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Proactive gardeners don’t look at fall as the end of the gardening season, but as the beginning of their spring garden. With so much that can be done now to prepare, it’s the ideal time to take care of some important business before hanging up your trowel for the winter. In this podcast, Joe Lamp’l discusses some important tasks for putting your garden to bed. And the efforts you take now will be well worth it next spring.

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Some of the best crops of the year need the cooler temperatures of fall to perform their best.If you plan on having a fall or winter garden, Joe Lamp’l offers a few tips in this podcast to keep your plants growing strong as they get established and even well into the season.

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Just because summer is over, it doesn’t mean your vegetable garden has to end too. Fall is for gardening, especially when it comes to growing edibles. Some of the best crops of the year, won’t even grow until things cool down. So keep your tools handy as Joe Lamp’l tells us what we need to know to prepare our fall garden for planting.

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If you’ve been listening to the series from the start, chances are you’ve had a productive gardening season! And that leads to the inevitable question we all find ourselves asking sooner or later; what am I going to do with all these vegetables? In this episode, Joe Lamp’l shares the best and newest ideas for easily sharing the bounty.

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Some of the most rewarding and productive crops in your garden are also some of the easiest to grow. Their growing season can span much of the year. In addition, they don’t require as much sun, they can be harvested quickly, and after harvest, they keep coming back. They’re the leafy crops like lettuce, kale, collards and spinach. From seed to harvest, they only require a few weeks. In this podcast, Joe Lamp’l tells us why we should all be growing these incredible plants in our gardens.

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At some point during the growing season, many of your plants are going to become so large, they’ll overtake other plants in your garden. So congratulations on that. But you really don’t want to let your garden get to that point where they’re overcrowding others. But if they are, now’s the time to do something about it for several reasons. In this podcast, Joe Lamp’l explains why, and what to do about it.

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Why won’t my tomatoes ripen? They should be red by now, but they’re stuck on green. Why won’ they turn red??? Starting in mid to late summer, It’s the most common question I get. Fear not because it’s nothing you’re doing wrong. But Mother Nature is at work, and you’ll be rewarded for your patience. In this podcast, Joe Lamp’l demystifies the reasons why tomatoes take their sweet time to ripen.

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Being proactive can go a long way to having a healthy garden. In this podcast, hear what Joe Lamp’l has to say about proactively reducing the chances of keeping pests at bay in an environmentally responsible way.

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Having a healthy garden is a hands-on activity. Although starting out right results in a lot less of our time later on, it’s still important to be “proactive” by heading off problems before they get out of hand. Accordingly, you’ll have a lot less potential for disease problems. In this podcast, hear what Joe Lamp’l has to say about proactively reducing the chances of disease problems in your garden.

BHG018-Proactive Tips for Disease Control

In a previous episode, we talked a lot about the importance of being proactive in your garden, to reduce the chances of pests and diseases, and for achieving an overall healthy garden. Today, we’ll take that discussion one step further, and zero in on one of the biggest problems that can affect any garden, and that’s plant diseases.

Plant pathologists will tell you, before any disease can be present in your garden, there needs to be three things; it’s commonly referred to as the disease triangle. First, you need a host, such as a specific plant that possesses certain traits for specific diseases to exist. Next you need the pathogen (or disease) to be present. And third, you need a certain set of conditions (like high humidity or temperature range) for the pathogen to infect the host. Remove any one of the triangle components, and that disease can’t manifest itself.

So how does that translate to being a proactive gardener to reduce plant diseases you ask? Well, assuming you can’t control whether a disease comes into your garden completely (and you can’t), let’s work at what we can control: the other two parts of the disease triangle–the host plants and the conditions.

As for the host plants, few people I know modify their desired plant palette, just to avoid the risk of getting certain plant diseases. For example, traditional roses are very prone to a common disease known as black spot. Yet few people avoid growing roses, if they love having them in their garden. Instead, they deal with the problem if it becomes one.

In the vegetable garden, blight and other bacterial infections are common. But since we’re not likely going to stop growing tomatoes or any of our other favorites edibles, we need to work on what we can control, at least partially, and that’s the environmental conditions.

Although we can’t control ambient temperature very practically, another environmental factor in which many plant diseases thrive in is moist conditions. So a practical step anyone can do to reduce the chances of problems is to minimize the amount of time foliage stays wet. And the easiest way to do that is to irrigate at ground level rather than from overhead, use mulch and provide plenty of space between and within plants to improve air circulation and sunlight. Simply doing these three things will greatly cut out many of the opportunities plant pathogens have to take hold.

