poor parents thought I would die! But as it happens I have never had such good health as I do now . I just believe that if people want to eat meat then it should have lived as natural life as possible and they should be killed as humanely as possible and by you buying from smaller shops etc the quality will probably be better. It is also a lot cheaper to live a vegetarian life though. Do try the black turtle and Borlotti beans, they are well worth a go. Good luck and happy gardening Frank, and may all your weeds be little ones and all your vegetables be big and healthy 😃👍🤞

[@frankburns8871]

@@vanessataylor4125 Thanks, it's nice to have a civil conversation on the subject for a change. I'm definitely looking forward to getting some of my starts in the ground. The ground here is still pretty much cement, but should be good enough for carrots, broccoli, and peas in about six weeks, and I'll have had my tomatoes & peppers spending some quality time outdoors by then as well! 👍

[@Mr3kiwis]

My parents recently got geese for the first time and my sister got ducks precisely to allow them to provide some of their own meat while staying within the local rules for keeping male animals in town.

[@astrid5870]

I so needed to watch this video and read the comments about keeping it easy and manageable after having spent 2 hours looking through a seed catalogue and having moved from being so excited to feeling completely overwhelmed😅 I only recently retired and got an allotment to keep me on my toes but am totally new to vegetable growing other than some tomatoes on my patio. There's sooo much to learn. Thank you for your helpful and encouraging videos and the advice shared by fellow gardeners!

[@GrowVeg]

Definitely take it one step at a time - there's no sense in making a rod for your back and creating extra stress!

[@MamboDogFace]

I've grown huge gardens most of my life. Now that I have to scale down and think of the basics, the hardy growers are a great reminder of where to spend my energy. Thanks for featuring your pup, he or she is so sweet! Ben, you always remind me why I love getting into the dirt. It's love

[@GrowVeg]

That's so lovely to hear, thank you. Rosie says 'woof' (hello!) too.

[@joseepayne9243]

Hi, I am gardening to grow to produce for our local Food Bank. This year we are building a shed, to store many items that have been donated from local businesses, like a small tiller, tools, store a first aid, fertilizers and growing pots as well as garden hoses, etc.

[@GrowVeg]

What a fantastic thing to do. I hope you have a very productive season. :-)

[@anjadaanen]

Hi Ben, since you want to know why I started gardening. Here my story. I had chemo and 5 months after the treatment I fell in a dip. A project like creating a veggie garden was my way to get out of it. My barn had a stock of old big beams. Used 56 of them to create rectangulars. In the summer and fall my garden was abundant ant beautiful. It was the joy of my life. That was my year 2022. Thanxs for your informative videos.

[@GrowVeg]

That's a really positive and encouraging story! I hope your 2023 is just as productive and beautiful. :-)

[@davidthescottishvegan]

An excellent video and good advice to avoid these 5 gardening mistakes. Keep safe, warm, well and happy gardening.

[@jamesgrover2005]

The Good life 🌻 I'm trying to cut down on the cost to our environment and grow more nutritious produce win/win I just put some garlic in the greenhouse ground last week, some have already sprouted 10cm😎 madness! A greenhouse would be my top tip for extending the season, buy the biggest one you can.

[@happyworld8478]

Gardening is so therapeutic and relaxing

[@Msmcknit]

Watched my Dad garden after he retired- it grew into 1/3 acre fenced (lots of deer, racoons, marmots etc in upstate NY)- he was always so proud of those cantaloupe! Now I work the soil carefully in the raised beds my son built for me 7 years ago- always look forward to learning something new on these videos- they never fail to provide something useful- even here in arid New Mexico.

[@GrowVeg]

That great to hear!

[@elizabethhansen2889]

I'm most excited to get my first ever veggies! This is my third year trying but I actually am doing research this time so my garden is thriving! Thank you for the advice! I decided to start gardening because I wanted to teach my 5 year old son where his food comes from and how to garden as well as save money and provide healthy food for my family.

