Just Grow Something | Evidence-Based Home Gardening

Every empty bed in your garden is either growing something for you or growing weeds and losing topsoil. Cover crops are how you make sure it's the first one.

In this episode, we get into why cover crops work in both in-ground beds and raised planters, which ones perform best when you sow them in fall, and which ones are worth a spot in your rotation come spring. We'll look at nitrogen-fixing legumes like crimson clover and hairy vetch, soil-building grasses like winter rye and oats, and fast-growing summer options like buckwheat that can turn a bare bed around in a matter of weeks. Then we'll cover how to actually terminate a cover crop, whether that's mowing, crimping, tarping, or letting winter do the work for you, so it feeds your soil instead of becoming a weed problem of its own.

Let's dig in!

References and Resources:

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University of Maryland Extension — Cover Crops For Gardens: umd.edu/resource/cover-crops-gardens

University of Maryland Extension — Offing Cover Crops for Weed Suppression: Featuring the Roller Crimper and Other Mechanical Contraptions: umd.edu/resource/offing-cover-crops-weed-suppression

University of New Hampshire Extension — Cover Cropping for the Home Garden [fact sheet]: unh.edu/resource/cover-cropping-home-garden-fact-sheet

University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management, Missouri Environment & Garden — Cover Crops Improve Garden Soil: missouri.edu/meg/2014/9/Cover-Crops-Improve-Garden-Soil

Oregon State University Extension — Buckwheat Makes a Good Summer Cover Crop for Gardens: oregonstate.edu/news/buckwheat-makes-good-summer-cover-crop-gardens

Cornell Cooperative Extension Vegetable Program, Cover Crop Guide for NY Growers — Buckwheat as a Summer Cover Crop for Weed Suppression: org/blog/buckwheat-as-a-summer-cover-crop-for-weed-suppression

UF/IFAS Extension Duval County — Cover Crop Termination: What Do I Do When It's Over?: ifas.ufl.edu/duvalco/2025/09/15/cover-crop-termination-what-do-i-do-when-its-over

Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plants Products — Hairy Vetch: purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/vetch.html

USDA Agricultural Research Service — Crimson Clover Cover Crop Fact Sheet (PDF): usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/60100500/FactSheets/FS04e.pdf

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Onions are having a moment in the seed catalogs right now, and a lot of that buzz is about overwintering them, tucking small transplants into the bed in September, letting them sit through the cold, and pulling bigger, earlier bulbs the following June. It sounds like a clear win. But the biology underneath it is more particular than the marketing lets on, and the trade-offs are real.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the day-length science that controls when an onion decides to bulb, the separate cold-exposure trigger that can send it to flower instead, and why those two mechanisms together explain both the promise and the risk of overwintering. I'll walk through the specific varieties that university research has found reliable for this system versus the ones that bolted their way out of a harvest, and I'll lay out the honest cost side of the ledger: a bed occupied for the better part of a year, a real chance of premature flowering if timing or variety selection is off, and whether any of that beats simply direct-seeding or transplanting in spring.

Whether you've got seed garlic already planned for a bed and you're eyeing the space next to it for onions, or you're just trying to figure out which system fits your garden, this episode will give you the research to make that call yourself. Let’s dig in.

References and Resources:

Short Day Onions

• Latitude: ~25°–35° N

• Daylength trigger: 10–12 hours

• Climate: Mild winters (USDA Zone 7+), These are generally planted in fall, mature in late spring.

Intermediate Day Onions

• Latitude: ~32°–42° N

• Daylength trigger: 12–14 hours

• Climate: Central U.S. conditions; planted in spring (or early spring in cooler areas)

Long Day Onions

• Latitude: ~37°–47° N

• Daylength trigger: 14–16 hours

• Climate: Northern latitudes; often sweet, specialty, or long storage types. Planted in fall or spring depending on climate

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Episode 296 — Successions: Never an Empty Bed: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/succession-planting-101-how-to-keep-your-garden-producing-from-spring-through-frost-ep-296

Oregon State University Extension — Winter Vegetable Production on Small Farms and Gardens West of the Cascades (PNW 548): oregonstate.edu/catalog/pnw-548-winter-vegetable-production-small-farms-gardens-west-cascades

University of New Hampshire Extension / NH Agricultural Experiment Station — Research Report: Overwintering Onions, 2014–15 (Becky Sideman et al.): unh.edu/resources/files/Resource005477_Rep7652.pdf

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach — What Is a Long-Day Type Onion Variety?: extension.iastate.edu/faq/what-long-day-type-onion-variety

University of Minnesota Extension — Growing Onions in Home Gardens: umn.edu/vegetables/growing-onions

NC State Extension Publications — Bulb Onions: ces.ncsu.edu/bulb-onions

University of Missouri Extension — Planting, Growing and Harvesting Onions: missouri.edu/news/planting-growing-and-harvesting-onions

Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center — Onion, Leek, Shallot & Garlic: clemson.edu/factsheet/onion-leek-shallot-garlic

Oregon State University Extension — Plant Onions Early for Bigger Summer Bulbs: oregonstate.edu/news/plant-onions-early-bigger-summer-bulbs

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It's the middle of summer, and I want you thinking about garlic. Not because it's time to plant, but because if you wait until it's time to plant, the good seed garlic may already be gone!

In this episode, I'm breaking down the real difference between hardneck and softneck garlic: the cold-exposure requirement called vernalization that decides which type will bulb properly in your garden, how clove structure and storage life differ between the two, and how to match your choice to your specific climate.

I'll also cover why garlic bought at the grocery store is a gamble, what certified disease-free seed garlic protects you from, how much seed to order for the bed you're planting, and exactly what to do in your garden bed this month to set yourself up for a strong harvest next summer. Whether you've grown garlic for years or you're planting your first clove this fall, this episode will get your ordering and your bed prep sorted before the window closes.

Let’s dig in!

Episode References:

Episode 302 — Mulch Matchmaking (winter mulch materials and application for newly planted garlic beds): https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/mulch-matchmaking-choosing-the-right-mulch-for-your-vegetable-garden-ep-302

All the garlic episodes: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/search/garlic

Resources:

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension — Garlic Production for the Gardener (Circular 854): caes.uga.edu/publications/C854/garlic-production-for-the-gardener

University of Minnesota Extension — Growing Garlic in Home Gardens: umn.edu/vegetables/growing-garlic

University of Missouri Extension — Fall Is a Good Time to Plant Garlic: missouri.edu/news/fall-is-a-good-time-to-plant-garlic

Lincoln University of Missouri Cooperative Extension — Garlic Production in Missouri: edu/publications/garlic-production-in-missouri.html

Utah State University Extension — How to Grow Garlic in Your Garden: usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/garlic-in-the-garden

Oregon State University Extension — Get Your Garlic On: A Primer on Planting, Growing and Harvesting: oregonstate.edu/news/get-your-garlic-primer-planting-growing-harvesting

Cornell Cooperative Extension, Warren County — Garlic: cce.cornell.edu/gardening-landscape/warren-county-master-gardener-articles/garlic

Penn State Extension — Garlic Production: psu.edu/garlic-production

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (Contra Costa Master Gardeners) — Garlic, Love It or Leave It: edu/blog/hort-coco-uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa/article/garlic-love-it-or-leave-it

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Winter squash gives you almost no obvious warning before it's ready, and pulling it too early is one of the most common mistakes gardeners make. And that mistake costs you flavor, sugar content, and months of storage life. In this episode, we're breaking down exactly how to read maturity on butternut, acorn, spaghetti, delicata, and storage pumpkins: the rind test, the ground spot, and the specific cues for each type. Then we'll cover what to do with a squash patch when frost is bearing down on you, why curing helps some squash and actively ruins others, and how to set up a storage space that gets you squash on your table well into the new year instead of watching half your harvest go soft by Thanksgiving.

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References:

University of Missouri IPM — Pumpkin Picking Time: ipm.missouri.edu/meg/2022/10/pumpkins-DT/

South Dakota State University Extension — Time to Harvest Those Winter Squash: extension.sdstate.edu/time-harvest-those-winter-squash

South Dakota State University Extension — Harvesting and Storing Pumpkins and Winter Squash: extension.sdstate.edu/harvesting-and-storing-pumpkins-and-winter-squash

South Dakota State University Extension — Fall Frost Tolerance of Common Vegetables: extension.sdstate.edu/fall-frost-tolerance-common-vegetables

Iowa State University Extension — Yard and Garden: Winter Squash: extension.iastate.edu/news/yard-and-garden-winter-squash

Purdue University Vegetable Crops Hotline — Harvest and Postharvest Storage of Pumpkins and Winter Squash: vegcropshotline.org/article/harvest-and-postharvest-storage-of-pumpkins-and-winter-squash-2/

Purdue Extension FoodLink — Winter Squash: extension.purdue.edu/foodlink/includes/pubs/Print4perpaper/4VegetablesPrint/4WINTER_SQUASH2print.pdf

