Just Grow Something | Evidence-Based Home Gardening

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Top 5 Episodes, an Honorable Mention, and an All-Time Favorite Dec 31, 2024

Show notes

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

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Reviewing Your Gardening Season: 10 things to track in your garden journal - Ep. 230 Dec 24, 2024

Show notes

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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.

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Attracting Pollinators and Predators to the Garden - Ep. 229 Dec 17, 2024

Show notes

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

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Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/508637300354140/

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Integrated Pest Management in the Home Garden - Ep. 228 Dec 10, 2024

Show notes

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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

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Ten Most Versatile Herbs for Fresh and Dried Use - Ep. 227 Dec 03, 2024

Show notes

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

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Top 5 Perennial Herbs by USDA Hardiness Zone - Ep. 226 Nov 26, 2024

Show notes

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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

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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

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Winter Produce Storage: Tips for Keeping Your Fall Harvest Fresh Through the Cold Months - Ep. 225 Nov 19, 2024

Show notes

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:

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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

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Three Ways to Grow Nutritious Greens Indoors - Ep. 224 Nov 12, 2024

Show notes

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

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Tropical Gardening, Plus Your Biggest Garden Failures of the Season - Ep. 223 Nov 05, 2024

Show notes

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

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How to Amend the Soil in Fall for a Better Garden in Spring - Ep. 222 Oct 29, 2024

Show notes

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)

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