0:00:00.000,0:00:00.984 Hello everyone, 0:00:00.984,0:00:02.716 Rob Greenfield here in the garden. 0:00:02.716,0:00:04.301 And today, I am going to share my 0:00:04.301,0:00:05.887 tips for beginner gardeners. 0:00:06.336,0:00:08.106 So if you are out there feeling like 0:00:08.106,0:00:09.457 you have a black thumb, 0:00:09.457,0:00:11.447 feeling like whatever you plant dies, 0:00:11.458,0:00:13.405 and you are dreaming of 0:00:13.405,0:00:14.695 having a green thumb, 0:00:14.950,0:00:16.111 dreaming of growing 0:00:16.111,0:00:17.272 an abundance of food 0:00:17.272,0:00:18.796 and having that fresh food 0:00:18.796,0:00:20.320 on your table to eat, 0:00:20.567,0:00:22.648 then this is the video for you. 0:00:22.870,0:00:33.193 [music] 0:00:33.193,0:00:34.988 I actually feel like I am in a really 0:00:34.988,0:00:36.651 good position to be able to share 0:00:36.651,0:00:37.667 these tips with you. 0:00:38.057,0:00:39.788 The reason why is it is not that 0:00:39.788,0:00:41.573 long ago that I was a complete 0:00:41.573,0:00:43.358 rookie gardener myself. 0:00:43.716,0:00:45.960 Go back just 3 years ago 0:00:45.960,0:00:48.130 and I had grown very little food 0:00:48.133,0:00:49.660 and then I launched into 0:00:49.660,0:00:52.333 a year long project of attempting to 0:00:52.333,0:00:55.200 and successfully growing and foraging 0:00:55.200,0:00:57.209 everything that I ate for an entire year. 0:00:57.209,0:00:59.402 During that year, I grew over 100 0:00:59.402,0:01:01.475 different foods in my garden. 0:01:01.740,0:01:03.511 So I quickly went from a beginner, 0:01:03.511,0:01:05.283 who had grown very little, 0:01:05.497,0:01:07.555 to a pretty experienced gardener, 0:01:07.555,0:01:10.210 who has spent hundreds of hours 0:01:10.210,0:01:12.366 in my garden and other people's gardens, 0:01:12.366,0:01:13.828 both in the United States 0:01:13.828,0:01:15.770 and in other parts of the world. 0:01:15.770,0:01:17.890 So I am in a place where I can still 0:01:17.890,0:01:22.100 remember the nights of frantic [br]searching online, 0:01:22.100,0:01:25.395 and calling friends, and seeds not [br]sprouting, 0:01:25.395,0:01:28.483 and plants dying and just that fear. 0:01:28.483,0:01:31.490 To now having the confidence 0:01:31.490,0:01:34.038 and really being way beyond that [br]beginner stage. 0:01:34.333,0:01:36.382 So that is why I am really excited 0:01:36.382,0:01:38.836 to be able to share this advice with you. 0:01:38.836,0:01:40.953 From a recent beginner to a now, 0:01:40.953,0:01:43.071 pretty decent gardener. 0:01:43.434,0:01:46.371 So my 1st tip is a really simple one, 0:01:46.371,0:01:48.408 and that is to start small. 0:01:48.955,0:01:50.594 A lot of people have this dream 0:01:50.594,0:01:53.106 of turning their whole yard into a garden 0:01:53.106,0:01:55.152 and growing and incredible amount [br]of food. 0:01:55.152,0:01:57.517 That is a wonderful dream to have. 0:01:57.624,0:01:59.713 I completely support it. 0:01:59.713,0:02:02.190 But what a lot of people miss out on 0:02:02.190,0:02:04.298 is the fact that it does not happen 0:02:04.298,0:02:06.594 over night that you go from having 0:02:06.594,0:02:08.586 very little gardening skills, 0:02:08.586,0:02:11.010 to all of a sudden this paradisical [br]garden. 0:02:11.320,0:02:13.738 Everybody has to start somewhere. 0:02:13.832,0:02:15.521 For a lot of us who do not have 0:02:15.521,0:02:17.211 gardening in our background, 0:02:17.214,0:02:18.552 our parents did not garden, 0:02:18.552,0:02:19.959 where we are starting kind of 0:02:19.959,0:02:21.106 from scratch as adults, 0:02:21.360,0:02:24.199 starting small is one of my absolute 0:02:24.199,0:02:27.039 key places for beginner gardeners. 0:02:27.405,0:02:28.903 That could mean a small raised 0:02:28.903,0:02:30.054 bed in your front yard. 0:02:30.238,0:02:32.266 It coud mean some plants 0:02:32.266,0:02:34.295 on your balcony or on your windowsill. 