Just Grow Something | Evidence-Based Home Gardening

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Resources:

Molasses for Plants

Molasses Fertilizer for Soil

Improving Garden Soil: Milk and Molasses Magic

MOLASSES & SOIL MICROBES. DOES THIS GARDEN HACK WORK? | Gardening in Canada - YouTube

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Ep. 84 - Grow Your Own Tea Garden Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

A few years back I began to pay more attention to the ingredients in my tea. And I discovered that many of the tea blends I was using contained artificial flavorings. Even the organic teas used so-called “natural flavorings” without indicating the source of that ingredient. So, I started making my own tea blends from herbs I grow in my own garden. I sell many of these herbs as plants at our farm stand and help folks put together their own tea gardens every season. So, this episode we’re going to talk about some of the most common herbs, flowers, and other plants to grow in your garden for making your own tea blends, and how to harvest and use those herbs, and a few of my favorite blends that you can try yourself. Let’s dig in.

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Resources:

Tea - Wikipedia

Green vs. Black Tea – What’s the Difference? (pureleaf.com)

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Ep. 83 - Growing Luffa Mar 29, 2022

Show notes

Back in 2020, otherwise known as “the year that shall not be named” growing luffa became this sort of garden craze. I have no idea how it got started, but it seemed like everywhere I looked on social media gardening accounts they were talking about growing luffa. Now, if you didn’t jump onto the luffa bandwagon back then or if you’ve not been successful yet in your luffa growing adventures, you are certainly not alone. Luffa needs a really long growing season and it seems that where you are gardening also affects when and how you harvest your luffa. It can be a little persnickety and I’ve found that no two regions seem to grow and mature their luffa in the same manner. It took two years for us to get a successful harvest from our plants but I’ve loved having them in my house now.

So, what is luffa and why should you even bother? As my husband discovered back in 2018, luffa is the sponge you can grow yourself for all kinds of household uses. But, traditionally, luffa is so much more than that and can be a great addition to your garden for lots of reasons. So, let’s dig in to how to grow luffa, with some special tips on growing in areas with shorter growing seasons, and why I’m not growing luffa this year.

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Resources:

Ep. 77 - Five Tips to Successful Seed Starting | Just Grow Something (justgrowsomethingpodcast.com)

Luffa aegyptiaca (Loofah, Luffa Sponge, Sponge Gourd) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (ncsu.edu)

Luffa - Wikipedia

History of the Luffa, Loofah, Loofa, Loufa, Loofa, Lufa, Luf Sponge – Luffa Gardens

Luffa Facts, Health Benefits and Nutritional Value (healthbenefitstimes.com)

How to Grow a Luffa Sponge Successfully. Even in a cold climate! (theartofdoingstuff.com)

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Ep. 82 - Compost Systems for Home Gardeners Mar 15, 2022

Show notes

Last week we talked all about what goes into creating and managing your compost pile and then we talked with Stan Slaughter who gave us even more info and talked a little about how beginners can get started composting. Now that we know what the essential components are for an effective compost pile, let’s talk about the different types of compost systems that are out there. Whether you opt for a pile in the corner of the yard (which is still a totally viable option!), or a fancy tumbler, or a vermicomposting system, or something somewhere in between, there are a lot of options. We’ll talk about the pros and cons of each one, the differences in costs and setup, and their level of effectiveness so you can find a system that works with your lifestyle and your gardening style. So, let’s dig into the different backyard systems for creating our own compost.

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Ep. 81 - Talking Compost with Stan "The Compost Man"Slaughter Mar 11, 2022

Show notes

Kansas City based artist and educator Stan Slaughter has been traveling the country singing songs and sharing stories with kids and adults since 1987. Stan helped create the very first Earth Day celebration in Kansas City and has made “Every Day is Earth Day” his motto ever since. Speaking at Master Gardeners’ groups, teaching adults in compost workshops, singing at water festivals and zoos, and doing thousands of assemblies for more than 400,000 students, Stan takes his message to both kids and grownups - and makes it fun along the way.

Stan has a passion for life and for this beautiful planet, and loves sharing that passion with others through his songs and presentations. He has a master's degree in biology, is extraordinarily educated on soil microbes and what they can do for our gardens, and currently works as the director of education for Missouri Organic Recycling, the largest composting facility in the Kansas City region. In my interview with him today, we talk about his background, his accomplishments and accolades (including an invitation from HRH Prince Charles) and, of course, compost. Stan has some great insights on what makes a good compost pile, why it's important, and how gardeners can get started in their backyards and even their basements. Join me as I interview Stan "The Compost Man" Slaughter.

