13+2 Things I Learned In 2019

[@thinlizzy535]

Your channel is packed with excellent information, consistently. A Wise Man will learn from the mistakes of others who share what they’ve learned, from The School of Hard Knocks. I believe you are a very honest man with integrity. You work very hard for your audience, giving us a well planned, thought out video. You do all of this for us, and you don’t ask for anything in return. You give us information without telling us how we should be doing it, allowing us to make up our own minds on a subject, based on what we know and what your research and experience has shown you. Marvellous! I love your channel. The time you GIVE us should be re-payed, in my opinion, and YOUR sponsorship is earned.

[@gaasyendietha5070]

Thank you for being a good KZbinr.You share a lot, don’t have any sponsor, marketing stuff and don’t complain. It’s appreciated

[@REDGardens]

🙂 I’m glad people notice!

[@AB1B1]

I don't know this guy. Never met him in my life. He is my friend... Love the videos.

[@xhezmijakupi1995]

As a viewer, I would not mind you having sponsored products in your videos so long as it helps you to fond and further develop this project. Been watching your videos for quite some time and I appreciate the high quality content and wouldn't want this project to stop for lack of finances. Keep up the good work!

[@REDGardens]

Thanks for that. Very good to know.

[@johnfitzpatrick2469]

Truly wonderful gardens. Twenty years ago I was fortunate to have a lot. This contained both Summer and winter vegetables. What I learnt from people and books. + water down into the soil (water spike on hose). + gross feeders plenty of manure. + crop rotation +seed saving and propagation =$ I was blessed to receive seedlings left over from markets. + worm farms damp and dark. Take a quarter out to the garden, replace with vegetables waste. Growing the food for the table was very rewarding, in a sub tropical climate. At night I would check on the garden with the red sanutary light glowing through the lead lights windows of St Mary Magdalenes Church. There was a stone engraved ' To the glory of God.

[@PaleGhost69]

You could look into getting chickens, which not only gives you eggs but they also provide _a lot_ of compost. They also feed themselves from the insects and worms that are breaking down the compost. Geoff Lawton has a great system that turns chicken manure and bedding into fertile compost in a few weeks.

[@AtheistEve]

I wonder though if the effort, time, money and space warrants it. When I think of animals, I think of vets bills, feed, housing, bedding, caretaking, increase in vermin and predators.

[@gabbyrico4877]

@@AtheistEve edible acres and permiculture hop farms have great set ups for composting with chickens. Edible Acres has been doing it for years and hop farms is just starting both channels are very interesting

[@PaleGhost69]

@@AtheistEve kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2TFnJx_dqmpaas Edible acres chicken compost kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHTRcnWInrWgZrc Geoff Lawton Chicken compost

[@helenebezencon8906]

In some of his videos, Bruce has chickens. "Clearing a rough site", for instance.

[@PaleGhost69]

@@helenebezencon8906 They were borrowed iirc

[@katieschroeder7620]

Great video, as always. We do love your integrity, but I would never begrudge you some extra income to help you do more in the gardens, like offset the fertilizer costs. As long as you're honest and upfront, I think it is perfectly okay for you to be compensated for your efforts and information. I respect your decision, but if it is out of concern for your audience, please understand that we care about your ability to continue this experiment as well. I trust you to be honest about any sponsorships and not tell us that something works if it doesn't work as well as you'd hoped. Long story short, interesting content as always!

[@REDGardens]

Katie Hayward Thanks for your supportive comment. Good to know. For me it just doesn’t feel right, but we shall see how things go!

[@sc0tt500]

Very well said Katie. Totally agree.

[@JayeCole]

I just wanted to chime in with agreement. As long as your content is honest and you don’t turn episodes into glowing adverts - I think a few carefully chosen partnerships with brands that align with your values isn’t a bad thing.

[@clarkey6818]

Agreed. I urge you to reconsider.

[@katieschroeder7620]

@@REDGardens That is totally understandable! I just wanted to make sure you made this decision based on what felt right for you and not out of fear that it would change our opinion of you. We support you, so if not taking sponsorships is something important to you, I respect your decision. Just wanted to make sure you make this decision on what was best for you!

[@opexv]

I'm not a gardner, but listening to you makes me feel better.