0:02:34.581,0:02:37.519 Do not put yourself down for 0:02:37.519,0:02:39.198 any amount of food that you grow. 0:02:39.388,0:02:40.731 Any amount of food you grow 0:02:40.731,0:02:42.774 is a really positive step forward. 0:02:43.069,0:02:45.212 So start small and each season, 0:02:45.212,0:02:47.756 you can add on more and more and more. 0:02:48.020,0:02:50.422 This will also build your confidence 0:02:50.422,0:02:51.474 one step at a time. 0:02:51.777,0:02:53.316 If you start with way more 0:02:53.316,0:02:54.855 than you can possibly handle, 0:02:55.102,0:02:57.127 often it gets away from you, 0:02:57.320,0:02:59.130 you become overwhelmed, 0:02:59.130,0:03:01.617 and then you just kind of lose it all. 0:03:01.920,0:03:03.763 So, if that is the case for you 0:03:03.763,0:03:05.309 and you do not think you can 0:03:05.309,0:03:06.743 go big right away, 0:03:06.743,0:03:08.177 absolutely start small. 0:03:08.404,0:03:10.394 Now, if you have so much free time, 0:03:10.616,0:03:11.693 and you really think 0:03:11.693,0:03:13.162 this is what you want to do, 0:03:13.162,0:03:15.206 I am not discouraging you from [br]going big, 0:03:15.423,0:03:17.429 but definitely, one of my 0:03:17.429,0:03:19.259 number one tips is start small. 0:03:19.259,0:03:21.638 If you feel like that is what is 0:03:21.638,0:03:22.971 needed for you at the time. 0:03:23.185,0:03:25.090 Next up is keep it local. 0:03:25.305,0:03:28.002 Really try to seek out the local [br]resources. 0:03:28.414,0:03:30.816 The truth is that the gardening 0:03:30.816,0:03:33.218 knowledge is almost everywhere. 0:03:33.220,0:03:34.711 It is often that we pass it up. 0:03:34.711,0:03:36.183 We do not realize that anybody 0:03:36.183,0:03:37.109 gardens in our area 0:03:37.109,0:03:38.755 because we are not looking for it. 0:03:38.755,0:03:39.799 We do not realize it. 0:03:39.799,0:03:42.203 But everywhere around the country 0:03:42.203,0:03:43.257 and around the world, 0:03:43.257,0:03:45.244 there are local resources 0:03:45.244,0:03:47.231 that really know that area well. 0:03:47.396,0:03:49.175 Seek out local nurseries, 0:03:49.175,0:03:51.695 local seed companies, local gardeners. 0:03:51.729,0:03:53.993 If you are driving around your [br]neighborhood, 0:03:54.119,0:03:55.276 and you see a garden 0:03:55.276,0:03:57.684 in someone's front yard, knock on[br]that door 0:03:57.684,0:04:00.093 and say hello and talk to them. 0:04:00.093,0:04:01.678 A really great way to go local 0:04:01.678,0:04:03.071 is community gardens. 0:04:03.276,0:04:04.610 Join a community garden 0:04:04.610,0:04:07.057 so that you can learn what plants 0:04:07.057,0:04:09.945 are growing well there, get support[br]from them. 0:04:10.182,0:04:13.173 Another thing is local classes. 0:04:13.173,0:04:15.369 If you can find classes that are in [br]your area, 0:04:15.369,0:04:17.977 that is a great way to get the knowledge 0:04:17.977,0:04:19.281 that is based on your area. 0:04:19.281,0:04:20.585 And then books, as well. 0:04:20.771,0:04:22.463 Check out your local library. 0:04:22.463,0:04:24.140 Often they will have books that are 0:04:24.140,0:04:26.211 based on your region or your state. 0:04:26.389,0:04:28.354 For example, when I was in Florida, 0:04:28.354,0:04:29.851 I got Robert Bowden's book, 0:04:29.851,0:04:32.179 which was Florida Fruit and[br]Vegetable Gardening. 0:04:32.179,0:04:34.208 It was geared exactly towards my 0:04:34.208,0:04:36.573 area and leaves out so much of the 0:04:36.573,0:04:38.938 information that I did not need. 0:04:39.184,0:04:41.670 It focuses on the information that [br]you need. 0:04:41.670,0:04:43.768 Keeping things as local as you [br]possibly can. 0:04:43.768,0:04:46.327 And then that moves into the next one. 0:04:46.541,0:04:48.207 They are pretty much tied together. 0:04:48.408,0:04:50.028 That is garden as a community. 0:04:50.369,0:04:51.553 Garden together. 0:04:51.891,0:04:53.670 There is no reason to do this alone. 0:04:53.926,0:04:55.596 If you are at home alone, 0:04:55.596,0:04:57.258 doing this all by yourself, 0:04:57.258,0:04:58.823 and all you are doing is looking 0:04:58.823,0:05:01.450 on the internet, facebook groups, 0:05:01.450,0:05:04.311 things like that, watching Youtube videos. 0:05:04.311,0:05:05.742 Sure those things are helpful, 0:05:05.742,0:05:08.842 but it is easy to feel 0:05:08.842,0:05:10.962 really overwhelmed and unempowered 0:05:10.962,0:05:12.262 when it is all by yourself. 0:05:12.479,0:05:14.642 So get involved with others. 0:05:14.855,0:05:17.054 When I had my garden in my front yard, 0:05:17.054,0:05:18.970 I would have people drive by 0:05:18.970,0:05:20.887 and I would see them stop and look. 0:05:21.068,0:05:23.424 I would encourage them to stop by. 0:05:23.424,0:05:24.840 One time I even had someone 0:05:24.840,0:05:27.638 knock on my door and he very timidly said, 0:05:27.638,0:05:29.997 "I know this is awkward, 0:05:29.997,0:05:31.507 but I have been dreaming 0:05:31.507,0:05:33.832 of starting to grow food with my kids. 0:05:33.832,0:05:36.158 I just had to knock on the door and ask." 0:05:36.422,0:05:38.096 I walked him throughout my garden, 0:05:38.096,0:05:39.893 sent him home with a bunch of food. 0:05:40.920,0:05:42.410 Gardeners love that. 0:05:42.413,0:05:44.049 Gardeners love to share their time 0:05:44.049,0:05:45.054 and their knowledge. 0:05:45.325,0:05:47.818 So get involved with local people. 0:05:48.084,0:05:49.322 Joining a community garden 0:05:49.322,0:05:51.201 is one of the simplest and easiest ways 0:05:51.201,0:05:52.275 to do that if you can. 0:05:52.275,0:05:53.563 Another thing you can do 0:05:53.563,0:05:56.231 is volunteer at local organic farms. 0:05:56.953,0:05:58.638 There is a website called WOOFing, 0:05:58.638,0:06:00.664 World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. 0:06:01.082,0:06:03.703 It is www.wwoof.net. 0:06:03.963,0:06:06.211 That is a great way to just emerse 0:06:06.211,0:06:07.799 in local food growing. 0:06:08.005,0:06:10.335 You can also travel and do it as well, 0:06:10.335,0:06:12.666 so there is no need to do it alone. 0:06:12.666,0:06:14.019 The resources are out there. 0:06:14.019,0:06:15.305 The knowledge is out there. 0:06:15.305,0:06:16.633 The community is out there. 0:06:16.633,0:06:18.361 Gardeners welcome people in. 0:06:18.361,0:06:19.510 So do not do it alone. 0:06:19.719,0:06:21.006 Do it with community. 0:06:21.006,0:06:22.833 Now keeping on that theme of local, 0:06:22.833,0:06:24.300 but moving into actual plants, 0:06:24.300,0:06:25.768 moving into the planting. 0:06:26.020,0:06:27.920 Where do you source your seeds 0:06:27.920,0:06:29.087 and your plants? 0:06:29.368,0:06:32.510 For me, it is all about local varieties. 0:06:32.732,0:06:35.129 So seeking out local seed companies 0:06:35.129,0:06:38.111 and local nurseries that have been growing 0:06:38.111,0:06:39.842 these plants in your region 0:06:39.842,0:06:42.371 for years or even decades. 0:06:42.631,0:06:44.678 How that works is if a plant is 0:06:44.678,0:06:47.461 designed for that area, 0:06:47.461,0:06:48.832 it already knows the insects 0:06:48.832,0:06:50.233 that are going to attack it. 0:06:50.233,0:06:52.075 It already knows the weather patterns. 0:06:52.156,0:06:53.680 This is a plant that is designed 0:06:53.680,0:06:55.204 to grow in that area. 0:06:55.413,0:06:57.171 So if you can buy your seeds 0:06:57.171,0:06:58.757 from local seed companies 0:06:58.757,0:07:00.530 that produce them in your area, 0:07:00.530,0:07:01.860 as well as nurseries, 0:07:01.860,0:07:03.861 this drastically increases your 0:07:03.861,0:07:04.863 chance of success. 0:07:05.118,0:07:07.565 Whereas going to the big box stores 0:07:07.565,0:07:09.683 and buying the plants that have[br]been shipped 0:07:09.683,0:07:11.968 from who knows how far away 0:07:11.968,0:07:14.800 from some sort of centralized [br]distribution center. 