Don't Make These 5 Food Gardening Mistakes!

In this video, I give you 5 gardening mistakes not to make in your fruit and vegetable garden when growing your own food.
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Self Sufficient Me is based on our small 3-acre property/homestead in SE Queensland Australia about 45kms north of Brisbane - the climate is subtropical (similar to Florida). I started Self Sufficient Me in 2011 as a blog website project where I document and write about backyard food growing, self-sufficiency, and urban farming in general. I love sharing my foodie and DIY adventures online so come along with me and let's get into it! Cheers, Mark :) #gardening #vegetables #fruit
*Disclaimer: Some links to products in this description and comments sections are affiliated, meaning, I receive a small commission if you follow these links and then purchase an item. I will always declare in a video if the video is sponsored and so far since starting my channel in 2011, I am yet to do a sponsored video.

[@craigandsnowwadam4511]

Gawd ,..I love this man !! He gets to the point ,..and he’s NOT afraid to talk about his mistakes!! Your my hero !!

[@robertgoss4842]

Well said!

[@dholmes3307]

Biggest mistake I have made starting a garden and so on, now going into my third year is this: Trying to do too much at one time. It's real easy to plant way more than you can care for and then feeling miserable because it all goes to weeds or whatever. A dozen good producing tomatoes will make plenty for you to eat, you don't need 48 or whatever. 20 feet of salad will grow more than a person can reasonably eat. Also, make friends, give away food, make that a part of your ministry of life.

[@psisky]

I like to grow loads of tomatoes because I keep empty jars and it's great knowing you can open a jar of your summer tomatoes in the middle of winter and they're fresh as when you picked them. I still have a jar from last year. Will use it to spread on pizza.

[@galacticyolo]

this is where canning/prepping comes in to play! 😊 making shelf stable food that lasts 15+ years 🫶

[@llillian4055]

The "make friends" is the key to long term gardening, because sooner or later you may want to take a holiday and need to have someone look after the gardens for a while ...

[@iloname5007]

Absolutely, it was my lesson too

[@braria9855]

@@psisky Do you put them in jars literally fresh just like that and they survive till winter? Or do you actually dry them or somehow process them?

[@ohiogardener4019]

Experience from the mistakes I have made in the past 7 decades of farming & gardening has been invaluable in my current day gardening. As I've aged, raised beds are not a luxury, but a necessity. They allow me to grow enough vegetables for our year-around needs. If one person benefits from your sharing your mistakes, it was worth it.

[@johnslugger]

I have a bad back after 30 years as a contractor so a raised bed makes growing and tending to a garden so easy since the soil is level with my center mass so NO MORE BACK BREAKING BENDING down or dirty kneeling. I can do twice the work with 1/10 the effort.

[@bbygrl2812]

@@johnslugger same here. I love the time spent in my raised beds. My back problems prevent me from growing the large gardens used to but I can plant, tend and harvest my small gardens so much easier. I do have to hire my neighbor boys to turn them over for me. I need to find an answer to that so I could avoid having to ask for help with that part.

[@johnslugger]

@@bbygrl2812 I finally gave up soil and just went to a raised Hydro garden. Twice the yield and water is easy to pump up hill and run down hill so I only need to move 20 LB tanks when empty. The learning curve is hard on hydro and I almost gave up. Two things i learned the hard way is #1. Water and Sunlight don't mix!! Water must stay BLACKED OUT or algae grows on roots. #2. Water needs to stay cool and kept moving! Pumping air and water into the root system is a must! Hydro can't work if the water is stagnant. Best basic fertilizer is 1/3 magnesium Sulfate and 2/3 Calcium Nitrate plus all the other trace minerals plants love. If water becomes too Acid add more Cal/Nit and if water gets too Basic add more Mag/Sulfate AND you don't need much! 99.98% water. Under the plant boxes I have 300 Gallon tanks filled with Tilapia fish which gives me even MORE free Nitrates and fertilizer. For tanks I use 55 gallon drums cut in half with 1.5" PVC drain pipe and each connected to a pumping line from the bottom tanks in the cool shade of the top tanks. using 8000 gallons of water to grow 5000 pounds of Veg and Melons. Drums painted black (oil based paint on outside). It beats the HELL out of using soil but BOY it takes practice. Watch a lot of videos before you start!!!!

