1 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:05,919 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Gardening with Ben. You'll go to 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,439 a podcast for all things green and growing. I'm Ben, 3 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,400 your allotment guide and here to help you cultivate your 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,039 garden and your passion for plants. Whether you're a seasoned 5 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,600 gardener or just starting out, this podcast is for you. 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,879 Speaker 2: Each episode will dig into tips, tricks, and techniques to 7 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:29,039 make your garden and allotment thrive from planting. 8 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: Sewing, and growing. 9 00:00:30,199 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 2: We will share all the tips and add advice. We 10 00:00:33,679 --> 00:00:37,039 will also have regular episodes talking about what we have 11 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,840 been up to on the allotment. So sit back, grab 12 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,520 a brew and enjoy today's episode. 13 00:00:45,799 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 3: Hey everyone, and welcome back to Gardening with Ben for 14 00:00:50,399 --> 00:00:55,039 another brand new episode. It's the last episode of the year. Ooh, 15 00:00:56,759 --> 00:00:59,520 and then tomorrow we'll start a new year and you 16 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,000 will get new podcast from next year. So yeah, we'll 17 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,480 be back in twenty twenty five with another podcast and 18 00:01:06,519 --> 00:01:09,920 we'll probably update our intro and spruce that up a 19 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:13,079 little bit. And yeah, get ready for the new year 20 00:01:13,159 --> 00:01:16,799 and for new podcasts. And thank you everybody for all 21 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,799 those that do listen to these podcasts. I really do 22 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,239 appreciate it and keep on sharing them and let's get 23 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:26,840 more people listening to them. So this podcast is talking 24 00:01:27,079 --> 00:01:31,920 all about the success and the failures of twenty twenty 25 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,959 four of the allotment. So, yeah, we have had a 26 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,000 lot of success and a lot of failures. As I 27 00:01:39,079 --> 00:01:42,760 always talk about my failures because I'd rather people know 28 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:45,879 that I'm an honest gardener and know that I do 29 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:52,439 have trouble with growing certain things. And yeah, having produced 30 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:57,359 a fail on me, So what have we succeeded in 31 00:01:57,599 --> 00:01:59,959 this year and what have we failed in? We'll start 32 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,000 the front of my allotment and worked my way around 33 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,359 so then I know exactly what I've done. It's easier 34 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,400 to remember that way. So at the front of my allotment, 35 00:02:09,439 --> 00:02:13,080 I've got my plum tree and that did fantastic to 36 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:14,879 start off with. It got plenty of leaves on it, 37 00:02:14,879 --> 00:02:17,159 it got plenty of buds on it, but then it 38 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,039 died off like halfway through the year. All the leaves 39 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,599 were dropped off and everything. So I don't know what 40 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,120 happened to that, whether it got silver leave, I don't know. 41 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,719 So fingers crossed it comes back to life next year 42 00:02:29,759 --> 00:02:33,039 and hopefully it picks up. If not, we might have 43 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:34,879 to end up getting rid of it if it doesn't 44 00:02:34,879 --> 00:02:37,879 do very well. But yeah, fingers crossed the keepers plum 45 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,840 tree because that's my Victoria plum tree and the absolutely 46 00:02:40,879 --> 00:02:44,680 delicious plums on them. So hopefully we get some good 47 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:49,599 produce next year from it. As rhubarb as rhubob did 48 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:53,960 absolutely fantastic this year. Wow amazing because we didn't get 49 00:02:54,039 --> 00:02:55,840 much sunshine this year, but we got a lot of 50 00:02:55,960 --> 00:03:00,479 rain and yeah, it is absolutely fantastic. I got loads 51 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,719 of rubob crumbles