Just Grow Something | The "Why" Behind the "How" of Gardening (Karin Velez)
Explore every episode of Just Grow Something | The "Why" Behind the "How" of Gardening
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 2024 | Managing Heat Stress in Garden Plants - Ep. 207 | 00:29:55 | |
It’s the middle of July and it’s the time of year when heat stress in plants can be a significant challenge for gardeners. If you’re gardening in the peak of summer or in a region with consistently high temperatures, heat stress can lead to wilting, reduced yields, poor fruit quality, and even cause plants to just up and die. But, we can do something about it. Lots of things, actually. Today on Just Grow Something we’re talking effective management of heat stress in our plants, including preventive measures and actions to take after our plants are affected. We will talk all the strategies we can take to help maintain a healthy garden despite the heat. Let’s dig in! References and Resources: Save on a Magic Mind subscription or one-time purchase with code JUSTGROWSOMETHING20 at MagicMind.com/justgrowsomething Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something | |||
| 10 Feb 2023 | Focal Point Friday: Are Sunflowers Good or Bad for the Garden? | 00:04:58 | |
Jennifer in the Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook group said, “I've seen, several places now, an argument about whether sunflowers are toxic to other plants around them or whether they are soil cleaners. Can you give us the low-down?” This was a great question and one that was asked again just a few days later in our Kansas City Area gardening group, as well. The quick answer is everything you've heard about sunflowers is true! Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something Positively Farming Media Podcast Playlist on Spotify Resources: Allelopathic Plants. 7. Sunflower | |||
| 12 Apr 2022 | Ep. 85 - Molasses in the Garden: Yay or Nay? | 00:12:22 | |
I’ve done plenty of garden myth episodes before on this podcast so when the subject of molasses in the garden was brought to my attention, it piqued my interest. I do know that molasses as a food has a good amount of nutritional value for us as humans and it stands to reason that those same nutrients would be good for the soil microbes and for our plants. But does it make sense to use molasses as a treatment for your garden soil or for your compost pile or are there better alternatives out there for feeding our favorite soil bacteria? And would using molasses even work? Let’s dig in and find out. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Resources: Improving Garden Soil: Milk and Molasses Magic MOLASSES & SOIL MICROBES. DOES THIS GARDEN HACK WORK? | Gardening in Canada - YouTube | |||
| 19 Sep 2023 | Overlooked Edibles: Parts of Our Garden We Didn't Know We Can Eat - Ep. 165 | 00:22:41 | |
Obviously, we grow our vegetable gardens so we can harvest most of the plants to eat. Yes, some of them are pretty flowers and foliage that are a feast for the eyes, but mainly we just want to eat, right? I generally subscribe to the idea that no parts of the plants we grow should be wasted. If it’s not something we’re going to eat, that green matter needs to go into the compost pile so it can go back into the soil and grow more yummy veggies for my plate. Turns out I’ve been doing the eating part all wrong. Many of the vegetables and some of the fruits and flowers offer more edible parts beyond the commonly harvested portion than I ever realized. And this is actually pretty important when we think about the number of people who go without nutritious food every day. The more of each of these plants we can eat, the better our nutrition is and the better able we are to truly nourish our friends and family with the food we’re growing. Today on Just Grow Something we're jumping into some of the overlooked edibles in our gardens, the parts of the plants we didn’t know we can eat. Let’s dig in! Episode Resources: Try Magic Mind and get 50% off a subscription for a limited time with code JustGrow20 7 Ways to Eat Zucchini Greens - Our Permaculture Life Zucchini, You Can Eat the Stems, Too. – Lower Valley Assembly Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 23 Apr 2021 | Ep. 17 - Ugly Produce and Food Waste: Fact or Fiction? | 00:19:10 | |
Food issues are important and there are so many different topics to discuss, whether it’s food deserts or lack of access to nutrient dense foods or the distance our food travels to get to our plate. Today we tackle food waste and the perception that ugly produce somehow gets wasted in this country before it reaches consumers and talk a little about the companies that are taking advantage of that perception to sell you boxes of this ugly produce. Global hunger isn’t about a lack of food. According to the UN’s World Food Hunger Program, right now, the world produces enough food to feed every single person on this planet. It’s not a lack of food production. In most of the world, it’s about logistics. But billions of pounds of fruits and vegetables do go to waste every year post-harvest in more developed countries, like the U.S., whether that’s on grocery store shelves or in our own homes. Let's discuss! Don't forget to send in your gardening questions and your feedback by leaving a message at the link below or sending an email to grow@justgrowsomethingpodcast.com. And follow us on Instagram @justgrowsomethingpodcast. Resources used in this episode: https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/tomato-grades-and-standards http://www.postharvest.org/home0.aspx https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/2/26/18240399/food-waste-ugly-produce-myths-farms | |||
| 28 Sep 2021 | Ep. 60 - Fall Planted Strawberries | 00:29:47 | |
Traditionally, home gardeners have planted bare-root strawberry plants in the garden and had to wait an excruciating year to pick their first ripe berry. But, most commercial farms plant exclusively in the fall and harvest their first berries in the spring. On this episode, Karin talks about how the home gardener can use this technique to get a perennial strawberry bed producing earlier, the difference between the strawberry plant types, and more. Check the links below for sourcing rooted strawberry plants for your fall garden planting and follow the link to the Facebook group if you have any questions! Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Resources: Strawberry Varieties: The Complete Guide (Updated 2021) (strawberryplants.org) Growing Fruit: Strawberries [fact sheet] | Extension (unh.edu) Strawberry Plants for Sale Online: The Complete Guide (Updated 2021) | |||
| 12 Jul 2022 | Ep. 101 - How to Prepare and What to Grow in Your Fall Garden | 00:33:05 | |
It may be blistering hot where you are, I know it is here, but now’s the time to plan that fall garden. The biggest mistake I see with most fall gardens is they get planted too late. I did that many years in a row when I first started gardening. It just doesn’t seem like a good idea to be planting cool season crops in the heat of the summer and I would wait until September to get them in the ground. But, our first frost here is mid-October, so an early September planting date only gives me 6 weeks of growth on frost sensitive plants and that’s often not enough time to get a harvest or to really take advantage of the full harvest window of many of the plants you can harvest in the fall. As counterintuitive as it sounds, you want to get those plants or seeds in the ground early enough for them to actively be growing as the weather starts to cool down AND to be mature well before your first frost date or your Persephone period so you can actually get them harvested. Today we’ll touch a little bit on how to plan out your fall seed starting and planting schedule and then talk about the plants that typically are good for a fall harvest in most areas. Let’s dig in. This week's DRL: tending tomatoes, harvesting, fall seed starting; "Scratchman" by Tom Baker; the Barnyard Language podcast. Question of the Week: Scraggly herbs not performing well at this part of the season. What to do and how to manage them. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something Positively Farming Media Podcast Playlist on Spotify Gardening with kiddos w/ Karin Velez - Barnyard Language (captivate.fm) | |||
| 08 Mar 2022 | Ep. 80 - Creating and Managing a Compost Pile | 00:29:44 | |
Right now, many of us are getting our garden beds ready for the gardening season or if you’re in a warmer climate, your beds may need a refresh before moving on to your next round of planting. In either case, you know I’m going to recommend the use of compost. Not only is compost great at adding nutrients and increasing the soil organic matter, but it’s also a great way to feed the microbiota in the soil that make those nutrients available to your plants and it can act as a fabulous mulch for keeping weeds out. I’ve had a compost pile ever since I started my first garden 18-plus years ago. I haven’t always been super successful with getting the piles to actually compost because, at first, I was just tossing stuff into the pile and letting it sit and do its thing without giving it any thought or effort. Yes, eventually that stuff would break down into something useable but once I paid just a little bit of attention to what I was doing with it, a little effort went a long way toward making the process more efficient and much more beneficial to my garden. On today’s episode I’m going to walk you through the bare minimum of what you need to make a successful compost pile and then the little extra things that can catapult your efforts into compost stardom. We’ll talk the ingredients, ratios, air, moisture, and dos and don’ts of composting. Let’s dig in! Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Follow me on Instagram and Facebook This Podcast is a Proud Member of Positively Farming Media Resources: University of Florida Extension: Composting Guide | |||
| 27 Feb 2024 | Different Ways to Grow Potatoes - Ep. 186 | 00:25:57 | |
Potatoes are a cool season crop, and most varieties need between 60 and 120 days to mature, so that means getting them in the ground as soon as the soil can be worked and giving them the time they need to grow. The great thing about potatoes is they can be harvested at any size, so it’s a crop that can do well in a short-season area and can also be grown in places other than big, long in-ground rows. If you have minimal space or you can only garden in grow bags or buckets, you can still grow potatoes. Today on Just Grow Something we’re talking about just that – what are all the different ways and places we can grow potatoes? They are such a versatile crop it makes sense to tuck some into your garden area no matter what size it is. Let’s dig in! References and Resources: Get my FREE eBook on successful seed starting Save 10% and get Free Shipping with code JUSTGROW10 at Planter Box Direct Soil Temparature Maps | GreenCast | Syngenta (greencastonline.com) Growing potatoes in home gardens | UMN Extension ORGANIC POTATO GROWING GUIDE (woodprairie.com) Just Grow Something Merch Shop Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 28 Mar 2023 | Ep. 141 - Talking with Mushroom Growers | 00:52:03 | |
Last week we talked all about growing mushrooms but that was all based on research and nothing to do with my own personal experiences. Even though my husband has always wanted to create a “fungus of the month club” to go along with our CSA program, we’ve never quite gotten there. I have worked with multiple mushroom growers over the years as vendors at our local farmer’s markets and have yet to even grow mushrooms from a kit! I just support them at their stands when I get a craving for a cremini. So, I thought it would be super helpful to hear from not one, but two different mushroom growers about how they got started growing and where they’ve gone from there. Technically, it’s three growers because one brought along their production manager, and they were all a wealth of information. RESOURCES: MyCo Planet - Fresh Gourmet Mushrooms (mycoplanetkc.com) Say Thank You! Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon | |||
| 13 Sep 2022 | Ep. 111 - Preserving Basics, Part Three: Pressure Canning | 00:32:43 | |
Okay, here we go. The big beast: pressure canning. I know it can seem scary to have a giant pot on your stove that you think could explode at any moment and that fear probably stems from pictures you’ve seen of pressure canners doing just that: lids embedded into ceilings and exploded contents all over the walls. I’m here to tell you pressure canning is perfectly safe if you follow the instructions. And modern pressure canners have all kinds of safety features designed to keep you from destroying your kitchen even if you do screw something up. I’ve been pressure canning for about a decade and I’ve never had an incident in my kitchen. Ever. Even when I was first starting out and didn’t have a clue what I was doing and was just reading the instructions from a book. There are a lot of reasons you may want to pressure can, not the least of which is the much wider variety of things you can preserve over water-bath canning. You don’t need to worry about acidifying foods before preserving them and you can actually can whole meals in a jar for emergencies, if you’re so inclined. My favorite thing to pressure can? Green beans, plain and simple. But this year I’m going deeper into beans and meats and all kinds of stuff to hedge my bets against winter power outages in our rural area. And I’m super excited to try new things. So, before you decide that pressure canning isn’t a viable option for you or if you’ve just been too scared to try it because it just seems dangerous, hang out with me today while we go over the basics of pressure canning, do’s and don’ts, the must haves and the nice-to-haves, and all the resources you could ever need to do it all safely and effectively. Let’s dig in. Question of the week: multiple questions! Garlic and Why Is My Garden Suddenly Dying? Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something Positively Farming Media Podcast Playlist on Spotify RESOURCES: Use Code JUSTGROW for a free bottle of Bloom Juice from Elm Dirt Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving | |||
| 14 Dec 2021 | Ep. 71 - Modern-day Slavery on South Georgia Farms | 00:26:11 | |
You’ll notice my tone is slightly different today and that’s due to the nature and seriousness of the topic I want to explore with you. Specifically, regarding the recently unsealed 54-count indictment against an organized crime syndicate in the southern U.S. relating to the horrible treatment of people they brought across the border to work on farms and who, subsequently were treated as slaves. If you saw my stories on Instagram this week you got to see my rant on this topic and, honestly, this story struck a real nerve with me, so I thought I would take the time to give it some attention here on the podcast. For those of you unaware of what I’m talking about, two dozen defendants have been indicted on federal conspiracy charges after a three-year investigation into a human smuggling and labor trafficking operation that brought workers from Mexico and Central America to work and live in brutal conditions on several South Georgia farms. Farm worker conditions is nothing new in the news. We’ve heard before of migrant workers who’ve come here illegally to work being subjected to horrible working conditions because there’s nobody to hold the employers accountable: long hours in scorching sun without breaks or enough water, no access to medical services, inability to get decent housing or a decent wage. The victims in these indictments suffered all that and more and what makes it worse is they were brought here legally, using a federal program that allows for temporary work visas for foreign agricultural workers on U.S. soil. But, no matter how they get here, the people who are responsible for harvesting much of what we eat here in this country are constantly facing brutal conditions and I want to take today’s episode to remind us all, including myself, what the unseen costs of our cheap food are and try to talk through what we can do about it. | |||