[@thepandaman]

Glad to hear the sprinklers worked out well. Both your channel and Charles Dowding's have been so inspiration over the winter months, I just need to peel myself off KZbin as the days get longer and get stuck in!

[@lewisreford]

Dude you are so humble and down to earth. Thankyou for all of the brilliant videos. Keep up the great work.

[@REDGardens]

:)

[@rosea830]

That cat's a total free-loader. Love the info.

[@REDGardens]

Yep!

[@phillywister9957]

i think the problem with the green manure method is that its more supposed to be for outdoors. when it rains it evenly waters the laying biomass and it degrades over time. its not supposed to be covered by yet another layer of protection because the biomass IS the protective layer, shielding from weather and sprouting weeds while slowly releasing nutrients and building soil. also why no woodchip mulching?

[@REDGardens]

I think you are right, and I think this situation would have worked out better if I had installed a sprinkler system. I’m planning a wood chip mulch section this season.

[@phillywister9957]

@@REDGardens very nice, looking forward to the videos trying woodchip mulching myself right now. so far so good

[@JayeCole]

Your year end recaps are always so helpful - I have found them to be such a great resource of quick, digestible information that I can put into my head and practise straight away. Thanks!

[@REDGardens]

Thanks. Glad you like them!

[@seanconway1154]

On frost protection, if you suspect frost water with cold pressed liquid seaweed feed before nightfall, the salinity of the seaweed feed keeps the water from freezing down to as low as -4 apparently. Cover crops can be kept short using an edging sheers, much easier than digging in, but make sure to keep at least 3 inches of them if you want to keep them healthy, leave them flower & collect some seed & use for under upright or tall plants. Keep the soil covered with vegetation & it will get healthier.

[@REDGardens]

Interesting about the liquid seaweed - I should give that a try.

[@ancientgardening6920]

Last year we learned to get a lot of food seeds into the ground in the first warm days of the year, as starting late meant trying to dig when the ground was soaked and missing all the perfect early days, setting the plants far behind the natural plant patterns. Also containers while sounding good put a ton of unnecessary stress on the plants, as they are not connected to the ground their soil temperature fluctuates over and above our already drastic spring fluctuations. so we spent the entire year preparing for this spring, and we are on top of it and everything has been in the ground for the last month (save for the hot summer plants in the window).

[@REDGardens]

Great to hear that you had everything so well prepared. And that is an important point about the temperature fluctuation son the roots of potted plants. I hadn't really considered that before.

[@iulicush86]

I think it's totally fine to accept those sponsorships, as long as they're somewhat related to gardening. Considering the quality of the free info You put out, it's fine listening to a 30 sec sponsored message, which probably pays better than the KZbin ads.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks for the feedback. Something to think about.

[@zazugee]

about biochar, i use also same pit method, i think i found about it from skillcult but bc i dont have too much wood, i try to rise the efficiency by letting less wood turn to ash by racking the fire with the flat shovel basicaly helps reduce the size of wood chunks and flatten them so less air can get and turn char to ash before adding another layer its the same method when you try to turn fire off by beating it with a flat object

[@martelvonc]

Every time I watch I learn something new. I need small tools for my small garden. I'm going to try making a wire weeder that you show in this video. Thank you!

[@REDGardens]

:)

[@michaelmcclafferty3346]

So pleased to see Bruce that you are getting help from Kristina. You might also want to think about how you reduce the stress on yourself physically . I’ve no bright ideas on that sorry but you will know what’s best for you . This comes from a 67 yr old with two allotments and some new aches and pains which now enforce a new approach to bending and lifting a lot.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks Michael! It is good to have help, and also good to be able to do the hard work that needs to be done. I tend to only do a bit a day, and try not to be too rough on myself, but no doubt I am slowing down a bit, a trend that will likely continue.

[@foggypatchfarm6048]

Kudos to you for putting lots of thought as to whether to accept sponsorships or not!

[@philandhannahslittlefarm1464]

I'm making this comment separately as its totally different. If you offered an online course on how to manage data and how you track everything you could have people compare notes in different climates and see how your methods translate to other areas. I would definatly sign up for it if I could do it during the winter when i have time!

[@REDGardens]

An online course would be very interesting. It is something I have thought over the years, and I really like the idea of helping to develop a network of people who compare notes. So definitely worth thinking some more about, so thanks. First, I would need to wait until we get an internet connection in this village that is suitably fast enough, which hopefully will be soon.

