Just Grow Something | A Gardening Podcast

There's a persistent myth floating around on social media that gardening is too expensive to be worth the effort when it comes to saving money on groceries. But what if I told you that with the right strategies, your backyard (or balcony!) garden could not only feed your family but actually save you money?Today on Just Grow Something, we're busting the myth thatgrowing your own food can't compete with grocery store prices. We'll explore how your location, soil type, and choices in the garden can make a huge difference in your return on investment. From essential tools and inputs to skip-the-splurge items and savvy seed saving, we're diving deep into the real numbers and practical tips that make gardening not just a hobby—but a financially smart one. Let's dig in!In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why some crops offer more bang for your buck than othersWhat you really need to spend money on in your garden—and what you don'tHow to track your gardening costs and harvest value to measure your savingsBudget-friendly strategies like starting from seed, making your own compost, and using free or recycled materialsHow to choose crops and garden methods based on your climate and soil type for maximum returnReferences and Resources:Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant atHeirloomRoses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.com Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raisedplanters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10: https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593USDA Inflation Tracking – Retail Produce Prices: https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/fruit-and-vegetable-prices Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

Welcome to the 250th episode of the Just Grow Something podcast!

Are all bugs in your garden bad news? Not at all! In fact,some insects are your best allies when it comes to pest control and plant health.Today on Just Grow Something, we're talking about howto tell the difference between beneficial insects and destructive garden pests—even if you're not an entomologist. Learn how to identify common bugs based on their behavior, body features, and habitat, and discoverwhich insects you want to attract to your garden and which ones to manage quickly.Whether you're a new gardener confused about who's chewing on your cabbage, or a seasoned grower wanting to attract more natural predators to your space, this episode has practical tips for observing, identifying, andunderstanding the insects in your garden.In This Episode, You'll Learn:The role of beneficial insects in natural pest control and pollinationHow to visually identify insects based on body shape, wing type, behavior, and feeding habitsExamples of common garden pests like aphids, squash bugs, and hornwormsIdentification tips for good bugs like ladybugs, parasitic wasps, lacewings, and hoverfliesWhy local resources like university Extension services and conservation departments are your best tool for regional pest and beneficial IDHow to build a garden that attracts and supports beneficial insectsWhy not all creepy crawlies need to be squished—some are silently helping your garden thrive!Let's dig in!References and Resources:Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at HeirloomRoses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.comGet 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10: https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593BugGuide.net – Community-supported insect ID toolEpisode 24 - Aphids! https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/ep-24-garden-talk-tuesday-aphidsJust Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

It's been a while since we've done a full crop specific episode and I think this is the perfect time of year to talk tomatoes. We are getting about 500 tomato plants in the ground over the next week so they are on my mind!So, today on Just Grow Something we'll walk through the full tomato-growing process—from choosing varieties and starting seeds indoors to troubleshooting common problems and harvesting for peak flavor.You'll learn how to choose the right variety for your space, when and how to plant for success, how to deal with pests before they ruin your harvest, and what to do when things don't go quite as planned (looking at you, blossom-end rot). Let's dig in!References and Resources:Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant or find your next favorite perennial at HeirloomRoses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.comhttp://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/l/lycopersicon-esculentum=tomato.phphttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10050865/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12424325/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168945212001483Just Grow Something: ⁠https://justgrowsomething.com⁠Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads: ⁠https://justgrowsomething.com/shop⁠Just 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/JustGrowSomething⁠Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast: ⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething⁠Amazon storefront: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

I promised this week we'd go into the actual techniques of interplanting. One of the main methods I use in my own garden, in helping my clients in their gardens, and what I teach in my Plan Like a Pro course is “high, low, fast, slow.” This little mantra is a great way to combine the plants in your garden to make the most use of all of your space without impeding on the growth of any of the plants.When done successfully, not only are you taking advantage of mixing the species up to help with pest pressure, but you're also providing better diversity in the garden in terms of your soil and getting more out of the same garden space. When done incorrectly, though, we can choke out our plants, cause disease issues, invite pests in because we have weak plants and, ultimately reduce our yield.Today on Just Grow Something, I'm taking you through how to judiciously combine plant families in your garden beds so you can make the most of the space you have while also benefitting your plants and the soil they're in. I will give you specific examples of how this is working out in my gardens right now so maybe you can be inspired to do the same in your own garden. Let's dig in!EPISODE REFERENCES AND RESOURCES: Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant or find yournext favorite perennial at Heirloom Roses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.comJust Grow Something Garden Planning Workbook: https://www.justgrowsomething.com/shop/p/just-grow-something-garden-planning-workbookPlan Like a Pro Course: https://justgrowsomething.thinkific.com/courses/plan-like-a-proJust Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

If you've been gardening for any amount of time, you've likely come across companion planting charts—maybe you've seen advice like “plant basil with tomatoes” or “marigolds repel all pests.” But how much of this is actually true?Companion planting can mean a lot of things, depending on what our goal is. We can either be going for pest repelling properties, keeping weeds down, soil health benefits, or just enhancing flavors or saving space.Today on Just Grow Something, we're sorting fact from fiction. Some companion planting practices do have solid science behind them. But many claims are more anecdotal than evidence-based—and in some cases, well-intended pairings might even backfire. I'm looking at you marigolds. Let's dig in!References and Resources:Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at HeirloomRoses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.comCompanion Planting: Fact or Fiction?: https://growappalachia.berea.edu/2019/04/01/companion-planting-fact-or-fiction/Companion Planting & Botanical Pesticides: Concepts & Resources: https://attra.ncat.org/publication/companion-planting-resources/#4Companion Planting | West Virginia University: https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/gardening/garden-management/companion-plantingPhytoremediation episode: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/focal-point-friday-are-sunflowers-good-or-bad-for-the-gardenIPM episode: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/integrated-pest-management-in-the-home-garden-ep-228How to Find and Support the Show:Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

