1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,480 Welcome to Gardening with Ben, the podcast where we dig into the soil of 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:09,160 our gardens and the depths of our green funds. I'm your host, Ben, 3 00:00:09,359 --> 00:00:12,839 here to guide you through the joys of gardening, from sowing seeds to 4 00:00:12,919 --> 00:00:18,280 reaping bountiful harvests. Each episode will explore tips, tricks, and tales from 5 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:24,800 the garden and allotment, sharing insights from ourself and stories from our own back 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:29,719 garden adventures. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just getting your hands dirty for 7 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:33,960 the first time, there's something here for everyone, So grab your brew and 8 00:00:34,039 --> 00:00:39,840 gardening gloves and let's get growing with Gardening with Ben. Hey everyone, and 9 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:45,560 welcome back to a brand new episode of Gardening with Ben Well. The weather 10 00:00:45,719 --> 00:00:52,719 has changed absolutely at the moment, and long may it last. It's been 11 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:58,240 like sixteen seventeen degrees in weather today. I saw the forecast yesterday and I 12 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,679 thought, yes, please be like this, Please be like this. I 13 00:01:00,759 --> 00:01:03,840 want to start my seeds off. We need to get them started. I 14 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,480 feel like I'm behind because I look at old photos when they pop up and 15 00:01:07,519 --> 00:01:11,760 stuff like that, and I'm thinking I should have stuff planted by now, 16 00:01:11,799 --> 00:01:15,959 I should have it planted. But I hadn't got any seeds planted. The 17 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:19,159 only seeds that I'd got planted were my carrot seeds, which I've shown recently 18 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:25,840 on one of my tiktop videos. But yeah, my carrot seeds are germinating, 19 00:01:25,879 --> 00:01:30,719 they're popping through, they're taking sprout and fingers. I'm holding my fingers 20 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,280 crossed so that I get some carrots this year because I've never had any success 21 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,879 with carrots. I'm growing them in a raised bed planter which I purchased online, 22 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,480 and yeah, we will see if they grow or not. At the 23 00:01:42,519 --> 00:01:46,760 moment, I'm keeping them in the polytunnel where it's nice and warm, and 24 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:49,760 the raised bed container has a cover over it as well, so it's even 25 00:01:49,879 --> 00:01:53,799 warmer. So hopefully it will speed them on and get them growing fast. 26 00:01:53,959 --> 00:02:00,280 And yeah, hopefully we're going to get a fantastic crop of carrots. Have 27 00:02:00,319 --> 00:02:02,359 to make sure you stay tuned for that and see how we get on. 28 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:07,120 But if you're not following my Instagram or my Facebook page, do give them 29 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,919 a follower and also a TikTok page. They're all gardening with ben but yeah, 30 00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:15,000 you will find them. So did we get any seeds planted today? 31 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:19,120 Well, yes, we did. We went to the Range to buy all 32 00:02:19,159 --> 00:02:23,280 our seeds this year. Usually it's Wilkers, but obviously Wilkers has shut and 33 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:29,159 new shops are reopening again, but the Range sell all the Wilcose seeds, 34 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:34,120 so I purchased all my seeds from there. And yeah, we have got 35 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:38,319 started in sewing all our seeds. And I'm one of these people that are 36 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:42,759 eager to get them all started. And I've started my tomato seeds off. 37 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:46,520 And how I've started my tomato seeds off this year is the same way that 38 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:53,120 I've done them last year. Last year I got some tomatoes from the supermarket, 39 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,120 some nice tasting ones who are small cherry ones which were yellow, red 40 00:02:57,199 --> 00:03:02,080 and orange. And what I did with the last year is I cut them 41 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:07,400 in half, scoop the seeds out, put them straight into soil and they're 42 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:12,159 all germinated and we had a fantastic crop and grew them outside first time, 43 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,280 and I was happy with how they tasted and they all ripened and I didn't 44 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:20,400 get no diseases on them or anything like that. And the reason why I 45 00:03:20,439 --> 00:03:23,400 grew them outside is because the year before we'd had a heat wave and I 46 00:03:23,439 --> 00:03:27,680 struggled to keep up with water in them, and I thought if they're outside, 47 00:03:27,759 --> 00:03:30,240 there's more moisture in the ground for them to get hold of and get 48 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:35,759 growing. And yes, we had a fantastic crop. So I thought I'll 49 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,360 do that again this year. So I bought the exact same ones again this 50 00:03:39,479 --> 00:03:46,400 year, and we've cut them in half and we have tucked the seeds out, 51 00:03:46,719 --> 00:03:51,639 We've put them in soil, and we have germinated, hopefully get them 52 00:03:51,639 --> 00:03:53,479 to germinate with covered them with cling film to keep them moist and warm. 53 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,919 And they're in my greenhouse, which is unheated. I don't have a heated 54 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,639 greenhouse. It's unheated, and I still managed to get them to Germany. 