0:07:14.800,0:07:16.613 Those plants might not be 0:07:16.613,0:07:17.926 designed for your area. 0:07:17.926,0:07:20.192 For example, where I did a lot of my 0:07:20.192,0:07:23.395 gardening in Florida, big fat juicy [br]tomatoes, 0:07:23.395,0:07:26.599 like beefsteak tomatoes, do not do[br]well there. 0:07:26.819,0:07:28.219 What does really well is the 0:07:28.219,0:07:30.321 small everglades tomato. 0:07:30.571,0:07:32.503 With the everglades tomato, 0:07:32.503,0:07:34.671 a person with a black thumb... 0:07:34.671,0:07:36.060 Boom! Green thumb, 0:07:36.060,0:07:38.794 and tomatoes in incredible amounts. 0:07:38.794,0:07:40.468 But if you are trying to grow those 0:07:40.468,0:07:41.934 big ones that are not adapted 0:07:41.934,0:07:43.740 to that area, black thumb. 0:07:44.078,0:07:47.024 It dies, molds, gets tomato blight 0:07:47.024,0:07:48.827 and you do not get anything 0:07:48.827,0:07:51.035 and you walk away feeling like a failure. 0:07:51.478,0:07:53.919 So seeking out your local seed companies 0:07:53.919,0:07:56.651 and your local nurseries is a huge 0:07:56.651,0:07:58.284 step in the right direction. 0:07:58.284,0:08:00.786 When a lot of people start planning [br]their garden, 0:08:00.786,0:08:03.289 they start planning what they want [br]to plant. 0:08:03.406,0:08:04.988 What they do is they think about 0:08:04.988,0:08:06.450 what their favorite foods are. 0:08:06.690,0:08:08.348 They even walk down the grocery 0:08:08.348,0:08:10.771 store isles and think, 0:08:10.771,0:08:13.042 "Ok, these are my favorite things to eat, 0:08:13.042,0:08:15.314 so this is what I am going to plant." 0:08:15.314,0:08:17.609 Sure, that can be beneficial, 0:08:17.609,0:08:19.396 but here is the downside of that. 0:08:20.017,0:08:22.369 If you are doing that, most of our 0:08:22.369,0:08:25.518 grocery stores are based on globalization, 0:08:25.518,0:08:28.083 where food is shipped in from all [br]different regions, 0:08:28.083,0:08:30.263 where it does really well in this area 0:08:30.263,0:08:31.803 and not well in that area. 0:08:32.178,0:08:34.934 If you do it that way, you will often 0:08:34.934,0:08:36.542 end up planting things that just 0:08:36.542,0:08:38.371 are not going to do well in your area. 0:08:38.663,0:08:40.567 So I think the best thing to do, 0:08:40.567,0:08:42.355 instead of going to the grocery store 0:08:42.355,0:08:43.924 and asking what you like to eat, 0:08:43.924,0:08:45.499 talk to people in your community. 0:08:45.762,0:08:48.548 Ask them, "What grows so rediculously 0:08:48.548,0:08:51.997 well that you cannot even kill it?" 0:08:52.076,0:08:53.366 What grows so well that it 0:08:53.366,0:08:54.603 becomes a problem because 0:08:54.603,0:08:55.730 there is so much of it? 0:08:55.851,0:08:57.172 Plant those things. 0:08:57.461,0:09:01.060 For example, here in this garden 0:09:01.060,0:09:04.659 that I am in, mint is taking over like [br]crazy. 0:09:04.903,0:09:07.840 I just made a video about 0:09:07.840,0:09:09.758 easy plants to start growing. 0:09:10.006,0:09:11.115 This is one of them. 0:09:11.115,0:09:13.080 Plant what has the fewest pests. 0:09:13.342,0:09:14.549 What grows really easily. 0:09:14.750,0:09:17.518 Then, once you have mastered 0:09:17.518,0:09:19.776 those easier plants, then you can 0:09:19.776,0:09:22.035 start to get into the more difficult ones. 0:09:22.353,0:09:23.850 Maybe you love blueberries, 0:09:23.850,0:09:25.347 but they grow in acidic soil. 0:09:25.366,0:09:27.088 So if you do not have acidic soil, 0:09:27.088,0:09:28.584 you do not want to start there. 0:09:28.584,0:09:30.818 But once you get more experience, 0:09:30.818,0:09:32.765 then you can work with changing 0:09:32.765,0:09:34.053 the pH of your soil. 0:09:34.066,0:09:36.236 That is a little bit more advanced [br]gardening. 0:09:36.236,0:09:37.830 So again with the grocery store. 0:09:37.830,0:09:39.169 We have become disconnected 0:09:39.169,0:09:39.979 with the seasons. 