[@SQ_og]

I got a small bag of boogie brew and made tea.

[@JonD2010]

Just discovered and subscribed to your channel today because I think this video is great and contains great information! I definitely think you should take advantage of some sponsorships; you can be picky and only accept the ones you truly believe in or have experience with and you find they provide a great product/service.

[@REDGardens]

Glad you found my channel, and thanks for your thoughts about sponsorships.

[@birdfood1000]

You are amazing... Thank you for your commitment to stay pure. It's very rare today.

[@robertnoel2363]

Thanks for the wonderful video. As always; i feel like your honesty and down right humble analysis of all the aspects of your project make your channel the absolute best garden series available anywhere. I look forward to evey one of them. Keep up the great work.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks you. It is really great to know that my approach to all of this is appreciated!

[@dollyperry3020]

I'd love to hear more about the tools you use in the garden. I saw a windbreak I'm curious about.

[@REDGardens]

Coincidentally, I think my next video will be about my favourite tools.

[@dollyperry3020]

@@REDGardens I can't wait to learn :)

[@billherrick3569]

Great video as always. I find that a solid wood fence at least 4 foot tall on the windward side of my garden helps to raise the temp. hold moisture and protect plants. We are in zone 3.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks. Sounds like a good option.

[@patrickhannon8372]

A good tool I used for weeding is a palette painting knife, the smallest of them.

[@SlinkyDrinky]

Thanks for the summary, very helpful for eliminating hours of research online.

[@REDGardens]

:)

[@joffreyjames]

Absolutely appreciate your honesty and integrity on the channel. Love your videos and keep up the great work!

[@REDGardens]

Thanks!

[@VanderlyndenJengold]

I liked the camera's wildlife video and I did look up the system as I was intrigued.

[@marzouqhumoud2616]

Surely this is one of the best videos regarding plant protection i have seen with years of experience

[@slipsweep]

Great stuff....just discovered the channel. I love your honesty and would consider taking the commercial subsidies just to help you survive and keep producing your helpful videos.

[@gjpound6219]

It is the first time i have watched your video .It was honest and professional . I will be watching a lot more.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks. Glad you found my channel. Hope you enjoy my other videos.

[@mashari3610]

from Romania , with love and respect for your good work. Thanks for videos.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks, you too in Romania!

[@TylerLukey]

You are awesome. I'd love an update to the biochar, please.

[@boibio3563]

I’ll never not be happy to listen to him speak

[@REDGardens]

:)

[@alvomano9662]

I would like to add that burning wood has a very high environmental impact

[@emmettroche313]

@@alvomano9662 I may be wrong but I do believe making biochar has a low emission burn as it doesn’t burn the carbon in the wood.

[@alisonburgess345]

What a top video! It’s just so enjoyable growing food - this is my ideal content. Loved it. Have a great season Bruce.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks!!!

[@ScottHead]

Fantastic video! I really do appreciate all you do. I'll have to check out your Patreon.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks. And thanks for considering being a patron!

[@tomjones4318]

I got some used heavy poly from a commercial nursery and put it in low stress use. Still full sun just less stretch. Going on ten years now with no sign of failure. Your approach is unique on YT. I like the way your background comes through. Few people know how hard architects(and designers) work for their degree just to be treated so badly. I wish you continued growth and success.

[@REDGardens]

I too am impressed with how long these sheets of plastic can last. My other tunnel has 8 year old plastic on it, even though it was only rated as 4 season plastic, and still in good shape. Thanks for your comments. I am interested to hear that my background as an architect is still apparent!

[@tomjones4318]

@@REDGardens There was something about you when I first saw the channel. Watching you randomly ... or may have been your intro vid I saw you were an architect. That was what I think was familiar about you. I was in a school of architecture as a designer(USA). Took several photography classes in the architecture dept. Really enjoyed how seriously they took their work. Today I ponder nature like you. "Some people can look at a tree and see things nobody else can". The architect teaching a class said that. I miss it. Sorry to go on.

[@REDGardens]

@@tomjones4318 Yeah, I think the architectural education can be a really valuable one, it can allow people to see and engage the world in a very different way.

[@johncourtneidge]

Again, Exceptional! Thank-you!

