First sowings and prepping beds for spring planting

Spring is almost here, after a mild winter. Now is good to propagate first sowings under cover, and prepare ground so it's ready for spring.

I show you ideas for being ready, and how easy it is with no dig. It's now just four weeks before we shall be popping the first transplants in the ground. Also at the equinox I sow carrots and plant first early potatoes.

Homeacres is 1600 m² of no dig beds and paths, growing food for sale locally within 4 miles/7 km.
Filmed 14th February by Nicola Smith, just at the end of winter's darkest four months. We now have much to look forward to.

00:00 Introduction
00:39 Propagation in the greenhouse, and the house
01:16 Trialling three composts (and tomato plants grown from cuttings - Rosada variety)
04:06 A look at my favourite (small!) bed and see link for the Fryd app
04:44 Some early transplants under fleece cover - I demonstrate using a dibber
05:50 Salad plants in the polutunnel
09:14 Weeds germinating in the surface compost, need removing and raking
10:02 Netting over broccoli is against pigeons
10:30 Rhubarb Timperley Early, almost ready with no protection
10:50 Kale ravaged by pigeons
11:09 Multisown leeks in the ground, and the harvest after trimming
11:21 Allium leaf miner has been and will be a problem
11:53 Garlic planted October and the difference between soft neck and hard neck types
12:28 Broad beans, and a word on their wide spacing
13:03 Rye - some wireworm and rabbit damage, and mustard planted as a deterrent, now killed by frost
13:51 A new no dig area of 60 m², mulched with compost
14:59 Worm compost drying on the veranda, gathered a month ago
15:42 Using and reusing black plastic. In this case to manage buttercups - and my plans for growing wildflowers
16:49 Frogspawn, moved by Adam from big pond to small pond
17:37 3-bay pallet compost heaps
18:47 Perennial sorrel just shooting
19:08 Lamb’s lettuce and chervil, overwintered
19:30 Garlic, with mustard now killed by frost
19:50 Using a stand alone sieve, for potting compost only
20:38 Brussels sprouts Brigitte F1 have cropped so well!
21:08 Spring cabbage Duncan F1covered against pigeons - some slug damage, and how to reduce
22:26 Dig / no dig trial beds - with broad beans as cover crop, how to harvest and remove
24:08 Getting ready for spring

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#garlic #nodig #nodiggardening #brusselssprouts #growyourownfood

[msmango]

Does anyone else just watch more than once this for the soothing effect?

[MrKilobaked]

Farming is hard work, we worry about money, equipment, supplies, all that it takes to do this. I try to remember the grace, enthusiasm, and love for the growing experience this man always has. It is something we strive to remember and mimic.

[Im-just-Stardust]

I started my permaculture 3 years ago (100% because of Charles), and this year is the first time where i'm actually feeling good at this time of the year. The past 2 years I was SO stressed out, about so many things that could go wrong in my garden, that spring was actually not a very pleasant experience for me, very stressful. None of my worries happened. Moral of the story : 99% of the time, your worries wont come true, so don't worry :)

[missthang]

"Find a balance so that you can live with your pests". That sir, is a profound piece of gardening advice that I will take with me into this gardening season. Thank you.

[barkershill]

Hell Charles, As well as being impressed by your crops at this time of year I am amazed at the good condition that the grass is in . It must obviously get walked on a lot, and I live just a few miles down the road from you and so I KNOW how much rain we have had this winter .

[Sendinglovetotheworld]

Hearing your voice is like having a friend that I just haven’t met yet to help motivate me to get outside. We had some snow this morning on our beautiful green western oregon grass.

[elijahfromamerica]

Have been watching for 4 years and have learned so much great info and changed the way I garden and its awesome to build the soil and grow organic vegetables ❤

[ruthiejohnson]

Thank you Charles! I love your way of joyfully describing these tasks. It helps me me have a sweet attitude as I head out to tame the wilds of my garden.

[RanknResourceful]

I admire how beautifully kept your beds and property are. It makes it so pleasant to be outside and working. It is something i constantly strive for. Thank you for the inspiration!

[andyc]

Thank you Charles, inspiring as always !

[anthonynash]

I've been gardening for 30 years plus and have had success many failures but I am so inspired by Charles. I have just bought his No Dig book and his methods seem to be the way to go for me.

[jessemakesvideossometimes]

the pants and jacket are sick! looking swaggy Charles!

[MrLukaszKaiser]

🎉Mr Charles is like David Attenborough of gardening I'm from Poland and I just love to learn English with Mr Charles and gardening two birds with one stone I'm trying to sold some great ideas to my father in law sometimes it is hard and other time I achive succes it is good to see ideas from England working here thanks👍

[hilly]

Man, and I thought I was psyched for Spring ! Charles, I just revel in your enthusiasm! Thanks for the inspiration and valuable lessons ❤

[timothyortega]

Charles, your place looks immaculate. I can appreciate all the hard work that went into everything! You inspire me to be an intentional creator and to run experiments all the time. That's something we all should do. Life is an experiential journey .do you ever add Ash or biochar to your compost? That's something I've been doing, and from what I understand, it creates a great basis for delivering potash and welcoming space for the microbiome to grow. Thanks for the spring fever. I'll pass it on!❤❤🎉😂

[frankbarnwell____]

Bligh me! Now he's growing frogs!
Excellent encouraging video Charles.

[yvonnejackson]

My grandfather planted sorrel along the flower bed in front of the house. Now, nearly a hundred years later, it comes up like mad all over the place. I always thought it was pretty but never knew you could eat it.I plan to try it this spring.

[Taman_zainurnisa]

bertani adalah sebuah hoby sekaligus pekerjaan. apapun pekerjaannya jika kita nikmati maka hasilnya akan menakjubkan😊

[TheeJoieDeVivreGarden]

Absolutely beautiful! I went outside today and started cleaning up from Fall/Winter (I have started seeds indoors), and it was absolutely invigorating! SO ready for Spring! Happy gardening! 🫶🏽🌱🫶🏽

[janetkrehbiel]

Oh, those bratty little and beautiful buttercups! We've had such a time with those ourselves. I've put the flowers in arrangements at times, but mostly go after the entire plant when I see them. The plants are poisonous to chickens and sheep, so are no longer considered a friendly plant for us! We got some beautiful soil from the gully on our sister's property. Every spring it washes topsoil and leaf mould down there, and when the water recedes, it leaves gorgeous black soil, with a little bit of wood that is easily picked out. The worms are happily living in it, too! I'm adding perlite to it this year for potting compost, instead of paying for Promix. We're making our own mix. Thanks for all your encouragement and the great videos. My leeks took a hard freeze last month during the polar vortex we had with minus temperatures to 9 below Fahrenheit. I'm hoping they'll come back. It killed all my mustards and left me a few of my lettuces (all were under cover), and my pansies survived nicely, too. Edible flowers are wonderful. You get the beauty during winter, and the food as well! Love that you're coming to the US in June. Wish we could come up to Iowa and see you. Not sure if we can. But it will be a huge blessing to those who do go! Thanks, Charles! --Janet and Dane