this year from the mum as I 52 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:06,120 grow the rubarb and she cooks all the crumbles for me. 53 00:03:06,159 --> 00:03:09,360 I think we've got a perfect combination that I don't 54 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,080 you know, I grow it all as they make the 55 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:19,360 rubarb crumbles. But yeah, absolutely amazing. So what else did well, 56 00:03:20,159 --> 00:03:23,759 let's go on to our apple trees as cooking apple tree, 57 00:03:24,039 --> 00:03:26,840 that didn't do too well either as I pruned it 58 00:03:26,879 --> 00:03:29,800 a lot the year before which can stress the tree out. 59 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,080 And yeah, not produced as many cooking apples. We only 60 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,280 got a handful of them. As eating apples did absolutely amazing. 61 00:03:37,319 --> 00:03:41,039 We've got loads of eating apples this year. They did fantastic. 62 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,439 I've not pruned my cooking apple tree or my eating 63 00:03:44,479 --> 00:03:48,520 apple trees this year as there a decent size, decent shape, 64 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,719 and yeah, hopefully we'll get some good produce on them 65 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:58,960 next year. So yeah, hopefully we'll get some decent produce 66 00:03:59,039 --> 00:04:02,960 from them. Hairs did amazing as well. They did absolutely fantastic. 67 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:09,280 So next up our strawberry plants. Our strawberry plants did rubbish. 68 00:04:09,439 --> 00:04:13,560 We hardly got any strawberries this year. Rubbish outcome. So 69 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,160 I planted two hundred strawberry plants this year, ready for 70 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:20,800 new plants next year. These were all taken from runners, 71 00:04:21,199 --> 00:04:24,519 from the original plants and from my neighbour's plot. So 72 00:04:24,639 --> 00:04:27,600 I planted two hundred strawberry plants, so I should get 73 00:04:27,639 --> 00:04:30,600 some strawberries next year. Fingers crossed. They've all seem to 74 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:34,319 have taken they're all growing pretty well, and yeah, hopefully 75 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,360 we'll get a decent crop of them next year. Our 76 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:43,879 tomatoes and as cucumbers absolutely amazing. My tomatoes, I grew 77 00:04:44,319 --> 00:04:46,959 them all outdoors because that's where I grow them now 78 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:49,199 because I can't always get down in the week, So 79 00:04:49,199 --> 00:04:52,079 I plant outside because then if it rains, then at 80 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,680 least they getting watered. Our cucumbers, I started some off 81 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:57,959 in the polytonne because that's where I've always grown them. 82 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:00,839 And yes, they got a quite a few of them. 83 00:05:01,199 --> 00:05:02,839 But then I had a lot of spare plants and 84 00:05:02,879 --> 00:05:05,720 I thought, rather than waste money's buying compost and everything, 85 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,439 I'll plant them straight outside. So I planted to be 86 00:05:09,439 --> 00:05:11,800 in the ground, not thinking that they'll do anything, because 87 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,959 I've never grown cucumbers outside before. This is the market 88 00:05:15,079 --> 00:05:20,519 more variety, and wow, they did absolutely fantastic. They did 89 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,639 ten times the amount of ones that were in the polytunnel. 90 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,360 So I'm going to continue growing cucumbers outside from now on. 91 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,720 With how well the products did this year absolutely amazing. 92 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:35,399 Next up is I Beat You. I beat you. You 93 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,040 did amazing. First time I've ever cooked it in an 94 00:05:39,079 --> 00:05:40,800 air fire. Usually I just give it to my mum 95 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,040 to pickle me, but I thought I'll try it in 96 00:05:43,079 --> 00:05:45,720 an air fight, and wow, they were delicious. I cooked 97 00:05:45,759 --> 00:05:50,680 them like chips and they tasted absolutely beautiful. Then we 98 00:05:50,759 --> 00:05:54,480 had a sweet corn, a sweet corn again amazing. That 99 00:05:54,519 --> 00:05:57,360 did fantastic, So it might grow even more sweet corn 100 00:05:57,439 --> 00:06:00,560 next year because I absolutely adore sweet corn, so I 101 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,839 might just grew absolutely loads of it. And again I 102 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:05,759 cooked that in the air fire as well and it 103 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:12,279 cooks fantastic. Next up is lettuce. As lettuce did amazing. 