The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers

A reader wrote me and told me about something called anthroponics, also known as "peeponics." I HAD to look into it...here's what I found out. Keep Growing, Kevin   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aphids are easily some of the most annoying pests in the garden. They proliferate like crazy and can destroy your hard work in no time. Learn how to get rid of them for good. Learn More: Annoying Aphids: All About Aphididae And How To Get Rid of Them Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many gardeners are afraid to compost weeds...don't be! In this episode I show you how to compost weeds in 5 ways that ensure no weed seeds will survive. Learn More: 5 Foolproof Ways to Compost Weeds Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've recommended green lacewings often on the podcast, so I figured I'd cover what they are and why they're such beneficial bugs. Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ah, potato beetles. These spherical pests will munch on all of your potato leaves until there are none left. With proper control, you can get rid of them for good - find out how. Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we move into fall, you might be growing asparagus. And if you're growing asparagus, you might have asparagus beetles. Learn how to get this annoying beetles out of your garden. Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

These big, fat caterpillars can decimate your tomato plants.  Here's how to get them OUT of your garden for good. Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hear about beneficial insects all of the time, but never how to keep them in our gardens. Enter: insect houses. These helpful contraptions provide shelter for our beneficial bugs. Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've been dealing with the super annoying cabbage worms and moths in my garden lately, munching on all of my brassicas. Here is what I've been doing to ensure I never see any of these stupid bugs again. Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we look at how you might go about saving strawberry seeds to grow new plants from seed. It's actually a clever method, one that I am going to do very soon! Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's question comes from Christine, who is growing sprouts for her parrots! She wondered if presoaking seeds in warm water was a good idea.  Let's find out! Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to clear a section of your grass out for a garden or hydroponic setup, how do you do it? I answer this reader question today and riff on some outdoor hydroponics tips. Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know those fruit and veggie washes you see at Whole Foods and other fancy grocery stores? Are they even worth the money, and can you make the same thing at home? Find out in today's episode. Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the more common questions I'm asked on the blog is about plastic use, specifically, "What plastics are safe for use in the garden?"  Since a lot of Epic Gardening readers are into hydroponics and aquaponics over soil gardening, there are a lot of people with a lot of plastic in their setup that are curious about their safety and place in the garden. Well, I was curious too, so I decided to...

I can't tell you how many times I hear from people who are killing succulents! They're one of the easiest plants to grow, so I figured I'd do a quick episode breaking down how to care for them. Learn More: Stunning Succulents: Fertilizing Your Drought-Tolerant Plants Products Mentioned: Top Choice: Espoma Organic Cactus Food (1-2-2) Slightly Stronger: Schultz Cactus Plus (2-7-7) Compost Tea Option...

This is part 5 of the 5-part interview with Michael Bell. Michael is a teacher, Texan, competitive bodybuilder...and an urban farmer! In this episode he talks about the surprisingly easy parts of starting an urban farm as well as the things that gave him a much harder time than he expected. We also talk about his plans for the future. Reach out to Michael Bell mbell971@yahoo.com Keep Growing, Kevi...

This is part 4 of the 5-part interview with Michael Bell. Michael is a teacher, Texan, competitive bodybuilder...and an urban farmer! In this episode he talks about how he thinks about planning his urban farm, and what lessons he might give to home gardeners who want to get better at planning their own gardens. Reach out to Michael Bell mbell971@yahoo.com Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your...

This is part 3 of the 5-part interview with Michael Bell. Michael is a teacher, Texan, competitive bodybuilder...and an urban farmer! In this episode he talks about the business model of his farm. Hint: it's a BIT different than the traditional small farms out there. Reach out to Michael Bell mbell971@yahoo.com Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is part 2 of the 5-part interview with Michael Bell. Michael is a teacher, Texan, competitive bodybuilder...and an urban farmer! In this episode he talks about how he started his farm for nearly $0 with some creative bartering and hard work. Reach out to Michael Bell mbell971@yahoo.com Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode kicks off another 5-part interview series, this time with Michael Bell. Michael is a teacher, Texan, competitive bodybuilder...and an urban farmer! We get into how he started his urban farm in this first episode. Reach out to Michael Bell mbell971@yahoo.com Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talked about hardneck vs. softneck garlic on yesterday's episode, but how do you grow garlic? What about planting it? Harvesting it? Storing it?! All of these questions (and more) are answered today. Keep growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we move into Fall, we're moving into garlic season...but what's the difference between 'hardneck' and 'softneck' garlic? Which should you grow in your garden? Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’re starting to find holes in the leaves of your kale, and for that matter, in your cabbage, brussels sprouts, or other brassica-family plants. The leaves of the neat rows of radishes you’ve planted are showing signs of chewing, too. Some leaves have little off-white or yellowish spots on their undersides. And you just saw a little green worm wandering over a leaf on your produce. I’m sorry to...

There’s something crawling along the leaves of your arugula, and it looks like a little inchworm. It’s green, and it is snacking as it goes, leaving holes throughout your plants. There’s another on your cabbage, and another one on your radish leaves. What’s going on here? Learn More: Cabbage Loopers: All About Trichoplusia Ni And How To Eliminate Them Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad c...

This is the first 'brand review' I've ever done on the podcast, and it's about a popular LED light system on Amazon. Is it worth it? Learn More: Viparspectra Review: Are These LEDs Worth It? Keep Growing, Kevin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices