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March Monday on the Allotment Garden | Early Spring Tasks & Updates
Nov 13, 2024
🌤️ March Monday on the Allotment Garden! A fresh new week and the plot is full of promise! Monday jobs, March weather, and early sowing make for a productive start. 🌿🪴 In this episode, I share what I got up to on the allotment this Monday in March — from tidying beds and sowing seeds to prepping for the busy season ahead. It’s the start of something great! What’s your favourite job to kick off the gardening week? #MarchAllotment #MondayOnThePlot #GrowYourOwn #AllotmentLife #SpringSowing #GardeningWithBen #GardenUpdate
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0:00
hello and welcome to gardening with
0:03
Ben's awardwinning podcast as voted by
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followers and listeners so if you're new
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to the podcast make sure you click that
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subscribe button to stay up to date with
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all our podcasts listen back to all our
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previous episodes sit back grab a brew
0:21
and let's enjoy today's episode hello
0:25
everyone and welcome to gardening with
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Ben I hope you're all well and I hope
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that you're enjoying the start of your
0:34
week wow it's Monday and spring has
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definitely come today um this is the
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second episode of the day so if you've
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not listened to the first episode of
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Monday feel free to go and check that
0:47
out that came up this morning but yeah
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this is the second episode so you're
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getting quite a lot of episodes at the
0:53
moment so lucky
0:56
you but yes this is our gardening
0:59
podcast
1:01
and we're back for another episode and I
1:04
just want to say thank you uh I've been
1:06
receiving quite a few messages at the
1:08
moment from people saying how much
1:10
they're enjoying it and I was chatting
1:13
to a lady earlier who had just started
1:17
listening to it after following me on
1:19
Instagram and she's given me some great
1:23
advice and telling me that I need to get
1:26
people on talking to me and do some
1:28
interviews with people so watch this
1:30
space it may come hopefully soon but
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we'll see I still get a bit nervous
1:36
about what i' talk about and yeah it'll
1:41
be interesting if you've got any ideas
1:43
of how I can interview people and what
1:45
to talk about feel free to send me a
1:48
message I always like to receive
1:50
messages and what you would like to hear
1:52
on the podcast because sometimes it does
1:56
feel like I'm just going over all stuff
1:58
previously um um and I would like to do
2:01
these every day cuz uh everybody seems
2:03
to be enjoying them and some another
2:05
nice lady commented on my Facebook post
2:08
the other day saying uh Have you
2:10
listened to gardening with Ben's podcast
2:12
so yeah everybody seems to be enjoying
2:14
them at the moment and hopefully as the
2:16
months progress we'll be talking more
2:19
and more about the garden and how much
2:22
we enjoy it and like I said if I could
2:24
do this full time this would be
2:26
absolutely perfect go to the allotment
2:28
in the daytime record podcasts at night
2:31
and yeah just talk gardening all the
2:33
time that would be perfect but
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unfortunately I don't think it'll ever
2:37
happen unless we get a million people
2:39
subscribed to my
2:41
podcast but we can only live and hope
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and
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pray one day it might go viral hopefully
2:50
so yeah what have we been up to today
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well it's been absolutely gorgeous here
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in Sheffield today it's got up to about
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14 15° and at one point I even took my
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hoodie off and my t-shirt to get a bit
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of warmth and a bit of vitamin D inside
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me because a bit of vitamin D is good
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for the body and good for the mind and
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the soul and it's good for you a bit of
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it sunshine on you and somebody
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mentioned to me saying have you put
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protection on but it weren't the strong
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Summer Sun so I'll be fine and I just
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wanted a blast of the sunshine on me I
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even posted sneaky Peak on
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Instagram I cut out the explicit part of
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it but yeah um it's certainly been a
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fantastic day on the allotment today and
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what's made it better is that one of my
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friends came to see me as well and he'
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not been down to the plot for about a
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month now so he'd noticed the difference
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of how much it's progressed within the
3:53
last month and how much I've actually
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done and yeah last time it came down was
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the day before the storms before the bad
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wind and my shed was really rattling
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then and I was saying to him I hope it's
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still alive the next morning after the
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bad storm what were predicted I had a
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few bits broken on it and a few panels
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broken on it but there's nothing that we
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can't repair on it later on and
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obviously I had the damage to the poly
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tunnel with the skin splitting but
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that's all repaired and it's stayed
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together so I'm pretty pleased with how
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that's staying put and yeah it'll be
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back into full action this year inside
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the poly tunnel which I'm looking
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forward to I'm just waiting for payday
4:37
to come along so I can buy my compost
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and start my seeds off um why is it that
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month seem so long uh between paydays
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but yeah I can't wait to get that
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started and I just noticed the price of
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compost how much it's gone up this year
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um I used to get bags that were like
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£7.99 a bag then it went up to £10 a bag
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and then this year I've noticed it £150
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a bag it's phenomenal I really do need
5:04
to get making my own compost and getting
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doing that on the allotment it's
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something that I've not ever done on my
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plot um I should really do it I really
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should uh it would save so much money
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obviously there won't be enough for
5:18
everything that I need but it had saved
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me so much money so I'm going to have to
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look into doing composting um and
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today's job I've nearly cleared the full
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main area of my plot now and this is
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where I do grow every little thing on my
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plot uh beds on my sweet corn my onions
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my cabbages my cauliflowers everything
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this is my main growing area and I've
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nearly cleared it all now I've just got
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uh about four more bed areas to do and
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then it's all cleared and then I've got
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the top of my plots clear now the other
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year I did build some compost bins and
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I've not used them yet I know have built
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them but I've not used them yet they are
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there they're standing strong my DIYs
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actually worked for
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once but I'm not used
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to so I really should use them um so
6:13
yeah uh we're going to be clearing the
6:15
rest of the top of the plot from next
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week hopefully uh tomorrow's job will'll
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just be finishing off all the bed areas
6:23
and getting all that sort of the hardest
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area to that I've been working on at the
6:27
moment on my paths uh would you believe
6:30
it because obviously all my paths are
6:34
covered up with black membrane because I
6:36
use the black membran to keep the weeds
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down and it's just compacted over like
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the year because every year I know I
6:45
don't have to but every year I take all
6:48
the black membrane up and I dig
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underneath it and dig it all over
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because I've had a lot of issues with
6:54
band weed so many issues
6:58
and the B wind weed has just grown under
7:00
the paths everywhere so I dig it all out
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and get as much out as possible because
7:05
obviously I don't want it taken over so
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I usually take all the paths up and dig
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it all over so I've been pulling all
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them back today and getting all the
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paths cleared and
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wow if you don't know what the joy is
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like of pulling bindweed out in a long
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piece you haven't
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lived I must be sad but um when I'm
7:30
pulling bindweed out of the soil you
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have to pull it so gently that it
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doesn't snap and you get a full piece of
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it it's like pulling spaghetti out of
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the soil if you've got bind weed you'll
7:42
know exactly what it's like and to be
7:46
honest the bind weed doesn't cause many
7:48
issues on the plot whatsoever yes it
7:50
does take over yes it's intrusive but it
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doesn't cause any major damage really to
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the plot but it's just obviously a bind
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so yeah we try and get as much out as
8:01
possible uh I seem to be getting on top
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of it every year and getting back
8:05
getting it back down it's not as bad as
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it used to be on my plot but if you saw
8:11
the video of what it was like in my shed
8:13
at the be at the end of last year wow it
8:16
was like walking into jaman you should
8:18
have seen it with how much bind weed it
8:20
is I shared a p a video of it on my
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Instagram real so have a look and see
8:26
what you think to that but yeah it's
8:28
been a good aggressive day today and I
8:31
saw one of my plot neighbors and he was
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asking me if I planted my own potatoes
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yet and I said no not yet I'm waiting
8:38
till Good Friday but I don't know when
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Good Friday is actually this year I've
8:42
not even checked to be honest um but if
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it's end of April I'm certainly going to
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be planting them at next couple of weeks
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my potatoes uh I just need to sort out
8:53
the beds where I'm going to be planting
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them I'm going to be planting them in my
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newest part of the plot which is towards
8:59
W the top of my plot
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and
9:04
the beds up there are quite Shady they
9:08
don't get too much sun up there um so
9:11
obviously potatoes grow under the ground
9:13
so I'm guessing they don't need much
9:15
sunl to be honest I don't know to be
9:17
honest let me know if they need much sun
9:20
for the plants above the soil obviously
9:22
but the potatoes obviously grow
9:24
underground so they don't need the sun
9:26
underground to grow but who knows
9:30
I'll have to check up on that one but
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yeah I'm hoping to grow them at the top
9:34
of my plot and I just need to build the
9:35
beds for that we're building three new
9:38
beds on my plot this year uh we're
9:40
getting further to the top of my plot
9:43
and then all my beds all being built by
9:46
the time I've done them three beds at
9:47
the top so we just need to find some
9:50
more wood um my wood pile is getting
9:53
smaller and smaller and I've used quite
9:55
a lot this year of my wood uh I'm
9:58
certainly impressed with how much it has
10:00
come on this year my plot and how much
10:02
I've actually done it's certainly
10:04
looking really good my plot and I'm
10:06
impressed with how well it does look I
10:09
I've even impressed myself with it
10:13
um but yeah it it's just being a case of
10:15
digging over today nothing too special
10:19
but tomorrow I think I might have to get
10:21
that host pipe out and start filling my
10:24
water BS back up because it's going to
10:27
be a hot day tomorrow it's going to be 7
10:29
17° and recently I've planted lots and
10:33
lots of fruit on my plot I've planted
10:35
all my raspberry canes what I've
10:37
transferred I've planted lots of
10:39
different shrubs what I'll need some
10:43
water and obviously all my strawberry
10:45
plants and stuff like that so I might
10:47
give it a good watering tomorrow uh
10:49
obviously the ground is still pretty wet
10:51
when I've been digging over uh it does
10:53
hold the water quite well so we do need
10:58
to get on and get some more water into
11:00
it I think because it's going to be warm
11:02
over the next few days so I don't think
11:04
it's going to rain too much and
11:06
obviously the fruit trees and the
11:08
raspberry canes around now what I've
11:10
just planted will need a lot of water to
11:13
keep them going and to get them
11:15
established and growing because we want
11:17
fruit as fast as possible and yeah it's
11:20
been amazing down at the plot today it's
11:23
just good being down there in the
11:25
beautiful weather the beautiful
11:26
weather's finally here and just the bees
11:29
buzzing around you I used to be scared
11:31
of the bees but now I just stand there
11:34
and just watch them they just buzz
11:35
around and enjoy it and they just really
11:40
are fantastic creatures and it amazes me
11:44
what they do for us gardeners and for
11:46
the allotments so if possible please do
11:49
try and grow some flowers on your
11:51
allotment because it is super beneficial
11:54
for the bees and if you've never grown
11:57
flowers on your plot before have a grow
11:59
growing some this year they're so cheap
12:01
to buy from like Wilkinson's being Q all
12:05
the good garden
12:06
centers he can pick some up really cheap
12:09
and just see how you get on with them
12:12
and yeah try and attract the bees to the
12:14
plot because like I I always say that
12:17
without the bees we wouldn't get
12:19
fantastic crops and the more I can
12:22
attract the bees to my plot the more
12:25
fruit I will gain from it so that is my
12:28
plan just to keep all the flowers
12:30
growing around my fruit areas and
12:32
attracting those Buzzing Bees and so
12:35
that I can watch them do the work and
12:37
produce me some fruit uh they're the
12:40
biggest workers on the allotment not me
12:42
the bees are the ones that do all the
12:44
work I'm just the one that Tides it up
12:46
and collects all the produce so yeah
12:50
help the bees and they will help us so
12:52
I'm really hoping that I can finish this
12:55
area off that I've been working on
12:57
tomorrow and then when it comes to the
13:00
next time I'm off hopefully we can start
13:03
sewing all the seeds because I been paid
13:05
by then so I need to go through all my
13:08
seed packets now and see what seeds
13:10
we're going to be sewing this month and
13:12
seeing what we're going to be getting
13:13
started and getting excited about doing
13:16
it just sewing all them seeds it'll be
13:19
fantastic and wow I've certainly got
13:21
some seeds to grow and it's going to be
13:24
a mammoth job it's no no quick job
13:26
sewing seeds if you know what I mean uh
13:29
um there's yeah it's a very tricky thing
13:34
to do cuz obviously you've got to
13:35
sprinkle all out individually and stuff
13:37
like that and not so too many Clump
13:39
together you need to put the compost in
13:42
you need to water it you need to cover
13:44
them over with something I use cing film
13:46
to cover mine over with and it keeps
13:48
them moist and wet and it keeps them
13:51
warmer as well during the cold nights
13:53
and hopefully helps with germination and
13:56
it seems to work every year when I've
13:57
done it myself with that
14:00
um you can obviously buy the perspect
14:02
lids to go on top but obviously they're
14:05
expensive so that's why I stick to cing
14:07
film mate yes I know it's not
14:08
environmentally friendly but I use cing
14:11
film and I dispose of it properly so
14:14
yeah we have got all them to do and I've
14:17
just got to make sure I've got enough
14:18
seed trays because like I said I've got
14:21
absolutely loads to do this year I'm
14:23
going to start all my flowers off first
14:26
that's going to be my first job of um
14:28
next
14:29
blocker shifts I'm off getting all the
14:31
flowers soon and then the day after I'll
14:34
probably be starting my vegetables
14:35
depending on how many seed trays we've
14:37
got left uh but it's going to be a big
14:39
task and hopefully I've got enough space
14:42
in my shed I've been making it bigger
14:44
every single year I've not extended it
14:47
this year but I am looking at doing some
14:49
extension work on it once I've got
14:51
caught up with everything and got it all
14:53
sorted and yeah I'm looking at making my
14:57
shed into a super shed and connecting it
14:59
up to my poly tunnel so that it's just
15:01
one big shed poly
15:05
tunnel but yeah I'm looking at growing
15:08
my tomatoes possibly in my shed this
15:11
year and having
15:13
my melons in the poly tunnel with the
15:16
Cucumbers because they prer hotter
15:18
climates and the poly tunnel wow that
15:20
does get hot in the summer Tom M yes
15:23
they like hot but uh it will get hot
15:26
enough in my shed for them where it's
15:28
the melons really need extortion at hot
15:31
weather which the poly tunnel will
15:33
generate and be the best place for so
15:36
that's where we're going to do all those
15:38
melons so it's going to be exciting
15:39
times but I'm going to be recording it
15:41
all and sharing it all with you so make
15:44
sure you do follow my YouTube channel
15:46
because I've been posting lots of videos
15:48
on there recently and quite a lot of
15:50
people are enjoying them and subscribing
15:52
to the channel which is good my
15:54
subscriber rate is going up I just need
15:57
to get my watch time up and then it'll
15:58
get monetized but yeah um please do
16:02
subscribe to my YouTube channel and
16:04
check it out and enjoy the
16:06
videos we're going to be posting quite a
16:08
lot on there this year I think there's
16:10
quite a few ideas that I want to do for
16:12
the video side of it uh it's something
16:15
that I really do need to get into more
16:17
and get get
16:19
started so that has been Monday's
16:21
podcast I hope you've enjoyed it if
16:23
you're new to this podcast make sure you
16:25
do click that subscribe button to stay
16:27
up toate with all our podcast
16:29
if you've not checked out my second
16:31
podcast channel the link is in the
16:33
description it's called gardening and
16:35
allotment tips podcast and I share
16:38
regular podcasts on there and they're
16:40
just specific to one topic whereas on
16:44
this one we'll talk about everything and
16:45
anything on that other podcast Channel I
16:48
just talk about one topic and one topic
16:50
alone in each episode so make sure you
16:53
go and check that one out so hopefully
16:56
we'll get another podcast up tomorrow
16:59
and hopefully it's going to be as hot as
17:01
they say it's going to be tomorrow as
17:03
well so I hope that you all managed to
17:06
get out in some sunshine I hope you all
17:08
manag to get some vitamin D until next
17:11
time remember keep smiling keep
17:14
gardening and keep listening to
17:15
gardening with Ben's
17:17
podcasts so thank you for listening to
17:20
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18:06
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