Today, we're diving into a topic that sneaks up on every gardener at some point—pests. Whether they're crawling, flying, or trotting in on four legs, pests can quickly turn a thriving garden into a frustrated gardener's nightmare.But here's the good news: you don't have to reach for synthetic pesticides to protect your plants. Today on Just Grow Something we're talking all about preparing your garden before the pests show up—using methods that keep your crops safe while still protecting pollinators and beneficial insects. We'll cover physical barriers, companion planting, organic sprays, soil health, and even a few tips for keeping the bunnies and deer at bay.Let's dig in!References and Resources:Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at Heirloom Roses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.comThe influence of host and non‐host companion plants on the behaviour of pest insects in field cropsPest management tools:insect netting: https://amzn.to/3XXMxN3hardware cloth: https://amzn.to/4idDfUogopher baskets: https://amzn.to/3YwFiM6insecticidal soap: https://amzn.to/3Gl50wUneem oil: https://amzn.to/4jczBeSbt: https://amzn.to/44oJ5PqSpinosad: https://amzn.to/4cxt1NhDE: https://amzn.to/3RgXGEUFirst Saturday Lime: https://amzn.to/4j4iWtPJust Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

One thing I am often asked by beginning gardeners is, “what is the easiest thing for me to grow?” Some of us just dive right in to gardening headfirst, attempting to grow whatever our favorite veggies are, regardless of how easy or difficult it is. Or without even considering that one might be more difficult than others. That was me and ignorance is definitely bliss until you are unsuccessful, and then it's just frustrating.So, today on Just Grow Something I'm going to cover some of the easiest things for a brand-new gardener to grow, whether it's in garden beds, raised planters or pots. We'll take about which growing zones they are appropriate for, what type of light requirements they have, and any specific requirements they prefer like temperature or how they germinate. Just because they're easy doesn't mean they won't appreciate a little attention to their preferences and that will only make them easier for you to get them to maturity. This is a great episode to share with a new gardening friend! Let's dig in!References and Resources:Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at Heirloom Roses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.comEpisode 240: Spring Planted Bulbs and Garden PerennialsEp. 79 - Planning a Children's GardenJust Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

I will never forget the first time I successfully started my own transplants from seed indoors and they actually looked healthy and strong. I was so excited to get those tomato plants out into my garden and lovingly transferred them from their little pots out into the garden, got them all watered in, and was so excited about the money I had just saved by doing it myself instead of going to the garden center.Three days later those plants were flopped over flat on the ground, looking like they had seen a hard frost over night even though I knew they hadn't. Those plants took weeks to bounce back and started producing way later than they should have. That very next year I did it again, only this time it was cabbage and the plants got completely sun bleached and they never bounced back at all. They dropped most of their leaves and just didn't grow.In both cases, I had failed to give the plants adequate time to acclimate to their surroundings, moving them way too quickly from the indoor seed-starting setup with its perfect lighting, perfect temperatures, and protection from the elements right out into the full sun, gusting winds and wild temperature swings typical for our gardens here in the spring.That process of acclimating our plants to the outside world is called hardening off and nobody had every told me anything about this. It seems obvious if we think about it in terms of anything else in our world. If we live somewhere warm and travel someplace cold, our bodies need to time to acclimate to our new surroundings or need adequate protection to help with the transition. If we need it, our little plants need it, too. So, today on Just Grow Something we're walking step-by-step through how to transition your plants into the garden, whether you started them yourself or you bought them somewhere else. Will it always end in disaster if you don't do this, no, not always. But the number of times it has ended in disaster for me has me checking myself every time I think I don't have the patience to wait a week before putting my plant babies in the ground. Let's dig in.References and Resources:Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at HeirloomRoses.com with code JUSTGROWJust Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

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 GuideComposting Dairy ProductsTurning Compost by TemperatureComposting to Kill Weed SeedsEPA: Composting at HomeGet 10% and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10: https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch and Downloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust 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/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

Many traditional "old-wives' tales" and "farmer's wisdom" about planting and gardening are actually based on phenology, the study of seasonal changes in plants and animals in relation to climate and weather.Many traditional planting rules are based on biological indicators—when certain plants leaf out or bloom, or when specific animals become active. These signals reflect cumulative temperature trends and help predict when conditions are right for planting, pruning, or harvesting.Today on Just Grow Something we'll do a breakdown of common gardening wisdoms across different regions, why they work, and how they can help gardeners time their planting based on natural cues. We'll even check out some of these wisdoms from a few regions outside the U.S., namely Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K., to see how they compare. Let's dig in!References and Resources:Get 10% and FREE shipping on my favorite raised plantersat Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10: https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust 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/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

