Just Grow Something | Evidence-Based Home Gardening

Episode

• How to Time Your Fall Brassicas - Ep. 307 30.06.2026 25mnt

  Most home gardeners don't realize fall brassica production starts in late June and early July. This episode breaks down the timing for broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, including how to calculate seed-starting dates from your first frost date, and explains why fall is the right season for this group of crops from a plant physiology standpoint.
• Mid-Season Fertilizing: How to Know What Your Vegetables Actually Need - Ep. 306 23.06.2026 41mnt

  June is peak season for fertilizing questions—and peak season for fertilizing mistakes. This episode breaks down the core principles of mid-season vegetable fertilizing: why nitrogen timing is the most important variable, how fruiting and leafy crops have completely different needs, how to read your plants for real deficiency signs, how to side-dress correctly, and when not to fertilize at all.
• Early Blight Versus Late Blight in Tomatoes: Don't Get This One Wrong! - Ep. 305 16.06.2026 41mnt

  “My tomato leaves are turning brown — do I have blight?” Treating late blight like early blight — or vice versa — can mean the difference between saving your plants and losing your entire harvest.
• How to Manage Squash Vine Borer - Ep. 304 09.06.2026 45mnt

  Every year, gardeners across the country watch their squash plants collapse overnight and have absolutely no idea why until it’s too late. The culprit is the squash vine borer, and it is one of the most misunderstood pests in the home garden.
• How to Identify and Manage Perennial Weeds (Without the Viral Sprays) - Ep. 303 02.06.2026 52mnt

  Perennial weeds are in a different category than annuals. They don’t just re-seed, they regrow from the ground up, season after season, from root systems that can run three feet deep or spread fifteen feet sideways underground. In this episode, we’re tackling them systematically.
• Mulch Matchmaking: Choosing the Right Mulch for Your Vegetable Garden - Ep. 302 26.05.2026 50mnt

  In this episode, we dig into the full lineup of organic mulches—straw, shredded leaves, wood chips, pine needles, grass clippings, and compost—as well as a shorter look at inorganic options like landscape fabric and black plastic.
• Spring-Planted Bulbs and Summer Blooms: A Guide to Growing and Storing Dahlias, Gladiolus, and More - Ep. 301 19.05.2026 51mnt

  In this episode, I’m covering the full world of spring-planted bulbs: dahlias, gladiolus, cannas, calla lilies, and tuberous begonias. You’ll learn when and how to plant them, how to grow them for maximum blooms, how to cut them for the vase, and how to handle end-of-season care based on where you live.
• Episode 300: The Questions You Keep Asking (and What the Research Actually Says) 12.05.2026 1j 6mnt

  We made it to 300 episodes! And to celebrate, I’m doing something a little different. This is a question-and-answer episode with evidence-based answers to your most frequently asked questions.
• Topping Peppers: What does the science say, yay or nay? - Ep. 299 05.05.2026 28mnt

  Today we’re talking about the science of why topping pepper plants works (when it works). We’re laying out the honest pros and cons with your climate and your pepper variety in mind. And if you decide it’s right for your garden, I’ll walk you through exactly how and when to do it and what to expect afterward.
• Growing Tomatoes, Peppers, and Lettuce in Pots - Ep. 298 28.04.2026 26mnt

  This week we’re digging into the three crops I get asked about the most often when it comes to growing in containers: tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce. And while, technically, you can grow most anything in the right sized pot, these three are the ones folks tend to try first, so we’re going to get specific on them.
• Container Gardening 101 - Ep. 297 21.04.2026 40mnt

  If you've got a patio, a porch, a balcony, or even a sunny driveway, you can grow a real, productive vegetable garden in containers. Today on Just Grow Something, we walk through the essentials of container gardening from the ground up!
• Succession Planting 101: How to Keep Your Garden Producing from Spring Through Frost - Ep. 296 14.04.2026 36mnt

  Empty beds mean missed harvests. But with the right plan, they're completely avoidable. Whether you're dealing with a four-month growing season or gardening in year-round heat, there's a succession approach that works for your climate.
• Interplanting Done Right: The High, Low, Fast, Slow Method for Bigger Harvests - Ep. 295 07.04.2026 41mnt

  What if you could get more food from the exact same garden space, without expanding a single bed? That's the promise of interplanting, and today on Just Grow Something I break down exactly how to do it right.
• Your Greenhouse Operating Manual - Ep. 294 31.03.2026 40mnt

  A protected growing structure isn’t “set it and forget it” but a microclimate you manage. In this final episode of our greenhouse mini-series, you’ll get a practical operating manual for cold frames, low tunnels, caterpillar tunnels, high tunnels, and home greenhouses.
• Greenhouse Tradeoffs: Heat, Humidity, Pests, and Practicality - Ep. 293 24.03.2026 27mnt

