5 TIPS For BEGINNER Food Gardeners to Grow Veggies at Home

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Everyone, sorry about the audio in this video I had lawn mowers and blow vacs on all 3 sides during filming. It felt like a stitch-up! I later found out my on-person mic failed... So, I had to do a LOT of work in post-editing to get the audio half decent. Anyway, thanks for your ongoing support regardless! Cheers :) Edit: We reached 10k thumbs up! Thank you!

[@snewsan6645]

What recipe do you use for aphids? They descend on my tomatoes like it was their last chance on Earth to eat.

[@MandyOnderwater]

@@snewsan6645 if you visit his Forum (Self Sufficient Culture) they might help you along

[@snewsan6645]

@@MandyOnderwater Thank you.

[@GreenMasterMike]

Your the man God bless you always 🙏

[@kimnebe7210]

You did well .Audio was great . Hard work for you and it came out great. And it was interesting. And A help for at least me . 👍🏽

[@tizzy83]

Just want to let you know that because of you I’ve started two vegetable & herb gardens. I’ve never grown a thing in my life, and just today we started to see them sprouting. Excited to get better at this. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@disguisedcat1750]

How did your journey go?

[@tizzy83]

@@disguisedcat1750 Way better than we expected. Had a very successful herb garden with dill, cilantro, basil - was less successful with chives and oregano. Also had enough greens to not needing to buy any lettuce or salad all spring. We’re excited to do it again this year!

[@disguisedcat1750]

@@tizzy83 thats awesome!!!!

[@way-cute]

@@tizzy83 I find that salad onions (or green onions, there are a variety of things people call them) are much easier than chives and offer a similar flavor profile. Also you can buy them from the store, use them, and just plant the base where you see the little roots sticking out. They'll take readily, and you can just keep cutting and using them indefinitely. They eventually get really large and stronger in flavor, at which point I usually pull it, use it in a recipe that can hold up to stronger onion flavors and then buy more at the supermarket and start over. I probably only buy them around once a year.

[@travisrifanburg9228]

I love it when I can wake up in the morning and enjoy my coffee with a gardening video with Mark. Keep up the good work.

[@carolerosario1201]

@Travis Rivanburg me too!

[@thestarspark2288]

Literally doing this right now. Thanks Mark!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thank you Travis! I'm just having my morning coffee at the moment reading through the comments. Cheers :)

[@pea_tear_griffin]

Doing the same here. Snows melting on the ground here in Canada, so time to start getting in to it! Love your videos Mark, great sense of humour 😁👍

[@hacgarimman9660]

Absolutely! I'm in the wrong geographic location and still love it!

[@cyndini55]

I live in Florida and recently retired and have been bored to death. I stumbled across one of your videos and boy did you reel me in. You helped me find a new passion and for that I say thank you. Love your videos and look forward to seeing more.

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Cyndini, if you've caught the gardening bug you will never be bored in retirement again! Thanks and all the best :)

[@geoffgorlick790]

Watched this 2 years ago, just watched it again....legendary! Helped me heaps ❤

[@Vexxer91]

Great video! All helpful tips. 1. 0:54 Understand what good soil is. 2. 4:53 Grow what you like to eat. 3. 6:36 Grow at the right time. 4. 9:04 Don't over fertilize. 5. 11:12 Grow organically.

[@patriciafaithfull6360]

8io

[@Moodie684]

❤

[@jessicasimmons3957]

Mark you're one of my absolute favorite gardening channels even though we're on opposite sides of the world!!

[@bluegirl777]

Same!!!! 😁

[@daleevans4261]

Me too. I'm from Ontario, Canada. I love seeing Mark's back yard.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thank you Jessica! That's saying something because there are a ton of excellent gardening channels here on YT and to be one of your favs is very flattering indeed. Cheers :)

[@Zone3Growing]

100% agree, I am from Manitoba Canada and our climate could not be more different haha! But it is still nice watching all Mark's great videos and pretending I can walk out my back door to grab an orange, maybe someday when I build a 4 season greenhouse using geothermal (need some property for that)

[@kccarnage4105]

Me too! I'm just starting out, living in England 🌧️. Thanks for all the great advice! (ps. Stop killing lady bugs!)

[@alldaveallnight4581]

Love your videos! You had me laughing hard at the rocket surgery comment. That's one that I use fairly often! Keep up the good work!

[@jeffreymarcum9053]

Your videos are such a breath of fresh air with the way the world is nowadays

[@sal7748]

Thank you so much mark. You have inspired my family, we have turned our small backyard into a very productive garden in under a year on a very small budget. Being outdoors with my family is reward enough, the fresh veggies are a great bonus though 🙂

[@Selfsufficientme]

Awesome to hear Sal! Yes, the benefits of gardening are far more than just the harvest... Cheers :)

[@h.s.6269]

That sounds so great! Wish my family would join me more for mine, it's a great pastime and helps balance the mind a bit.