| 11 Jul 2023 | Safe Rainwater Collection: Beating Drought in Your Garden - Ep. 156 | 00:20:27 | |
If you're in an area that is facing a drought this summer, like I am, you might be thinking of ways to combat it in the garden. Enter the rain barrel! Home gardeners often use rain barrels to collect rainwater from roofs as a supplement to summer irrigation. Rainwater is a natural and unchlorinated water source for plants, but rooftop runoff can be contaminated by chemical and biological pollutants. Today we talk about the practicality of rain barrels, possible contaminants and where they come from, and how to safely use rain barrel water in the garden. Let's dig in! Resources and Citations: Chang, M., M.W. McBroom, and R.S. Beasley. 2004. Roofing as a Source of Nonpoint Water Pollution. Journal of Environmental Management 73: 307–315. Chen, J.J., R.C. Beeson, Jr., T.H. Yeager, R.H. Stamps, and L.A. Felter. 2003. Evaluation of Captured Rainwater and Irrigation Runoff for Greenhouse Foliage and Bedding Plant Production. HortScience 38(2): 228–233 de Kwaadsteniet, M., P.H. Dobrowsky, A. van Deventer, W. Khan, and T.E. Cloete. 2013. Domestic Rainwater Harvesting: Microbial and Chemical Water Quality and Point-Of-Use Treatment Systems. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 224(7). Lim, K.Y., and S.C. Jiang. 2013. Reevaluation of Health Risk Benchmark for Sustainable Water Practice through Risk Analysis of Rooftop-Harvested Rainwater. Water Research 47(20): 7273–7286. Shuster, W.D., D. Lye, A. de la Cruz, L.K. Rhea, K. O’Connell, and A. Kelty. 2013. Assessment of Residential Rain Barrel Quality and Use in Cincinnati, Ohio. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 49(4): 753–765. POTENTIAL CONTAMINANTS IN RESIDENTIAL RAIN BARREL WATER (HOME GARDEN SERIES), Washington State University Extension 100-Year-Old Way to Filter Rainwater in a Barrel - The Prepper Journal Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 05 Nov 2024 | Tropical Gardening, Plus Your Biggest Garden Failures of the Season - Ep. 223 | 00:40:26 | |
If you’ve been watching my social media accounts you’ve seen me posting about my recent trip to Puerto Rico. I was hoping to see what backyard gardeners were growing in a tropical region and also get an idea of what crops are economically significant to the region and I was actually surprised by what I learned. Today on Just Grow Something we’re going to talk about what crops are prevalent in Puerto Rico and how we can duplicate some of that in our own homes even if we live somewhere that is decidedly NOT tropical. We’ll also reveal your answers to the October question of the month: what was your biggest failure in the garden this year? Let’s dig in! References and Resources: Insect Netting: https://amzn.to/3CeUkOs (aff) Bird Netting: https://amzn.to/3NV6oag (aff) Free Download: Onion Growing Fact Sheet Beginner's Guide to Growing Onions All About Puerto Rico Coffee - History and Best Brands | Puerto Rico & Caribbean Travel News Coffee Obsession: More Than 100 Tools and Techniques with Inspirational ... - DK - Google Books Most Common Papaya Plant Pests: Identification and Treatment Guide | Live to Plant Regrowing Puerto Rico's Agriculture - WWF - Environment & Disaster Management | |||
| 26 Feb 2021 | Ep. 1 - Introduction | 00:14:44 | |
Just a quick "hello" and explanation of just what we are doing here on the Just Grow Something Podcast! A little about the host and her husband, our background, why we're making this podcast, and what we hope you'll get from it. Welcome! | |||
| 03 Sep 2021 | Ep. 53 - Persephone and Pruning: Can You Dig It? | 00:19:59 | |
It's the first Friday of the month and time for another Can You Dig It episode. To be honest, this one snuck up on me! And, it must have snuck up on all of you, too, because I don’t have any listener questions for this month. But, I do have an interesting question that was posed to me by a customer at the farmer’s market stand and a couple quick tips on how to finish the season strongly with some of your summer garden plants. So, let’s dig in, shall we? Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Resources: Find your Persephone Period: Sunset and Sunrise Times | |||
| 18 Jul 2023 | Your Fall Garden Planning Checklist - Ep. 157 | 00:24:43 | |
If you’ve never grown a fall garden, you are missing out. There seems to be so much less insect and disease pressure with a fall garden. The weather seems to be a bit more predictable, too, even if it is still hot when we get started. This doesn’t mean the fall garden is fool-proof, but it does mean that many of us get a second chance or sort of “redo” of our spring crops. If there were things that didn’t grow well for us that we’d like to try again, fall is often a great time to do that. If there were things that grew fantastically well and we want more, fall is a great time for that, too. It’s also a time to get things going that will overwinter in the garden if our climate is mild enough or if we can employ some extra protection measures. On today’s episode of Just Grow Something we’re going to run down the things we should be considering in the garden as we move into fall. The time to do these is now; many colder areas get shorted when it comes to summer gardening and the earlier we can plan and prepare the better off we are. And stick with me until the end and I’ll tell you all about my Fall Garden Planning Challenge. Let’s dig in! Episode Resources: Fall Garden Planning Challenge - Sign Up Here! Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something | |||
| 28 May 2021 | Ep. 27 - Preserving the Harvest, Part One | 00:39:35 | |
Depending on where you are, you may not even be harvesting anything from your garden or containers yet. But, it's never too early to plan for preserving! This episode, Karin digs into the two easiest methods for preserving most produce: freezing and water-bath canning. We'll cover the basic methods for each, equipment requirements, special considerations, and resources for specific instructions and information. Now's the time to plan for that garden bounty! Resources: Our new Patreon page for supporters: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomething Freezing guide: https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_freeze_veg.pdf Water-bath canning: https://www.freshpreserving.com/water-bath-canning.html All New Ball Blue Book: https://www.amazon.com/All-Ball-Book-Canning-Preserving/dp/0848746783 Kindle version of the original Ball Blue book from the 1900’s: https://www.amazon.com/Ball-Blue-Canning-Preserving-Recipes-ebook/dp/B006TDS4V4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= | |||
| 07 Jan 2025 | Setting Goals and Budgets for the Garden - Ep. 231 | 00:23:11 | |
Okay, my gardening friend, tell me this: why are you gardening? Did you start gardening during the pandemic because everything was locked down and you were at home all the time and needed some sort of contact with another living thing and that living thing ended up being plants? Or is gardening something you grew up doing and just automatically continued as an adult? Do you garden to reduce the family food budget or maybe your goal is to grow all your family’s produce for the entire year? Maybe it’s just a way to get outside and get some fresh air and exercise and it just feels good to tend to something. In order to know what we want out of our garden, we have to know why we’re gardening. That “why” is going to help us determine our goals. It’s also going to help dictate exactly how ambitious we get in terms of what we grow, how much space we use, how much we’re willing to invest, the types of tools and supplies that we buy, all the things. Today on Just Grow Something we’re going to look at our “why” and how knowing that answer can help us set our goals for this gardening season and maybe even our budget. Let’s dig in! References and Resources: Plan Like a Pro course: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/pro Garden Planner from the Girly Homesteader: https://payhip.com/b/aiIN5/af667ebf3155ff8 Use code JUSTGROW for 10% off. Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com Just Grow Something Merch: https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/508637300354140/ Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomething Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething | |||
| 27 Jan 2023 | Focal Point Friday: Proper Airflow for Seedlings | 00:04:23 | |
Welcome back, my gardening friends, to another Focal Point Friday episode all about proper airflow for the seedlings you may be starting indoors. These quickie episodes are either an important highlight from a previous episode or a quick focus on a current event in the food and agriculture world that I think we should be talking about. Think of these episodes as a way to tickle your brain with one or two ideas to ponder while you’re planning or planting or digging in the garden this weekend. Without further ado, let’s get down and dirty. Enjoy! Reference episode: Ep. 77 - Five Tips to Successful Seed Starting | |||
| 04 Apr 2023 | Ep. 142 - Planting by Soil Temperature vs Air Temperature: When's the best time to plant? | 00:23:05 | |
How do we know as gardeners when the appropriate time is to plant those seeds or transplant our seedlings? There are guidelines on the backs of seed packets and tables and charts online and in books that tell us the supposed correct date to plant those seeds. But this generic information is usually based on the average last frost date for our area. If you’re in an area that doesn’t often get a frost or if you live in a frozen tundra that date can be deceiving. Plus, that information doesn’t take into consideration the fluctuations we see in our temperatures and weather patterns each season or the ever-changing climate. In nature, seeds just know when to sprout at the right time based on the cycling of the seasons. There proper germination is based on factors like moisture levels, light availability and, most importantly, soil temperature. Today we’ll talk about optimal soil temperatures for both cool season and warm season crops, for both seed germination and transplant growth, how that compares to our average air temperatures, how to properly test your soil temperature and where to find historic soil temperature data for your area so you can more effectively plan your planting dates. Let’s dig in. Resources: Soil Temperature and Seed Germination (psu.edu) Soil Temp Planting V2docx (wisc.edu) Mineral Nutrition of Plants: Principles and Perspectives | SpringerLink 7 facts you didn’t know about soil temperature (farmprogress.com) Soil Temperature and Planting Crops (harvesttotable.com) Soil Temperature Maps | GreenCast | Syngenta (greencastonline.com) Taylor Precision Products Standard Grade Thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) Get a Free Bloom Juice from Elm Dirt: Use Code JustGrow Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon | |||
| 15 Oct 2024 | Planting Onions in Fall for a Summer Harvest - Ep. 220 | 00:35:47 | |
This is the episode so many of you have asked for and now is the perfect time because, in most locations, this is the time to be planting onion sets or seedlings to overwinter and harvest the next summer. Successfully growing full-sized onions for fresh eating and for storage seems to allude many of us, I had trouble with it the first few tries, for sure, and I think it boils down to a couple of things. First is planting depth and spacing, second is soil texture and nutrients, and third is the timing of the planting. Bonus points if you actually know which type of onions you should be planting in terms of long-day and short-day or day-neutral. If none of what I just said made any sense to you, you’re not alone. So, today on Just Grow Something we’re going to review the very basics of growing onions but then dig deep into the techniques you can use for getting them planted now to successfully harvest those nice full fat onions in the spring. Let’s dig in! References and Resources:
Save 20% on a Magic Mind Subscription: https://magicmind.com/GROWSOMETHING20 and use code GROWSOMETHING20 Beginner's Guide to Growing Onions YouTube video on planting fall onions Save 20% at https://heirloomroses.com using code JUSTGROW at checkout. Order now, save now, deliver later! Just Grow Something Merch: https:/justgrowsomething.com/shop Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast! (buymeacoffee.com) | |||
| 20 Aug 2021 | Ep. 51 - Garden Myths, Part Two | 00:23:52 | |
We’ve talked quite a bit this season about things that can and do go wrong in the garden and some ways to prevent them. In our first Garden Myths episode, we talked about things like coffee grounds, banana peels and eggshells in the garden, whether watering during the heat of the day can burn your plant leaves, marigolds, adding sand to your soil, talking to your plants, and more. If you missed that episode, I’ll put a link to it in the show notes. On this Focal Point Friday episode, we’re going to look at two things’ people do or are told to do in the garden to prevent weeds and pests and one topic that has confused many home gardeners for generations, including myself. Let’s dig in, shall we? Episode 32 – Garden Myths! True, False, or … Maybe?? Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon References: | |||
| 23 Aug 2022 | Ep. 108 - Basics of Saving Seeds | 00:35:17 | |
This is the time of year when most gardeners in the Northern Hemisphere begin preserving their harvest. Summer's bounty is giving one last push and the cooling temperatures mean the fall garden is ramping up. Over the next few weeks, we'll talk about preserving that harvest, and this week is no different. But, instead of talking fruits and veggies for eating we're talking seeds for growing. Saving seeds from our own gardens can have many benefits. Not only are we ensuring we have enough seeds for next seasons garden, hedging your bets against shortages (see also: The Year That Shall Not Be Spoken Of), but seeds we save and replant year after year will also be better suited to our unique climate and gardening situation. But knowing which seeds to save can give us a little trouble. Will it produce the same fruit we harvested it from or something different? Did it cross-pollinate with something else or is it self-pollinating? And how long will they last in storage before I need to refresh my seed stash? We dig into all this and more while talking the basics of saving seeds on today's episode. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something Positively Farming Media Podcast Playlist on Spotify RESOURCES: Episode 62 - Properly Saving Seeds in Your Garden (This one is a deeper dive into some of the minutia of saving seeds) Episode 63 - Proper Seed Storage: Moisture levels, storage conditions, containers and more (prepare to geek out!) Join the Black Rifle Coffee Club. Save 20% and caffeinate alongside me while providing for military troops and first responders! | |||
