The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers

What are the basic techniques you can use to make peonies last in the vase? Bud harvesting, proper storage, and excellent vase care are a few ways to do this. It all starts with choosing the right distributors. You can learn about those here and in Karen Gesa’s guidebook! Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3srMWea Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3FWiUlT Book C...

The peonies on Karen’s farm are selected for their deer-resistance, and pest resistance, making them much easier to cultivate. In this episode, she outlines everything you need to know about peony planting, maintenance, and end-of-season care. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3ub7VT3 Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3sz8HbN Book Collection Page: https://growe...

Are all three peony types suited for a cut flower farm? And what are the best cultivars to grow – aka, the guaranteed winners? Karen of Midsommar Farm knows which are more successful, and most beloved.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3ubZln2 Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3sz7rp5 Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3My1DTS  EG Homesteading Book: htt...

Planting peonies in a half acre plot can provide a lifetime return. Here, Karen Gesa of Midsommar Farm discusses how she started her peony operation, from sourcing plants to plotting the landscape.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/46cH3z8 Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/476OjxY Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/46824uL EG Homesteading Book: https://...

Karen and her husband were suburbanites when they decided to buy a 10 acre property. Initially, they wanted to be equestrians, but eventually converted one half acre to a peony farm. What resulted was Midsommar Farm, one of the only local peony farms of its kind in the US.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3N0bMcf Botanical Interests Shop Homepage:https://growepic.co/3QB6pRF Book...

It might be a no-brainer to some that houseplants do best in soil mixes that simulate their native habitat. But not doing this is a mistake so many first-timers make. You can use indoor potting mix, but with houseplants it’s likely you’ll have to make some adjustments. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/461epRA Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3u7xW5K Book Coll...

When it comes to houseplants, thinking about pot size in terms of root ball size is best. Other topics, like pot type, drainage, and plant habits are important considerations as well! Krystal Duran is a houseplant expert who knows all the ins and outs of the topic of houseplant containers. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3SoRAnL Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic...

Krystal has managed to get all her houseplants on a similar schedule, making their life and hers much easier. How often you should water your houseplants depends on the plant, the soil, and the conditions your plant lives in. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3MuAQYt Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/40nHjdv Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/462YIsY EG...

Keep it simple, silly! Start with one houseplant that fits the conditions inside your home. Once you feel ready to branch out, go for it. The KISS method is the best foundation for a healthy houseplant collection. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3StRlrl Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3tYooJX Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3QuCWsz EG Homesteading...

How did Krystal Duran get into houseplants? It started way before the houseplant craze of 2020, but her collection exploded along with everyone else’s. Today she has more than 150 houseplants, and tons of knowledge about how to give them their best life. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/40lH7vj Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3FM7SzG Book Collection Page: ht...

From carrots to peppers, and even perennials, Kevin and Rachael Tancock discuss the best ways to be a lazy gardener. Listen in to find out which tips are the topic of this Beet! Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3SkyhMd Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/46WHRcU Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3SgfTUV EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/3sbxy5u L...

Despite the fact that trees die, they get a second life as they decompose. In this stage, the tree hosts tons of critters, from fungi to birds. Those with a dead tree on their land can help by topping it, and leaving it for wildlife.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3FACMKW Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/477X3Dw Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3Q...

Plant blindness is more common than you’d think. It’s a condition that arises when people aren’t exposed to a diversity of plants. Rachael Tancock has a cure: getting curious and out into nature to look at some plants! Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3QkjC16 Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/45MdVid Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/45TzxJB EG Homeste...

There are so many new ways to engage with nature through technology these days. From bird apps, to sky viewing apps, you don’t have to disconnect on camping trips anymore. In fact, you may find yourself even more locked in with your natural surroundings. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/45M2x5X Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3Q9cXXe Book Collection Page: ht...

How does one become a naturalist? It starts with a love of nature, and investment in what nature has to offer to humanity. Rachael Tancock is one such naturalist based in Canada, and her affinity with the natural world has allowed her to witness some amazing sights.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/46PUA0C Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3serBVu Book Collec...

There are so many ways to get into gardening. Josh put his hands in soil when he wanted to cultivate local food sustainably. Through the local community garden, he gets a sense of what it’s like to grow in small spaces. He also has a testing ground for multiple gardening techniques. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3Qs5zI1 Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/405...

Josh started growing his own food as a busy chef with two small kids in 2010. Through cycles of trial and error, he managed to find the best ways and plants to grow in his garden. Through a lens of steady growth, he set deep roots that help him expand with stability.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3Fu9oWY Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/475mVQx Book Colle...

The answer to which watering technique is best really depends on the context in which a garden grows. The types of plants and the stage of their life cycle matters too. Regardless of which method you choose, understanding the act of watering is essential to understanding the garden as a whole. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3Q20MeW Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://grow...

What makes local food better? Josh McWilliams asked this question as he pondered the food system in light of his job as a chef. Turns out the benefits are substantial. Local food is not only cheaper, but it has a higher nutrient content and tastes vastly better. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3tKmFbe Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3s8ViXJ Book Collection...

Josh is a chef by trade, but got into gardening while growing food for his business. He saw water conservation as a problem for the longevity of the local food system. Everything changed when he learned about the olla, and today he is the cofounder of Grow Oya, one of a handful of businesses that specialize in this ancient irrigation technique. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/46H...

The two crucial elements, water and oxygen are present in every balanced compost pile. Adding water is easy, but how do composters add oxygen? Kate and Kevin have a conversation about the best ways to do this, how to maintain the compost, and which methods are their favorites.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3M7sKET Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3QhIgAt...

Balancing nitrogen-rich elements with carbon, oxygen, and water produces the most lush, nutritious food for soil. But there are some important things to consider in the process of building healthy compost. Kate teaches us how compost creators can gather and combine the right varieties of these elements. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3LZ1DMj Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: ht...

What are the differences between hot and cold compost, and indoor and outdoor compost? Are there set rules for what food waste you can compost, and what should be left out? Here, Kate Flood, the Compost Coach, discusses her favorite composting methods, and the 4 universal components all compost should have. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3QgqgGP Botanical Interests Shop Homepage...

Kate, the Compost Queen, has been obsessed with compost since she was a kid. She loves learning and teaching this process that results in one of the best soil conditioners a gardener can have. Find out how compost adds value to the garden bed, and the garden ecosystem. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3M25JTH Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3FkqqXy Book Coll...

Coming from a family of good hosts, Becky has been hosting parties long before she started gardening. The onus for her is to enjoy the company of her friends and family. Here, she shares ways hosts can make the process less intimidating, and more relaxing. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/45oBltM Botanical Interests Shop Homepage:  https://growepic.co/3F9NUOT Book Collection Page:...