In this first episode of our Garden From Scratch for FREE, we get started on showing you how to start and grow a new garden for free! Zero cost gardening is the focus in this new organic gardening series. We will take you all the way through the season to show you how our new organic garden thrives with no money spent on gardening. In this series we will show you how to find free compost, how to find free mulch, how to find free vegetable seeds, how to make raised beds for free, how to make your own fertilizer, companion planting and much more.
FIRST EPISODE TABLE OF CONTENTS
00:15 – What this series will include
01:31 – What to consider for garden placement
03:42 – Raised Beds or In Ground Beds
04:55 – Raised Row Method
05:13 – How to get free compost
06:01 – How to avoid and fix these compost problems
08:30 – Free Fertilizer
08:44 – Starting the garden & making our rows
10:07 – How to get free mulch for your garden
10:45 – How to get free Seeds!
MENTIONED LINKS
Cheap & Easy Raised Bed: https://youtu.be/EiR20Dqad6U?si=NPlQvgwV-m0jXNqh
Chip Drop: https://getchipdrop.com
Cool Season Crops:
asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, chives, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Swiss chard, kale, leek, lettuce, onion, parsnips, peas, radishes, spinach, and turnips
Warm Season Crops:
beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, peppers, zucchini and summer squash, pumpkin and winter squash, sweet potato, tomato, and watermelon.
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Hey Guys, I’m Brian from Next Level Gardening
Welcome to our online community! A place to be educated, inspired and hopefully entertained at the same time! A place where you can learn to grow your own food and become a better organic gardener. At the same time, a place to grow the beauty around you and stretch that imagination (that sometimes lies dormant, deep inside) through gardening.
I’m so glad you’re here!
(Some of the links here are affiliate links. If you purchase through our links we’ll receive a small commission that helps support our channel, but the price remains the same, or better for you!)
PRODUCTS I USE AND LOVE: https://www.nextlevelgardening.tv/products-i-love
WHERE TO FIND ME
– Our Website: https://www.nextlevelgardening.tv
– Our Second Channel, NEXT LEVEL HOMESTEAD: https://www.youtube.com/nextlevelhomestead
– The School of Traditional Skills: https://bit.ly/3zoFWy1
– Instagram: www.instagram.com/nextlevelgardening
– Our Facebook Garden Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nextlevelgardeners
50 Comments
I highly recommend joining your local Buy Nothing group. I've obtained a LOT of gardening supplies (and many other items) for free using this resource. And I also use it to give away extra seedlings!
NGL my man, your thumbnail colors as I was scrolling looked like a Nazi symbol 😂. Maybe something to think about or
Maybe just me and how I was scrolling. But that black white and red maybe not the way haha
I have to make another comment to tell my story because this channel has helped me so much.
I don’t use chemicals, I prefer organic gardening. Where I live in the mountains of Arkansas we have very few sources for seeds and plants and due to work schedules for years I could never find the plants I wanted and would either settle for what I could get or try to grow from store bought veggies, and they never turned out.
Three years ago I stumbled onto the video on growing potatoes in containers, and yet again I could not find seed potatoes so I used store bought, and the crop was pathetic. The Next Level Gardening video helped me understand and I became a fan.
Nowadays, I pre order seeds before I need them, make my own potting mix, start my own plants, and my gardens produce better than they have in years.
I am guilty of following the advice of another YouTube gardener that recommended coco coir, be cautious if you try this due to salt content, as I lost use of one of my gardens for a couple of years. This will be my first year using that garden since, and I won’t do that again.
This channel has not steered me wrong yet and last year was one of my best gardens in years. This year I finally found the tomato seeds I’ve wanted for a long time, I found the seed potatoes ahead of schedule, I’m 8 weeks from planting and already starting my plants indoors and they look amazing.
So, Next Level Gardening, keep up the amazing work, the help you provide, the videos and input, and keep us informed when the shirts are ready, I’ll be a customer for sure.
Much love and respect and I look forward to the next video.
Thanks Brian. ❄️🫠💚🙃
Happy Sunday!
I am not exactly a new gardener. I got back into gardening when I moved (fall 2020) to my current house with a backyard. I have been watching your videos ever since, both here and on NLH.
I didn't think I would need to watch a 'starting to garden' video. But it's reminding me of what I need to do to get started. It's actually inspiring me to get started. 😊
I took some time off since November. I love gardening. But I have some mobility issues. Maintaining a garden is a lot of work. It is a labor of love. But it takes a lot out of me.
Now, I am ready to start. I look forward to these Sunday gardening videos!