0:09:40.086,0:09:42.018 Being able to get most things 0:09:42.018,0:09:43.941 at any time throughout the year, 0:09:43.941,0:09:45.725 but one of the absolute most 0:09:45.725,0:09:48.068 important things is to plant the right 0:09:48.068,0:09:49.621 things at the right time. 0:09:49.871,0:09:53.334 If you try to plant tomatoes early on 0:09:53.334,0:09:55.728 in the spring when it is still very cold, 0:09:55.728,0:09:57.746 and the soil temperature is very low, 0:09:57.746,0:09:59.394 you are going to have a hard time. 0:09:59.394,0:10:01.418 Because in colder climates,[br]they like heat. 0:10:01.418,0:10:02.539 Same goes for basil. 0:10:02.539,0:10:03.926 That is going to be later on. 0:10:03.926,0:10:05.979 Early things, for example, 0:10:05.979,0:10:08.838 kale can be started earlier and actually, 0:10:08.838,0:10:10.845 in very hot places, it does not 0:10:10.845,0:10:12.859 do well in the peak heat, 0:10:12.859,0:10:14.873 because it likes the colder temperatures. 0:10:15.096,0:10:16.768 It is really important to plant 0:10:16.768,0:10:18.920 the right things at the right time. 0:10:19.149,0:10:20.907 You do not have to figure out 0:10:20.907,0:10:22.326 each individual plant. 0:10:22.516,0:10:24.048 What you have to do is simply 0:10:24.048,0:10:25.580 find a planting schedule. 0:10:25.830,0:10:28.438 You can check at local universities. 0:10:28.653,0:10:30.418 Often their extension program will 0:10:30.418,0:10:32.183 have a planting schedule. 0:10:32.351,0:10:34.812 Some community gardens will have them. 0:10:35.034,0:10:36.868 You can also just go online and 0:10:36.868,0:10:39.563 search for, for example, if you live [br]in New York, 0:10:39.761,0:10:42.516 "New York planting schedule" 0:10:42.682,0:10:44.477 This will help you to plant the right 0:10:44.477,0:10:45.922 things at the right time. 0:10:46.230,0:10:48.209 By doing that, ensure 0:10:48.209,0:10:50.189 the success of those plants. 0:10:50.392,0:10:52.059 As far as the details, 0:10:52.059,0:10:54.207 like how far apart do you plant 0:10:54.207,0:10:55.253 each different thing, 0:10:55.253,0:10:57.627 like tomatoes or kale or arugula. 0:10:57.856,0:10:59.771 How deep do you plant the seeds? 0:10:59.771,0:11:01.473 And should you transplant, 0:11:01.473,0:11:03.954 as in starting from pots in a greenhouse 0:11:03.954,0:11:05.634 or in your house, or direct sow 0:11:05.634,0:11:06.855 the seeds in the ground. 0:11:07.112,0:11:08.943 For that, I recommend following 0:11:08.943,0:11:10.629 the instructions on the back of the 0:11:10.629,0:11:12.046 seed packs that you get. 0:11:12.379,0:11:14.690 And really importantly, getting a book 0:11:14.690,0:11:17.143 for your area, which I mentioned at[br]the beginning. 0:11:17.354,0:11:19.838 A lot of these books that are based [br]on your area, 0:11:19.838,0:11:21.230 they give you those details, 0:11:21.230,0:11:22.882 so you do not have to seek it out 0:11:22.882,0:11:24.322 for each individual one. 0:11:24.322,0:11:26.042 So in this video, I am not going to 0:11:26.042,0:11:27.892 go into those details because they 0:11:27.892,0:11:29.743 are based on each area. 0:11:29.743,0:11:33.331 Instead, get a local book for your region 0:11:33.331,0:11:36.353 and follow the instructions from the [br]seed companies 0:11:36.353,0:11:37.636 where you buy those seeds. 0:11:37.636,0:11:39.861 There are a lot of other details, 0:11:39.861,0:11:44.323 for example, sun and water and soil. 0:11:44.323,0:11:46.073 You could talk about that for hours 0:11:46.073,0:11:47.964 and hours and hours, but I want to give 0:11:47.964,0:11:49.126 just a few tips on that. 0:11:49.126,0:11:52.040 As far as sun goes, for beginner [br]gardeners, 0:11:52.040,0:11:54.135 I generally recommend full sun. 0:11:54.327,0:11:56.416 Now if you are in a shaded area 0:11:56.416,0:11:58.607 like I am right now, that is really [br]difficult. 