The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers

Have you heard of the Back to Eden gardening method? If not, you should. This gardening technique will greatly improve your soil tilth and fertility over time. It promises a major reduction in tough weeds and the ability to grow almost everywhere. Water conservationists should rejoice, as this technique is great for drought conditions. But what exactly is the Back To Eden gardening method? Let’s b...

Do the names “Saba Nut” or “Malabar Chestnut” bring visions of dollars, coins, and other forms of monetary wealth to mind? No? What if I were to mention the Pachira plant?​ Still no mental pictures of riches?​ That might be because you haven’t heard these other names for the Pachira Money Tree plant.​ Ah, perhaps now you see the greenbacks dancing behind your eyes! And now you want to know more ab...

Although I mostly write about gardening, from time to time I like to touch on other yard-related activities… Including the lawn. For some, the lawn is a staple of the yard, and proper lawn care is something to be sought after. When thinking of lawn care, fertilizing, mowing, and edging come to mind. But aeration? Dethatching? These are less common practices that are absolutely vital to proper lawn...

There are a ton of popular houseplants on Instagram these days...but there are also some rare or uncommon ones that most people don't mention...or even know about! Here are 9 to consider if you're looking to up your houseplant game Learn More: Houseplant Guides on Epic Gardening Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pin...

Houseplants are all the rage right now...but they're also starting to cost a pretty penny! Learn how to propagate them and you'll slowly start to develop a houseplant jungle that costs you nothing...and builds your green thumb! Learn More: Houseplant Guides on Epic Gardening Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pintere...

If you're in a zone that has a hard time growing in the fall and winter, don't fear...just bring your garden indoors! Here are some of my top tips as far as lighting your indoor garden. Learn More: Indoor Grow Lights Guide Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group Buy the Epic Soil Starter...

Sometimes it's fun to mix it up in the garden, whether you want to experiment with an entirely new plant, or simply another variety of a commonly-grown on. Here are a few suggestions to spice up your garden this coming season! Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group Buy the Epic Soil Star...

We all love the early flowers of the spring months. But some of these should be started in the fall to produce those gorgeous displays. Narcissus flowers are high on that list. Daffodils, jonquils, and narcissus are all from the same genus of plant, and are easy plants to care for. These produce bright, showy flowers in sunny spots, delighting the eyes. And a few even produce a sweet scent, too! E...

Much like aphids, whiteflies are a scourge in the garden. These tiny pale pests suck the sap from plants and spread diseases. Worse yet, they’re so miniscule that they can fit through a lot of mesh screening. Because of this, the whitefly is also a major problem in greenhouses and indoor growing spaces. But don’t panic, you can eliminate these white insects from your greenhouse or garden. Let’s ta...

When I first started growing plants indoors and in hydroponic systems, I had no clue what I was doing. There are a lot of concepts to learn as a beginner to hydroponics, but lighting is by far the most complex.  There are so many different types of indoor grow lights, let alone learning about the properties of light itself and how plants use it to grow.​ I decided to start with the cheapest, most...

Are you looking for ground cover plants? Because oh, are there a huge number of these plants available. They range in size from only an inch or two to nearly a foot tall. Some creep steadily along the ground, where others grow up, flop over, and then trail out. If you’re concerned about soil erosion, or sick of your lawn, ground cover plants are for you. Landscaping professionals love them as they...

 It's no secret I'm big on microgreens...but why? Turns out I have a long and storied history with these little green plants :) Learn More: Growing Microgreens for Fun and Profit Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group Buy the Epic Soil Starter Organic Fertilizer! How do you super-charge...

Today's question comes from Brittany, who wants to know how to prevent possums (actually opossums) from munching on her garden bounty. Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group Buy the Epic Soil Starter Organic Fertilizer! How do you super-charge your soil with good, inexpensive organic mat...

 Is elephant garlic...garlic? Where did it get its name? Why should you grow it? All of these questions (and more) answered in today's episode. Learn More: The Story of Elephant Garlic Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group Buy the Epic Soil Starter Organic Fertilizer! How do you super-c...

 A common point of confusion is that planting onion seeds and onion sets is the same thing - onion sets are just a sped up version of seedlings. While this is technically true, there are some important considerations before you go out and buy a few pounds of sets! Learn More: How to Plant Onions: 3 Ways To Grow Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epi...

 Do you like to make your indoor space look like a veritable jungle? If so, you’ll need to grow monstera deliciosa. This giant-leaved climbing plant can really liven up your living room. Indoor specimens often grow to 4-5 feet in height. Those which grow in their native rainforest environments can often get to ten feet or more! These plants themselves aren’t edible, and in fact they’re poisonous....

In our final episode with Tobias Peggs of Square Roots Grow, we get into how they're developing future farmers and green-movement leaders with their Next-Gen Farmer Training Program. HIGHLY recommend you check this out if you've thought of making farming or working in the future of food your life's work. Learn More: Square Roots Grow Website SRG on Instagram Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Garden...

Back with Tobias Peggs of Square Roots Grow, we're talking about the economics and business model of urban farming. It's simply reality that you must consider these factors when deciding on the viability of urban farming, so let's get into it! Learn More: Square Roots Grow Website SRG on Instagram Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epic Gardening Yo...

Back with Tobias Peggs of Square Roots Grow, we're talking about the lighting technology they use in their shipping containers and why they went with that method. We also touch on some other farming projects in the city and how they stack up against SRG. Learn More: Square Roots Grow Website SRG on Instagram Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epic G...

Back with Tobias Peggs of Square Roots Grow, today we get into the nitty-gritty of how they set up their hydroponic systems to produce bountiful harvests of greens, herbs, and more. Learn More: Square Roots Grow Website SRG on Instagram Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group Buy the Epic...

We're back with Tobias Peggs of Square Roots Grow, talking about how data collection, machine learning, and artificial intelligence help increase yields in the garden. Learn More: Square Roots Grow Website SRG on Instagram Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group Buy the Epic Soil Starter...

 Today kicks off a 6-part series with Tobias Peggs of Square Roots Grow, an urban farming company in New York City that focuses on developing the next generation of urban farmers. They grow in shipping containers and use data and artificial intelligence to continually improve their yields and efficiency. It's a fascinating project and I think you'll learn a lot over the next six episodes...so let'...

The garden can be the most magical place at your home. For many people, their garden is a safe haven. Surrounding yourself with foliage and flowers that you’ve grown is satisfying! It can also be a wonderful place to relax and absorb nature. But the garden needs more than just beautiful sights and smells. Another essential element in the garden is sound. This adds more life to your garden and make...

Roly poly, doodle bugs, or pill bugs… whatever you call them, these are popular little garden dwellers. Children play with them, fascinated by their ability to roll up into a little ball. Frogs and lizards find them to be tasty treats. And we find them in every part of the United States as well as widespread abroad. But are pillbugs in garden settings a problem? More and more often, people ask if...

In the final part of our beets mini-series, we dive into the many problems you might run into when growing beets. Fortunately most of these are preventable or easily manageable, so you can still have a nice bounty of bulbous beets! Learn More: Growing Beets: A Bounty Of Root Crops For Fall & Spring Keep Growing, Kevin Support Epic Gardening Support Epic Gardening on Patreon Follow Epic Gardening Y...