Save 20% on your Magic Mind subscription! https://magicmind.com/GROWSOMETHING20 with code GROWSOMETHING20One of my goals this year for the garden is to focus a little bit more on the aesthetics of the garden, rather than just the functionality of it. I really feel like I can get more enjoyment from the gardens if I enjoy how they look and enjoy spending time in them not for just planting and weeding and harvesting, but just for the sheer joy of it.One of the ways I think I can do this is by adding flowers. I am pretty adept and growing annuals from seed but this year I'm adding bulbs to the list. Spring is also a really good time to be adding perennials to the edible areas of the garden, vegetables and fruits.Today on Just Grow Something we're talking about perennial fruit and vegetable plants best planted in spring and flowering bulbs planted in spring for summer blooms. We'll cover proper planting methods, timing, and first-year care to set you up for success. Let's dig in!References and Resources:Seed to Sprout seed-starting course: https://www.justgrowsomething.com/indoor-seed-startingJust Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust 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/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

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/3XosxmeBailey 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-1249534915569Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust 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/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

Last chance for the special Magic Mind offer for themonth of February where you can save 40% off your subscription: https://magicmind.com/GROWSOMETHING40 Knowing when and how to pot up your seedlings can make all the difference in their health and success when they finally reach the garden. This is usually something we only have to worry about when starting our own seedlings ahead of the gardening season. But you may find if you buy warm-weather plants from the garden center too early, that they quickly outgrow their containers, and they'll need to be potted up or risk being stunted when they finally do go into the garden.Today on Just Grow Something we'll cover why and when potting up is necessary, which plants typically don't need potting up, and the best technique for potting up transplants.We're also going to answer the question of the month: Whatdo you have the most difficulty with starting seeds indoors?Let's dig in!References and Resources:My new SEED TO SPROUT course is live! https://www.justgrowsomething.com/indoor-seed-startingJust Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust 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/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

Success with starting seeds indoors comes down to a handful of factors: your materials and technique, soil temperature, air temperature, light, and air flow. How we approach each of these will determine how successful our outcome is. Just like any new skill, starting seeds indoors and successfully getting them to the transplant stage takes practice. Last week we talked about the supplies we need to get started. This week, we're covering how to use them. Today on Just Grow Something, we're going to run through what I would consider to be best practices in terms of each of these factors. We'll talk about the optimal way to approach seed starting and talk about where we can go wrong. By the end you'll be able to decide for yourself whether you should tackle indoor seed starting as a beginner or where you can improve if you've been there before. Let's dig in! References and Resources: Free Seed Starting eBook: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/seedbook Garden Planning Workbook: https://www.justgrowsomething.com/shop/p/just-grow-something-garden-planning-workbook Seed Starting Supplies Options (aff): https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething/list/2C6VB08JWCYZ9?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_PQ0YZ9H0SFS3SM5RXCH5 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

FIRST TEN ORDERS IN FEBRUARY: Save 40% on your Magic Mind subscription! https://magicmind.com/GROWSOMETHING40 with code GROWSOMETHING40 We talked last week about how to time our seed starting so we can get a jump on the gardening season without being too early or too late. This week we're focusing on what we need in terms of supplies to get those seeds going. There are tons and tons of options out there from the plain basics to the super fancy and everything in between. There is also a wide range in terms of how expensive those options are. Today on Just Grow Something we'll talk about the six things I think you need for basic seed starting and then the items that are either nice to have's but not necessary or downright scams. If you've thought about starting your own seeds indoors but shied away because it seemed like you needed way too much equipment, we're going to demystify that today. Let's dig in! References and Resources Free Seed Starting eBook: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/seedbook Garden Planning Workbook: https://www.justgrowsomething.com/shop/p/just-grow-something-garden-planning-workbook Seed Starting Supplies Options (aff): https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething/list/2C6VB08JWCYZ9?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_PQ0YZ9H0SFS3SM5RXCH5 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

Once those seed orders are rolling in, your garden plan is shaping up, and the days slowly get a little bit longer, we start to get restless. We want to get our hands in the dirt! This leads to the temptation to get started on our indoor seed starting, but for most of us it really isn't time to start very many of those seeds just yet. This will depend on your growing zone, of course, and when your last spring frost date is if you have one, but it will also depend on what you're planning to grow. Today on Just Grow Something we're going to narrow down, step-by-step, how to time your seed starting whether you're just dipping your toe in or have been doing it for a while. It does take practice to get the timing right and there is no foolproof plan because conditions change from year to year. But by the end you will know exactly what steps to take to get yourself as close to target as possible so you don't have 18” tomato plants begging to be planted a full three weeks before it's warm enough for them to go outside...speaking from experience. Let's dig in! References and Resources: Garden Planning Workbook: https://www.justgrowsomething.com/shop/p/just-grow-something-garden-planning-workbook Seed Starting Chart: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/start Greencast Soil Temperature Maps Let Soil Temperatures Guide You When Planting Vegetables Weather History & Data Archive | Weather Underground Average Weather by Location 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