0:11:58.607,0:12:00.973 There are plants that can grow well [br]in shade, 0:12:00.973,0:12:03.939 but generally, most plants need a [br]lot of sun. 0:12:03.939,0:12:06.482 Make sure that you are not under [br]the shade of a tree, 0:12:06.482,0:12:08.659 or where your house casts 0:12:08.659,0:12:10.196 shade for half of the day. 0:12:10.421,0:12:12.374 So before you plant your garden, 0:12:12.374,0:12:14.300 keep an eye on that spot 0:12:14.300,0:12:15.718 and remember that the sun 0:12:15.718,0:12:17.056 changes throughout the year. 0:12:17.306,0:12:19.080 So planting in full sun. 0:12:19.080,0:12:21.454 As far as water, one of the basic 0:12:21.454,0:12:23.574 ways to tell if you are watering enough 0:12:23.574,0:12:26.199 is when you grab a handful of that soil, 0:12:26.199,0:12:28.475 ideally, it should stay in a clump 0:12:28.475,0:12:30.333 that breaks a little bit. 0:12:30.650,0:12:33.060 It is basically the consistency 0:12:33.060,0:12:35.470 of a wrung out sponge. 0:12:35.726,0:12:37.639 Watering in the morning 0:12:37.639,0:12:39.266 is the best, before the heat. 0:12:39.523,0:12:41.567 If not the morning, then the evening. 0:12:41.593,0:12:43.137 Not in the middle of the day. 0:12:43.137,0:12:45.887 Another way to test if you have [br]enough water 0:12:45.887,0:12:47.997 is you stick your finger down into [br]the soil, 0:12:47.997,0:12:49.782 and if it is moist when you get your 0:12:49.782,0:12:52.590 finger down to about your second [br]knuckle here, 0:12:52.590,0:12:53.799 then that is another sign 0:12:53.799,0:12:55.118 that you have enough water. 0:12:55.118,0:12:56.619 If it is dry all the way down, 0:12:56.619,0:12:58.121 it needs to be watered. 0:12:58.329,0:13:01.752 So soil varies all over the place. 0:13:01.752,0:13:02.957 And how you are watering; 0:13:02.957,0:13:04.390 whether you are in the desert, 0:13:04.390,0:13:07.120 or in a very fertile area[br]like southwest Wisconsin, 0:13:07.120,0:13:09.383 or in Florida, where it is mostly sand. 0:13:09.545,0:13:10.809 It is going to vary a lot, 0:13:10.809,0:13:12.899 but those are a few tips with water. 0:13:13.114,0:13:15.775 Again, local resources are key, 0:13:15.775,0:13:17.768 because they are going to know your soil. 0:13:17.844,0:13:20.458 Then, another one is healthy soil. 0:13:20.657,0:13:23.784 A lot of people, they only focus on[br]the plants. 0:13:23.784,0:13:24.934 When they see problems, 0:13:24.934,0:13:26.270 they think about the plants, 0:13:26.270,0:13:27.858 but the truth is, one of the most 0:13:27.858,0:13:30.767 important things is having healthy, [br]living soil. 0:13:31.072,0:13:33.740 Take care of your soil. 0:13:33.740,0:13:35.312 Take very good care of your soil. 0:13:35.353,0:13:38.563 Your soil is your lifesource to have 0:13:38.563,0:13:40.642 that healthy and abundant food. 0:13:40.854,0:13:42.977 My next tip is to make it convenient. 0:13:43.061,0:13:45.145 Now, what I mean by that is putting 0:13:45.145,0:13:46.833 your garden in a location 0:13:46.833,0:13:48.522 where you naturally go. 0:13:48.947,0:13:51.237 If you put your garden in a ten 0:13:51.237,0:13:53.500 minute walk on the other side of [br]your property, 0:13:53.500,0:13:54.815 where you cannot see it, 0:13:54.815,0:13:56.958 it easily becomes out of sight, [br]out of mind. 0:13:56.958,0:13:58.911 It is easy to neglect. 0:13:59.164,0:14:01.164 So, put it in an area where you 0:14:01.164,0:14:02.484 naturally go every day. 0:14:02.484,0:14:03.662 Maybe your front yard, 0:14:03.662,0:14:05.693 right next to your front sidewalk, 0:14:05.693,0:14:07.237 where every day you have to walk 0:14:07.237,0:14:08.595 past it to get to your car. 0:14:08.595,0:14:10.226 That way, every morning and night, 0:14:10.226,0:14:12.141 you are naturally drawn to it. 0:14:12.320,0:14:13.513 The same goes for water. 0:14:13.513,0:14:14.948 Making sure that you have your 0:14:14.948,0:14:17.757 water source near your garden, ideally, 0:14:17.757,0:14:19.121 whether that is a long hose 0:14:19.121,0:14:20.784 or if you do not have a hose, 0:14:20.784,0:14:22.505 right next to the spigget where you 0:14:22.505,0:14:24.796 have your buckets or your rain [br]water harvesting. 