[@GrowVeg]

This will be a wonderful lesson for your five year old - what a great way to educate him. :-)

[@emmamurphy9114]

Gardening saved me, only for gardening i dont no how i would have gotten through a very difficult stage in my life, im on my second year and im loving it all so much, seen plants and veg in my garden getting stronger makes my heart burst with joy and like u said at the end just seen the seedings working or popping through makes it all feel worthwhile and your videos have helped me so much along the way thanks for the inspiration ❤

[@GrowVeg]

I'm so pleased to hear this. Gardening can be a great healer and so powerful in so many ways. :-)

[@johnwoods5929]

The taste of homegrown veg is top with me. We grow veg and live on homegrown for eight months of each year. We also grow fruit which lasts 12 months once frozen. However it is easy because we are retired and devote our leisure time to the garden. Thank you for all the tips.

[@kemplelabis6188]

For me the most exiting part of gardening is harvesting, I have a blueberry plant that is flowering snd fruiting right now aswell as a strawberry plant that is fruiting, now they are not ripe yet but I'm excited for them

[@kenbass7739]

I live in Florida and there are many professionals that grow strawberries. However, someone warned me that strawberries are difficult to grow and take care of. Are they something a beginner could manage without too much frustration?

[@kemplelabis6188]

@@kenbass7739 yeah, they don't require alot of effort to grow

[@GrowVeg]

Harvesting is most definitely a joyous moment!

[@yeevita]

I started with a window box, which I planted with ranunculus. I also helped my parents and grandparents with their gardens. Yes, it was not the same as having my own garden, but it made it so everywhere I moved, I always had plants, whether it was in pots on the window sill or in pots on the patio and balcony or in ground. I went through my orchid period, my rose period, my bougainvillea period, my papaya forest period, and my edible plants period. Definitely everyone should grow something, even if it is just a few herbs or sprouts on the kitchen counter.

[@GrowVeg]

So true! :-)

[@jananders1351]

For me it's really simple, I have quite a big garden and my wife and I are not particularly enthusiastic about maintenance. We decided that growing our own veggies might get us more willing to look after our garden. And, yes it sort of worked, the next step is choosing the veggies that we actually want to eat :)

[@GrowVeg]

That’s a great step forward there Jan!

[@joj1252]

I’ve been growing flowers & veg for 20 years now but when covid hit & we were locked down I out grew my garden growing so much food. This will be my first year growing on an allotment & I can’t wait. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeding. Such a joy to watch it grow. It really is a miracle. To be outside in nature using all our senses is a perfect day & the icing on the cake is when the garden decides dinner!!! No boring shopping chore just a lovely walk around the garden picking beautiful fresh wholesome produce for a rainbow 🌈 display on your plate. Unbeatable 🥰💚🌱🌺🥬🌸🥕🌽🥗

[@GrowVeg]

That's the way to do it! :-)

[@ifthenelse2469]

After having gardened in several different states with very different climates, pests, etc, I just want to say what is easy to grow in one place can be quite hard in another. In fact nearly all of the things you noted in the start as easy to grow have been quite hard for me here in east Tennessee's temperate rainforest climate and poor soil. So learning what is easiest where you live is important.

[@dlaity107]

Yes! This is such a thing. Even a significant move within the same zone can make all the difference. When I first emigrated from Britain to Ireland I thought I'd lost my touch altogether. Even though I've dealt with heavy clay, and all kinds of soils in Britain, it really is all different here. Finally, after 13yrs here, I'm hopeful I might be getting into the swing of it again.

[@mariap.894]

IFthenE@ I couldn't agree more! In the North (ny) I could throw anything in the ground and grow... here in Florida, after sinking in a ton of money and starting to grow stuff, I'm failing miserably 😭🙈

[@ifthenelse2469]

@@mariap.894 I felt the same way upon moving to TN. All the things that grew so well in every other state I lived before just wouldn't grow, outside cherry tomatoes. It wasn't until I started talking to local gardeners that I realized it wasn't my fault!