Thank you for another helpful and timely video. 🌱
Christine (NJ, 7a)
I’m 61 partially disabled hand on fix income I think this is a great video. There is a paint store in my neighborhood that gives away their pallets, so I’m planning to convert them into 3 foot tall raise beds. I am fortunate to have one of the few sunny front yards in my neighborhood. I have a lot of limbs that I’ve been saving from my pecan trees and palm trees that I intend to put in the base of the raise beds. Thank you for the advice of using hardware cloth I do have moles. The other critters I gotta figure out her squirrels, raccoons and kitty cats. I had taken some pallets last year put some lag under them and build a box to just plant tomatoes and peppers. I ran a marching trellis between the boxes and grew cucumbers. The problem was that Savannah is on the coast and we get the occasional 50 to 60 mile an hour wind. They blew two of my boxes over.
I have been thinking about raising backyard, quail and rabbits, mainly for the eggs and fertilizer. I’ve been composting my leaves grass clippings. Unfortunately, I don’t really have the back to keep turning over a pile of compost every day.
Ugghhh that grazon is wicked stuff. Knew it was a herbicide but didn't know hung in like that. As always, another great informative, professionally done, yet down to earth video. You go Brian!!
Thank you for doing this series. I rent on a nice size property here in So Cal but the land is decomposed granite. I plan to do my first garden in containers. I do have a horse but I knew that one only uses a small portion of manure in the compost, but after watching this, I do wonder about the use of the herbicide on the alfalfa and bermuda grass that he eats. There is a giant pile of wood chips that been sitting for years so I think I can get some good material from there to incorporate too. Thank you again for this wonderful series.
Having your garden close to your house would be nice. Mine is about 800 feet away.
more rain is coming next weekend…
Fantastic informations 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Nice vidéo ❤❤❤
I Stay connected 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😢😢
❤
Great video. I love using reclaimed things. When I had my cedar wood fence replaced I saved all the fence boards, runners and posts. I have built 12 raised beds and two compost bins using these fence boards. The only issue I've had is filling the beds. I made mine two boards tall so they are about 16" tall. I did start with leaves, small branches and grass clippings. Each year I add my compost and some soil I buy at the end of the season when I can get it when they mark it down at the end of the season.
A tip for anyone who has to buy seeds, many seed companies and stores will deeply discount their seeds near the end of the year. This is because the US government mandates that all seed packs be dated "packed for YYYY" and they cannot be sold after the end of the year. The seed is fine and will keep for a long time.
I’m a new sub and I’ve been binging 😅❤
I am enamored of the pallet raised bed option. Very rustic. Very free :0) I would rather chase grandkids through the garden than weeds! And yes, this series, for my part, has been much anticipated.
Something lower cost if you need to buy herb plants is to look in the produce department. Where I live the stores sell organic herbs in pots for less than a garden center. Some stores have them for less than their own garden centers lol
Also, some veggies you buy can be grown to use a different way.
Carrot tops are edible and you can replant the top and get the greens. They will also bolt and you can then get seeds. Same for turnips.
I also save the bottom of my cabbage cores. If you tear off the leaves you can see sprouts coming from the stem of the core. I cut these apart and root in an aluminum pan of soil.
Then when they have new growth I transplant them into totes or spots in the garden that are empty. Usually I only get loose leaf heads. The ones i have now looks like I might actually get regular heads of cabbage. We'll see what happens.
I believe most things that are biennial will bolt and produce seeds if you replant whichever part can be replanted.
Oh, and regular bulb onions will multiply. Once I got five onions from one I planted that sprouted. They didn't get as big as the original but I have never had any of my onions get as big as they should. Probably gardener error 😂
I'm really looking forward to seeing this series. And I am also looking forward to seeing the other tips in the comments!
Very good information. I've been gardening for 30 years and just learned today about seed library's. Thanks so much.
Thanks, Brian. What an efficient and effective way to begin a garden area. I’m not fond of a lot of digging. I’m sitting here contemplating my next garden area using this method. Can hardly wait. So easy, simple, and with options. I can do this! A really good “how to” video, Brian. Again! Thank you so much. Many blessings
Brian, this is absolutely awesome! I’m so glad you are doing this series. I’m a long-time gardener here is southern Oklahoma, but am always excited to learn something new from fellow gardeners. I have never harvested seed at the end of the season before. Looks like I need to start doing that. I just thought I was doing “my part” by purchasing from my local nursery. But, the goal is No-cost. I will give it a go. Can’t wait for the next video. Thank you.
All very excellent advice!
Great introduction for new gardeners, we have a local garden store that also has a seed exchange inside the store where you can get free seeds. My garden is made up of seeds I collected from the previous year and about 80-85% are from my seeds.
Guys, I think that we have been sold a bunch of hooey concerning garden soil. I look around and plants are growing everywhere. How many are growing in store bought compost or garden soil? None.