0:14:24.796,0:14:28.297 Designing it so that it has a relative 0:14:28.297,0:14:29.918 amount of convenience will make it 0:14:29.918,0:14:31.199 easier to get out there. 0:14:31.324,0:14:32.689 Do not put a whole bunch of 0:14:32.689,0:14:33.924 obstacles in the way. 0:14:34.058,0:14:35.461 This is really important when 0:14:35.461,0:14:36.639 you are getting started. 0:14:36.639,0:14:37.931 And you are not used to it. 0:14:37.931,0:14:39.181 You do not have that habit 0:14:39.181,0:14:40.530 of getting into the garden. 0:14:40.530,0:14:43.035 You have a habit of just going to [br]the grocery store. 0:14:43.035,0:14:45.267 It is easy to neglect it if it is 0:14:45.267,0:14:46.740 out of sight, out of mind. 0:14:47.142,0:14:49.259 Deisgn it to be relatively convenient. 0:14:49.264,0:14:50.908 When you are just getting started, 0:14:50.908,0:14:52.527 and you have an incredible amount 0:14:52.527,0:14:53.750 of information out there. 0:14:53.750,0:14:55.481 It is really hard to choose which is 0:14:55.481,0:14:56.533 the right information. 0:14:56.533,0:14:58.414 It is easy to be infiltrated 0:14:58.414,0:15:01.216 by chemical mindsets. 0:15:01.410,0:15:03.913 The idea that you need to spray things, 0:15:03.913,0:15:06.089 that every insect should die, 0:15:06.089,0:15:08.013 that the soil needs these massive 0:15:08.013,0:15:09.354 amount of fertilizers. 0:15:09.354,0:15:11.576 My tip is do not fall into 0:15:11.576,0:15:12.631 the chemical mindset. 0:15:12.830,0:15:14.462 In my year of growing and foraging 0:15:14.462,0:15:16.226 all of my food where I grew over 0:15:16.226,0:15:18.361 100 different foods, I never used 0:15:18.361,0:15:21.430 a single pesticide, not even organic ones. 0:15:21.664,0:15:23.994 These pesticides have only existed 0:15:23.994,0:15:27.172 for a tiny, tiny fraction of all the times 0:15:27.172,0:15:29.301 that humans have lived off of 0:15:29.301,0:15:30.745 the food that they have grown. 0:15:30.745,0:15:33.433 You can grow without all of that. 0:15:33.436,0:15:35.295 Without needing to have all this 0:15:35.295,0:15:37.582 money and these outside resources. 0:15:37.582,0:15:39.678 And be able to grow in an organic 0:15:39.678,0:15:41.775 and in a sustainable manner. 0:15:41.775,0:15:44.305 Next I want to talk a little bit about [br]mindset. 0:15:44.529,0:15:47.640 Focussing on a mindset of abundance, 0:15:47.640,0:15:49.474 rather than scarcity. 0:15:49.474,0:15:52.351 Because when you think in scarcity, 0:15:52.351,0:15:55.228 it often creates scarcity around you. 0:15:55.228,0:15:57.690 But when you design in abundance 0:15:57.690,0:15:59.008 and you think in abundance, 0:15:59.008,0:16:01.746 it can actually help create that [br]abundance. 0:16:01.968,0:16:04.091 A really important part of that is 0:16:04.091,0:16:06.394 remembering that in order to have 0:16:06.394,0:16:09.314 an abundance, you have to have death. 0:16:09.514,0:16:12.434 Death is a part of the gardening [br]experience. 0:16:12.669,0:16:15.014 So do not be afraid to kill plants. 0:16:15.187,0:16:17.093 In fact, when you kill plants, 0:16:17.093,0:16:20.025 think of that as part of your lessons, 0:16:20.025,0:16:22.326 part of your learning to becoming 0:16:22.326,0:16:23.478 a successful gardener. 0:16:23.573,0:16:25.219 In that way, it is not a failure, 0:16:25.219,0:16:27.536 it is a part of the success. 0:16:27.724,0:16:30.651 Even more imporantly, remember, [br]plants die. 0:16:30.849,0:16:31.842 It is not like... 0:16:31.842,0:16:34.740 Especially annual plants like carrots, 0:16:34.740,0:16:37.638 and kale, and collards, and broccoli. 0:16:37.837,0:16:40.373 All of these only live for a period of [br]time. 0:16:40.575,0:16:41.999 They have to be harvested 0:16:41.999,0:16:43.423 and then they die. 0:16:43.627,0:16:45.819 Do not think of death as a failure. 