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This video explains the essential basics every beginner gardener should know before starting a garden and how to set up a growing space successfully.
The guide covers choosing a location, preparing soil, selecting easy crops, watering correctly, avoiding common beginner mistakes and planning a simple layout. It also explains how starting properly makes gardening easier and improves results throughout the season.
If you are new to gardening, these simple practical tips will help you begin with confidence and avoid the problems most beginners experience.
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0:00
hey everyone I'm gardening with Ben and
0:03
welcome to today's episode today's
0:06
episode is we're going to talk about the
0:08
best advice that we can give you for
0:11
starting your own allotment if you're
0:13
starting one this year so sit back relax
0:17
and enjoy today's episode everyone
0:20
[Music]
0:39
so we're down here on the allotment this
0:41
morning and we're going to talk about
0:42
the best advice that I've learned over
0:45
the years down here on the allotment to
0:47
give you advice to get started on that
0:50
new allotment that you may have or may
0:53
be wanting to start in the near future
0:57
now obviously a lot of people post for
1:00
photos online of what they've grown down
1:03
at the alotment or in the garden and
1:05
show all the best bits but we're going
1:07
to talk about the bad bits as well as
1:09
people don't often see them so when you
1:14
star in an alotment often you get it and
1:17
it's absolutely covered in Weeds and
1:21
rubbish and you'll name it it's a
1:24
Dumping Ground more often than not and
1:27
other people on sites will often dump
1:29
the rubbish on vacant plots as I've seen
1:32
in the
1:33
past and sometimes you can go and and
1:36
have a look at an alotment and there
1:37
might be a loads of stuff on there and
1:39
then the next time you come it might all
1:41
be gone because people have nabbed it as
1:43
they know it's a vacant plot which is
1:46
often the case so the first thing to do
1:49
when you get an allotment or looking for
1:51
an allotment is to make sure that
1:53
there's water on site as obviously
1:56
there's Ways and Means of catching water
1:58
from like sheds and green houses and
2:01
catching it in buckets and things like
2:04
that but it's never enough water to last
2:07
you throughout the year as we have had
2:11
bad Summers the last few uh years so
2:13
it's not been too bad but one year we
2:16
had a heat wave and it was that bad that
2:19
even councils wouldn't let people use
2:21
host pipes
2:23
so often uh our allotment site said you
2:27
can't use a host pipe but you can f look
2:30
at the to which was a blessing because
2:33
obviously we managed to keep things
2:35
watered and before that came in I'd
2:38
filled up all my water BTS with water
2:41
and got enough to last me throughout the
2:43
year so that is one thing that I always
2:46
say is make sure there's a water tap on
2:49
site as most allotment sites do have
2:52
water on site a lot some don't so just
2:55
have a look and make sure it's near
2:57
where the plot is or you'll need an
2:58
extra long host pip
3:00
so that is the first thing I always look
3:03
for the next up is obviously you'll get
3:05
your plot and it will be a mess a total
3:08
mess it will have wheed all over
3:11
brambles the lot you name it everything
3:14
will be
3:15
growing so the first thing to do is
3:18
obviously clear off all the rubbish what
3:20
might have been dumped on site some
3:22
counsels let you put it in an area and
3:24
they'll take it away or sometimes you
3:26
have to just get rid of it yourself but
3:28
obviously watch out for glass and sharp
3:31
objects the next thing to do after that
3:33
is then strim it all back clear it all
3:37
down and look what is growing because
3:39
more often than not there'll be fruit
3:40
bushes growing there might be plants
3:43
that come back every single year in
3:45
there so have a look around and keep an
3:48
eye out for what is growing or ask other
3:51
neighbors on plots and ask them if
3:53
they've seen anything what's been
3:54
growing on that plot as obviously you
3:57
don't want to lose any established food
3:59
bushes and plants like that what will
4:03
will become handy for you in the future
4:06
so once you've streamed it all back the
4:08
best thing to do is look online for toar
4:12
poing and cover the PLT cover it as much
4:15
as you can with tarpo in yes it won't
4:18