Oregon State University Extension Service — Preserving Pumpkins and Winter Squash: extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/sp-50-767-preserving-pumpkins-winter-squash

Michigan State University Extension — Pumpkins, Squash, Gourds: canr.msu.edu/resources/pumpkins_squash_gourds_commercial_vegetable_recommendations_e1953

University of Illinois Extension — Winter Squash (Home Vegetable Gardening): extension.illinois.edu/gardening/winter-squash

University of Minnesota Extension — Harvesting and Storing Melons, Squash and Pumpkins: extension.umn.edu/agriculture/specialty-crops/commercial-fruit-production/harvesting-and-storing-melons-squash-and-pumpkins

Cornell Cooperative Extension Regional Vegetable Program — Winter Squash and Pumpkin Maturity, Harvesting and Storage Tips: rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_1144.pdf

UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa (UC ANR) — Harvesting and Storing Winter Squash and Pumpkins: ucanr.edu/blog/hort-coco-uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa/article/harvesting-and-storing-winter-squash

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association — Harvesting Winter Squash for Peak Flavor and Optimal Storage Life: mofga.org/resources/crops/harvesting-winter-squash-for-flavor-and-storage/

Resources:

Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com

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Something has been eating your tomatoes, mowing your green beans down to nubs overnight, or turning your flower bed into a construction site, and you want to know who's responsible and what will make them stop. In this episode, we're working through the full lineup of backyard garden critters, starting with the animals most home gardeners deal with every season: squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, deer, and raccoons. Then we're digging into two animals that caused real trouble this year: groundhogs, which mowed down entire rows in my own garden, and armadillos, a first-time visitor here on the farm.

For each one, we'll cover how to identify their particular style of damage, what university research shows works to deter them, and where fencing, repellents, and scare tactics fall short. Whether you're dealing with a woodchuck built like a small, determined bulldozer, or an armadillo rototilling your flower bed at two in the morning, you'll walk away with a real plan instead of another myth to try. Let's dig in!

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References and Resources

Squirrels

University of Missouri Extension — Tree Squirrels: Managing Habitat and Controlling Damage (G9455): extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9455

Chipmunks

Penn State Extension — Chipmunks: extension.psu.edu/chipmunks

University of Georgia Extension — Chipmunks Publication: extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?pk_id=7652

Rabbits

University of Missouri Extension — Preventing and Controlling Damage Caused by Cottontail Rabbits (G9441): extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9441

Iowa State University Extension, Yard and Garden — How to Protect Gardens From Rabbits: yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-protect-gardens-rabbits

Deer

University of Missouri Extension — Controlling Deer Damage in Missouri (MP685): extension.missouri.edu/publications/mp685

Colorado State University Extension — Preventing Deer Damage: extension.colostate.edu/resource/preventing-deer-damage

University of Minnesota Extension — Winterizing Plants: Animal Damage: extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/winterizing-plants-animal-damage

Raccoons

University of Missouri Extension — Managing Raccoon Problems in Missouri (G9453): extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9453

Kansas State University Extension — Protecting Sweet Corn From Raccoons: extension.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/stories/2025/07/horticulture-raccoons-sweet-corn.html

Iowa State University Extension, Yard and Garden — How Can I Keep Raccoons Out of My Sweet Corn?: yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/faq/how-can-i-keep-raccoons-out-my-sweet-corn

Iowa State University Extension, Natural Resources — Raccoons: Damage Management: naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/raccoons-damage-management

Groundhogs

University of Missouri Extension — Managing Woodchuck Problems in Missouri (G9452): extension.missouri.edu/media/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/Pub/pdf/agguides/wildlife/g09452.pdf

UNH Extension — Dealing with Woodchuck Damage (fact sheet, includes capsaicin repellent trial results): extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migrated_unmanaged_files/resource000562_rep584.pdf

Missouri Department of Conservation — Groundhog Control: mdc.mo.gov/wildlife/nuisance-problem-species/groundhog-control

Armadillos

University of Missouri Extension — Armadillos in Missouri: Techniques to Prevent and Control Damage (G9456): extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9456

Oklahoma State University Extension — Managing Nuisance Armadillo Damage: extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/managing-nuisance-armadillo-damage

Oklahoma State University Extension — Tips for Managing Nuisance Armadillo: extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/tips-for-managing-nuisance-armadillo

General / Multiple Species

University of Missouri Extension — Garden Critters: 'Frenemies' in Grow Places: extension.missouri.edu/news/garden-critters-frenemies-in-grow-places

University of Missouri Extension — Solving Wildlife Damage Problems in Missouri (G9425): extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9425

Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com
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