[@bbygrl2812]

@@johnslugger ty so much. I sure will.

[@theHOAmestead]

Same here! Where I live is basically 8 inches of top soil on top of solid limestone, so growing in the ground isn't even feasible.

[@SingleWingAcademy]

I appreciate both the confidence and humility it takes to show the whole world your mistakes and the lessons you've learned so that we can all benefit from them

[@BryceDixonDev]

I often say: the difference between a beginner and a master is how they handle mistakes. A beginner doesn't want to acknowledge their mistakes because they're embarrassing, while a master analyzes them and ensures they and others can learn from them.

[@zk.13]

No mark filming wasn't a mistake Thank you for sharing

[@simplesimon755]

Thank you for sharing your past mistakes. As a person in his mid-50's now and just starting to get into gardening I could use all the hindsight lessons I can get without having to experience them myself. You actually covered a couple of the ideas I had for my own gardening plans. I'm sure you saved me a lot of frustration. Thanks again!

[@seang2424]

Same here good luck from france

[@simplesimon755]

@@seang2424 And good luck to you too, from Texas, USA.

[@leagreenall5972]

Yeah mate, 50+ here too, first time food grower/gardener in Tasmania.... nervous as all hell as I'm not the greenest thumb.... so I'm like a sponge at moment watching and learning as much as I can before I take it out into the yard :) Good luck bro...

[@simplesimon755]

@@leagreenall5972 I don't think I was nervous about it until I started to realize how much there is to know. Still, once it warms up here I'm going to get to planting and hopefully will remember to keep it simple like Mark said. Good luck, Lea

[@leagreenall5972]

@@simplesimon755 I'm just a simple bloke... a grizzled biker.... I shouldnt be nervous, but I am :P Thanks for the best wishes and good luck to you too mate :)

[@rickobrien1583]

On your avocado mounds have you considered growing alfalfa instead of letting weeds in? I've had great luck with that because they fix nitrogen as well as being great erosion preventers.

[@comfortablynumb9342]

Great idea. I know people use alfalfa for a cover crop for veggies. Trees should like it too. There are some small species of peanut that make great ground cover and they fix nitrogen. I know people who use it for a lawn in Costa Rica. They cut it a few times a year and the wise ones leave it. It can choke out grass and weeds too. The peanuts are small and not useful from that variety but there are other kinds. Regular peanut would probably be very good around trees.

[@lunah5668]

You can grow cloves that is very good

[@JoseFlores-pi6pn]

How to grow avocado from seed

[@danielbermingrud3655]

@@JoseFlores-pi6pn You also should know about " Grow true from seed " read about it, many plants as trees dont grow true from seed wich means the fruit wont taste the same as the mother tree, or even taste edible, also google helps alot when it comes to fast and decent information about such search, really hard to find false pages with bad info if you keep ur keywords clean while searching^^ sorry for bad grammar and hope it helps.

[@candicecrawford2996]

So many cover crop options. 🙏

[@DanielNavetta1]

Avocados are great in clay soil when you live in a dry climate. It never reaches saturation because there is never enough rain. The clay keeps the irrigated water longer than other soils, so its more efficient that way.

[@howtogrowdragonfruitplant7849]

The leaning trellis of dragon fruit :-) haha

[@lvee7569]

Such a fun video Mark! My top mistakes starting out were (a) digging the soil in my raised beds. Charles Dowding has converted me to no-dig and the soil is way better and more productive (b) putting in irrigation. An expensive waste of time, eventually it just gets blocked and is more trouble than it's worth. Hand watering for me now, so relaxing too (c) trying to grow veggies in pots that were too small, they will never thrive (d) planting veg in beds that didn't get enough sun (e) using horse manure from a roadside stand on my veggie beds, contaminating them with herbicide 😣. I recently put in eight big Birdies beds. These are awesome, though I've already run out of space. Might have to bulldoze the house soon to make more room for my veggies.