let the water in but it will kill all
4:21
the weeds back and brambles it won't
4:23
kill them back completely but it will
4:26
keep them under control because once
4:27
You' stmed it back trust me it it will
4:30
grow back fast and you don't realize how
4:33
fast it grows back I've seen people come
4:35
on with diggers clear the plot with a J
4:38
B Digger and think yes I've cleared it
4:41
all now we're ready to start but they've
4:43
not covered it back over and it grows
4:46
back pretty fast I used a rator in my
4:49
first year and that was the worst thing
4:51
that I ever did because it chopped up
4:53
all the roots and created thousands more
4:57
Wheats so the best thing I did after
5:00
that was to dig it out naturally just
5:02
dig out as all the weeds naturally keep
5:05
it covered and just dig over a bit at a
5:08
time once you've cleared it cover it
5:10
back over if you don't think that you're
5:11
going to get on top of it fast because
5:14
allotments are a full-time job yes I've
5:18
only got two days a week now to do it
5:20
but my allotment is manageable I've
5:21
covered all my paths in Black membrane
5:23
so weeds don't grow I've got wood chip
5:26
over the top or Paving slabs so I keep
5:28
my paths under control control that is
5:30
the main thing if you're wanting paths
5:33
have them so that they're manageable so
5:34
that the weeds won't grow back obviously
5:37
black membran is quite expensive you
5:39
don't want this cheap fabric stuff what
5:41
you see in certain shops because it'll
5:43
just disintegrate you need the proper
5:45
membrane that is like plastic but it's
5:48
porous it lets the water through and it
5:51
will last years I've had some of mine 16
5:54
17 years now and it's still going strong
5:58
so lay that down on your your paths and
6:00
it will keep the weeds down and the same
6:04
goes for like if you're wanting to grow
6:05
stuff through your beds and stuff if you
6:07
don't think you've got much time to be
6:09
down weeding people often put black
6:12
membrane down create little holes and
6:14
plant through them but obviously using
6:16
black membrane keeps the ground warm and
6:19
it attracts the Slugs because it keeps
6:21
it moist my plot neighbor he's got black
6:24
membrane down but he has a lot of slugs
6:26
on his plot so it works in two ways it
6:29
can be good it can be bad and yeah you
6:32
can sometimes struggle with it so we've
6:35
sorted out as paths we've sorted out
6:37
clearing the plot down so next up is
6:40
obviously get yourself a shed or a
6:43
greenhouse and that will be your growing
6:46
space they are very important because
6:48
obviously if you've got a shed in the
6:49
greenhouse you can go down when it's
6:51
raining you can always be down at the
6:53
plot there's always something to do down
6:55
at the alotment whether it's postering
6:56
around in the shed or tidying up in the
6:59
greenhouse and potting things up there's
7:02
always plenty to do and that's one of
7:04
the things that I've got I've got the
7:05
shed and I can always come down in any
7:08
weather part from snow sometimes but
7:11
yeah we have the shed where we come down
7:14
regularly so that is one main thing and
7:18
obviously you can look on Facebook
7:19
Marketplace see what people are getting
7:21
rid of
7:22
and see what freebi you can get freebies
7:25
always are fantastic especially wood
7:28
wood always comes in Andy if you see
7:30
people chucking wood out collect it
7:32
because you will always make use of
7:35
wood so that's the shed and the
7:37
greenhouse if you're looking at getting
7:39
a poly tunnel however don't get one of
7:42
these that are like £99 or something
7:44
like that yes it's expensive but they're
7:46
not proper polymol so RI after a few
7:49
years in the wind and they won't last
7:52
long at all look at a repal company like
7:55
Northern poly tunnels or first poly
7:57
tunnels or premier poly tunnels and they
8:00
will last and it's the proper material
8:03
to let the sunlight in and keep things
8:05
warm in the poly tunel my polyany cost
8:08
me about £500 but it's a massive one but
8:11
it's lasted me about 15 years it's so
8:15
it's just starting to wear away on the
8:17
creases but I keep sealing it and hoping
8:21
that it'll last a bit longer but yeah
8:23
look at a repit company when buying a
8:25
poly
8:26
tunnel next up is what shall you plant
8:29
in your first year now it's you
8:32
obviously get the gardening bug and you
8:34
want to try and start as much as
8:35
possible and the first year is often
8:38
hard obviously tidying it up clearing it
8:40
all and getting things ready and the
8:44
first things that you should plant
8:45
obviously your fruit trees usually
8:47
around this time of year is they're
8:50
selling loads of fruit trees everywhere
8:52
I bought mine from a supermarket I've
8:56
also bought some from proper fruit
8:57
places but yeah they're pretty cheap at
9:00
this time of year and you can get some
9:02
decent ones and obviously it takes a few
9:04
years for them to establish just think
9:06
of where you're going to plant them
9:07
because that's where they're going to
9:08
live forever so make sure you plant them
9:11
somewhere that you're happy with and
9:14
that you wish you'd never planted them
9:16
in that
9:17
space But yeah have a look around and
9:20
obviously now is the perfect time to
9:22
plant them because to get the roots
9:24
established and they will grow well you
9:27
don't want to be planting fruit trees or
9:28
bushes in the summer because the will be
9:31
harder to establish and take
9:34
root then obviously some good plants to
9:38
plant in your first year of obviously
9:40
like potatoes your onions your garlic
9:43
corett pumpkins sweet corn peas lettuce
9:49
beetroot they're all easy plants to grow
9:52
and you often get good results back from
9:54
them ones obviously the harder ones you
9:57
might want to wait until a few years
9:59
once you've got going but try and just
10:02
don't do what I do I get a packet of
10:04
seeds and I sew the whole packet just SE
10:07
what you actually need and even though
10:10
I'm giving this advice I don't listen to
10:12
myself but yeah obviously just SE what
10:14
you need and plan it out well and
10:18
obviously the best thing to do is draw a
10:20
plan of what you want your other
10:21
alotment to look like draw your beds
10:23
draw your paths draw where you want your
10:24
shed to go where you want your
10:26
Greenhouse to go and work on that
10:30
and yeah the first year is going to be a
10:32
tough year but once you got it all
10:33
cleared and all mapped out you will have
10:36
a successful time down at the alotment
10:38
and obviously it's hard to keep on top
10:41
of the weeds weeds do grow back faster
10:43
than the vegetables grow obviously weeds
10:46
are a plant that grow in the wrong space
10:48
so just keep on top of it go around your
10:51
beds with a hoe every week or so and
10:54
just ho it over and that will stop the
10:56
weeds from growing back as fast
10:58
obviously it's not getting all the root
10:59
out but it keeps on top of it and you're
11:02
saving yourself a job in the long run
11:05
but those have to be my top tips on if
11:08
you're starting an allotment and where
11:10
you want to go with it and over the
11:13
years you'll obviously change patterns
11:16
and change the layout of how things are
11:19
growing but that is the best tips that I
11:22
can give you and yeah have a look around
11:25
enjoy yourself and do take photos and
11:29
share with people your journey on the
11:32
allotment because people do love to see
11:34
it and that's what I do I share all my
11:36
pictures all my success and I've show my
11:38
failures because I don't want people to
11:40
think that is an easy thing to do
11:42
because it's not an easy thing to do an
11:44
allotment it is hard work and especially
11:47
when you're doing it on your own if you
11:49
got a few people doing it it's a lot
11:50
easier and just enjoy it and if
11:54
something fails just try it again the
11:56
year after like some years I get success
11:59
with certain crops and then the year
12:01
after they do absolutely rubbish so you
12:05
just have to live and learn whether you
12:06
do it special one way and it works one
12:09
year and then it doesn't work the next
12:10
year it's just trial and area with
12:12
gardening and you will find that out
12:14
when you're are starting out but if you
12:17
got any advice or tips that you want to
12:20
share with me or if you want to ask any
12:22
questions feel free to leave them in the
12:24
comments or follow me on Instagram or
12:27
Facebook page as well well we've also
12:30
got a podcast as well called gardening
12:31
with Ben which is available on every
12:33
podcast platform where we share tips and
12:36
advice so I hope you've enjoyed this
12:38
episode I hope that you've learned
12:39
something and good luck with your
12:42
gardening and allotment Journey until
12:44
next time everyone remember keep smiling
12:47
keep shining and keep gardening with B
12:49
everyone
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