They are growing in natural sand or sand and clay with a three inch deep llayer of decaying leaves on top.
I can reproduce that for zero cost.
We used landscaping blocks and chicken wire…. husband made gates for the garden out of tree branches… Only thing we pay for is potting soil for my bell peppers and cucumbers that are in containers…. tomatoes are in the ground!
Not only can you get plants and seeds from the supermarket plants and herbs and spices, but you can also scrounge from walks around the neighborhood or join garden clubs for seeds and cuttings. Get to know other gardeners. They always have more plants, seeds and clippings that they love to share.
As for growing containers, I use my big yogurt containers. They last quite well in my sun. I use them indoors for kratky hydroponics and outdoors for quart/gallon pots with big holes on the bottom. I have noticed that the second I reuse items I already buy, suddenly I have so much that I cannot keep it all, even though I do try. I use yogurt cups to keep seeds in as they dry. I collect drinks cups from the few times we get drinks from fast food places – we do not go often, but after years of collecting, I have a lot of cups – to use for plant starting, more pots, double cupping, etc. I think re-using what you already have is very good and I would consider that free, since everyone just throws it all away.
My raised beds are all from old lumber lying around from my husband's projects. I get enough mulch from our food waste and our own leaves, though I will rake up whatever leaves blow over since my location is very windy.
Great video. Very informative and going to check some of the sights. Keep up the great work
I have been here for a long time, and Brian you always come though for us! I am so excited for this. I did not know about the Seed Library. What we do here is on the NextDoor app, I belong to the gardeners group. So when I have extra seedlings/seeds I post it, and we swap that way too. Last year my zucchini I planted 10 expecting 6 or 7 I got all 10 and they were all big and healthy. I posted it and someone swapped me a few flower seedlings, and one a tomato. Lots of fun to see what others in my area grow successfully!
Ha ha, let's get growing is self sufficient me's line but I don't think he'll mind you using it 😉 Great tips and I'm guessing you'll be showing the Jadam organic method. See you next week. 👨🌾🌱👩🌾
Good afternoon, great start to a fantastic summer of gardening! Thank you, have a lovely afternoon.
Another fabulous video Brian. I watched Joe Lampl to learn about raised beds and MIgardener showed me how to make them or I might not be gardening now. A lot of great helpful tips in this video. I am excited to watch the next one.
my main issue here is BLACK WALNUT trees and the leaching toxins contaminating surrounding soil. The nut, leaves and branches blow in the wind and spread around the area further out than the canopy line
Hahahaha 😂😂😂😂😂
I'm loving YOU more and more with each video!!! Shame I can only give you only one thumb up. Lol
❤❤❤❤❤😂👍
I have to buy soil, container growing only here
Why do you have your cow tide up?????🥹🥹
Last year I prepped my garden like that (cardboard weed suppressant) and was overrun by roly polies! They love cardboard and then ate my tomatoes and lettuce. Any suggestions on how to deal with them?
I'm ready pen paper in hand 😊😊
my local public library does a seed exchange.
Just a suggestion with getting the free compost, also check with the local/State/University Horticulture Society. They have a LOT of resources, free classes and events, and list seed and plant swaps. They can also tell you if you need to be careful about getting compost or soil from the city. We've had a couple years now with Jumping Worm issues in the area and the Hort Society was great about getting the word out. So that's where you may want to at least check in if there's anything going on to be aware ofabout getting from the city sites because most don't sterilze and then you wind up bringing them (or other pests) home.
I used free compost from my city. And I had gnats problems.
I also get free seeds from the grocery store veggies. It works for tomatoes, peppers and potatoes.
That seed library is very cool. We don’t have anything like that.
I’m using empty waters bottles my family drank as pots. I have a hot knife that I made drain holes, and cut most of the top away. The top is used on it as a mini greenhouse for it. Two peppers have sprouted!
Chip Drop was a new one for me, and I have immediately signed up! Thank you for the tip.
Chip drop is a joke
4 years and still waiting
Landfill is not giving any compost away, they keeping for themselves.
But will try other suggestions. Thanks for your help
Speaking from experience, good luck with Chop Drop …
I have access to a palethera of free "stickers" ,basically 2X4's that are 44" long used to lift plywood up enough for a forklift to get its forks under… I use them to build raised beds.
Nice video.
Makes my heart sing!!! I know so many people who say it’s too expensive to grow food and imma gonna put them on to you for this series. I do have a question to your new set up (sorry to being the dreaded topic up, but) …. What about your gopher problem? Curiouser and curiouser ….
Hi Brian, Great tip about getting free compost from a mushroom farm!