The Lazy Gardender's Checklist For June: Do This Now!

[@erukaseven]

I harvested my first potatoes yesterday!!!! It wasn't a huge harvest but I'm still so very happy with what I managed to accomplish.

[@markhildred2456]

After the video I ran out and tipped my first pot of charlottes. Not so many , but look gorgeous , dinner later !

[@daisygurl3601]

Congratulations! It’s so exciting to dig them up like a treasure hunt!

[@pinkfox5651]

I had help doing that on Friday with two of my little grandsons and they really enjoyed it. The eldest, who’s just turned twelve, wants to grow some of his own now and was very disappointed we couldn’t get any at the garden centre yesterday. I’ll get some though. I must fuel their interest in growing their own food. Much better than being stuck in front of a computer monitor gaming too. 😊

[@erukaseven]

@@pinkfox5651 I play some video games, but it's easier stuff or Monopoly. But I prefer time in my garden, that's for sure. Pokemon can only make me so happy. But my garden has something new every day.

[@charlotterydz6343]

It’s so satisfying isn’t it? I’ve harvested some already too 🥔

[@Dingle1234]

My Mom used to make a broth of the baby vegetables: potatoes, green onions, snow peas and dill. No meat necessary. Absolutely delicious

[@allietallie8965]

Oh do you have a recipe sounds amazing ❤

[@PennyFarmer-w8g]

Starting cucumbers and melons and squash a bit later today, with my younger grandson, he loves cucumbers, so I am giving him his own little cucumber bed.

[@GrowVeg]

How fabulous and what a great way to spark a love of gardening! :-)

[@charlotterydz6343]

Oooh is there still time to do cucumbers from seed? Only one of my seedlings made it. I’d quite like more 🥒

[@stephencarey3589]

Yes plenty of time

[@charlotterydz6343]

@@stephencarey3589 fabulous!!! Doing it 🌱

[@RyDaMoOnline]

I jumped the gun a bit with sweetcorn but they're doing really well. Got some courgette, potatoes, tomatoes, leeks, parsnips, onions, cucumbers, lettuce, broccoli, bell peppers, chillies, honeydew melon and sunflowers! Oh and strawberries and blueberries. May have done a bit much for my first year growing more than just potatoes but you and this channel inspired me. So glad I found it!!

[@GrowVeg]

Wow! You have got the gardening bug! - Happy Gardening!

[@charlotterydz6343]

This channel along with Emma’s allotment diaries have really helped me. I started gardening just last year and although I’m not great at it I really enjoy it. Harvesting my first ever potatoes last year really got me hooked on growing 💚 this year I’ve tried a lot more!!!

[@byewhobayou8868]

I live in a hot climate and I plant my tomatoes in large containers so I can move them against the east side of a shed or my house with a dolly when temperatures increase. Works really well. I get blooms and tomatoes all summer long in 100°+ Fahrenheit temperatures and they still get around 8 hours of direct sunlight.

[@MrSoviet123]

Picked my first strawberry today. So much sweeter than the ones in the shops!

[@postiepostie76]

Me too....and it had to be shared between 3 kids!

[@GrowVeg]

First strawberry of the season is always such a delicious moment! :-)

[@sinkintostillness]

I had mine yesterday, such a beautiful moment in the season - pure joy!

[@charlotterydz6343]

Oh yes 🙌 🍓 I’m just so excited for my own!! The plant I bought last year has 7 that are green pink now 💕

[@charlotterydz6343]

@@postiepostie76 funny! Hope it was a biggun.

[@PensionersinPortugal]

Trying to shade my plants from 40°c sun for the next 3 months 😆😆. I love your quick and easy approach.....thank you 👍

[@GrowVeg]

Wow, that's warm! Hope you get through the heat okay.

[@phyllismcdaniel-cook946]

😅 I don't have adequate sun to grow a garden but enjoy watching this channel immensely!

[@GrowVeg]

Very happy to share my garden by video with you!

[@Braisin-Raisin]

Nothing like early potatoes! I shall dig up a few tomorrow. Just picked my first bowl of luscious strawberries. I protected them from birds with a netted tunnel and for once, the strawberries are flawless, fat and delicious (it rained a lot here).