[@simplifygardening]

Love the Goldilocks analogy Mark. Fantastic tips about soil and growing conditions. Fab video mate

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks Tony! All the best mate :)

[@Laneth]

Jesus playing full back for Jerusalem is probably one of the funniest mental images I've had in a long time, thanks mate! hahaha

[@georgeMcmann]

Thanks so much for doing these videos. Getting into gardening has helped me so much with my depression and PTSD. And your jokes always put a smile on mine and my kids faces. You have done so much more then just teaching us how to grow by bringing some brightness into our lives.

[@seymour47]

Came for the gardening tips. Stayed for the Thumbs Up instruction.

[@novaklosquadro]

Good morning, Mark! Just want to send you a big thank you from Virginia, USA. I discovered your channel about 5 years ago, and have been gardening with trial and error for the last few years, slowly making progress in our Virginia Red Clay. There are many farms here, cabbages, root vegetables, and in the last decade hundreds of vineyards/ wineries have opened aswell. I suppose I could still be called a beginner, still tryung to peice thru many of the exact issues you mentioned you had at the beginning, minus the pesticide! Life is good here in VA, but God is even better! We are living to follow Him, and in our wake leave only the best behind. Making the world (and our yard) a better place. Thank you Jesus, for the heart of teacher Mark has. My wife and I love your channel and it's always a blessing to watch. We have an American doppelganger of you at our church... and it's just awesome. Take care and God Bless you guys in the midst of the craziness ( Cvd, and weather? ) in Australia! 🌻🌾🇺🇸 ❤️ 🇦🇺 🌱 🍊

[@rowanbrecknell4021]

The red clay soils are typically best for root vegetable crops. I just have sandy soil and tropical weather. I would be about 8 hours drive North of Mark and have been watching him for years. Greetings to the USA.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thank you for your kind words and please say g'day to my doppelganger at your church! Cheers :)

[@pedrito0303]

Mark, I think you've surpassed 10,000 beginners thumbs up. Congratulations!

[@julseabate4173]

I for one LOVE your Aussie background noises, thanks Mark!!

[@wow_horac4663]

In the US if you want to get your soil tested google your state's soil test extension. Every state has a resource for this offering soil testing for a small fee.

[@beverlyrobertson6796]

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS. THANK YOU EAST TENNESSEE 🇺🇸 SEE YOU NEXT TIME

[@agneskempis-cruz7981]

Timely, because i will retire next year😊, i have to start now, when i get home on a vacation.. Thank you, Sir.. God bless you more 😇🙏❤️

[@MaggieLizz]

Hello from British Columbia, Canada! I'm not a beginner gardener, but love to watch your videos and see the different things you grow that I can't grow here (Sugarcane! Bananas! Citrus!). Excellent advice for new gardeners!

[@maddokmike5760]

Watching from over in the UK and I have to admit, i love watching these videos. The quirky and nerdy delivery of the information with funny metaphors makes it golden. Real down to earth lad.

[@cbdcdiva6872]

Greetings from Maryland in the US! Love your videos! As a new raised bed beginner gardener, thank you for your detailed, educational and fun videos! Let's hope I can make my new garden 1/4 as gorgeous as yours!

[@meenha1976]

I haven't even reached beginner level yet. Still watching videos ♥️💕♥️💕I totally agree with self sufficient

[@rosea830]

Perfect starting video to un-complicate gardening! Those pigs are awesome! Your chickens would love those pumpkins, if you're tired of them. It is soil prepping time here, so thanks for the motivation.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks Rose! I got the pigs (or hogs) for my birthday - glad you like them. Cheers :)

[@gsmacka96]

Its in our new years resolution to start a garden. I have no detached garage in my back yard like many American houses in my neighborhood. Im about a few that didn't have a garage built. Ive lived with my vehicle out in the weather all my young life. So i think to utilize my small backyard about 2000sq ft would be a great option. Im so glad i came across your video.

[@ClaireRousseau]

Thanks for all the tips! I'll also be stealing the phrase "it's not rocket surgery", that's excellent. It's my first year growing veggies and I was really intimidated to start - it really helped when a gardener friend reminded me that plants want to grow! Now I've got a good bunch of seedlings started in the greenhouse and it's such a thrill whenever a new shoot pops up :D

[@luadraponies]

Was it supposed to be rocket science or brain surgery,

[@positronixartandlife4545]

Nice surprise to see you commenting on this video. Hope all your growing progress is going well :)

[@Plectrudefy]

You're like a second dad teaching us how to grow our veggies, i'm here for it

[@suzannefronzaglio2427]