[@diananutt1517]

@L Vee. 🍀🌿🐝🫑🐞🌲🌲 Yours was a very helpful comment, too! Does digging in the veggie bed disturb microbes or what? I read an article in an Organic Gardening magazine a while back that advised against that, too, but I read it too fast on the run. Don't get too hasty and bulldoze your house!! You'll need that bedroom on one of those days when you get carried away planting and the mosquitoes have to chase you in!❣️

[@lvee7569]

@@diananutt1517 yes, digging the soil regularly disturbs the soil ecosystem. Charles Dowding on KZbin has some great videos on no dig gardening. He has done trials over 10 years comparing dig and no dig methods, which confirm no dig is more productive.

[@diananutt1517]

@@lvee7569 🌿🐝🍀🐞🌲 Thank you so much for sharing this with everyone! I started my own as a newlywed in the 70's with a Rodale garden book and magazines and never heard about avoiding plowing/digging til I read the article and saw your comment. Mark doesn't seem to disturb the established raised beds either, but I hadn't heard him mention that was deliberate. I'll definitely watch Mr. Dowding's videos. Thanks again for what is surely a key to successful results!!

[@lindasands1433]

😂🤣😂 Do you have a bulldozer or would you hire it? 🤣😂

[@bayyinahmuhammad6627]

That last statement made me almost lose my breakfast with laughter 🤣.

[@valhallaproject9560]

In my experience mistakes are better teachers than successes. Excellent video.

[@EllyinAdelaide]

Listening to Queenslanders talk about issues with pouring rain… *cries in South Australian*

[@SuperWhatapain]

Lol and Florida, USA

[@storedaway]

I love when people share their mistakes, and how they have learned from them. Part of the reason I really enjoy your channel.

[@Beautifulhousewifesstyle]

Great tips Mark. We love your advice.

[@pplusbthrust]

Sorry for the excess heat over there Mark. It's 'wintah' over here in California and we're freezing cold. Geez.

[@kasession]

Yeah? How cold? It's 10 degrees farenheit here in southern NY. 😀

[@freespirit1411]

Your Qld humidity has ventured into Victoria the past week or so. We are sending it back with love! 😆 Love your videos, keep them going. Always get something from them 👍

[@SuperWhatapain]

Hahahaha Florida, USA understands humidity !!!😰

[@lisam5744]

I'm 53 and raised beds/container gardening is so much easier on my body. I recommend it. Plus you can grow a lot more in a small area than you think!

[@joemccall8991]

As a 50-something who has been gardening for a couple of decades as well these are (unsurprisingly, coming from Mark) all great tips. When first starting out, new gardeners don't always think about what those tiny little seedlings are capable of becoming in one season or ten years. Planning ahead for a four-meter tall/wide fruit tree when it's small enough to hold in your hand isn't always on the minds of new growers excited to be working in the soil. I would add to the list, which Mark alluded to with fruit trees and has other videos about, is that happy soil makes happy plants. One of the most common mistakes I've seen is new growers make is buying "miracle" soils or trying to grow in existing hard clays. Some plants may be fine but the best advice I offer is to build up your ecosystem and think of the soil as the foundation. Treat it right, nurture it, and you will be rewarded.

[@FloridaGirl-]

Agree 100% 👍 That’s a green thumbs up from ke!!

[@jakobbull5454]

Good comment 👍 I am one of the new to gardening and growing fruit trees people and have started a small orchid (with plenty of mistakes I'm sure I'm yet to find), I did look into the soil I have and its about 300mm of soil then clay. during summer it all cracks up and drys out into bricks but I don't have anywhere near enough water to keep it moist and good for growing in how do people improve their soil and ecosystem with out spending thousands on compost or manure every year? (I have about 100x50 meter orchid).

[@larryadams458]

Great comments. I've been bed gardening for about a decade now and still make mistakes and still suffer from some epic fails I made back in the day.