55 00:04:00,759 --> 00:04:03,560 So if you're worrying about whether it needs to be heated or not, my 56 00:04:03,719 --> 00:04:08,759 greenhouse is unheated and I've grown them in there for the past few years and 57 00:04:08,919 --> 00:04:14,560 had plenty of success. So unheated greenhouses are fine. Obviously, if they're 58 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,759 heated, they will speed it up, but I don't have a heater and 59 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:23,319 I wouldn't like to helive a heater on an unmanned alopment. And yeah, 60 00:04:23,399 --> 00:04:28,360 we get a good crop from that. So we've got all that growing and 61 00:04:29,079 --> 00:04:30,800 I've been out and bought all my seeds. I've got my beetroo, I've 62 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:35,639 got my lettuce, I've got my cauliflowers. I've got my cabbages. I've 63 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:40,160 got my radish, I've got my sweet cor I've got my cucumber, I've 64 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,079 got my peppers, I've got my calls yets, I've got my pumpkins, 65 00:04:43,399 --> 00:04:46,360 I've got my squash. I'm trying to think of other things. And then 66 00:04:46,399 --> 00:04:53,759 I've got some sunflowers and culundola and some asters planted. I've probably got a 67 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,759 lot more other seeds than that, but those are the ones that I have 68 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:00,759 remembered. But yeah, we've got all them planted today, and if you've 69 00:05:00,759 --> 00:05:02,839 got me on Instagram, you can see the photo of them all planted today. 70 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:08,879 There's still a lot more seeds left that I do need to get planted 71 00:05:09,199 --> 00:05:13,399 and get started. I need to start my peas off. That is another 72 00:05:13,439 --> 00:05:16,519 thing I need to get started. So hopefully we'll get them up and money 73 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,319 next time I run my a lotment. But next for the next four days 74 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:24,000 I'm going to be working, so unfortunately, I won't be able to get 75 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,959 them planted for a bit. But I want to plant them straight into the 76 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,600 ground, and I don't know. I'm thinking do I plant them straight into 77 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:33,360 the ground because we do have rats, we do have miles, we do 78 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:38,519 have squirrels, and they will all eat them, and I don't want to 79 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,120 lose them all. As soon as they start shooting through, that's when they 80 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:45,439 start eating them, and they eat all the crops and the sprouts coming off 81 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:49,079 them. I'm still undecided yet on whether I actually sew them into the ground 82 00:05:49,199 --> 00:05:53,480 or sew them in pots first to get them to a good decent size. 83 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:56,519 But we'll keep thinking about it. Well, I've got four days to think 84 00:05:56,519 --> 00:05:59,519 about it, whether I plant them into the ground or whether I start them 85 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:02,360 off in first. And that is one of the usual things that I do 86 00:06:02,439 --> 00:06:05,319 with my runner beans. I start them off in pots, get them to 87 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:10,879 a good size, and then I plant them all outside to protect them from 88 00:06:10,959 --> 00:06:15,560 the small animals. But we won't be planting runner beans till April. April 89 00:06:15,639 --> 00:06:17,279 time is the time for planting runner beans, so we don't need to buy 90 00:06:17,319 --> 00:06:23,040 them yet. I'll be purchasing them closer to the time, and I'll also 91 00:06:23,079 --> 00:06:26,839 be buying some climbing beans, which I need to buy. They're not ready 92 00:06:26,879 --> 00:06:30,040 to be planted till April yet. I was reading all the packets as I 93 00:06:30,079 --> 00:06:32,720 was picking them up. It's had aple on them, so I don't need 94 00:06:32,759 --> 00:06:35,759 to buy them yet. But yeah, we have got a lot of stuff 95 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:44,800 growing and this is an exciting bit. So we've got all them in trays, 96 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:46,839 we've got more water, we've got more covered with cling form. I've 97 00:06:46,879 --> 00:06:50,199 put labels on them all. Yes, I've remembered to put the labels on. 98 00:06:50,639 --> 00:06:55,000 I made sure that. And I've used a label printer as well this 99 00:06:55,120 --> 00:07:00,680 year rather than actually writing on tags. So if you're on TikTok, do 100 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,959 give it a watch and you'll see the label printer which I've purchased, and 101 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,959 I've also put the link into that as well, so gardening with Ben on 102 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:13,040 TikTok, I've shared a little video of the label printer that I've purchased, 103 00:07:13,519 --> 00:07:16,319 and it's no inking it. It's a firmal printer, so it burns it 104 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:20,759 onto the label and you can just keep charging it up. But it doesn't 105 00:07:20,839 --> 00:07:27,800 take batteries, so hopefully they will stay on. If not, I'll lose 106 00:07:27,839 --> 00:07:31,120 all my labels off them and I'll not know what's in it all. So 107 00:07:31,519 --> 00:07:35,240 hopefully over