[@hanorabrennan8846]

I bought in some compost from a local engineering store as opposed to Woodies though the latter costs more but this year, I will revert to the latter. Better safe than sorry like last year.

[@REDGardens]

It seems that sometimes it is worth spending the extra money.

[@doodah9561]

Hey Red..."Cheers" from BC Canada. It was quite a rainy and cool summer last year, and I too had a few failures. Thanks for sharing all of your ups and downs...hoping for a better growing season this year.

[@REDGardens]

Hey there in Canada! Hope you season is better this year!

[@zacharybrown-silverstein5575]

Love your content. I would not think less of you for including sponsorships. I don't think it would detract from the content much.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks for that feedback.

[@UsBanglaVlogs]

I love your videos and I am learning from you.

[@suemar63]

Yay!! Someone with scruples!! Thank you for NOT taking endorsements, etc. It keeps your results honest and believable. I always feel those that take advertising have somehow "sold out', and they lose me as a viewer. You do amazing work there and I'm glad you found one that can help you keep up with it all. Wishing you amazing results in 2020.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks for the comment and support. It is good to get that kind of feedback.

[@peugeotsport5]

I don’t know how you ended up growing vegetables in Ireland Bruce but having watched your videos for nearly two years now I am continually impressed by your focus, attention to detail, scientific approach and desire to share your experiences, positive and negative! Keep up your outstanding work! Best regards from Co Down ☘️👍👨🏻

[@REDGardens]

bri meb Thanks. Glad you like my videos! An Irish woman brought me home with her a couple of decades ago and I stayed. The growing vegetables thing was partially following my interests and a lot of looking at what needed to be done to sort out this world, and figured out how I could make that work with my personality and experiences.

[@tomascoppinger8537]

Thank you...what a really great video. You are showing us all a different view of gardening and life.

[@REDGardens]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@nahblue]

Great video, and it was rewarding to recognize bits and pieces of what you had learned from previous stories from the passed year.

[@REDGardens]

i was wondering how much of it people would recognise!

[@danielbaldwin8871]

You said the carrot variety that you grew was very productive and did well for you. What was that variety so I can try it? Thanks

[@REDGardens]

I should have mentioned it in the video - Autumn King. Hope it works as well for you!

[@musicelfka]

Hi. I just wanted to tell that I realy apreciate your videos. It realy helps me in my amateur garden:). Keep up the good work 👍

[@REDGardens]

Hi there! Thank you for the supportive comment. It means a lot, and best of luck with your own growing.

[@timstewart8690]

Thank you again for interesting comment. Always food for thought! On the subject of green manure, it does work. But, the timing of turning it into the soil is important. When the plants are still tender and not too large is best. Try again?

[@REDGardens]

Yes, I'll definitely try again, though perhaps not in this context. It was the timing that I missed out on, and I was trying to do it in a garden that I am transitioning to no-dig, which added a complication.

[@jimmys60ny]

Since it is a no dig bed then the stalky remnants will add biomass and aeration under the next layer of compost, that is a gift to you that will keep giving for a couple or more years.

[@IlkkaVuoristo]

With regards to the green manures... Laying them on the surface is the most inefficient way to incorporate into the soil. Most people use a machine to shred and/or mix them with the soil, but maybe it's best to use them as compost ingredients. Cutting them off and leaving the roots into the soil (especially legumes) adds a good bit of organic material and nitrogen. Composting them does mean sourcing carbon materials, but that is relatively easy/cheap. That's what I would do with an overgrown green manure if I didn't have (or want to use) a machine. Thank you for your integrity! ps. It's always a surprise how low-tech gardening can be. You can make the hippest thing -- biochar -- with a shovel. And you could dig the pit with a sharp stick!

[@REDGardens]

I agree with what you say about green manures, I learned a lot with that exploration! I also love how low tech gardening can be, and I am realising now that learning the low-tech way to do things first is a good approach, as I then have something to compare with the other more developed to higher tech methods. I also have something to fall back on if the high-tech methods fail!

[@paulweakley3440]

Been watching you for years. I know you probably have rough days.. but watching your videos have gotten me through some of my most stressful. I have worked as a technology consultant for the last 10 years (60/70 hours a week, 300 days a year on the road) to save up to 'pre-retire' and grow vegetables (for my family). I used to live in Chicago where I could only grow in containers, but I knew eventually I would have space to grow a huge garden. I learned so much from you (and other youtube creators) that I feel very comfortable gardening now that I moved out of the city. Thanks for being honest, direct, and truly experimenting with what the internet as to offer in advice. I rank you up there with Charles Dowding (he stole my gardening heart long ago). Any who, I have come up with a way to make a TON of biochar with a fire-ring (commonplace in the US) if you would be interested. My method involved suffocating the fire with mud instead of water - its a mix various of types of methods on youtube.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks for that feedback. It is really wonderful to know that my efforts have helped others! Best of luck with your new growing adventures. The biochar fire ring sounds interesting. Do you place the mud on top of the fire and let it go out over time? Do you think this is better than drenching it with water?

[@paulweakley3440]

​@@REDGardens I've been a gardener for decades so I always been interested in biochar but stayed with compost till recently. Initially I just wanted a firepit to help dispose of several fallen trees on my plot. The space I had to work with was on a hill and not ideal (...later a great benefit). I dug out a circle on the hill, moving dirt from up-hill to downhill to create flat spot for a fire-ring. I dug the fire-ring in (about 4 inches deep) and put some flat stones around it for a fire barrier (about 14 inches worth). Then... after reading about biochar and watching way too many youtube videos... and I think you came to the same conclusion... I realized it was easier than it sounded. I ended up digging the center of the fire-ring pit down about 2 feet more to allow for a bigger capacity and then dug a small tunnel out on the downhill side of the firepit that connected to the bottom of the firepit hole (think reverse chimney, but for air intake). I used some old HVAC ducting metal to give the tunnel some rigidity then started a fire in the bottom of the pit. The method is similar to the cone /pit method but you can incorporate much much larger chunks of wood (I now get free wood delivered from tree companies / the city and just split/burn that). Once the coals reached near the top of the firering (2-3 inches below - it doesn't as long as you think if you keep adding to it constantly via cone/pit method), I cover the whole fire and the intake with a mud/straw mix (think a very wet adobe). You really don't need as think of a layer as you think, you just need to cover all the smoking spots. I'll leave the pit too cool overnight but my theory is it only takes 6-8 hours since the fire-ring / earth act as a heat-sink. I usually get two 55 gl drums worth of biochar or ~80 lbs (took a couple attempts to figure it out, my first run was only one 55 gl drum due to much of the wood being unburnt - I didn't stir the coals enough as I went). In the future, I will probably build a similar setup but with a 55 gl metal drum instead of a fire ring and figuring out a way to access the biochar more easily (I currently just shovel it out - similar to how you flip compost). I think using the suffocation method works the best for 2 reasons. 1. Usability of biochar - I can move it / crush it / sift it / etc more easily when its bone dry. 2. More nutrients / better nutrient retention - I can't prove this, but when I was washing the biochar (which works fine with my setup - the intake acts like a drain so all the water washes out into my garden), so much of the microscopic carbon particles were washing away. I think those are the best part of the char I and want them to be part of the mix when I'm activating the biochar. Also, I think rinsing fills the biochar up with just plain water. I like to use a worm casting tea or watery manure/hay mix when activating biochar. Something about virgin biochar absorbs the 'good stuff' way better than rinsed biochar (rinsed biochar is still great, not trying to knock that stuff).

[@paulweakley3440]

If you are actually curious and wanna see more, I can post some pictures on imgur or something for reference.

[@REDGardens]

@@paulweakley3440 Interesting, it would be cool to see the photos.

[@benjaminbarber2840]

I understand and respect your conviction , personally i dont feel that sponsorship or freebies would somehow undermine your lets say authenticity ( all those its obviously deeper than one word can convey) . There are many content creators that give honest reviews of products ect . Its not selling out ...... Again I understand and respect your current stand at this ( past ) point .

[@deanfuller1702]

I think the cat is being over Fed. Good show.

[@REDGardens]

:)

[@jimmys60ny]

Clearly not feeding itself. Actually probably never taught to hunt as a kitten.

[@ashutoshbhakuni303]

Just discovered your channel from here in India and recommended to my friend in Pennsylvania. I aspire to be a gardner and an agriculture science educator for kids. Your approach of the different types of gardens you have might be a good approach for education, though at a much smaller scale. Have you considered putting up a playlist content for school educators and kids? Not the dumbed down activities or the games which dont involve any farming, but the actual farming work that u do, the data collection, other aspects like soil, diseases, compost, etc that could become a great integrated curriculum. There are probably curricula elsewhere, but none here in India. Also, have you considered making your polyhouse with bamboo, or a dome shaped polyhouse?

[@ryanolufson5313]

Just subscribed, thank you for taking the path less chosen.

[@ginger_wby]

Great update, thanks! And thanks Kristina for getting involved this season ^^ always looking out for your in-depth, well calculated, information filled videos!

[@REDGardens]

Thanks!

[@catdogpigduck]

as usual quality content

[@REDGardens]

:)

[@alexanderbuchler3265]

thank you

[@kyleatudub]

I would love to see a dedicated video about your lowtech biochare pit!!! This may possibly be one of the lowest cost, highest return on investment, soil amendment! I do understand that it takes time to innoculate it, but chickens, rabbits, etc are easy. THANKS!

[@REDGardens]

I did one - kzbin.info/www/bejne/oovPe4albbeBd7s

[@PermaPen]

I've been thinking about green manures and compost, since my problem is a lack of green biomass. I will try to grow a mixed cover crop over winter and spring, and cut it for the compost pile rather than using it as mulch (which seemed just to give shelter to slugs). I grow microgreens in a cold frame on my terrace over winter - they're the best!

[@REDGardens]

Sounds good. I am trying to move towards always having something growing in the garden soil, preferably something that is easily removed or turned in, in order to continually build up biomass as you suggest. Yes, microgreens are great. What types do you grow?

[@PermaPen]

@@REDGardens Constant roots, yes indeed - I like 'I AM ORGANIC GARDENING's videos on that topic. I'm growing just peas, broccoli and sunflower microgreens at the moment for me, but vaguely thinking about the commercial possibilities locally.

[@PermaPen]

@@REDGardens This looks interesting re designing for biomass: permaculturenews.org/2016/05/27/perennial-polycultures-the-biomass-belt-fertility-without-manure/

[@IceBullit]

I tried the wire weeder, they work great!

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, I also really like them.

[@BostonBonsaiIdiot]

Thanks so much for all your hard work. It's been a pleasure to watch.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks.

[@LittlePetieWheat]

Whilst humidity is a key factor with the spread of downy mildew on onions (especially watering the leaves), I also think too much nitrogen can make them more susceptible to the disease. The high nitrogen, in say chicken pellets, makes for too much lush (soft) growth. I think fertilizing with a more balanced fertilizer gives a better result (e.g. fish blood and bone).

[@REDGardens]

LittlePetieWheat Yes, an imbalance in fertility was probably a factor, though I didn’t notice a correlation among the different gardens with different levels of fertility. Something I need to keep a closer eye on next season.

[@Togher01]

Plastics are very useful, the problem with plastics is single-use plastics. Plastics that have a long shelf life or are medical are a necessary evil. Thank you for being so honest about your work/content. If a product seems good enough for you and feels right I have no problem with red gardens being sponsored. Keep up the good work.

[@REDGardens]

I agree with you about the plastics, and thanks for the useful feedback about sponsorship.

[@allonesame6467]

Bravo, Kevin! The name is Red Gardens afterall. Fist Bump!

[@Filosofodeboteco2000]

nice work, im learning a lot!

[@TheSauronchik]

That wild life camera was a great addition to your channel) Plus its a bit useful. Cheers and good luck!

[@REDGardens]

TheSauronchik It had been quite useful!

[@priayief]

Another interesting video. Regarding that biochar thing ... I hope you do some sort of evaluation as to whether it is worth your time and effort. I haven't found anything that objectively shows the use of biochar is beneficial for anything but barren soil. Cheers.

[@REDGardens]

Yes, it is something that I am planning to do, but haven't got around to it yet.

