The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy

Latest Episodes:

89 - How to Harvest, Store, and Cure Garlic Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

You've watched your beautiful garlic plants grow for months, and the time nears for harvest. But how do you know when to harvest garlic? And once you harvest, how do you cure and store it?

The good news is this: harvesting, curing, and storing garlic is almost as easy as growing it ! You only need to know a few basics and you'll be eating garlic from your own backyard garden for months.

In this episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast and in the post below, I show you what to do when your garlic nears harvest time. Click to listen or continue reading below.

88 - Tips from Rookie Gardeners Jun 11, 2019

Show notes

I think we'd all say experienced gardeners offer priceless garden wisdom, but there's a group of people first-time gardeners can also learn from that's often overlooked: second-time gardeners. Still with a beginner's mindset, gardeners in their sophomore year recall details experienced gardeners forget.

It's kind of like how a mom of a toddler can offer something special to a mom of a newborn that a mother of teenagers can't. It's a "been there, done that" mindset that hasn't "been there, forgotten that."

Though I still consider myself a beginning gardener in so many ways -- we're all learning no matter how many seasons we've gardened -- I asked second-time gardeners in my Facebook group to share their top suggestions with their first-time peers. Most of the suggestions fell into a few categories.

In this episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast, I share the six best tips beginning gardeners learned after their first season. Click to listen or continue reading below.

87 - How to Eat Your Back Yard Year Round with Becky Porter of The Seasonal Homestead Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

In my first garden, I planted once. I had no aspirations for a year-round harvest. Any harvest would equal a successful garden in my mind.

But the second year I added a fall garden, and as I gained more experience I realized I could extend my garden season even further. I began growing more winter crops and I enjoyed expanding my growing season much further than the once-and-done summer harvest.

Planning for a year-round harvest is a skill I'm still working to improve. That's why I invited Becky Porter from The Seasonal Homestead to share with me her tips for year-round gardening.

86 - Growing Okra No Matter Where You Live May 28, 2019

Show notes

Growing okra in my garden is one of my favorite vegetables to grow! And it's not just for those of us who live in the southern US. With a little understanding of okra's basic growing requirements, this tasty vegetable can be grown in most areas of the country. Plus, its versatility offers growing options of both raised beds and in the garden.

In this episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast and in the article below, you'll learn how to grow okra either in your garden or raised bed -- no matter where you live.

85 - 3 Organic Aphid Controls Tested May 21, 2019

Show notes

When you discover aphids in your garden, you naturally want to get rid of them -- fast! With a host of organic aphid control solutions available online, how do you know which one to choose?

If you're like me, you want something easy. And more important, you don't want your actions to harm your garden or your plants.

In this episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast, I share with you how I tested 3 organic aphid control methods -- homemade insecticidal soap, Neem oil, and worm castings -- side by side.

I also share a fourth organic aphid control method that is always my go-to way to keep aphids from harming my vegetable garden.

84 - Tomatoes to Prune or Not to Prune May 14, 2019

Show notes

Do tomato plants need to be pruned?

In my first years of gardening, it seemed everyone told me, "yes." But as I gained more experience and began listening to other gardening experts, I learned that the answer to this question isn't as clear as you'd think.

People get passionate about tomato pruning. But I started asking myself, "why?"

Is it because this is the way they've always done it? Because their mom or grandpa told them that's the best way to care for tomatoes? Or are people pruning tomatoes (or not pruning) based on their own experience and tests?

It seemed everywhere I turned I received conflicting information, so I did what I encourage every gardener to do. I tested it in my own garden.The results were so clear to me that I'll never look at pruning tomato plants the same way again.

83- From Ground Beds to Raised Beds - Interview with Jill Winger of the Prairie Homestead May 07, 2019

Show notes

First-time gardeners must decide: "should I plant in a raised garden bed or in the ground?" Certainly, it's not always an either/or decision.

While I've always used a combination of both for many reasons, Jill Winger of the Prairie Homestead converted her in-ground garden to a garden comprised entirely of raised beds.

Though a devastating experience of inadvertently poisoning her garden served as a catalyst for the switch, she shares the benefits and drawbacks of both methods in today's episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast. Click below to listen to our conversation or continue reading.

82- Prevent Poisoning Your Soil - Interview with Jill Winger of the Prairie Homestead Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

There are few garden subjects I am more passionate about than mulch. It prevents weeds and regulates moisture in the soil, among its other benefits.

But which mulch should you use? Perhaps the most common is shredded leaves, but what if you're like me and you don't have access to deciduous trees? Then what are your options?

I've used wood chip mulch, hay mulch, straw mulch, and pine needle mulch, and I talk about the pros and cons of each type of mulch here. Although I prefer wood chip mulch, I have used hay mulch from time to time with good results.

But after talking to Jill Winger of the Prairie Homestead, I realized using hay as mulch isn't without its risks. In this episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast, Jill talks about how deep mulching with hay poisoned her garden. Click below to hear our conversation or read on to find out what happened, how she identified the problem, and what advice she gives to other gardeners considering using hay to mulch their gardens.

81- My Favorite Gardening Podcasts Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

On any given day in the garden, you'll find me with earbuds and my phone, listening to my favorite gardening podcasts. What better way to spend a few hours in the garden than to do the thing I love, while learning ways to do it better?

As a first-time gardener in 2013, I could not find enough gardening podcasts to fill my time or my thirst for knowledge. Since podcasting was in its infancy, I listened to the few I could find. Then, as I started teaching others how to garden, I even created my own -- the Beginner's Garden Podcast.

But now, I'm grateful to access more gardening podcasts at my fingertips, and I want to share my favorites with you.

So as I think fitting, in this episode of the Beginner's Garden Podcast, I share my favorite podcasts to listen to in the garden. Click to listen or continue reading below.

80 - 12 Garden Rules Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

In the early months of my podcast, I received an email from a veteran gardener from a generation ahead of me. We traded emails frequently and formed a friendship in the years since that first email. Several months ago, he sent me a list he had created called his "12 Garden Rules." With his permission, I share this wise man's gardening wisdom to you. No matter what your age or experience level of gardening, you are sure to find his advice valuable.

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