Encyclopedia Botanica

Happy Fall! We're taking a break this week because Hilary is under the weather but we'll be back to our regular scheduled programing next Friday with an episode on drip irrigation, so stay tuned! We also have some more bonus episodes in the works in which we we'll be chatting about our real-time fall garden care tips, so we still have lots more to share with you this season. Hilary was able to hop...

Organic fertilizer is a key component of any vegetable garden, and today we are going to explore a specialized recipe for an organic fertilizer that is totally vegan. We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us at the $5/month level for access to our Slack group- maybe we'll even answer one of your questions in an episode! For more info, check out our Patreon page! Patreon...

The Fall season is almost upon us, and the discussion happening in our Slack group definitely reflects that. Summer crops are wrapping up, and our Fall gardens are full of short and half season plantings to round out the year. In addition to questions about powdery mildew and growing the best beets, we're also thinking ahead to fig tree pruning and soil amendments.  We need your help to keep this...

Join us for a lively chat with special guest and expert vegetable gardener, Niki Jabbour, about simple ways to extend your harvest into the winter and early spring.  We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us at the $5/month level for access to our Slack group- maybe we'll even answer one of your questions in an episode! For more info, check out our Patreon page! Patreon:...

Join Hilary and Kellie for a quick chat about what's happening in their garden right now! This week they have Natalie Carver from DC-based urban farming biz, Love and Carrots, on the show to share a fun garden trivia fact with you all! This is the last week of our  Fall Fund Drive  - consider making a contribution today! (You must click on "show full description" for live links!) Or, you can alway...

This episode includes a round-up of crops that mature in 40 days or less. We picked 40 days because there are very few crops that can mature in fewer than this many days, but it is still a short enough period (just over a month) that it is easy to plan for and execute even in the waning days of the summer. Consider this your last call for planting and get out there and sow some seeds! Consider mak...

Join Hilary and Kellie for a quick chat about what's happening in their garden right now!  Consider making a contribution during 2-week  Fall Fund Drive  - the drive runs August 18-31st! (You must click on "show full description" for live links!)  Show notes: h ttp://www.seattleurbanfarmco.com/blog/ Or, you can always become an evergreen sponsor by supporting us via Patreon and get access to our S...

Spinach is an annual that grows to maturity in about 25-40 days. It is a hardy cool-season crop that does best at temperatures of 60 to 65ºF, but can withstand temperatures as low as 20ºF. Spinach is intolerant of temperatures above 77ºF, these warm temperatures combined with long days initiate the plants reproductive stage, causing it to bolt or flower prematurely. That means that spinach thrives...

It feels like summer has arrived pretty much everywhere in the US, and our Slack group questions definitely reflect that. Your gardens are probably full of summer crops, and hopefully you're also underway with planning and planting for Fall. Many of the topics we cover in this episode actually start to turn our attention toward Fall. This includes our own Fall garden line-ups, including our favori...

Late Blight is a disease that primarily effects potatoes and tomatoes and is responsible for the Irish potato famine in the mid-nineteenth century. In this episode we discuss what causes late blight, how you might control it and what to do if you find yourself with late blight in your garden.   We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us at the $5/month level for access to...

Garlic and onions are some of the most satisfying crops you can grow in your home garden. These crops are both ready to harvest at the onset of peak harvest season, a harbinger of the forthcoming abundance. Luckily the crops are happy to be stored away for us to enjoy during less bounteous times of year. In this episode, we’re sharing some tips that will help you know when your crops are ready to...

The Brassica family includes crops like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and kohlrabi, among others. These crops are cold-hardy, which makes them ideal for Fall gardens and in many cases, overwintering. The term ‘Fall Brassicas’ refers to crops that are planted anywhere between mid/late summer and early fall and are then harvested throughout the Fall. Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes for yo...

Salad greens generally prefer to grow in cooler weather conditions, thriving in temperatures around 60 degrees F. This makes them a great spring and early summer crop, but growing great greens can start to get tricky in the hottest months of the year and in areas that receive full, direct sun. This week we have Natalie Carver, from Love and Carrots, a DC-based edible landscaping company, to discus...

This past month we rounded the corner into summer so many of the questions we've been getting in our Slack group the past few weeks have been about pest and disease issues, harvesting, and pruning. This week we're going to discuss a question about leaf miners, a cauliflower harvesting dilemma, stunted greens beans and irregular sugar snap peas. We need your help to keep this podcast going! Conside...

In this episode we discuss techniques that will help you grow bigger and better tasting Brussels sprouts. We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us at the $5/month level for access to our Slack group- maybe we'll even answer one of your questions in an episode! For more info, check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/encyclopediabotanica Don't forget to Tweet u...

This week Kellie is out, but I have a very special guest, Brad Halm, here to chat with me about tomato pruning. Brad is a dear friend of mine, one of the co-founders of the Seattle Urban Farm Co., and the co-author of the books I'm always referencing on this podcast, Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard, and High Yield Vegetable Gardening. Brad was actually the person who taught me how to prune toma...

Blossom end rot can be an incredibly frustrating challenge for any vegetable gardener. There is something particularly upsetting about watching a perfectly healthy-looking plant produce damaged and rotten fruits! In this episode we're chatting about how blossom end rot can be avoided and, once in process can often be overcome! We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us at...

New potatoes are potatoes that are harvested young, or before the potato plant dies back and the potatoes fully mature. They have a thin, tender skin, are generally sweeter than mature potatoes, and are particularly delicious when pulled fresh from the garden. In this episode we'll discuss how and when harvest new potatoes! We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us at th...

In this episode we tackle another round of questions from our Slack group. We cover late spring topics such as drip irrigation run times, tomato pruning tips, cauliflower care, and more!  If you want to know more about our Slack group or to join, check out our Patreon page:  https://www.patreon.com/encyclopediabotanica We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us at the $5/...

There are so many types and varieties of beans to choose from, that picking the right types to grow in your garden can be confusing. In this episode we’re going to discuss the 3 main culinary categories that beans are broken into, and how each of these types are grown in your garden. We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us at the $5/month level for access to our Slack...

We’re excited to have Jeanne Nolan on the podcast today to talk with us about growing cucumbers. Jeanne is based in Chicago and has been growing food organically for over twenty-five years. In this episode we'll discuss w hen and how to plant cucumbers, tr ellising techniques, succession planting cuc's and Jeanne's favorite varieties.  We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider support...

Spring has really kicked in across the country, and as a result, we're covering a lot of specific growing questions today. Stay tuned for more on slug control, a carrot seeding experiment, supplemental feeding, beet thinning, and other questions around spring planting. We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us at the $5/month level for access to our Slack group- maybe we...

Succession planting is the practice of planting small quantities of a crop on a regular basis so that they can be harvested at regular intervals throughout the growing season. This practice is key to maintaining a high-yield vegetable garden. Tune in for our tips on succession planting short season crops. We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us through our Patreon page...

Tomatoes are probably the most popular garden vegetable, and for good reason; they're versatile, highly productive, and produce fruits that are far superior to any you can buy at the grocery store. In this episode we'll discuss tips for choosing and the best tomato for your space and needs and how to plant tomatoes.  We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us through our...

Growing food with kids of all ages can be fun and rewarding. On today’s episode, Nicole Burke from the Rooted Garden joins us to share her mission of getting everyone growing their own edible garden. As a mom to 4 kids, Nicole is an expert on the best ways to engage kids in this process, from planning to planting to harvesting and maintenance. We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider...