Cucumber-melons aren’t hybrids of cucumbers and melons but rather immature melons that are intended to be enjoyed just as you would eat a cucumber. To explain the origin of cucumber-melons and what sets them apart from standard cucumbers, my guest this week is Jay Tracy, a cucumber-melon expert and seed seller. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still d...
May 18, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Cherokee discovered long ago that many native plants in the Southeastern United States hold remedies for a range of ailments, from burns and bug bites to migraines. My guest this week, naturalist, survivalist and author Mark Warren, has studied and experienced firsthand the effectiveness of Cherokee healing practices and shares them in his books and workshops. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to ha...
May 11, 2023•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Among gardeners, there is a lot of advice out there that sounds clever and wise, but when you begin to look into it, you learn there is no concrete evidence to back it up. My guest this week, Dr. Stuart Farrimond, has authored a book on gardening science to explain what the research says about what we do in the garden — both the things that work and the things that just aren’t effective. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important s...
May 04, 2023•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Keeping up with weeding is one of the chief complaints that gardeners have, but it’s no reason to throw in the towel. My guest Margaret Roach, the New York Times garden writer and founder of A Way to Garden , shares her advice for managing weed overwhelm using organic control methods. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, without exception ...
Apr 27, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Carex is a grass alternative that is a problem-solving native perennial for any home landscape. But with so many Carex species and cultivars to choose from, it’s hard to know what the best fit will be for your garden. To determine the most adaptable, resilient, attractive and ecologically valuable Carex species, Mt. Cuba Center spent several years trialing Carex plants, and this week on the podcast, my guest Sam Hoadley shares what they learned. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBoo...
Apr 20, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Out our back doors, animals and plants are doing amazing things and communicating and interacting via means we are only beginning to understand, as Nancy Lawson, the founder of The Humane Gardener, explains in her new book. Nancy returns to the podcast this week to discuss this “Wildscape” and how research is uncovering the surprising ways that human activity interrupts the natural world. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important ...
Apr 13, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Breeding dahlias can result in surprising, desirable and unique dahlia varieties, and it’s an activity any home gardener can do. To explain the basics of raising dahlias and her advanced techniques for hybridizing dahlias, joining me on the podcast is Kristine Albrecht, a dahlia expert and the founder of Santa Cruz Dahlias. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s w...
Apr 06, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Plant breeding may appear on the surface to be too complicated for the average home gardener to do, but anyone can breed hybrid and open-pollinated vegetables and flowers if they have the knowledge and patience for it and put in the effort. Joseph Tychonievich, a garden writer and plant breeder, joins me on the podcast to discuss the steps aspiring plant breeders need to know. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone...
Mar 30, 2023•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gardeners know compost is the best thing for their soil, but the science behind the benefits of compost is generally not well understood. To shed light on how composting works and why compost enriches soil, my guest this week is chemist, author, and Master Gardener Robert Pavlis. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, without exception to ge...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast It can be difficult to find the time and energy to garden as much as we’d like to — and some gardening challenges stop us from ever getting started. This week, I’m sharing my tips for overcoming frequently encountered gardening challenges. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, without exception to get incredible results, even in the most ch...
Mar 16, 2023•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Those of us who control a patch of land can’t count on there being someplace else for wildlife to find a home. There are too few wild spaces left, so it’s up to each of us to steward our properties in a way that fosters biodiversity. That’s the message shared by my guest this week, gardener, landscape designer and activist Mary Reynolds, the founder of We Are the ARK ( A cts of R estorative K indness). Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 m...
Mar 09, 2023•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 last for months on end. Podcast Links for Show notes Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Ga...
Mar 02, 2023•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do ...
Feb 23, 2023•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I sti...
Feb 16, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 stimulate beneficial nematodes, my guest this week is Dr. Fatma Kaplan, the CEO and founder of Pheronym. ...
Feb 02, 2023•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still ...
Jan 26, 2023•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’...
Jan 19, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden ...
Jan 12, 2023•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I...
Jan 05, 2023•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landsca...
Dec 29, 2022•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 updates about new podcast episodes, seasonal gardening tips, and online gardening course announcement...
Dec 22, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, without exception, to get incredible results...
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 know, my guest this week is Rhonda Sherman, the author of “The Worm Farmer’s Handbook” and a world-reno...
Dec 08, 2022•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do...
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landsca...
Nov 24, 2022•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It’s what I still do today, without ...
Nov 17, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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.
Nov 10, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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.
Nov 03, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 guest this week is soil and plant ecologist Dr. David Wolfe. Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your...
Oct 27, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
