Setting Up the Raised Bed Garden (I love Home Gardening) | VLOG

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[@paintnamer6403]

"My glass is half way to overflowing" Awesome!

[@anniecampbell8554]

A new t-shirt!

[@KeeKeeSoto]

Gardening really can save the world 💚

[@thestews4273]

I watched your video ..years ago... about what you wish you would have done before jumping into homesteading..and you said i would have used my balcony(or patio or whatever) an grown there. I would have practiced more... it made me do just that. My husband built the tinyest greenhouse for me that year, as i grew the tinyest strip of a grden. I didnt really get a harvest of much more than a handful of cherry tomatoes, a few peas and a pile of beans. I did however get a world of knowledge and how to research pests, companion planting, what permaculture was and my dream to own my own place and garden began to flourish. In the next week I will be purchasing my first home. So much work will need to be done to it but it is my learning ground. I watch you and others like you start small and move forward building stable ground as you go. I no longer look at my life as though i cant move from where i am or do new things, instead i look at everything as a learning space.

[@keithshumaker6402]

You keep me keeping on I have 7.78 acres and just just getting back I grow up on a farm and am 62 and just retired all I have so far is a camper and chickens but you got to start somewhere

[@elizabethsessions4486]

Good luck on your venture!

[@debsenritchedrefuge603]

You got this! I'm Also 62, with lots of changes, New empty nester that will be working for many yrs yet, since earlier circumstances, choosing to stay home to raise and Homeschool my son as a widow, with no regrets, raising him on a thriving garden for ten yrs and others before that, chickens, raw milk and many other wise choices that God Blessed us with! Becoming a Growing Gardener has been rewarding in many ways! Enjoy your journey getting back to your roots!! Blessings

[@kmarshall53]

I’m 67 and in a mobile home park with a nice lot to garden on! It’s so lovely to grow my own food and flowers! It just fills my heart with joy to check on everything each day. I’d love to have chickens again, but they are forbidden here. Pet yours for me! 💗👍🏻🐓

[@64samsky]

I'm almost 58, I grew up with a tiny backyard garden and continued with it until I moved to a half acre home. I'm like a pig in poop, I love it!

[@mstonitoni7381]

Got a chuckle when you called your raised bed a ‘tiny garden’. As a suburban gardner I look forward to this garden. Thank you for sharing.

[@lavendercrowl5695]

Have u seen her old garden beds? Most of us dream of having open space 4 that much now she has enough 2 share with others!

[@robertwingham]

Thank you Jess, Miah and the whole family. I have been watching your videos now for about a year now. As a Pastor of a church up here in Canada I have wanted to grow a garden that not only helps my own family but enable us to make and prepare food for the homeless. Watching your videos has taught me a lot about growing food on a semi large scale. Since we have started harvesting this year we have been able to supply approximately 500 healthy meals to the homeless. I am very grateful for what you have taught me through your videos. God bless you all for what you are doing and know that although a border separates us God is using your knowledge to help people in need in another country.

[@valerry22]

I bought a Vego garden this summer and as soon as we got the first one going, we went back and bought five more. We live in a suburb and they are perfect for a backyard garden.

[@sidepasser]

I love using concrete blocks or landscape stones. Never rots, can be reconfigured and is fairly cheap, especially if you can find used blocks. Other alternatives are old bricks. Many times, people will give away old concrete block and sometimes old bricks. Easy for one person to configure a garden bed. Put dirt in the Holes and plant flowers in the blocks or herbs.

[@donnaschofield6947]

Hey Jess and Miah! I wanted to say Amen to your Dads diagnoses! What an answered prayer. It's been quite the journey for you guys 🙏 Praying for yas

[@KeeKeeSoto]

Good Afternoon Gardeners 💚☺️🌿

[@MyHumbleNest]

"The home garden can change the world" Agree, agree, and agree! My first Jess video was planting greens in a plastic tote - people need to know that self-reliance can be on a small scale! Love your happy and realistic approach to teaching us all, thanks y'all!

[@herlindanaranjo8702]

O

[@lindajohansson6357]

I just love watching you tell about your adventure with gardening. I'm 72 years old and trying to get started with raised beds. I'm in Texas, and it's now the first of March and I can't wait to get everything in the bed. I have bought about 8 raised beds, and keeping my fingers crossed. You have such a great attitude and have gathered so much knowledge through your experiences. Thank you for sharing your wisdom, precious outlook, and a large part of your life with us.

[@samanthaperry6236]

We used to live in a tiny duplex with a tiny yard, and boy, did we fill up that yard with gardens and climbing structures (for kids) and probably looked crazy and cluttered but we USED it every day of the summer while neighbours almost never went into their yards. We used the south facing side of the house for most of our growing right along the entire side and leaned some trellises up and got an enormous amount of tomatoes and cucumbers, lettuce, peas, bush beans, runner beans, and we even did a few squash and all the herbs we could eat. A tiny patch, given lots of care will give you back so much more than what you put in. We're in the East Coast of Canada :)

[@debsenritchedrefuge603]

Good morning Jess! Just used your Quote, "Turn your waiting room into a classroom!" During our Bible Book Study Fellowship last night, while discussing God's Timing and moving forward!! Thanks for your ongoing Wisdom you share! Enjoying your Journey on your Gorgeous new Homestead!

[@elizabethsessions4486]

How freaking beautiful ❤

[@Dhannatv]

Hello

[@Dhannatv]

Hello

[@kaylascreating]

Gardening can change the world! So grateful to found you on KZbin, I'm glad I'm not the only hopeless romantic when it comes to gardening! Hope to visit your farm one day!

[@maggieabrent]

You are 100% correct in that home gardens can change the world. Thank you for sharing the raised garden bed company.

[@ramblinrosecottage5983]

New T-Shirt/Hoodie/Sticker/Magnet idea. Gardening Can Change The World! I love all of your videos, but this one speaks to me. I have been looking at these online and wondering. I think I am going to have to buy myself a few of the metal raised beds. Thanks for sharing!

[@kathymcmc]

I ordered 2 metal beds when the price of wood skyrocketed.

[@tiffanyx8577]

Like a watering can photo with that written around it?

[@Ms.Byrd68]

Amen baby girl! You have to 'crawl' before you 'walk'! Don't bite more than you can 'chew' because FAILURES happen to the BEST OF THEM and if you start with spaces bigger than you can control you will more likely to GIVE UP if they don't end up like what you see on KZbin! Most of them started out in 'Apartments' or the 'Suburbs' and GREW from there! Some of them were in SMALL Rural areas but I believe most started with relatively small PLANTING areas and because they actually had a PASSION for 'GROWING' they are now where we see them on KZbin.

[@angiegranberry3366]

Trust me when I say, your inspiration has changed my life. I ended up with a beautiful garden. God bless you ❤️❤️

[@karendavis7855]

This small scale gardening video is great! Definitely needed for the urban gardeners. Thank you.

[@kateymateymusic1]

I think we are kindred spirits. I have never met anyone who talks about the glass overflowing like me!! I always tell everyone my glass isn't half full it is overflowing haha

[@bellemuerte7855]

The new dog sure did win the lottery wandering into your lives.

[@dawndolinski768]

I believe gardening can change the world as well...Thank you so much for being a great gardening teacher! 🥑🍒🍎🌽🫒🥦🥬

[@barbaralopez7921]

I have had several metal raised beds for the last two years. This is the only thing I can do where I live. I love them! We have raised okra, cabbages, kale, egg plant, green beans, squash etc….. they are well worth it!

[@terrimarie2106]

Same brand?

[@cindyannefontenot]

Where are you located? What growing zone?

[@dawnbrady152]

@@cindyannefontenot I can comment as to my main reason for container gardening vs a raised bed even though it's not quite what you asked. I'm in SE Louisiana on a very wooded property. I have to search for sun. Raised beds don't work here because of the tree roots. Tree roots invade the raised beds even with barrier cloth, and make it impossible to garden in them. Nigh impossible to dig through and they leach water and nutrients. Just something to be aware of.

[@cindyannefontenot]

@@dawnbrady152 Oh yes I believe in the need…I’m just wondering how these would do in my zone. I’m in a suburb of Houston so we are zone 9.

[@dawnbrady152]

@@cindyannefontenot I am in 8b, just north of New Orleans. I think these would work well. I would suggest getting as light of an outside color as possible to reflect summer head. Also, look up Scott Head, Black Gumbo (soil type) on you tube. He is in coastal Texas and may be a very good resource for you.

[@pamelaroden5513]

I have had my green Birdie raised beds for 2 years and I love them. Can grow anything in them. I even put trellises between them and grow upward for cucumbers ,peas, and tomatoes, I let my zucchini over flow the bed I use a split pool noodle to protect it on the edge of the beds.

[@TheMissLid]

Love my Birdies beds, too :)

[@kevinmespiritu]

[@mariafolch8067]

Great idea on using a split pool noodle and cheap as they can be found at the dollar tree.

