The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers

When she started Azure Farm, Annette had to learn from her mistakes just like any other gardener does. Now she knows how to grow the right things at the right time, and she chooses varieties she likes to grow to keep her garden fresh and fun. The main rule she follows is to only grow what she likes to eat.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3YZSRmm Botanical Interests Shop Homepage...

The dawn of Azure Farm began with fruit trees and has graduated to 26 to 30 raised beds. But Annette doesn’t recommend this many raised beds for beginners. In fact, starting small and working in phases is a better idea! Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3Pjst3M Botanical Interests Shop Homepage:https://growepic.co/45viFcw Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3Z2isek EG Homeste...

Since Annette Thurmon began farming, she’s reaped plenty of benefits. Her excitement about gardening is based on her ability to support herself with healthy and delicious food she can’t get anywhere else. She also loves the lifestyle, and how she can rely on herself.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3sAL6r3 Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/44zEuX5 Book Colle...

Annette Thurmon went from ICU nurse, to wedding gown designer. Once she found the right land, she pivoted to growing her own food and raising animals on Azure Farm. Here she grows her own food, and tends to her animal friends. Every day is a new adventure.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/44EiJp8 Botanical Interests Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3YWsUEl Book Collection Page:...

Meg’s gardening journey led her to try new and exciting things in the kitchen. Here she talks about how she learned to make new things, and some of the interesting plants she’s trying this year.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3QSOisd Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/45Q7Cut EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/44ubuAf Connect With Meagan Lloyd: Meg Lloyd currently...

Meg is growing 15 different varieties of tomatoes! She covers the different types in her garden and highlights a couple of interesting and exotic varieties. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3EfeMMY Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3qPGMDH EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/3YPA2lT Connect With Meagan Lloyd: Meg Lloyd currently grows, preserves, and cooks her own fo...

Meg is starting her very first chicken coop! Here she discusses her choices regarding life stages, breeds, and coops Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3PdxSJs Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/44yaWZP EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/45FZ5Kc Connect With Meagan Lloyd: Meg Lloyd currently grows, preserves, and cooks her own food in a small backyard garden in North C...

What is toxic squash syndrome? Listen to Meg talk about how to determine whether or not a squash is toxic, and what to do with it. She also talks about squash vine borer, and how to do surgery on squash when the borer larva is present. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/44tvPp2 Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/45onfth EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/45OtMNF Connec...

Starting your own garden isn’t hard at all! Here’s how Meg Lloyd, creator of @meggrowsplants,  went from 3 raised beds to a vast lush oasis in the backyard of her first home. Learn everything about her process, from plants to irrigation. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/47MNXxc Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3Ey8fgF EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/3qSge4L Conn...

Humans eat with their eyes and with their memories of impactful flavors. Craig likes tomatoes with intensity, but he knows that everyone’s tasting preferences are different. That’s why he’s taken lots of time to understand the intricacies of different tomatoes.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3sgsigv Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3P0miBk  EG Homesteading Book: https:...

Believe it or not, Epic Tomatoes is a book written by Craig LeHoullier! Here he outlines all the basic tenets of great tomato-growing. Having a bountiful harvest of these fruits involves building in quality at every step, from seed-selection to ripening. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3OYV1zo Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3KKjNRc EG Homesteading Book: https://growepi...

When Craig started gardening tomatoes, he learned to maximize his space by growing them in containers, and straw bales. In this episode, he reveals his secrets for successful bale and container tomatoes, and turns to the old adage “what you put in, you get out.” Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3snsaM7 Book collection page: https://growepic.co/3OIiyDc EG homesteading book: https:/...

Craig’s Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project has been going strong for the last 18 years. Fervor about this project spread largely through word of mouth. He and other gardeners involved in the project have developed some of the coolest dwarf cultivars out there in conjunction with the Open Source Seed Initiative. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3s8Sxp2 Book collection page: https://grow...

