Great comprehensive video. Didnt have to wonder about anything, since you clearly explained and/or gave reason without being tangential. Definitely going to try and make my own sifter, and do the seed germination method and test.
Thanks Stuart, that really means a lot. Glad you enjoyed the videos. Doing my best to keep us all going during difficult and scary times. And loving all the new gardeners all over the world, hopefully we can help them build their confidence.
This was enjoyable and interesting - especially because I'm getting my head into gear to start sowing the first of my seeds this year! Thanks for making, it's given me a few extra things to consider 😃
Fabby video Eli! You're on it this year. I think usually I actually start off my stuff too early most years and end up with leggy sad plants so my new years resolution is starting later! Excited for the next video about light!
19:55 a point another layer of foil at the top of the pot and to have it stand on what are those called flat cork to protect the table from the warm surface. Both those things will give an extra isolating layer to keep the heat in longer.
The different terms for different types of soil are very confusing. I am from Northern California and compost here usually means the intense stuff like chicken or cow manure or earthworm castings or home made combination soil from kitchen scraps and leaves, etc. It's intensely nutritional. I am thrilled you will be doing soil videos but clarifying what your terms mean would be very helpful. Thanks, love your videos.
I suspect things are actually very similar. Here compost is the finished product of composting (rotting down) organic materials like garden waste, kitchen waste etc You can buy it from your garden centre if you don’t make your own but it’s not the same quality nutrient wise and it’s usually dried and sieved to a degree or other. Potting compost is usually a very very finely sieved version but potting mix is usually this plus top soil and other additives. Soil, is soil - I’m guessing it is exactly the same definition - the actual earth, including living organism, organic matter, minerals etc :D
Good teachings, Eli ... once again. I especially liked the boiling water trick. The seed starting in the bags is also a welcome bit of knowledge. And I must get one of those sieves, so I’m off to Amazon after writing this, or some gardening supply on line to find one. My carrots are doing well in the greenhouse (the tops about 2-1/2 inches high), as well as the cauliflower (but it’s slow going, to be sure). The peas are also in the greenhouse in a tri-staked 5 gal. bucket, and they’re a good seven-nine inches high. Romaine lettuce and broccoli in the plastic-covered beds are growing as fast, or better than, the peas. The spinach nearby is relatively slow, however. Still, not too shabby for December and January plantings, started indoors under a grow light. We have actually had a few rains since I wrote last, and a few more expected on Tue.and Wed, but then going back to California-dry for a few weeks after. I’m rooting for your seedlings. Good luck.
Excellent advice. I've ordered coco coir bricks, started testing my seeds for viability, ordered my vitapod and will sterilise my compost today. I'm so pleased that i discovered your channel. Thank you for the advice and the wonderful way that you present your videos.
Hi Eli! I have only recently been introduced to your you tube channel by Gardener Scott! I have watched a number of your video's and find them very informative, professional and entertaining! A bit of background. I live in the state of New Hampshire USA. I used to garden for a number of years, stopping about 5 years ago. Starting up again this year. I always did a conventual garden. This year I am planning on making 6 high raised beds, 4 for general produce and 2 for asparagus. My growing stats are- zone 5A, Lat. 43.6, elevation 1100 ft. I live on a 3 acre property which my grandfather started a dairy farm on. Rocky soil but VERY fertile Carlton Loam. I cannot stop anything from growing including weeds! Weeds, the main reason for raised beds. The high beds( 30 inches approx.) I am retired and don't want to bend over or be on my knees as much. I realize you are in a more restricted space,(urban, rural) I would appreciate any tips for me and fellow gardeners which have more space. I am still planning on planting some crops in ground, corn, potatoes, winter squash and cantaloupe! I am also planning on planting some other plants in ground as well as in the raised beds to compare! Love your Channel! Love your expertise! And your accent as well!!!!!!! Could listen to Scotts and Brits all day!!!!! And I am part Dane by my grandmother! Eric
Thank you so much for that video. I'm very new to gardening (I'm trying to find something to focus on whilst sheilding) and your videos have been brilliant x
This is great. I didn’t know about sterilizing the soil. I also had a problem with what I think were fungus gnats from a bag of indoor potting mix I bought. Now I will use this with my own compost for my seeds thanks!
Newbie alert got an allotment and started my growing journey last Feb. Its been a learning curve I'm.excited to get started on this year's now. I already have peas approx 3 inches high I sowed in November. I can't wait for the video on indoor sowing, I have a few things I would like get started early indoors 🤩
I found you on here yesterday after researching greenhouses. My lovely grandad passed last year and he was a fabulous gardener! I spent the summer trying to learn all of the things that i wish i had paid attention to while he was alive and enjoyed it so much that i'm making a massive effort this year to try and grow as much of my own plants/flowers/veg as i can manage. I am itching to get into the garden again! Could i ask, can you do this now with flowers that shouldn't be sewn until spring? Or should i just stick to what should be sewn now? I want my flowers to be ready to go out as soon as it is safe for them - like how the garden centres have theirs ready and flowering. Ps. thank you for being my new teacher, i am really enjoying watching all of your videos x
It's great to hear you're enjoying the channel. The more gardeners the merrier 🙂 With seeds, you can't really sow things unless you can create the right environment, the heat they need to germinate and then the heat and light they need as a plant. Sometimes it's better to be patient and get good strong plants than risk wasting seeds. There is however something called winter sowing that I'm hearing about from friends in the states, but I'm afraid it's not an area I know about. It is something you could look into if you were interested.
That's a brilliant was to check viability. Off to tesco for sandwich bags! Also never thought to do that with compost before. Brilliant. Way better than the potting compost I bought last year that was basically a bag of sand!
I recently found this channel and I just love it, it make me think even I can get green fingers (my scatterbrained approach to plants have made me be able to kill the most patient of plants. I want my home greener. The climate in Gothenburg are a bit warmer than most part of Scotland I believe. Still grow up in cold climates.
Hey Rebecka you so can grow more. There's always a way of doing things that work for you, it just takes a few seasons of experimenting to find it. Glad to have you with us :D
It’s not that precise Anne. Just make sure the seed starting mix/compost is thoroughly soaked and you are covering it to keep the steam in while it cools enough for you to handle. Takes about 20 mins for it to cool
Nice video have subscribed to watch more Started gardening in lockdown got the bug. Already sown some seeds so eager but I will give you way a go thanks for the info
Hi Eli and Kate, Great video as always, Question, How long does it take the compost to dry out a little, I have been using an alternative method, putting the compost into 2 resealable bags and giving them 4 minutes in the microwave in 2-minute intervals, I'm just a bit concerned that I might wet the compost too much with the boiling water, Thank you as always for sharing, Take care and stay safe.
Hey Ronald, hmmm I suppose it just depends where you keep it. If I left it in my greenhouse just now, I think it would take a while to dry out as it’s cold in there but if it’s for me to use indoors, or for starting the seeds, I bring it indoors to allow it to warm up a bit. So indoors in my office it took about 3 days. It wasn’t bone dry but just right for sowing without needing to add water :) I like the idea of the microwave but I’d melt the bags, guaranteed :D
Hi Ellie. A timely video as just getting things together for seed sowing. I'm not sure the boiling water is going to be too affective in killing fungal spores, especially those responsible for damping off. I do the oven sterilise but I take your point it does stink!!🤭🤭. Do you mix anything into seed compost like sand / vermiculite/ grit? Just wondering about the ratios to use? Eager to see what you have in mind for lighting inside as I bought some grow lights last year and I want to improve my bask bedroom seed growing😀
I don’t add anything for seed starting, just make sure the compost is super fine. If you have a habit of over watering you might want to add some sand or something to reduce the water that your compost holds. Also, I don’t use peat products, so I don’t have to combat that in terms of water retention either. In terms of percentages, you can grow your seeds in 100% grit etc if you want. For starting seeds, you don’t need the nutritional element at all, it’s just a medium to hold the seeds and then seedling stable until it’s time to pot them on and allow you to provide a little bit of moisture. And you want it to be very light, so that the seedlings can push past it when they germinate. Some folk make mixes because they have particular issues they are trying to overcome, like adding drainage etc. However, once you getting into potting mixes... oh boy. That’s when people have their own secret recipes they never share :). (Pssst and it’s Eli not Ellie)
Hi Eli, I have successfully germinated some Tithonia seeds using the method of damp kitchen paper and sealed in a food bag. What do I do now please? Do I submerge the whole plant in soil like a seed, or do I leave the green bit sticking above the soil? Would it be best to use multipurpose or seed compost at this stage? Thanks Eli. Love your videos. x
Hey Wendy That's awesome If there is green, I would leave that showing as it will need the light. As for growing medium, as you know, I'm dead against buying seed starting and other ckmoost mixes as I think they are a waste of money. I'd pot it up in what ever you have that's the cheapest and doesn't have added chemical fertilisers etc but making sure I've sieved out all the larger bits. Then once the seedlings a bit stronger and bigger (with at least it's true leaves) I them pot on in my potting mix which is just a mix of compost, coir and some perlite. Good luck with your new babies and keep us in the loop with how they go.
Oh I wish it was the 4th of July!! 🙈🤣 and 🤞🏼 for the dahlias! 😊 look forward to seeing the soil/compost amendments you do 👍🏼 mmmm cookies.. not sure as I’d like mudpie cookies though 🤣
The Kitchen Garden with Eli & Kate when you said 4th July 2021 then corrected yourself to 4th January 🙈🤣 (sort of thing I do! I’m going to be writing 2020 for some time still!)
Thank you very much for sharing I found it very helpful 🙂 I was wondering when you test germinated your seeds can you sow the seeds which germinate straight from the kitchen towel?.. steve
You can indeed. That was I was talking about when I said this wasn't a waste of seeds. You can just cut around the seeds and plant the whole thing, that way you don't disturb or risk damaging anything :)
@@eliandkate that's fantastic as I've got a box full of seeds with 2019 use by date so this will be a great way to see if they will still be ok rather than wasting time sowing them directly into the garden thank you so much for your great advice 🙂
Hello Eli your tips on germinating seeds this way is brilliant I've sowed a few different seeds some of them were 3 years out of date a few still germinated but itdoing it the way you said I can pick out only the good seeds so I'm not wasting time sowing them directly into the garden thanks for sharing your very helpful tips 🙂
Totally agree! I've planted up entire trays that didn't take in the past but then that compost is unusable cause it's full of seeds like little potential bombs. I'm all for not wasting time and compost :)
@@eliandkate lovely thank you! Will try this. I’ve got so many old seeds some are not dated so this is a good idea. Got my first greenhouse arriving end of feb and have been binge watching your videos 😂
Hey Leslie I’ll point out that this is an older video and there is a more up to date one that explains things a bit better But there is no HAVE to, it’s something you can do when you make seed mix to help eliminate pathogens like problems with damping off. We tend to do it with compost cause there is more chance of bug eggs and moulds etc in compost but you can sterilise cococoir too if you’re worried. I tend to make mine with boiling water.