| 23 Jul 2024 | Starting a Garden Side Hustle - Ep. 208 | 00:44:47 | |
Maybe you’ve heard the origin story of how I started gardening and then came to be a market farmer which lead to me getting a degree in horticulture which led to me doing this podcast. The short story is I had a really successful, very large, garden and I was sick of being stuck inside all the time working my day job and tried to find a way to make some side money from the garden, and the rest is history. Maybe you’ve been in the same position. A lot of gardeners do really, really well a couple seasons in a row and realize just how much they enjoy being in the garden and growing things and daydream about setting up a little stand at the end of the driveway once a week or going to the local farmer’s market. Would you believe me if I told you selling the produce from your garden isn’t the only way to make money from it? Today on Just Grow Something we are talking ten different ways you can make money from your garden and only a couple of them involve selling the actual fruits and veggies. This is a very high-level look at the options you have so you can start thinking about what might actually fit into your lifestyle. Because, let me tell you, after 17 seasons of selling every week at the farmer’s market, it is hard work, and there are definitely other options available to you. Let’s dig in! References and Resources: Save on a Magic Mind subscription or one-time purchase with code JUSTGROWSOMETHING20 at MagicMind.com/justgrowsomething Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 29 Apr 2022 | Ep. 88 - Expanding the Garden as a Beginner with Katelyn Duban | 00:34:55 | |
On Tuesday we talked about expanding your gardens and today I’m talking with my new friend, Katelyn Duban from the Rural Woman Podcast. Katelyn had never gardened before moving to her husband’s family farm in rural Alberta and she had never intended to garden even after moving. But after embracing the rural lifestyle, Katelyn dove into growing her own food beginning with a few pots of lettuce on her front steps and ending with a spaghetti squash monster and a new love for gardening. Katelyn expanded her garden in 2021 and we talked all about modifying expectations, the importance of knowing how to grow your own food even if you don’t have to, gardening as a way clear your head, and so much more. I know you will enjoy this conversation and come away with a great feeling about expanding your own garden, too. Let’s dig in. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon This podcast is a proud member of the Positively Farming Media Podcast Network The Rural Woman Podcast with Katelyn Duban – Growing a Garden from the Ground Up with Karin Velez Katelyn Duban: Facebook | Instagram | Website | Twitter | The Rural Woman Podcast | |||
| 13 Jan 2023 | Focal Point Friday: Top Three Reasons to Grow Your Own Food | 00:07:36 | |
Welcome to this Focal Point Friday episode featuring the top three reasons why you should be growing your own food in your own garden, even if that "garden" is a pot on a windowsill in your kitchen. Think of these episodes as a way to tickle your brain with one or two ideas to ponder while you’re planning or planting or digging in the garden this weekend. Without further ado, let’s get down and dirty. Enjoy! Related episode: Ep. 3 - Why Grow Your Own and How to Preserve the Nutrients if You Don't | |||
| 15 Nov 2022 | Ep. 122 - Planning a Drought-Resistant Garden: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques | 00:34:40 | |
This week we’re talking about how to use less water in the garden. We are still in drought conditions here in west central Missouri, it was a hard gardening year for sure, but I also know when I lived in northern California that water conservation was always a topic of discussion and that was 30 years ago. Many of you live in areas where water is just naturally scarce, and restrictions are always in place. So how do we, as gardeners, balance a need to grow our own food and in some instances food for others with the need to use less of a very precious resource. We’ll talk about tips, tricks, and techniques to keep your garden growing with less water input from the gardener. On that same note, the question of the week involves choosing drought-tolerant varieties of plants and whether or not that benefit has any drawbacks, specifically how well the plant is then able to tolerate very wet conditions. So, if your garden is full of drought-tolerant plants and you’re suddenly inundated with several days of rain are you sunk? And in the DRL, it’s serious freeze protection, the Moth, and a flashback to the 80s. Let’s dig in! Resources: Book: “How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth” Soil Texture Analysis “The Jar Test” | Home & Garden Information Center (clemson.edu) Ep. 108 - Basics of Saving Seeds Get a Free Bloom Juice from Elm Dirt: Use Code JustGrow Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon | |||
| 01 Mar 2022 | Ep. 79 - Planning a Children's Garden | 00:28:31 | |
I started gardening when some of my kids were fairly young. The youngest was in kindergarten, but the oldest was already a freshman in high school. But, my mom had my brother and I in the garden when we were still in preschool. In fact, that cover photo for this episode is my brother and I in our backyard garden in Colorado. I don’t remember a whole lot of specific things about being in the garden, but I do remember snippets. The joy of pulling something whole and edible from the dirt, the fun of being in the sunshine and getting dirty with mom’s approval to get dirty, and the satisfaction of eating something I could say I grew – even if I didn’t really do much of the actual work of growing it. Sitting on my back porch, dipping rhubarb in a bowl of sugar and munching on the sweet and sour snack is a very vivid memory and that rhubarb came from the plants in our garden. I feel so strongly that everyone should grow a little bit of something for themselves, and I feel just as strongly about children getting into the garden. But, like with everything, it can be difficult to get children engaged and keep them involved, especially when so many other things are vying for their very short attention spans. And even though I didn’t get started as young with my own kids, I’ve helped many customers plan garden spaces for their own kids and my grandkids are starting to learn now, too. Today I’m going to walk you through some tips for how to plan out a vegetable garden specifically for young children, what plants to include or not include, and some advice about how to keep them coming back for more garden time with the parents or grandparents. Let’s dig in. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Resources: In the Vegetable Garden: My Nature Sticker Activity Book 11 of the Best Gardening-Themed Books for Children David’s Garden Seeds Lettuce Butterhead Little Gem David’s Garden Seeds Carrot Parisian | |||
| 30 Apr 2024 | Preventing and Controlling Foliar Disease in the Garden - Ep. 195 | 00:31:22 | |
Foliar diseases in both vegetable and fruit plants can significantly impact our yield and the quality of that yield if left unmanaged. If you’ve ever had powdery mildew on your cucumbers or early blight in your tomatoes, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Even though the disease is affecting the leaves, the interruption of photosynthesis by the fungus affects the fruit development, and then the disease will jump from the leaves to the fruit and then we’ve got a real mess on our hands. And sometimes we can get one disease under control only to have another one swoop in and take out our plants before we even get any kind of harvest. This is especially true if you live in an area that is very humid or you have spring weather that bounces from warm and humid during the day to cool overnight with very little air movement and lots of rain. Warm temperatures, high humidity, lots of moisture and prolonged leaf wetness are the ideal conditions for fungal growth. Today on Just Grow Something we are going to cover the different ways we can prevent fungal diseases from taking hold in our garden plants, what signs and symptoms to watch out for, which plants are most susceptible to fungal diseases, and which ones don’t usually have much of a problem with them. There are lots of things we can do as gardeners to prevent and minimize the occurrence of foliar diseases so we get the best yield possible from our plants. Let’s dig in! References and Resources: 001_22856life1104s14_1_7.pdf (lifesciencesite.com) Just Grow Something Merch Shop Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 30 Apr 2021 | Ep. 19 - Correction Section, Nutrients in Containers, and Food Waste Follow Up | 00:30:23 | |
This Focal Point Friday has some corrections from Tuesday, additional information regarding the Plant Nutrient episode specifically for those who are gardening in containers, and follow up and clarification regarding the Food Waste episode. Last chance to send your questions in for the next Can You Dig It? episode! Use the link below to leave a voice message or send an email to grow@justgrowsomethingpodcast.com. You'll be in the running for a Clyde's Garden Planner. Don't forget to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen, subscribe, and share with your friends! | |||
| 04 Mar 2025 | Kitchen Garden Living with Bailey Van Tassel - Ep. 239 | 00:36:15 | |
At the beginning of the year, I asked you think about why you garden. Whether it’s a hobby, our family’s main source of food, or anything in between, I maintain that understanding why you garden is really important to planning the garden and defining a budget. But, what about the garden being more than just a source of food, exercise, or a connection to nature. What if it were something more? That’s the question that Bailey Van Tassel has asked and answered. Bailey is the founder of the Kitchen Garden Society and author of the recently released book, Kitchen Garden Living. She has taken an approach to gardening that is not just seasonal in nature but all-encompassing in its seasonality, growing not just food but friendships, gifts, and time with family. Today on Just Grow Something, I sit down with Bailey and chat all things kitchen garden, flavor gaps, winter bulk, and moving a garden from one climate to another. We also get into her book and her unique way of determining exactly what gets prioritized in her garden beds using playing cards and the game of Poker. Let’s dig in. References and Resources: Kitchen Garden Living book: https://amzn.to/3Xosxme Bailey Van Tassel: https://www.baileyvantassel.com/ Great Grow Along - FREE Virtual Garden Festival Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/great-grow-along-free-virtual-garden-festival-tickets-1249534915569 Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com Just Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/508637300354140/ Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomething Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething | |||
| 11 May 2021 | Ep. 22 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Plant Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicity | 00:21:23 | |
We talked about the macro, secondary, and micronutrients in a previous episode. But, how do you tell if your plant is deficient or has too much of any one nutrient? Different nutrient deficiencies or toxicities are expressed in the plant in different ways. And it’s important to rule out other possible reasons for your plants symptoms before you start adding additional nutrients because you may do more harm than good. Too much of a good thing can also cause too little of another in the case of plant nutrients. So, how do you sort all of this out?? Join Karin as she talks about indicators of plant nutrient shortages and abundances and how to fix them. Resources mentioned in this episode: https://landresources.montana.edu/soilfertility/images/DefFlowChartMobile.png https://landresources.montana.edu/soilfertility/images/DefFlowChartImmob.png https://plantprobs.net/plant/nutrientImbalances/1%20NutrientDeficiencyAndToxicity.html | |||
| 23 Jul 2021 | Ep. 43 - Succession Planting, Relay Planting, and Interplanting: Increase your garden yield without increasing your space | 00:18:13 | |
We’ve been talking about fall gardening over the past few weeks and some of the techniques I’m going to talk about fall right in line with planting for fall, so now’s a good time to cover some of the terminology and the differences between and benefits of each. These are all techniques we’ve used a lot on our farm and in our gardens and they work well no matter how much garden space you have. In fact, these techniques can actually increase the yield of a small garden space substantially. So, without further ado, let’s dig in to succession planting, relay planting, and interplanting. | |||
| 07 May 2021 | Ep. 21 - Can You Dig It? Vol. 2 | 00:33:52 | |
A warm welcome to all our new listeners! This is our second monthly Can You Dig It? episode. Karin has a couple interesting garden news stories for you as well as answering some great gardening questions. Find out why the houseplant business is booming, how long to wait before using manure in the garden and why ice can save your plants from freezing! Don't forget to rate and review this podcast in all the places, subscribe to the podcast, and download and share your favorite episodes to keep spreading the word to more beginning gardeners. And, jump over to Instagram and follow us @justgrowsomethingpodcast for more insights each week. | |||
| 16 Mar 2021 | Ep. 6 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Seed and Plant Selection | 00:26:58 | |
This episode we talk about plant nomenclature, define different terms surrounding types of seeds and plants, and dig a little bit into starting your own transplants versus purchasing started plants. The MU Extension guide mentioned in this episode can be found here: https://extension.missouri.edu/g6201 The discount code for the Black Rifle Coffee Club can be found here:http://www.justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/coffee/ | |||
| 22 Oct 2024 | Garlic Planting Tips by Climate - Ep. 221 | 00:29:48 | |
Last week we talked onions, this week it’s another allium, garlic. The timing on planting onions in the fall is just about the same as when we plant our garlic for overwintering and garlic spends just about as much time in the garden as those fall-planted onions do. Just like our onions, there are specific considerations for growing garlic – the right variety, the right soil, specific planting depth and spacing, planting time, and nutrients. If this all sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because those are all the same things we said are important for growing onions. Amazing how plants in the same family have some of the same concerns! Today on Just Grow Something we’re talking tips for planting garlic by climate type. Whether you’re in zone 3 or zone 10 you can grow garlic, but what kind and when and how you plant will be vastly different and will greatly affect your success. Let’s dig in! References and Resources My Women in Podcasting Award and Acceptance Speech! Ep. 67 - When and How to Plant Your Garlic, Plus Tips for Warmer Climates Growing Garlic in Warm Climates - Focal Point Friday Growing Garlic as a Perennial - Ep. 168 How to Choose a Garlic Variety to Grow - Ep. 214 How to Know When Your Garlic is Ready to Harvest Find Seed Garlic: https://amzn.to/3BOX30U (aff) Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast! (buymeacoffee.com) | |||
