Just Grow Something | Evidence-Based Home Gardening

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 Get your free fair-trade gift and support the show at https://LarrysCoffee.com/JustGrow 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 Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Newsletter link: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/757286/109572786559649154/share Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses: https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Get your fair-trade, organic, sustainably harvested coffees and support the show at https://larryscoffee.com/justgrow Got my newsletter: JustGrowSomething.com 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 Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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! Get your organic, fair-trade coffee with free gift at LarrysCoffee.com/JustGrow . No code needed! Save 10% and get free shipping on my favorite raised planters at PlanterBoxDirect.com with code JUSTGROW. 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 Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You've probably heard both sides of this argument: that organic and conventional produce are nutritionally identical, and that homegrown vegetables blow store-bought out of the water. Which one is true? In this episode, I dig through the peer-reviewed research on three separate questions: whether organic farming produces more nutritious food, whether soil health itself changes the nutrient content of what we eat, and what happens to those nutrients in the days between harvest and the moment food lands on your plate. I'm treating this as a real meta-analysis, pulling together findings from major systematic reviews, long-term field trials, and postharvest storage studies, and following the data wherever it leads. The answer is more interesting, and more useful for your own garden, than either side of the argument usually admits. By the end, you'll know exactly which parts of the nutrient-density conversation hold up under scrutiny and which parts are oversimplified, plus what it means for the food coming out of your own backyard. Let's dig in! Get your bag of Larry's Coffee and a free gift from their fair-trade partners at https://LarrysCoffee.com/JustGrow Peer-Reviewed Sources Smith-Spangler et al. (2012), Annals of Internal Medicine — Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier Than Conventional Alternatives?: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/0003-4819-157-5-201209040-00007 Baranski et al. (2014), British Journal of Nutrition — Higher Antioxidant and Lower Cadmium Concentrations in Organically Grown Crops (343-study meta-analysis): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4141693/ Worthington (2001), Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine — Nutritional Quality of Organic Versus Conventional Fruits, Vegetables, and Grains: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11327522/ Hunter et al. (2011), Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition — Evaluation of the Micronutrient Composition of Plant Foods Produced by Organic and Conventional Methods: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21929333/ Montgomery & Biklé (2021), Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems — Soil Health and Nutrient Density: Beyond Organic vs. Conventional Farming: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.699147/full Lehmann et al. (2014), Soil Biology and Biochemistry — Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Influence on Zinc Nutrition in Crop Plants: A Meta-Analysis: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0038071713004045 Reganold et al. (2010), PLOS ONE — Fruit and Soil Quality of Organic and Conventional Strawberry Agroecosystems: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0012346 Helfenstein et al. (2016), PLOS ONE — Organic Wheat Farming Improves Grain Zinc Concentration: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0160729 Hepperly, Omondi & Seidel (2018), MOJ Food Processing & Technology — Soil Regeneration Increases Crop Nutrients, Antioxidants and Adaptive Responses (Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial): https://medcraveonline.com/MOJFPT/soil-regeneration-increases-crop-nutrients-antioxidants-and-adaptive-responses.html Davis, Epp & Riordan (2004), Journal of the American College of Nutrition — Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15637215/ Marles (2017), Journal of Food Composition and Analysis — Mineral Nutrient Composition of Vegetables, Fruits and Grains: The Context of Reports of Apparent Historical Declines: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157516302113 Favell (1998), Food Chemistry — A Comparison of the Vitamin C Content of Fresh and Frozen Vegetables: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814697001659 Rickman, Barrett & Bruhn (2007), Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture — Nutritional Comparison of Fresh, Frozen and Canned Fruits and Vegetables, Part 1: https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jsfa.2825 Li, Pegg, Eitenmiller, Chun & Kerrihard (2017), Journal of Food Composition and Analysis — Selected Nutrient Analyses of Fresh, Fresh-Stored, and Frozen Fruits and Vegetables: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889157517300418 Galani et al. (2017), Antioxidants — Storage of Fruits and Vegetables in Refrigerator Increases Their Phenolic Acids but Decreases the Total Phenolics, Anthocyanins and Vitamin C: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618087/ Jo, Shin & Lee (2003), Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry — The Effect of Post-Harvest and Packaging Treatments on Glucoraphanin Concentration in Broccoli: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf0203592 Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you've listened to this show for any length of time, you've heard me point to University Extension again and again as my go-to source. But I've never actually explained why. In this episode, we're pulling back the curtain on the Cooperative Extension System: where it came from, starting with farmers comparing notes in the early 1800s, through the Morrill Act's creation of land-grant universities in 1862, the Hatch Act's 1887 research mandate, and the 1914 Smith-Lever Act that built the nationwide Extension system we know today. We'll also trace the Master Gardener program from its 1972 origins in Washington State and we'll get honest about reliability: how peer review works (and where it doesn't), how to evaluate a publication for yourself, and why regional, research-based information matters more than ever in an age of viral gardening myths. This one's less about your garden bed and more about why you can trust what I tell you to put in it. Let’s dig in! Episode References https://LarrysCoffee.com/JustGrow – Free Gift with order from this link only! Battling Blossom End Rot the Right Way - Ep. 309 Raised Bed Gardening with Gardener Scott - Ep. 268 Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses: https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Resources Rutgers Cooperative Extension — The 1914 Smith-Lever Act: https://extension.rutgers.edu/history/smith-lever OSU Extension — A Brief History of Extension: https://extension.osu.edu/about/mission-vision-values/osu-extension-brief-history USDA NIFA — History: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/who-we-are/history USDA NIFA — Cooperative Extension History: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/what-we-do/extension/cooperative-extension-history USDA NIFA — What We Do: Extension: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/what-we-do/extension gov CRS — The Agricultural Cooperative Extension System: An Overview: https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48071 gov CRS — The U.S. Land-Grant University System: https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45897 APLU — Land-Grant University FAQ: https://www.aplu.org/about-us/history-of-aplu/what-is-a-land-grant-university/ Land-Grant Impacts — Extension (current office count): https://landgrantimpacts.org/extension/ Garden Professors — Not All Extension Publications Are Created Equal: https://gardenprofessors.com/not-all-extension-publications-are-created-equal/ OSU Extension — Peer Review Guidelines: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/peer-review-guidelines University of Illinois Extension — Peer Reviewed Publications: https://extension.illinois.edu/global/peer-reviewed-publications Clemson News — Land-Grant Press Publications: https://news.clemson.edu/land-grant-press-publications-provide-vital-knowledge-from-clemson-cooperative-extension-program-areas/ Washington State University — History of the Master Gardener Program: https://mastergardener.wsu.edu/who-we-are/history/history-of-the-master-gardener-program/ WSU CAHNRS News — Seeds of a Movement: 50 Years Ago: https://news.cahnrs.wsu.edu/article/seeds-of-a-movement-50-years-ago-master-gardeners-began-with-wsu-trained-volunteers/ University of Missouri Extension — History of Extension: https://extension.missouri.edu/about-us/history-of-extension Master Gardeners of Greene County — History (Missouri program): https://mggreene.org/history/ University of Missouri Extension — Extension Master Gardener Program: https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/extension-master-gardener OSU Extension — Experts Debunk 10 Common Gardening Myths: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/osu-extension-experts-debunk-10-common-gardening-myths University of Arkansas ScholarWorks — Social Media Misinformation Among Extension Educators (dissertation): https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/5861/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For most of the last century, gardeners were taught to cultivate their soil after every rain to conserve moisture, to think of plant roots as lone competitors, and to treat "plant communication" as science fiction. All of that was built on the best evidence available at the time, and all of it has been revised, in some cases more than once, as better tools let researchers see what earlier generations simply could not. In this episode, we walk through four real case studies of plant science changing its mind. Along the way, we talk about how the scientific method works, why one of my favorite phrases, "we don't know what we don't know," is not a discouraging idea but an exciting one, and what all of this means for the choices you make in your own garden each season, now and into the future. Let’s dig in! References and Resources: Chalker-Scott, L., and C.H. Daniels. (2016). "Scientific Literacy for the Citizen Scientist." WSU Extension Manual EM100E. https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/extension/uploads/sites/30/2024/07/Scientific-Literacy-for-the-Citizen-Scientist.pdf Chalker-Scott, L. (2021, revised). "Dust Mulch Efficacy in Gardens and Landscapes." WSU Extension Fact Sheet FS167E. https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/wp-ecommerce/uploads/sites/2/product-3540-sku-FS167E.pdf Chalker-Scott, L. (2017). "A Gardener's Primer to Mycorrhizae: Understanding How They Work and Learning How to Protect Them." WSU Extension Fact Sheet FS269E. https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/wp-ecommerce/uploads/sites/2/product-3286-sku-FS269E.pdf Chalker-Scott, L. (2023). "Gardening with Companion Plants." WSU Extension Publication EM128E. https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/product/gardening-with-companion-plants-home-garden-series/ Oklahoma State University Extension. "Mycorrhizal Fungi." Fact Sheet. https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/mycorrhizal-fungi Pacific Horticulture Society. "Mycorrhizal Fungi, Nature's Key to Plant Survival and Success." https://pacifichorticulture.org/articles/mycorrhizal-fungi-natures-key-to-plant-survival-and-success/ Cao, D., Chabikwa, T., Barbier, F., Dun, E.A., Fichtner, F., Dong, L., Kerr, S.C., & Beveridge, C.A. (2023). "Auxin-independent effects of apical dominance induce changes in phytohormones correlated with bud outgrowth." Plant Physiology, 192(2), 1420–1434. https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiad034 Mason, M.G., Ross, J.J., Babst, B.A., Wienclaw, B.N., & Beveridge, C.A. (2014). "Sugar demand, not auxin, is the initial regulator of apical dominance." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(16), 6092–6097. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1322045111 Barbier, F.F., Dun, E.A., & Beveridge, C.A. (2017). "A Growing Stem Inhibits Bud Outgrowth — The Overlooked Theory of Apical Dominance." Frontiers in Plant Science, 8:1874. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5671643/ "Lessons from a century of apical dominance research." (2023). Journal of Experimental Botany. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10400159/ Simard, S.W., Perry, D.A., Jones, M.D., Myrold, D.D., Durall, D.M., & Molina, R. (1997). "Net transfer of carbon between ectomycorrhizal tree species in the field." Nature, 388, 579–582. https://www.nature.com/articles/41557 "Belowground carbon transfer across mycorrhizal networks among trees: Facts, not fantasy." (2023). Review discussing the scope and limits of current evidence for mycorrhizal carbon transfer. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10751480/ Baldwin, I.T., & Schultz, J.C. (1983). "Rapid Changes in Tree Leaf Chemistry Induced by Damage: Evidence for Communication Between Plants." Science, 221(4607), 277–279. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.221.4607.277 Heil, M. (2014). "Herbivore-induced plant volatiles: targets, perception and unanswered questions." New Phytologist, 204(2), 297–306. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.12977 Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10 : https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Save on your Aquatru water system at Aquatru.com using code GROW. https://aquatru.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Your garden is at its busiest in July, and so is the wear and tear on your soil. In this episode we get past the fertilizer conversation and into whether your soil is still functioning at all — how traffic, pounding rain, heat, and heavy-feeding crops degrade soil mid-season, the physical, chemical, and biological warning signs to look for right now, and tests you can run this week to sort the problems. Plus, how to use a mid-season open bed as a soil-building opportunity. Let's dig in! REFERENCES & RESOURCES University of Delaware Cooperative Extension — "Combating Soil Compaction" — https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/cooperative-extension/fact-sheets/combating-soil-compaction/ University of Minnesota Extension — "Backyard science: Is your soil healthy?" (slake test, infiltration test, earthworm counts) — https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/backyard-science-your-soil-healthy Cornell Soil Health Laboratory — Individual soil analyses, including wet aggregate stability — https://soilhealthlab.cals.cornell.edu/testing-services/individual-soil-analyses/ Purdue University Vegetable Crops Hotline — "Nitrogen Loss from Wet Soils" — https://vegcropshotline.org/article/nitrogen-loss-from-wet-soils/ UF/IFAS Extension — CIR 1092/SS117, "Soil and Container Media Electrical Conductivity Interpretations" — https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS117 Texas A&M AgriLife, Aggie Horticulture — "Salt Injury" (Cucurbit Problem Solver) — https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/vegetable/problem-solvers/cucurbit-problem-solver/leaf-disorders/salt-injury/ Purdue University Vegetable Crops Hotline — "Summer Cover Crops for Improved Soil Health and Weed Management" — https://vegcropshotline.org/article/summer-cover-crops-for-improved-soil-health-and-weed-management/ Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10 : https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you've grown tomatoes or peppers for more than one season, you more than likely know the feeling been waiting that first tomato to ripen, finally see it’s blushing red, and you flip it over to find a sunken, leathery patch covering half the bottom of the fruit. And if you went looking for answers, you probably found three of them repeated everywhere you turned: sprinkle in some crushed eggshells, spray on some calcium, add a scoop of Epsom salt. All three of those are extremely common advice. Two of them do close to nothing. And one of them can genuinely make the problem worse. That problem? Blossom end rot. Today on Just Grow Something we're covering what blossom end rot really is at the cellular level, the conditions that trigger it in your garden, why the most popular home remedies for it are built on a total misunderstanding of the problem, and what the research consistently recommends instead. Let's dig in. University Extension and Research-Based Resources Utah State University Extension — Blossom End Rot (IPM Fact Sheet) https://extension.usu.edu/planthealth/ipm/notes_ag/veg-blossom-end-rot Purdue Extension — Blossom End Rot of Tomato Fruit (BP-13-W) https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/bp/bp-13-w.html University of Maryland Extension — Blossom End Rot on Vegetables https://extension.umd.edu/resource/blossom-end-rot-vegetables Alabama Cooperative Extension System — Blossom-End Rot in Tomatoes: Causes and Prevention (ANR-1059) https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/lawn-garden/blossom-end-rot-in-tomatoes-causes-and-prevention/ University of Massachusetts Amherst, Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment — Solanaceous: Blossom End Rot https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/solanaceous-blossom-end-rot Oregon State University Extension — Blossom-End Rot of Tomatoes (FS-139) https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/fs-139-blossom-end-rot-tomatoes University of Wisconsin Horticulture Extension — Blossom End Rot https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/blossom-end-rot/ University of California Cooperative Extension, UC ANR "The Real Dirt" — Fighting Blossom End Rot https://ucanr.edu/blog/real-dirt/article/fighting-blossom-end-rot University of Connecticut Extension — Put an End to Blossom-End Rot: Water and Nutrient Management is Key https://homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu/2025/06/15/blossom-end-rot/ Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC — Gardening Myths: Fix Blossom End Rot with Calcium Sprays https://hgic.clemson.edu/gardening-myths-fix-blossom-end-rot-with-calcium-sprays/ North Dakota State University Extension — The Epsom Salt Myth https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/extension-topics/gardening-and-horticulture/vegetables/epsom-salt-myth University of Minnesota Extension — Do Common Soil Health "Home Remedies" Work? (Coffee Grounds, Eggshells, Epsom Salts) https://extension.umn.edu/manage-soil-nutrients/coffee-grounds-eggshells-epsom-salts Peer-Reviewed Research Topcu, Y., Nambeesan, S. U., & van der Knaap, E. (2022). Blossom-end rot: a century-old problem in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and other vegetables. Molecular Horticulture, 2, 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43897-021-00022-9 Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10 : https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's two o'clock on a July afternoon. You walk out to check the garden, and your squash leaves are drooping so low they're nearly touching the mulch. Your tomato plants look like they've given up on the whole season. If your first thought, every single time, is “I need to water right now,” hold on a second before you grab that hose. Because that dramatic afternoon collapse you're looking at likely has absolutely nothing to do with how much water is in your soil. So today on Just Grow Something we're covering three things: what's actually happening inside a plant's cells when the temperature spikes, the specific ways to tell heat stress wilting apart from drought stress wilting, and what heat stress does beyond the leaves, because your tomatoes and peppers and squash can look perfectly fine and still be failing to set fruit, and that's a heat problem too. Let's dig in. Join the Fall Garden Challenge: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/fall References and Resources: Graci, S., & Barone, A. (2024). Tomato plant response to heat stress: a focus on candidate genes for yield-related traits. Frontiers in Plant Science, 14, 1245661. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1245661 Sellami, D., & Kooli, S. (2025). Physiological and growth responses of tomato plants to heat stress. Discover Plants. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44372-025-00462-3 University of Maryland Extension — Drought and Excessive Heat Stress https://extension.umd.edu/resource/drought-and-excessive-heat-stress University of Maryland Extension — Pollination of Vegetable Crops in a Changing Climate https://extension.umd.edu/resource/pollination-vegetable-crops-changing-climate NC State Cooperative Extension, Beaufort County — What "Wilting" Really Means: Heat Stress vs. Water Needs https://beaufort.ces.ncsu.edu/news/what-wilting-really-means-heat-stress-vs-water-needs/ Oregon State University Extension — Heat Wave in the Garden: How to Identify and Prevent Heat Stress in Plants https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9556-heat-wave-garden-how-identify-prevent-heat-stress-plants Oregon State University Extension — Why Vegetables Drop Blossoms https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/why-vegetables-drop-blossoms Oregon State University Extension — Mother Nature May Need Help to Pollinate Squash and Cucumbers https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/mother-nature-may-need-help-pollinate-squash-cucumbers Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10 : https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fall gardening doesn't start in September. For the crops that take a long time to produce, your broccoli, your cauliflower, your cabbage, your