104 00:06:12,319 --> 00:06:17,120 We always grew an iceberg lettuce, absolutely beautiful and delicious. 105 00:06:17,959 --> 00:06:20,560 We grew some pumpkins. We've got a couple of good 106 00:06:20,639 --> 00:06:27,800 sized pumpkins. They did well. We did our peas. Our 107 00:06:27,879 --> 00:06:29,720 peas were absolutely amazing. 108 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:30,519 Speaker 1: Wow. 109 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 3: As peas usually I just saw them straight into the 110 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,480 ground and they do well. But the last couple of 111 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:37,879 times I've had issues where rat cetum or the mice 112 00:06:37,959 --> 00:06:40,279 aretum or the squirrels. So I thought, I'm going to 113 00:06:40,319 --> 00:06:42,120 start them off in a seed tray first grown to 114 00:06:42,199 --> 00:06:45,600 a decent size, and then plant them out. And wow, 115 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,519 this is the best crop that I've ever had. This year, 116 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,800 I had two croppings. I started some off airly and 117 00:06:52,879 --> 00:06:57,199 then I did another batch and both lots did absolutely amazing. 118 00:06:57,560 --> 00:06:59,560 So I'm going to do the same method again with 119 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:06,319 growing peas next year. Absolutely fantastic. As corshats doesn't do anything. 120 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,079 They were absolutely rubbish this year, so we'll try again 121 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:15,240 with them next year. But yeah, we didn't grow a 122 00:07:15,279 --> 00:07:17,839 lot of stuff this year. Oh as potatoes as potatoes 123 00:07:17,879 --> 00:07:22,519 will grow them in boxes and they did amazing. I 124 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,000 don't grow potatoes in the ground anymore. I grown more 125 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:27,279 than boxes so that you can just tip them out 126 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:31,560 once they've finished and rather than stabbing them when you're 127 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:33,439 trying to dig them up, or cutting them in half 128 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,759 by accident, and they don't get as much ringworm in 129 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,759 them or diseased. They did absolutely amazing. So I'm going 130 00:07:41,839 --> 00:07:44,319 to grow my potatoes in boxes again next year. Yes, 131 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:45,920 it costs a lot of money for all the composts 132 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:49,199 to fill them up, but it's the best produce that 133 00:07:49,319 --> 00:07:54,560 I've had, so I'm doing that again next year. But yeah, 134 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:59,519 as vegetable wise, absolutely brilliant. We got loads of blackberries 135 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:04,800 off half as blackberries. It did amazing and it shot 136 00:08:04,839 --> 00:08:09,040 out loads more vines this year, so hopefully we'll get 137 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:11,199 a load more blackberries on it next year. I've tied 138 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:13,759 it all up and sorted it all out as raspberries 139 00:08:13,879 --> 00:08:16,920 again amazing. The autumn ones seem to do better than 140 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:23,600 the summer variety, so I love raspberries because expensive to 141 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,839 bite as well, So hopefully we get loads more raspberries 142 00:08:26,879 --> 00:08:30,639 next year. But yeah, I think that's about it for 143 00:08:30,759 --> 00:08:34,200 all the vegear fruit this year. We didn't do fantastic. 144 00:08:34,279 --> 00:08:37,279 Like I said, it weren't a brilliant year. We didn't 145 00:08:37,279 --> 00:08:41,480 get much sunshine this year and we had quite a 146 00:08:41,519 --> 00:08:45,159 bit of rain and cold days. But hopefully, fingers crossed 147 00:08:45,159 --> 00:08:50,159 we have a good year next year. The flowers absolutely amazing. 148 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,879 This year. We grew sunflowers. They did fantastic. We've got 149 00:08:53,919 --> 00:08:59,919 some massive ones of those sweet peas, absolutely stunning, so 150 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,200 done in that I've sewn a load already. I saw 151 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:08,200 them all in October September, October time as they can 152 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,440 make them stronger, growing early and growing through the winter, 153 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:13,879 so they're all in my shed at the moment. We 154 00:09:14,039 --> 00:09:16,720 snipped mo all back to six inches so that we 155 00:09:16,799 --> 00:09:19,080 can get them to bush out. They won't get big 156 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,399 flowers on them, but they'll get a lot more flowers 157 00:09:21,399 --> 00:09:24,000 on them if you get me. So hopefully we get 158 00:09:24,039 --> 00:09:27,600 loads of sweet peas next year. Salvia we grew salvia 159 00:09:27,639 --> 00:09:30,799 for the first time. That was from BBC Garden as well. 160 00:09:30,879 --> 00:09:32,960 The plants that I got it were black current one 161 00:09:33,039 --> 00:09:36,360 one of them, and it smelled absolutely gorgeous like black currants. 