Get 45% off the Magic Mind Mental and Sleep Performance bundle with my link:https://www.magicmind.com/GROWSOMETHINGJAN All this month we've been talking about garden planning because it's that time. The slower month of January means taking the time to really figure out what we want to grow in the garden and last week we talked about how to fit it all in. This week, we're talking about my secret weapon to keeping on track – the humble calendar. This may not seem like a big deal but, let me tell you, my entire operation is run on a calendar that I put together in January and it is the key to how productive my gardens are. It does not matter how big or small your garden is, although the bigger the garden the more you really need a calendar to keep you on track. But even small gardens have certain tasks that need to be performed at certain times to optimize the harvest, whether that's fertilizing, pruning, trellising, or succession planting. Today on Just Grow Something we're completing the planning puzzle by filling out our calendar. We'll talk about the general information you should be putting on the calendar and then do a detailed look at how to decide what goes in the calendar and where. By the end, you'll see why it's so important to track these tasks early on so nothing gets missed. Let's dig in. References and Resources: Plan Like a Pro course: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/pro Find my Garden Planning Workbook in my shop: https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Garden Planner from the Girly Homesteader: https://payhip.com/b/aiIN5/af667ebf3155ff8 code JUSTGROW for 10% off. Sugar Paper Planners: https://amzn.to/4jogDm4 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

Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle with with my link:https://www.magicmind.com/GROWSOMETHINGJAN 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

Last week we defined our “why” for gardening as a way to help determine our goals. Part of that goal requires us to think about the types of things we want to grow in our garden and the number of people we're feeding in our family or whomever we are growing for. This also helps determine how much space we need for the garden to meet those goals and whether or not our existing space is big enough, or even too big. 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. It's also very easy to plant too much of one thing and not enough of another and leave yourself overloaded or coming up short. I was guilty of not planting enough leafy greens the first few years but way overplanting the cucumbers and I very quickly had to learn how to make pickles, something my family still does not eat in abundance. Today on Just Grow Something we'll talk about how to determine the number of seeds or plants that you for your garden in order to achieve the harvest you want so you can more accurately plan your garden space and leave nothing behind. Let's dig in! References and Resources: Plan Like a Pro Course: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/pro MU Extension Vegetable Planting Calendar: https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6201 (click to download .pdf to the right of the page) Plan By Yield Chart: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/yield 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

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

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!) Ep. 89 - Growing Peppers 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

Save up to 48% on your Magic Mind subscription! https://magicmind.com/GROWSOMETHING20 with code GROWSOMETHING20 Depending on where you live your gardening season may just be winding down or at least slowing a little bit or it may have been done for a couple of months now. This is a great time to take a deep breath, recover from the busyness and demands of the garden, and then to look back and reflect. Planning for next year's garden will be happening soon enough and I know some of you have already started because I know the seed catalogs are rolling in and that gets us excited for next year. But, you can't know where you're going if you don't where you've been. What went well in your garden this year? I mean really well? What didn't go so well? And what was a complete flop? Do you know why these things happened? And is there any way to either duplicate those results or make corrections so they don't happen again? Today on Just Grow Something we're taking the first step toward planning next season's garden and that's reviewing and reflecting what happened this season. I'll take you step-by-step through the things we should record, if we haven't already, and how to evaluate what we experienced in the garden in terms of moisture levels, weed pressure, insect damage, and harvests, so we know what went right and how to do it again, or what went wrong and how to avoid doing it again. Let's dig in. References and Resources: Integrated Pest Management in the Home Garden - Ep. 228 Attracting Pollinators and Predators to the Garden - Ep. 229 Winter Produce Storage: Tips for Keeping Your Fall Harvest Fresh Through the Cold Months - Ep. 225 Garden Planner from the Girly Homesteader: https://payhip.com/b/aiIN5/af667ebf3155ff8 code JUSTGROW for 10% off. 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

If you've ever had shrunken ends on your zucchini or curled ends on your cucumbers, then you have seen the results of a lack of pollination. This doesn't always mean we don't have enough pollinators, sometimes it means the pollinators couldn't do their job for some other reason, like heat, humidity or the density of our plants. But, it is becoming more and more common for us to see a lack of pollinators in our vegetable gardens. Neighboring pesticide users, invasive species, widespread habitat loss, or disease can all affect the diversity of insects we want in our gardens and these aren't often things we can control. But we can control what happens in our own yards and garden spaces and use that control to help out the pollinator insect population. If we understand some of the strategies to help pollinators, we can also positively affect the number of predatory insects we draw to our gardens which falls right in line with the Integrated Pest Management strategies we talked about last week. Today on Just Grow Something we'll talk about why we might have a lack of pollinators in our garden and strategies to correct that, five annual and five perennial plants that attract pollinators to a vegetable garden, along with their benefits, the pollinators they attract, and growing tips. We'll also cover which of those attracts predatory insects to the garden to help with some of that pest pressure many of us seem to face. Let's dig in! References and Resources: The Great Marigold Debate - Ep. 147 Marigolds as Companion Plants: Know How to Use Them 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