| 20 Feb 2024 | Heat Mats and Grow Lights - Ep. 185 | 00:20:01 | |
This month we’re talking a lot about seed starting and we can’t talk about starting seeds without talking about heat and light. Seeds sprout more quickly and efficiently when they’ve got the correct soil temperatures and the easiest way to do this is with a seedling heat mat. It’s not a requirement, though, so we’ll also talk about some ways you can up the ante on the soil temperatures during seed starting without a heat mat. Once those seeds do sprout and you're nurturing those little seedlings the correct light can make all the difference, and usually even the sunniest window in your house just isn’t going to cut it. That means we need do a little investing in some lights to help our seedlings along. Today on Just Grow Something we'll explore soil heating options and various types of grow lights, including the most economical and even tabletop solutions. Let’s dig in! *Question of the Month: “What is your most successful crop and why?” This could be a specific variety of something that outproduces all the others, the plant that you love the most, or the crop that grows fantastically well for you without fail every single year. Whatever you consider your most successful crop in whatever way you consider it successful. Send me an email, post it in the Facebook group or send me a DM on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok… you have until February 29th to get me your answer! References and Resources: Full Spectrum LED mini grow light 48" x 20" (four tray) Waterproof Durable Seedling Heat Mat 10” x 20.75” (single tray) Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat Best Grow Lights for Growing Vegetables Indoors. Guide to Choosing a Grow Light - Johnny's Selected Seeds. 5 Different Fluorescent Tube Sizes and How to Choose One (thespruce.com) Just Grow Something Merch Shop Order from True Leaf Market and support the show! Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 01 Jun 2021 | Ep. 28 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Tomatoes | 00:41:50 | |
This week we're totally talking tomatoes! Learn the basics of growing tomatoes, pests and diseases to watch out for, harvesting tips, storage methods, and ideas on how to preserve a bountiful harvest. Have you checked out our Patreon page yet? It's the way to support this podcast monetarily each month while getting some cool features in return. Check it out at https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomething. Resources used in this episode: http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/l/lycopersicon-esculentum=tomato.php | |||
| 09 Jul 2024 | Epsom Salts - Magic or Myth? - Ep. 206 | 00:15:07 | |
If you are in any gardening group, whether an in-person club or online, you likely see countless home remedies for everything that ails our plants. Gardeners tout everything as a miracle cure for something in the garden, from putting tums in the soil to burying fish, making weed killer out of vinegar and salt (please don’t) to using dawn dish soap as an insecticide (again, please don’t). One that pops up over and over again is using Epsom salts, either sprinkled or added to the soil or used as a foliar spray when diluted in water. I’ve seen it recommended for blossom end rot, boosting plant growth, germinating seeds and other random maladies. But, is it really good for your plants? Does it help with any of that stuff or is it just another case of correlation over causation? Today on Just Grow Something we’re digging into Epsom salts. What they are, if they can help in the garden, and, if so, with what exactly. That way next time someone recommends Epsom salts for curing the yellowing leaves on your plant you’ll be able to decide for yourself whether that’s an effective plan. Let’s dig in! References and Resources: Ep. 18 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Plant Nutrients and Why You Need to Know Them Ep. 22 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Plant Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicity Focal Point Friday: Plant Nutrient Basics
Fertilize with Epsom Salts - Garden.org Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something | |||
| 30 Nov 2021 | Ep. 69 - What is a CSA? And how is it different from a subscription service? | 00:18:20 | |
Way back in episode one, the introduction episode, I briefly mentioned that my love of gardening, and my naivety of how easy it was, was partly responsible for the beginnings of our farming adventures. During that episode I mentioned we started selling to the public through a CSA or Community Supported Agriculture program. I also mentioned I would eventually do an entire episode on what that is and, well, here we are 68 episodes later and I’m finally getting there! So, what is a CSA? How is it different from a subscription box shipped to you from a company you found online or that found you through some data tracking algorithm? And why is a CSA a great way to support your local food system? We’re digging into all that and more on today’s episode. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Episode One – The Introduction | |||
| 06 Jul 2021 | Ep. 38 - Planning the Fall Garden | 00:20:30 | |
This Garden Talk Tuesday we’re talking about planning for your fall garden. Now, I know many of you are just now getting your first real harvests of the season and for those of you in much cooler climates your fall garden may mostly be a continuation of whatever you have in the ground right now. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can interplant within those summer items that can survive after you get your first fall frost. For those of you in much warmer or temperate climates, your fall garden may look very different and will likely come a lot later than the rest of us because your warm crop growing season is so much longer. For those of us that definitely have all four seasons, we’re just beginning to harvest our summer crops but now really is the time to be planning and even starting your fall garden.
The calendar may say July, but soon enough the summer crops will begin to senesce and you’ll have places to fill in. Let's get planning for the fall garden!
And, for my gardening friends in the southern hemisphere, listen to this podcast and bookmark it for six months from now and come back and give it another listen then!
Resources:
Latest Planting Dates for Second-Season Crops – Farmer’s Almanac
Sunset and Sunrise Times
Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group
Support This Podcast on Patreon
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| 31 Dec 2024 | Top 5 Episodes, an Honorable Mention, and an All-Time Favorite | 00:10:11 | |
I went back through the episodes for this season and looked at the statistics to find which episodes really stood out for you guys this year and thought I would share those so, if you really need a garden podcast fix this week you could jump back and listen to one of those. There was one surprise on the list that I will cover at the end and one all-time favorite, but first let’s look at the top 5 for 2024. I will leave links to each of these episodes in the episode notes and it was also in this morning’s email for your convenience! References and Resources: Starting Flower Seedlings Indoors - Ep. 183 Maintaining Fruit Trees, Bushes, and Canes Different Ways to Grow Potatoes - Ep. 186 Ep. 135 - Growing Potatoes Steps for Planning the Fall Garden (and Why You Should Grow One) - Ep. 205 Growing Strawberries - Ep. 194 Ep. 106 - Introduction to Vermicomposting (Worm Farming!) Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com Just Grow Something Merch: https:/justgrowsomething.com/shop Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/508637300354140/ Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomething Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething | |||
| 28 Feb 2023 | Ep. 137 - Growing Celery | 00:30:00 | |
Celery is a cool-season crop that can be a bit finicky about its growing conditions. If carrots are divas, then consider celery Goldilocks: not too hot, not too cold, but just right! On today’s episode I give you the lowdown on growing your own celery at home and this includes those of you who live in warmer climates. The main consideration for celery is it takes a really long time to grow from seed and it can be a water hog if you want those big plump stalks. Some varieties need to be trenched and mounded in order to get those pale stalks like you’re used to seeing the grocery store, and they don’t tolerate a heavy frost. And even though they don’t like the heat, too much time spent below a certain temperature can actually cause them to bolt. But, if you know how to mitigate all those things, the flavor of homegrown celery can be so much more intense than what you get in the store. Let's dig in! Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something Positively Farming Media Podcast Playlist on Spotify Get 10% off with code JUSTGROW at Truly Garden Resources: Umbellifer or apiaceae? - Richard Jackson Garden (richardjacksonsgarden.co.uk) Celery / Apium graveolens Herbal Medicine, Health Benefits, Side Effects (medicalhealthguide.com) Everything you didn’t even know you wanted to know about celery - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com) Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Vegetable Growing Guides - Growing Guide | |||
| 22 Jun 2021 | Ep. 34 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Winter Squash | 00:33:09 | |
Growing winter squash can be such fun because there are so many sizes, types, and varieties to choose from! No matter which you choose, Karin talks about how to plant and cultivate them, whether in the ground or in containers, the pests and diseases you might face and how to avoid them, and how to harvest, cure, and store your winter squashes when all is said and done. This episode will inspire you to try a few winter squash of your own this season - it's not too late to plant! Support this podcast by becoming a Patron: http://patreon.com/justgrowsomething Resources: https://aihd.ku.edu/foods/squash.html https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cucurbita+maxima https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_squash https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170490/nutrients https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/winter-squash/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9N85WDmwho https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/insects-and-diseases-cucumber-pumpkin-and-squash | |||
| 07 Mar 2023 | Ep. 138 - Gardening for Nutrition | 00:23:55 | |
Did you know that poor diet is the leading cause of disease worldwide? Diets low in fruits and vegetables contribute significantly to some of the world’s most widespread and debilitating nutrient-related disorders. Which is why many of us garden. We want to include those fruits and vegetables in our diet. And, if we have limited space, we need to be particular about what we’re planting. When I help people plan their gardens, I’m always reminding them to go back and review their “why”. If your goal for your garden is to reduce your family’s food budget, like mine was in the beginning, then maybe the things you should prioritize planting are the things your family eats the most or the things that cost you the most in the grocery or at the market. But, if we’re gardening to increase the overall nutrition our family consumes, does that mean we should be focused on planting something other than our most purchased items? And, if it’s all about saving dollars, can we grow things that make us feel fuller longer because they’re more nutritious? Which fruits and vegetables degrade the most from the time they leave the farm to when they hit our plate? Which fruits and vegetables the most nutrient-dense overall? On today’s episode I’ll give you the rundown on some studies that have been done about which vegetables decline in nutrition the fastest, which ones are the most nutrient-dense overall, and what we need to do in our own gardens post-harvest to preserve those nutrients that we’ve worked so hard to grow. Let’s dig in! Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something Positively Farming Media Podcast Playlist on Spotify Get a Free Bloom Juice from Elm Dirt: Use Code JustGrow RESOURCES Optimising foods for satiety - ScienceDirect Maximizing the Nutritional Value of Fruits and Vegetables (ucdavis.edu) Harvesting and storing home garden vegetables | UMN Extension | |||
| 27 Apr 2021 | Ep. 18 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Plant Nutrients and Why You Need to Know Them | 00:37:39 | |
Plant Nutrients – what are they, what do they do, which ones should we be most concerned with? Good plant growth is directly correlated to good plant nutrition. It’s important to know how the most essential nutrients work so you can choose soil amendments and fertilizers, if necessary, that will most benefit what you’re growing. This Garden Talk Tuesday we dig into the primary and secondary plant nutrients essential to plant growth and crop yield and make sense of those three big numbers on the fertilizer package in the garden center. One more week to submit your question for our next Can You Dig It? episode for the chance to win a free Clyde's Garden Planner. Leave us a message at the link below or shoot an email to grow@justgrowsomethingpodcast.com. I'd also appreciate your feedback, your rating or review on your podcast app, and your recommendation to a friend to spread the word! | |||
| 31 Mar 2023 | Focal Point Friday: Mushroom Compost | 00:06:40 | |
Let's round out our mushroom discussions with some good 'ol compost! What is mushroom compost, is it good for our gardens, and how do we use it? Can we use the substrate from our own homegrown mushrooms and how is that different from the commercially available bags in the store? Spend a few minutes with me today to discover mushroom compost. Resources: Mushroom Compost: The Bad, The Good and The Beautiful - Compost Magazine Analysis of Fresh Mushroom Compost in: HortTechnology Volume 20 Issue 2 (2010) (ashs.org) Say Thank You! Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 21 Apr 2023 | Focal Point Friday: Composting Basics | 00:10:06 | |
This is the time of year when we not only start to have a lot of yard waste and garden waste but we generally have food waste coming out of our kitchens year round, so now is the perfect time to put all that waste to good use. The average American produces about 1,600 pounds (726 kg) of garbage a year and approximately 75% of this garbage is organic material. That means 1200 lbs of the 1600 pounds of waste produced could be composted. Per person. We don’t want that organic material going to the landfills and causing methane gases to add to the atmosphere, so let’s talk about the basic ingredients of a compost pile. Resources: Ep. 80 - Creating and Managing a Compost Pile Ep. 81 - Talking Compost with Stan "The Compost Man"Slaughter Ep. 82 - Compost Systems for Home Gardeners | |||
| 17 Jan 2023 | Ep. 131 - The Basics of Winter Sowing: Seed Starting Outdoors | 00:43:41 | |
If you like to start your own seeds for your garden but often struggle with the amount of space it takes up, you’re definitely not alone. Or maybe you’ve wanted to start your own plants but are put off by all the indoor growing requirements? Having the space, the lighting, fans for strengthening the seedlings, keeping a watering schedule, getting them hardened off … starting transplants from seed indoors can feel intimidating or overwhelming. Even for me, someone who has an entire room dedicated to seedlings, with shelves and lights and fans and water systems, I run out of room every single year and need to adhere to a strict schedule to get plants rotated out to the greenhouse to make way for more plants in the basement. Which is why the concept of winter sowing intrigues me. I always wondered why we couldn’t just plant the seeds we wanted to grow out in the garden in the winter and let them naturally come up on their own? Apparently, about 30 years ago someone else had that same question and she came up with a modified way to approach it with great success. Her name is Trudi Davidoff. Trudi refined the winter sowing process, worked with the USDA to coin the terminology and the method and then created a non-profit and spent more than 20 years teaching the Wintersowing Method to anyone and everyone who wanted to learn. I joined the Winter Sowers group on Facebook and watched YouTube videos and read posts from Trudi herself and I am ready to start winter sowing as a way to germinate some of my own seedlings this year. This episode, we’re going to go over the technique of winter sowing, the do’s and don’ts, the basic list of supplies you’ll need and how to get started. It’s meant to be inexpensive and easy. There is really nothing technical about this and I think we can all do this with both vegetables and flowers for our gardens. Let’s dig in! RESOURCES: Links for this episode: Get 10% off with code JUSTGROW at Truly Garden Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon | |||
| 16 Nov 2021 | Ep. 67 - When and How to Plant Your Garlic, Plus Tips for Warmer Climates | 00:29:06 | |
It’s that time of year! This evening I will be binge watching whatever show the Mean Farmer and I decide upon while maniacally separating clove after clove of garlic. We’re planting close to 15 pounds of garlic this year, a combination of both hard neck and soft neck varieties. Depending on the variety, that’s anywhere from 25 to 40 cloves per pound. Which all need to be separated from their heads to get ready to plant. So, we will be enjoying the smell of the stinking rose this evening while we partake of a few glasses of wine and some sci fi. Because of that, I thought it would be the perfect time to give you a little refresher on planting your own garlic. In most regions the timing is perfect and even if you think you’ve missed the window of opportunity in your area, you’d be surprised at how flexible garlic can be. We'll cover soil conditions and timing, plus I'll share some tips and tricks for those of you planting garlic in the Southern U.S. and other warm-weather climates. So, let’s dig in to when and how to plant your garlic! Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 11 Oct 2022 | Ep. 115 - Preparing the Garden for Winter (and Spring!) | 00:39:17 | |
Depending on where you garden you may have just had your first frost or even a hard freeze. If you are one of my warm-climate gardeners, you’re steadily marching toward the time of year when plants begin to go dormant or, if you don’t have a Persephone Period, the time of year when growth slows dramatically. Now is the time to take advantage of that period of time to either put the garden to bed for the winter or to get it ready for spring, or both! Today we’re talking about what to do to get your garden ready for winter slumber, even if you’re overwintering plants in those beds, and how doing these activities now will absolute get you to a better start in the spring. It took me many years to realize just how much better my season starts in spring if I do some of the prep work now. My mental state and my garden soil both thank me for it. We’re also chatting about the question or comment that I’ve gotten the most this fall from gardeners at the market stand and, of course, since this is Missouri, it obviously has to do with growing tomatoes…or maybe not growing tomatoes. I’ll weigh on why this year was such a horrible year for growing tomatoes here and what you can do in your own garden to give yourself a better chance at harvesting your most loved fruit or veggie. Let’s dig in! Get a Free Bloom Juice from Elm Dirt: Use Code JustGrow Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something Positively Farming Media Podcast Playlist on Spotify Resources: | |||
| 24 Jun 2022 | Ep. 98 - Becoming A Little More Self Reliant with Ashley Constance | 00:50:42 | |
Just because you live in town or don’t actually want to do all the things doesn’t mean you can’t learn to do just a little bit more for yourself and your family in this modern globally connected world. It doesn’t matter where you live or where you are in life, you can be a little more reliant on yourself and your local community to make yourself a bit more secure in a very uncertain world. My guest today is the perfect example of that. Ashley Constance is a first-generation homesteader who moved from the big city to a little acreage in March of 2020. I mean, talk about timing, right? Along with her husband, dog, cat, and a gaggle of other critters, Ashley raises as much of her own food as possible while working to empower others to do the same. Join me for a fantastic conversation about homesteading where you are, with what you have, and maybe making the leap to something bigger. In January of 2022, Ashley launched her podcast and her website, A Little Self Reliant, which is aimed at inspiring others to embrace a bit more self-reliance no matter where they're at. Ashley discusses things like gardening, raising animals, preserving, DIY, supporting local growers, embracing sustainability, and more. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something Positively Farming Media Podcast Playlist on Spotify A Little Self Reliant: 90 Homesteading Skills to Build in the City on Apple Podcasts 90 Homesteading Skills to Build in the City - A Little Self Reliant | Podcast on Spotify | |||
| 13 Feb 2024 | Seed Starting Soils and Containers - Ep. 184 | 00:19:50 | |
Seed starting does not need to be intimidating but it does come with a special set of requirements for true success. Two components to that success are the soils we use and the containers we choose. Not all soils and containers are created equal. Today we dig into the different types of seed starting mediums and containers available on the market and ones we can dig up in our own home. (Pun intended.) Ssurprise surprise, the potting soil you choose to use may not actually be soil at all. And the containers may be something you already have sitting in your recycling bin. Let’s dig in! *February Question of the Month: What is your most successful crop and why? Episode References and Resources Just Grow Something Merch Shop Save 10% and get Free Shipping with code JUSTGROW10 at Planter Box Direct | |||
| 23 Nov 2021 | Ep. 68 - Invasive Plant Species in the Garden, Plus Five Plants to Avoid in Your Landscape | 00:21:00 | |
As we start thinking about our gardens for next season, we may not just be looking at fruits and veggies and herbs. Many of us like to plant our landscape and the areas surrounding our vegetable gardens with plants that are beautiful to look at. Maybe they’re for cutting flowers and bringing into the house or maybe they’re just for some added color and beauty while we spend our time outside. It may also be for curb appeal. Unfortunately, there are many species that get planted that are considered invasive in areas. No matter where you are, it’s likely that your region has plants that were introduced from another continent or even another area of your country that have escaped cultivation and gone on to propagate almost uncontrolled in the wild. We regard these plants as invasive species and today I’m going to dig in to what defines an invasive plant species, why they are a problem, and what we can do to prevent the spread of them. Then, I’ll talk about five of the most popular ones here in North America that are STILL being sold at nurseries and what alternatives you can choose to plant instead. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Bradford Pear fact sheet – Clemson Univ. Extension Invasive Plants – National Park Service | |||
| 25 Mar 2025 | How to Start a Compost Pile - Ep. 242 | 00:33:01 | |
Save 20% on the already discounted subscription price of both the Magic Mind Mental Performance and Sleep shots at https://magicmind.com/GROWMAR and use code GROWMAR at checkout. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces about 4.9 pounds (2.2 kg) of garbage per day. That’s almost 1800 lbs. per year, or 816kg. And over 56% of this garbage is food, yard waste, paper or paperboard. That means over 1,000 lbs. of the municipal waste produced in the U.S. could be composted, per person. Much of our annual garden cleanup involves yard waste and now would be the perfect time to start a compost pile combining that yard waste with scraps from our kitchen and paper from our offices and cardboard from all those packages we have delivered to our doors. Today on Just Grow Something we’re going to talk about starting a compost pile or re-starting it if you’ve made an attempt before and maybe weren’t as successful as you’d hoped. Composting can be done in lots of ways in lots of spaces, so we’re going to cover the basics of what you need to know regardless of where and how you accomplish it, give you a few options for composting systems, large and small, and the do’s and don’ts of what goes into our composting systems and what we should avoid. Let’s dig in! References and Resources: Simple Compost Solutions for Every Garden Space - Ep. 218 Indoor and Small-Space Composting: 5 Effective Methods University of Florida Extension: Composting Guide Turning Compost by Temperature Get 10% and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10: https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/508637300354140/ Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomething Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething | |||
| 16 Apr 2024 | Proper Soil Temperatures for Transplanting - Ep. 193 | 00:24:52 | |
Using the last frost date in spring or our average air temperatures might be a good guideline to start with when figuring out when to plant the garden, but a better method for knowing when it’s actually time to sow those seeds or transplant those plants is the soil temperature. Even though the air temperatures may be warmer than usual, the soil knows the truth. If that soil is cold and wet, or might be that way in the next ten days, your tomatoes, or peppers, or whatever, are not going to be happy sitting in chilled soil, no matter how warm the daytime air temperatures get. But, your sugar snap peas and lettuce might be thrilled. So, today on Just Grow Something we’ll talk about optimal soil temperatures for both cool season and warm season crops, for both seed germination and transplant growth, how to properly check your soil temperature, and where to find historic soil temperature data for your area so you can more effectively plan your planting dates and not be lulled into that false sense of security. Let’s dig in. References and Resources: This week's sponsor: Visit HeirloomRoses.com and take 20% off your order of roses with code JUSTGROW through October 31, 2024 Taylor Precision Products Standard Grade Thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) Soil Temparature Maps | GreenCast | Syngenta (greencastonline.com) Soil Temperature and Seed Germination (psu.edu) Microsoft Word - Soil Temp Planting V2docx (wisc.edu) Minera Nutrition of Plants: Principles and Perspectives | SpringerLink facts you didn’t know about soil temperature (farmprogress.com) Soil Temperature and Planting Crops (harvesttotable.com) Just Grow Something Merch Shop Jus Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 30 Jun 2023 | Excessive Heat in the Garden: Helping Our Tomatoes, Peppers and Other Summer Plants - Focal Point Friday | 00:07:31 | |
It's hot and your plants look awful! Extreme heat can mean extreme responses from our gardens. Let's spend a few minutes talking about what's normal, what we should and shouldn't be doing, and how we can help when needed to help the summer garden get through a heat wave. | |||
| 28 Jul 2023 | Timing Fall Garden Starts - Focal Point Friday | 00:04:58 | |
On this Focal Point Friday, we go back to Episode 101 and talk about three important things to consider when starting plants for the fall garden: germination time, days to maturity, and harvest window. Episode Resources: Ep. 101 - How to Prepare and What to Grow in Your Fall Garden Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 07 Dec 2021 | Ep. 70 - Getting Started with Microgreens | 00:13:41 | |
One of the problems of being a home gardener in many climates is that the season for salad greens can be short. Either you’re in a climate that gets way too hot in the summer to grow decent greens or you’re in a climate that has a very short growing season and it gets too cold too quickly. And, even if you’re in a climate where you can grow through the winter, you may not have enough space outside to get those greens to full size before your Persephone period hits and they stop growing. The answer to all of this is microgreens. Microgreens can be grown year-round indoors with very little in the way of equipment or expertise. And there are so many different crops that make great microgreens, there’s bound to be some that fit the palate of everybody in your family. There is quite literally something for everyone. And not only are they delicious and versatile, they are exploding with nutrients. And they can add that nutritional value to so many foods – as a topping for pizza, a base for salad, added to pasta, in wraps and on sandwiches, and so much more. So, this episode I’m going to dig in to what it takes to get started with growing microgreens, some of the easiest ones for beginners to grow, and what you need to know about selecting seeds to use for microgreens. Let’s dig in. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Assessment of Vitamin and Carotenoid Concentrations of Emerging Food Products: Edible Microgreens | |||
| 14 Jun 2024 | Squash Vine Borers and Squash Bugs in Cucumber Plants - Focal Point Friday Ep. 202 | 00:14:49 | |
Well, I dropped the ball! This is a follow up to Tuesdays episode about problems in cucumbers. I failed to mention two pests that plague many gardeners - squash vine borers and squash bugs. So, let's remedy this situation! Spend a quick 15 minutes with me while we talk about these pests and how to prevent them. | |||
| 19 Apr 2022 | Ep. 86 - How Many Seeds or Plants Do You Need? | 00:20:37 | |
When you’re planning your garden, do you have trouble determining how many plants you should grow? It’s very easy to overdo it, especially in the first few years because you don’t know how many plants you need in order to get the volume you want your garden to produce. I was guilty of not planting enough greens the first few years but way overplanting the cucumbers. So we ended up with too few salads and way too many cucumbers. I was giving them away weekly and we canned enough pickles to provide five families for five years. So today we’ll walk through how to determine the number of seeds or plants you’ll need to plant in order to achieve the harvest you want so you can more accurately plan your garden space and not end up with too much of one thing and not enough of another. Let’s dig in!
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This podcast is a proud member of the Positively Farming Media Podcast Network
Resources
The Rural Woman Podcast with Katelyn Duban – Growing a Garden from the Ground Up with Karin Velez
Vegetable Planting Calendar | MU Extension (missouri.edu)
How Much Should I Plant? Vegetable Yields Per Plant – Bonnie Plants
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| 03 Aug 2021 | Ep. 46 - Growing Spinach | 00:29:11 | |
This Garden Talk Tuesday we’re going to talk about another great fall crop: spinach. Spinach is another fairly easy crop to grow that's only slightly fussy about its growing conditions. It’s no diva, like carrots, but it can be a little finicky when it comes to temperatures and water. So, it really is best grown in the cooler shoulder seasons of spring and fall. And, what makes it a great fall crop is that it can not only stand up to a heavy frost, you can overwinter it with row covers and harvest off the mature plants all winter long. Then, in the spring, it will pick back up and begin growing again for a very early spring harvest before you’ve even finished planting your spring crops. So, let’s dig in to growing spinach. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Resources: | |||
| 04 Jul 2023 | Growing Melons: Watermelon, Cantaloupe and More - Ep. 155 | 00:27:35 | |
There are few things that taste like summer quite like cantaloupe or watermelon. These hydrating favorites can sometimes be a little mystifying for new gardeners to grow. And what's the difference between a crenshaw and a canary melon? On today’s episode, we’re digging into all things melon. What does it take to grow them, can they cross-pollinate, and what’s the trick to picking a truly ripe watermelon? Let's Dig in! Episode References and Citations: Wasylikowa, Krystyna; van der Veen, Marijke (2004). "An archaeobotanical contribution to the history of watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (syn. C. vulgaris Schrad.)". Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. 13 (4): 213–217. doi:10.1007/s00334-004-0039-6. ISSN 0939-6314. JSTOR 23419585. S2CID 129058509. Paris, Harry S. (August 2015). "Origin and emergence of the sweet dessert watermelon, Citrullus lanatus". Annals of Botany. 116 (2): 133–148. doi:10.1093/aob/mcv077. PMC 4512189. PMID 26141130. Strauss, Mark (21 August 2015). "The 5,000-Year Secret History of the Watermelon". National Geographic News. "Cantaloupe". Oxford English Dictionary. 2016. Marion Eugene Ensminger; Audrey H. Ensminger (1993). "Cantaloupe". Foods & Nutrition Encyclopedia (2nd Edition, Volume 1 ed.). CRC Press. pp. 329–331. ISBN 084938981X. Watermelon | College of Agricultural Sciences (oregonstate.edu) Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Vegetable Growing Guides – Watermelon Growing Guide Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Vegetable Growing Guides – Melon Growing Guide Episode Links: Buy One Get One Free from Elm Dirt: Use Code WOLFCREEK | |||
| 09 Aug 2022 | Ep. 105 - How to Care for and Maintain Your Fruit Tree | 00:31:04 | |
The last couple weeks we’ve focused on selecting your fruit tree, preparing the soil and, finally, planting. Now it’s time to talk about maintaining that tree. Just like anything else in the garden, your fruit tree is going to give you a much greater harvest if you give it some attention. I will be the first to admit I am lousy at this. It’s not that I don’t know what to do and how to do it, it’s just that I don’t get around to doing it at the appropriate time. Some of my trees haven’t minded this at all and produced boatloads of fruit with no problem. My most recent trees, however, are suffering for it. It’s something I intend to fix, so not only will we talk about pruning and pest management in this episode, but I’ll share with you what I plan to do in my garden to be sure I’m out there doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done so I can finally get the harvests I want from my trees and maybe it will help you in maintaining your fruit tree. The DRL: fall planting, hydroponics, and the Two Acre Homestead podcast. Question of the week: How do I know when my watermelon is ready to pick? Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something Positively Farming Media Podcast Playlist on Spotify | |||
| 19 Mar 2021 | Ep. 7 - The Science Behind Why Gardening Is Good For Your Health | 00:21:35 | |
Let's dig into the science behind why gardening is good for you. There are nutritional benefits, for sure, of growing your own food. But, what about the non-nutritional benefits? Join Karin as she "geeks out" just a little bit about the science behind all the reasons why gardening is good for us, both physically and mentally, through all stages of our life. And, don't forget to send us your gardening questions for our first "Can You Dig It?" episode to be entered for a chance to win a free Clyde's Garden Planner. Send your questions to grow@justgrowsomethingpodcast.com, submit the contact form at http://www.justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/, or click the link below to leave a voice message. Studies and articles referenced in this episode: Beneficial effects of plant-associated microbes on indoor microbiomes and human health https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00015/full Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.11.007 How gardening can help build healthier, happier kids Back to Basics: Health and Wellness Benefits of Gardening in Older Adults https://doi.org/10.1080/01924788.2015.1089709 American Horticultural Therapy Association 19 Organizations Honoring Veterans https://foodtank.com/news/2019/11/19-organizations-honoring-veterans/ | |||
| 11 Jun 2024 | Problems with Cucumbers - Ep. 201 | 00:33:52 | |
The summer gardening season is just about in full swing here in the northern hemisphere and cucumbers are definitely a crowd favorite. Whether you’re growing the for slicing, snacking, or pickling, a properly managed cucumber vine can be very productive. But it seems like when things go wrong with cucumbers, they go really wrong. Whether it’s dying plants, funky looking fruit, diseases, or other issues with our favorite cucurbit, we do have preventions and solutions. Today on Just Grow Something we’re talking all about the problems we might have with cucumbers – pests and diseases, nutrient challenges, strange deformities, and more. By the end you should have a firm grasp on how to prevent these problems from occurring and how to recognize what you’re dealing with when they do. Let’s dig in! References and Resources: Identifying Nutrient Deficiencies in Your Garden Plants
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| 29 Nov 2022 | Ep. 124 - Q & A: Is market gardening worth it? Is it too late to plant garlic? How do I know if my strawberries are dormant? | 00:21:49 | |
Let's do a Q & A! We’ll talk about whether or not market gardening is worth it, both from a personal satisfaction standpoint and from a monetary one, explore whether or not it’s too late in some areas to plant garlic, find out how to tell when your strawberries have gone dormant, and talk about a very interesting tip I learned about growing fruit trees in colder climates. You bet I’m going to be taking advantage of this little tidbit of information! Let’s dig in. Grow Guide Podcast E146: Inspiration For Adding Figs, Lemons and Olives to Your Northern Garden with Steven Biggs — The Grow Guide (thegrowguidepodcast.com) Get 10% off with code JUSTGROW at Truly Garden Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon | |||
| 21 Jun 2022 | Ep. 97 - Modern Homesteading: It's Not What You Think | 00:22:49 | |
When you think of homesteading, what comes to mind? Ma and Pa Ingles out on the prairie trying to build a home and raise a family with their own resources on a large plot of dusty land? Maybe you think of the early pictures of covered wagons crossing dangerous territories on their way to stake a claim out west. Yeah, me too! But, in reality, modern homesteading is nothing like that. Today, homesteading can happen just about anywhere. Because modern homesteading isn’t about relying only on yourself. It’s also about having a community and relying on resources close to home for the things you can’t produce yourself. And that home can be anywhere – in the city or in the country. It’s just a matter of taking the steps to figure out what you can reasonably provide for yourself and what you can glean locally to make yourself a bit more self-sufficient. Just because you live in a suburban neighborhood doesn’t mean you can’t hone many homesteading skills and become a homesteader. Homesteading in our modern, globally connected world doesn’t mean all or nothing. So, if you’ve ever had the idea that you’d like to rely a little less on the outside world and a little more on your own backyard, today’s episode is for you. Let’s dig in. What am I listening to? "Into the Garden with Leslie". Find it here: Into the Garden Podcast (lhgardens.com) Question of the Week: How do I tell the difference between Tomato Leaf Curl Virus and plant stress? Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon This podcast is a proud member of the Positively Farming Media Podcast Network Merchandise | Just Grow Something Positively Farming Media Podcast Playlist on Spotify Resources: https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/gardening/what-makes-tomato-leaves-twist-or-curl/ https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/tomato-leaves-curling.htm Hunter-Gatherer Culture | National Geographic Society | |||
| 03 Dec 2024 | Ten Most Versatile Herbs for Fresh and Dried Use - Ep. 227 | 00:39:51 | |
I didn’t grow up learning how to cook. When I say I had no idea how to season my food as a young adult, I mean NO idea. I didn’t even use salt and pepper. It took me years to not just learn how to cook from a practical application standpoint, but also how to use herbs and spice blends. When I started gardening, growing herbs wasn’t at the top of my list. I didn’t really think there could be much difference between the dried stuff I bought in the store and using it fresh out of the garden. I started to grow them to include in our CSA boxes and on our market stands. When I had leftovers that maybe didn’t sell at the market that day, I brought them into my own kitchen and began to learn how fresh use differed from dried use. Today on Just Grow Something, we cover the top 10 most versatile herbs to grow at home that are good for fresh and dried use, how to change how you use herbs depending on if they’re fresh or dried, how to dry them without a dehydrator, and how to use them in spice blends to kick that flavor up in the kitchen throughout the entire year. Let’s dig in! References and Resources: Just Grow Something Merch: https:/justgrowsomething.com/shop Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/508637300354140/ Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomething Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast! (buymeacoffee.com): https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Nutrichef Countertop Dehydrator (aff): https://amzn.to/3ZAwExa Chefman 9-Drawer Dehydrator (aff): https://amzn.to/49gcsnD | |||
| 27 Sep 2022 | Ep. 113 – Dehydrating, Cold Storage, and Fermenting: More Ways to Store Your Harvest | 00:48:11 | |
This week we’re back to preserving our harvest! This episode we’ll talk about ways to dehydrate your fruits and veggies and how to use them when you’re ready, the basics of cold storage including temperature, light, and humidity requirements, and look a little bit at fermenting your garden goodness and whether or not that’s a viable way to actually store produce or just good for our gut health. I respond to a comment I got on TikTok about pressure canning: spoiler alert, opinions are not backed by science. And in the DRL we’re talking hydroponic lettuce, succession planting, and doing hard things. Let’s dig in! Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something Positively Farming Media Podcast Playlist on Spotify Resources: Book: Plant, Grow, Harvest, Repeat by Meg McAndrews Cowden Podcast: We Can Do Hard Things What Are Fermented Foods? - Heart Foundation How To Ferment Vegetables (the Ultimate Guide) - Fermenters Kitchen | |||
| 02 Apr 2024 | Your Biggest Pests in the Garden - Ep. 191 | 00:28:54 | |
I had such a fantastic response to the March Question of the Month and we had such great conversations on Facebook and Instagram that I made this week’s entire episode all about! You came in clutch with problems and solutions and there was plenty of community discussion, which is what I love. Gardeners helping gardeners. We all have a lot of pests and some very clever ways to deal with them. And not all of them are insects. So, today on Just Grow Something we are talking all about your biggest pests in the garden. Let’s dig in! April Question of the Month: What have you struggled with the most in terms of garden maintenance and did you find a solution? References and Resources: Just Grow Something Merch Shop Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 13 Dec 2022 | Ep. 126 - A Little Self Reliant Podcast | 00:34:19 | |
Throughout the month of December, we are doing little something different around here. I am treating you to several episodes of some other podcasts where I was invited to be a guest. These will be some honest conversations about different topics related to farming and gardening with other podcasters within the Positively Farming Media podcast group on their shows. Last week you heard my interview on the Rural Woman Podcast with Katelyn Duban and if you missed it, I highly encourage you to go back and listen. This week, I’m Ashley Constance of the A Little Self Reliant podcast! You may remember Ashley from episode 98 all about getting started in homesteading no matter where you are. During my episode on Ashley’s podcast we talked all about compost. She asked some great questions and I’m super happy to share that episode with you. Of course, I will link to the A Little Self Reliant podcast in the show notes so you can find more of Ashley when you’re through here. Let’s dig in! Free Garden Planning Basics Download Get a Free Bloom Juice from Elm Dirt: Use Code JustGrow Get 10% off with code JUSTGROW at Truly Garden Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon | |||
| 26 Jul 2022 | Ep. 103 - How to Choose the Right Fruit Tree for Your Garden | 00:38:00 | |