[@SOIV1000]

Great video as always! 👍🏻

[@REDGardens]

:)

[@VagabondAnne]

I love this channel. Honestly I think you should *solicit* sponsors specifically in order to provide thorough reviews to your viewers. I would love, for instance, for someone to do a good trial of copper/bronze tools for slug control (PKS Bronze). I first heard about them from Charles Dowding, although I notice he doesn't use them much. I bought a cheap copper trowel on Amazon (because I live in California and the good ones come from Austria) to see if it would make a difference in my small home garden. I used it for a little while, and finally it bent and became useless (because it was cheap from Amazon!), and I just forgot about it. Until now, when I mysteriously cannot find any slugs in my garden. We have had slugs for 40 years, or as long as we have lived here. Normally any lettuce I grow gets devoured by slugs, and now I have gorgeous, slug-fee lettuce. But this is just my little backyard garden, and a real trial isn't possible here. Anyhoo, I encourage you to solicit sponsors in order to help your viewers save money on tools they don't need, that's my two cents. I might actually buy one of those wildlife cameras, now that I think about it...

[@jimmys60ny]

Read about slug deterance in the RHS long term study. Turns out they have been around so long because they are extremely resilient little creatures and they do get rid of a lot of rubbish that may be even worse than them. I often wonder if they tasted anything like escargot, we could export them by the ton to France if so.

[@VagabondAnne]

@@jimmys60ny Slugs are actually toxic to humans! People have died from eating them. Ducks and chickens don't have any problem, but they are bad for us. Escargot are a different story, they can actually guard against breast cancer when included in the diet.

[@jimmys60ny]

@@VagabondAnne slugs per se are not poisonous to humans, however they can carry guests which have been known to cause rats lung in humans. Also they can have in their digestive tract poison from plants which does not harm them but wouldn't be pleasant for humans. Snails which are to be eaten by us are fed on safe materials for a number of days before consumption. For clarity I was joking about slug consumption. Just my evil mind trying to think of fitting retribution. 😁 Did you read the RHS paper?

[@VagabondAnne]

@@jimmys60ny no, do you have a link?

[@VagabondAnne]

For what it's worth, this video shows a cheap way to try out this idea. This year I am building copper pipe trellises to distribute throughout my garden, both to maintain this situation and just for beauty. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJmrp61urLyllaM

[@danielfisch655]

Thank you for the information, motivation and education.

[@REDGardens]

:)

[@joshmann7587]

Theres no need to trun down products as long as you give them an honest review. If someone wants to give you a free tool that you can try and give your honest verdict on it, i can see no problem with that myself.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks for the feedback from both @Josh Mann and @Nobody here but us Chaotic Neutral chickens - my own thoughts go back and forth between the two, but have settled for now on not reviewing things.

[@AtheistEve]

LOL at that cat at the end, not earning its keep. Or maybe he’s vegan?

[@pansepot1490]

definitely vegan. Why else would he/she be scavenging on a pile of vegetable material?

[@AtheistEve]

Pat Pezzi Cats love peas. Well, my old cat did. And I had another who loved melon. And another that went for olives.

[@Logiwonk]

Cat did the math, one cat vs 2 rats is not good odds

[@REDGardens]

HaHa

[@Gandalf-The-Green]

Maybe the cat thought: "nah, my chances are less than purrfect"

[@mmccrownus2406]

what is that very large carrot you found tasted great? Thanks

[@jimmys60ny]

Some considerations for me from this video. 1. Must make twin wall cloches. 2 must plant carrots further apart and keep clear of weeds. Autumn King gotcha. 3. Stop feeding my cat so much so that it will hunt down its own food 4. Encourage you to accept sponsorship. We trust in your personal integrity to do it the correct way for your benefit and our enlightenment. 5. Put squash u der fleece for A while after planting out. Thanks, I never thought of any of those things before.

[@REDGardens]

jimmys60ny Interesting list, and I appreciate number 4 - something to think about.

[@PKSkeith]

just take sponsors that have absolutely nothing to do with what you're doing. like office chairs. "As you can see the wheels don't do well around the plots, but they can comfortably seat six cabbages." But yeah I like the honesty, and the numbers you provide to back things up. it's very interesting.

[@REDGardens]

That would eb a good way to approach it.

[@MeandYouHello]

Thanks for sharing

[@REDGardens]

:)

[@kdegraa]

Do the buckets of water next to plants have a noticeable effect at moderating temperature close to the plants?

[@HelenRullesteg]

Those mice would have been very dead mice/rats if my cat had been around ;-)) - I always enjoy your videos, successes and failures and your analytical approach to issues e.g. the polytunnel calculation.