[@GrowVeg]

Delicious!! :-)

[@tc2013]

Great videos - thanks. I continue to learn.. Every year, I grow 8 or more of 10 to 12 different varieties of tomatoes outdoors in the UK - they thrive. Too many? Yes! But family, friends & neighbours get the benefits since we cannot eat / freeze them all

[@GrowVeg]

Great to try new varieties all the time. Lucky friends and family! :-)

[@hmmm..2733]

I’m in zone 9B. I’ve been enjoying my romaine lettuce for the last 2 months. I wish I could grow it in the summer.

[@dengueberries]

I can't get enough of your videos. New video idea: not sure if it's beyond the scope of your channel, but maybe you could talk about what birds do what in the garden? From tits toothing titillating aphids to pigeons partaking in pricking peppers.

[@jessegee179]

I’d love that too, we feed the black birds/finches and sparrows. Ive just found Woolley aphid on the lavender, and leaf miner damage on the sugar snap peas, wondering if there are any birds that forage on those.

[@GrowVeg]

Such great alliteration - you are a natural! ;-) request noted - thanks!

[@looneygardener]

Nice alliteration!

[@chiefredbird7315]

My favorite garden channel. Ben thank you for keeping me honest and working hard in my florida garden. I've been having huge success using your ideas and a few other channels ideas. Peace&plenty

[@GrowVeg]

So great to hear that! Happy Gardening!

[@Garykoi625]

Harvested my second bag of potatoes today and showed my subscribers that 2 seed potato's didn't grow 😢 I do enjoy your videos they are helpful 😊 🐟

[@charlotterydz6343]

Oh no, that’s sad 😢

[@CWorgen5732]

I'm so envious of your milder climate and rich soil! Our last frost was three weeks ago, when we had already had two weeks of 80⁰F weather. I've been balancing the hot greenhouse and hard, dry, clay soil against trying not to drown the seed trays or leave them out overnight. I haven't been able to truck in the couple of cubic meters of garden soil that I desperately need because our pickup died, all the trailers we have are only fit for ranch duties, and nobody around us has another pickup we can borrow! I'm shriveling up from a lack of nutrition 😂 But my tomato plants are doing okay after a couple of weeks in real mineral soil (instead of the potting mix they were sown in months ago 😅). They're greening up, spreading their leaves, and starting to add height.

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds like hard work - but your tomatoes sound great!

[@JacobsonFamilyAllotment]

Still building beds in my new allotment. But I have potatoes that are nearly ready to come up. Apart from that it's fighting the slugs

[@JJLewin1]

Its a tough year so far, lots of rain and high winds are not helping outdoor tomatoes and don't even start on peppers. Still, cabbage, spring onions are doing well, just need more reliable temperatures and more sunshine. Runner beans are looking fab :)

[@jaytoney3007]

My potatoe harvest was decent, but far from being a bumper crop. Most were medium to large in size. I have more potatoes chitting for planting the first week in July. I harvested out my mustard, and took my first harvest of Swiss Chard. I think I have the righr amount of mustard, but need about 25 percent more chard next season. I'll keep the chard growing through summer, fall, and winter, then replant next February? It is getting too warm for beetroot, so harvesting them is next on my list, and pulling up a few carrots too. I am getting regular harvests of cucumbers, lemon squash, zucchini, and crookneck squash. My pepper plants, sixty-eight, and tomato plants, twenty-five, are flowering and loaded with ripening fruit. The first watermelon is growing, hoping for many more, and cantaloupe too. In July, I'll sow seed starts for Brunswick Cabbage, and in August, Brocolli, Cauliflower, Napa Cabbage, carrots, turnips, and Yellow Heart Winter Choy. Soon, I'll have to plan it all out, so I know what to remove, and plant where.

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds very well organized - great work!

[@Julie31596]

Thank you. Just what I needed this morning after a long drive and errands this morning! I'll come back to this for sure.

[@Sue-ec6un]

Wow, you are way ahead of me! Planting for fall and winter already...just wow.

[@doras.allotment]

Great tip about basil sowings, I wasn't aware of the humidity requirement before 🙂 Thank you!