[@tarnr5713]

@@jakobbull5454 I have learnt that even if you can afford the trucked n compost, it is a gradual accumulation of goodness over years that makes great soil and it can be achieved relatively cheaply if you are resourceful - a blanket of autumn leaves spread over to put the garden to bed in winter, applications of scavenged seaweed, grass clippings, choppped and dropped weeds/thinnings, guilds of beneficial plants in the understory of the orchard, and of course as much homemade compost as you can make :)

[@trovelemmanuel5627]

Agreed

[@Titus-as-the-Roman]

This subject is the whole reason I started watching. Only then you had just a few thousand Subscribers. If quick enough I could get a question in. Congrat's on your channel success.

[@DwightHayles]

A sequel to this video would be a highly viewed production piece Mark. As we all know - we make a TON of mistakes gardening - - gardening in general is a series of mistake after mistake - with the successes coming from - avoiding/overcoming the same mistakes we make the year prior. Thanks - keep up the awesome work.

[@yvonnemoore8799]

It is always fun to learn from you. Even though I don't grow tropicals, I always learn something. Because I have limited growing space I use a lot of grow bags and there is nothing better than dumping the whole thing upside down and picking out the potatoes.

[@diananutt1517]

🌿🐝🐞🫑🌽🍀🌲 Great potato idea, Yvonne❣️ I'll have to see what these grow bags are! You've saved a lot of digging and missing those potatoes that hide❣️

[@madcatjo]

I love unexpected "KZbinr crossovers": where a favourite KZbin mentions another favourite. 👍

[@j.b.6855]

Been there, done that for most of the mistakes. The only one I didn't do is the in ground. I started out (large) container gardening. One mistake I will add is putting off starting composting. As soon as you plant your first plant you should start making compost and in the fall leaf mold.

[@gomezaddams6470]

Even without a garden you should have compost piles for all of your compostable waste. That way you're constantly making nutrients instead of sending it to a landfill. That way if and when you get a garden you already have nice compost. Or you can give it to friends as a gift! A well-thought-of worked on gift!

[@Phahel7]

We don't have many deciduous trees over here so leaf mould is more on a northern hemisphere thing from what I gather

[@ArDeeMee]

I just filled up my first ever raised bed, and that meant moving almost a cubic meter of matter. Since I really don‘t feel like lobbing about massive piles of compost, I made a little „bin“ from rodent-proof wire (we got tons of mice eating everything) and set it in the middle of the bed. In-bed composting is the name, and I‘ll see how it goes. When the bin is full you stop putting in new matter for a few weeks, so having one bin in each bed simplifies composting significantly. I just have the one bed, for now, so our classic composter remains in use.

[@mffmoniz2948]

Composting is fantastic. Check what can be added. Too much of just one or two things is not ideal. Make use of all the green matter you have. Use the peels from vegetables and fruit as well, no need to put those in the trash. Or give them to the chickens. Raised beds are easier to manage and maintain. We had a plot that was always getting full of weeds. We divided it into some raised beds and wide paths. Now the weeds can grow in the paths and help the nice bugs. You don't really lose that much planting space, because it will be better used. Higher raised beds seems really nice. Our backs would love them.

[@j.b.6855]

@@mffmoniz2948 I mainly do container gardening because of a buried petroleum pipeline under the back part my backyard. That being said I will be starting Comfrey this year nearer to the house as fodder for my compost. I put in any plant material I have. The problem is that its just me and the wife. So I dont make enough for my garden.

[@gregchambers1870]

As an army dude myself, sitting here at work watching your videos. It's really cool cause I love your energy and your passion for gardening. You woulda been awesome to work with

[@slimtattooz7125]

New here, one of the greatest channels I've come across 👍

[@danscrazyadventures4398]

Great video mate

[@mariannesouza8326]

The keyhole adjustment was brilliant! I love the sound of the birds. 👍

[@LeeLee-mg2jv]

I've made the same mistakes in my gardening life. I got away from most tilling by placing a layer of 6 ml black sheet plastic over garden in our fall season, then the earthworms, mice and voles tunnel, dig and loosen my clay soil to the point that in the spring I can dig 4 inches with my hands and any surviving weed roots can be easily pulled. Lee in Pennsylvania.