Save up to 48% on your Magic Mind subscription! https://magicmind.com/GROWSOMETHING20 with code GROWSOMETHING20 What is your biggest problem in the garden? If you're like most gardeners, this can be any number of things … weeds, deer and rabbits, diseases. But the number one thing I hear from gardeners that they feel is so out of their control is insect pests. Once we think we have one pest figured out another moves in to wreck as much havoc as the first, sometimes more, and it feels like a losing battle. There are a lot of things we can do in the garden to mitigate these pests right from the beginning and it all starts with our garden plan, before we even plant a single seed or buy our first transplant for the season. The way in which we plant our crops, in terms of companion planting and intercropping, is just the start and I've talked a lot about that on this podcast. But, if we look at this from an even more detailed perspective, home gardeners should be using a multi-layered approach to battle pests. In sustainable agriculture we refer to this as Integrated Pest Management and you may very well be practicing some of the principles already in your garden but you may be missing some components, too. Today on Just Grow Something we'll break down the core principles of Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, and how we as home gardeners can easily apply those principles to manage pests effectively while still protecting beneficial insects, the environment, and our plants. Let's dig in! References and Resources: Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Companion Planting episodes, videos, blog posts: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/search/companion Companion Planting chart: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/chart Grow and Flourish Planner (use code JUSTGROW to save 10%): https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/planner 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

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

Save 20% on your Magic Mind subscription! https://magicmind.com/GROWSOMETHING20 with code GROWSOMETHING20 We all want things to be just a little bit easier in the garden, right? It's part of why I try to plant things in the fall to overwinter that will start growing on their own in the spring. It means less effort on my part during a very busy time in the garden when it seems like everything has to go in all at once. The best low-effort thing I can think of in the garden is a perennial and the easiest of these is herbs! The idea of planting something once and doing nothing but harvesting it each season and occasionally splitting up clumps to make more plants sounds like the easiest thing in the garden to accomplish. Herbs can add so much flavor to the other garden goodness we're bringing into the kitchen, and they can be expensive to buy in the grocery! Today on Just Grow Something we'll cover the top five perennial herbs to grow by USDA Hardiness Zone. We'll highlight each herb, the planting and growing requirements, and talk about any special conditions that make them more hardy for your area. Because it's very frustrating to be told something is perennial, only to find out it's not perennial in your area. Let's dig in! References and Resources: Just Grow Something 2024 Gardener's Gift Guide: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/gift24 Elm Dirt's Shield: https://www.elmdirt.com/?rfsn=6809035.8aa23a5 Get 10% and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct: https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 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! (buymeacoffee.com): https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething

As we head toward the end of fall and into winter it's time to start using some of what we've stored from the garden. Bountiful fall harvests of things like onions, potatoes, carrots, and beets, whether we grew them ourselves or managed to snag some from the local farmers market or CSA, can absolutely be stored up for long-term use. In fact, many of us count on these harvests or market scores to feed our families throughout the winter. But it can be very disheartening to go into your pantry or basement to pull out sweet potatoes for a big family holiday meal, only to find they've gone soft or moldy. Today on Just Grow Something we're going to cover proper winter storage of fall harvested vegetables and we'll talk about some of the fruits, too. There are plenty of things we can store with no special equipment or storage facility, just a cool dark area may be all you need. But understanding the difference between what your potatoes want, versus what your sweet potatoes want, can make all the difference in the world when it comes to how long you can enjoy those goodies before planting again in the spring. 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! ⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething⁠

It is November, which means we are firmly seated in fall and many of us have seen the total demise of our gardens. In fact, some of us have had several weeks since we saw anything green out there and it's kind of depressing! Have no fear, there is a way to get a fresh green pick-me-up in the kitchen even when the outside seems bleary – three ways, in fact! Today on Just Grow Something we're going to cover three ways to grow nutritious greens indoors. This can absolutely be done year-round, but it's especially poignant in the late fall and through the winter. Especially if you live somewhere like I do where it's a bit bleak and dreary outside and your body is just craving something fresh. Let's dig in! References and Resources: (some links are affiliates and I'll earn a small commission ... thank you!) Get 20% off a Magic Mind subscription with code GROWSOMETHING20 Simple LED grow lights: https://amzn.to/3UMqN5k Hydroponic net pots: https://amzn.to/3Cm8fSW Coconut coir plant starter pellets: https://amzn.to/3YK0xth Organic liquid plant food for hydroponics: https://amzn.to/3UO1fEO pH test strips: https://amzn.to/3Co6Efq Inexpensive air bubbler: https://amzn.to/3O3Gpxj Variety pack microgreens seed: https://amzn.to/3O4eddS Elm Dirt: https://www.elmdirt.com/?rfsn=6809035.8aa23a5 Microgreen Basics - Ep. 169 Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Buy Me A Coffee!

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 Food Security and Debt: Rebooting Puerto Rican Agriculture as a Path Out of Crisis | Journal of Public and International Affairs Regrowing Puerto Rico's Agriculture - WWF - Environment & Disaster Management ‘A National Call for Food Production:' Sustainable Farming Seeks Revolution in Puerto Rico | Pulitzer Center

Adding the right soil amendments in the fall is a great way to set up your garden for success in the spring. By incorporating amendments now, you give them time to break down and integrate into the soil, providing nutrients and improving soil texture for the next growing season. Today on Just Grow Something we're going to breakdown the best amendments for addressing specific nutrient deficiencies, as well as general-purpose options that we can add to our soil now to benefit our garden in the spring. Let's dig in! Question of the Month: What was your biggest failure in the garden this year? References and Resources: Get 20% off a Magic Mind subscription with code GROWSOMETHING20 Focal Point Friday: Plant Nutrient Basics Using Manure in the Garden: What's Safe and What's Not? How and when to use manure as fertilizer. How and Why to Perform a Soil Test for Nutrients and Texture High quality single-ingredient (alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, bone meal, etc.), all-purpose, and mineral amendment resource: https://amzn.to/4f32Nmo (aff) New Merch! Just Grow Something | Patreon Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast! (buymeacoffee.com)