[@jms9057]

With the price of wood being so high, and my desire to expand my garden space, last year I bought 10 large and 4 small kiddie pools from Walmart (was about $130 - less than the cost of lumber for one bed). I used a 1-inch hole saw (drill bit?) to put holes around the sides near the bottom at about 1-foot intervals. I planted the small ones with my herbs, and planted 6 of the large ones with my tomatoes (4 plants per pool). The remaining 4 large pools, I planted with peppers. The rest of my garden, I planted in my existing beds. To stake the tomatoes, I put a tall T-post outside the edge of the pool next to each of the four plants. It all worked very well, and now that I'm ready to put in a new set of raised beds this year, the pools and T-posts are easy to move out of the way. And I definitely plan on keeping them in my gardening rotation for things that I want to test for the best location in the yard. Very useful, highly recommended!

[@lindap9079]

For the wood beds on "stilts", mine came from Costco, I recommend setting the legs on bricks or gravel. My beds are a few years old and the bottom of the legs are rotting away. I love the beds because my old bones don't have to do any bending to tend my beds. I also lined the beds with landscape fabric before adding soil.

[@09echols]

Definitely. Mine started sinking after the first heavy rain. I now have them on pavers

[@Steinru73]

We set our on pavers, primarily, as my husband has a tendency to weed whip too close to the legs. It doesn’t take long for them to lose their legs. 🤣🤣 defeats the purpose of RAISED garden bed.

[@lisaporch8922]

@@Steinru73 husbands and their whipper snippets 🙈 mine snipped all my black eyed Susan’s in the spring lol

[@NMWriterofWords]

I had more trouble with the bottoms giving out on mine than the legs

[@oppsyikesreally]

I’ve had mine for 7 years. It’s on my concrete driveway and it’s still in great condition.

[@bernieshomestead6416]

I love it Jessica I live in a suburban home and I don’t have anybody to help me build garden beds so I ended up doing a DIY project that I saw at Lowe’s and I did it one way or the other but they were not the best ones but I love this project really show people that even if you don’t have someone to help you you still can do it and I’m gonna look into these garden beds these are really nice thanks Jessica for all of your hard work and your Great research and ideas that really help us all out thanks for everything keep up the great work I can’t wait to see this garden.

[@jksatte]

I just understood what you said about turning your waiting room into a learning room. I specially needed to hear that. Thanks so much bit of wisdom. Just do what you can do when you can.

[@rickershomesteadahobbyfarm3291]

I’ve had so much going on the past year or so that I’ve slacked off watching my favorite KZbin channels. I had no idea y’all had moved to South Carolina. I live about 45 minutes to an hour from Myrtle Beach. Me and my wife have been homesteading since around 2013. We moved to a new place in 2019 and had to start over. It’s harder starting over then it is starting the first time. And we only moved about 15 minutes down the road. Good luck on getting your new Homestead started!

[@carricomd]

Just planted our first raised bed winter garden. Watched Miahs raised bed videos before putting our beds together from recycled decking because that's what we had available . Then went back and watched your fall planting videos. Thank you for all the info over the years! Now to ask Santa for a green stalk....or two.

[@rhondahathcock5491]

Hey Jess! I was enjoying sitting in your classroom today. This knowledge is powerful and yes, it can change the world!

[@traceyeley65]

whoop whoop Jessie, your words are magic to my heart. Everyone should grow something, Chives, Parsley, Mint on their windowsill. The list is as long as peoples imaginations. Thank you for your visions and your families times. I found you guys through the Rhodes Family.

[@lb476]

Just started using raised garden beds last year. But I was concerned about the rain after years of a drought here in California. The grass went up higher than my six beds, but I was shocked how nice the soil remained inside. Crazy, nothing inside the beds was destroyed. All the money I paid for these galvanized steel raised beds was worth every penny. I only purchased the cheapest none painted beds, but they were just as nice inside as the expensive one. I just wish I could tell the new owner of my house how valuable these beds are because I know these will outlast me.

[@wandat8565]

Jess, I have watched your channel since 2018 and I have learned so much from you about small scale gardening and that you don't need an acreage to grow your own food. I am widowed so it is just me and I had the most amazing amount of vegetables from just my small yard gardening that I learned from you with 5 raised beds that are only 6 x 3. Thank you so much for your youtube channel. I look forward to each and every video that you post.

[@jcthompson7666]

I purchased a raised wooden garden bed on sale by Cedar Craft that looks very similar to the two in your kitchen garden. I love it! I’m in my 70s and assembled it alone. I then bought their plastic “green house” cover which extended the growing season for all the herbs I planted. It also allowed French tarragon, rosemary, sage, mint, and oregano roots to survive a New York winter and come back in the spring with minimal watering when I know the temp won’t freeze roots. My 3rd year and all I do is fertilize and water, then plant new basil in the spring.