[@GrowVeg]

Very true - local knowledge is definitely key.

[@trapped7534]

I am in the US also,have been gardening for over 50 years. I never tire of seeing those seedlings push their way up through the soil. I am blessed to have been taught as a child how to can and preserve the gardens bounty. I am alone now and don't plant as much as I once did,but I pray that I will be able to plant something for the rest of my days.

[@GrowVeg]

Having that knowledge and experience of growing something is very special.

[@lovejanie2577]

Thank you for the tips😊 I'm from the Philippines I love gardening too

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for watching Janie.

[@lindasands1433]

It has taken years to build up the soil in my gardens, but we're getting there! What a great learning process!

[@samanthareeves5690]

For me, I just want to grow some food to help teach my young grandchildren were food comes from so we have set up 3 raised beds in our front garden for them to grow there own food..... and we grow loads of pumpkins around the beds.... they loved it.... Our 1st growing season as a family was a huge success.. xxxx

[@GrowVeg]

You've sown a seed for the future there Samantha.

[@davelittlehale6862]

One of my favorite parts of gardening especially last year were the sounds. I was weeding and delighted in the sounds of the various wingbeats (e.g., honey bees, bumble bees and hummingbirds); truly wonderful. Across the street there would be large flocks of Canadian Geese. And while annoying at times due to their sheer numbers, it was nice to hear the variety in their honking.

[@GrowVeg]

Unfortunately not - it's best to grow it from seed.

[@jordanvieyra5275]

You and other gardening You Tubers have been such an inspiration! The cost of living in the US just keeps climbing, while our pay remains the same. I'm a young father of soon to be 2 children and I want them to be able to eat healthy. I want also want them to have the knowledge to be able to provide for themselves. Thank you for the education you are providing for me and my family. I am forever grateful!🙏

[@GrowVeg]

It is a pleasure and a big responsibility to be able to share this knowledge at this difficult time. Growing our own empowers us.

[@LeahBecknell]

Thanks for the helpful tips! After decades away from gardening, I'm back into it and enjoying every minute! I'm also guilty of struggling to thin my plants (but getting better!) and am thrilled to give away starts that I can't use. It doesn't take much effort and makes others happy. No great tips except that I take notes and take pictures so year to year, I can continue to improve.

[@GrowVeg]

Always worth making notes to learn from experience over time. :-)

[@Gloria.A]

Don't worry about planting all at once. I had multiple crops of potatoes as I let one set start to grow before putting out another.

[@nikkireklitis201]

I’m moving into a new home in a couple of weeks that has a lovely ample yard where I’ll be able to plant. Hope to make gardening a part of my self care routine and a wonderful way to keep moving regularly during a busy time in life. I’d love to include my 11 year old in my learning to garden and possibly have her become excited to learn as well.

[@GrowVeg]

I think you should definitely include your 11 year old on the journey - I think that's such a great thing to do and you'll teach her skills for life! :-)

[@AnnalisaBartlow]

I am similar. I appreciate seeing the growth. I like knowing the seeds have woken up, but also flowering and other development is so exciting. I’m not seasoned in gardening so I enjoy the education. I mainly have learned about viticulture in school, but not all the other great vegetables. Thank you for encouraging us all. I hope everyone has a good harvest this year.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks Annalisa. I hope you enjoy a great harvest too.

[@davidday2014]

I'll be taking on my first allotment plot (1/2 plot) hopefully by the end of the week. Being September there's not much I can think about growing but I have lots of time to get the plot clear (its been vacant for a while and somewhat overgrown) and plan out next years growing seasons. I'm so excited! Time to start binge watching episodes (and Liking them of course).

[@lorlynabis8086]

Thank you much for sharing your garden ideas especially planting carrots,watching from the Philippines

[@smile30981]

Great video and I can always use the reminders! My top tip is to actually USE the Plant List for # of plants to grow this year. I always overseed as I get so excited for gardening (but friends and neighbors appreciate the free seedlings). I will attempt to plan accordingly but I'm sure I'll still overplant! And for those who haven't used the Garden Planner, give it a try - it's so much fun to plan and the plethora of info available is awesome.