[@merrydavis3227]

You have clay, I have sand - couldn't have anything if I didn't compost.

[@elisabethsiegmund6097]

Great channel. Thank you for passing on your knowledge.

[@kathrynmettelka7216]

The theme of this video is "Don't hurt your back." Unfortunately for us, backs are badly engineered, especially lower backs.

[@jaydeebulje4493]

I like how he discusses soil. Soil is critical and a lot of these videos don't mention it. Some soils just do not support certain fruit and vege and he has talked about this with the Avos. Bees are critical too. I've seen people have the best soil, garden beds, seedlings, food, water, but no bees, no bees means no food ( or wine ) as grapes are self pollinating but the secondary crops that provide nourishment have to be pollinated. This is a good tutorial

[@mffmoniz2948]

Our garden improved a lot since we started to add flowers for the bees and the ladybugs and all the others that also come along. Another thing is to leave patches of wild flowers, leaves and branches undisturbed all year round. This provides shelter for those nice insects. Yes, you'll have some of the bad ones too. But we find that if we allow for a mini-balanced system, they take care on their own. Now we always have lots of insects in the garden. The bees especially are very busy. Wild bees and the regular ones too. To create shelter for the wild bees is very easy. Those insect hotels can be hand-made if you have natural materials available. Just put it in a place with sun. If you can add some rain protection, even better. I love to be in the garden and watching the bees coming and going.

[@glynstorer3269]

I had the same problem with my kidney beans put them on canes bad mistake the wind took my canes over this season I putting a vertical trellis fixed to my raise bed

[@jillhumphrys8073]

Except for the time lost, I love learning from my mistakes. If I'm not sure how build something or grow something, just start somewhere and I'll figure out what to and not to do soon enough. Trial and error are good teachers. So far, my 4 beds of carrots are still alive a kicking through this Arkansas winter.i even pulled one about the of your thumb last week! Can't wait for an early harvest in spring! Just gotta keep them covered!

[@catracampolieto8989]

I tried container gardens in 2020. Didn't grow much. So in the fall of 2020 I decided to build raised garden beds, add soil and manure. My 2021 garden did fantastic. I'm hopeful 2022 will be the same or better. Enjoy watching your videos. Your always full of information. Cheers.

[@daveweaston287]

Great video, brother!! Even in the heat and humidity. Love the native birds in your videos.

[@bigbyron7695]

I will we’ll use this info, thanks mark.

[@annfairfax9797]

I have just bought a little 30 acre farm and am educating myself in how to be self sufficient by watching your incredible videos. Thank you VERY much. 👍👍👍💞

[@StanHowse]

30 acres, little?? Can I help!? Where you at?

[@mousiebrown1747]

Lol! 30 acres ain’t so little! Enjoy!

[@annfairfax9797]

@@mousiebrown1747 haha! I guess it comes down to what you use the farm for and the fertility of the soil. I grew up on a 4000 acre property in Central Qld. Hereford cattle. My little farm is tiny by comparison. 😘

[@mousiebrown1747]

@@annfairfax9797 Very best wishes for your personal-size farm! Lol! 😊

[@Cecibug1]

I haven't watched your vids in a long time, since I haven't been gardening any more. Iv had some tough things going on in life. But I realized how much I miss the content, and your personality. Im motivated to start planting this spring!

[@janehoward7108]

You're my favorite gardener so far-love your honesty and the way you explain things. Thankyou from Canada.

[@TheDisneylover23]

Thank you for all the great tips! I’m 52 and getting ready to move to where I can have a garden. I want to be out in the middle of the country, just me and my plants.

[@andreac.6164]

Absolutely! As a 52 yo and gardening for 30 years, so many transformations. Thanks for mentioning the aging Gardner. Good to be puttering around in the dirt for another 30 years!

