Just Grow Something | Evidence-Based Home Gardening

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 38 - Planning the Fall Garden Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

This Garden Talk Tuesday we’re talking about planning for your fall garden. Now, I know many of you are just now getting your first real harvests of the season and for those of you in much cooler climates your fall garden may mostly be a continuation of whatever you have in the ground right now. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can interplant within those summer items that can survive after you get your first fall frost. For those of you in much warmer or temperate climates, your fall garden may look very different and will likely come a lot later than the rest of us because your warm crop growing season is so much longer. For those of us that definitely have all four seasons, we’re just beginning to harvest our summer crops but now really is the time to be planning and even starting your fall garden.
The calendar may say July, but soon enough the summer crops will begin to senesce and you’ll have places to fill in. Let's get planning for the fall garden!
And, for my gardening friends in the southern hemisphere, listen to this podcast and bookmark it for six months from now and come back and give it another listen then!
Resources:
Latest Planting Dates for Second-Season Crops – Farmer’s Almanac
Sunset and Sunrise Times
Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group
Support This Podcast on Patreon

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Ep. 37 - Can You Dig It?, Vol. 4: Brassicas, Tomatoes, TikTok and Plastics! Jul 02, 2021

Show notes

This Can You Dig It? episode features articles on Arkansas Black apples versus Black Diamond apples, a TikTok video featuring a no-tears way to dice onions, and questions about cabbage, cauliflower, and tomatoes.

Did you know this is the start of Plastic Free July? Karin has taken the pledge for the month (and for life, really) to reduce her plastic use and invites you to do the same. Check out the link below.

We've also got a new Facebook community! The Just Grow Something Gardening Friends group on Facebook is all new and we hope it will be a great way to connect new and experienced gardeners without any judgement and a way for folks to ask questions about and discuss issues in the food and ag space without any fear of retribution. Come check it out at the link below!

Resources:

Black Diamond Apples Cost at Least $7 Each—Here’s Why

TikTok Onion Hack

https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/

Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group

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Ep. 36 - Keeping a Garden Journal Jun 29, 2021

Show notes

Whether you call it a garden planner, journal, notebook, or whatever, a garden journal can be as little or as much as you want it to be. There are some key items, though, that I would recommend every gardener keep in their journal to help them be successful in the garden and to reduce some of the frustration that sometimes comes with gardening.

Your journal can be anything you want it to be! It can be both a planner and a log, a place for notes and a place for reflection, or any or none of the above. My version of a garden journal has evolved into what it is and it works for me, but it may not necessarily work for you. So, as I go through what I like to keep in my planner in this episode, take from this list what you think you could benefit from and toss the rest. Use it for a season, then add or subtract from it during the next season based on your results. I’ll certainly tell you along the way which components I think are most important but, just like in the garden, it’s your dream. Cultivate it as you wish!

So, let’s dig in to what I keep in my garden journal.

Check out our Patreon page to see all the ways you can support this podcast: https://patreon.com/justgrowsomething

Send your garden questions to grow@justgrowsomethingpodcast.com to have it answered on our next Can You Dig It? episode and for the chance to win a free Clyde's Garden Planner. You can also leave a message at the link below!

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Ep. 35 - U.S. Farm Subsidies Explained Jun 25, 2021

Show notes

One of my goals with this podcast is for us all to grow a deeper connection with where our food comes from, and that includes me. In an effort to shed light on some of the most common misconceptions we have about our food systems, I wanted to dig into the subject of agricultural subsidies. This is NOT an easy subject to tackle, even at a high level, because of the myriad of complexities and the different number of programs. But, I’ll do my best here to share what I’ve learned and maybe help give you a better understanding of what, and who, is being subsidized.

Like what we're doing here? Support us on Patreon! Your monthly contribution goes a long way toward helping us develop new content, book guests, upgrade equipment, and more. Head to https://patreon.com/justgrowsomething to see how you can support this podcast while getting a little something in return.

Don't forget to send in your gardening questions for our next Can You Dig It? episode! Email your question to grow@justgrowsomethingpodcast.com or leave a voice message at the link below.

Resources in this episode:

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation

https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-practices-management/risk-management/government-programs-risk/

https://www.ers.usda.gov/agricultural-act-of-2014-highlights-and-implications/dairy-livestock/

Federal farm subsidies: What the data says

https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/AgriculturalSubsidyPrograms.html

https://farm.ewg.org/cropinsurance.php

https://www.downsizinggovernment.org/agriculture/subsidies

https://www.thebalance.com/farm-subsidies-4173885

https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/45868/17034_err47b_1_.pdf

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Ep. 34 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Winter Squash Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

Growing winter squash can be such fun because there are so many sizes, types, and varieties to choose from! No matter which you choose, Karin talks about how to plant and cultivate them, whether in the ground or in containers, the pests and diseases you might face and how to avoid them, and how to harvest, cure, and store your winter squashes when all is said and done. This episode will inspire you to try a few winter squash of your own this season - it's not too late to plant!