[@GrowVeg]

Over planting is always such a temptation!

[@erint5373]

I'm here just to learn, I live in a flat with no outdoor space at all but have successfully made my indoors a haven for houseplants. Just here to learn for the "one day" dream of having my own patch of land 🏡

[@GrowVeg]

I hope you get that patch of land some day Erin. :-)

[@lisakool9099]

I have always loved gardening but limited to patio pots and foundation beds living in the city due to small lot size limited to partial shade gardening which I have mastered with perennials, trees and shrubs. However, I have always felt deprived of the veggie garden experience that one can have with sun and space.. Just over a year ago we moved to a rural property with 1.5ac and sun. Last year my experimental veggie/herb garden in two 4x8' raised beds was a screaming success, so much so I had to give away my crops to my very happy neighbours. Late last fall we built two more raised beds at 4x4' each and I planted garlic buds FOR THE FIRST TIME and inspired by one of your vids Ben. I CANNOT WAIT to get back in the dirt again and will be germinating a few of my little green babies in the next week or so in anticipation of early spring planting. I LOVE your videos and happy to share my own experiences with this august community. I am retiring from the Rat Race this year so looking forward to spending more time in my garden.

[@GrowVeg]

I can't think of a better way to spend your time when retiring from the rat race Lisa - enjoy!

[@katewilke3229]

Hi Ben. We're in Western Canada and have a bizarre growing season. We are influenced by the Rocky Mountains which can sometimes be challenging. Our "offical" growing season is 90 days. It can get quite warm (+30C-35C) but the nights are often quite cool. We plant a lot of tomatoes because nothing can beat the taste of a home grown tomato. I've gardened here for 20 years and know what works for me. I experiment occasionally and sometimes am surprised. Winter can be brutally cold but we also get periods of warming winds called Chinooks, which can raise the temp. from -20C to +5C in a matter of hours. Trees, fruit bushes and shrubs have to be hardy to withstand all of that! I'm always amazed that I can plant a tiny seed and a plant emerges. Love your channel and enjoy seeing what you are growing.

[@dlaity107]

Know how you feel. The official listing for the corner of Ireland I'm in, reckons August is our only guaranteed frost-free month.

[@GrowVeg]

Those certainly sound like challenging conditions Kate - quite a mix of weather you have to contend with!

[@kevinroome8286]

Brilliant, thank you for sharing your experience with us👍😁 I've just started chiting my potatoes today. Cannot wait to get going down on my Allotments.Ive weeded all the raised beds,and dug in manure, Going to start sowing various onion seeds, leeks, and cauliflower seeds next week.anyway all the best and take care 🙏🤞

[@jimski5358]

Good luck !

[@GrowVeg]

What a great start you've made already Kevin. Best of luck with the new growing season.

[@657449]

I agree, start small. Just start with what you like to eat. Tomatoes, peppers and squashes are late season crops so plant things that you can harvest all summer. I like to grow lettuces for my daily salad. Edible weeds are the first up in the spring and the bugs leave them alone.

[@bne314]

favorite part of gardening... all of it! Just set up our new gardens. I'm going big even though everything/everyone says to start small. I had some smaller gardens out in the Nevada desert that did pretty well, Now we're settled in Maryland where it actually rains and I am so excited to grow! Since this is year 1 of gardening here I'm not planning on getting much of a harvest. So anything we do get will be amazing. I figure its a year of set up and learning. This will also be the first year I've ever kept a gardening journal. Between missing gardening, and my pottery being on hold (need to get a kiln set up still), I've really missed having my hands in the mud! One of the things I did out in Nevada, was whenever I had onions start growing in the pantry, I would take them out and plop them into the garden. I was so surprised at how beautiful the flowers were on them! The first time was kind of an experiment, now its become a habit because they're gorgeous. oh, and this is the first time i've ever mixed flowers in with the vegetable garden. I've been using the planner and figured out what flowers help the veggies. I'm so excited!