Brussels sprouts, it starts right now in late June and early July. And if you've never had a productive fall brassica bed, it's almost certainly because you started too late and it took me a lot of years to master this. This episode is about fall gardening planning, and specifically about the crops that require you to be thinking ahead right now, in late June and into July, when literally nothing about summer conditions suggest that fall is coming. We’re talking about the timing, why it matters, how to calculate it for your specific first frost date, and exactly what to do if you're sitting here thinking you may have already missed the window — because you might not have, but we need to move quickly. Let’s dig in. Join my FREE fall garden email challenge! https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/fall Resources : How to Calculate Your Fall Brassica Dates Step 1: Find your average first frost date (garden.org/apps/frost-dates or your local extension service) Step 2: Take days to maturity for your chosen variety Step 3: Add 10–14 days for the short-day factor Step 4: Count backward from first frost — that is your transplant-out deadline Step 5: Count back another 4–6 weeks — that is your seed-starting deadline MU Extension — Vegetable Planting Calendar (G6201): Variety-specific fall planting dates for Missouri's three planting regions. https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6201 UMN Extension — Growing Broccoli: Seed-starting timing (early to late July for fall crop), variety selection, and fall head quality. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-broccoli UMN Extension — Growing Broccoli: Seed-starting timing (early to late July for fall crop), variety selection, and fall head quality. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-broccoli UMN Extension — Growing Brussels Sprouts: Start seeds in June indoors or direct, water deeply once weekly, harvest through fall frosts. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-brussels-sprouts UMN Extension — Growing Cauliflower: Start seeds in July for fall crop; cool temperatures essential for quality curd formation. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-cauliflower UMN Extension — Growing Cabbage: For fall crop, plant seed directly in garden in early July; cabbage takes 60–100 days. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-cabbage UMD Extension — Planting Dates for Vegetable Crops (Transplant Timing): Short-day factor methodology for fall transplant timing. https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/2021-03/PlantingDatesforVegetableCropsinMaryland.pdf Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10 : https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s June, your tomatoes are climbing, your corn is waist-high, and the internet is full of fertilizing advice—most of it missing the most important variable: timing. In this episode, we dig into what your vegetables need right now at mid-season, why nitrogen timing is the thing most gardeners get wrong, how fruiting crops and leafy crops have completely different needs, and when fertilizing can actually hurt instead of help. We’ll cover how to read your plants for deficiency signs, how to side-dress correctly, and why the most common mid-season mistake isn’t under-fertilizing—it’s fertilizing at the wrong time with the wrong form. Grounded in university extension research and my own experience farming through Missouri summers, this one will give you a clear, crop-by-crop picture of what to do right now. Let’s dig in. Crop-by-Crop Quick Reference: Mid-Season Nitrogen Timing LEAFY CROPS (lettuce, kale, chard, spinach, collards, arugula, basil) When to side-dress: 3–4 weeks after transplanting or when 2–3 inches tall; repeat every 4–6 weeks for heavy-harvesting crops Goal: steady nitrogen supply throughout season Note: don’t exceed recommended rates—excess nitrogen increases pest/disease vulnerability COLE CROPS (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower) When to side-dress: approximately 30 days after transplanting, during active vegetative growth Hold off once head formation begins TOMATOES When to side-dress: when first fruits are approximately one-third grown (golf ball size) DO NOT apply nitrogen at transplant or during early fruit set—drives vegetative growth at expense of fruit Second application: 2 weeks after first ripe fruit; third: 4 weeks later Rate: 0.5 lb actual nitrogen per 100 feet of row per application PEPPERS When to side-dress: early vegetative growth before fruit set Pull back after fruit is setting SWEET CORN When to side-dress: when plants are approximately one-third grown (knee-high) Apply alongside rows, not into the whorl of leaves May benefit from a second application before tasseling CUCUMBERS / SQUASH / MELONS When to side-dress: after vines are well-established and fruit is setting regularly Not during early flowering window For squash with blossom drop only: do not add nitrogen—address pollination instead BEANS / PEAS (inoculated) Mid-season nitrogen side-dressing generally not needed if seeds were inoculated Extra nitrogen causes excessive leaf growth and reduced pod set If not inoculated: apply light nitrogen early in vegetative growth only Side-Dressing How-To Move mulch aside before applying; replace afterward Keep granular fertilizer 4–6 inches from plant stems to prevent burn Work granular into top 1–2 inches of soil Water in after application—nitrogen moves into the root zone with moisture Organic options: blood meal or alfalfa pellets (work in lightly; slower to show results); fish emulsion (liquid, faster uptake, more frequent application needed) Signs of Nutrient Deficiency Nitrogen: yellowing starting on oldest, lowest leaves; stunted or stalled growth Phosphorus: stunted growth; reddish-purple tint in leaf tissue (often triggered by cold soil, not low soil P) Potassium: browning at leaf edges, starting with older leaves Note: many of these symptoms overlap with stress from crowding, insufficient sun, compaction, waterlogged roots, or nematode damage—rule those out first Common Myths Addressed Myth: More fertilizer = more production. The research is clear: overapplied nitrogen causes excess vegetative growth at the expense of fruit, increases pest and disease vulnerability, and leaches into groundwater without benefiting plants. Myth: If plants look off, they need fertilizer. Nutrient deficiency symptoms look almost identical to symptoms of watering problems, compaction, pH issues, root damage, and pest pressure. Identify the actual cause before applying anything. Myth: Tomatoes need nitrogen all season long. Timing matters. Nitrogen during the early fruit-set window drives vegetative growth and reduces yields. Wait until fruit is sizing up before side-dressing. Myth: Beans and peas are heavy feeders like corn. Inoculated legumes fix their own nitrogen from the air. Additional nitrogen pushes leaf growth at the expense of pods. Resources Get on my newsletter list: https://justgrowsomething.com (scroll to the bottom) Soil test kit : https://amzn.to/4wLe8j9 University Extension Publications University of Minnesota Extension – Quick Guide to Fertilizing Plants Oregon State University Extension – Feed Your Vegetable Garden Midseason to Boost Growth and Yields Oregon State University Extension – Vegetable Gardening in Oregon (EC 871) University of Maryland Extension – Fertilizing Vegetable Gardens