If you’ve ever dreamed of walking out into your yard and picking fresh, ripe fruit whenever you wanted, you’re not alone. Many of us are fruit lovers and wish we could have even just one tree that would produce our favorites. But the thought of whether or not a fruit tree would even fit in your yard, the care involved, whether or not you’d need a pollinator, how long it would take to get your first harvest and all those other questions may have stopped you in your tracks in the past. Let’s demystify the process of deciding on a fruit tree for your garden. Yes, there are a lot of factors to consider but the good news is there are many options for types, sizes, varieties, years to maturity, and level of maintenance that different fruit trees need. There’s bound to be something out there that fits your space and your gardening style, even if that space is a balcony or your gardening style could be defined as less-than-attentive. So, before you give up on the idea of having your own fruit tree or trees in your garden, let’s talk about what you should consider before making your final decision. The DRL: Talking about summer garden burnout Question of the Week: Problems with potatoes rotting at the stem. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon | |||
| 21 Jan 2025 | Getting More from the Garden: Succession Planting and Intercropping - Ep. 233 | 00:28:34 | |
Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle with with my link: If you have struggled in the past with how to fit all the plants you want to grow into the space you have available for gardening, you are not alone. It’s probably the number one question I get from clients when I step into their yards: how do I lay out my plants so they all fit? This not something that is intuitive or easy to figure out without a lot of trial and error, so don’t feel bad if you have tried it several times and don’t feel like you’ve gotten the hang of it yet. There is a step-by-step process you can use to get yourself off to a really good start and then modify based on your specific garden conditions. Today, on Just Grow Something I will guide you through a step-by-step process for mapping out your garden to not only ensure a productive season but to find space for more plants through intercropping and succession planting. Whether you’re a beginner or have a few seasons under your belt, this method will help you plan efficiently and maximize your harvest. Let’s dig in. References and Resources: Plan Like a Pro course: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/pro Days to Maturity Chart: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/maturity Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com Just Grow Something Merch: https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/508637300354140/ Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomething Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething | |||
| 20 Jun 2023 | What is Well-Draining Soil? - Ep. 153 | 00:19:06 | |
The description on just about every seed packet or plant tag usually says something along the lines of, this plant “likes fertile, well-draining soil, with lots of organic matter.” The fertility part we likely understand, and we talk about soil organic matter all the time around here. But what about well-draining soil? What does that mean, how do we know if we have it, and what do we do if we don’t? If our soil isn’t well-draining are we destined to only garden in planters where we can completely control the soil? Can we create well-draining soil in our containers or can we modify our existing soil to make it well draining? We know the soil we are gardening in is one of the biggest building blocks for a healthy plant and, therefore, a healthy harvest. What are the possible consequences for not having well-draining soil? How does it affect the plants? We are getting into all of that today including, step by step, how to test any soil in any location to see exactly how well it drains. Let’s dig in! Episode Resources: Ep. 136 - Filling New Raised Beds Buy One Get One Free from Elm Dirt: Use Code WOLFCREEK | |||
| 21 May 2021 | Ep. 25 - FAO Food Price Index. Say what? | 00:18:45 | |
This Focal Point Friday we’re going to take a high level look at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Food Price Index. What is it, what does it mean, and how does it affect us as consumers and people across the globe in general? I think it’s important for us when we see prices going up for food and goods that we use on a daily basis, to have an understanding of why that’s happening. We live in a global economy and our individual countries, with very few exceptions, do not operate in a bubble or in a silo. We are all interconnected and that includes what happens with our food prices. Resources in this episode: Shout out to Kapture Marketing for the new logo! https://kapturemarketing.com/ FAO Food Price Index: http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/foodpricesindex/en/ | |||
| 13 Aug 2024 | Preparing to Preserve: Basic Canning Supplies for Beginners - Ep. 211 | 00:33:07 | |
There is something very satisfying about growing your own food, for sure, and being able to walk out into the garden to pick your lunch or your dinner. But, in the dead of a Midwest winter, the ability to be able to “shop” your own pantry for the things you eat the most, that you grew, that is a whole other level. So, today on Just Grow Something we’re going to talk about the basic necessities you need for starting your own canning adventure. We’ll mostly focus on boiling-water canning and what can be safely canned in that manner, but since I jumped head first into pressure canning just a year after I started water-bath canning, we’ll touch on some of the differences in case, you too, are big on confidence but maybe a little shy on knowledge. Let’s dig in! References and Resources Vote for me in the Women in Podcasting Awards! Home Page - National Center for Home Food Preservation (uga.edu) | |||
| 27 Jun 2023 | Summer Garden Checklist: Eight Tasks to Keep the Harvest Going - Ep. 154 | 00:31:32 | |
Today we’re talking specific tasks we need to perform in the garden to get our best yield and to keep the harvest going through to fall. Unfortunately, our gardens are not “set and forget it” kind of things. We can’t just put the plants out there and come back in six weeks and expect to harvest. And as the days heat up and summertime events take over it can be tempting to skip some of these things in favor of other more fun activities. We’re going to run down the list of eight things we need to be paying attention to as the gardening season moves on in order to keep things running smoothly. Any one of these by themselves can be critical to our garden success but I would say the first three are the most vital in my experience. And I’ll be upfront about how difficult this can be when it’s hot and sweaty and dusty and dry and the pool is calling your name which is why having a checklist in front of you of weekly tasks can help get you in the garden and done so you can enjoy the rest of your summer activities knowing your garden is well-tended. Let’s dig in! Episode Links: Four Ways to Use Less Water in the Garden Benefits of using compost as mulch in your garden. Ep. 55 - Identifying Insects in the Garden Companion Planting and Trap Crops for Insect Control Ep. 99 - Eight Common Tomato Diseases: Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Ep. 18 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Plant Nutrients and Why You Need to Know Them Ep. 22 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Plant Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicity Identifying Nutrient Deficiencies in Your Garden Plants Indicators of Nutrient Toxicity in Garden Plants What To Do If Your Plants Show Signs of Nutrient Deficiency (Or Toxicity) Buy One Get One Free from Elm Dirt: Use Code WOLFCREEK Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon JustGrowSomethingPodcast.com | |||
| 10 Mar 2023 | Focal Point Friday: Understanding Plant Nomenclature - Family, Genus, Species, Variety, and more. | 00:12:39 | |
What exactly does that name on the plant tag or seed packet mean? How does that affect what we plant and how or where we plant it? On this Focal Point Friday, let's go way back to Episode 6 to demystify plant nomenclature and the differences between open-pollinated, heirloom, and hybrid. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 13 Jul 2021 | Ep. 40 - Growing Garlic | 00:24:31 | |
Are you having harvest envy over all the photos of gardeners and their beautiful garlic? Have no fear! This Garden Talk Tuesday we're talking all things garlic - hardneck vs. softneck, how to prep the bed, when to harvest, how to store, and more. Let's take the mystery out of planting this wonderful, universally loved crop and Just Grow Garlic! Check out the Facebook group of fellow gardeners and food lovers at Just Grow Something Gardening Friends. Enjoying this podcast? Support us on Patreon! This labor of love costs real money and you can help cover those expenses with a monthly contribution that allows me to continue creating new, valuable content. Head over to our Patreon page to find out more. Don't forget to send those gardening questions for our next Can You Dig It? episode. Leave a message at the link below or email me to grow@justgrowsomethingpodcast.com. Resources: Extracts from the history and medical properties of garlic The difference between hardneck and softneck garlic | |||
| 06 Feb 2024 | Starting Flower Seedlings Indoors - Ep. 183 | 00:25:33 | |
If you’re planning to grow flowers alongside your vegetables this year, there may be some additional steps you’ll need to take when getting those started. Most annual flowers are started in ways very similar to our annual vegetable plants. But some flowers are trickier to start, especially perennials. And some can’t easily be started from seed and need to be propagated using other methods. Today on Just Grow Something we’re going to talk about the easiest flowers to start from seed and those “special” flower seeds, the ones that need a little more time and attention than our standard annuals. Let’s dig in! February Question of the Month: What’s your most successful garden crop and why? References and Resources: Vegetable Garden Planner | Garden Planning Apps (almanac.com) Free Garden Journal Printables - Green in Real Life
Save 10% and get Free Shipping with code JUSTGROW10 at Planter Box Direct Order from True Leaf Market and support the show! | |||
| 03 Oct 2023 | Frost Protection Measures in the Garden - Ep. 167 | 00:25:27 | |
It’s been an unusually warm start to fall in many areas of North America, my home in west central Missouri is no exception where we’re still seeing temperatures up into the 90s F the past few days. But I know we’re inching closer to our usual first frost date and I’m most certainly going to be prepared because our weather is notorious for changing practically overnight and then changing again. If you’re somewhere that experiences frost, which is basically anywhere up through USDA Hardiness zone 10, it pays to be prepared for the unexpected. Sometimes you may only have a few hours warning that a frost is coming overnight and scrambling to find everything you need at the last minute and covering plants in the dark is no fun. Especially when the forecast shows a two-week warm up after one night of frost. On today’s episode of Just Grow Something we’ll review what the USDA Hardiness Zone map actually means, what temperatures differentiate a frost from a freeze, which crops can survive an initial frost, and different options for frost and freeze protection in the garden. By the end you should have a pretty good idea of what you’ll need to have on hand based on your hardiness zone, what you’re growing in the garden and how much work you want to put into to protecting your plants from the cold. Let’s dig in! Resources and References: 2023 Frost Dates: First and Last Frost Dates by ZIP Code | The Old Farmer's Almanac | Almanac.com Five Crops to Plant in Fall for Winter Harvest, Zone by Zone - Ep. 163 Crops to Plant in Fall and Harvest in Spring - Ep. 164
Get Magic Mind: Use code JustGrow20 at checkout Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 04 Aug 2023 | Avoiding Disease in Saved Seeds - Focal Point Friday | 00:06:33 | |
It's always best to start with saving seeds from your healthiest plants. But what if disease is unavoidable? In this throwback to episode 62, we talk about the two best treatments for saving seeds from plants infected with disease. Episode Resources: Hot Water Treatment for Seeds – Louisiana State University Ep. 62 - Properly Saving Seeds in Your Garden Just Grow Something with Karin Velez (justgrowsomethingpodcast.com) | |||
| 09 Mar 2021 | Ep. 4 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Traditional and Alternative Gardening Spaces | 00:18:07 | |
So, last week our hypothetical gardener figured out what they want to grow in their dream garden. But how much space will they need? What type of garden do they have room for? This episode we'll talk about in-ground gardening versus alternative methods and what things you need to consider for both. Links to things mentioned in this episode: Missouri University Extension Planting Calendar, for spacing requirements for each type of veggie - https://extension.missouri.edu/g6201 How to determine your soil texture - https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/soil-texture-analysis-the-jar-test/ How to condition a straw bale for gardening - https://preparednessmama.com/how-to-condition-straw-bales/f 20 Creative Ways to Upcycle Pallets in your Garden - https://themicrogardener.com/20-creative-ways-to-upcycle-pallets-in-your-garden/ | |||
| 30 Jan 2024 | Soil Blocks and Flower Bars with Kathy Gormandy - Ep. 182 | 00:36:01 | |
Soil blocking is a seed starting technique that uses small blocks of soil or seed starting mix. There are no containers, no small plastic cells, just the soil itself. The benefit of soil blocking is, of course, you’re not keeping a bunch of plastic containers around to start your seeds in, but also there is no chance for the roots of the seedlings to become bound by a container. The plants roots will reach the edge of the soil block and simply stop growing until the block is planted, the roots come into contact with more soil, and can take off growing again. This reduces the transplant shock. Today on Just Grow Something I brought back our flower farmer friend, Kathy Gormandy, to talk about how she uses soil blocking on her farm. We also talk about her new retail space, the importance of locally grown florals, and more. It’s a conversation that has me taking a second look at trying soil blocking again this year. Let’s dig in. References and Resources: Ep. 117 - Growing Cut Flowers in the Home Garden with Kathy Gormandy Save 10% and get Free Shipping with code JUSTGROW10 at Planter Box Direct Order from True Leaf Market and support the show!
