1 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:06,719 Hello, and welcome to Gardening with Ben. You'll go to a podcast for 2 00:00:06,839 --> 00:00:12,039 all things green and growing. I'm Ben, your allotment guide and here to 3 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:17,079 help you cultivate your garden and your passion for plants. Whether you're a seasoned 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:22,440 gardener or just starting out, this podcast is for you. Each episode will 5 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:26,920 dig into tips, tricks, and techniques to make your garden and allotment thrive 6 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,679 from planting, sewing, and growing. We will share all the tips and 7 00:00:31,719 --> 00:00:37,399 add advice. We will also have regular episodes talking about what we have been 8 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:42,159 up to on the Alltment. So sit back, grab a brew and enjoy 9 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:50,840 today's episode. Hello everyone, and welcome back to Gardening with Ben for a 10 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:55,000 brand new episode today. It's later than usual. Usually you're getting it at 11 00:00:55,039 --> 00:00:57,960 eight o'clock in the morning for the last few days, but for the next 12 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:02,039 few days you'll be getting it in an afternoon as we're going to be talking 13 00:01:02,079 --> 00:01:04,879 about everything that we are getting up to down at the Allotments. Keep you 14 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:11,760 up to dated with what's growing and what's not growing. Well, today I 15 00:01:11,879 --> 00:01:15,760 spent a few hours down there. I didn't do a hell of a lot 16 00:01:15,799 --> 00:01:19,959 down there, to be honest with you, as it started off looking pretty 17 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:26,239 decent the weather and then it absolutely chucked it down. But before we got 18 00:01:26,239 --> 00:01:30,480 to the allotment, what we did we went to the range and we bought 19 00:01:30,599 --> 00:01:34,079 some more seeds. Yes, so stay tuned for that. We'll be talking 20 00:01:34,079 --> 00:01:40,480 about what seeds we've purchased and hopefully what we're going to be growing, as 21 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:45,239 all these seeds that are purchased can be grown this month, so we're going 22 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,040 to be sharing that and we'll be sharing the progress of how well they're getting 23 00:01:49,079 --> 00:01:56,959 on with growing. And I've also shared a image on Instagram and Facebook today 24 00:01:57,359 --> 00:02:00,760 of all the things that you can still so in July. Some of the 25 00:02:00,799 --> 00:02:05,120 things that I purchased aren't on the list, but on the packets it did 26 00:02:05,159 --> 00:02:08,319 say that I could sew them this month, so I'm looking forward to sharing 27 00:02:08,319 --> 00:02:12,360 that with you. I never usually start sewing stuff at this time of year, 28 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,639 so it's something quite new to me as well, so fingers crossed we 29 00:02:15,759 --> 00:02:20,000 can get some good crops from it. But we'll be keeping you all up 30 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,639 to date with how well the things are growing now. One of the main 31 00:02:24,719 --> 00:02:30,240 things to do today down at the allotment was to harvest all the rest of 32 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,680 my first lot of peas. The plants were dying off and the peas were 33 00:02:35,159 --> 00:02:38,000 no longer growing on them. There's no more flowers on them, so it 34 00:02:38,199 --> 00:02:43,919 was like there's not a bit anything else that grows. So we've been harvested 35 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,039 all them and we've got a big bucket load of peas, and I mean 36 00:02:47,159 --> 00:02:52,360 an absolute load of them. I can't believe how many I've actually got off 37 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:57,560 these plants. Like We've had three four big pickings off them. So I'm 38 00:02:57,599 --> 00:03:00,919 happy with the amount of peas that we have off to say how bad the 39 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:06,800 weather has grow being this year, but obviously the rain has helped the peas 40 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:13,159 swell and grow well. So it swings around about. Sometimes obviously you want 41 00:03:13,199 --> 00:03:15,120 the warm and hot weather to grow stuff, or sometimes you want the rain 42 00:03:15,199 --> 00:03:22,240 to help things swell and get plump and fat, which certainly has happened for 43 00:03:22,319 --> 00:03:25,080 my peas. So we've had a massive, great crop this year, the 44 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,520 best pea crop that I've ever had. And one of the things that I 45 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:30,840 am going to be doing is I'm going to be sorry some more peace. 46 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,639 Yes you may think it's July, but we're going to grow some more peas 47 00:03:35,719 --> 00:03:38,280 and we're going to see how well they grow and if we're too late or 48 00:03:38,319 --> 00:03:42,479 not, so make sure it stay tuned to see how well we get on 49 00:03:42,599 --> 00:03:46,319 with them. And one thing about the piece is that when you're getting rid 50 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:51,159 of the plants like I have done today, you don't pull them out. 51 00:03:51,479 --> 00:03:54,039 Do not pull the roots out of the plants. What you need to do 52 00:03:54,199 --> 00:03:58,800 is snip them off at the base so that the roots are still in the 53 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,680 ground because all the nutrition goes back into the soil and feed the soil. 54 00:04:02,919 --> 00:04:05,960 That is one thing that I have learned is that you need to snip them 55 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:10,599 off at the bottom. The same goes for runner beans, any of lagomes. 56 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:15,519 Snip them off at the bottom of the plant and you will get more 57 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:18,639 nutrition back in the soil, which is what we want. We want to 58 00:04:18,639 --> 00:04:24,800 feed the soil so that more stuff can grow in there and keep feeding the 59 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:28,000 plants that are growing in there, to be honest. So that is one 60 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,279 thing that I have learned and that I have done down at the allotment. 61 00:04:32,519 --> 00:04:36,480 So I'm looking forward to getting a load more peace sown and growing. And 62 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:41,720 when I mean a load, I've bought three big packets from the range and 63 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,160 you usually get about two hundred to three hundred seeds in the pack, So 64 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:50,759 hopefully we're going to have some great peas coming towards the end of summer beginning 65 00:04:50,759 --> 00:04:57,000 of autumn, which will be excited as I've I'm so pleased with the crops. 66 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:00,439 They've tasted absolutely gorgeous. Now they're not the same crops what I'm going 67 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,480 to be growing this time of the year. The ones that I grew at 68 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:10,360 the beginning of the year was early onwards peas, and these are Kelvin wonder 69 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,680 pee variety that I am going to be growing. So if you're looking out 70 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,160 for some peace, make sure you go to the range and have a look 71 00:05:16,319 --> 00:05:20,519 at the dates on the packet, as the packets do usually tell you when 72 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:28,000 the planting season time is for optimal performance. So have a look and see 73 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,000 what peace you can grow and grow along with me and let me know how 74 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:33,759 well you get on with growing the piece. I'm not going to be growing 75 00:05:33,759 --> 00:05:36,480 them in the ground to start off with. I'm going to be starting them 76 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:42,000 off in sea trays as that has worked perfect for me this year. They've 77 00:05:43,959 --> 00:05:47,319 all all the seeds have germinated, they all grew. I got them to 78 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:53,680 a decent high, decent size, looking healthy and then I planted them all 79 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:57,839 out in the ground in the soil, protected them with netting so that no 80 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,199 birds, pigeons, rats bad could get to them and eat them. Obviously 81 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,959 mace and mats can probably still get to them, but it deterred them and 82 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:12,120 they all survived and we've got a fantastic crop from them. One of our 83 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:15,040 other jobs what we've done today is that we bought a lavender plant. Yes, 84 00:06:15,079 --> 00:06:18,040 I have got a few lavender plants on the plot, and as you 85 00:06:18,079 --> 00:06:21,639 know, I have taken some cuttings from the lavenders and from my futures, 86 00:06:21,959 --> 00:06:26,000 and we've got them in some water here in the flat. Now. I 87 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:31,279 wanted to film a video of cutting it back and planting them in soil, 88 00:06:31,399 --> 00:06:34,680 so I'm trying them in soil, I'm trying them in water. We'll see 89 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,839 which ones do the best. If you've got an idea which ones will do 90 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,560 best with water or the soil, will let me know. Well, it's 91 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,920 not soil, it's compost. So the only thing is we're growing them in 92 00:06:45,959 --> 00:06:48,279 composts. They'll dry out pretty fast, so we've got them sat in some 93 00:06:48,399 --> 00:06:54,160 water to keep them moist and hopefully get some roots growing from them. Now 94 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:59,639 I purchased this three pound fifty eight lavender plant from Tesco. I'll literally snip 95 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:03,120 the whole the plant off, so literally nothing is showing in the soil where 96 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:09,079 the lavender plant is. Hopefully it'll continue to grow and sprout back, but 97 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:14,120 if we lose it, we'll lose it. But I have taken forty cuttings 98 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:19,560 off this lavender plant, so hopefully fingers Crossed will get absolutely loads more plants 99 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:24,360 growing. Now, put all these in soil in the compost. They're in 100 00:07:24,399 --> 00:07:29,759 my polytunnel, well watered, and hopefully they'll take root. So we're going 101 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:31,519 to keep an eye out to see which ones do better, the water ones 102 00:07:31,839 --> 00:07:38,199 or the compost ones. And if they all do well, then my allotment's 103 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,600 going to be absolutely full to busting with lavender. But that's the plan. 104 00:07:41,759 --> 00:07:45,120 I want them all down the side of my borders of the plot so that 105 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,439 it's filled with lavender, so that the bees are absolutely loving it. Because 106 00:07:48,439 --> 00:07:53,759 bees absolutely love lavender. They will come from a far to go on your 107 00:07:53,839 --> 00:08:01,000 lavender and it will smell absolutely gorgeous and divine down there. And obviously it 108 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:05,279 