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. 40 - Growing Garlic 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) New Merch! Just Grow Something | Patreon Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast! (buymeacoffee.com)

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 Ep. 133 - Growing Onions 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)

The fruits and veggies coming from our gardens are not the only things we can dry and store in the off-season. Think about the vibrant colors from the flowers in our yards and containers. We can absolutely preserve that beauty to use year-round, or at least to display through the dreary winter season, by simply air-drying them. There are lots of ways we can use those cut flowers, ornamental grasses, and even edible flowers and herbs in our home décor and pantry. Yes, you've got the typical dried flower arrangement in the form of a bouquet, but what about centerpieces, wreaths, swags or other purposes like tea blends or simmer pots? Today on Just Grow Something we'll talk about the conditions we need to properly dry our florals and other cuttings from the garden, when and how to properly harvest them specifically for this purpose, how to properly store them so they retain their color, and some usage ideas. Why shouldn't we use all the colors of our summer garden to brighten up our indoor spaces as we move through fall and into winter? Let's dig in! Question of the month: What was your biggest failure in the garden this season? References and Resources 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)

As we start to wind down the summer gardening season it's a great time to be adding compost to your beds to help give the soil a boost. Letting the compost break down over the winter gives it adequate time to become activated with all the little microorganisms that are so important for delivering nutrients to our plants in the soil. But, purchasing compost, especially really good compost, can be pricey and the bigger your garden, the higher the price tag! It's hard to justify sometimes because some of us are growing our own gardens so we can save money on our food budget, not pay more to amend the soil than it would cost us to just buy our veggies at the grocery store. And if we opt for budget compost we may find not only is the texture and quality definitely fit the price point, but our plants aren't getting much out of that soil the following season which is a complete waste of money. I also understand that not everybody has room for a big compost pile in their yard, you may not even have a yard and are gardening in containers on a patio or porch, but you still want the best amendments for your soil and everybody has kitchen waste that can be used to feed our garden soil. So, today on Just Grow Something we're going to talk about the absolute easiest and least messy ways to build a small compost pile or composting system for your garden regardless of where you are. It may not be everything you need to add to your garden, depending on the size you're working with, but it will absolutely reduce the need for having to purchase as much and you'll be diverting waste from the landfill and helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the process. Let's dig in. References and Resources: 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) Ep. 80 - Creating and Managing a Compost Pile Ep. 106 - Introduction to Vermicomposting (Worm Farming!) Ep. 107 - Worm Farming with Lauren Cain of Elm Dirt

As the fall season is practically upon us and the pumpkin spice gods are already blessing us with their bounty, it's time to get your garden ready for the changing weather. Fall gardening can look very different depending on your climate, but no matter where you live, the changing season means there are some important tasks to attend to for the success of your garden now and into the spring. Today on Just Grow Something we're tackling your fall garden checklist. Whether you're buttoning up your garden for winter, transitioning into a cool-season planting cycle, or continuing to harvest year-round, today's episode breaks down fall gardening tasks for three different groups of gardeners: Zones 3 and 4, Zones 5 through 9, and Zones 10 and 11. Let's dig in! Question of the Month: What was your biggest success in the garden this season? References and Resources: Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Bonus content for supporters of the Just Grow Something Podcast! (buymeacoffee.com) Heirloom Roses: Use code JUSTGROW for 20% off! Through Oct. 31st, 2024 Getting Started with Cover Crops - Ep. 166 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map Frost Dates: First and last frost dates by zipcode - Garden.org

Last week on the podcast we talked about which seeds we should be saving from the garden, how mature the fruits need to be when we harvest seeds and a bit about how to dry and test them. This week, we're focusing on storing them properly. When we get seeds from a catalog or other seed supplier, they've often gone through a set of steps that we may not be duplicating at home with our own saved seeds. Seed suppliers are required to test their seeds not just for germination percentage, but also for diseases and moisture content. These tests ensure that we're not brining outside diseases into our gardens and make sure the seeds we get will maintain their integrity in storage without spoiling. Today on Just Grow Something we're going to talk about how we can achieve the same results in our own seed collection. If you garden where certain diseases are prevalent you certainly don't want to saving that disease to plant again with your seeds the next year. We also want to be sure our seeds remain intact in storage and we don't open up a fuzzy, moldy mess when it's time to plant in the spring. Let's dig in! Question of the Month: What was your biggest success in the garden this season? References and Resources: Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Just Grow Something is Bonus content for supporters of the Just Grow Something Podcast! (buymeacoffee.com) Vegetable: Hot Water Seed Treatment | Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment at UMass Amherst

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 Buy Me a Coffee! Hot Water Treatment for Seeds – Louisiana State University How To Save Vegetable Seeds – Farmers Almanac