0:16:46.016,0:16:48.234 Think about it as a part of the 0:16:48.234,0:16:49.892 cycle of the gardening. 0:16:49.892,0:16:51.808 Another thing that I mentioned just now, 0:16:51.808,0:16:52.779 I mentioned annuals. 0:16:52.950,0:16:54.873 Annuals are plants that basically 0:16:54.873,0:16:56.346 you plant every single year. 0:16:56.589,0:16:58.339 You harvest and you have to 0:16:58.339,0:16:59.280 replant every year. 0:16:59.515,0:17:01.549 Perennials are plants that you plant once 0:17:01.549,0:17:03.782 and they come back for a very long time. 0:17:03.858,0:17:06.621 Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, 0:17:06.621,0:17:09.880 strawberries, fruit trees like apples, 0:17:09.880,0:17:11.842 pears, and plums, nut trees, 0:17:11.842,0:17:14.844 Jeruselum artichoke, rhubarb, all of 0:17:14.844,0:17:16.474 these foods that come back year 0:17:16.474,0:17:18.104 after year are perennials. 0:17:18.329,0:17:21.113 I recommend working with perennials 0:17:21.113,0:17:23.221 as much as you can because they 0:17:23.221,0:17:24.855 generally take less work. 0:17:25.079,0:17:26.489 They have a lot fewer pests. 0:17:26.694,0:17:27.993 They take less nutrients. 0:17:28.207,0:17:30.087 They keep on coming back 0:17:30.087,0:17:31.634 year after year after year. 0:17:31.900,0:17:34.879 Many perennials thrive on neglect. 0:17:35.091,0:17:37.270 Focussing on perennials is definitely 0:17:37.270,0:17:39.449 a big tip that I would move towards. 0:17:39.676,0:17:42.155 It is often great to start with annuals. 0:17:42.155,0:17:43.715 For example radishes. 0:17:43.715,0:17:45.215 They produce in 30 days. 0:17:45.366,0:17:46.900 That is one of those easy plants 0:17:46.900,0:17:48.592 that I mentioned, that can give you 0:17:48.592,0:17:49.733 that boost of success, 0:17:49.733,0:17:52.304 and that confidence to move forward. 0:17:52.594,0:17:54.629 But as you get better and better, 0:17:54.629,0:17:57.039 I recommend moving more away 0:17:57.039,0:17:58.751 from those annuals and moving more 0:17:58.751,0:18:00.464 toward the perennial system. 0:18:00.464,0:18:01.480 So there you have it. 0:18:01.480,0:18:03.274 Those are some of my most important 0:18:03.274,0:18:05.069 tips for beginner gardeners. 0:18:05.162,0:18:07.170 There are a lot of other ones out there. 0:18:07.170,0:18:08.770 If you just start with those ones 0:18:08.770,0:18:10.146 Remember to start small, 0:18:10.146,0:18:12.544 start simply, maybe start with just 0:18:12.544,0:18:14.942 5 easy plants that you are excited about. 0:18:15.141,0:18:17.120 If you do 5 the next year, 0:18:17.120,0:18:18.854 and you do 5 the next year, 0:18:18.854,0:18:21.798 within a few years time, you can be 0:18:21.798,0:18:23.683 growing dozens of different species. 0:18:23.866,0:18:24.989 Make some goals. 0:18:24.989,0:18:26.571 Make some of those smaller goals. 0:18:26.571,0:18:28.124 Make some of those bigger goals. 0:18:28.124,0:18:30.223 Use those smaller goals to chip away 0:18:30.223,0:18:32.404 at that ultimate success 0:18:32.404,0:18:34.892 of your giant front yard just 0:18:34.892,0:18:37.199 dripping and oozing with food 0:18:37.199,0:18:38.346 absolutely everywhere. 0:18:38.705,0:18:41.255 I hope that you gained a lot from [br]this video. 0:18:41.495,0:18:43.689 If you did make sure that you subscribe. 0:18:43.734,0:18:45.967 If you have friends who are [br]beginner gardeners 0:18:45.967,0:18:48.276 that consider themselves to have a [br]black thumb, 0:18:48.276,0:18:49.740 make sure to share this video 0:18:49.740,0:18:51.928 to help them if you think it would be [br]helpful. 0:18:51.928,0:18:53.745 If you want to get this out into the 0:18:53.745,0:18:55.788 Youtube world, ask questions, 0:18:55.788,0:18:57.255 comment in the comments below. 0:18:57.447,0:18:59.455 Make sure to give it a thumbs up as well. 0:18:59.665,0:19:01.046 I love you all very much. 0:19:01.242,0:19:03.521 I will see you again in the garden [br]real soon.