[@Mr24812481]

Who is mowing your lawn...wish I had a dedicated individual like that😁bless her soul

[@jeepdriver7603]

Sometimes when people share their mistakes it is more instructive than talking about their successes. Thank you.

[@charmainemrtnz]

Nice to see you Mark! Thanks for the tips!

[@mousiebrown1747]

I enjoy both you & Kevin for your sensible good advice. Good team, mate! Yeah, I’m bashed up too, shoulders & knees - but dirt under my fingernails is great medicine for whatever ails you! At this point, I can only afford grow bag gardening, but I can try to do that sitting on a chair or other seat. I’m in a piney woods area about 30 miles north of Lake Pontchartrain and 50 miles north of New Orleans, Louisiana (US zone 8 b) and most of your recommendations will grow here.

[@JenMetalMajesty]

I love your videos. I live in central Canada so I can't do much with avocados and dragon fruit but most of your knowledge is easily transferable and greatly appreciated!

[@joshlovegood9392]

Great to see you talking about No Till mate! Totally agree with you. I'm sure you already know of him but Charles Dowding is a wealth of knowledge in that area. Keep the videos coming legend!

[@10barnaby1]

Mark I just love your channel. I don't know anything about gardening but it's a balm for the soul just to watch, in these crazy times, so thanks, from NZ.

[@madmaxaussie]

Again Nailed it Mate. Love this video. I literally made all 5 would you believe?

[@SuperWhatapain]

Good job!👍👍👍😝😝 joking. I've only made one because I'm not growing much

[@thomaskardosh5920]

Really appreciate the time you take to explain your gardening with examples!

[@antdeegaming]

Can’t wait for warmer weather here in the northern hemisphere so I can get back to gardening. I didn’t grow much this winter but I’m excited to get back to it.

[@lilli1259]

You have a beautiful garden 🪴 I could imagine all the beautiful plants and fruits trees could spend the whole day just looking at the fruit growing in garden ❤it!!

[@aurora6988]

This hit me at SUCH PERFECT timing - I was officially planning on making raised garden beds and I wanted to know how you built yours/ what materials you used! Thank you so much! I'm super excited to get started! : )

[@zwekabin1462]

good luck

[@chrissharr1804]

Thanks for the tips! I tried growing straight in to the ground and found that just under the topsoil was nothing but rocks and coal fragments mixed with some clay. The town I live in was a coal mining town many moons ago. Nothing would grow. If it wasn't for you, I never would have found the Birdies beds. They have made my life a lot easier.

[@zacgoad1507]

The layers of dirt, cloth, gravel, more dirt, then grass for all the drainage is brilliant.

[@adrianfernandopulle9674]

Good advise. This should be called Home Gardening 101

[@mylesadams1662]

that huge mound for the avocados where your concerned about soil erosion looks like a perfect candidate for "vetiver grass" they use it mainly for that very reason in farming overseas in really mountainous areas to stop the soil from eroding.there cool videos on here about it. :)

[@RoyHolder]

Thanks Mark, you started me on raised garden beds and now I even have a Birdie's bed as well, cheers! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@nilkilnilkil]

Vegetables are awesome! Spread the word!

[@bigbadbamboo1]

I'm in a wheelchair, powerchair. Man do I get stuck. I'm using containers and started 2 rows in the ground this season. We have good 3 feet deep top soil and then brown sandy loam. Container growing is expensive so my Jamaican wife is working the rows and I'm on containers but their a lot of work. Next season were making raised beds. Its therapeutic for me with PTSD and the wounds that limit my movement. I'm following you hoping to be as successful as you. Blessings

[@cedbanani]

Thank you for the info, Mark. I made Mistake #4, but with vegetables instead of fruit trees. I also made the mistake of planting too many carrot seeds in one raised bed. Even though the carrots grew, they were not as big as they could have been because the carrots were competing with each other for space and nutrients.

[@robertshiell887]

Gotta thin them out

[@cedbanani]

@@robertshiell887 Thanks.