Support this podcast by becoming a Patron: http://patreon.com/justgrowsomething

Resources:

https://aihd.ku.edu/foods/squash.html

https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cucurbita+maxima

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_squash

https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170490/nutrients

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/winter-squash/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9N85WDmwho

https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/insects-and-diseases-cucumber-pumpkin-and-squash

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Ep. 33 - Farmers Are Not Getting Paid to Destroy Things Jun 18, 2021

Show notes

Have you heard the story? The one where the farmer destroys her own crop, just to get a check from some agency? Or the one where the dairy farm dumps all their milk when they should have donated it all? People make a lot of assumptions about what happens with our food and its production and a lot of it is just plain wrong. On this episode, Karin talks a little about what ticked her off with one of her farming friends last week and how we can be a little more responsible about the assumptions we make and the information we spread.

Resources in this episode:

Wild Rose Farmer and The Rural Woman Podcast

Ross Roost Farm

The Joy Farmer Podcast

We Drink and We Farm Things Podcast

Support this podcast on Patreon

Email your gardening questions: grow@justgrowsomethingpodcast.com

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Ep. 32 - Garden Talk Tuesday: Garden Myths! True, False, or ... Maybe?? Jun 15, 2021

Show notes

Today we’re going to talk about common gardening myths. In some cases we know how these myths got started but, in others, there’s just no telling. In reality, most myths go back to the concept of causation versus correlation we touched on briefly way back in episode seven, “Why Gardening is Good for Your Health.” A correlation means there may be some relationship between two things but does not automatically mean that a change in one is the cause of a change in the other. But, that’s how most garden myths get started. Someone has an idea to try something, does it, sees a good result, and then continues to do it. They also tell their gardening friends and then, suddenly, everybody simply “knows” that this thing is the best way to do something in the garden. Many times, it’s harmless, if not a waste of time and money. But, sometimes, it can actually be detrimental to your garden or your health.

So, let’s dig in to ten common garden myths you may have heard and explore whether they are true, false, or maybe it depends?

Resources in this episode:

https://news.psu.edu/story/141343/2008/08/25/research/probing-question-does-talking-plants-help-them-grow

https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2010/4/The-Marvelous-Marigold/

Field Evaluation of Coffee Grounds Application for Crop Growth Enhancement, Weed Control, and Soil Improvement

The Myth of Drainage Material in Container Plantings

Does landscape mulch lead to termites in your home?

Check out how to support us over on Patreon: patreon.com/justgrowsomething

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Ep. 31 - Preserving the Harvest, Part Two Jun 11, 2021

Show notes

We've talked about freezing and water-bath canning, now let's cover cold storage, pressure canning, and dehydrating! There are so many ways to preserve the bounty that's coming from your garden, so let's dig in to some more ways to allow you to enjoy that bounty throughout the off-season.

Resources in this episode:

Support this podcast at https://patreon.com/justgrowsomething

https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/using_press_canners.html

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry.html

https://foodal.com/knowledge/things-that-preserve/11-tips-to-dehydrate-food/

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Ep. 30 - Trellising and Pruning Tomatoes Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

Deciding what method to use to trellis your tomatoes and knowing how to prune them can be confusing! Let's demystify some of this a little bit, shall we? Let's figure out which trellis type you should use and how to trellis those tomatoes once they're growing strong. Or, maybe, we won't trellis them at all!

Post a picture of your tomato set up on Instagram and tag @justgrowsomethingpodcast so we can see what you're up to!

Don’t forget to check out our Patreon to support this podcast! Go to https://patreon.com/justgrowsomething to find out more.

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Ep. 29 - Can You Dig It? Vol. 3 Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

Beef shortages, sunflower oil factory invaders, pebbles in pots, and growing green onions ... this episode has it all! This Can You Dig It? episode we dig into the latest in food news, answer listener questions (and dispel a gardening myth perpetuated by Karin's mom and many others) and give some guidance on green onions.

Resources in this episode:

Support this podcast: https://www.Patreon.com/justgrowsomething

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/01/big-north-american-meat-plants-halt-operations-after-jbs-cyberattack.html?&doc=106891074

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/cyberattack-on-meatpacker-jbs-could-pressure-restaurant-margins-if-not-resolved-quickly-analysts-say/ar-AAKCQln

https://www.foodandwine.com/news/army-accidentally-invades-small-sunflower-oil-factory

https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/2019/09/06/should-you-put-gravel-or-rocks-at-the-bottom-of-plant-pots-for-drainage/

https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-scallions-home-gardens#harvest-585464

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