[@donnaolsen1307]

I’d love to see videos of you actually putting the raised beds together. Even if it doesn’t go as planned, we all will learn together. I love it when you talk as you work, talk, work, talk or talk over what you’re working on.

[@lindamonnin8368]

Your video about growing salad greens in a soil bag is the first R&R video I came across. I grew so many salads out of 2 bags! Then I got hooked. I am growing in garden bags and totes mostly, but it is still so therapeutic. I ate my first home grown tomato a couple of weeks ago and it was fantastic! I've learned so much from your channel and I appreciate all you share! :) Thank you.

[@chiomascharm4596]

I think home gardens can change the world too 🥰 Thanks for sharing 💜

[@18chris0089]

What a great way to start my weekend! Always brightens up my day to see a new R&R video! So great to see options for those that don't have established gardens, I've been looking at those, happy to see they get the Jess seal of approval! I'll be looking at those for next spring :D

[@Dhannatv]

Hi sir

[@suevalenti9584]

I bought a 20 pack of black 7 gallon grow bags and outlined a raised bed garden, turned out great and didn't cost much!

[@judyland-obrien4259]

Love your perspective and positivity...natural teaching qualities. Thank you.

[@jessicagama718]

Yes I learned late in my gardening journey to fill the bottom half of raised beds with mulch to keep costs down. Game changer for sure!

[@MayraRodriguez-id5rm]

Amén to those words, to the Blessings offered and God Bless you too 💗

[@CatherinesGardenHomeLWS]

Hello Jess! Leting go of the old ways of doing something can be overwhelming. However, experiencing something new is so exciting!

[@pamtodd6586]

A Florida girl here. Last winter and spring I grew in 5 gal food grade buckets I got at Tractor Supply. Tomatoes, squash, okra. It worked great, learned at lot. I just added a green stalk to grow the leafy greens and strawberries! Your so right. Start with what you have or came afford then work your way up. Thanks for everything.

[@naomishen7376]

OMG! That the raised bed color I am in love with the best!!!

[@arlinerobertson6377]

We grew strawberries, okra,tomatoes , eggplants and peppers in this size. You inspired that for me Jess and my daughter didn’t want it in the beginning

[@mariafolch8067]

@Roots and Refuge Farm Good morning Jess. I am so glad you decided to do this video. I hope you continue to have your audience of smaller spaces in mind when planting. I look forward to next year. When you do the actual planting, please include things like: 1. What vegetables can be placed together. 2. How often should the soil be turned or refresh (meaning, can you keep on using the same soil as is or amend it or should you take out the top layer and add new soil or what) 3. What plant companions can be placed with the vegetables (I understand that some plants deter bugs, etc.) 4. What vegetables require rotation? (I understand that tomatoes should not be planted on the same spot each year) 5. How often should they be fertilized and what fertilizer is Ok? Anything to help the home gardener would be helpful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and family!!🤗🌱🌾

[@grannyLynnsCreations]

because of age, disability and other restrictions... we live on a half acre.. and there are 4 of us. this Past summer we had a small starting garden, I helped where I could with knowledge, but my daughter did the work and learned. She has watched Jen and read the book, and we are still getting food from the garden and she is getting ready to plant our fall garden as she finally goes back to work. We buy in bulk, including fresh fruit and vegetables and can them, etc.. we do what we can with what we have and that is what matters. Thank you for your encouragement Jen, your words help so much

[@beccagee5905]

Her name is Jess, and I'm sure she will be delighted in what you and your family have done. It really is great!

[@grannyLynnsCreations]

@@beccagee5905 senior moment on my part.. was watching the video and typing at the same time.. Sorry Jen..

[@debbiecole7005]

I’ve been raising a garden over 40 years this year I didn’t grow one although it was probably when I needed it most I’ve been going thru cancer treatments and I’m doing well but didn’t feel I could physically do it but look out 2022 and possibly I’ll put a little winter stuff out yet it’s not too late

[@Dhannatv]

Hello

[@celiawaddell4526]

I don’t know where you are, but this is a great time to plant for fall. Glad to hear you are doing better.

[@weirdheathersgarden]

Well Mark from self sufficient me grows a tonne of stuff in metal beds similar to that, so they must be pretty decent and long lasting. It’s so great to great to see you being able to garden again. Just think how you’ll be feeling in 5 years time when you’re surrounded by fields of awesomeness, looking back at this little garden you started with.

[@heatheroe]

Mark uses Birdies Beds. They’re they original manufacturer that Vego is ripping off.

[@weirdheathersgarden]

@@heatheroe I figured it was prob a different brand, with Mark being Australian and Jess being in the US.

[@lyndabuchholz1216]

I leave my beds with a lower soil level so I can put frost protection over the top of the new seedlings. My beds run north to south so they get plenty of sun. I sometimes get late frosts in the spring so the protection is a good thing. We also get high winds then so that offers protection for that too. I think I will have to order one of these beds.

[@angieineverettcust2934]

Thank you for explaining all about your raised beds that you’ve got. I’m in a wheelchair and I really want to Garden but I have to have raised beds to do it and I’m alone, no man to help me, so they need to be not only sturdy but easy to put together. So thank you so much

[@Showahnee320]

I have 2 of the wooden garden beds like yours. We painted, for weathering, as well as reinforced the legs of them due to the potential weight of the soil.

[@mariafolch8067]

Hopefully you used the right kind of paint as the chemicals or regular paint will seep through the soil and hurt the crop.

[@julsg123]

This is one of my favorite videos! I like that you are basically saying just grow stuff even if you don't have a ton of room! Gardening is for everyone in every space big or small is what I say! Thank you for the content!

[@vynedvyne59]

Once again I have been enlightened and feel hopeful to press on gardening 👨‍🌾

[@southerngardengigi]

After this summer’s experience, I changed my big garden on the hill plans here at our 3+ acres and am doing the berries, perennials, fruit and nut trees there. I’m keeping my garden close to the house near my pool and definitely not doing as much as I originally planned. Every effort is a classroom!

[@cynthiabrennemann3513]

We do a sort of hugelkulture style in our raised beds. We put logs and big chunks of wood and limbs and raw compost in the bottom, sift some sand and perlite over it to fill in the cracks and keep it from compacting. Then the next layer is straw, whole leaves, semi finished compost, pine needles, etc... Then the topmost layer is a potting soil with coir, manure, etc...to make the topsoil. Our raised beds are cinder block and we stack them three high for ideal hip height to sit on the walls and do weeding or harvesting or planting.

[@kerrytoby7041]

I believe gardening can change the world too. This small garden format will encourage a lot of new people to start.

[@TheBzybees]

Love love love this video. Urban gardeners need this information for limited space as well as mobility/disability issues. Every home should have a garden - even without acreage. Thank you for this.

[@pathologist1]

I would like to thank you for teaching step-by-step what to do to take a risk to grow tomatoes. And my husband and I waited three years a little longer because we were scared. 69 years old . Last year we had 21 buckets big black buckets and we tried every kind of tomatoes see if we’re gonna be successful. We put them all over the backyard living in Boise Idaho it it gets so hot. We originally from Michigan we grew up there. Then being in the military we moved so much that we couldn’t figure it all out. My husband always wanted to have a farm. Here we are way too old health problems. But we watch KZbin you and Justin and all the other people cheering you guys on praying for your guys success. So we got some tomatoes not too many. I used to do 600 quarts of canning when we lived in Maine. Where I would go to farmers market and support them and can and freeze and have good food for our boys. I do still small amount of canning. But wanting to learn more so I have watched you and Justin every step of the way and signed up for that other program and paid my fees. I’m not good at computers. And it’s keep on going off and saying I didn’t pay for it. I get depressed when I can’t watch you guys. Holiday season was the pets without getting you guys all the time. I reached out and they were wonderful to help out once before when I had difficulties logging on to you guys program with Justin. And I know everybody is on vacation. Is there anyway you could help me? I love your laugh I love you being real vulnerable to all of us. We love you guys say hi to your boys and your Maya. Julee

[@robynmize4713]

My condo patio garden is made from stacked cinder blocks... 2 x 4 shelves through the holes and heavy duty 12, 17, 20 gallon storage bins. I supplement with compost kitchen waste and brown leaf matter. My worms love me. All of this is very affordable from the big box hardware stores. I love the flexibility of being able to move the bins around. Some of my bins are on pantry wire carts with casters so i can roll them around easier. I started with a couple of hanging baskets just to grow my herbs. WARNING: Herbs are gateway plants! Seriously, even setting a storage tote (with holes in the bottom) on an old vinyl stackable chair.... produces all your salad needs: cherry tomatoes, lettuce, onions, basil, etc. No bending required!