When I first got married, I wanted to make a flower bed along our backyard driveway that my husband just put in. I had a stretch of about 20 feet long, and wanted the bed to be about 3 1/2 feet wide. So I started digging through the lawn, and encountered clay all through the stretch of lawn. I wore simple "Candies" white leather sneakers as I shoveled and dug. I had a wheelbarrow to throw the big clumps of clay in, (& we dumped that along the other side of the driveway, where we needed fill. There was good soil too along the area I was digging, so it wasn't all bad soil. It took me a couple of days to dig the clay out, and on the fourth day I was walking like a duck, lol. My feet were so sore from not wearing a good solid work boot or shoe to do the shoveling. But I eventually recovered. I got a bag of gypsum to add and work through the whole area I dug, figuring there'd be clay deeper under, further depth than I had dug. Then I got a couple bags of compacted peat moss, and pre-wet it a bit at a time before adding it. (my sister's mother-in-law said to soak the peat moss first before adding). I added some bags of manure too, than with my tiny rototiller, I tilled everything in together (& never tilled it after that). I leave dead stalks of the flowers and plants I grow there, so that the roots remain in the soil (good for microbial activity). The addition of the peat moss I think is what really made this section of garden bed thrive over these last 28 years. I chop and drop now after learning about this technique. And last year started adding and working in spent coffee grounds. I always dump out the soil from my hanging baskets and big planters (just the top 5+ inches of soil from the big pots) and add it to areas of the long flower bed along the driveway where needed. A couple of years ago, a section on the end of the bed got overgrown with yarrow and grass. I've been sick with fibromyalgia and couldn't get to weeding everything like I used to. One day my husband was cutting grass in the back yard, and I took over the lawnmower and plowed that weedy section down. It was deep rooted crabgrass growing there, hard as heck to pull out. I dumped the bag catcher of grass clippings over the mowed down section, and used the grass like a deep mulch. In just a few days, I went out and with one of those pronged garden hand tillers, was able to get all of the weeds and crabgrass uprooted and out with the simplest ease! Couldn't believe how easy it was. That layer of mulched grass just loosened up the soil. I left it on the soil for another week (it was a hot week in August), and the soil underneath the grass clippings was just beautiful! Loamy and moist, like I had rototilled everything. And my little pronged hand tiller didn't do all of that. It was the grass clippings used as a mulch. So if you ever have an area that's thick with weeds and crabgrass, save yourself some time and labor, and mow it over, and dump grass clippings on top thickly. And sot back and let it do it's magic! Enjoyed your video here, good common sense and honest advice. Especially the advice on fertilizer, the "when to" and "when not to". Thanks for sharing this info! 👍😊

[@harrypapas1465]

Another great and inspiring video.. Thanks a lot Mark..

[@davinamichaeli3640]

Love it !!!! “Nothing’s changed “ so true and proves the importance of trying to be self sufficient as much as possible

[@paulitza9]

Thank you for sharing. I am by no means a gardener but have recently acquired a 4'x4' little gardening patch at a local church. I accidentally poured a whole packet of Endivi lettuce seeds in a straight line in it and I marvel at the miracle of growing your own vegies. I am unable to get any big lettuce heads but instead, enjoy eating my own little salad plants. Great hobby.

[@tomasgulas]

Perfect timing, just had 4.5 cubic yards of planting soil delivered today and filing up some new raised beds! Can't wait to start expanding my veggie garden.

[@joshwilliams7317]

I really love that mark says, “I don’t know everything and I have failures every year but I keep on going “. That is great!!

[@mulnrouge]

I just love him 😆 Seriously wholesome and amazing. Can never get enough and I love his jokes. I can't help it. Also, the content is perfect and so informative!

[@carsonshirley712]

Thank you for the confidence

[@JustSumGuy]

2022 is my third year growing a food garden. Your videos have been so helpful. I still watch stuff like this because the basics are important. Cheers from Georgia USA! This my first year doing berry plants let's see how they do.

[@sunshineammorgen1365]

Good luck with your Garden. Greetings out of Columbia South Carolina Neighber. :)

[@Spiritualsimplicity]

You’re such a friend to the community. Thanks Mark

[@dottyehammett8071]

Love your videos. One vegetable I would add would be the trombone squash. It is an Italian zucchini and resistant to squash bugs. Several vines would feed the whole community. The neck of the squash has no seeds and can be used just as any zucchini...... Breads, air fried, grilled, cooked with onions, etc. The bulb bottom of the squash has the seeds. I Reem out the seed and stuff it with a mixture of ground beef, onions, uncooked rice, and tomato sauce. I put 4 or 5 in a pot, cover with a large can of tomatoes and simmer for an hour or 2 on low heat until tender. You can even mix sweet potato leaves in with the mixture. (they are like Spinish) Wonderful meal! And you have enough to share.

[@jlingviolin]

I'm just sitting in the sun listening to Mark while I'm snapping the ends off my beans and thoroughly enjoying the afternoon.

[@oneshakyvideo943]

I've learnt so much from you over the past 18 months through the pandemic. I recently planted a veggie patch from seed and I haven't bought any veggies for nearly 6 months. Thank you!

[@michellejuerschik6406]

Hi Mark! Thank you so much for your videos! We watch it religiously over here in Yeppoon as you have a similar climate to us (CQ). You've inspired us to grow our own food too, my husband has recently let me take over our entire backyard for growing! We have now 15 fruit trees in various stages and are starting up our veggie beds! Thanks again for being an inspiration to look after our mental health through gardening! It's certainly helped me through some tough times!

[@hayleetattooer]

Rocky gardener here :) and I’ve met many people in passing who know and watch Mark’s channel! Such great content.

[@michellemcintosh3818]

@@hayleetattooer it's awesome because so many gardening vids are from the UK or America (like GrowVeg, Hew Richards and Epic Gardening). It's awesome to find someone growing in our subtropical climate too. I've been pleasantly surprised about our growing seasons up here. It honestly feels like we can grow almost all year around! I've just put all my spuds into my grow bags. I saw Marks vid on growing them in a cardboard box and thought I'll give it a go in spud bags! Very excited!

[@chasebrunner]

Good Morning Beautiful People Out There This Morning Hope You All Have A Beautiful Day

[@suemitchell9284]

Hey Mark. I live in Brisbane’s bayside and have had great success with fairy egplant this summer. Maybe a variant you can try as they can be harvested small and sweet. I love them roasted with Japanese sesame dressing or soy and miso dressing.

[@crystaldragon8211]

That sounds yummy!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Hi Sue, I just Googled the Fairy eggplant and I see it's the small oblong purple stripy type. I can't recall ever growing them but I do grow the medium-sized ones with the same colouring and I have an interesting fact about them that I learned over the past several years and that is this light purple striped variety has a better disease and pest resistance than most other varieties. Particularly against nematodes in the soil which can be an invisible killer of eggplants, tomatoes, and the nightshade family of plants. I'll give the Fairy ones a go - thanks! Cheers :)

[@markandmariafinn6968]

@@Selfsufficientme hi. What is the name of the one you grow, please Mark. We live in Townsville and love your channel. Thanks

[@debbolz6847]

Mate, you are salt of the earth, that's Gold! 👍👍🍃

[@JoyandSerenity.]

I'm in England and a lot of gardens all over the country have evergreen trees, most evergreen trees make the soil acidic over time, especially pine and leylandii, so if you have this kind of tree on your property you may want to check the PH, definitely if they are large old trees that have been chucking out leaf needles for 20 years. Also a lot of commercial woodchip is made from pine trees and so again can break down into a more acidic soil.

[@dnmurphy48]

That's a really helpful comment, thanks.

[@violethomesteadgeorgia7278]

My land has huge pine trees with a lot of baby trees I keep having to pull up. Found out blueberries love acidic soil. I have to balance out for everything else

[@kimsplace4]

Oh I thought that was a debunked myth.

[@shadiestone2949]

@@kimsplace4 it was. Pine needles barely affect soil acidity. Besides, if the needles actually affected the soil the tree itself would likely die out.

[@kimsplace4]

@@shadiestone2949 thats what I thought. I watched quite a few videos about it and labs showed it literally didn't do anything but break down into neutral soil pH. The gentleman next door is a master gardener and he told me people often mulch with it in blueberries but it acts the same as straw once it isn't attatched to the tree anymore. Perfectly neutral. Thanks for confirming.

[@imswedish3270]

Grow with "no dig" directly on the grass. Cardboard , compost and mulch. Use 1 part pee mixed with 10 part water as fertilizer 🙂

[@dylankeppler3542]

You're awesome mate. I love your positivity and the way you teach. Thank you!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks Dylan, cheers mate :)

[@victorialove9104]

I am a beginner gardener. My husband and I currently live in a small flat in San Francisco. We have had limited success with container veggie gardening. Mostly potatoes and cucumbers. We've failed with tomatoes and pretty much everything else. San Francisco has very unpredictable weather. But we are moving to my inherited childhood home in northern Florida in 2 months. There is a nice backyard and we are already planning our garden. We want to get raised beds like yours. Since we will arrive there in early August we will miss the growing season I think. But that gives us time to educate ourselves and prepare for next year. So excited. As a child growing up there I remember we had datyl peppers, guavas, kumquats, persimmons, figs, and chayote in our back yard. I want those again as well as the usual suspects like tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, etc. Your channel is my favorite gardening channel and I will look to you for guidance. Thank you for entertaining and informing us.❤

[@andrewstevens1316]

Mark I’ve got to ask… what is your workout routine? Your forearms are legendary! I’ve been telling myself that it’s all the garden work you are permanently active in. Love your content and especially your delivery, you’ve helped inspire me to get out and try! This is something I’ve been curious about since I first started watching.