University of Missouri Extension – Growing Home Garden Tomatoes (G6461) University of Missouri Extension – Vegetable Gardening (MG 5) – Table 1: Recommended Nitrogen Side-Dressings University of Missouri Extension IPM – Side-Dressing: Mid-Season Boost for Hungry Plants Virginia Tech Extension – Fertilizing the Vegetable Garden (426-323) Mississippi State University Extension – Fertilizing Vegetable Gardens University of Nevada, Reno Extension – Fertilizing Your Vegetable Garden Connect Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10 : https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Every June, one of the most common questions that floods gardening groups, emails, and extension offices is some version of: “My tomato leaves are turning brown — do I have blight?” The confusion is completely understandable, because there are two diseases that get lumped under that word — and they are caused by completely different organisms, show up in different ways, and require completely different responses. Treating late blight like early blight — or vice versa — can mean the difference between saving your plants and losing your entire harvest. In this episode, horticulturist and market farmer Karin Velez breaks both diseases down in plain language: what they look like, where they show up on the plant, what conditions favor them, how fast they move, what happens if you ignore them, and exactly what to do when you find either one. Whether you’re seeing spots on your lowest leaves or a whole section of your garden that looks like it got hit by frost overnight, this episode will help you figure out what you’re looking at — and what to do next. Let’s dig in. References and Resources Captain Jack’s Copper Fungicide - https://amzn.to/43DKqAn Penn State Extension — Tomato Diseases and Disorders in the Home Garden: https://extension.psu.edu/tomato-diseases-and-disorders-in-the-home-garden Penn State Extension — Scouting and Identifying Tomato Diseases: https://extension.psu.edu/scouting-and-identifying-tomato-diseases Penn State Extension — Tomato-Potato Late Blight in the Home Garden: https://extension.psu.edu/tomato-potato-late-blight-in-the-home-garden University of Georgia Extension — Common Tomato Diseases in Georgia (Bulletin B1285): https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B1285&title=common-tomato-diseases-in-georgia UGA Extension, Madison County — Tomato Troubles: https://site.extension.uga.edu/madison/2021/08/tomato-troubles/ University of Minnesota Extension — Late Blight of Tomato and Potato: https://extension.umn.edu/disease-management/late-blight Michigan State University Extension — Organic Management of Early Blight on Tomato (Hausbeck Lab): https://www.canr.msu.edu/hausbeck/Uploads/PDF/FS_Organic-Management-of-Early-Blight-on-Tomato.pdf UC ANR / UC IPM — Late Blight of Tomato (Phytophthora infestans): https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/tomato/late-blight/ Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks — Tomato Late Blight: https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/tomato-solanum-lycopersicum-late-blight Cornell University — Disease-Resistant Vegetable Varieties (late blight resistance): https://www.vegetables.cornell.edu/pest-management/disease-factsheets/disease-resistant-vegetable-varieties/ Midwest Vegetable Production Guide — current fungicide recommendations for late blight (referenced by Penn State and UMN Extension): https://mwveguide.org/ USAblight.org — national real-time late blight tracking and outbreak alerts (when it’s working?): http://usablight.org/ Quick-Reference: Early Blight vs. Late Blight at a Glance Pathogen type | Early Blight: true fungus (Alternaria solani) | Late Blight: water mold / oomycete (Phytophthora infestans) Ideal temperature | Early Blight: 68–77°F (warm) | Late Blight: 60–78°F (cool to mild) Where it starts | Early Blight: oldest/lowest leaves first | Late Blight: anywhere on the plant, no pattern Lesion appearance | Early Blight: dark bullseye with concentric rings, yellow halo | Late Blight: large irregular dark oily blotch, gray-green edge, no rings Underside of leaf | Early Blight: dark spores in lesion center | Late Blight: white downy/powdery growth at lesion margins in humidity Speed | Early Blight: slow and progressive, weeks to months | Late Blight: explosive, can kill plant in ~14 days Fruit symptoms | Early Blight: sunken dark spot at stem attachment | Late Blight: firm dark brown spot starting at fruit shoulders Overwinters as | Early Blight: debris/soil/seeds in warm climates | Late Blight: infected potato tubers, volunteer plants Fungicide type | Early Blight: copper, sulfur, standard fungicides | Late Blight: oomycete-specific only — NOT standard fungicides Response urgency | Early Blight: act promptly, manageable with cultural controls | Late Blight: emergency response, remove immediately, notify extension and neighbors Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. In this episode, Karin Velez breaks down the full life cycle of the squash vine borer, including regional timing differences that explain why gardeners in Florida, Missouri, and New Hampshire are fighting very different battles. She covers the remedies that likely don’t work (no matter how many gardening blogs swear by them), the strategies that actually do, and how to build a prevention plan before you ever see a moth. Whether you’ve been battling these for years or just lost your first plant to a mystery wilt, this one’s for you. Let’s dig in. Quick-Reference: Squash Vine Borer Management at a Glance Most susceptible crops: zucchini, yellow summer squash, acorn squash, Hubbard squash, pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) Less susceptible crops: butternut squash, cucumbers, melons, watermelon Diagnostic sign: frass (greenish-yellow sawdust) at the base of the stem near a small hole South : first flight May, 2 generations possible, adult activity May–October Mid-country (MO, KY, OH, IN, VA): first flight mid-June, peak June–July North (MN, WI, NH, PA, SD): first flight ~June 20, peak July 10–15, mostly finished by August 1 West Coast: rarely affected What works : pheromone traps for monitoring, floating row covers (on clean ground), planting date manipulation, variety selection, timed stem sprays (spinosad, Bt, pyrethroids before larvae enter), fall tillage, post-harvest sanitation, surgical larva removal if caught early What does not work once larvae are inside : all foliar insecticide applications Episode References Insect Netting: https://amzn.to/4vuYp7s University Extension Resources University of Kentucky Entomology — Squash Vine Borer (EF-314), Ric Bessin: https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef314 Ohio State University Extension — Squash Vine Borer Damage and Management: What to Look for and When to Act (ENT-0106): https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ent-0106 Illinois Extension — Squash Vine Borer: https://extension.illinois.edu/insects/squash-vine-borer Illinois Extension — Managing Squash Vine Borer in the Garden (Good Growing blog): https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-07-15-managing-squash-vine-borer-garden Illinois Extension — Squash Vine Borer Has Arrived: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/over-garden-fence/2024-08-20-squash-vine-borer-has-arrived UMass Amherst Extension — Squash Vine Borer (CAFE Vegetable Fact Sheet): https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/squash-vine-borer Penn State Extension — Squash Vine Borer: https://extension.psu.edu/squash-vine-borer University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension — Managing Squash Vine Borer Problems in New Hampshire (Dr. Alan T. Eaton & George Hamilton): https://extension.unh.edu/resource/managing-squash-vine-borer-problems-new-hampshire-fact-sheet South Dakota State University Extension — Biology and Management of Squash Vine Borer in the Garden: https://extension.sdstate.edu/biology-and-management-squash-vine-borer-garden University of Minnesota Extension — Squash Vine Borers: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/squash-vine-borers University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension — Squash Vine Borer: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/squash-vine-borer-melittia-curcurbitae/ eOrganic (USDA) — Biology and Management of Squash Vine Borer in Organic Farming Systems: https://eorganic.org/node/5300 ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture — Squash Bug and Squash Vine Borer: Organic Controls: https://attra.ncat.org/publication/Squash-Bug-and-Squash-Vine-Borer-Organic-Controls/ Peer-Reviewed Research Middleton, E. (2018). Biology and Management of Squash Vine Borer (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae). Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 9(1), 22. https://academic.oup.com/jipm/article/9/1/22/5061838 Canhilal, R., & Carner, G.R. (2007). Bacillus thuringiensis as a pest management tool for control of the squash vine borer. Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection, 114, 26–29. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03356200 Canhilal, R., Carner, G.R., Griffin, R.P., Jackson, D.M., & Alvarez, D.R. (2006). Life history of the squash vine borer, Melittia cucurbitae, in South Carolina. The Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology, 23, 1–7. http://scentsoc.org/Volumes/JAUE/v23/1.pdf Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10 : https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. First, a regional tour of the most aggressive perennial weeds in the U.S. - what they look like, how they spread, and why they’re so hard to beat. Then, we work on management using Integrated Pest Management principles, starting with prevention and exclusion, moving through cultural and mechanical controls, and knowing when chemical options are appropriate. Finally, we close with a hard look at the homemade internet sprays that are all over social media - and why some of them could do more damage to your soil than the weeds ever would. Let's dig in. References: Montana State University Extension – Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) MontGuide MT201903AG https://apps.msuextension.org/montguide/guide.html?sku=MT201903AG University of Nevada, Reno Extension – Managing Field Bindweed (Publication 4834) https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=4834 University of Minnesota Extension – Perennial Weeds Identification Guide https://extension.umn.edu/weed-identification/perennial-weeds University of Minnesota Extension – Canada Thistle Identification https://extension.umn.edu/identify-invasive-species/canada-thistle University of Maryland Extension – Canada Thistle https://extension.umd.edu/resource/canada-thistle Colorado State University Extension – Canada Thistle https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/canada-thistle/ SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education) – Canada Thistle: Manage Weeds on Your Farm https://www.sare.org/publications/manage-weeds-on-your-farm/canada-thistle/ NC State Extension Plant Toolbox – Sorghum halepense (Johnsongrass) https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sorghum-halepense/ University of Georgia Extension – Johnsongrass Control in Pastures, Roadsides, and Noncropland Areas https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/?p=62642 Schantz, M.C. (2025). Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense): a review of its invasion, management, and spread in the changing climate of the Southern Great Plains. Weed Science, 73(e31), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1017/wsc.2025.7 University of Maryland Extension – Poison Hemlock Identification and Management https://extension.umd.edu/resource/poison-hemlock-identification-and-management Montana State University Extension – Poison Hemlock MontGuide MT200013AG https://apps.msuextension.org/montguide/guide.html?sku=MT200013AG Purdue Extension – Poison Hemlock: Invasive Plant Series (FNR-437-W) https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/fnr/fnr-437-w.pdf Mississippi State University Extension – Kudzu https://extension.msstate.edu/publications/kudzu Mississippi State University Extension – Torpedograss (Panicum repens) https://extension.msstate.edu/publications/torpedograss UC IPM – Nutsedge (Yellow and Purple) https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/WEEDS/nutsedge.html West Virginia University Extension – Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/weeds/yellow-nutsedge Penn State Extension – Japanese and Giant Knotweed https://extension.psu.edu/japanese-and-giant-knotweed University of Wisconsin Extension – Perennial Knotweed Identification (Mark Renz, Extension Weed Scientist) https://renzweedscience.cals.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/177/2025/05/Perennial-knotweed-identification.pdf Oregon State University Extension – Solve Pest Problems: Grasses & Grass-Like Pacific Northwest Weeds https://solvepestproblems.oregonstate.edu/weeds/grass-like Washington State University – Perennial Weed Control in the Pacific Northwest (PNW Pest Management Handbooks) https://pnwhandbooks.org/weed/agronomic/corn/field-silage-seed/perennial-weed-control-quackgrass-field-bindweed-canada-thistle-johnsongrass-etc-0 Colorado State University Extension – Weed Management (IPM) https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/weed-management/ NC State Extension – Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 8: Integrated Pest Management https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/8-integrated-pest-management-ipm Washington State University – Weed Management (Pesticide Resources and Education Program) https://pep.wsu.edu/weedmanagement/ UC IPM – Soil Solarization for Gardens and Landscapes https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/soil-solarization-for-gardens-landscapes/ University of Vermont Extension – Tarping, Solarization and Occultation https://www.uvm.edu/extension/news/tarping-solarization-and-occultation UConn Extension – Homemade Pesticide Issues: Understanding the Science (EXT014, Updated 2024) https://extension.uconn.edu/publication/homemade-pesticides/ Ask Extension (Cooperative Extension National Q&A Service) – Vinegar, Salt, and Dawn Weed Killer https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=888177 University of Florida IFAS Extension – Chapter 4: Integrated Pest Management (Weed Management Categories) https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/CV298 Resources: Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses: https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10: https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. 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Mulch is one of the highest-return investments you can make in your vegetable garden and yet most gardeners are using whatever happens to be available rather than whatever would actually work best for their situation. 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. For each type, you’ll learn how well it suppresses annual, perennial, and invasive weeds, how it handles moisture retention and heavy rainfall, how to apply it correctly, and what drawbacks to watch for in terms of pests, availability, and cost. The bottom line: any mulch is better than bare soil. But the right mulch for your garden depends on your weed pressure, your climate, your crops, and your situation—and by the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly how to make that call. Let’s dig in! Mulch Quick Reference Best for annual weed suppression: Straw, wood chips, black plastic Best for moisture retention: Wood chips, straw, compost Best for slopes and heavy rain areas: Pine needles, wood chips Best for soil building: Compost, shredded leaves Best free options: Shredded leaves, grass clippings (herbicide-free), arborist chips Best for soil warming: Black plastic Avoid in vegetable gardens long-term: Landscape fabric References : Warnall School of Forestry and Natural Resources - Black Walnut Allelopathy: Tree Chemical Warfare: openscholar.uga.edu/record/22964/files/Walnut Allelopathy 11-10.pdf Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville - Evaluation of Allelopathic Potential of Wood Chips for Weed Suppression in Horticultural Production Systems: ashs.org/hort/hort/published/rest/pdf-watermark/v1/journals/hortsci/40/3/article-p711.pdf/watermark-pdf/ University of Minnesota Extension — Mulching in the Home Garden: extension.umn.edu Penn State Extension — Mulches for the Home Landscape: extension.psu.edu NC State Extension Gardener Handbook — Mulching chapter: content.ces.ncsu.edu University of Illinois Extension — Wood Chip Mulch: Landscape Boon or Bane: extension.illinois.edu Cornell Cooperative Extension — Grass Clippings as Mulch: gardening.cornell.edu University of Tennessee Extension — Using Leaves as Mulch and Compost: extension.tennessee.edu Iowa State University Extension — Plastic Mulch in the Vegetable Garden: yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu Michigan State University Extension — Landscape Fabric: Is It Really Worth It: canr.msu.edu ChipDrop (free arborist chips): getchipdrop.com Resources: Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10 : https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A listener asked for a deep dive on dahlias and I’m delivering, from the ground up (pun intended). But we’re not stopping there. 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 (because that’s half the fun), and, critically, how to handle end-of-season care based on where you live. If you’re in a warmer zone, some of these can stay in the ground. If you’re in a colder zone like me, we’re digging them up, curing them, storing them, and doing it all again in the spring. Let’s dig in! Quick-Reference: Zone-Based Overwintering Guide Zone 9-10+ : Leave everything in the ground. Mulch lightly after frost. Let plants rest and re-emerge in spring. Zone 8 : Cannas and callas can stay with heavy mulch. Dahlias and glads: consider digging, especially in colder parts of the zone. Zone 7 : Mulching is a gamble. Reliable: dig dahlias and glads. Cannas may survive with very heavy mulch in milder Zone 7. Zone 6 and colder : Dig everything. Cure properly. Store in cool, dry, dark, frost-free conditions. Replant after soil warms to 60°F in spring. Bloom Timing and Vase Life at a Glance Dahlias — Bloom: midsummer to first hard frost | Vase life: 5–8 days | Zone to leave in ground: 9+ Gladiolus — Bloom: ~70–90 days after planting | Vase life: 7–10 days | Zone to leave in ground: 8+ (with mulch) Cannas — Bloom: midsummer to frost | Vase life: 4–7 days | Zone to leave in ground: 8+ (with mulch) Calla Lilies — Bloom: summer | Vase life: 10–14 days | Zone to leave in ground: 8–9+ depending on type Tuberous Begonias — Bloom: summer all season | Vase life: 3–5 days | Zone to leave in ground: 9+ References University of Minnesota Extension — Dahlias: From Garden to Vase. extension.umn.edu University of Missouri Extension — Growing Dahlias (G6600). extension.missouri.edu NC State Extension Gardener Toolbox — Dahlia pinnata. plants.ces.ncsu.edu Colorado State University Extension — Dahlias, Fact Sheet 7.418. extension.colostate.edu Iowa State University Extension — Gladiolus for the Home Garden (PM 874). extension.iastate.edu University of Florida IFAS Extension — Gladiolus Production. edis.ifas.ufl.edu University of Illinois Extension — Canna Lily in the Garden. web.extension.illinois.edu Michigan State University Extension — Digging and Storing Tender Bulbs. canr.msu.edu University of Vermont Extension — Storing Tender Bulbs Over Winter. uvm.edu USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023). planthardiness.ars.usda.gov Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10 : https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We made it to 300 episodes! And to celebrate, I’m doing something a little different. I went looking for the questions home gardeners are asking most, the ones showing up in Reddit threads, Facebook groups, university extension Q&A lines, master gardener helplines, and my own DMs and emails, over and over and over again. Then I went to the research: university extensions, peer-reviewed horticulture studies, and land-grant university publications, to find the best science-backed answers available. The result is this episode, ten of the most common gardening questions, answered with evidence, nuance, and a little bit of real-world gardener perspective from someone who’s been doing it for over 20 years and with a degree in horticulture. Whether you’ve been listening since episode 1 or you just found me today, this one is for you. Let’s dig in. References Watering University of Maine Cooperative Extension — How Often Should I Water My Vegetable Garden?: https://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/2020/07/14/watering-a-vegetable-garden/ Utah State University Extension — Water Recommendations for Vegetables: https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/water-recommendations-for-vegetables.pdf Tomato Leaf Problems Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — Common Tomato Plant Problems and How to Fix Them (May 2026) https://hpj.com/2026/05/06/common-tomato-plant-problems-and-how-to-fix-them/ Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — Why Are My Tomato Leaves Curling? https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2022/05/05/why-are-my-tomato-leaves-curling/ University of Maryland Extension — Key to Common Problems of Tomatoes https://extension.umd.edu/resource/key-common-problems-tomatoes Blossom End Rot University of Maryland Extension — Blossom End Rot on Vegetables https://extension.umd.edu/resource/blossom-end-rot-vegetables/ NC State Extension (Pender County) — Why Are My Squash Rotting? (2024) https://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/news/why-are-my-squash-rotting/ Soil Improvement Oregon State University Extension — Improving Garden Soils With Organic Matter (EC 1561) https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ec-1561-improving-garden-soils-organic-matter Oregon State University Extension — How to Use Compost in Gardens and Landscapes (EM 9308) https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9308-how-use-compost-gardens-landscapes University of Maryland Extension — Soil to Fill Raised Beds https://extension.umd.edu/resource/soil-fill-raised-beds/ Fertilizing Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension — Fertilizing the Vegetable Garden (revised March 2026) https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-323/426-323.html Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — Fertilizing a Garden https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/gardening/fertilizing/ Pest Management Utah State University Extension — Creating Sustainable Home Gardens: Organic Pest Management https://extension.usu.edu/utah4h/research/organic-pest-management South Dakota State University Extension — Organic Pest Control Methods (2025) https://extension.sdstate.edu/organic-pest-control-methods Crop Rotation Illinois Extension — Sow, Grow, Rotate: How Crop Rotation Promotes Gardening Success (Jan 2024) https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2024-01-05-sow-grow-rotate-how-crop-rotation-promotes-gardening-success Harvest Timing Illinois Extension Good Growing — Harvesting Vegetables: When and How to Pick Your Vegetables for Best Quality (June 2024) https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2024-06-28-harvesting-vegetables-when-and-how-pick-your-vegetables-best-quality Iowa State University Extension — Vegetable Harvest Guide https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/vegetable-planting-and-harvesting-times Resources Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10 : https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The subject of whether you should top your pepper plants can bring on a pretty strong debate among gardeners. That’s because this is one of those topics where the answer genuinely is: it depends. And I mean that in a very specific, evidence-based way that comes down to two things: your climate and your pepper type. I’ll be straight with you, I do not top my peppers. We are in a zone 6b in west central Missouri and our season is just short enough that for our large sweet peppers, by the time a topped plant recovered and loaded up with new fruit, I’d be in a race with the first frost, so I don’t love my odds of winning. And for our smaller peppers, both hot and sweet, they branch naturally. They’ve never needed my help getting bushy and they generally end up so loaded with fruit there’s no need for me to create new growing points. But that does NOT mean topping is wrong. In fact, if your growing season is long enough and you are growing the right type of pepper, there is a solid, research-grounded argument for it and I want to make that argument fairly today. Let's dig in! References : Illinois Extension (University of Illinois) — Frillman, N. (2021). “Pruning tomatoes and peppers for healthier plants and a stronger harvest.” Flowers, Fruits, and Frass Blog. https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/flowers-fruits-and-frass/2021-05-17-pruning-tomatoes-and-peppers-healthier-plants-and Nebraska Extension — “Garden Peppers.” University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Publications. https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/967/html/view University of Minnesota Extension — Ask Extension response on topping pepper plants (2021). https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=740168 University of Minnesota Extension — Weisenhorn, J. Ask Extension response on topping for yield (2016). https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=333053 University of Maryland Extension — Home and Garden Information Center. Ask Extension response on topping chile plants (2024). https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=869966 University of Minnesota Extension — “Growing Peppers in Home Gardens.” https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-peppers-home-gardens Peer-Reviewed Research: Humadi, F. (1980). “Effects of plant growth retardants and mechanical topping on growth and yield of pimiento pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).” Dissertation, University of Tennessee. Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/7869/ Buczkowska, H., & Najda, A. (2001). “Impact of plant topping on chemical composition of sweet pepper fruit.” Zeszyty Naukowe Akademii Techniczno-Rolniczej w Bydgoszczy. Rolnictwo, 46, 33–37. Cao, D., Chabikwa, T., Barbier, F., Dun, E. A., Fichtner, F., Dong, L., Kerr, S. C., & Beveridge, C. A. (2023). “Auxin-independent effects of apical dominance induce changes in phytohormones correlated with bud outgrowth.” Plant Physiology, 192(2), 1420–1434. https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiad034 Avent, A. R., & Armitage, A. M. (2015). “Effects of Paclobutrazol and Pinching on Ornamental Pepper.” HortScience / Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. ResearchGate: DOI 10.21273/HORTSCI. Hu, Q., Wei, Y., Gan, X., Zhang, O., Huangpu, J., Hu, B., & Wu, L. (2016). “Effects of pruning methods and harvest time on yield and benefit of pepper in greenhouse.” Jiangsu Agricultural Sciences, 44, 182–185. Resources : Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10 : https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last week on the show we talked about the basic considerations for growing in containers, and that included how to evaluate whether a crop is a good candidate for growing in a pot. 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. And yes, each one of them can be very productive in a container. Welcome back to Just Grow Something, I’m Karin Velez, a horticulturist and market farmer who has grown in containers in some way, shape, or form for probably 18 of the 20-plus years I’ve been gardening. I have grown in 6-inch pots all the way up to 100-gallon grow bags – yes, I said 100-gallon and, in all fairness, that’s more like a raised planter bed than a pot – but I’ve been really successful in most instances with just a few failures along the way and I want to teach you how to avoid those mistakes with these popular crops. Let’s dig in. University Extension References Penn State Extension — Container Vegetable Gardening: Four Keys to Success: https://extension.psu.edu/container-vegetable-gardening-four-keys-to-success Penn State Extension — Growing Vegetables and Flowers in Containers: https://extension.psu.edu/growing-vegetables-and-flowers-in-containers Oregon State University Extension — Grow Your Own Peppers (EC 1227): https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ec-1227-grow-your-own-peppers University of Missouri Extension — Container Gardens to Supply Your Salads: https://extension.missouri.edu/news/container-gardens-to-supply-your-salads North Carolina A&T State University Cooperative Extension — Growing Fruiting Vegetables in Containers: Tomato, Pepper and Eggplant: https://www.ncat.edu/caes/cooperative-extension/covid-19/fruiting-vegetables.php Resources : Just Grow Something : https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses : https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads : https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just 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/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit : https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront : https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10 : https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.