If you have intentions of growing garlic for next year, now is the time to be ordering your seed garlic. Garlic needs about six months in the ground to get to maturity so, here in the northern hemisphere, we may be planting our garlic as early as mid-September in some areas. With the plethora of catalogs and websites and garden centers offering garlic to gardeners, how do you know what variety of garlic to choose? And should you be choosing hard neck, or soft neck, or that look-a-like Elephant garlic? Today on Just Grow Something we're gonna' figure it out. We'll talk about the differences between the types of garlic, and what might make you want to choose one variety over another – whether it's to do with flavor, storage, disease resistance, or something else entirely. Let's dig in! References and Resources: Just Grow Something | creating a podcast and gardening videos | Patreon Just Grow Something is Bonus content for supporters of the Just Grow Something Podcast! (buymeacoffee.com) How many types of garlic are there? - Chef's Resource (chefsresource.com) Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Vegetable Growing Guides - Growing Guide Garlic Variety Descriptions | The Dyer Family Organic Farm Garlic | The Buffalo Seed Company

If you didn't plan for a fall garden and maybe have changed your mind a little bit and want to give it a go, you might be looking for something you can very quickly put into the ground and grow directly from seed. Enter beets. They will happily germinate in almost any temperature of soil and they greatly appreciate the cooler days of fall when they are coming to maturity. They're not fool-proof, because there is a little effort needed in terms of thinning in most cases and they do need a nice, loose soil to produce those beautiful round roots, but there is nothing that beats the flavor in the fall of a sweet, roasted beet alongside other root vegetables. Or, my go-to snack or addition to my salads, pickled beets, and my new favorite, beets roasted in air fryer. Even my husband admits those are good and he swears beets taste like dirt. So, today on Just Grow Something we're talking beets! How to grow them, what type to grow for your area, and why does it seem that even when we carefully space our beet seeds out in the garden that we end up having to thin them anyway? So many seedlings! Let's dig in! References and Resources: Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Vegetable Growing Guides - Growing Guide ⁠Garden Insect Netting⁠ (affiliate) ⁠Garden Frost Cloth/Row Cover⁠ (affiliate)

I do searches online for gardening topics all the time. I will search key phrases to see if I can come up with topics that people seem to be searching for or gardening questions that may be trending. I even search specific ideas to see if there is new information or research that I'm not aware of. And more and more frequently I'm noticing a disturbing trend. As I look at the search results, often times I will see multiple pages in a row, usually sponsored results, that have the exact same key phrases as the meta description, the little blurb you see under the link that tells you what's on the page before you click it. When I click on one of those pages I find the page to be full of ads, with very little substance in terms of gardening know how. And the verbiage and style of writing is very mechanical, disjointed, and generic. If I click another one, the page layout is exactly the same and so is the wording. These pages are all designed to look like legitimate gardening blogs or how-to sites, but they all have two things in common – they are meant to earn money from the overwhelming number of ads being displayed and they are all written by artificial intelligence. Today on Just Grow Something we're diving into AI and gardening advice. Can AI be helpful when asking questions in the garden? Are those answers accurate? And how can we determine whether a source is reliable or not? Let's dig in. References and Resources Vote for me in the Women in Podcasting Awards! Save on a Magic Mind Subscription with code justgrowsomething20 Just Grow Something Website (justgrowsomethingpodcast.com)

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) Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (Updated Edition)

Over the past decade or so there has been much debate about whether open-pollinated and heirloom varieties should be the preferred choice for gardeners over hybrids. And there's been even louder discussion (arguments) over GMOs or genetically engineered plants. Why all the fuss? We're getting a bit sciencey today. I mean, more than usual. We're discussing the difference between all these types of plants, when and how they are appropriate to use in our home gardens, and what, if any, implications genetic engineering has on our choice of food at the grocery store and the farm stand. Let's dig in! References and Resources: Vote for me in the Women in Podcasting Awards! Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Save on a Magic Mind Subscription with code justgrowsomething20 Hybrid or Open Pollinated - Garden.org https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/files/ef130.pdf Choosing Bt Sweet Corn Varieties | University of Maryland Extension (umd.edu) The True Story of Golden Rice, the Genetically Modified Superfood That Almost Saved Millions (foreignpolicy.com) Transgenic Virus-Resistant Papaya: The Hawaiian 'Rainbow' was Rapidly Adopted by Farmers and is of Major Importance in Hawaii Today (apsnet.org) Pinkglow® pineapple (pinkglowpineapple.com) In Search of the Real Jersey Tomato (Part I) (Archived) Rutgers 250 Tomato | Rutgers Research

Mother Nature has opened the blast furnace door on west central Missouri. I recorded this quick episode on the fly in the gardens to share with you a little wisdom about what our plants are doing in the heat and how to avoid further damage to things like tomatoes by overwatering. Let's dig in! You can find the video version of this podcast on Spotify and YouTube!

Back on episode 200, the Ask Me Anything episode, someone asked if I would do an episode on growing Brussels sprouts. I said no at the time because I hadn't yet successfully grown them but indicated it may be soon because Brussels were having a moment in my garden this spring and it was looking good. Well, here we are and we're talking Brussels because I managed to successfully grow and harvest a summer crop from a spring planting and have round two of seedlings started already for planting soon for a fall harvest. So, today on Just Grow Something, we're talking Brussels sprouts! The background of the plant, how to grow it, what pests and disease plague it, and how to harvest and store. It's a full blown crop specific episode that will hopefully demystify growing these teeny cabbage look-a-likes in your own garden. Let's dig in! References and Resources: The Great Marigold Debate - Ep. 147 Weather History & Data Archive | Weather Underground (wunderground.com) Health Benefits of Brussels Sprouts Explore Cornell - Home Gardening - Vegetable Growing Guides - Growing Guide Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Follow me on Instagram JustGrowSomethingPodcast.com Merchandise | Just Grow Something