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Andrew, I do a lot of digging mate! Seriously, when I was in the Army I worked out in the gym consistently for most of my 21 years of service. These days, I still lift some weights in our small home gym but mostly gardening is my exercise now. All in moderation lol... Cheers mate :)

[@andrewstevens1316]

@@Selfsufficientme Love it, knew it… thanks so much for the response! I’ve been needing an excuse to ditch the gym membership and invest in a better shovel or two. Thank you for creating your content and planting those first seeds so long ago that we’re now reaping the benefit of. If there is one thing I’ve picked up from you, it’s a the fact that you’re a living example of the old adage; “when is the best day to plant a seed?” Thanks for doing what you do Mark. Keep growing.

[@beigebiscuit8081]

I thought the same thing

[@christait50]

Massive hands as well !!

[@Sheepdog1314]

thank you - you brightened my otherwise miserable day

[@adamarzo559]

I have started to germinate my seeds inside of a grow tent with those little peat discs that plump up with water and I'm having massive success compared to any other method. Around 90% success rate compared to just planting them/leaving the peat discs on a window sill where I was getting way less sproutlings, and they don't string up due to low light. Was going to move them outside after they established but think I will just keep them indoors now. The tomatoes are absolutely powering. I am trying spring onion for the first time too, seem to be loving it as well.

[@oeautobody3586]

In Pacific North West America, my first garden will be this year. Just listening to this Master Gardner makes me believe I can! 🙏

[@rowdyyeets4532]

Seeing the zucchini plants brought back wonderful memories for me. My family all worked together to grow them in the early 80's in North Georgia. They were very healthy plants and produced so much squash! 😄

[@Master_Yoda1990]

When I mix my own soil, I like to use equal parts peat moss or coconut core, perlite, and manure. Seems to hold and drain well.

[@Cecibug1]

Thanks mark! I found you a couple years ago. Tried my first garden in 2020, felt discouraged from my failures but I'm motivated to try again!!

[@naturegirl2873]

Never give up!👍

[@jenniferanderson8050]

I'm from New Jersey USA actually Hammonton and we are the blueberry capital of the world but always want to share that you have helped me so much I could never tell you enough 🙏 thank you for everything and as always stay safe but healthy 🌻

[@lelleithmurray235]

Good morning Mark! Giving you a growing thumbs up on your tips for animal control in your garden! I installed some plastic type netting around my raised bed,and planted a rosemary plant ( iguanas don't seem to bother rosemary) in with my tomatoes and cilantro. Harvested my first tomatoes yesterday and some coriander seeds-yeah!!👍

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Lelleith! Great idea to use exclusion combined with companion planting to keep your plants safe! All the best :)

[@junbug9435]

happy gardening

[@nicky9187]

ooo haha you popped on a vid while I wasn't watching! A Kiwi here - HEY! Thanks for making your carrot sowing video - you made it look so easy that I stopped procrastinating last week and just went and DID IT! they came up in a lovely spiral 2 days ago! Thanks so much. Now shall watch this one...

[@Selfsufficientme]

Great stuff! All the best right through to carrot harvesting time. Cheers :)

[@christopherclayton7390]

Your videos are awesome honestly you need your own TV show I could watch you for hours. You have an awesome sense of humor and your very knowledgeable. Thanks for all you do!

[@elizabethnicholas1939]

Perfect timing for this as I’m having my home built up here in Gladstone, should be ready to move in 5th May. I can’t wait to start gardening, I’ve watched nearly all your videos I think, (some a few times over).

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

It's very exciting to start a new garden, all the best to you!

[@shirleyk623]

Happy Gardening 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

[@Selfsufficientme]

A new home and blank canvas garden - how exciting! Congrats and all the best :)

[@catherinesyme901]

I’ve just found this channel and am loving it from across the ditch! I hope you got moved in on time and crackin on with your gardening plans 🙏❤️🕯🇳🇿🇦🇺

[@elizabethnicholas1939]

@@catherinesyme901 oh I wish! 😩 We’ve had a fair bit of rain so the builder has been a bit delayed with finishing off the outside. Laying aggregate cement, top soil, lawn and fencing. I’m so over apartment living! I shouldn’t complain I’m supposed to have a walk through next Friday. 🤞🏼(fingers crossed)!

[@ageofdecadence5661]

The problem with the Chaos of today is that it IS like all of human history. The bigger problem with the Chaos of today is that it is NOTHING like all of (known) human history. You sir are doing great work. Keep teaching. People will benefit from your knowledge

[@Treelover-li2ze]

Thank you so much Mark! For all of the effort you put into your videos for us! I’ve never commented on a KZbin video before but I just have to give you my THANKS because as someone who has never had a green thumb, I now have a WHOLE VEGGIE PATCH! Thanks to watching your videos ❤️ You make everything super simple and give people the confidence to just try! THANK YOU 😊😊

[@justjess6636]

I once heard that you don't want too much organic matter in your soil so I sifted all of my soil until it was incredibly fine. I couldn't even grow oregano in it, everything suffocated. Little did I know that the plants needed to breathe! Honestly it was a great learning experience because I can get the soil as fine or coarse as I want to now without it being too rough on the plants.

[@russellharris5314]

as always some amazing tips, I've lost count of the amount of tricks I have applied to my allotment over the last couple of years from the lessons you teach on this channel

[@him050]

Your tip 2 is spot on. The amount of people who walk around the office begging you to take one of their homegrown marrows off them is unreal. If you don’t want to eat it, don’t grow it!

[@ESAPOWER]

I've been really enjoying your videos Mark, and I'm juuuust beginning my gardening journey now. (Giant ullswatee pansies, and alpine regina strawberries.) These are in a seed tray, but the strawberries are JUST now starting to grow their true leaves. It feels so good to see them doing okay! I'd like to propose that you do a step-by-step from start to finish of BASIC gardening for beginners. What should we go to the store and get? Once we have seedlings, what next? How should we start our gardening - making compost before anything else? Or planting something and seeing how it goes? Share with us your savvy ways mate! Thanks so much for all that you do, From Dave in the UK!

[@michaelrief4424]

We have clay soil here in Ohio. It took us 5 years to go from plowing under the sod to a viable vegetable garden. But like a lot of gardening it’s either feast or famine. We got either bumper crops in one vegetable to a total failure in others. For example one year I was picking two bushels of Lima beans every evening to the point where even when I was giving them away people soon said they had enough. Eggplant was another example when we had so many we could have held a Football game. From then to nothing and even with crop rotation the plants died of wilt. But even with the bugs, weeds and rabbits it Was a lot of fun sticking a seed or plant in the ground and watching it grow while we stood nearby watching and wondering and watering. I’m too old now for a garden. I do all my Gardening now at my local grocery store or at fruit & vegetable markets!!!!

[@Ci-Me122...]

It has been an absolute pleasure following you through the past few years. I appreciate all the positives and negatives that you've endured and shared with all of us! In fact, this year you've inspired me to try to grow aubergines. Other gardeners where I live (southern Alberta, Can) say they don't get great results...but I 'd like to try anyway. Thank you Mark, and "good growing"!!!

[@Selfsufficientme]

All the best with your try at aubergines Cindy! Perhaps, try a smaller fruiting variety as they will mature early and produce faster. Cheers :)

[@Ci-Me122...]

@@Selfsufficientme Thanks so much for the suggestion!

[@soeasydinners9092]

Your videos have truly been a blessing to me!! My husband and I recently got into garden growing and really enjoying out time outside together!

[@junbug9435]

Great video and tips thanks Mark!

[@anniehillman8212]

Thank you Mark, you are an inspiration. I can’t wait for new videos from from you. I even have my husband looking at compost and insects in a different light now and also flowers…now they are great in the garden. It used to be it you can’t eat it don’t grow it but my garden is now made up of color and beautiful herbs like never before, thank you so much.

[@tasgardener7923]

Your clay soil looks a lot like mine when I first started here. It's taken me a number of years to get it to the beautiful loose soil it is now and just when it's exactly how I want it I'm moving. Despite that I'm looking forward to moving because it'll be a much bigger property where I can grow a lot more and the soil at the new property at the other end of the state where I'm moving to is beautiful. The first thing I looked at when I looked at the property was was the space and what sort of soil was there for growing.

[@Cleffification]

Great video! Don’t stress about the background noise, I hardly noticed.

[@oliverb5726]

Great video Mark this is gold for new gardeners, wish I had gotten on to your channel when I was starting out! Really enjoy this sort of content.

[@jimblaine4494]

I normally watch your shows using my Xbox One on the T.V. This will NOT allow me to like, comment or subscribe to your content. So, tonight, I just let your shows stream, one from another for hours. It was difficult to do any work on my desktop while you were talking and doing your show and tell. Finally, I realized that what I was hearing was way more than my previous perceptions of you entailed. I heard a speech from you about how the media were trying to show folks that buying their produce in the market was cheaper than growing your own.... I was just listening at first while working in the kitchen, then I realized that your observations were completely true and followed my own beliefs better than I thought I could verbalize myself. I'm nearly 60 years old and learned about gardening when I was a child from my great Grandmother. She and her sisters were 50% Choctaw Indian. They converted every scrap of land they had under their influence into gardens and orchards, and I absolutely loved walking through the gardens and insisted on helping out with weeding and watering after that. I learned the joy of picking and eating fresh, organic veggies and fruit, and my older family members never bought their veggies or fruit from a market. My Great Grandmother and each of her sisters lived to be well over 100 years old. My Great Grandmother was over 110 when she finally passed. As you pointed out - what value, when you are lying on your deathbed, is having 5 more years of life? Happy and blessed is the human who is obsessed with gardening! We are never bored, never worry about travelling and all the stress that goes with it. You, in particular, are truly blessed with such a huge plot of land in the tropics, complete with slopes, adequate rainfall and extremely fertile soil! After I watched you tour your gardens and your vast orchard, I can clearly see that you are 'Adam' in your own 'Garden of Eden' - of your own making! You are blessed, and we, your viewers, are blessed that you share your garden, your tips and secrets, your vast knowledge and your wit and humor with us! Please don't stop all that you do!

[@bjw4859]

I don't know if you know how inspiring you are, I've been a professional gardener for over 30 years now, but never really looked at growing my own vegetables as even in Brisbane we get a few hot days in summer & all my herbs commit ritual suicide so I tend to give up a lot. But I watch a few of your videos & think, no, I can bloody do this, so as soon as this damn rain stops, again, I'll dig out my planting chart, go through my heirloom seeds & see what's good to plant, so thanks. Just out of curiosity, you were killing of ladybugs, I thought they were a carnivore , & a help for your plants, what have I missed ?, cheers.

[@breesechick]

The ladybug that he killed is technically not a ladybug it looks like one though. It's orange shell and looks similar to what we call ladybugs is a Japanese beetle. Or what they call a Japanese ladybug look alike. Ladybugs have red shells and different faces.

[@breesechick]

I was partially wrong about their name. Native Lady Beetles Tend to seek shelter outdoors Don't gather in large numbers Don't bite Don't smell bad Asian Lady Beetles Invade homes in fall Congregate in large numbers, especially around warm, sunny windows May inflict a small bite When they feel threatened, they exude a foul-smelling liquid that can stain surfaces. Asian lady beetles are believed responsible, at least in part, for the severe decline in the populations of native lady beetles. Often larger than their native counterparts, Asian lady beetles not only outcompete their cousins for food, they actually prey on the native species. Asian lady beetles vary widely in color (orange, pinkish, red) as well as number and shape of spots. The distinguishing feature is a black, M-shaped mark behind the head:

[@bjw4859]

@@breesechick Well there you go, good lady bugs & bad ones, I remember doing a permaculture course where they mentioned the native bug was known as a 5 spot bug & the other one was the common one we see, still don't think I could kill one, stink bugs, now that's a totally different matter.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thank you! As far as herbs go, the Mediterranean and Asian herbs do well in our climate. That particular ladybug is a pest 26/28 spotted both the adult and larvae eat cucurbits and potato leaves. They can be quite devastating if left to multiply in the garden. Cheers :)

[@tyrvidar]

I've been watching you for a few years now, great stuff. Your channel/knowledge in the modern world may actually end up saving lives or taking the edge off what is clearly going to be a hard time for folks living on the edge in the near future.

[@karencarpenter8884]

I love your videos! I’m hoping to plant my first garden beds this spring/summer. 👏🏼 Thank you for the information.

[@CheekyLittleJournaller]

Yay for natural pest management! My guava got sooty mould last week so I started spraying it with seasol & neem but couldn't keep it up as a storm blew in. When I went back to check it a couple of days later I found lady birds had moved in & were eating the nasty pasties causing the sooty mould. Happy me :O)

[@IlseMulAuthor]

Great tips, thank you for sharing them with us! I'm starting my veggie garden for the second year. Last year it wasn't really successful, better said: I barely managed to get anything from it. This year I'm changing some things, and I'll be using your tips as well and hopefully it will give me better results 😁 Have fun!

[@nebsun]

In the last few weeks I have planted 7 fig trees, 3 apple trees (1 double variety), 1 orange tree, 4 mandarin trees, pomegranate, 2 lemon meyer, 1 lime, 6 feijoa (different varieties), 1 pear (dual variety), herbs - multiple of: rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano. Now working on the veges and potatoes - starting with perpetual spinach, thai basil, and pak choi. I have had potatoes growing from a few I planted years ago and they grow by themselves all the time but never really dug them up - planning on getting them going so I can get a nice harvest sometime. Inspired by your channel, plus a few others on figs. Thanks for all the tips.

[@melissanoonan3301]

Awesome Mark, as always. Thank you! Having failures, but learning from your advice. 1.5 years in...have a long way to go, but loving my time learning. Best wishes you're a legend :)

[@kathyweber793]

You crack me up! My husband and I enjoy watching your videos and listening to your humor. You're great! Keep it up!! We have a 3200 sq ft garden. This year however we are using 2 10x20ft greenhouses. I'm done with fighting with all the cotton wood seeds that let loose from the next door property as they tower over our property. It will look like it snowed in our yard for a couple weeks. All those seeds stick to our dirt and my garden is now growing those darn seeds. So redoing our garden this year. Excited to see how this will all work out. All my veggies will grown in garden pots. Mostly about 4 or 5 gallon sizes. Some bigger. I have about 5 lemon plants that I started from seed from a store bought lemon. No fruit yet as I've still got them in pots that are too small. They are about 3 years old now. They will go out in garden area this year. Also was successful starting an Apricot tree. It's only a year old in a small pot. Will be doing many more fruit trees. We have 2.3 acres here in WA state in the good old USA. During these troubled times right now and God is helping us get the truths out there of our corrupted government. The entire world are working on their corrupted governments. My garden will keep me busy and get through these days. Thanks be to God. You put out wonderful video's!! Thank you so much and keep going! God Bless you!!

[@GNGResurrected]

Great beginners tips on this one... God bless.

[@judya.shroads8245]

Ppl can just watch the new video's or pull up your other video's, to learn even more about gardening. BLESSINGS

[@JoyandSerenity.]

Tip one. Live in a tropical climate.

[@ShintyBoy]

You inspired me to crack a load of trays onto my balcony. Now have loads of rocket, spinach, peas on the way.... thanks man!

[@Sikdomeshot]

These are my all time favorite videos on KZbin. Love your content, Mark! You are a total natural behind the camera. Could you make a video on which vegetables grow well together (e.g. chives help prevent aphid infestations on tomato plants)?

[@gabbygertie8709]

I've gardened for over 50 years in ground. Never tested my soil and just grew crops. After moving several times I've been blessed with lots of rocks. So last year we built raised beds, filled with soil, and I tested. There were absolutely NO nutrients in the soil. Raised bed gardening is a totally different game. So last fall we removed the top 8 inches of soil, added leaves, grass, dead pine needles, and fresh wood chips in bins and let it set all winter. I am now in the process of sifting the compost and putting this mixture back in the beds. Can't wait to test it. Looks like lovely soil to grow in. Also built a fire pit to make potash and burn bones in. It takes a few years and slot of effort to build good soil. But totally worth the time.

[@madaxe79]

I have to disagree slightly with tip #2... while we would all love to grow what we like to eat, many years of logistical improvements have enabled us to like food’s that won’t grow locally. So I focus on growing what grows best in my environment and adapted my eating style to suit my produce. Living in the tropics gardening can be very tricky, too much rain really limits what you can grow and when. Where I live we pretty mush have to go all out over winter, because there’s only a small handful of productive vegetables that will grow in summer, unless you grow indoors... so my advice is, grow what your environment can support... Thats all, thanks Mark.

[@dnmurphy48]

well said

[@Selfsufficientme]

Yes, there sure are exceptions and limitations in some more extreme climates - I see your point! Cheers :)

[@jelatinosa]

What do you recommend for a tropical garden? I live in tropical zone 12

[@madaxe79]

@ThinkForYourself Thanks you, I normally only comment on videos after a few drinks, so to hear I was gracious tells me one of two things, either: I hadn't had much to drink last night, or, I just love watching marks videos and I was in a really good mood... haha.

[@madaxe79]

@@Selfsufficientme Thank for your content Mark, I appreciate it. I've learned so much from you, so if I can offer anything that helps you in any way, that means a lot to me.

[@SatyricL]

Been going through a lot of your videos for the past two weeks. Just wanted to say, I love the wholesomeness, humor, and your positive attitude in general. Feels like I am watching an old PBS kids show from my childhood, but for gardening. 🙂

[@SuperWhatapain]

Thank you and cute thumbs up for Jesus!☺👍💜✝️

[@veronicachong1229]

Thank you for the tutorial classes which are feeding me abundant knowledge regarding gardening.

[@andrewreaney]

About tip number 5. Plants grown organically are healthier and tastier because they are getting minerals like zinc, iron and copper that fertilizers don't provide. Fertilizers which just contain NPK are like junk food to them.

[@Zizzyyzz]

Hmm. That's something to think about... 🤔

[@JudgeOnMerritt]

Gold 👍 Thank you.

[@douglaspearce1187]

"since Jesus played fullback for Jerusalem." Video was worth it just for this line. Nearly sprayed my coffee over my phone.😎

[@Moinchild2812]

🌱Thanks so much for doing these videos. Getting into gardening has helped me so much with my depression and PTSD. And your jokes always put a smile on mine and my kids faces. You have done so much more then just teaching us how to grow by bringing some brightness into our lives. 🌱💚

[@DarkGT]

7:23 I thought Ladybug is beneficial bug and you don't have to kill it?

[@Selfsufficientme]

The yellowish ladybirds with 26 or 28 spots are the only pests of the ladybird family. I did make a note in the video during that scene. Cheers :)

[@nicky9187]

it looked like a pest species maybe like a hareliquin, not a true ladybird - but yes true ladybirds are fabulous to have in the garden, eating many pests and things so normally you wouldnt kill them on purpose