Craig LeHoullier has spent over 40 years gardening tomatoes. He loves the variety of available to gardeners, and he loves to teach people about their flavors and nuances. Kevin and Craig talk about the Godfather’s current tomato projects, and reflect on results they got in the most recent tomato season.  Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/45fbyVq Book collection page: https://growep...

Kevin plans to improve one of his favorite investments on the Epic Homestead – his greenhouse. Jacques is in the planning stages of improving his greenhouse too. Fall plans are the topic of this episode, and in those plans are all the plants Kevin and Jacques want to grow before the year ends.  EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/3sd7A1a EG book collection page: https://growepic.co/3OCoeyM EG ho...

Peeping toms on the Epic Homestead? No way! That peeping comes from 3 new additions to the Epic Thiccies. This episode is all about chickens, and roosters too. Jacques has even added a few to his coop, and feeds and shelters the chickens with his newly-planted chicken orchard.    EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/3OzNQwf EG book collection page: https://growepic.co/3s8NPI7 EG homesteading book...

Cooking in the garden is one of Kevin and Jacques favorite parts of growing. Kevin details his adventures with the green egg. Jacques waxes poetic about his outdoor pizza oven. They reveal the best parts of transmuting their harvests into delicious meals! EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/3QA8TBd EG book collection page: https://growepic.co/3sg4clT EG homesteading book: https://growepic.co/45s...

Jacques and Kevin consider their encounters with powdery mildew, how it might crop up regardless of prevention measures, and why their gardens aren’t subject to pest pressure this year. They ponder the benefit that comes when control is relinquished.  EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/3s2ByEQ EG book collection page: https://growepic.co/3OCYKky EG homesteading book: https://growepic.co/3DVSdwt...

Jacques and Kevin reflect on their weird spring season, and how that affected the timing of their summer crops. They discuss varieties they’re growing, and those they’d leave behind. They answer the question about why certain rare hybridized varieties are so expensive.  EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/3OVnHcG EG book collection page: https://growepic.co/3YvdtCX EG homesteading book: https://...

Why harvest rainwater? In Martha’s garden, the harvesting process has afforded her a thriving, lush garden, and her book, City Nature. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/44SRvMq EG book collection page: https://growepic.co/3QujiOR EG homesteading book: https://growepic.co/3YmQKsH Connect With Martha Retallick: Martha Retallick is named for her great grandmother, a Victory Gardener who fed eight...

For over six years, the Epic Gardening podcast has delivered daily gardening tips and tricks - and now we have a new name! Introducing....The Beet: A Podcast for Plant Lovers. We're updating the name to reflect the broader scope of the show, but also because we've launched a corresponding video podcast channel on YouTube, which you can subscribe to here. The video version of the show features an e...

  There are many different kinds of greywater systems and ways to employ them in a garden. Martha uses greywater from her washing machine to water her fruit trees. She reaps other benefits, too, including financial incentives! EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/3QutqqV EG book collection page: https://growepic.co/47npgad EG homesteading book: https://growepic.co/3ON9vT0 Learn More: Collecting R...

Rainwater cisterns are a great way to actively harvest and conserve water. Here, Kevin and Martha discuss the ins and outs of using cisterns, and the benefits that come with installing them in your yard. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/3OxtQKK EG book collection page: https://growepic.co/44YEhOb EG homesteading book: https://growepic.co/3OJcls3 Learn More: Collecting Rainwater: Hints, Tips,...

What is passive water harvesting? Martha outlines two methods of passively harvesting water in her garden. By slowing the water, allowing it to spread out, and sink down, she harnesses what would otherwise be urban runoff, and adds tons of free water to her garden in the process. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/43PpP9P EG book collection page: https://growepic.co/47fZLYw EG homesteading book...

When Martha moved to Tucson, she wanted to plant a garden full of trees. But irrigating them posed a huge problem in her desert climate. Instead of spending tons of money on a full system, Martha opted to harvest from the “Big Watering Can In the Sky”. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/43RM3bu EG book collection page:  https://growepic.co/3QnG4b4 EG homesteading book: https://growepic.co/47kyM...