can harvest the lavender as well, which we've never actually done. We've never 109 00:08:05,319 --> 00:08:09,120 harvested lavender, so it might be something new what I'll learned to try next 110 00:08:09,199 --> 00:08:15,759 year if we've got some decent sized plants. So yeah, that has been 111 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:20,639 a busy day down at the allotment today, hope. I've also filmed a 112 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:24,120 tour of my plot as well, so I just need to edit that, 113 00:08:24,279 --> 00:08:28,199 get it put together and that will go on our YouTube channel. Also, 114 00:08:28,399 --> 00:08:33,320 I have put a get together a video of my lavender cuttings what I've done 115 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:37,879 today down at the a lotment, putting them into the compost, So make 116 00:08:37,919 --> 00:08:41,120 sure you stay tuned for that on my YouTube channel. If you're not following 117 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:45,120 my YouTube channel, go ahead and find it Gardening with Ben and subscribe to 118 00:08:45,159 --> 00:08:48,600 it. Don't forget to click the bell so that you get nutified when new 119 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:52,320 videos go up. We're hoping to get more and more YouTube videos up on 120 00:08:52,399 --> 00:08:56,240 my channel as we're getting a lot of people watching them these days, as 121 00:08:56,279 --> 00:09:01,120 well as obviously listening to my podcast. So we'll probably be down at the 122 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:07,039 allotment again tomorrow. Fingers crossed the weather's better than it was today, I 123 00:09:07,039 --> 00:09:09,759 won't be able to plant any of my seeds what are purchased as I need 124 00:09:09,759 --> 00:09:11,639 to go and get some compost, and obviously the shops are open later on 125 00:09:11,639 --> 00:09:16,360 a Sunday, so we might be planting all our seeds on Monday, which 126 00:09:16,399 --> 00:09:20,519 we'll be excited and hopefully we can keep them watered and get them germinated, 127 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:26,799 and obviously we need some warmth to get them growing. But everything is growing 128 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:28,639 so well on my allotment at the moment. I was having a look around 129 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:35,000 today. My cucumbers starting to grow big. Hopefully we'll have as first harvest 130 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,440 of as cucumbers soon, so we'll keep an eye out for that. We've 131 00:09:39,519 --> 00:09:46,799 also got a sweet corn growing well. We've got our lettuces ready for harvesting. 132 00:09:46,919 --> 00:09:50,320 We need to harvest them because it's coming to the end of how well 133 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,559 they're growing. They're starting to look a bit shabby now, but they have 134 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:58,159 got a big head on them, so hopefully we'll get some delicious lettuce from 135 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:03,879 them. We've also while the sunflowers as sunflowers growing massively, growing brilliant. 136 00:10:03,279 --> 00:10:07,039 As tomatoes are growing fantastic, not as tall as what I'd like them, 137 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:11,720 but we will get some tomates on and fingers cross because there's lots and lots 138 00:10:11,759 --> 00:10:15,559 of flowers on them. So it has been a fantastic day down at the 139 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:18,159 plot today. It's been good to get back to the garden after not being 140 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:22,080 there for five days. And if you've not checked out my lily photo, 141 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:26,759 my Lily's finally opened on my allotment. We've been waiting weeks and weeks for 142 00:10:26,759 --> 00:10:30,559 that to open, so I have a check out of that on my Instagram 143 00:10:30,639 --> 00:10:35,039 pictures as well, and it looks absolutely gorgeous. I may have to cut 144 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,799 out the pollen vo because I don't want to catch myself as I'm walking past 145 00:10:39,279 --> 00:10:45,559 and staying myself. But yeah, it's been a fantastic day down at the 146 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:48,000 allotment. Hopefully, like I said, we're going to be down there tomorrow, 147 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:52,000 so make sure you're tune in tomorrow and see what we've been up to. 148 00:10:52,519 --> 00:10:56,559 If you're not following this podcast, do give it a follow, give 149 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:58,480 it a like, give it a comment, and feel free to share it 150 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:03,480 to your instare. Until next time, remember keep smiling, keep shining, 151 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:15,120 and keep gardening with Ben. Everyone, thank you for joining me on this 152 00:11:15,279 --> 00:11:20,159 episode of Gardening with Ben. I hope you have found some useful tips and 153 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:24,320 inspiration for your own gardening and a lotment journey. If you have enjoyed today's 154 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:30,799 episode, please make sure to follow and subscribe to the podcast so you never 155 00:11:30,879 --> 00:11:33,080 miss a new episode. And if you have a moment, I'd love for 156 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:39,240 you to leave a review and share the podcast with fellow gardening enthusiasts. Your 157 00:11:39,279 --> 00:11:45,519 support helps us grow this community and continue bringing you great content. We can 158 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:50,840 also follow us on social media on every platform. All Gardening with Ben for 159 00:11:50,039 --> 00:11:56,879 daily gardening tips and days. Happy gardening, and until next time, remember 160 00:11:56,399 --> 00:12:01,159 keep smiling, keep shining, and keep gardening with them.