What Do Florists Spray on Flowers to Keep Them Fresh? - Floral Fantasy Land Soil-Block Making | A Better Way to Start Seedlings, by Eliot Coleman (johnnyseeds.com) Kathy Gormandy (@pkfarmflowers) • Instagram photos and videos https://www.facebook.com/PKFarmlife Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 29 Jun 2021 | Ep. 36 - Keeping a Garden Journal | 00:23:55 | |
Whether you call it a garden planner, journal, notebook, or whatever, a garden journal can be as little or as much as you want it to be. There are some key items, though, that I would recommend every gardener keep in their journal to help them be successful in the garden and to reduce some of the frustration that sometimes comes with gardening. Your journal can be anything you want it to be! It can be both a planner and a log, a place for notes and a place for reflection, or any or none of the above. My version of a garden journal has evolved into what it is and it works for me, but it may not necessarily work for you. So, as I go through what I like to keep in my planner in this episode, take from this list what you think you could benefit from and toss the rest. Use it for a season, then add or subtract from it during the next season based on your results. I’ll certainly tell you along the way which components I think are most important but, just like in the garden, it’s your dream. Cultivate it as you wish! So, let’s dig in to what I keep in my garden journal. Check out our Patreon page to see all the ways you can support this podcast: https://patreon.com/justgrowsomething Send your garden questions to grow@justgrowsomethingpodcast.com to have it answered on our next Can You Dig It? episode and for the chance to win a free Clyde's Garden Planner. You can also leave a message at the link below! | |||
| 03 May 2022 | Ep. 89 - Growing Peppers | 00:31:51 | |
One of the crops I really thought would be easy to grow that turned out not to be for me was peppers, specifically bell peppers. Turns out not only do peppers really prefer a lot of heat, they also prefer more water than I typically use in my gardens and in my fields. And peppers are one of those plants that I get asked about all the time in messages and at the farm stand. Because once you get the hang of it, you can grow boatloads and we bring lots of beautiful peppers to market and it gets people talking. It’s also one of those vegetables that is a mainstay in many people’s kitchens and they can be expensive at the grocery store, so knowing how to grow your own is high up on the gardening wish list for a lot of people. So, today we’ll talk all about peppers, both sweet and hot, how to get them to germinate, their feeding requirements, planting, spacing, harvesting and all the usual basics. By the end of this episode, I hope you can fill in the gaps of what’s been going on with your peppers to get you some success or give you the confidence to give them a try if you’re new to the capsicum scene. So, let’s dig in to growing peppers. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon This podcast is a proud member of the Positively Farming Media Podcast Network Resources: Pharmacological importance of an ethnobotanical plant: Capsicum annuum L - PubMed (nih.gov) Bell Peppers 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits (healthline.com) Chili Peppers 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Effects (healthline.com) 6 Ways to Use Epsom Salt in the Garden | Epsom Salt Council Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers. Reader’s Digest Illustrated Guide to Gardening, 1978 Damrosch, Barbara; The Garden Primer. Workman Publishing, New York. 1988 | |||
| 01 Aug 2023 | How to Start Saving Seeds From Your Garden (and Why) - Ep. 159 | 00:27:09 | |
If you were gardening in 2020 you likely remember the shortage of seeds that happened when the world shut down and suddenly everybody was growing a garden. Many seed companies were overwhelmed with the influx of orders and that shortage continued into the 2021 season. There’s nothing more disappointing than to peruse a beautiful seed catalog and make out your list of favorites to grow, only to be told the company is sold out. Enter seed saving. If you grow heirloom or open-pollinated varieties, you can avoid this problem all together by saving your own seeds. Not only is it cost effective but often times you are creating a stronger strain that is going to work particularly well in your garden each subsequent year because the parent plant has been exposed to, and survived, everything your climate can throw at it. Today on Just Grow Something we’re digging into why we should add seed saving to our list of garden tasks, even if it isn’t for every variety we grow in our garden. We’ll talk about the practice of saving seeds, including plant selection and pollination control, and go step-by-step into how to extract, clean, dry, and store those precious commodities to be sure we have plenty of options for our gardens for years to come. Let’s dig in. Episode Resources: Plan Like a Pro is open for fall registration! Get started here: Plan Like A Pro | Just Grow Something with Karin Velez Resources mentioned in this episode: Ep. 63 - Proper Seed Storage: Moisture levels, storage conditions, containers, and more Chart of Seed Viability and Simple Seed Germination Test Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group | |||
| 06 Apr 2021 | Ep. 12 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Broccoli | 00:39:50 | |
On this Garden Talk Tuesday episode, we are talking all about broccoli. This is the first in many episodes to come where we dig deep into one particular crop and discover its origin, what conditions it grows best in, common pests and diseases, harvest tips, and more. Let's dig in! Resources used in this episode: https://www.herbazest.com/herbs/broccoli http://www.stuartxchange.org/Broccoli https://www.almanac.com/plant/broccoli# | |||
| 19 Jul 2022 | Ep. 102 - Perennial Fruits and Vegetables for Your Hardiness Zone | 00:26:46 | |
What’s better than putting a plant out in the garden, tending to it lovingly, and then reaping the reward of a harvest at the end of the season? Planting that plant one time and reaping the rewards year after year after year, of course! That’s the beauty of a perennial fruit, vegetable, or herb. Plop that puppy into the ground one year and give it a little attention each season and it can continue to provide for years or even decades. Today we’re going to talk about the difference between an annual that readily self-seeds and a perennial and we’ll go over the most suitable perennials for each hardiness zone. This won’t be a deep dive, instead just a quick overview so you know what to plan for and what to shop for so you can get in on the perennial game in your garden. Let’s dig in. This week's DRL: planting fall potatoes, "Scratchman" by Tom Baker, Plantrama podcast Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something Positively Farming Media Podcast Playlist on Spotify | |||
| 03 Feb 2023 | Focal Point Friday: Proper Lighting for Seedlings | 00:04:19 | |
Welcome back, my gardening friends, to another Focal Point Friday episode, this time covering proper lighting for your indoor seedlings. It's not as complicated as you may think! These quickie episodes are either an important highlight from a previous episode or a quick focus on a current event in the food and agriculture world that I think we should be talking about. Think of these episodes as a way to tickle your brain with one or two ideas to ponder while you’re planning or planting or digging in the garden this weekend. Without further ado, let’s get down and dirty. Enjoy! Reference episode: Ep. 77 - Five Tips to Successful Seed Starting | |||
| 11 Jun 2021 | Ep. 31 - Preserving the Harvest, Part Two | 00:45:55 | |
We've talked about freezing and water-bath canning, now let's cover cold storage, pressure canning, and dehydrating! There are so many ways to preserve the bounty that's coming from your garden, so let's dig in to some more ways to allow you to enjoy that bounty throughout the off-season. Resources in this episode: Support this podcast at https://patreon.com/justgrowsomething https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/using_press_canners.html https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry.html https://foodal.com/knowledge/things-that-preserve/11-tips-to-dehydrate-food/ | |||
| 04 Jan 2022 | Seed and Plant Selection (Episode 6 replay) | 00:28:23 | |
Hello my gardening friends. I hope you are having a wonderful start to the new year thus far. Right now, I am working on all kinds of new things for the second season of the Just Grow Something podcast along with some other projects all designed to help you get the most out of your garden in 2022. Because of this, I will be taking a few weeks off from recording new episodes and, instead, will be replaying a few of the most downloaded episodes from season one. Hopefully, these episodes will get you pumped up and imagining your dream garden even while we’re still in the throes of winter here in the northern hemisphere. And I will be back in no time at all with all new episodes and other goodies to help you be the best gardener you can be. So, enjoy this replay episode and I’ll talk to you again soon! ..... So, after listening to the first couple of episodes. let’s say you’ve figured out what types of plants you want to grow, how much space you’ll need to grow it, where you will grow it, whether that’s in ground, in raised beds, or in containers, and you’ve determined how many seeds or plants you’ll need. Time to pick out the varieties of seeds and plants you want to grow. There is no shortage of places to get your seeds and plants and no end to the different varieties and cultivars of each. Before you begin, it may be helpful to know some definitions. First, let’s tackle the differences in some plant terminology, specifically with regards to plant names, and then we’ll cover some other plant and seed definitions. .... Baker Creek Heirloom: Heirloom and open-pollinated seeds. | |||
| 19 Mar 2024 | Straw Bale Gardening - Ep. 189 | 00:26:11 | |
Years ago I had some straw bales I’d used initially as fall décor that ended up in my chicken coop. The bales were used partially as a wind break all winter and partially as a roost. Well, chickens do what chickens do when they roost and by the spring of the following year those straw bales were full of nitrogen-rich chicken poop and starting to fall apart. So, I moved the out of the coop, watered the down really well for about a week, and planted a bunch of plants into them. This was my first introduction to straw bale gardening and it worked wonderfully! The nitrogen from the chicken manure had kickstarted the decomposition process of the straw, providing essential nutrients for the microbes that do that work, and the decomp of the straw inside the bale created a fertile growing medium. I expanded the gardens quite a bit after that, as you all know, and haven’t worked with straw bales as a growing medium since. But this year, that changes. I’ve got a new spot I’m putting together behind my greenhouse with eight planter boxes already in place, but there’s also a fence at the back of that space I want to both cover and use as a trellis. I don’t want something permanent against that fence so I’m jumping back into straw bale gardening. Today on Just Grow Something we’ll talk about how to use straw bales as a growing container and medium. I don’t have naturally conditioned bales this year, so we’ll talk about the process I’ll need to go through to get those bales ready. I’ll also cover the benefits of gardening in bales, what to watch out for, what plants do well with this method, and how to maintain them. By the end of the episode I think you’ll be convinced that straw bales are an effective way to increase the growing space in your garden without needing a permanent solution. Let’s dig in! Question of the month for March: “What is your biggest pest in the garden and how do you manage it (if at all)?” References and Resources: Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Save 10% and get Free Shipping with code JUSTGROW10 at Planter Box Direct Order from True Leaf Market and support the show! Taylor Standard Grade Thermometer 11 Tips for Starting a Strawbale Garden (epicgardening.com) Straw Bale Gardening for Beginners | Almanac.com | |||
| 17 Aug 2021 | Ep. 50 - The Dirt on Fall Garden Preparation | 00:11:46 | |
Right now many of you are getting ready to transition from your summer garden to your fall crops and that’s pretty much what’s going on around here. And many of you are likely going to be using spaces that were previously used for a spring or summer crop or both. Whether you are interplanting your fall stuff under the canopy of your summer plants or planning to pull those plants to make way for the fall garden, there are few things you need to take into consideration prior to planting especially in terms of your soil health. Let’s dig in to what needs to be done to the garden beds before you plant your fall crops. | |||
| 25 Apr 2023 | Ep. 145 - Kitchen Waste as Plant Food: Egg Shells, Banana Peels, and Tea Bags, Oh My! | 00:16:07 | |
The gardening "advice" we get may not always be accurate. Bury a whole egg under your tomato plants? Make a tea from banana peels? What advice is legit and what is bogus? Let's look at the scientific research behind common kitchen scraps that might also be used as garden amendments: banana peels, eggshells, teas leaves and spent coffee grounds. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Merchandise | Just Grow Something RESOURCES Preparation of nano-fertilizer blend from banana peels | SpringerLink HEN EGGSHELL WASTE AS FERTILIZER FOR THE GROWTH OF PHASEOLUS VULGARIS (COW PEA SEEDS) Acute Toxicity of Experimental Fertilizers Made of Spent Coffee Grounds | SpringerLink | |||
| 11 Jan 2022 | All About Broccoli (Replay of Episode 12) | 00:40:38 | |
Hello my gardening friends. I hope you are having a wonderful start to the new year thus far. Right now, I am working on all kinds of new things for the second season of the Just Grow Something podcast along with some other projects all designed to help you get the most out of your garden in 2022. Because of this, I will be taking a few weeks off from recording new episodes and, instead, will be replaying a few of the most downloaded episodes from season one. Hopefully, these episodes will get you pumped up and imagining your dream garden even while we’re still in the throes of winter here in the northern hemisphere. And I will be back in no time at all with all new episodes and other goodies to help you be the best gardener you can be. So, enjoy this replay episode and I’ll talk to you again soon! .... Nutritionally, broccoli is a powerhouse. Just 2.8 ounces or 80 grams of broccoli counts as a full serving because it’s so nutritionally dense. It’s low in calories (35 calories per serving) and carbohydrates and provides good levels of protein, fiber, and essential minerals. The entire plant is edible, including the leaves (use like kale or spinach), and all the parts contain the antioxidants and anticancer compounds. The majority of broccoli cultivars are cool-weather crops that do very poorly in hot weather. This, plus its nutrient requirements and pest issues, makes broccoli one of those crops folks have a difficult time growing. So, let's dig in to everything you would ever want to know about broccoli in the garden. .... Resources: https://www.herbazest.com/herbs/broccoli http://www.stuartxchange.org/Broccoli https://www.almanac.com/plant/broccoli# https://firstsaturdaylime.com/ | |||
| 10 Sep 2024 | Saving Seeds Properly - Ep. 215 | 00:26:52 | |
Saving seeds from our gardens to use the next spring it is a great way to not only help our budget out a little bit but also to give ourselves some food security and doesn’t sound like it should be a very difficult task. At that point we’re not relying on someone else to grow our seeds for us that we have to buy over and over again. Just collect the seeds from whatever you want to keep, rinse them, dry them, and pack them away for next year, right? Well, yes, but also, no. The method I just described can absolutely mean you’ll have beautifully preserved seeds that have fantastic germination the next season and yield a bounty of exactly what you thought you were planting. But it’s equally possible that you’ll open the seed packet the next season to find fuzzy gray fungus or black moldy growth on your seeds, or seeds that don’t sprout properly, or maybe they sprout and you get midway through the gardening season and the fruit on the plant look nothing like the ones you saved the seeds from. So, today on Just Grow Something we’re going to dig into which plants you should and shouldn’t be saving seeds from, how to properly collect, clean, and dry those seeds in order to best guarantee your success the next season, and how to quickly test them before you store them to know if they’re viable. Let’s dig in! References and Resources: Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon | |||
| 10 Aug 2021 | Ep. 48 - We Got the Beet! | 00:22:11 | |
It is super-hot again here today and I can’t help but continue to look forward to my fall gardens. Another great fall crop is beets and you can bet we’ve got a ton of them planted already with plans for another succession planting this coming week. So, let’s dig in to how to grow beets! Beets are grown for both its root and its tops. In the U.S. and Canada, we simply refer to the root as a beet. But elsewhere the root is usually referred to as beetroot, table beet, or dinner beet and the tops are just referred to as beet greens. Beets, both the root and the greens, have been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years to treat a variety of maladies. Beets like similar soil conditions to carrots, so nice light or loamy soil with lots of organic matter. Check out this episode to get more info on how to grow a successful beet crop. Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Resources: | |||
