Encyclopedia Botanica

Containers are a great way to grow food in a small or otherwise unusable space. They can turn a sunny patio, deck or even a driveway into a custom-sized, productive garden. We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/encyclopediabotanica Don't forget to Tweet us @seattleurbnfarm using hashtag #EBpodcast with your garden que...

Today we're covering some of the top Q&A from the Slack group from the last month. Stay tuned for more on seed starting, drip irrigation, and raspberry pruning. We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/encyclopediabotanica Don't forget to Tweet us @seattleurbnfarm using hashtag #EBpodcast with your garden questions!

Green sprouted garlic is somewhat of a delicacy and is usually only found at farmers markets, but is also very easy to grow! It grows fast and adds an incredible, fresh flavor to any traditionally garlic-laced meal. We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/encyclopediabotanica Don't forget to Tweet us @seattleurbnfarm us...

This week we are going to talk about one of the most popular crops for the home garden: Strawberries. Strawberries are easy to grow at home and can be highly productive even in relatively small spaces. We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/encyclopediabotanica Don't forget to Tweet us @seattleurbnfarm using hashtag #E...

In this episode we are talk about growing flowers specifically to attract beneficial insects to your garden. Today's topic ties a lot of things together. Growing flowers, organic pest management, and pollination for your veggies. We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/encyclopediabotanica Don't forget to Tweet us @seat...

In this episode we're covering Q+A from some of the listeners in the Slack group. We address questions on what to plant when, starting seeds at home, drip irrigation, and becoming a beet ninja! We need your help to keep this podcast going! Consider supporting us through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/encyclopediabotanica Don't forget to Tweet us @seattleurbnfarm using hashtag #EBpodcast...

Welcome to part 2 of our 2-part series on organic fertilizer! This week we're talking about Phosphorus and Potassium. These two nutrients are responsible for many vital plant functions, including root growth, flower production and fruit development. Please consider supporting this podcast through our Patreon page. All of our Patreon supporters have access to our online community forum where you ca...

Over the next two episodes we will break down NPK, the acronym used to classify plant fertilizers. NPK stands for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. This week we will focus on Nitrogen, and next week we'll talk in depth about Phosphorus and Potassium. So, welcome to our 2-part series on organic fertilizer! Consider supporting this podcast through our Patreon page. This is the last week that all o...

Potatoes are a surprisingly satisfying crop to grow. If you’re not a huge fan of these tubers, tasting freshly harvested homegrown potatoes will definitely change your feelings about the crop.  Along with peas and onions, they are one of the first crops we plant in the spring. You really feel like you are doing something useful when burying the big chunks of 'seed potatoes.’ Consider supporting th...

We think fresh homegrown peas are reason enough to have your own garden. They’re also one of the earliest and easiest crops to grow. In this episode we'll discuss how to plan for and grow peas in your garden.  Consider supporting this podcast through our Patreon page. All of our Patreon supporters have access to our online community forum where you can chat with Hilary and Kellie, as well as your...

Welcome back to part two of our series on cut flowers. If you haven't listened to part 1 of the series - episode 29 - go back and check that out before listening to this one. It will make more sense that way, and then you'll have Hilary's whole top 10 list. Last week we talked about annual flowers that can be direct seeded in your garden, and this week we're focusing on annual flowers that do bett...

There are many similarities between growing annual vegetables and annual flowers. Just like a vegetable garden, a great annual cut flower garden takes a little planning. This week we discuss general planting considerations and take a look at some of our favorite and most reliable direct seeded annual flowers for cutting. We've started a Patreon page so if you're enjoying this podcast, consider mak...

This week we continue our seed ordering discussion by talking about quantities of seed and how much of each type you'll want to order. We'll also touch on why it might actually make more sense for you to buy some crops as seeds, but others as transplants from your local nursery. Lastly, we'll share tips and clues that you can use to select the right variety for your intended application. We've sta...

Hello and welcome back to the EB podcast! We’re so excited to be back and we’re looking forward to a full year of podcasts in 2017. It’ll be fun to start right at the beginning of the year and talk about the season as it progresses! Growing from seed can have the potential to dramatically increase your opportunities for better yields by allowing you much more control over the varieties of each cro...

This week we will wrap up our garden planning conversation by discussing crop rotation. Crop rotation is the practice of planting annual crops in different spaces each year to avoid pest and disease problems, and to use soil nutrients efficiently. We really need your support in order to continue providing you with fresh, quality weekly content! We've started a Patreon page so if you're enjoying th...

This week we will be continuing the garden planning conversation by discussing another factor that can help guide your garden planning, and that’s plant growth form. We really need your support in order to continue providing you with fresh, quality weekly content! We've started a Patreon page so if you're enjoying this podcast, consider making a contribution:  https://www.patreon.com/encyclopediab...

Knowing more about the life span and growth cycle of your crops will help you make decisions about what to plant, when to plant it, and how much of it to plant. This is the first of many episodes we will share over the next few months on the topic of garden planning. No matter how simple or comprehensive your garden plan will be, these episodes will be here for you to revisit as many times as you'...

We're taking a little break and spending time with our families this week, we thought this would be a great time to recap a few of our favorite episodes that are still really timely for the season.  Also, we need your support in order to continue providing you with fresh, quality weekly content. We've started a Patreon page so if you're enjoying this podcast, consider making a contribution:  https...

This episode is for those of you out there who may not have a vegetable garden yet, or who are planning to expand an existing growing space. Or maybe you're thinking about adding some new beds for the next growing season. We are talking about how sheet mulching might be a good technique for you. Mulching your future garden space over the winter can give you a jumpstart on the garden building proce...

Microgreens are a great way to produce food all year long with minimum space and time. In this episode we'll discuss how to grow microgreens and crops that are best suited for this type of production.  Also, we need your support in order to continue providing you with fresh, quality weekly content. We've started a Patreon page so if you're enjoying this podcast, consider making a contribution:  ht...

Spending a little time in the fall taking notes on what happened in your garden over that past season is a great way to get a jump start on your garden planning for the following spring. In this episode we are going to briefly introduce garden mapping and then Kellie and I will share our favorite crop varieties of the 2016 garden season. Also, we need your support in order to continue providing yo...

This episode we are going to delve into the wonderful world of soil pH. Managing the pH of a garden may sound super complicated or perhaps a bit over-the-top for the beginning gardener. However, checking and adjusting the pH of your garden soil is actually very easy and very important. Also, we need your support in order to continue providing you with fresh, quality weekly content. We've started a...

This week we will be discussing how to use compost as a fall garden amendment. In particular, we're going to talk about it how you can use compost to improve and protect your soil over the wet winter months. Also, we need your support in order to continue providing you with fresh, quality weekly content. We've started a Patreon page so if you're enjoying this podcast, consider making a contributio...

Cover cropping is the practice of growing a crop specifically to generate organic matter, protect the soil, and increase soil nutrient levels.  In this episode, we discuss h ow cover crops work and why they are an incredibly important and effective way to maintain soil health and capture soil on site , but also why the practice of cover cropping can be tricky to employ in a home garden. Also, we n...

Last week Kellie and I went to a community field day and variety tasting event put on by the Organic Seed Alliance . The event celebrates the second annual harvest at OSA’s Washington research farm, which serves as the hub of OSA’s Pacific Northwest organic plant breeding, seed education, and variety trial program. In this episode, we’ll discuss OSA’s mission and some of the work they do and we’ll...