[@anabravo3581]

Last Sunday was harvest day: so 1,041 kg of stawberries, 6 pack choi, rocket salad, some peas and a few fava beans. I'm following your advice Ben, the more you pick the more you get 😊Thank you

[@Spider.vintage]

Any chance you could do a video on pest control expecially slugs

[@OurAmazingSkies]

We just harvested our first potatoes planted back in January in pots and left in the polytunnel.

[@InspirationSessions]

Just felt down into the soil around my own first earlies and pulled out a hen's egg-sized spud - so excited! Going to wait until the kids get home from nursery tonight to play the ultimate lucky dip game. No matter how many years I grow potatoes, the whole buried treasure vibe never ceases to thrill... ditto the lack of blight-related anxiety about first earlies...

[@GrowVeg]

Awesome - very exciting times ahead! :-)

[@peterwalker6020]

My all time favourite summer meal, and still is, home grown new potatoes, with mint added to the water, home grown garden peas, Yorkshire dry cure bacon and a couple of fried eggs., Plus don't forget the butter on the potatoes

[@GrowVeg]

Perfect! :-)

[@desislavagocheva8471]

Dear Ben, greetings from the Netherlands. I also harvested my first potatoes in pots and they are absolutely delicious❤ Thank you for this great video !

[@GrowVeg]

Nothing beat home grown - well done!

[@Elon_Trump]

my cucumbers wilted in the sun yesterday I had to put up some shade and give a midafternoon watering.

[@wheelz2984]

Hey Ben, I'm in Zone 3a so I just got most of my plants put outside. Still a risk of frost overnight so tomatoes will go out 2nd weekend in June.

[@ayuvanjava2071]

Great video! We haven’t harvest our first early spuds as they’re all outside. Our back garden is looking lush at the moment, even though there are some beans leaves being munched, some cucumber plants are having leaf miners in them, some direct sown peas didn’t grow and I feel like I am late for everything. But we’re starting to have big strawberries from the garden for breakfast, also lovely greens for salads and stir fries. Gardening really helps with my mental health, and your videos are always great to watch and I’ve learned so much from you. Thank you very much.

[@GrowVeg]

Thank you so much for that - much appreciated. Nothing beats gardening for me.

[@matthewkirkey2716]

My official garden is on hold and am doing some containers and some in ground plants near the house in a more French style of cottage garden. The main focus for us this year and next is converting three acres of yard and corn field into flower meadow. The corn field has very little organic matter left as it's been best up for five years straight with corn corn corn corn & corn. So we're doing sunflower, crimson clover and Mexican sunflower for NPK heavy organic matter and N fixing in school me spots and straight wildflowers/ annuals in other spots.

[@jellyosbahr]

Just finished building a greenhouse at my allotment today, then filled it with a mixed variety of tomatoes. So much to look forward to. And my first broad beans are almost ready! Was meaning to plant out my winter squash, but spent too long with the green house. Next time…🙂

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds wonderful!

[@Ohelojam]

Definetly will be doing stringed up tomatoes and cucumbers next spring.

[@Stu-Vino]

Harvested my first broad beans this morning! Planted them pre-Christmas, and the pods are looking good 🙂

[@GrowVeg]

Fabulous! :-)

[@christinebrooks6364]

Hi Ben, another great video with plenty of hints and tips. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much Christine. :-)

[@esparzasusan]

Growing up in Texas, we called those new potatoes, and our favorite way to serve was as "creamed potatoes" in a delicious peppery white sauce.

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds like a delicious way to serve them up! :-)

[@jackieo8693]

Wow that's a great harvest of potatoes! I picked some lettuce leaves today. Our cherries started out well but seem to be struggling now.

[@robertlee6479]

I started harvesting main crop potatoes on the 28th of April. They are now finished growing and dying back in the heat which just arrived this week, not before time.New carrots I started the following week and busy just now freezing loads of peas as they have gone mad.

[@susanrazza9740]

I'm waiting on my potatoes and taking care of the rest as needed. A lot of our crops are grown in decorative ceramic pot. They sit around the pool so they need watering daily and twice a day in the heat. Puttering along.

[@toniedalton5448]

My first year of asparagus. Just ferns right now. 2 years to grow ?? Thank you for your helpful and joyful vids. With all the stress and bad news in my life right now you are a nice lift to my spirits

[@GrowVeg]

Thank you! Yes try not to pick any shoots for two years. It will be worth it in the end.

[@MyFocusVaries]

Noone watching your videos and seeing your garden would believe your greenhouse roof is a result of laziness. It's just a low priority. And now you've found a benefit to having put off that job 😊 👍

[@GrowVeg]

Thank you - yes sometimes things work out!

[@Fine_and_Andy]

I always throw my potatoes in where my soils the worst. My area is very sandy. So its great for onions who love muddy areas. An potatoes that like to keep it dry mist of the time. I always have far to many potatoes an onions to go around. Combo growing flowers like cosmos an sunflowers, an herbs like sage an onions ; keeps my plants happy an lush

[@manijehclayton4454]

I love to see your enthusiasm and energy. Very inspiring after feeling a bit down hearted when I have just inspected my own fairly well eaten vegetables by slugs.

[@GrowVeg]

Lots of slugs here too - don't lose heart. :-)

[@Hayley-y3b]

My first earlies are a few weeks behind yours as I don't have a greenhouse. But seeing your successful crop and filled me with excited anticipation for my first attempt at home grown spuds.

[@GrowVeg]

Best of luck with those!

[@CherrieMcKenzie]

Watching your results has made me decide to try again to grow potatoes this fall. Loved your beans!! Mine have been the saving grace from the early heat in Florida. Great video and info as always!!

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much Cherrie. Hope you get a great harvest of potatoes. :-)

[@sparkstechnology]

Recently bought some more plants, a purple "tequila" pepper plant, basket of fire chilli plant and some mint for the kitchen window sill. 4 varieties of tomatoes currently on the go as well as cucumbers and peppers. Just need more space 😂

[@sosgardening]

Great content as always, i'm currently an all at once gardener until I can get my head around spacing out my veggies

[@sallyannlaw3860]

Just today, I've made my first harvest of "Rocket" new potatoes grown in a 30Lt pot. They weighed 908 grams. I've been picking Spinach Beets, Radish and Strawberries.

[@GrowVeg]

Great job! :-)

[@thejuniorgardener]

My first early potatoes-Pentland Javelin planted 29th March are about to flower. Can’t wait for harvest!

[@GrowVeg]

Not long to go! Enjoy!

[@margaretalice6343]

Great tips. Thanks also for reminding me I need to check my 1st early potatoes. First time I’ve grown them. So the reminder is welcome. 🤩

[@GrowVeg]

Glad it was helpful!

[@DebRoo11]

I'm eating beet roots and lots of salad greens. I'm looking forward to when my salads are more exciting 😅

[@ibrstellar1080]

The best way to stop secure the netting around the bottom is bungee ropes as the wood can damage the netting and harbour slugs.

[@beckymartinez9926]

That small size potatoes are great with fresh green beans and a little bacon.

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds delicious!

[@MANNY100123]

Some potato plants popped up in one of my raised beds! I must've missed them last year! Nice little surprise!

[@GrowVeg]

Easily done!

[@michlardot2215]

It.s wet and not warm enough where I live in Belgium but everything is growing fine A use a lot of fleececlot for the garden and that helps also I grow everything in big pots and cattle feed boxes in rubber good cheap and lasts for a live time

[@stephenhope7319]

Thanks Ben, nice garden. You asked so here goes; here in Sacramento, Ca zone 9b we are moving from Spring ( 75-85F) days to Summer conditions ( 85-97F) and will be hotter next month. My garden has already begun to produce. Tomatoes ( 12 plants) are 5 feet tall and producing a few fruit but many tomatoes in the green stage. I have cucumbers and sweet bell bell pepper plants at 3 feet tall and showing fruit. I have zucchini that is 3 feet tall and producing daily, many ripe zucchinis. Hot peppers are 2 feet tall and showing fruit. I have a parsley that is 5 feet tall, I will keep that for flowering purposes next year. I have a 2nd year fig volunteer that is over 6 feet tall now, might have to top that. All are supported and all will probably ripen properly as our temps climb thru June and July. Love your videos and your enthusiasm. I forgot to mention my herbs, 2nd year sage, thyme, marjoram and oregano. Thanks.

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds great! Good work!

[@pajcka]

I'm close to harvesting potatoes, I'll wait for the stems to dry. I have them in 21 buckets like yours, about 30 liters each. I fertilize them well, so I hope for a good harvest.I also had a lot of tomato seedlings, so I planted about 190 stems. Of that, tomatoes are in 25 buckets.Cucumbers, a variety that is large and not bitter, planted a month ago in waves of 14 days. Last year I had 150 kg of cucumbers or about 300 pounds. Onions are close to harvest, located on an area of ​​11 m². About 2 kg of shallots were planted. I will wait for it to fully ripen.Also, red onions were planted for salad, 1 kg.I'm writing all this because I'm trying to maintain a garden on an area of ​​15x15m. I'm expecting about 40kg of potatoes, at least ten boxes of onions, lots of tomatoes and cucumbers. And the inevitable garlic along with carrots on an area of ​​3m².Good luck and lots of success.❤🎉❤

[@GrowVeg]

Wow - what a productive garden space! :-)

[@pajcka]

@@GrowVeg Thanks to you guys. I learned a lot on KZbin platform. I didn't know anything before that. ♥️♥️♥️

[@chipperkeithmgb]

Just dug some self setters me and my daughter both said tasty 😊

[@GrowVeg]

Bonus crop!

[@thelasttaarakian]

Only a couple more weeks and my blueberries are going to be ready!

[@Vengaard]

Thank you, Stephen Merchant of gardening

[@redpilledprophet8829]

I’m about to remove my spring pea plants & try to grow Malabar spinach for the first time over the summer-hoping for some nice greens to eat even during the hottest months

[@GrowVeg]

Ooh lovely - sounds like a great plan!

[@DevonLinda-Plot18]

Thanks so much for your videos. You pack so much info and detail into your helpful videos. Really looking forward to tipping my Nicola spuds out of the 30litre buckets.

[@DownButNotOutYet]

Good morning Ben, congratulations seem to be the order of today's video, well done with those tatties! They look so delicious just taken out of the soil, creamy and just gently boiled with a butter and parsley coating, oh yum!! Doing very well all round in the veggie patch, those butterflies are sneaky hey? Well you seem to be on top of controlling those uninvited pests, so all the best and carry on growing. Have not planted much, just potatoes which are doing very well I would like some onions but the gardening crew here are a little otherwise occupied. Thank you for a excellent video and all the gardening advice and tricks. Kind regards 😊❤👋👍

[@GrowVeg]

Thank you! Hope your potatoes are just scrumptious too!

[@jessegee179]

Congratulations on the potatoes! 🎉🎉🎉

[@PacificGardening]

Need more “Cool Ben” segments in the future 😎

[@GrowVeg]

I think once is enough!

[@AndreaDingbatt]

Thank you Ben!! Im Soooo Behind with my Garden,,, Im going to be at the Plant Nursery next week,,, Yikes!!

[@GrowVeg]

Things will soon catch up, worry not. :-)

[@AndreaDingbatt]

@@GrowVeg Thank you so Much Again for the encouragement and your knowledge ☺️ Namasté 🙏🕊️💞🌟 Andréa and Critters. ..XxX...

[@malcolmditchburn9867]

Love your refreshing work so keep it up and thank you for your advice 👍

[@Annetmoestuinintwente]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@joyscott374]

Thanks Ben, timely reminder 🐞

[@ChiChi75169]

Another great video - thank you! I love your channel 🤗

[@hkschubert9938]

A greenhouse !! You're spoiled !!

[@GrowVeg]

I am very lucky! :-)

[@christ9376]

When I go to my allotment and pick the broad bean tops they never make it home. I just eat them there and then, lovely and juicy and fresh!

[@HomerSparkle]

I'm slowly taming my jungle into something a bit more domesticated, and productive. I'm off by about a month for all my planting, but I'll give it a go anyway and see what happens. It can't be any worse than weeds, anyway. 💪

[@GrowVeg]

It does take time and I am sure you will get there!

[@valoriegriego5212]

Howdy, Ben! Lovely potatoes!😋 Another enjoyable and info packed video.👍 I'm getting ready to harvest the first planting of popcorn.💃 I moved my tomatoes into shade...pepper plants as well. I have pepper and tomato starts growing for the fall gardens of a few friends.😃

[@thomaisdefois]

Lovely :) Thank you for sharing, and enjoy your beautiful harvests :)

[@Dawn_Grows_Veg]

It's all looking lovely Ben. I had some Peppermint chard leaves and my first tiny broad beans (I couldn't wait!) and song spring onions and green garlic. Made a lovely noodle soup with some miso paste and the vegetables. Yum! Followed by my first strawberries of the season - summer has arrived. Although I am battling the slugs on my lettuces. How are yours looking so beautiful? I have to strip quite a lot away as tiny baby slugs are getting deep into the hearts which is a bit yucky. A good wash required before adding to salads for sure.

[@GrowVeg]

The slugs have been pretty relentless so far this year haven't they!

[@alessiaadriana3137]

Thank you ❤love your videos you always give tips in terms of pest what I appreciate really

[@HoustonGardeningNovice]

The potato harvest looks great

[@BellasBigAdventures]

Ate my first strawberry yesterday warm from the plant 🥰 delicious puts supermarket ones to shame. Also been eating the first mangetout straight from the plant, they oddly never make it to the kitchen 😂

[@GrowVeg]

Fresh is best! Happy gardening!

[@rumpole2347]

Even thogh i'm in the UK i have already this week picked my 1st ghost chilli.I started my chillies off in January with heat and grow lights potted on and left on a south facing window sill then transfered to an allotment poly/plant house in April which even on a cloudy day and fully ventilated will easily get up to 30c.I have several other chillies all in bloom( Chocolate habanero,Jalepeno,lemon habanero,green finger chilli) so even though it has seemed a bit miserable of late the plants don't seem to mind. P.S. I over wintered a 2' x 2' scotch bonnet which is now in the greenhouse and it's bursting with buds so don't chuck that really goosd specimen away after all chillies are perennials.

[@GrowVeg]

That is an incredible result. Especially for something so hot. Very impressed! 🌶️

[@jessicapayne8622]

I’m nervous to look at my potatoes growth… planted them in April. Keep looking at the soil and watering them daily/every other day. Probably got another month to go before I think about looking!

[@AnandideKock]

I love your videos. Still in school but i can't wait to get growing!

[@GrowVeg]

Lovely to have you watching our videos. I hope you get to start growing soon! :-)

[@GARDENER42]

I feel the outside of those same containers for bulges as an indicator they're ready for harvest. My autumn sown broad beans are coming along - reckon 2 weeks to first harvest & those will be eaten raw. Asparagus has only been in the ground 15 months, so it'll be next year before I have a (small) crop. I now save the home made compost from my potato crop & after sieving use for seed sowing & potting on, as the new, peat free stuff has given truly abysmal results. I've brussels, broccoli, cabbage & cauliflower seedlings coming on & they'll go in as soon as the garlic & broad beans are harvested. Carrots for late harvest will go in along with the main beetroot sowing this week.

[@ilahens]

I “harvested” my first potatoes grown in a bag because the leaves had died back and to my shock I didn’t get a single potato. I knew I was late (zone 10 and planted them April 4th) but the greenery had given me false hope. Looks like the hot temps just stopped tuber production completely. So sad 😢

[@GrowVeg]

Sorry to hear that!

[@radiotowers1159]

going to give my 2nd earlies another week yet, my sprouting broccoli looks like its just starting to sprou,t and just stated my 2nd sowing of lettuce and 1st sowing of swiss chard

[@dustyflats3832]

Have almost all seedlings in of veg and still many flowers to go. Struggle with beets and new to me sweet pea flowers. I think shade cloth for beets and maybe sweet peas. We had 5” of rain last week, out of severe drought and more rain today after I emptied all the rain tanks yesterday as it was already dry. I have had a great successful growing season so far for brassicas-started mid April and a few days ago harvest State Fair quality Bak Choi and Napa cabbage. Happy to get dry beans, squash and melons in before rain today. Because of all the rain the peppers are looking a bit lime green. I have fish emulsion but that means more water. Should I use a different type of like dry fertilizer? I believe they say to start with fish emulsion to green them up and then switch to a high phosphorus fertilizer. Any tips about sweet peas is also appreciated. We had a cool week and now the heat is on and it will create a jungle in no time. Thx Ben, always enjoy your vids.

[@GrowVeg]

I think using a fish emulsion fertilizer is a good first step. :-)

[@dustyflats3832]

@@GrowVeg it rained Saturday and today-Monday another 2”. I used blood meal on them-I know it’s slower acting, but things are so soaked. One extreme to the next. Glad we are out of severe drought.

[@ScoreGuru123]

Harvest early potatoes? The season is about a month behind in the Midlands

[@LifeHomeandGardenwithAnaRica]

A very helpful garden video! Thanks

[@valeriezendiver263]

It’s not “laziness” but rather “selective energy expenditure.” 😉😁

[@GrowVeg]

Oh I like that idea!

[@goddessmother]

I have an infestation of stink bugs. Last year, they sucked dry an entire crop of thornless blackberries. The other day, I sprayed them with dish soap with some Neem oil, Eucalyptus oil, and I added liquid high potassium fertilizer, since the instructions say it can be absorbed through the leaves as well as through the roots. Now, for 2 days of bug collection, I haven't found any! I have 2 bee hives in my garden. I need to spay at dusk after my bees have all returned to their hives. The stink bugs are high up in my fruit trees too far away for the mist of my sprayer. Meanwhile, my blueberries are coming in, the same time as the mulberries. I wanted to make jam, but I will have to pick more berries until I get enough for a batch of jam. Later on, I will ferment the fruit waste from jam projects into wine. My mulberry wine from 2 years ago is effervescent. I live in wine country. I have received compliments from wine professionals for my blackberry wine. Of course, I only make enough for 4-5 liters.

[@GrowVeg]

How wonderful to make your own wine - a fantastic skill! :-)

[@nilmaribeiropereira2392]

I love all your videos

[@sooya_jixsoo]

Lovely!

[@reer5340]

Ben, really curious about this, when was your last frost day for you this year?

[@GrowVeg]

This year it was mega early. Sometime in mid to late March.

[@reer5340]

@@GrowVeg alright that explains what I am seeing 😅 Mine was about 10 of May...

[@lisasipe5880]

I love peppers and eggplant. Unfortunately, so do the flea beetles! How do you combat the little buggers?

[@GrowVeg]

Row covers can be useful, but you would need to hand pollinate the flowers as the bees wouldn’t be able to access them. More on controlling flea beetles here: www.growveg.com/pests/us-and-canada/flea-beetle/

[@randoooooooooooom]

i wish i had land. as an indoor gardener my main grow season is winter

[@sherriianiro747]

Hey Ben! I thought you harvest potatoes after they bloom and start to die back, which I did last year and only got 3 potatoes lol! Mine look like yours but were organic store bought and I don't know the variety -

[@GrowVeg]

Yes, usually you'd wait till they start to bloom (for early varieties of potatoes) before harvesting. But the foliage on mine were looking a bit bedraggled so I figured I'd best harvest them now.

[@sarahdyer1967]

Another lovely video Ben. I’m a bit sad at the moment as none of my seedlings are developing in the new compost I put in my raised beds, and some plants are turning yellow. Could the compost still be decomposing? 😢

[@GrowVeg]

It could potentially be that the compost is still decomposing a bit, so a bit 'fresh'. It may also be transplant shock from going into new ground (if you planted the seedlings out). Hopefully as the weather warms and growth picks up more generally they'll get into their stride.

[@sarahdyer1967]

@@GrowVeg thanks for the advice Ben! Fingers crossed 🤞

[@zeiszachary]

I harvested the first carrot I’ve ever grown today

[@GrowVeg]

Well done - that's awesome! :-)

[@andrewramsey7405]

My Maris Piper potatoes were sown in late February but have been slaughtered by slugs. The plants are now dead. Should I put the pots into my compost now and start again? Is it too late to re-sow Maris Piper potatoes?

[@nedkelly5866]

Still plenty of time for resowing some more spuds in the pots 👍

[@GrowVeg]

Sorry to hear that - Maris Piper take about 20 weeks to grow to harvest so if you have time for that before frosts then yes, go for it!

[@101jeepz]

I've got a question for you. Should all of the harvested spears be cut below soil level? After I snap the top portion off to harvest the spears, I have many bottom portions that are 6 inches above soil level . Now that they've dried up and I'm wondering if I should go back and cut them below soil level so bugs don't bother the plant. Thanks

[@GrowVeg]

No, you can just leave them as they are now, no problem. :-)