Just Grow Something | Evidence-Based Home Gardening

If your forecast is flirting with frost and you still have all those lovely greens and root veggies out there, don’t panic, prepare.

Today on Just Grow Something we’re talking row cover and low tunnels: what to buy, how to set up fast, how to vent so you don’t cook your greens, and exactly which fabrics and plastics can squeeze out one more month of salads, herbs, and even late summer crops like beans or peas.

We’ll talk about using ...

Whether you live in a climate that allows for a veery long growing season or you’re like me and need to cram as much growing into a shorter season as possible, cloning is a shortcut to making the most of our best plants. In some cases it even makes sense to overwinter some of those plants so next season starts off weeks ahead of schedule.

So, today on Just Grow Something, we’re talking about the importance of cloning plants as a str...

Now is the time to be getting our garlic, shallots and even onions planted in some places. If you can give me one good hour in the garden this month, you can set yourself up for big flavor next summer.

Today on Just Grow Something were going to walk through planting garlic and shallots and some tips on where it’s okay to even plant onion sets for a summer harvest. We’ll talk about when to plant for your location, how to prep the bed...

Fallen leaves in the garden will blanket the soil, slow weeds, and shelter a whole mini-wildlife community. Many native butterflies, moths, beetles, and even some queen bumble bees ride out winter tucked into leaf litter and hollow stems. When we keep some of that litter in place, we’re giving next spring’s pollinators a head start.

That's the idea behind the National Wildlife Federation "Leave the Leaves" campaign. . ...

As I record this, tonight will be a full moon. In fact, it’s the Harvest Supermoon here in the northern hemisphere. And it’s very possible that your online gardening group is absolutely abuzz with advice that tomatoes grow better if you plant them in the days leading up to the full moon and your beets grow more voluptuous if you plant them after the full moon.

But does gardening by the moon actually change anything in your garden? I...

For this final episode in our Raised Bed series, we’re talking about how to plan your raised bed garden. If you’ve never grown in a raised bed, there are some nuances to the planning and planting aspect, no matter what material you built the bed from. And if you’re already gardening in raised beds, but it turned into a jungle by July and a desert by August, this episode is also for you!

So, today on Just Grow Something we’re mapping...

All this month we've been talking about creating new raised beds, what materials to use, and how to fill them. So, I thought it would be fitting to have on an expert on the subject.

Scott Wilson, otherwise known as Gardener Scott on YouTube, has been building and growing in raised beds for two decades and has taught others to do the same as both a Master Gardener and a garden educator. His new book, Gardener Scott's Guide to...

This week we tackle one of the biggest questions in raisedbed gardening – how to fill it! It can be daunting, staring at this gaping box, trying to figure out how you’re going to fill 18” or even 36” of depth without going broke.

So, today on Just Grow Something, we’re digging into the dirt – literally – on how to fill your new raised bed. We’ll cover the different materials you can use to get your garden bed off to it’s best start ...

Thinking about building raised garden beds but not sure what materials to use? Today on Just Grow Something we dig into all the options for raised bed construction, from wood, stone, and galvanized steel to creative choices like reclaimed materials, fabric grow bags, and more. We’ll talk about the pros and cons of each, including cost, durability, aesthetics, and safety concerns like chemical leaching or microplastics. You’ll also ...

If you are considering adding your first raised bed or yourfiftieth to your garden for next season, now is the time to be doing it. A new raised planter is going to have to be filled and that material is going to have to break down a bit before it can be planted in order to make the nutrients available to your plants. This is NOT something we want to put together at the last minute in the spring just before we start planting.

For th...

It's late August, the time of year when the garden can be just as likely to flourish as it is to fizzle out. I know all too well the rollercoaster of emotions we gardeners feel at this point in the season: you're hot, tired, maybe a little bit over it, and those early-season mistakes are showing their faces. But don’t give up!

Today on Just Grow Something we dig into the common issues that crop up during these steamy lat...

This week we’re on a blooming adventure into the world of roses. Okay, that was cheesy, but if you’ve ever struggled with roses or thought they were too fussy for your garden, this episode is for you. Joined by Robin Jennings from Heirloom Roses, I explore the super interesting history of thisfamily-owned company, from its humble beginnings as a backyard hobby to becoming the only U.S. nursery licensed to propagate the renowned Dav...

Is your summer tomato crop struggling with strange spots, brown mushy bottoms, or mysteriously vanishing leaves? You’re not alone! Mid-season brings a whole host of challenges for tomato gardeners, but with a little know-how, you can keep your plants thriving through to fall.

Today on Just Grow Something, I dig deep into the four biggest summer tomato problems: blossom end rot, tomato hornworms, nutrient imbalances, and common leaf ...

Have you noticed a white, powdery coating on your cucumbers or yellow-spotted leaves on your tomatoes? Mid-summer fungal diseases like powdery mildew, blight, and leaf spots can devastate your garden if left unchecked.

Today on Just Grow Something, I break down commonsummer fungal diseases and why they appear in wet, humid conditions, organic treatment methods, including milk sprays and baking soda, store-bought organic fungicides l...

In this eye-opening episode, I unpack the shocking truth about nutrient loss in modern fruits and vegetables. A 2023 review found that today’s produce contains significantly fewer vitamins and minerals than in decades past. Some nutrients have dropped by up to 80% since the 1950s!

We explore how industrial agriculture, depleted soils, and synthetic fertilizers have impacted our food and, more importantly, how we as home gardeners ca...

This week I share how to take your fall garden from conceptto cultivation. Learn when to plant, what to grow, and how to extend your harvest well into winter. Discover why fall gardening is more than just practical - it's backed by science and perfect for nutrient-dense, flavorful produce with fewer pests!

What You’ll Learn:

• The science behind why fall gardens are nutritionally and logistically smart

• Best timing strat...

This week we dig into the strategy of mid-to-late summersuccession planting—how to make the most of garden space left vacant by spring crop failures or early harvests. I share five heat-loving, fast-maturing crops you can direct sow now to squeeze in one last summer harvest before fall. Learn how to keep your beds productive, beat pest cycles, and maximize soil health, all without needing indoor seed starts.

What You’ll Learn:

• Wh...

Fall might still feel far off, but if you want a successful fall harvest, now is the time to start those seeds indoors. Today on Just Grow Something, I walk you through the step-by-step timing strategy for indoor seed starting specifically for fall gardening.

Learn how to:

• Calculate back from your first fall frost date to find yoursowing and transplanting windows

• Adjust days to maturity using the “fall buffer” method

Your summer garlic and onion harvest are ready, now what? You spent a lot of time and energy getting this crop to maturity, let’s not waste that effort by allowing them to go soft before we get to use them.

Today on Just Grow Something, I give expert tips for harvesting, curing, and storing garlic and onions to keep them fresh through next spring. Learn how to recognize when your crops are ready, the best techniques for drying ...