[@realbroggo]

Another great video. I've been gardening for about 40 years now and I still learn stuff from you. For food crops I agree 100% with raised garden beds - 1) easier on the body with less bending. 2) you choose the soil mixture in the beds without having to care for the onsite soil (which is often rubbish anyway) which equates to better cropping. 3) much better drainage as most plants don't like sitting in wet soil. By using raised beds and getting better results you will be motivated to keep going and enjoying home grown produce!!

[@KimoyaFTW]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@sheryld1038]

Awesome,thanks!

[@richardcruz102]

It's awesome to see how well you recovered from the firestorm a couple years back I could only dream of having a Garden of Eden like the one you created all those exotic ( exotic to me) fruits & delicious vegetables. I have enjoyed watching all your videos thank you

[@BonnyCroft]

We have just invested in three large birdies beds, really looking forward to starting to use them.

[@deborahramsey7351]

Fun to watch! Thank you!

[@OAPerez40]

Great information! Thank you for taking the time and effort to educate us!

[@christinej2358]

This video was perfect timing. I am planning my new lay out for my garden and had big square sections planned. I never thought about how difficult it will be to weed in middle of the large square section. I’m changing my garden section layout plan. Thank you for sharing what didn’t work well so we can rethink our Spring gardens. I know all your tips help me. Thank you!

[@mffmoniz2948]

Most of our raised beds are rectangular. There is one that is a square and the middle is really annoying...

[@justkerry173]

I'm having a go at growing my first foods. A bit late in the season (SA) but my Tomatoes and Chillis are doing well and the Zucchini seems to be taking off 🤞Hopefully, I haven't left it too late. You're right about directly in the garden though, too hard on the old body, next season raised beds! Thanks for all of the hints and tips.

[@kasession]

IMO, there's no such thing as 'too late'. God, in his infinite wisdom, has planned it so there is always something that can be grown, no matter what season. I'm learning that as I started a community garden last year in our early fall season (North East US). I got feedback that said it was the end of the growing season. God said different. I started with pots and. vegetables that grow in the fall. The harvest was small, but I learned a lot. Do your own research. The internet, and this channel, are a great resource.

[@Swanlite7]

Great advice! Thanks!

[@Jazzgirlaust]

Great advice!

[@taylaraymond2071]

I love watching your videos honestly they make my day, and being Australian it helps knowing your climate is similar to mine plus this video saved me from making a garden bed out of old wood on clay grounds THANK YOUUU!

[@Doc1855]

We bought 1/2 of a Mtn so we had to build retaining walls and and raised beds on top of them. It’s turned out very well. One one section of our land is flat so we planted a peach tree, 3 apple trees, and 3 cherry trees. Next spring we’ll plant 2 Elderberry trees.

[@cooltemperategardeninginca3288]

Fantastic lessons! Thanks for sharing them 🙂

[@JRNurse2013]

So helpful! Thank you!

[@barbarabc1084]

Got my first 3 alu/zinc raised gardening beds after watching all your videos. Best way to save the back and all the joints. So much easier to use, but they sure do take time to fill via hügelkulture! Only 1 supplier that I can find in South Africa and they finally opened a factory in my area so I could get them in.

[@h.s.6269]

It's not too bad to find materials to fill up the bottom half of those beds, at least where I'm at. Just tons of branches and what stumps i could find from the companies working on power lines since they have to cut down some trees for it.

[@pozzowon]

Thanks as always. Talking about tilling and raised beds, have you thought about trying a no till bed somewhere in your garden? Kevin has tried it and liked it

[@claireskrine4837]

Brilliant, thanks!

[@leewozzashomeveggiegarden]

Another great video Mark cheers

[@maxrockatanksyOG]

We moved from Ipswich in Dec to Central Qld, on 2 acres; being fixing a lot of wrongs the previous owner did (he must have had shares in a weedmat company- all the really good soil was on top of the weedmat). Have been setting things up with my future in mind (40 now, carrying long term chronic pain from a back injury), so all the fruit & nut trees are dwarf varieties, and building mounds where i can to plant in; everything i do now i think "how will this work when im 60 or 70?" and adjust plans accordingly. My best investment thus far has been my Cub Cadet tractor style ride on with a tipping trailer, that setup really is a workhorse.

