The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers

In small gardens, making the most use of your space is paramount. And what better way than growing plants that serve more than one purpose? Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your first order of Birdies metal raised garden beds, the best metal raised beds in the world. They last 5-10x longer than wooden beds, come in multiple heights and dimensions, and look absolutely amazin...

A simple self watering pot design for you forgetful waterers out there - of which I include myself ;) Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your first order of Birdies metal raised garden beds, the best metal raised beds in the world. They last 5-10x longer than wooden beds, come in multiple heights and dimensions, and look absolutely amazing. Click here to shop Birdies Garden B...

Here's a really simple raised bed design idea you can build with just 4 total pieces of wood and a few cuts. Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your first order of Birdies metal raised garden beds, the best metal raised beds in the world. They last 5-10x longer than wooden beds, come in multiple heights and dimensions, and look absolutely amazing. Click here to shop Birdies G...

As the summer comes upon us, most of us find sudden joy in cold, sweet melon flesh. Some prefer watermelons with their juicy red meat, but others tend towards the orange succulent flesh of the cantaloupe. And nothing is better than growing cantaloupe at home so you have it fresh from the vine! Learn More: Growing Cantaloupe For A Summer Sweet Treat Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for...

One particular type of allium bulb is an essential component to many European dishes – shallots. How to grow them is usually not the first thought on anyone’s mind, but the minute they see the price for them at the market, growing shallots suddenly becomes a whole lot more important. Learn More: Growing Shallots For Haute Cuisine Use Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your fi...

There’s so many alliums that we treasure. Growing chives in a pot or garden bed is easy enough that they’re one of the first things most kids grow. Their oniony or garlicky flavor is mild enough that you can eat them straight, but they also make a phenomenal topping for your baked potatoes or other foods. Learn More: Growing Chives For Mild Oniony Goodness Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODC...

If you really want to challenge yourself, consider growing cauliflower! This plant is a bit picky but has amazing results that make the effort worth it. Throughout the growing season, you’ll be paying special attention to the temperature and watering. At harvest time, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful heads of white cauliflower or any of the many colors available! Learn More: Growing Cauliflower:...

I often recommend gardeners experiment with Asian greens, but that’s only half of the equation...you have to know how to prepare them! Anne of Real Hens of OC shares her favorite preparations in today’s show. Connect With Anne Kuo: Anne of RealHensOfOC is an urban homesteader, chicken owner, and the author of The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens. Follow Anne on Instagram Buy Birdies Garden Bed...

We know a lot about the classic Mediterranean herbs already, so Anne is here to share a few less common herbs that you’re probably not growing Connect With Anne Kuo: Anne of RealHensOfOC is an urban homesteader, chicken owner, and the author of The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens. Follow Anne on Instagram Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your first order of Birdies met...

Summer’s bounty can often be overwhelming, so here are a few of the ways you can preserve it for later in the year when you’re clamoring for those tomatoes. Connect With Anne Kuo: Anne of RealHensOfOC is an urban homesteader, chicken owner, and the author of The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens. Follow Anne on Instagram Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your first order...

When dealing with large, tricky planting areas, you have to think creatively, which is what Anne has done with her large sloped terrace “Garden of Eatin’” in her backyard. Connect With Anne Kuo: Anne of RealHensOfOC is an urban homesteader, chicken owner, and the author of The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens. Follow Anne on Instagram Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off yo...

Anne’s house is vast and she has a large sloped backyard section that was left unattended to for a while due to the vastness of the project. Today we talk about her plans for that space. Connect With Anne Kuo: Anne of RealHensOfOC is an urban homesteader, chicken owner, and the author of The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens. Follow Anne on Instagram Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST...

If you’re new to raising chickens, then you’re certainly new to hatching them! Here’s an overview of the process from my friend Anne of Real Hens of OC. Connect With Anne Kuo: Anne of RealHensOfOC is an urban homesteader, chicken owner, and the author of The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens. Follow Anne on Instagram Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your first order of B...

