Joesgarden

Today we are back and I am showing you my journey of growing strawberries from seeds. When I started making content back in 2021, this was actually my second ever project, as part of a wider strawberry growing series, so I thought why not tie it together for one 4 year long full length video. Now while growing strawberries from seeds you got from fruits from the shops is fun, I have to issue this bit of important advice. Growing seeds you have saved is fun, but it can be really unpredictable due to the nature of hybrid seeds. For the best results use seed packets, cuttings or potted plants, but if you are curious and want to do the experiment like me, then it’s a great experience as you never know what you will get. Growing strawberries from seed is actually not my favourite way to do it, but it is the most rewarding. It can take two years to get fruits, but if you start nice and early like I did (I sowed them at the end of February) it’s possible to get fruit in the first year. Please remember, strawberries are perennials, meaning they will die back each year, but don’t throw them out, as they will come back the following spring! However, I like to replace my strawberry plants after around three to four years, as I find the yield drops dramatically. If you notice runners appearing and you do not want to propagate like I did in the video, simply snip them off and allow the plant to focus that energy into producing fruit. As always thank you for watching and I love you all, Joe 😊🌱💚 #strawberry #zerowaste #gardening #gardentips #garden

Today we are back and I am showing you how for the last four summers, I have grown more fresh peppers than I have known what to do with, and the best part is they have all been completely for free. Now you can easily grow your own peppers at home even if you don’t have any gardening tools or equipment. All I used to get started were the seeds taken from a ripe pepper and an old cookie punnet to sow them in. Now it’s worth noting, when you use seeds from store bought fruits, chances are that seed is what’s called an F1 or hybrid seed. That means it is likely that the fruit your plant produces will not be exactly the same as the one you planted, for that to happen you need to take seed from an heirloom variety 😊. Now growing peppers is really easy, just remember these few important points. They can be slow to germinate, sometimes taking 20 days or more, during this time keep the soil damp but not too wet. Peppers love the warmth, so ideally start them inside, in a greenhouse or a diy propagator like me. They also love as much sun as they can get so please grow them in the sunniest spot you have available. They also have quite a long growing season, so I like to start my seeds in March to give them as long as possible to get growing 😊 As they grow, you will notice little flowers appearing, and that’s when it’s time to feed them. I use my diy nettle feed (which I’ve made a few videos about before) but you can use any liquid fertiliser you like. Those flowers will soon turn into delicious peppers, and the best part is for most varieties the more you pick the more they will produce 😊 You can try to overwinter your plants, but I’ve had more success saving the best seed in a paper envelope and then sowing those seeds the following March. Thank you so much for watching, I love you all, Joe 😊🌱💚 #peppers #gardening #gardentips #zerowaste #harvest

Today we are back and I am showing you what has happened almost a year after building my little wildlife pond, in a small forgotten part of the garden. This has truly been one of the most fascinating and rewarding projects I’ve ever done in the garden, and you can easily make one too, by simply burying a few old containers, and letting nature take care of the rest. While I’ve always had ponds in the garden I just want to thank my friend @Martha for the inspiration to add yet another small pond, after seeing the amazing success she had! Watching the tadpoles grow and develop into froglets has honestly been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in the garden, and if you have small children, it is such a brilliant activity for them to do. What amazes me is how the wildlife will find it if you build it! I live in a semi urban area, and a group of frogs found it within a week or two! Although this video showcases the journey of the frogs, this pond is home to more wildlife than any other part of my garden, and that is something I’m very proud of. Frogs, toads and many other garden friends who live in the pond, have been responsible for this years pest control, as they love to eat ants and slugs, doing the hard work for you. As always thank you for watching, I love you all, Joe 😊🌱😎🐸 #frogs #wildifepond #toad #tadpoles #gardening #Sustainability #gardentips

Today we are back and I am showing you one of my all time favourite zero waste cooking tips, and the best part is this one is only 4 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to make. Now I’m always being asked what I do with my harvests from the garden, and the simple answer is I usually give them away, but sometimes I like to play about with zero waste recipes, and these gummies are one of my favourites. Making these gummies is so easy, and it’s a brilliant way to use up old fruit, as that’s when it’s flavour is at its most powerful. They are great snack, and if you have children they work great in lunchboxes too. Making a batch of 100 only takes me about 10minutes and you can use items nearly everyone has around the house. One thing to note is the longer you leave them the more flavourful they become. I’ve found two days is the sweet spot (pardon the pun). I used Agar agar as a setting agent and it’s amazing! Completely plant based, I find it sets better than gelatine, and is more forgiving when heated up. Just please be aware, it will set much faster than gelatine, so when piping please work fast. If you use Agar Agar they will be ready after only about 20 minutes in the fridge, whereas gelatine can take an hour or two. Measurement For each pound of fruit 4 tablespoons of honey 1 lemon (juiced) 1/4 cup of water Agar Agar/Gelatine (follow the instructions on your packet but I use 1g of agar agar for every 250ml of mixture) Please let me know if you try these, and as always I love you all and thank you for watching, Joe😊🌱💚 #zerowaste #gummy #naturalfruit #strawberries #gardening

Today we are back and I am showing you one of my favourite little garden tips to help control those unwanted weeds in your garden. Now I would quickly like to add I’m a really big advocate of leaving parts of your garden a little overgrown for your local wildlife, but this spray is really useful in parts of the garden such as patios and pathways where weeds can be a pain. Please only use this spray on days when the wind is not too strong as it can blow onto and into places you do not want it, and please avoid using it near water or soil. This spray works really well, and as a result will also kill the plants you want to keep alive if it accidentally ends up on them. I highly recommend using it on a sunny day as it dehydrates the plant quicker and better, giving you the best results. In terms of measurements for this spray I use for every 1 litre of distilled vinegar, 2 teaspoons of salt and about half a teaspoon of dish soap. This isn’t an exact science so don’t worry if it’s not exact, tweaking the measurements may possibly even work better 😊🌱 I also use vinegar which is no stronger than 5%, but if yours is stronger just dilute it with water until it’s about 5% in strength. If you are a little worried about using chemicals, then you can use boiling water from your kettle, but this is not quite as effective. Thank you so much for watching, I love you all, Joe 😊🌱 #gardening #gardentips #zerowaste #planttips #Sustainability #ecotips

Today we are back and I am showing my four top tips to have the best cook outs on your grill this summer. The weather is looking nice here in the UK, and I hope it is where you live too, so nows the perfect time to clean off the grills, and fire them up 😊 For me nothing beats cooking outside on a warm summers evening (which is rare here in the UK 🤣), so here are a few tips I’ve picked up over the years to make this grilling season your best one yet! This might be controversial but I have a charcoal, gas and a hot plate grill and for me both the gas and hot plate are the ones I use the most, simply due to the convenience. It’s worth pointing out if you only take one tip from this video, please let it be bin your wire brush! The reason for this is actually quite scary. Every year quite a few people end up in ER with metal bristles places they shouldn’t be. Sometimes your brush will shed, leaving little bristles to potentially end up in your food which is potentially dangerous. I really hope you enjoy these tips, and please let me know any you would like to add below, Thank you so much for watching, and I love you all, Joe 😊🌱😎 #grilling #outsidecooking #garden #gardening #bbqtips

The garden is finally giving us bountiful harvests after months and months of waiting, in fact we have so many fruits and veggies growing now, I think we can make a harvest video every day 🤣💚🌱😎 #gardenharvest #harvest #gardentoplate #selfsufficient #kitchengarden #growyourownfood