If you’ve been gardening for any amount of time, you’ve likely come across companion planting charts—maybe you’ve seen advice like “plant basil with tomatoes” or “marigolds repel all pests.” But how much of this is actually true?Companion planting can mean a lot of things, depending on what our goal is. We can either be going for pest repelling properties, keeping weeds down, soil health benefits, or just enhancing flavors or saving space.Today on Just Grow Something, we’re sorting fact from fiction. Some companion planting practices do have solid science behind them. But many claims are more anecdotal than evidence-based—and in some cases, well-intended pairings might even backfire. I’m looking at you marigolds. Let's dig in!References and Resources:Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at HeirloomRoses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.comCompanion Planting: Fact or Fiction?: https://growappalachia.berea.edu/2019/04/01/companion-planting-fact-or-fiction/Companion Planting & Botanical Pesticides: Concepts & Resources: https://attra.ncat.org/publication/companion-planting-resources/#4Companion Planting | West Virginia University: https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/gardening/garden-management/companion-plantingPhytoremediation episode: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/focal-point-friday-are-sunflowers-good-or-bad-for-the-gardenIPM episode: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/integrated-pest-management-in-the-home-garden-ep-228How to Find and Support the Show:Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething
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40:18
Be Prepared for Garden Pests – Ep. 245
Today, we’re diving into a topic that sneaks up on every gardener at some point—pests. Whether they’re crawling, flying, or trotting in on four legs, pests can quickly turn a thriving garden into a frustrated gardener’s nightmare.But here’s the good news: you don’t have to reach for synthetic pesticides to protect your plants. Today on Just Grow Something we’re talking all about preparing your garden before the pests show up—using methods that keep your crops safe while still protecting pollinators and beneficial insects. We’ll cover physical barriers, companion planting, organic sprays, soil health, and even a few tips for keeping the bunnies and deer at bay.Let’s dig in!References and Resources:Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at Heirloom Roses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.comThe influence of host and non‐host companion plants on the behaviour of pest insects in field cropsPest management tools:insect netting: https://amzn.to/3XXMxN3hardware cloth: https://amzn.to/4idDfUogopher baskets: https://amzn.to/3YwFiM6insecticidal soap: https://amzn.to/3Gl50wUneem oil: https://amzn.to/4jczBeSbt: https://amzn.to/44oJ5PqSpinosad: https://amzn.to/4cxt1NhDE: https://amzn.to/3RgXGEUFirst Saturday Lime: https://amzn.to/4j4iWtPJust Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething
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40:18
Easiest Crops for Beginners - Ep. 244
One thing I am often asked by beginning gardeners is, “what is the easiest thing for me to grow?” Some of us just dive right in to gardening headfirst, attempting to grow whatever our favorite veggies are, regardless of how easy or difficult it is. Or without even considering that one might be more difficult than others. That was me and ignorance is definitely bliss until you are unsuccessful, and then it’s just frustrating.So, today on Just Grow Something I’m going to cover some of the easiest things for a brand-new gardener to grow, whether it’s in garden beds, raised planters or pots. We’ll take about which growing zones they are appropriate for, what type of light requirements they have, and any specific requirements they prefer like temperature or how they germinate. Just because they’re easy doesn’t mean they won’t appreciate a little attention to their preferences and that will only make them easier for you to get them to maturity. This is a great episode to share with a new gardening friend! Let’s dig in!References and Resources:Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at Heirloom Roses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.comEpisode 240: Spring Planted Bulbs and Garden PerennialsEp. 79 - Planning a Children's GardenJust Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething
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39:10
How to Prepare Seedlings for Transplant into the Garden - Ep. 243
I will never forget the first time I successfully started my own transplants from seed indoors and they actually looked healthy and strong. I was so excited to get those tomato plants out into my garden and lovingly transferred them from their little pots out into the garden, got them all watered in, and was so excited about the money I had just saved by doing it myself instead of going to the garden center.Three days later those plants were flopped over flat on the ground, looking like they had seen a hard frost over night even though I knew they hadn’t. Those plants took weeks to bounce back and started producing way later than they should have. That very next year I did it again, only this time it was cabbage and the plants got completely sun bleached and they never bounced back at all. They dropped most of their leaves and just didn’t grow.In both cases, I had failed to give the plants adequate time to acclimate to their surroundings, moving them way too quickly from the indoor seed-starting setup with its perfect lighting, perfect temperatures, and protection from the elements right out into the full sun, gusting winds and wild temperature swings typical for our gardens here in the spring.That process of acclimating our plants to the outside world is called hardening off and nobody had every told me anything about this. It seems obvious if we think about it in terms of anything else in our world. If we live somewhere warm and travel someplace cold, our bodies need to time to acclimate to our new surroundings or need adequate protection to help with the transition. If we need it, our little plants need it, too. So, today on Just Grow Something we’re walking step-by-step through how to transition your plants into the garden, whether you started them yourself or you bought them somewhere else. Will it always end in disaster if you don’t do this, no, not always. But the number of times it has ended in disaster for me has me checking myself every time I think I don’t have the patience to wait a week before putting my plant babies in the ground. Let’s dig in.References and Resources:Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at HeirloomRoses.com with code JUSTGROWJust Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething
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21:59
How to Start a Compost Pile - Ep. 242
Save 20% on the already discounted subscription price of both the Magic Mind Mental Performance and Sleep shots at https://magicmind.com/GROWMAR and use code GROWMAR at checkout.According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces about 4.9 pounds (2.2 kg) of garbage per day. That’s almost 1800 lbs. per year, or 816kg. And over 56% of this garbage is food, yard waste, paper or paperboard. That means over 1,000 lbs. of the municipal waste produced in the U.S. could be composted, per person. Much of our annual garden cleanup involves yard waste and now would be the perfect time to start a compost pile combining that yard waste with scraps from our kitchen and paper from our offices and cardboard from all those packages we have delivered to our doors.Today on Just Grow Something we’re going to talk about starting a compost pile or re-starting it if you’ve made an attempt before and maybe weren’t as successful as you’d hoped. Composting can be done in lots of ways in lots of spaces, so we’re going to cover the basics of what you need to know regardless of where and how you accomplish it, give you a few options for composting systems, large and small, and the do’s and don’ts of what goes into our composting systems and what we should avoid. Let’s dig in!References and Resources:Simple Compost Solutions for Every Garden Space - Ep. 218 Indoor and Small-Space Composting: 5 Effective Methods University of Florida Extension: Composting GuideComposting Dairy ProductsTurning Compost by TemperatureComposting to Kill Weed SeedsEPA: Composting at HomeGet 10% and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10: https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch and Downloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shopJust Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/508637300354140/Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomethingBonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomethingAmazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething
About Just Grow Something | The "Why" Behind the "How" of Gardening
Grow a better vegetable garden, whether you're a seasoned gardener or have never grown a thing in your life. Karin helps home gardeners learn to grow their own food using evidence-based techniques and research. She talks all about specific plants, pests, diseases, soil and plant health, mulch, garden planning, and more. It's not just the "how" but also the "why" that makes us better. The goal? For everyone to know how to grow their own food no matter what sized space they have or their experience level.
Tune in each week to plan, learn, and grow with your friend in the garden, Karin Velez.
Listen to Just Grow Something | The "Why" Behind the "How" of Gardening, The Minimalists and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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