Rooting for You | Beginner Edible Gardening

S3E6 Tess and Alyce chat about mulch and all your burning questions, such as: What is mulch? Why do we mulch? What are the benefits? What can we use for mulch? How to mulch your garden? We'll help you get the absolute most out of you mulch!  

S3E5 Tess and Alyce FINALLY chat about herbs! Year-round herbs AKA perennial herbs, whatever you want to call them these babies are going to stay in the ground all year round. Find out why herbs are just the best addition to any sized garden or balcony! And think of all the money you’ll save!!

S3E4 Tess and Alyce chat about Jerusalem artichokes.  A little like a potato and can definitely be a sub in but unlike potatoes Jerusalem artichokes are harvested in Winter, so eat potatoes in the warmer months and Jerusalem artichokes in the colder months - talk about year round gardening! This episode is jam packed with fun facts about Jerusalem artichokes (or 'fartichokes', but don't let t...

S3E3 Tess and Alyce chat about growing strawberries! Where's the best spot to grow strawberries? In the ground, in a pot or in a hanging basket?  They're a perennial plant, which means they'll be staying put year round, so best to consider your options! Plus all the care tips you need to know and what to watch out for to ensure you're set up for success! 

S3E2 Tess and Alyce chat about growing potatoes, including growing in a raised garden bed or in a potato bag. Growing your own potatoes is a fabulous way to try different and interesting varieties of potatoes and Alyce also reckons harvesting potatoes is one of her favorite garden activities, a potato treasure hunt!! Listen out for Alyce's tip about the best way to cook potatoes too! 

S3E1 Tess and Alyce discuss all the activities that might be keeping you busy in the garden this Spring. Apart from growing a whole heap of really fun crops, now is also the time to grow perennial herbs and beautiful flowers, like Dahlias. Also, what to do if you have a bee swarm in your garden and finally, listen out for Alyce's essential tip about checking your watering system - talk about a qui...

S2E11 Do you know the feeling of going to the hardware store and being completely overwhelmed or end up spending more money than you need to on tools that you don’t end up using? In this week’s episode Alyce and Tess put together a shopping list of the most essential tools for a beginner gardener starting out, so you’ll be able to get only exactly what you need!

S2E10 Want to plant a Spring garden and have no idea where to start? This week Tess and Alyce chat through planning a Spring garden, including what to plant (especially those easier plants for beginner gardeners!) and where to plant, thinking about space and sunlight. A note on the recording: for the first time (due to lockdown) we are recording remotely, so the episode sound quality isn’t up to o...

S2E9 - Tess and Alyce pick up the second half of this conversation talking about the nitty gritting of how to plant a seed, including a step-by-step to both methods, starting a seed in a container and greenhouse (container growing) or sowing directly into the ground (direct sow).  Listen out for explanations on germination and hardening-off - everything you need to set you up for success! &nb...

S2E8 Tess and Alyce chat about 'planting a seed'. In part one of this two part episode, they chat about planting a seed versus a seedling, Alyce introduces the two planting methods - direct sow and container grow - and the pros and cons of each. Stay tuned for part two where they'll get into the nitty gritty of each method. ALSO hang around for the end of the episode to hear all about the goo...

S2E7 Tess and Alyce discuss hardwood cuttings. Looking for a fun and easy garden activity, particularly something for kids to get involved in? Having a crack at hardwood cuttings might be for you! Alyce talks us through step-by-step of how to choose a cutting, how to collect it, how to plant it and how care for it.  The best thing about growing a plant from a cutting is that you'll get an exa...

S2E6 Tess and Alyce chat about all the things you should consider before you get a beehive. Beehives are not just for big rural properties but, like caring for any living creature, it is a pretty big commitment so make sure that you consider all of the pros and cons before you dive in. Plus a tangent into why bees need our help and what we can do in our day to day lives to #savethebees.  

S2E5 - Tess and Alyce chat about planting fruit tress, exactly how (and where) to plant a bare rooted fruit tree. Plus a tangent into fruit tree pollination and actually why it's important to know when you're picking your tree, how and why to check your soil drainage and finally...buckets.  

S2E4 Tess and Alyce chat about slugs and snails and the best ways to tackle these garden foes. Did you know that there some varieties of slugs and snails that can breed without a mate?!  Listen out for Alyce's plethora of options to control slugs and snails and protect your seedlings from decimation.  Don't forget, if you see the early signs of slugs and snails in your garden you need to...

S2E3 Tess and Alyce chat about raspberries. Did you know there are, generally speaking, two types of raspberry varieties, ones you harvest in Spring and ones you harvest in Autumn, raspberries in Autumn?! Whichever you choose, Winter is the time to get them in the ground.  

S2E2 Tess and Alyce chat about radishes. Did you know you can harvest radishes in as little as four weeks!? They are a fabulous crop for beginners, have so many different varieties and can be grown Autumn through Spring.  Listen out for Alyce’s excellent tip about pickling your radishes.   ps. Alyce's suggested 'Easter Egg' mix of radish seeds is c/o @theseedcollection *Anytime, except not Summer....

S1E10 Something a little different this week, Tess and Alyce cap off Season 1 by (finally) introducing themselves! They chat about how they got started, why they love gardening, their recommendations for first crops and their number one tip for people starting out.  

S1E9 Tess and Alyce chat about everything you need to know to get started growing plants indoors - how to choose the right plants and pots, where to put them and how to keep your indoor plant-babies alive.  Do you know which are the easiest indoor plant varieties to get started with?  Listen out for Alyce’s pick for indoor plant pots for beginners!

S1E8 Tess and Alyce chat about all things Autumn leaves - what to do with them, why they're such an underrated garden resource and how Alyce uses them everywhere, from the garden beds to the compost and the chicken coop. Tess flags her potential public embarrassment about collecting them off the nature strip, while Alyce assures her she'll be a local hero. Are you making the most of this free gard...

S1E7 Tess and Alyce catch up on Tess’ composting adventures and all of Tess’ burning composting questions, like, what is a worm’s favourite food?  Did you know the bigger the pile the faster it will compost?!  Listen out for Tess and Alyce’s essential tip for buying live worms.

S1E6 Tess and Alyce chat about garlic.  Where to get it, where to grow it, how to store it.  Did you know your garlic will start rewarding you even before you pull it out of the ground?  Listen out for Alyce’s essential tips on where to source your garlic from.

S1E5 Tess and Alyce chat about Autumn salad greens. Did you know that you should water your Autumn salad crops in the morning to help avoid slugs and snails in the evening? Listen out for Alyce’s tips on lettuce being an excellent entry-level vegetable if you’re learning how to grow from seed.

S1E4 Tess and Alyce chat about composting. Why to do it and things to think about when you’re getting started.  Did you know there are a bunch of options for kitchen and garden waste and a solution for all gardens big or small?  Listen out for Alyce’s great tip on protecting your compost from mice and rodents.

S1E3 Tess and Alyce chat about Autumn, winding up the summer harvest and what to do to transition your garden for the cooler months. Did you know your food is only as good as your soil? Listen out for Alyce’s thoughts on powdery mildew, what it means and what to do with it.

S1E2 Tess and Alyce chat about harvesting tomatoes.  Did you know you can eat your unripened green tomatoes or turn them into a green tomato chutney?  Listen out for Alyce’s great tips on ways to ripen your tomatoes (spoiler - she isn’t sold on the old banana trick!)