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This episode is part 1 of my talk with Robert Pavlis, author of the book “Garden Myths”, a book that pit’s his no-nonsense, scientific approach to gardening against many commonly held myths of gardening. In this part of the conversation we talk about myths related to germination, the toxicity of rhubarb, and fertilization.

It’s the end of May and I know what many of you are thinking: How am I going to get it all done? In this podcast I share a few thoughts on this aspect of gardening, and how I’m going to deal with it this year!

Whether you’re a “foodie”, a phytotherapist (herbal medicine person), or just hate buying things that you could otherwise grow yourself, growing an herb garden is a desirable goal for many. In this episode, I discuss how to grow herbs without a dedicated herb garden bed. With only a handful of exceptions, they may even be …

One of the things I like most about gardening is how it always seems to be a little bit different each year. Whether that’s the result of seasonal variations, trying new varieties, or trying new techniques, there’s a great deal of anticipation each spring when I get started and can’t wait to see how things …

In this episode I talk about my new sponsor: “Safers Gardening Products” and the coupon code they are offering to all my listeners, a 15% off discount (code = “maritime”) on all Safers and Chemfree brands offered on Woodstreambrands.ca and saferbrand.com (for U.S.A.). I also talk about birds, ants, moles and snakes, and why you should be glad to …

The “no-till” gardening approach works great, and I practice it in my entire garden. That said, I think there are a good many people, who, in their enthusiasm, take the “no-till” idea to extremes that can result in sub-optimal yields in the first year. In this episode I give my reasons for why I think …

It’s early March and this is the time of year that many gardeners start their transplants, or at least start thinking about transplants. Last year I grew all of my transplants outdoors in coldframes and hoop-houses, and it worked great, so this year I’m doing the same. In this episode I talk about all the …

Welcome back to the third season of the Maritime Gardening Podcast! It’s February and we gardeners have seeds on our minds, so I thought I would talk about the difference between heirloom seeds, open pollinated seeds, and hybrid seeds, and speak to the relative merits of each. I also have a new sponsor: Vesey’s seeds, …

It’s finally the end of another gardening season. I harvested my last kale on December 31, and now it’s time to take a break, and start dreaming about next year. In this episode I tie up a few loose ends to finish out the 2017 season for this podcast, I talk a little bit about …

In this episode I contrast the notion of “hobby gardening” with that “food gardening”. If you are the type of gardener that seems to want to grow a little more every year – you’re a food gardener! If that’s you, listen in and I’ll share some tips for how to get the most out of …

In this episode I discuss the general theme of the kind of money you can save by growing your own food, and in particular, by saving your own seed garlic, which are one of the more expensive items to buy at garden centers. Using some simple math, I show that over time, the numbers really …

Many garden centers create the perception that a garden is something you can buy and then install on your lawn – like a deck – but unlike a deck, a garden is a living thing. In fact, one cubic foot of healthy soil can contain thousands of organisms, and this kind of soil cannot be …

In this our 50th episode of the podcast, Greg talks about several things to consider this time of year, from easy free sources of mulch that you can find right after Halloween, leaving your root vegetables in the ground until there is some consistent frost, amending your soil, and Dave’s departure from the show.  We …

“Growing Degree Days” (GDDs) are a measure of heat accumulation that indicates how favorable the growing conditions are in your area. If the number is really high, you can grow anything, if it’s low, there’s some things you just can’t grow. Every plant has a certain number of GDDs it needs to reach maturity. GDDs …

In this episode we talked about mulches and explored the question of which mulches are best suited to gardening in the North. Order, first to last: Which break down the fastest? Hay Seaweed Grass Leaves Rotten logs Woodchips Which improve soil the most rapidly? Hay Seaweed Grass Leaves Rotten logs Woodchips Which generate the most …

In this episode we discuss and try to define the concept of “permaculture”, a term that refers to an approach to agriculture that is fundamentally different than that of conventional approaches, and we focus specifically on the thoughts of the late Bill Mollison (1928-2016), an internationally recognized permaculture writer, teacher and advocate. I refer to …

Does it make sense to plant “fall crops” if you live somewhere with an early winter, like zone 6 or colder? I think it does, but it also makes sense to broaden your concept of what “fall crops” are. In my garden, I plant Romain lettuce and cilantro in early and mid August, but that’s …

Is there really such a thing as a “green thumb”? Do gardeners buy into the idea of a “green thumb” to simply pat themselves on the back, or is this something non-gardeners buy into to console themselves? Having a successful garden depends upon many factors such as; soil quality, growing conditions, pests, plant varieties, proper …

In this episode Greg and Dave discussed lacto-fermentation, a method of preserving vegetables that predates modern pickling techniques that employ the use of vinegar. Lacto-fermentation uses natural lactic-acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts that are present in the actual vegetables to create an acidic environment that preserves the vegetables, is probiotic, and results in really tasty …

In this weeks episode Greg and Dave talk about Ticks and the growing epidemic of Lyme Disease.  If you spend any amount of time outdoors (yes, even in your garden) here in Atlantic Canada, or even any part of North America or Europe for that matter, be aware of the very real dangers that Ticks …

This weeks episode is a recap/discussion about some recent videos Greg shot of his gardening including, Sand Gardens, Rock Borders, and our most “viral” video to date in which Greg plants potatoes using the Ruth Stout Method.

In this episode Greg talks about the main pests that attack brassicas like kale, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, cabbages, etc., the different varieties of kale and their relative pest resistance, and organically acceptable solutions to those pests. Kale Varieties – Scotch curly kale (most pest resistant) – Lacinato kale (least pest resistant) – Red Russian kale …

In this episode, Greg talks about various ways to define your garden beds. Vermicompost update – Lots of worms – no smell, totaly works in a garage setting – really not worth the effort IMO, cannot keep up with supply – would need a wall of them to keep up with houshold kitchen waste – …

In this episode, Greg talks about how there is little time left in the season to get planting.  Topics covered include; wild edibles (dandelions – give it a try), radishes (are they worth it?), early greens (thinning), wild strawberries, key indicators from nature for planting times, wisdom from angling (spring peppers = smelts), red buds on the maple trees begin to …

This week we revisited the issue of how important mulches are in a permaculture garden, with a focus on how mulches act as “irrigation systems”. We talked about how employing a mulch copies the successful systems that occur in nature, and how planting at grade (not in a raised bed) also brings the plant closer …