162 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:38,080 So we took a load of cuttings off that about 163 00:09:38,159 --> 00:09:42,200 twenty and they're all growing. They've all taken, so they're 164 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:44,639 all growing in my greenhouse now, so we're going to 165 00:09:44,639 --> 00:09:49,440 be planting them outdoors next year. Futures. We've got futures 166 00:09:49,799 --> 00:09:54,120 as spring bulbs were absolutely phenomenal this year, so hopefully 167 00:09:54,159 --> 00:09:57,240 they're good this year. We've not hopefully the squirrels haven't 168 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:00,759 pitched ball and hopefully they all grew. We've added a 169 00:10:00,799 --> 00:10:04,080 loud while bring flowers this year, so hopefully we get 170 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:09,000 another good display out of our allotment this year. So yeah, 171 00:10:09,639 --> 00:10:12,519 tomorrow's episode, obviously we'll be talking about everything that we 172 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:14,879 want to try this year, all the new things that 173 00:10:14,879 --> 00:10:17,440 we're going to look forward to trying and all the 174 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:21,679 old things, and how we plan on having a successful 175 00:10:21,759 --> 00:10:24,519 year down at the Allotment. So I just want to 176 00:10:24,519 --> 00:10:27,440 wish you all a happy new year. I hope that 177 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:30,840 you've all enjoyed these podcasts over the year, and we're 178 00:10:30,879 --> 00:10:34,360 hopefully getting more and more content out for you as obviously, 179 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,279 this new Potting menche is going to be absolutely amazing 180 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:40,440 for videos, so make sure you stay tuned for them. 181 00:10:40,519 --> 00:10:42,679 If you're not following my YouTube, do give it a follow, 182 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,080 as I'd like to get to two thousand followers. It'd 183 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,759 be good for getting to two thousand by end of 184 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,600 new year, but I don't think I will somehow, But yeah, 185 00:10:51,799 --> 00:10:54,080 thank you for all the support that you'll give me. 186 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:58,080 And obviously I don't ask for payments off anybody and 187 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:01,200 stuff like that. It's all done through advertising and it 188 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:03,799 all goes back into my allotment and my content making 189 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,600 so that you're getting the best out of everything that 190 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:11,279 I do. So until next time, everyone, remember keep smiling, 191 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:14,399 keep shining, and keep gardening with Ben. We'll see you 192 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:15,840 all in twenty twenty five. 193 00:11:15,919 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 2: Everyone, thank you for joining me on this episode of 194 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:28,919 Gardening with Ben. I hope you have found some useful 195 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:32,879 tips and integration for your own gardening and a lotment journey. 196 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:37,080 If you've enjoyed today's episode, please make sure to follow 197 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,480 and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a 198 00:11:40,519 --> 00:11:43,159 new episode. And if you have a moment, I'd love 199 00:11:43,159 --> 00:11:45,720 for you to leave a review and share the podcast 200 00:11:45,759 --> 00:11:50,159 with fellow gardening enthusiasts. Your support helps us grow this 201 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:54,960 community and continue bringing you great content. You can also 202 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:58,320 follow us on social media on every platform. 203 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:02,720 Speaker 3: All Gardening with Ben the daily gardening tips and days. 204 00:12:03,279 --> 00:12:08,399 Speaker 2: Happy gardening, and until next time, remember keep smiling, keep shining, 205 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:11,440 and keep gardening with them.