[@mirandaberthon3588]

I love your videos and your gardening ethics. I am keen but not as successful because I still make basic mistakes. Your videos have helped a lot. Thank you.

[@plants4ever48]

Love this video!

[@kaycoats8344]

Thank you for sharing your gardening with us!

[@WhiteFox011]

Lots of great suggestions. Good Job! I have watches several of your videos, and ALL of them are great in one way or another!

[@MyAussieGardenKitchen]

G'day Mark. Good on you for pointing these things out and raised beds are certainly the way to go. My ultimate goal is to get a bunch of Birdie's beds and totally redo my food garden with only them in rows and nothing else. All a dream right now, but a good dream to have! 👍 All the best. Daz.

[@shinsanhughes629]

Daz, I'm using both high and low sided Birdies Raised Garden Beds; The high sided beds are used for plants that don't grow too high - brassicas and root crops etc.- and the low sided beds for plants like corn, tomatoes that require staking and those plants that need trellising.

[@MyAussieGardenKitchen]

@@shinsanhughes629 Oh, wow. That is awesome and good on you. Really good advice there too. I really do hope I can do similar here. Thanks for taking the time to reply to me Shinsan Hughes.

[@FallofftheMap]

That bit about avocados and clay is great. I’ve got clay under my topsoil and was wondering why my 15 avocado trees were struggling.

[@Gloriagal78]

It's truly a joy watching your videos!

[@acidrtv]

As an ex AJ myself, I hear your statement about growing low. Just setting up my 20 ac plot now and have enjoyed getting confirmation on what not to do. Good vid brother.

[@petrosstefanis6234]

Could you please do a video on blossom end rot? Calcium, Magnesium, etc?

[@violettracey]

Thanks for the tips!

[@artecounseling]

Great info!!

[@xSunshinex4206]

Thank you for sharing these tips 🌻! Let me tell you... that was a blast, to see the "after" of the garden beds with gravel around them 😂. It sure looked good at start though 🥂 I showed the video here at home and we realised that yes we will keep the grass around our beds. It is the least amount of maintenance for us, and we can continue to use the trimmed down longer grass as mulch and nutrition.

[@bsweat9230]

Love your honesty! I've made a few mistakes too. Listening g to you makes me realize I have learned what to do and what not to do. I feel smart now, thank you! Happy New Year! ♥️

[@vasanthrai1275]

Thanks for those suggestions

[@youngmama2296]

Love this video thanks

[@karigranger3120]

What a great big help this was Mark!! I've been trying now for over a year to be self-sufficient but it seems I've just been spending money on fertilizers,soils and all kinds of gardening supplies.All this for a few piddly snake beans and capsicums.It's so very helpful to know that a pro like you has been through it all as well😊

[@80krauser]

You can save up leaves and compost them to amend the soil. Takes a bit of time and space but it’s low money cost

[@kasession]

Hang in there, and you will be rewarded down the road. 🍒 🥦🥕👍🏿

[@excemptfrombs2124]

Try the no dig gardening no need for all the fertilisers etc just compost ,the soil looks after itself ,just add abit of fresh compost on top each year see Charles Dowding on KZbin it’s been a lifesaver for me !

[@7hilladelphia]

Could be the residual herbacide in the store bought mulches, hays and also manures. Wrecked my garden... I never knew. Found out last week after 3 yrs of "trying".

[@karigranger3120]

@@80krauser I've taken that advice and the results have been amazing!! I was raking up and throwing away all that free fertilizer.

[@SanDiegoCaliforniaUSA]

🤔 You ever try using a small cinder block raised bed for an avocado tree at all? Just like 2 blocks high. Maybe even mound the soil too.

[@Angie-ci1lp]

I’m 71 and ordered my birdies for Christmas ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Excited

[@gummiwormintestines4035]

Great advice. Thank you Mark