the next few weeks. If it stays warmer, the laws start 108 00:07:35,279 --> 00:07:41,639 germinating. And this is why I use the winter period as a time to 109 00:07:42,839 --> 00:07:45,839 improve all my plot, do all the little jobs that need doing, and 110 00:07:45,879 --> 00:07:49,240 getting it all ready, because the springtime is a busy time. Like sawing 111 00:07:49,279 --> 00:07:55,439 all the seeds today, it took literally all morning and all afternoon. It 112 00:07:55,519 --> 00:07:58,399 took forever, and I've still not planted all my seeds yet. I've still 113 00:07:58,399 --> 00:08:03,240 got to learn more left plant and it can be time consuming, and it'll 114 00:08:03,279 --> 00:08:05,319 get even worse when I'm having to start watering them all. Once i have 115 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:09,079 to take all the clean for them off and they start growing, I have 116 00:08:09,079 --> 00:08:11,639 to keep watering them all every day, and then when they're big enough, 117 00:08:11,639 --> 00:08:16,639 I'll have to transplant them all into individual pots and then water them and keep 118 00:08:16,639 --> 00:08:20,680 them growing. So yeah, it is a busy time. So this is 119 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:26,360 why I always say about doing all them jobs in the winter time. But 120 00:08:26,639 --> 00:08:31,720 today I managed to sit down in my brand new chair and my allotment and 121 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:37,120 just take stock of everything that I've done over this last few months down at 122 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,519 the plot and all the money I've spent on it. Yes, I have 123 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:43,559 spent a lot of money on it, but like I say, all these 124 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:50,639 podcasts go back into funding it and improving it. And I've planted so many 125 00:08:50,639 --> 00:08:54,720 spring bulbs. My neighbor and my plot said to me how beautiful it smell. 126 00:08:54,799 --> 00:08:58,320 He could smell it on his plot all the higher sims. The fragrance 127 00:08:58,399 --> 00:09:05,559 was just wafted everywhere and it just looks absolutely amazing. And even I had 128 00:09:05,639 --> 00:09:07,600 a visit to come down one of my friends to my plot that had not 129 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,559 been down for a couple of years, and she says, you've gone posh 130 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:13,279 this year. Haven't you wear a plot Ben? And I said, yes, 131 00:09:13,399 --> 00:09:16,320 it's gone a lot posture this year. I've got all my wood chip 132 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:20,120 down on my paths and all around my beds and around my fruit areas or 133 00:09:20,159 --> 00:09:24,320 wood chipps. I've got all my paving slabs down and it's all neat and 134 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:28,399 tidy. It all looks really good down there. And I've put so much 135 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:33,399 time and effort, and I'm using it to show you what can be done 136 00:09:33,399 --> 00:09:35,519 on an allotment site and what can be grown, and how to look after 137 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:41,200 it and improve it, and gives you little ideas on stuff you can do. 138 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:46,519 And I just love sharing it. All with you all. So yeah, 139 00:09:46,039 --> 00:09:52,000 hopefully, fingers crossed, we're going to have a successful year and I'm 140 00:09:52,039 --> 00:09:56,200 looking forward to going down in four days down having a sneaky peak seed if 141 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:01,240 anything's germinating, which it probably won't. Do you always do that, You 142 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,879 keep going down having a sneak peek, seeing if anything's shooting through or not. 143 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:07,840 That first bit of growth that comes through, you're like, oooh, 144 00:10:09,039 --> 00:10:11,960 yes it's coming, it's coming, and then you've still got to wait until 145 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:16,440 July August time before you can eat it. But yeah, you do get 146 00:10:16,519 --> 00:10:20,799 so much happiness from seeing stuff grow and how it improves over the year. 147 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:26,039 So it has been a busy day down at the Allotment today, and I'm 148 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,399 sorry that we've not had a podcast for a while, but we're going to 149 00:10:28,519 --> 00:10:33,080 keep popping them up and talking about how activities down at the Allotment and how 150 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:37,200 things are growing and how it's all coming along and sharing those tips and advice 151 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:41,279 that I do with you all. So I hope you've enjoyed today's episode. 152 00:10:41,399 --> 00:10:46,159 As always, please do remember to keep smiling, keep shining, and keep 153 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:50,639 gardening with Ben everyone. Until next time. Remember we'll see you also, 154 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:58,200 and that wraps up another episode of Gardening with Ben. Thank you for joining 155 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:05,240 me in this journey. Remember every seed planted is a step towards a greener 156 00:11:05,279 --> 00:11:09,000 world, and every day is a chance to grow something beautiful. Keep nurturing 157 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:15,159 your gardens and your souls. Until next time, I'm Gardening with Ben, 158 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:20,600 reminding you to let your garden be your sanctuary. Happy gardening, and see 159 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:26,039 you in the next episode. Remember keep smiling, keep shining, and keep 160 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:28,960 Gardening with Ben.