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 Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Follow me on Instagram JustGrowSomethingPodcast.com Merchandise | Just Grow Something

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 Follow me on Instagram JustGrowSomethingPodcast.com Merchandise | Just Grow Something

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   Photosynthetic activity and onion growth response to compost and Epsom salt: International Journal of Vegetable Science: Vol 26, No 6 (tandfonline.com) IMPACT OF EPSOM SALT APPLICATION ON BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN BEETROOT (Beta vulgaris L.). | Agricultural Research Journal | EBSCOhost Effects of Epsom (magnesium sulfate) salt on growth performance of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) in nutrient film technique and media-based aquaponics systems | Aquaculture International (springer.com) Effects of foliar and root application of epsom salt on aquaponics beetroot (Beta vulgaris) production in confined condition | Asian Journal of Medical and Biological Research (banglajol.info) The Response to Epsom Salt Sprays of Mature Apple Trees of Three Varieties on Two Contrasting Rootstocks: Journal of Horticultural Science: Vol 43, No 4 (tandfonline.com) Fertilize with Epsom Salts - Garden.org Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Follow me on Instagram JustGrowSomethingPodcast.com Merchandise | Just Grow Something

Last week on the podcast we talked about your summer succession plantings, things you can plant in the summer and harvest in the summer on repeat. This week, it's all about fall, baby. I know it may seem like the summer growing season just started, especially if you have very few frost-free days, but this really is the time to be planning for a fall harvest. In order to get a viable crop before your first frost date or first hard freeze or before your Persephone Period hits, the steps to get there start now. Today on Just Grow Something we are talking all things fall garden planning – what to plant, when to start your seeds, whether to grow from seeds or seedlings, timing the planting, and getting to harvest. By the end you will have a firm grasp on whether you want to tackle a fall garden and why I insist it's one of the absolute best times of year to garden in most areas. Let's dig in! References and Resources: Save 10% on The Girly Homesteader Grow and Flourish Planner with code JUSTGROW Frost Dates: First and last frost dates by zipcode - Garden.org 2024 Frost Dates: First and Last Frost Dates by ZIP Code | The Old Farmer's Almanac | Almanac.com Just Grow Something Fall Garden Planning Challenge Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Follow me on Instagram JustGrowSomethingPodcast.com Merchandise | Just Grow Something --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justgrowsomething/message

We are officially in summer in the northern hemisphere and, for many of us, she came in with a bang. It will hit 100 F here today with a heat index of 112 F and it feels like walking in front of a blast furnace stepping out into the sun. This may make you think the summer growing season is a one-and-done situation, especially if you live somewhere further south than me where the temperatures can be even more brutal on a regular basis. I'm here to tell you that's not the case. In fact, even if you live further north of me where the temperatures are just now finally warm enough to start planting warm-season crops, there are a slew of things that can be grown in the summer vegetable garden that you can plant multiple times to get a greater harvest from the garden. Today on Just Grow Something we'll talk about the top five crops in different climates that can be successively planted throughout the summer. Whether your warm season is short or you're gardening in a sauna, I guarantee there is something you can grow multiple times to increase your yield even if it feels like somebody opened the gates of Hades in your front yard. Let's dig in. References and Resources: Subscribe NowJust Grow Something | The "Why" Behind the "How" of GardeningJune 18, 20244x20300:25:4523.59 MBWhen Are Onions Ready to Harvest? - Ep. 203 I posted a video last week on TikTok and Reels about how to tell if your onions are ready to harvest and there was a lot of feedback. Onions are one of those crops that can take a long time to master and, even then, getting a good harvest can be hit or miss. Which is probably why that video got the response it did. Today on Just Grow Something we'll go over how to tell if your onions are ready to harvest, when you should wait, and when you should pull them early based on the conditions of the plant. We'll also talk about what can go wrong with onions causing them to either bolt prematurely or never get to the size we'd hoped. There are lots of intricacies to successfully growing onions but once we understand the things they rely on to produce, it does get easier. A little. Let's dig in! References and Resources: Visit HeirloomRoses.com and take 20% off your order of roses with code JUSTGROW through October 31, 2024 Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Follow me on Instagram JustGrowSomethingPodcast.com Merchandise | Just Grow Something --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justgrowsomething/message

I posted a video last week on TikTok and Reels about how to tell if your onions are ready to harvest and there was a lot of feedback. Onions are one of those crops that can take a long time to master and, even then, getting a good harvest can be hit or miss. Which is probably why that video got the response it did. Today on Just Grow Something we'll go over how to tell if your onions are ready to harvest, when you should wait, and when you should pull them early based on the conditions of the plant. We'll also talk about what can go wrong with onions causing them to either bolt prematurely or never get to the size we'd hoped. There are lots of intricacies to successfully growing onions but once we understand the things they rely on to produce, it does get easier. A little. Let's dig in! References and Resources: Ep. 114 - Planting Onions to Overwinter Ep. 133 - Growing Onions Visit HeirloomRoses.com and take 20% off your order of roses with code JUSTGROW through October 31, 2024 Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon Follow me on Instagram JustGrowSomethingPodcast.com Merchandise | Just Grow Something --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justgrowsomething/message