[@outdoors459]

That's me, I AM constructional challenged. Now I have a word for it!! 🌿🌿🌳🍁🌼

[@joannc147]

Big thumbs up on Vego beds! 👍🏻 Investment was reasonable and their construction indicates a long life of 10 year plus. I bought 3 a year ago and filled with some gravel (vole discouragement), then lots of twigs, wood chips and a final topping of potting soil. Love them - ordered 2 more. I have 2 of the Greenstalks and am underwhelmed. I need another season to try different plants. I bought 2 of those “elevated raised beds” from Home Depot about 7 years ago. NO tools needed! I just needed another pair of hands to hold a second post as I attached the wood slats. Very easy! The wood rotted out quite a bit and began to do a serious lean. A friend used some bits of wood to bolster the corners and I should get another 3-4 years out of them. Also….love using grow bags! Thank you for your video, Jess. This is very helpful for those of us with big dreams and little plots of land! ❤❤❤

[@schex9]

You should ask all of your viewers to send in pictures of their smaller "starter" gardens like you talked about at the end. You could make a slideshow from the pictures.

[@lispottable]

I love your enthusiasm for gardening. I also love it so much. You are great to watch and learn from!

[@LorriesWorld]

Completely agreed! Gardening can change your world.

[@AC-hy1xd]

I am loving your channel right now. I’ve been a huge fan for years, but the timing of what you’re doing is so perfect. My husband and I will be moving onto our own 5 acres homestead on the next year or so. Watching you build from the ground up is so helpful to us now as we research what infrastructure we want on our land.

[@jennypetersen644]

“Honey, it’s halfway to overflowing.” My new favorite statement! Jess, I live in the heart of a big city and to get the most of the space available to me, I’ve got 5 of the Vego raised beds in different sizes/configurations. I absolutely love them! I filled the bottom 8” of the 17” depth with small logs/branches from a tree we lost. Then I filled the last 6 or 7” with soil. It works really nice and adds extra drainage to the beds. Thanks for all you do and share. Much love to you and your family!

[@thatjerseyb]

I'm so glad I decided to do a garden this year after struggling with some sad times in 2020. I didn't have the means to do a regular garden last year, so I did grow bags. The joy that came from growing plants and seeing them thrive and produce food that I enjoy eating has gotten me to get my yard fenced in and to start working towards a bigger garden next year. Hopefully in a year or 2 I will have the garden of my dreams! You are definitely inspirational.

[@kath-phlox]

Peas and beans of all kinds are really easy and don't have many pests, save seed from them to keep costs nil.

[@thatjerseyb]

@@kath-phlox yeah but my family doesn't eat many beans. I'm trying to keep to what I know my family will eat for the most part.

[@daisyblooms4813]

Good for you!!!

[@sherim1510]

So many rhings don't need deep soil-radishes. lettuce, kale, herbs and strawberries. I use coco coir and chicken wire to make hanging baskets and containers. i struggle with the drainage and staking in grow bags but they work for me when I up-pot seedlings for peppers and tomatoes.

[@thatjerseyb]

@@sherim1510 grow bags definitely require more watering here in NC. My plants got pretty big so I let my tomatoes vine instead of trying to force them vertical. I easily got 40lbs of tomatoes over the summer. My peppers in grow bags didn’t get too big. Plants and fruit stayed on the small side. But I got plenty of peppers to chop up and use in stir fry and things along those lines. Just not large enough to stuff like I wanted.

[@deborahgilliland1804]

Got my daughter a Greenstalk and a bunch of grow bags this past Spring. She had also gotten a mini raised bed from a free signup deal they had this year. Loaded her up with a bunch of good bags of soul and helped supply some starts. It was amazing the amount of food she grew. Potatoes in the bags as well as strawberries in a strawberry grow bag and a hanging pot. Loads of tomatoes, some purple peppers, jalapenos, corn that didn't result to much lol and a variety of greens. She was thrilled and so was I. Still waiting to see if her eggplants grew much. We are already planning next year and if I can move to the bottom floor also I'll get another Greenstalk.

[@pamelamercado6902]

I remember 40 years ago I moved into a small place who had no yard whatsoever I had this big black bag I filled it with soil and I grew a few peas some lettuce and green onions I found a small hook chest and planted in it also I had my little garden. I tell people now use what you have and be creative

[@LorriesWorld]

We used full on logs on top of the cardboard in our raised beds, then filled in with grass and clippings. They sink a bit every year, but the soil is fantastic!

[@patcox8745]

Wow- I thought the planters were Birdie’s Beds! I was so excited. I love my Birdie’s! Use Hugel Kultur by filling bottom of beds with large logs, etc. to cut cost of filling up. Hope you enjoy them!

[@saminairfan45]

I think birdie’s are better beds but only time will tell

[@Nakedpippi]

Same! Wondered if maybe they have been rebranded for the US market.

[@squaredawayacres1318]

@@saminairfan45 I was just looking at those. I was ready to spend A LOT but then shipping was INSANE. These are cheaper and free shipping.. So.....