Green Living Made Simple | Green Living Made Simple (stanslaughter.com)

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Ep. 80 - Creating and Managing a Compost Pile Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

Right now, many of us are getting our garden beds ready for the gardening season or if you’re in a warmer climate, your beds may need a refresh before moving on to your next round of planting. In either case, you know I’m going to recommend the use of compost. Not only is compost great at adding nutrients and increasing the soil organic matter, but it’s also a great way to feed the microbiota in the soil that make those nutrients available to your plants and it can act as a fabulous mulch for keeping weeds out. I’ve had a compost pile ever since I started my first garden 18-plus years ago. I haven’t always been super successful with getting the piles to actually compost because, at first, I was just tossing stuff into the pile and letting it sit and do its thing without giving it any thought or effort. Yes, eventually that stuff would break down into something useable but once I paid just a little bit of attention to what I was doing with it, a little effort went a long way toward making the process more efficient and much more beneficial to my garden. On today’s episode I’m going to walk you through the bare minimum of what you need to make a successful compost pile and then the little extra things that can catapult your efforts into compost stardom. We’ll talk the ingredients, ratios, air, moisture, and dos and don’ts of composting. Let’s dig in!

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Resources:

University of Florida Extension: Composting Guide

Composting Dairy Products

Turning Compost by Temperature

Composting to Kill Weed Seeds

EPA: Composting at Home

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Ep. 79 - Planning a Children's Garden Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

I started gardening when some of my kids were fairly young. The youngest was in kindergarten, but the oldest was already a freshman in high school. But, my mom had my brother and I in the garden when we were still in preschool. In fact, that cover photo for this episode is my brother and I in our backyard garden in Colorado. I don’t remember a whole lot of specific things about being in the garden, but I do remember snippets. The joy of pulling something whole and edible from the dirt, the fun of being in the sunshine and getting dirty with mom’s approval to get dirty, and the satisfaction of eating something I could say I grew – even if I didn’t really do much of the actual work of growing it. Sitting on my back porch, dipping rhubarb in a bowl of sugar and munching on the sweet and sour snack is a very vivid memory and that rhubarb came from the plants in our garden. I feel so strongly that everyone should grow a little bit of something for themselves, and I feel just as strongly about children getting into the garden. But, like with everything, it can be difficult to get children engaged and keep them involved, especially when so many other things are vying for their very short attention spans. And even though I didn’t get started as young with my own kids, I’ve helped many customers plan garden spaces for their own kids and my grandkids are starting to learn now, too. Today I’m going to walk you through some tips for how to plan out a vegetable garden specifically for young children, what plants to include or not include, and some advice about how to keep them coming back for more garden time with the parents or grandparents. Let’s dig in.

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Resources:

In the Vegetable Garden: My Nature Sticker Activity Book

11 of the Best Gardening-Themed Books for Children

David’s Garden Seeds Lettuce Butterhead Little Gem

David’s Garden Seeds Carrot Parisian

‘Tiny Tim’ Dwarf Tomato

Burpee ‘Sweet Hearts of the Patio’ Cherry Tomato

Johnny’s Selected Seeds: Mini Head Lettuces

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Ep. 78 - Seed Starting Mix vs Potting Soil, plus How to Make Your Own Feb 22, 2022

Show notes

When you walk into the garden center, that potting soil aisle can be absolutely overwhelming. Potting mix, potting soil, seed starter, soilless medium; the variety and possibilities are endless. Which do you choose? And does it really make a difference when you’re starting your seeds indoors? The answer, like most everything in gardening, is … maybe. Today I’m going to talk about the difference between soilless seed starting mixes and regular potting soil and give you the information you need to determine what works best for your unique growing situation. It all comes down to how long your plants are going to be in the starting medium, how often you plan to water, your fungal disease pressure, and maybe just how many seeds you intend to start. And if you want to make your own seed starting mix or potting soil, I've got that for you, too!

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Ep. 77 - Five Tips to Successful Seed Starting Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

It is time, my gardening friends! Many of us are getting our spring seedlings going as we speak. Now whether you’ve been starting your own seeds indoors for years or you are new to getting a jump on the gardening season in this way, it can sometimes be a challenge. One year you may have beautiful, strong plants that take off the moment you put them outside in the garden and the next year you may have spindly weaklings that seem to struggle from the get-go. What gives? There are a lot of factors that go into starting seeds indoors and growing them in a way that makes them strong and healthy enough to go outside and really do well. Some factors are beyond our control but today I’m going to give you five things to incorporate into your seed starting procedures to help you get your gardening season, and your seedlings, off to the strongest start possible.