  Protected growing structures like greenhouses can be game-changers - earlier harvests, fewer rain-splashed diseases, better crop quality, and more reliable timing. But they also create a new microclimate with new rules: overheating, humidity spikes, irrigation demands, shifting pest pressure, and sometimes pollination problems. Today on Just Grow Something, we break down what problems protected culture solves, what it tends to make harder, and how to predict those tradeoffs before you invest.
• How to Pick the Right Greenhouse, Tunnel, or Cold Frame - Ep. 292 17.03.2026 42mnt

  Thinking about a greenhouse but not sure if you really need one? There are some beautiful and expensive options out there, but greenhouses aren’t the only option for extending the season your garden. Today on Just Grow Something, we map out the full spectrum of protected growing structures for home gardeners: from cold frames and covered shelving to low tunnels, caterpillar tunnels, hoop houses/high tunnels, and home greenhouses.
• Hardening Off Homegrown AND Storebought Seedlings - Ep. 291 10.03.2026 29mnt

  Hardening off is the difference between sturdy transplants that take off fast and seedlings that stall, scorch, or collapse after planting. Today on Just Grow Something, you’ll learn what to do indoors before hardening off, a simple step-by-step hardening-off schedule (including temperature guidelines, shade vs. sun, wind protection, and watering adjustments), and what to watch for when you transplant.
• How to Time Seed Starting for Your Garden: Start Dates That Make Sense - Ep. 290 03.03.2026 28mnt

  Timing your seed starting shouldn't be hard. There are plenty of calendars to follow, right? Until following a calendar means you start too early, run out of space, and end up babysitting leggy, root-bound seedlings for weeks. Or you start too late and miss the planting window you planned for. So, today on Just Grow Something, we're connecting the dots between frost dates, planting calendars, and harvest windows to build a seed-starting schedule that fits your garden and your climate.
• Spring Garden Bed Preparation - Ep. 289 24.02.2026 19mnt

  If you want an easier garden season, February is the time to set the foundation. Two steps do most of the heavy lifting: getting a soil test and prepping beds without damaging soil structure. Done well, these tasks reduce fertilizer guesswork and improve root growth.You can do a lot right now that sets you up for success without rushing into two classic mistakes:1. throwing amendments at the garden without knowing what the soil actually needs, and2. working soil while it’s still too wet, which can damage structure for the long haul.So, today on Just Grow Something, I’m walking you through what a soil test can (and can’t) tell you, exactly how to collect a sample that’s representative of your whole garden, the key parts of a soil report that matter most for vegetables, and bed prep steps you can do now that improve soil instead of compacting it.Let’s dig in!Resources:My Seed to Sprout course is waiting for you here: https://justgrowsomething.com/indoor-seed-startingMy free Seed Starting eBook is here: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/seedbookSoil amendment episodes and articles: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/search/amendmentsHow to calculate how much fertilizer to add to the garden: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/blog/how-much-fertilizer-to-add-to-your-gardenReferences:How temperature affects the rate of nitrification: https://livetoplant.com/how-temperature-influences-the-rate-of-nitrification/Guide to Collecting Soil Samples - Oregon State University: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ec-628-guide-collecting-soil-samples-farms-gardensSoil Compaction from Wet Soils - Purdue University Extension: https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/yardandgarden/resist-the-urge-to-work-wet-soil/Add Organic Matter to Improve Most Garden Soils - Oregon State University: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/add-organic-matter-improve-most-garden-soilsJust Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch and Downloads: 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
• Indoor Seedling Troubleshooting - Ep. 288 17.02.2026 21mnt

  Today is a clinic episode, a Seedling Troubleshooting Clinic to be exact, because if you’re starting seeds indoors, something is eventually going to look weird. A tray that was perfect yesterday is suddenly leaning. Something looks fuzzy on the soil surface. Or a seedling that seemed fine just flops over.The good news is most seedling problems come from a small handful of causes, causes that we can actually control - light, temperature, water, airflow, or sanitation. And once you know what you’re looking at, you can usually fix it quickly or at least stop it from spreading to the rest of your tray.So, I’m going to give you a simple diagnostic checklist and then we’ll walk through the most common seedling symptoms and what to do about each one.Let's dig in!Get my FREE seed starting ebook: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/seedbookTake my comprehensive course for indoor seed starting, Seed to Sprout: https://justgrowsomething.com/indoor-seed-startingJust Grow Something episodes, videos and blog posts on seed starting: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/search/seed%20startingReferences and resources:University of Illinois Extension: Troubleshooting seed starting problems: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-02-25-whats-wrong-my-seedlings-troubleshooting-seed-starting-problemsUniversity of Minnesota Extension: How to prevent seedling damping off: https://extension.umn.edu/solve-problem/how-prevent-seedling-damping Utah State University Extension: Seedling culture, airflow, temps: https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/starting-vegetable-seeds-indoors-seeding-culture-and-transplanting.pdf Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.comJust Grow Something Merch and Downloads: 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