[@GrowVeg]

That's really lovely to hear Beth. I think onion flowers (and carrot flowers too actually) are among the most attractive of any - and so good for the insects. :-)

[@bne314]

@@GrowVeg I'll have to let some carrots go so I can see their flowers!

[@we2824]

I missed gardening with my Dad (who passed away many years ago) when I was a kid and I had hit a really low, stressful time in my life and wanted some of myself back, if that makes sense. I remember the marigolds and the most delicious tomatoes ever. We even did pretty good with okra (though frying it in our Fry Daddy PROBABLY wasn't the healthiest way to eat it...), peas and beans and of course Dad's favorites radishes and peppers. I still remember the time he told me to eat just one Jalapeno seed...Lord I miss that man

[@GrowVeg]

What wonderful memories to have of him though.

[@we2824]

@@GrowVeg Thank you Ben. And thank you to this community of gardening friends on this channel here who have provided so many ideas and improved on others and share their own successes, failures, and stories.

[@elizabethhayes5723]

What got me into gardening in one word: tomatoes. Store-bought are tasteless and the heirloom beauties at the local farmer's market are cost prohibitive. They're so easy to grow and I love strolling out to my yard and munching on some cherry tomatoes straight off the vine. Beyond that, I've had success with summer and winter squash and cucumbers various herbs. I'm going to try to start more plants from seed this year, rather than buying someone else's starts, and also experiment with new veggies .... maybe eggplants and cauliflower. Very exciting. Thanks for another great video, Ben.

[@GrowVeg]

Homegrown tomatoes are the best Elizabeth!

[@renew5751]

I got a plot of land in a community garden last year which was overgrown with weeds so there was little of planting crops and harvesting last year. I'm keeping it simple this year too, much to your advice in this video. I do like flowers and shrubs as well so i'm also focussing a bit on companion planting.

[@GrowVeg]

Companion planting is a smart move and will definitely help things along.

[@prunechat8401]

We have a very small garden but as there are only 2 of us we can be more or less self sufficient in fruit and veg for around half the year. Certainly the advice to grow fewer seeds at a time is something I wish that I had worked out years ago! Nowadays I limit sowings to reasonable amounts, I use small pots or trays rather than the standard sized seed trays that are so tempting to fill up. This year we are trying to organise a village seed swap in late February, then a small plant swap in April/May so that someone with too many tomato plants can perhaps swap with someone with too many courgette plants. This is a new idea for 2022 so hoping that it will be useful!

[@GrowVeg]

I hope the seed and plant swaps go successfully - that's a great idea.

[@christinej2358]

I’ve always had a small garden, but last year my hubby and I planted a big garden to start canning. We had a huge harvest and I ran out of canning jars so I had to freeze a lot. We also shared our bountiful blessing with family, friends and neighbors. We have used so much over the winter and even gave some canned goods as gifts. We are ready to do it again this spring. We did learn some good lessons from experience and from watching yours and a few other garden channels to use in this years garden planning. I plan to stagger planting this year, so I’m not so overwhelmed if the harvest is as good as last years. Thank you for all your garden tips and knowledge!

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for watching Christine. Freezing is very convenient, but canning is so much fun to do - I love the process.

[@joannahart1604]

I’m planting seeds just now not too many. As you said slowly dose it 😊 it’s exciting time of the year right. Love your little wee helper xX

[@JaniceDietert]

I've been gardening since I was 4 yrs old. When I was 11, I was in 4 H Club and had a large garden. That year I harvested a ton of produce, so much my grandmother and I were able to can and freeze most of it for use that winter. Since my step-father's work was mostly outdoors, the cold winter months meant he often couldn't work. So imagine how proud I was that my garden produce meant we ate well all year. And it's been that ever since...eating well long after the growing season was done.

[@GrowVeg]

What a fantastic start you had Janice - it's given you skills for life - tasty ones!

[@staceybaker4925]

My dad is a gardener who learned on the job and he has been the inspiration for me over the years ! I have made a garden at home over the years using what I had as I’m on a low budget we created lots of wildlife water areas in our small plot . but mid season last year I was finally allocated an allotment a 4\4 rod plot so I’m starting to grow vegetables as I finally started to eat healthy also and the products in shops go bad so fast and cost a lot so I’m starting out trying my my hand at growing my own and just came across your channel I like how you explain and make it seem simple to understand as books can make it rather complicated

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased you're enjoying the videos Stacey. Good luck with your new allotment - what a fantastic project!

[@diysnapdragn]

I'm vegan because of health problems and the produce in the grocery stores has been going up in price but down in quality. There has been a few times over the past few years when the shelves where empty. This is the first year I can start growing my own food. I'm going to try to start small. I've started seeds already and the little sprouts get me so excited.

[@dlaity107]

Do you like beans? There's a runner bean variety called 'pole star'. If you can find them, they're brilliant. We plant 12-24 plants a year of those, and just keep on top of the picking. Gorgeous from fresh, but you can easily go 12mts on what you can get into the freezer (we do cut ours up when they go in the freezer - just a little better space economy).

[@GrowVeg]

Agreed on the 'Polestar' beans!

[@elisabethrochon8308]

I’m new to gardening, this will be year 3… and I’ll have a toddler AND a newborn helping this year ❤️. I’m motivated to garden by wanting to provide healthy food for my family, and also to be productive outside while learning great skills with my little ones.

[@GrowVeg]

That's a great reason to start a garden. :-)

[@kimfitch382]

My biggest downfall is Spring Fever. When those days start getting longer and warmer, I just itch to get planting. Here in Nebraska I've pretty much had to learn to wait until Mother's Day, to be safe. That's something gardening has really taught me: PATIENCE.

[@gladysover5368]

Sitting down to a heaping fresh salad- one that I have grown myself😁😁🥦🥦

[@GrowVeg]

Lovely!

[@FrostInFreezer]

Im moving in may, to a place with a small garden. Thats going to be my first garden, so Im just really excited about that!

[@GrowVeg]

Oh wow - that is exciting!

[@dvracecom]

I live in Denver CO and started gardening for the freshest and most nutritious ingredients to use in cooking. The return of investment is my top priority, as yard work is not my bliss, but cooking is. So far it is going well and I am looking forward to get next season started. We have a short growing season so may add a little greenhouse to lengthen the season a bit. I am enjoying and getting a lot from your videos.

[@GrowVeg]

That's really wonderful to hear. Such a good move to grow some food for freshness - it makes a real difference.

[@cpoco]

I'm in Australia and my interest in growing was revitalized by fruit trees that sprang from my compost/veggie garden area. I've since taken out all other trees from our front yard and planted the fruit trees in (mostly nectarine but I believe there is also apple, apricot and peach). I have since gone on to buy an apple tree, lemon, lime, gooseberry and a red grape vine from our local hardware store and am putting those in as well. I still need to work over our veggie patch but there are still zucchini coming up and snow peas are looking good... so once those die off I plan to go over it all, turn it all over and start putting mulch down over the top and then get ready to plant the next lot of veggies.

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds like you're making super plans Christopher. Best of luck with it all. :-)

[@RelentlessHomesteading]

Always a joy to watch your videos. Thankyou ! Last year we pulled back on our gardening, ...and good thing we did as our well system was put out of commission by nearby construction which tore through the lines and power - requiring much of the summer to redo and revamp - as time was at hand anyway for new pumps, liners etc. etc. . ... so this year's gardening will be that much more special !!

[@bluestar.8938]

Thank you Mr Ben : ) I still am in awe at things growing that i can eat from seeds, Wow! Never grows old : )

[@GrowVeg]

Absolutely!

[@dianabooth2674]

I just love your videos.... I'm new to gardening and am growing lots in pots, container & baskets at the moment. I've bought plants this year but have just been given a bumper lot of veggie seeds (free) and next year I'll think of raising my own plugs and plants...... it's still a bit confusing but with the help of you videos perhaps I will have some success! I'll post again at the end of the season with success or not!

[@GrowVeg]

Please do post again Diana. Best of luck for this summer!

[@matildawhittington7132]

I took on my allotment plots when in 2020 my mum became too frail to manage it. Since work began again in 2021 I have accepted that I am unable to manage 15 rods and I'll be giving up 5 when I've cleared the spare plot. There are some really helpful tips on this- Ben is a wise man!

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers Matilda!

[@angiesgardan7828]

I am a new to growing veg I have started with tomatoes and bell pepers. For me I like seeing the seeds growing aslo got some wild flowers to save the bees

[@GrowVeg]

Great to have thought of the bees too. :-)

[@jennimartin1897]

Second growing season in new house with a garden. Looking to build on what I learnt last year....

[@teresacooper2158]

Love the cute little dog.

[@lynnecarpenter4138]

Thank you .....succinct and very helpful

[@michelledouglas8913]

I have been gardening for two seasons. I find your videos very helpful and informative. I love growing the veggies you talked about in this video. I also love seeing your dog! Gardening with a canine family member is the best!

[@GrowVeg]

Rosie the dog is good company - even if she walks on the beds and digs from time to time!

[@loosefaith7]

We're expanding our garden this year! New beds are being built and a bigger (6x6) greenhouse has been put up. We moved into this house in late 2018 and I started with a small horseshoe garden the following spring. Hubby finally gave in for me to have most of the backyard - needed to keep an area for the dog - and I'm growing more stuff. These videos have given me so much information and the gardening planner helps too. But I just learned more about the planner on this video! Can't wait to implement it!

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased you find the videos handy. Very best of luck with the new growing season :-)

[@laurieanne9712]

I'm going to take your advice and intersperse some flowers amongst my crops--pretty AND practical!

[@sleepymirin9162]

as soon as i see the pup, i remember to hit the like button! XD

[@GrowVeg]

:-)

[@wdsp69]

Great video as usual. Thanks. I garden here in Japan and since space is limited I do trench composting at the end of the seasons. Please do a video on trench composting if you have any ideas about that. Thanks again. Keep up the good work.

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Daniel. Thanks for watching. Check out my old video on composting in situ (trench composting): kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooSreXqihr6Xd5I

[@Mr3kiwis]

I've tried small vegetable gardens a few times since owning our own house but we were trying to dig into silt which was *hard* work and we had very limited success. After discovering Charles Dowding, we've recently put some no-dig beds on our now-sandy soil. I would love to supply most of our veggies, which were costing us 2-3 hours' wages each week for our household of 9.

[@GrowVeg]

Those no-dig beds will definitely help with that.

[@cake-diver8991]

Love all the advice thanks Ben. I'm new and most excited about FINALLY owning a good garden... oh and my 1st greenhouse purchase 😊

[@GrowVeg]

Oh wow - an exciting year awaits!

[@AJsGreenThumbLLC]

Great tips and tricks as always Benedict!!

[@moonshynegirl172]

Also, in the US. I wanted more variety than what the grocery store offered. Farmers markets are better, but I just wanted to relearn how to grow my own.

[@ladbutterflylisa4811]

oh yes - i have been gardening for more then 10 years and i still get excited when things start popping out of the dirt, makes me feel like i did it rignt

[@GrowVeg]

Absolutely - one of the most satisfying experiences as a gardener. :-)

[@nikiwilliams7352]

I had a small garden last year and had mixed success. I've spent the winter studying and learning so that as I expand this year maybe I will have some marginal success rather than mixed lol My favorite part is getting my hands in the dirt and unplugging my brain and just existing with nature.

[@robb5856]

New gardener. i was definitely guilty of over crowding. My first year I had to severely thin a row of zucchini because of overcrowding and mold build up. Next biggest mistake was not planning in advance enough as that thinned row of zucchini was quickly decimated by some squash vine borers not long after

[@GrowVeg]

Every season is a new learning opportunity for all us gardeners Rob. You live and learn. :-)

[@helenwood8482]

One of my earliest memories is of being in the garden with my father when I was three, planting carrot seeds. He told me if I watered them regularly and took care of them, they would turn into carrots. It seemed like magic to me. I still remember harvesting the first ones and Dad saying at lunchtime, "We're eating Helen's carrots today." After that, I asked my parents for space in the garden and they gave me a place they weren't using and some spare seeds and I have been gardening ever since. The most important thing is compost. Get that right and you have free plant food forever. Above all, get nature working with you. Bad gardeners kill slugs and snails, which is insane, because their speciality is breaking down woody stems into soft, useful compost. Move them to your compost heap or bin and you halve the time the compost takes and double the quality. Second most important thing, don't dig over the ground. Cover it in winter with good, organic compost and by spring, it will be excellent. Dig only to plant or harvest. Anything more damages the soil and renders it less fertile.

[@GrowVeg]

Very, very wise words Helen, thanks for sharing.

[@magaliejhumun2975]

Thank you 🙏 🥰

[@priscillajoseph765]

Thank you so much Tim for all of your advice, tips and detailed help with growing your own food in your garden 👌. I don't have a garden myself but I'm learning from you in preparation. And I can pass on what I learn from you, which is exceptional ☆☆☆☆☆

[@GrowVeg]

That's very kind of you to say Priscilla. Thanks for watching. :-)

[@simplyfamilyliving2138]

Hi Ben, thanks for sharing these tips! I loved your side-kick as well! What a cute dog you have haha!

[@GrowVeg]

Thank you - she's great company!

[@hespergarden3497]

I'm responsible for a collective garden in the North of Canada where the fresh food is severly overpriced and sometimes even wilted when it arrives. The garden project is a matter of survival of the community up here. I think i've not avoided one of the pitfalls tho, year one of production and we have a big greenhouse, multiple growing beds and over 30 raised beds... Well, time to find employees before spring ! XD

[@GrowVeg]

Hope you manage to get everything prepped and ready for spring. It sounds like a great project you're involved in.

[@Jacquelinescountrylife]

I want to become better at gardening as it’s a fun way to get kids involved in the outdoor life and I’ve noticed my kids eat more veg if they grew it.

[@GrowVeg]

It's a great way to get the kids involved, definitely. :-)

[@dlaity107]

7:39ish - I credit two gens of total & utter brainwashing, but especially my parents. My Da was home with me and working as a gardener (I used to go to work with him. He would put me down for naps in the wheelbarrow while he was working), and was the secretary of our local allotment association (we all ended up life members). I have early memories from being ~1 up on the allotment with Da, having to reach up to pick sprouts. My first ever Sunday job was carrying the sacks around & helping run the Allotment Association Store when some of the more senior members didn't have it in them to do the lifting any more.

[@GrowVeg]

What a fantastic early experience.

[@dlaity107]

@@GrowVeg it was just the best!

[@olaturkiewicz11]

Tomatoes and cucumbers... the taste of the once from your own garden... that is something that money cannot buy ;)

[@GrowVeg]

Absolutely!

[@Borgscan]

For #2, if you have seeds that are outside or nearing their expiration date, don't throw them away. Just toss them in your garden bed and whatever germinates, just let them grow for a week and then plough them all in so it becomes green compost. Also I think radish should be on the list for easy to grow vegetables. They grow so fast (5 - 6 weeks) over the warmer months so it gives you lots of opportunity to experiment with what works and what doesn't.

[@GrowVeg]

Yes, radish is a great choice of easy to grow vegetable - so quick!

[@blakevankerkhoff2546]

For me, it's the love of spending more time outside with my son!

[@yesyoga]

Garden Planner! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼✅

[@user00616]

Love your videos!!!!!!