[@REDGardens]

I’d expect the same with most cats, and not sure what was up with this one! Thanks for the supportive comment, it is good to know that people appreciate how I approach all of this.

[@sherreenations5275]

What variety of carrots were those..been looking for one like that?

[@michaelhua5484]

Does anyone have an ID or know the size of those watering cans? Around the 4:10 mark. Really like the idea of using 2

[@jcoakley4627]

Great content thanks. Where do you buy your bulk compost . John, Co Kerry

[@REDGardens]

Thanks. This compost is from www.enrich.ie but I get it through a local supplier in Roscrea. i want to give www.envirogardenandhome.com/collections/topsoil-compost a try as it has been recommended to me, and seems to be more refined and suitable for vegetable growing, but it is a lot more expensive.

[@josephinehenry8236]

New sub, I like your style

[@REDGardens]

Yay! Thank you!

[@alanoneill9961]

Hi if only i found this video a year ago lol.. the frost came this week in the west of Ireland damaging a lot of my potato. any recommendations on what to do now?? Thanx in advance

[@REDGardens]

Sorry to hear that. It was a hard frost for two nights, even burnt the leaves of some my potato plants under cover. Not much you can do about it now. Te plants will likely regrow, but own produce as much, depending on how much damage there was.

[@RYKOWISKOpolskieostresosy]

Great video, what about your own Rye?

[@REDGardens]

I’d love to try. Perhaps this season.

[@sc-mh3jj]

great video as always. any damage from the storm?

[@REDGardens]

sc Thanks. No damage so far.

[@Andersp90]

How big are the pots you use to propagate winter squash and courgettes? 1 liter? And when do you start them?

[@REDGardens]

They are about 1L, though haven't measured them, and I usually start them around the beginning of May.

[@Andersp90]

@@REDGardens and when do you transplant?

[@lukeplunkett3768]

How do you track/forecast the evening temperature with precision? Do you have an alert system?

[@REDGardens]

I keep a close eye on the weather forecast.

[@jettyeddie_m9130]

Why does it seem Like you film your videos sentence by sentence 🤣🤣, I still love your garden and videos man 🤠🙌

[@UniqAssassin]

13 + 2 = 15 things learned

[@mattmorgan2525]

Nothing gets past you, eh?

[@REDGardens]

Koen Hazendonk HaHa. Unfortunately I already used that the title “15 things I learned ... “ last year.

[@ferretman511]

What courses do you offer?

[@REDGardens]

At the moment I am only teaching modules in permaculture courses run by other people in my community, and occasional group tours. I used to run dedicated courses a few years ago but they didn't work out very well. I am a bit hesitant to start again, but it is something that I think would be good to do, perhaps later in the spring/summer.

[@bonniepoole1095]

Does watering the leaves encourage mold and mildew?

[@REDGardens]

Apparently it does. Or more accurately, the spores need moisture on the leaves to grow, but I suspect even just a bit of dew or condensation would be enough, and we get that most mornings/days here in Ireland.

[@TheZenytram]

i think you should accept some sponsor and active the ads from start to help with the channel, i wouldn't mind at all it. if the content is first class like yours is, a sponsor here and there wouldnt make the viewers made. in my case i would like to see cuz it would show as a sign of your grow as a "youtuber" and a lot of ppl would feel that way i guess.

[@ashleyhavoc1940]

Liked and commented for algorithm.

[@REDGardens]

Replied

[@AMonikaD]

Hi - where do I look for horticultural fleece? Thanks!

[@REDGardens]

Lots of places sell it. I think I got this stuff from quickcrop.ie

[@aenorist2431]

Now heres a thing ... mount that wire weeder (or a few variations) on a broom handle. Just a drilled hole and some epoxy. Bam, you can now weed standing up, unbent, like with a colinear hoe. Wonders for the back as well as being much quicker, saving the bending over-up-moving process.

[@REDGardens]

I was thinking the same thing. Actually, it was a very similar idea that I saw at www.neversinktools.com/products/pacifist-6 that reminded me about the hammered wire trick.

[@blackhellebore89]

I've seen just this exact thing here on a gardening course in NZ. As a new gardener its exciting that something so simple, cheap and easy to make is effective, it means more money for fruit trees!

[@menace845]

looking for an intern for room and board?