In today’s show we welcome back Anne of Real Hens of OC to talk about the recent boom in raising chickens. Connect With Anne Kuo: Anne of RealHensOfOC is an urban homesteader, chicken owner, and the author of The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens.  Follow Anne on Instagram Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your first order of Birdies metal raised garden beds, the best met...

Natural farming is here to stay, and only expanding. Marco shares a few future techniques as well as ties it all together so you can implement it in your garden this year. Connect with GUEST LINKS Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your first order of Birdies metal raised garden beds, the best metal raised beds in the world. They last 5-10x longer than wooden beds, come in mu...

We’ve talked a lot about bokashi in the past, both here on the podcast and on YouTube, but Marco shares how he uses it, as well as how he creates his own bokashi bran. Connect With Marco Thomas: Marco Thomas is a natural farmer, focused on building soil and cultivating microorganisms to enhance his garden and farm. You can find him at Microbes by Marco or on Instagram at @marco_is_growing. Buy Bir...

Besides IMO1-4+, what other inputs exist in natural farming? Marco shares a few, as well as how to make them in your garden. Connect With Marco Thomas: Marco Thomas is a natural farmer, focused on building soil and cultivating microorganisms to enhance his garden and farm. You can find him at Microbes by Marco or on Instagram at @marco_is_growing. Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 1...

A subset or offshoot of Korean Natural Farming is JADAM, primarily dealing with fermentations or putrifications of existing plant matter. Marco breaks down some of the most popular inputs in today’s show. Connect With Marco Thomas: Marco Thomas is a natural farmer, focused on building soil and cultivating microorganisms to enhance his garden and farm. You can find him at Microbes by Marco or on In...

Teaming up with microbial life only works if you don’t destroy it after it’s present in your soil. Marco and I chat about the “no-till” movement as well as the soil food web. Connect With Marco Thomas: Marco Thomas is a natural farmer, focused on building soil and cultivating microorganisms to enhance his garden and farm. You can find him at Microbes by Marco or on Instagram at @marco_is_growing....

IMO1, IMO2, IMO3, IMO4...what does this all mean? Cultivating indigenous microorganisms is a way to “grow” the future of your soil life. Marco talks us through the process in detail. Connect With Marco Thomas: Marco Thomas is a natural farmer, focused on building soil and cultivating microorganisms to enhance his garden and farm. You can find him at Microbes by Marco or on Instagram at @marco_is_g...

It seems odd that a term like “natural farming” would even exist, but it’s a vast world of techniques and inputs that has a lot of practical application in your veggie garden. Marco Thomas joins us this week to dive deep. Connect With Marco Thomas: Marco Thomas is a natural farmer, focused on building soil and cultivating microorganisms to enhance his garden and farm. You can find him at Microbes...

Do less in the garden. Don't over-fertilizer or over-love your plants. Remember, they grow themselves. Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your first order of Birdies metal raised garden beds, the best metal raised beds in the world. They last 5-10x longer than wooden beds, come in multiple heights and dimensions, and look absolutely amazing. Click here to shop Birdies Garden...

The fat, green tomato hornworm is the stuff of nightmares, but really not the biggest deal when you learn how to properly spot, identify, and control it. Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your first order of Birdies metal raised garden beds, the best metal raised beds in the world. They last 5-10x longer than wooden beds, come in multiple heights and dimensions, and look abs...

Prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially in the garden as diseases can wipe out a crop that's taken months to grow. Learn some essential disease prevention tips in today's show. Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your first order of Birdies metal raised garden beds, the best metal raised beds in the world. They last 5-10x longer than wooden beds, come in multiple heigh...

Pests and pollinators are popular topics, but what about predatory insects? They cut down on pests for FREE and there are surefire ways to get more in your garden. Buy Birdies Garden Beds Use code EPICPODCAST for 10% off your first order of Birdies metal raised garden beds, the best metal raised beds in the world. They last 5-10x longer than wooden beds, come in multiple heights and dimensions, an...