[@melaniethomson7908]

@@squaredawayacres1318 Kevin from Epic Gardening is the US distributor for Birdies - maybe ordering through him would be cheaper?? :)

[@amandapugsley1721]

Me too I have 4 birdies beds except 700mm high, logs etc in bottom. 4 years no problem.

[@scole1999]

So true! I’m single an grow most of my food in 5 beds of 4Wx8Lx8D. Plus several grow bags, 2 large plastic containers of onions, fruit bushes, herb garden made of a kids pool🤣, and a cpl in ground patches for squash an potatoes on just 1/3 of an acre! It can be done😃 an I love it💖

[@margaretnorman4376]

What zone are you in? I'm in zone 7 and want to try growing onions in a raised bed...

[@scole1999]

@@margaretnorman4376 I’m in 6a!

[@margaretnorman4376]

Do you plant them in the fall or spring?

[@scole1999]

@@margaretnorman4376 spring time

[@margaretnorman4376]

I'm going to try some this fall, then in the spring, too. Best wishes and Happy Gardening!

[@ellilock1]

Our garden (1/2 acre suburban lot) is very similar. We have some 4x4 cedar beds surrounding the back porch, but they were too shaded by the house, so we put 3 3x6 galvanized steel beds with 2 cattle panel trellises between them. We oriented them so the long sides pointed due north and south, so the shade from the trellises goes away from the beds all day. We are newbies and grow about 1/2 our produce and 90+% of our herbs in the back yard with very little work. Garlic was our biggest shock this year. We planted one head and used up every single one produced by august. We have about a lot heads of garlic coming to plant, this year, because yum and it’s easy to grow. And getting brassicas in the ground, soon. We also filled the bottoms of beds with hottish compost, good, rotten deadfall and cardboard to reduce the soil costs and it seems to work well.

[@Flanuora]

Gardening can change the world 🌱 🪴 🌎 🌍 I believe this too!

[@shandysgarden]

This solidified where I've been last few years! I'be implemented all the space saving methods and growing styles! Learning so much in my smallish potager' classroom garden💕 Getting ready for my next classroom 😌

[@betsyburton538]

I’m just grateful there is something in the glass!

[@lisaspics1127]

Jess thanks for not forgetting the home gardeners. We need people like you for motivation. 😃

[@honestly27]

Jess...you are such a GREAT teacher. I LOVE listening to you and just learning every single time you put a video out. I sincerely mean that.

[@CharlotteBugYouTubeVideosMore]

Love the volunteer pup making an appearance. We collect animals as well and appreciate you normalizing the practice. 😊

[@kmarshall53]

I have the tall bed you are using and two smaller metal beds. I use the tall bed for my herbs, and have asparagus and strawberries in the metal beds. I also have two 4x4 (kit) beds and some rectangular beds, along with grow bags and a Garden Tower. My bushes and flowers are in-ground beds. I’ve grown a lot of food all summer and I’m now into my fall garden. I’ll keep adding to more beds to my garden each year, both food and flowers. It’s a lovely thing to look at and provides me with great exercise and healthy food. I’m so happy to see you working on this smaller space, and excited to learn from you as you plant, care for and harvest. Love from zone 6B in SE PA.

[@karink3260]

Check out "Wicking beds". It's a water system for raised beds that will reduce the amount of water you need, provides a much more natural watering, and will reduce the amount of time you water. Your wooden beds are probably too shallow to try it with-but the metal ones may be deep enough. I think you might be really interested in learning about this concept-I've changed several of my raised beds over to this and have had loved it. Would be a great addition to put in your teaching Vlogs.

[@jasonskerbitz298]

Yep.... Arms Family Homestead has some good videos on the self-wicking buckets method of growing.... very cool way to grow some tasty grub. ;-)

[@communityjusticeandbetterm874]

Very inspirational! I've been watching your channel on and off for a little while and I've found that your videos on small, inexpensive gardening styles are most relevant for me. Looking forward to watching more about how you use this smaller growing space. Thanks!

[@kkr5428]

My Greenstalk came today! I got the “leaf” one - I have green a smoothie every day, and we also have a very finicky, hungry land tortoise! She does not like the greens from the grocery store. Once we started growing greens for her in our hydroponic unit, she would no longer eat any from the store at all! Hoping our Greenstalk will produce lots of good stuff this summer! Thanks for the review on the metal beds as I have been looking into these. Very helpful!

[@nicolesjostrom2348]

I love this!!! We are an army family and move normally every 2 to 3 years. We love having a backyard garden and my kids love helping with it too. I love that they are learning where food comes from and how easy it can be to grow yourself. We have been doing them in big pots but we are talking about doing metal beds like that that we can take apart easy whe. We move. We want more space to grow more food but not big. I also just learned that the base we are on has a community garden I can rent a space from and I'm so excited! I'm wanting to try new foods and learn so that when my husband is done with the army and we move to our forever home we can set up a large garden and I will know a lot of what I'm doing lol if we can do it anyone can lol

[@samanthajean237]

My family of 5 lives in a small 2 bedroom apartment. I have no yard. My Mom lives 10 minutes from me and let me build 2 6x8 ft beds and a green stalk and some other potter plants along with all her flowers. Just last week we went over after dark with out blacklights and I found my first ever 8 hornworms! We’re looking for a house with a little land but the market is just crazy right now.

[@melaniethomson7908]

Good morning from Queensland Australia :) Where I live, I have only rainwater, too far from town to have town water & we've been in drought here for quite some time. So this Spring I've only planted a few raised beds & a few small in-ground beds. Its only 3 weeks into Spring here & I've already harvested SO MUCH with very little water!! You really don't have to have much space to feed yourself ;)

[@ivanmarden7179]

Congratulations on your new home. I have been away for a while and I’m so happy for you and this new home garden is just in time for me. Thank you 🙏👌

[@dr.rev.lindabingham]

Blessings to all!

[@deborahandrews9728]

I totally agree with you about the home garden. I’ve been at it for years and for the first several years, I didn’t really get a huge harvest. They were nearly dismal failures, but my one little pepper plant and a couple of egg plants cheered me on. My growing area is a very, very challenging one. All sand, no nutrients in that whatsoever. I then learned about compost - a real game changer for me. I used what I had on hand, created several small raised beds using oak logs and grew my best garden ever. I later found this channel and saw your raised beds, so my sweet husband built me a few very similar ones. They have been wonderful, too. Thanks so much for the inspiration and great ideas. God bless, you too!

[@cookingwithsusie8909]

Just wanted to pop in and say that the soil bag garden video was the 1st one of your that I watched. Since then, you have inspired me in so many ways. I am back to home gardening. I knew I missed it but, didn't realize how much till my husband built me a raised bed. Now, I am expanding my growing space to as much as possible in my urban yard. In the spring I am getting chickens and a chickshaw. Your positivity and encouragement has helped me more than you will ever know. I bless you too! Thank you for everything. So glad I found your channel. ❤

[@sharoncardenas5447]

Jess, I have not seen your last 4 blogs. I always watch you. I'm trying to catch up. Sorry!!! But on September 16th my youngest son had a had a horrific wreck. He lost his right eye. Had a brain bleed. Broke every bone in his face. Was on life support for days. Lord have Mercy!!! I keep claiming a miracle everyday!!! His face was torn from his face. He has a trachea. He has a feeding tube. They have so many surgeries left. Please pray for my son!!! He has a trachea. He has a feeding tube. If you want to see a pick,let,me know

[@sarahlynne4528]

Thank you!! I love your genuine honesty in all that you do. This is such a helpful video, as are all your videos. I love your channel!! Dont forget that YOU are changing the world too ♡♡♡

[@barbaramix1683]

The first thing I ever planted was lettuce. I planted it by digging the dirt with a teaspoon and dropping the seed in. I watered it and it grew. I was 3 years old. That packet of seed cost me 25 cents (my whole allowance for the week). My dad planted the rest of it. We ate lettuce all summer from that one packet of seed.

[@cheryljenkins6922]

Thank you for making these videos. I discovered you 2 years ago and you inspired me to start my own garden and 2 years later we are still chugging along and upping our game every year, all because of your knowledge and your ability to inspire others. 💙

[@lanak.fromnewmexico1143]

Thanks so much Jess, this is very helpful for me being disabled. Some days I find that I just don't have the energy to handle a bigger space. So if I use the smaller garden set up, especially for fall gardening, it's much easier for me to get around first. Also, I can handle a couple of the raised beds, and a few planters or pots. I was so happy to see that you put out a video today! Like I said, very helpful and informative. So thanks again and I love watching you and Miah's channels. Can't wait for a new Abundance Plus, " Wilder Still", to come out! Love you and God bless 🙏🙏🤗🤗

[@desertfamilyhomestead3127]

One thing I have always told anyone I have taught gardening in the desert to is to start small so it is manageable and gives them a lot more room for learning without getting overwhelmed and you can grow a little each year until you get to your desired garden size for your property. I also stress that it helps keep the cost down to start it up each spring.

[@oursimplesustainablelife8432]

Your 'temporary', seasonal garden would do a lot of people for their whole garden! I love it.