The joe gardener Show - Organic Gardening - Vegetable Gardening - Expert Garden Advice From Joe Lamp'l

If you want to grow epic potatoes, there is no one better to learn from than Jim Gerritsen, the founder of Wood Prairie Family Farm in Bridgewater, Maine. Jim has more than 45 years of experience growing potatoes organically, and he came on the podcast to share everything you need to know to have a successful harvest, from how to prepare the seed potatoes and soil to how to store tubers so they'll...

I've already sown countless seeds this year, with still more to go, and many seedlings are taking off in the warm, bright environment of my new greenhouse. Greenhouse growing is a new experience for me, and I talked all about it with my friend Craig LeHoullier, a frequent guest on the podcast and an expert seed starter and tomato grower.  Download my free eBook  5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever -...

Last year, just before Christmas, a polar vortex brought sudden sub-zero temperatures to many states in the South, wreaking havoc on gardens and landscapes that were not designed for that kind of cold. To discuss the damage that has been apparent so far and what could reveal itself come spring, my guest this week is horticulturist Troy Marden.  Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ev...

Whether you are a newbie gardener or have years of experience, a vegetable garden will keep you on your toes. Pest and disease issues are inevitable, though they can be mitigated by being proactive, and steps can be taken to prevent recurrences. To share her insights and methods, my guest this week is Susan Mulvihill, whose new book " The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook " is out this week...

Nematodes, also known as roundworms, are the most abundant animals on earth but are largely misunderstood. In gardening and agriculture, several nematode species are known for being pests, but it's important to recognize that many other nematode species are beneficial, providing biological control of insect pests. To explain how lab-produced pheromones can be used to repel pest nematodes and stimu...

Seed starting season is one of my favorite times of the year. It allows me to start gardening indoors several weeks before my garden beds wake up for the year, and it holds the promise of the growing season to come. In this week's podcast, I am sharing the seed starting essentials for successfully germinating seeds and caring for seedlings.   Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever...

These weeks just after the calendar turns from one year to the next are the perfect time to think about your goals for the coming gardening season. On this week's podcast, I discuss plotting out plans for doubling down on what worked well in the garden while also deciding on what I want to stop doing and identifying new things that I'd like to give a try. Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Bes...

When a new year begins, I like to reflect on the year that was in my garden: the wins, the challenges, the memorable moments, the teachable moments and the lessons learned. Since we're all in this together and learning from each other, this week I am sharing top takeaways from 2022 in hopes you can benefit from my experiences and apply that information in your own garden.  Download my free eBook 5...

Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing trees in pots and shaping them to appear like miniature versions of full-size trees. Mastering the art takes patience, practice and commitment, but for novices, getting started isn't as difficult as it may appear. To explain the basics of bonsai, my guest this week is bonsai artist and educator Bjorn Bjorholm. Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden...

Winter sowing native seeds is an easy process that requires no special equipment, and the best part of propagating native plants from seeds is that it promotes genetic diversity for a more resilient ecosystem. To share her methods for simple winter sowing, my guest for this encore presentation is Heather McCargo, the executive director of the Wild Seed Project . Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Y...

Brix is a measure of sugar content, and when it comes to plants, the higher the Brix value, the healthier and more pest and disease resistant the crop. To give a rundown of the science and significance of Brix and how gardeners can raise the Brix of their plants, my guest this week is entomologist and Brix expert Thomas M. Dykstra, Ph. D. Subscribe to the joegardener® email list to receive weekly...

Many gardeners are curious about vermicomposting but are unsure about how to start. To explain what you need to know to make a simple worm bin, my returning guest this week is Rhonda Sherman, one of the foremost experts on vermicomposting and the author of " The Worm Farmer's Handbook ." Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a th...

Vermicompost is one of the most effective products created by using worms to recycle organic material, usually waste, to produce an extraordinary soil amendment rich in beneficial microbes. But it took quite a while for vermicompost to catch on as viable means to divert organic waste from household trash bins and landfills. To share the history and benefits of vermicompost and the key facts to kno...

Environmental literacy is achieved when schoolchildren — and adults — attain the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to work individually and together toward sustainability and conservation. My guest this week, environmental education specialist Dr. Todd Klawinski, envisions a future in which all public schools make environmental literacy for students and the community part of their mission...

Wherever you live, if you're a gardener, you should get to know the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Their mission is to inspire gardening for the greater good. On this week's podcast, PHS President Matt Rader is here to share all the good work the society does to beautify communities and improve the health and well-being of individuals as well as ecosystems. Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Y...

The reasons to adopt no-till gardening methods are many, from improving soil health for more vigorous plants to reducing the workload on the gardener. To explain the range of benefits that come with ditching the tiller and what to do instead, my guest this week is farmer and author of The Living Soil Handbook, Jesse Frost. Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most import...

It's easy to naturalize flower bulbs under turf to create a bulb lawn that will put on a spectacular display each spring indefinitely with no further bulb plantings necessary. To share the history and methods behind bulb lawns, joining me this week is horticulturist Peggy Anne Montgomery.

Building an indoor hydroponic gardening system from scratch is a tall feat for newcomers to hydroponics, but these days there are a number of compact hydroponic systems on the market that are easy to assemble and operate. To discuss the advantages of ready-made hydroponic gardens, my guest this week is Tina Edwards, a marketing manager for AeroGarden.

The reality of climate change should spark gardeners to both reduce their carbon footprints and adapt. With earlier springs, warmer summers, droughts and extreme weather events becoming the norm as climate shifts intensify, practicing sustainable gardening is more important than ever. To share how gardeners can have a positive impact on the environment while making their gardens more resilient, my...

Gardeners know that adding organic material to soil improves its fertility, but to understand the reasons why organic matter is such an effective soil amendment, it's necessary to get down to the molecular level. My guest this week, retired horticulture professor Debbie Flower, is here to offer a soil chemistry primer on cation-exchange capacity and how positive and negative charges in soil affect...

Our understanding of the soil food web has increased rapidly in the 21st century as microscope technology improves and soil biology research continues, and this opens new doors for gardeners and farmers to employ organic solutions for healthier, more vigorous crops. To explain how soil bacteria play an irreplaceable role in our gardens, my guest this week is gardening columnist and author Jeff Low...

Some of the most important and ecologically damaging chemicals used in agriculture historically — and still today, in some cases — have their origins in warfare. To share the fascinating history of how these chemicals became prevalent and how the environmental movement fought back, my guest this week is Frank von Hippel, a professor of environmental health sciences and author of " The Chemical Age...

Beneficial insects that prey on pests can be a gardener's best friend, but many of the predatory insects sold in stores and online are not the right choice for effective biological control. To clear up misconceptions about beneficial insects and explain the best way to get more in your garden to manage insect pests naturally, my guest this week is Suzanne Wainwright-Evans of Buglady Consulting. Do...

Tomatoes are one of the most well-traveled vegetables — or fruits — that there is and one of the most popular crops in home gardens, but after they were introduced to Europe, centuries went by when they were grown and admired — but not eaten. To dig into the fascinating history of tomatoes, from their origins to recent developments, my guest this week is William Alexander, the author of "Ten Tomat...

Adam's new book is " The Seed Detective: Uncovering the Secret Histories of Remarkable Vegetables ," and it's all about our cultural relationship with garden crops. It's written from Adam's personal perspective, which makes it a fun and engaging read as he brings readers along on his adventures to uncover the history of 14 vegetables and how they have become embedded in food cultures. He also shar...