Another important proactive way to thwart problems is to remove any and all leaves or parts of plants at the first signs of trouble, like spotting, yellowing, downy or powdery mildew, etc. The earlier you catch emerging problems, the better chance you have of preventing those pathogens spreading to the rest of your plants of the same kind.

And one more easy thing you can do; look for disease resistant plants when you buy them. Many Burpee Home Gardens plants are hybrid varieties, bred to include resistance to certain common diseases. You’ll find this information provided on the plant tags. But here’s one word of caution. Resistant doesn’t mean disease proof! But is should reduce the likelihood of plants getting certain diseases compared to non-resistant varieties.

So by selecting the right varieties of your favorite plants, and then taking proactive precautions once they’re in the garden, you’ll greatly improve your chances of having a healthy garden when it comes to plant diseases.

And finally, something we can all be proactive about; listen to all the Burpee Home Gardens Podcasts in this series. There are 26, all created to help your gardening success, all throughout the season. From planting to harvest, we’re here every step of the way. You can subscribe to the series for free in iTunes, or listen online at Burpeehomegardens.com, where you can also find great ideas and inspiration any time.

Now go get dirty!

Joe Lamp’l

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We all know that water is essential to life, so it’s certainly true for the plants in our garden too. But did you know that too much a good thing can be a bad thing? More plants are killed by over watering than under watering! In this podcast, Joe Lamp’l talks about the best and most efficient ways to water for keeping your plants and garden looking great!

BHG017-Waterwise Tips for a Healthy Garden

We all know that water is essential to life, so it’s certainly true for the plants in our garden too. But did you know that too much a good thing can be a bad thing? More plants are killed by over watering than under watering!

In heavy, poorly drained soil, water is filling the area around the roots, while pushing out the air. So if the water doesn’t drain, it can literally drown our plants. That’s the main reason I speak so often about making sure you have well-drained soil. On the other hand, we don’t want the water to flow right past the roots either, like with sandy soil. So the answer is to find a good balance by incorporating lots of organic matter into your soil.

Most plants in our garden do best with about an inch of water per week. Yet we tend to water a lot more than that. The best way to really know when your plants need supplemental irrigation is to feel the soil and pay attention to your plants. If the soil is dry when you stick you finger into it, it’s time to water. Another good indicator is when your plants start to show signs of drought stress, by yellowing or drooping leaves.

Once the soil is where you want it, there are other things to keep in mind when it comes to water-wise gardening. When ever possible, always irrigate your plants right at the root zone, and never from overhead. Now you’re not going to harm your plants just because you water from above, but the less water that remains on plant foliage, the better. The premise is that as important as water is to survival, it’s a big vector of plant diseases that can be transported in water or fostered in damp conditions.

But if overhead water is still the most practical application for you, just make sure that you do so early enough in the morning, so that that your plants have plenty of time to dry their leaves out quickly. If you do that, your plants should be just fine. Yet a better way to water that’s a lot more efficient, and better for your plants is through soaker hoses or drip irrigation. These methods allow you to deliver that water right at the root zone, slowly, so plant roots have time to absorb it. And since the irrigation is being delivered at ground level, the foliage stays dry and there’s little risk of water, which might carry disease spores in the soil from splashing back up onto your plants.

But just to be safe, adding a layer of mulch around three-inches thick, will certainly cut back on any chance those water drops have of splashing back up onto those plants. And there’s another benefit of having all that mulch there as it relates to water. Think of it as an insulating blanket, helping to hold the moisture in the soil, while keeping your plants hydrated longer and reducing the supplemental watering needed by you.

So there you have it, the three most important things to waterwise gardening to keep your plants healthy: water only as needed, keep the foliage dry and add mulch.

But there’s another thing you can do to have a healthy garden; listen to all the Burpee Home Gardens podcasts. This is just one of 26 we having waiting for you. And every one is created to take you one more step to a healthier and productive garden. You can subscribe to the series for free in iTunes, or listen online at Burpeehomegardens.com, where you can also find great ideas and inspiration any time.  Thanks for listening everybody. This is Joe Lamp’l, and I’ll see you back here next time for another BurpeeHomeGardens Tip of the week Podcast.

Now go get dirty!

Joe Lamp’l

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The broadest definition of a weed is simply a plant out of place. Now that description may be over reaching, but the implication has merit. The reason being, whatever the plant, it’s depriving water, nutrients and sunlight from the plants you do want there! So even if it’s a plant that doesn’t fit in the classic weed category, if it’s in the wrong place it needs to go. Otherwise, that “weed” is going to compete with your other plants. In this podcast, Joe Lamp’l provides useful strategies for keeping weeds at bay.

BHG016-Keeping Weeds at Bay to Reduce Competition

You’ve likely heard the old expression; there are only two things in life that are certain; death and taxes. Well, I’d like to add one more item to that list: weeds! No matter how hard you try to prevent them, they eventually show up.

The broadest definition of a weed is simply a plant out of place. Now that description may be over reaching, but the implication has merit. The reason being, whatever the plant, it’s depriving water, nutrients and sunlight from the plants you do want there! So even if it’s a plant that doesn’t fit in the classic weed category, if it’s in the wrong place it needs to go.

But how do those “plants out of place” get there in the first place? Well, the sky’s the limit…literally. In some cases, weed seeds, like dandelions, are so light; they travel through the sky until they finally come back to earth in our gardens and lawns! Other common ways that weeds are distributed include bird and animal droppings, and hitchhiking seeds that stick to fur or feathers, or even our cloths and shoes. And there are other ways.

But the key is, weeds are a fact of life in the garden, so how do we keep their numbers down using natural methods as we try and promote the growth of the good plants? Well, let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. Hand pulling. But there’s a little more to it than that. You need to remove weeds early in their life stage, before they develop seeds. That usually comes immediately after flowering. So if you seed any weeds going to flower, pull them immediately! Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for a lot more work later!

And one more thing when it comes to pulling weeds. Some have a deep taproot, again, like dandelions. Unless you get the entire root, there’s a good chance it will grow back. So use a tool made for digging out these kinds of weeds. Typically they have a long, forked prong that pries them out from deep in the soil. My personal favorite tool for this job is called a CobraHead. It’s sharp blade plunges below the root, and is easily removed.

The next step in fighting our war on weeds is to deprive them of water. The best way to do this is to focus the water you do use strictly on your targeted plants. By using soaker hoses, or even better, micro drip irrigation, you can water with literally pinpoint accuracy, so that only your desired plants and the surrounding soil are irrigated. Accordingly, you are literally starving the weeds of the water they need to germinate and grow.

And finally, add mulch and lots of it. We’ve covered the many reasons mulch is a must in our gardens and landscapes. And always included in the list is that mulch cuts down on seed germination. A layer of mulch about three inches thick, will help block sunlight from reaching the soil surface. The weed seeds that depend on that sunlight to germinate won’t get the light they need to do so, and will remain dormant.

But even by taking the proactive steps to managing weeds, they’ll still find their way into your garden. But at least they’ll be a lot less and your garden will look a lot better. But most importantly, your Burpee Home Gardens vegetable plants will have more of what they need to provide you with more of what you want!  And speaking of that, I know you want more of these podcasts, right? Well, this is just one of 26 episodes we have for you to help you with all your gardening needs, from seed to mid-season care, all the way to harvest. We’re there for you every step of the way. You can subscribe to these podcasts for free on iTunes or you can listen to them on the website at burpeehomegardens.com. That’s also a great place to go for more ideas and inspiration anytime!

Now go get dirty!

Joe Lamp’l

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Although most vining plants will produce an adequate harvest if left alone, when practical, they’d all benefit from some vertical support. Besides the added benefit of conserving space and getting more out of your garden’s footprint, by growing plants vertically, we open them up to much needed air circulation and light; two things very important for keeping plants healthy and productive. In this podcast, Joe Lamp’l sheds some light and what you need to know to support your plants properly.

BHG015 – Supporting Your Plants

So at one time or another, we’ve all heard or said; “Oh, grow up!!!” Besides the implication of acting like a child, there was a lot more to the expression. It refers to being ready for the challenges that lie ahead, and the same applies to many of the plants in our garden! Although most vining plants will produce an adequate harvest if left alone, when practical, they’d all benefit from some vertical support. In the home garden, the most common candidates include tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans and peas.

Besides the added benefit of conserving space and getting more out of your garden’s footprint, by growing plants vertically, we open them up to much needed air circulation and light; two things very important for keeping plants healthy and productive. The air circulation helps to dry out plant leaves faster, so less the chance for diseases to take hold. Similarly, when a plant is properly supported, more sunlight reaches more leaf surface. We already know by now just how important it is for plants to take in maximum sunlight each day, so by providing that opportunity as our Burpee Home Garden plants grow, the better off they’ll be.

And there’s another very important reason to support your plants. Some plants become laden with fruit and the weight of even one large tomato or a cluster of peppers can be more than the stem of that plant can bear. Without adequate support, the plant eventually gives way under all the weight of ripening fruit. Usually the stem folds over or breaks. Either way, now you have a situation that will affect the future health and harvest, and I KNOW you don’t want that. So even with non-vining, woody-stemmed plants, like peppers and eggplants, staking is a prudent action that will protect your plants.

So what’s the best type of support for all the plants in your garden? Well, that depends. Some plants climb rather than twine. Small finger-like tendrils reach and grab onto whatever they comes in contact with. Cucumbers and peas are classic climbers. Twine, netting or galvanized fencing works well, largely because of the many contact points for the tendrils to find as the plant grows up. Climbers by contract, wind their way around their support. Pole beans are the classic climbers. Provide these plants with tall pieces of bamboo or other similar support and stand back.

And then you have those plants that aren’t considered climbers or twiners, but still need to be supported to keep them upright under the weight of ripening fruit. Tomatoes are the most common plant like this. I always support my tomatoes, even bush varieties. As for the taller, plants, my favorite method is to use a large, sturdy round wire cage made from heavy fencing, with the plant growing up within in. But there are endless ways to support your plants, so you’ll need to decide what works best for you. Smaller plants like peppers and eggplants do well with simple staking. Just be sure not to bind the plant too tightly. Always use something soft and flexible. My favorite methods are to use florist tape or Velcro plant ties. Even an old pair of stockings is ideal for its flexibility and strength, but again, there are many choices!

So just because we’ve provided the right location for our plants when we created our garden, it’s important to make sure we keep it that way. By helping them grow “up”, we’ll have a healthier, and more productive garden too.And speaking of support, there are 26 Burpee Home Gardens podcasts in this series, all created to provide the support you need to get your garden off to a great start, and see it through, all the way to harvest. You can subscribe to the entire series for free in iTunes. Or find them at burpeehomegardens.com, along with a lot more helpful ideas and inspiration anytime.

Now go get dirty!

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Years ago, a garden mentor friend came to visit my garden. As we strolled past all the raised beds of thriving vegetable plants, he commented on how healthy and lush everything looked. I explained all the things I did to make sure it looked that way. When I finally finished, he simply said; “that’s the difference between proactive and reactive gardening”. Proactive gardening will change your gardening life for the better. If you’re an organic or eco-friendly gardener, this podcast is for you!

BHG014 – Be Proactive, not Reactive; It’s the key to a successful Garden

Years ago, a garden mentor friend came to visit my garden. As we strolled past all the raised beds of thriving vegetable plants, he commented on how healthy and lush everything looked. I took that as an invitation to tell him about all the things I had done to make sure it looked that way. When I finally finished, he simply said; “that’s the difference between proactive and reactive gardening”.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. It was one of those ah-ha moments you never forget. For as long as I had been gardening, I never put a term to it, but that’s exactly what I had been doing all this time. It was nice to finally have a name for it.

Proactive gardening is simply doing all the things we’ve been talking about in our previous podcasts. It’s providing the best growing environment, like sunlight, great soil, and right plant, right place.  It’s spacing your plants appropriately for air circulation and light, it’s watering properly and using plenty of mulch. Then it’s taking the time to stay in touch with your garden. The whole key to proactive gardening is to know your garden, so you can catch changes early to prevent possible problems later that requires a more severe “reaction”.

I haven’t been an organic gardening my whole life, but I have been gardening for about that long. In those earlier days, I remember chasing all kinds of problems, from pests overtaking my plants, to diseases and weed problems, and even the constant need to water! I’d chase every problem with a chemical or in the case of watering, spend hours with a hose in my hand. Well that was reactive gardening. And thank goodness those days are long over!

With proactive gardening, you take the time to get to know your garden and plants. Don’t just look at them from a distance as you stroll by. Stop! Admire them if you like, but definitely inspect them. Look under the leaves Do you see any egg clusters from pest insects? How about spotting leaves on your tomato plant? Are any leaves being eaten on your squash plants? As a proactive gardener, these are the types of things you’re looking for, early in the process, and I can’t emphasis that enough. The key to a proactive, thriving garden, without the use of chemicals, is to catch any adverse changes early and preemptively deal with them, before they get out of hand and you find yourself reacting in a more severe manner later. That’s not good for you, your garden, or the environment!

So if you want to have the best garden yet, and enjoy knowing it’s that way because of the steps you took to make it so, be a proactive gardener. Take the time to start your garden out right, and don’t stop there. By involving yourself in your garden frequently, you’ll be able to take simple steps to deal with what could be bigger problems later. It’s a lot more fun that way and you learn much more about being a better gardener in the process.

And if you want to learn a lot more about being a proactive gardener, then listen to all the podcasts in this series. We’ve got 26 episodes, all created to help you get your garden off to a great start, and see it through, all the way to harvest. You can subscribe to the entire series for free in iTunes. Or find them at burpeehomegardens.com, along with a lot more helpful ideas and inspiration anytime.

Thanks for listening! This is Joe Lamp’l, and we’ll see you back here next time for another Burpee Home Gardens Tip of the Week Podcast!

Now go get dirty!

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Summer’s arrival usually means two things; a thriving vegetable garden and vacations. But the thought of leaving your garden for a week or so, just as it seems to need you the most, can cause great angst for many of us. But fear not. With the right preparation, you can take that time away and feel confident in knowing your garden will be just fine without you. In this podcast, Joe Lamp’l offers important tips on how to keep our gardens growing strong, even when we’re not there.

BHG Podcast 013-Vacation Planning; Garden to-do’s before you go

Summer’s arrival usually means two things; a thriving vegetable garden and vacations. But the thought of leaving your garden for a week or so, just as it seems to need you the most, can cause great angst for many of us. But fear not! In fact, my favorite thing to do when returning from a trip is go look at my vegetable garden. It’s the first thing I do when I get home and it always amazes me at how much everything grows and how good all the plants look, even in my absence. With the right preparation, it’ll be that way for you too. You can take that time away and feel confident in knowing your garden will be just fine without you.

In the best-case scenario, you’ll have a gardening friend or neighbor that you can count on to keep an eye on things when you’re away and to know what to do if something should happen.  And the longer you’re away, the more important this becomes. In fact, if you’re away for more than a week, find someone who can at least inspect your garden and report back to you, just in case!

But for all those times we don’t have that person, we need to think about our garden’s basic requirements and potential problems and plan accordingly. First and most important, we need to provide water. And thanks to inexpensive, programmable irrigation timers, that’s an easy solution. For around $20, you can buy a basic timer that’s super easy to install and program, and perfectly suited to handle the watering needs while you’re gone. Just be sure to plan far enough ahead so that you have time to test the system before you go so you know it’s cycling properly.

Something else you can and should do to keep moisture levels adequate and cut down on other maintenance issues is to make sure to have a generous layer of mulch over your garden beds. That way, even in extreme temperatures or lack of water, your plants and roots are better protected and more able to withstand the challenges.

And if you haven’t already, here’s something else you should do before you go; make sure all your plants are adequately supported. It’s amazing just how fast vegetable plants can grow during a week in the summer. Without the proper support or staking, the added height and weight of the new growth, or even a summer storm can cause your plants to fall or bend over, which can lead to other problems. It’s an easy fix, and will make a big difference in how your plants look when you return.

And one of the biggest concerns for many people is the fear of pests overtaking the garden while they’re away. Although pests are a part of any garden, this shouldn’t be more of a problem just because you’re not there for a week or so. In previous podcasts, we’ve talked about ways to ensure your garden is strong and up to the challenge naturally, and it will be if you’ve done the things we’ve discussed. But, it’s still a good idea on the day before you go to give your garden a thorough once-over to scout for pests, including their eggs and larvae. And be sure to look under the leaves, as that’s often where you’ll find many of the culprits.

If you start out right in creating and planting your garden, and then do the things mentioned here, you can relax and enjoy you’re time and away and know that your Burpee Home Garden Plants will be fine.

And one more thing, a vacation is a great time to listen to all our Burpee Home Garden Podcasts. This is just one of 26 podcasts created to get you off to a successful start, provide helpful, weekly tips throughout the entire growing season and strengthen your garden knowledge too! And to be sure you don’t miss a single, you can subscribe to this podcast series for free in iTunes.  And for more ideas and inspiration any time, be sure to check out burpeehomegardens.com.

Now go get dirty!

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Being proactive when it comes to managing pests and diseases is a must. One way to help with that organically is with companion planting. It’s a term used to describe the placement of plants in a garden that either attract, repel or confuse certain bugs and insects from finding the plants you’re trying to protect. It’s a common practice in organic agriculture and worthy for effective control in home gardens too. In this podcast, Joe Lamp’l covers the basics of companion planting and what you need to know to get started at home.

Perhaps you’ve heard of planting marigolds with tomatoes. It’s a well-known practice. But did you ever stop to wonder why that’s done? Well there are hundreds of companion planting combinations, and many have their roots in garden folklore. Yet we know today through research, that many garden pests and insects are affected by plants with certain scents, colors or compounds. So It stands to reason that having plants in our garden that possess certain traits will have an impact on certain bugs. The key is in knowing which plants work with which bug or insect.

In the marigold example, French marigolds emit such a strong scent, that many pests never pick up on the scent of other crops, thereby saving them from damage. And African marigolds exude a chemical from their roots that repels microscopic worms in soil, called nematodes.But there are a number of reasons for putting companion plants in the garden. In addition to the French Marigold example of masking plants by smell, there are many others, including planting dill next to cucumbers to repel cucumber beetles and basil or onions next to tomatoes to control tomato hornworms.

Another major reason to add companion plants to your garden is to attract beneficial insects, since many supplement their diet with nectar produced from plants with small flower clusters.  Every season, I plant dill and fennel for this very reason (along with the fact that these are great host plants for attracting butterfly larvae). Queen Ann’s Lace and many herb plants are other good examples for attracting beneficials. And once the good guys are there, there’s a good chance they’ll stick around to help you with controlling garden pests.

Another common practice is to plant “trap crops” which actually attract pests to it. The thinking is, the pests are coming anyway, so they might as well go to sacrificial plant, rather than the cash crop. It’s a common practice in organic agriculture. Planting collards around cabbage is a popular trap crop for controlling the diamondback moth. In this case, the collards are the sacrificial crop, allowing the cabbage to grow undisturbed.

Yet, no matter how much folklore or scientific evidence is built into the effectiveness of companion planting, there’s no denying the benefits of having a diverse garden for adding beauty and attracting the good guys. Some plants serve as breeding grounds and habitats beyond for beneficial insects, plus we know a garden of just a single crop is far more attractive to pests. So go ahead, add a few more Burpee Home Garden companion plants, especially herbs, to reduce pests naturally while having a more attractive and diverse garden at home!

And listening to these podcasts is another great companion for diversifying your garden knowledge! This is just one of 26 podcasts created to get you off to a successful start and provide helpful, weekly tips throughout the entire growing season. And to be sure you don’t miss a single, you can subscribe to this podcast series for free in iTunes.  And for more ideas and inspiration any time, be sure to check out burpeehomegardens.com.

Now go get dirty!

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There are three things you can do to eliminate 95 percent of your gardening challenges.  First, put the right plant in the right place. Second, improve the soil by adding plenty of compost and organic matter. Third, add mulch! It’s one of those win, wins in the garden. Not only does it look great, mulch does so much to help your plants thrive all through the season. In this podcast, Joe Lamp’l tells you why mulch is a must, in every garden!

BHG011–Mulch is a Must

I often say, there are three things you can do to eliminate 95 percent of your gardening challenges.  First, put the right plant in the right place. Second, improve the soil by adding plenty of compost and organic matter. Third, add mulch! It’s one of those win, wins in the garden. Not only does it look great, mulch does so much to help your plants thrive all through the season!

Here are some of the main ways mulch gives back so much:

One of the most dreaded tasks for most gardeners is weeding. Although mulch won’t guarantee a weed-free garden, it does greatly suppress seed germination by blocking sunlight to the soil surface. Unfortunately, birds, wind, pets and people will always be couriers of weed seeds, so you’ll still have some sprouting in your mulch. But you’ll have far fewer, and they’ll easier to pull out since much of their roots will be in the loose top layer of mulch.

Next, is moisture retention. You don’t need to be a horticulturist to know just how quickly exposed soil surfaces can dry out under the hot baking sun. Over time, moisture below the surface evaporates away, progressively drying out more deeply with each passing day.  But with a layer of mulch blanketing the soil surface, the result is a protective, insulating barrier from the evaporative effects of the sun and heat, while holding in precious moisture far longer and deeper than exposed surfaces.

Similarly, that same layer of mulch moderates soil temperatures by helping to keep temperatures below grade cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Think of mulch as a thermal insulating blanket. Having a generous layer of mulch around you plants can literally save your plants when it comes to extreme temperatures.

One of the most important reasons for using mulch is that it reduces plant diseases that reside in soil. Those disease pathogens can be easily splashed up onto plant foliage, which can become infected. Mulch reduces the chance of this happening by blocking the splashing effects of pathogens making it onto plant stems and leaves.

Next, mulch improves soil over time. Any natural mulch like shredded bark, decomposed leaves, aged grass clippings, and my favorite, straw, will eventually break down and decompose. And as it does, it improves the existing soil with important organic matter.

But there are some things you’d never want in your soil. This includes chemicals from pressure treated wood such as arsenic. Play it safe with the mulch or soil you buy and look for the certification seal from the Mulch and Soil Council* on approved bags. It assures the product you are buying is free of unacceptable chemical materials.

Finally, there’s no denying the eye-pleasing appeal that mulch adds to any garden. It’s the finishing touch that complements and sets off your Burpee Home Garden Plants so nicely.

So for simple ways to dress up your garden and reduce the amount of work needed to keep it looking great, put the right plant in the right place, improve the soil and add mulch. And listening to these podcasts is another way to make your gardening life easier. This is just one of 26 podcasts created to get you off to a successful start and provide helpful, weekly tips throughout the entire growing season. And to be sure you don’t miss a single, you can subscribe to this podcast series for free in iTunes. And for more ideas and inspiration any time, be sure to check out burpeehomegardens.com.

Now go get dirty!

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Gardeners have a lot of things in common, and one thing’s for sure, we all want our gardens to be healthy, and grow as quickly as possible, at least when it comes to harvesting! So there are a few things you can do to help ensure your gardens success. So when it comes to planting your garden, this podcast will talk about some of the  most important things you need to know to plant it right and get it off to a fast start.

BHG010-Plant it Right for a Faster Start and Better Results

Gardeners have a lot of things in common, and one thing’s for sure, we all want our gardens to be healthy, and grow as quickly as possible, at least when it comes to harvesting! So there are a few things you can do to help ensure your gardens success.

When it comes to planting your garden, an obvious place to start is by reading the information on the plant tag or seed packet. Besides identifying the type and variety, this information provides simple but important information on what you need to know to plant it right.

First, how much space is required between plants? You’ll be amazed. That tiny squash seedling will need a good 6 square feet of space between it and its neighbor to really spread out. By paying attention and following these instructions early, especially at planting time, will eliminate the need to make adjustments later, which almost always slows down the growth cycle. And another point when it comes to spacing. Pay attention the mature height. We talked about the importance of this in a prior podcast. But suffice it to say, you don’t want taller plants shading out shorter ones in the garden. Knowing the mature height before planting will help you avoid that mistake.

Another important bit of information is on how to prepare your seedlings for planting. In the absence of specific information provided on plant tags, the general rule is to always plant so that the seedling is placed in the soil at the same level as it was growing in the container…with one exception: tomatoes! Although planting them this way will yield good results, planting them much deeper is even better. If you look at a tomato plant and study the stem, you’ll notice that it has small, white, hair like fibers all up and down it. Well those will all become roots when exposed to soil and moisture. And since roots are how plants take up water and nutrients, it only makes sense to provide as much opportunity as possible for that to happen, right? So dig a deep hole, prune away or pinch off the side branches up to the top two, and plant the rest. I know it sounds extreme, and this is the only plants you do that with, but trust me on this, you’ll have a much more vigorous, drought tolerant plant because of a much larger root system!

And finally, don’t just plant it and forget it. Some plants will eventually need staking to prevent the weight of the fruit from pulling down branches, cutting off nutrient supply or splitting the vine, which opens it up to potential pests and disease problems. Plus, a staked plant looks a lot better than a floppy one anyway!

Starting out right, like choosing quality plants from Burpee Home Gardens, makes the whole gardening experience more rewarding and productive. And listening to this podcast series is a great way to help make sure that happens. This is just one of 26 podcasts created to get you off to a successful start and provide helpful, weekly tips throughout the entire growing season. And to be sure you don’t miss a single, you can subscribe to this podcast series for free in iTunes. And for more ideas and inspiration any time, be sure to check out burpeehomegardens.com.

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About this time of the gardening season, which is still really early, our new plants are finally in the ground, the seeds have sprouted, and our mouths are already watering in anticipation of that first homegrown tomato. Unfortunately, our plants never seem to grow as fast as we would like, so allow me to offer a small dose of reality on what you can and can’t do to speed up the process. Take comfort in knowing that once our plants are in the ground, Mother Nature takes over, and it’s her timetable that dictates much of when our plants will be ready to harvest.

BHG009-Patience is a Virtue

About this time of the gardening season, which is still really early, our new plants are finally in the ground, the seeds have sprouted, and our mouths are already watering in anticipation of that first homegrown tomato. Unfortunately, our plants never seem to grow as fast as we would like, so allow me to offer a small dose of reality on what you can and can’t do to help speed up the process. Take comfort in knowing that once our plants are in the ground, Mother Nature takes over, and it’s her timetable that dictates when our plants will be ready to harvest. So just to let you know, here’s some of the things taking place shortly after planting that have to happen before we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

First, plants have to adjust to their new environment. No matter how good they look as you add them to your garden, the environment is different than from wherever they came. Light, soil conditions, and even the pH will vary, and plants have to adjust to these new conditions.

Second, there are a few key triggers that determine the speed at which your plants grow. Soil temperature is first. It has a lot to do with how quickly your plant responds to its new environment and starts putting on new growth, especially in the roots. Ambient temperature is just as important. That’s the air around your plant. Some plants, such as tomatoes, are greatly affected by the air temperature for how quickly fruit production occurs.

If you’ve ever grown tomatoes before, and wondered why the green fruit is just sitting there, not turning to red fast enough, well, it’s likely due to air temperature. If it’s too hot, or too cool, energy used for ripening fruit is diverted to other parts of the plant necessary for survival. And that’s the case for so many plants growing in our garden.

Sunlight, something we talk about so much in this podcasts series, is also a major factor in how quickly your plants grow. Sunlight is the fuel, which drives the engine of your plants. When it comes to growing vegetables, think of full sun, as hi-test, and shade as low-grade gas that might even have some water mixed in. With the cheap fuel, your engine might run, but it’s going to sputter a lot along the way. Racecar drivers use the best fuel they can get for peak performance. And in your case, harnessing the power of the sun will have the same effect in getting your plants to the finish line faster.

Hopefully, I’ve given you a bit of reassurance today, and reminded you that patience in the garden is required from us all. And when harvest time finally arrives, it really does make everything taste better! And take comfort in knowing, beyond providing the best growing conditions, there’s not a lot you can do to speed up the process. Well, there is one thing; start off with the best plants you can, like those you’ll find from Burpee Home gardens!

You an also take comfort in knowing that no matter how long it takes, we’ll be right there with you, every step of the way to help you have a great season. This is just one of 26 podcasts created to get you off to a successful start and provide helpful, weekly tips throughout the entire growing season. And to be sure you don’t miss a single, you can subscribe to this podcast series for free in iTunes. And for more ideas and inspiration any time, be sure to check out burpeehomegardens.com.

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Just because you don’t have a large yard or plot to have a garden, that shouldn’t stop you from growing your own vegetables. These days, there are great varieties that grow well in containers and small spaces. In today’s podcast, Joe Lamp’l talks about what you need to know to have a great, small space garden, and even discusses some specific varieties to try, including tomatoes!

BHG008-Gardening in Small Spaces

This week, we’re talking about gardening in containers and small spaces. Now I garden in a relatively small space, but I still have plenty of room to grow what I need to feed my family all our veggie needs and yet, I still take advantage of using containers and think about how to economize the space I have. It’s a smart way to get a lot of bang for the buck. No matter where you live, as long as you have the desire to grow even a single container, today there are plants that are ideally suited for small spaces and that includes vegetables…even tomatoes!

So as usual, let’s get started with the basics. If you’re a space-challenged gardener, we’re going to focus on selecting plants that are bred to remain compact. In addition, we can take advantage of vertical space, since a lot of vegetable plants grow up a lot more than they grow out.

As you prepare your small space garden, if you have the option, place your containers or growing beds in the sunniest space possible. Now I realize we might be talking about just the difference of a few feet, but you know what? That can make a lot more difference than you realize if it means a few more hours of sun each day! And if you’re inclined, invest in a platform that has rollers on it. Then place your container on top. As the sun moves across the sky, you can chase it by moving your container to soak up all those precious rays. I know that sounds extreme but I really know people that do this and it can make a really big difference! You can find those rolling platforms at home improvement stores.

But however you decide to go, select the largest containers practical for your space and budget. Then add the best planting soil you can afford. You’ll find bags of this type labeled as container mix, or potting soil. Their specifically engineered to drain well while holding adequate moisture. Some even have slow release fertilizer mixed in. And when it comes to container gardens, that’s really important since nutrients flush trough them so quickly. You’ll need a slow release nutrient source and today’s container mixes usually include this. So don’t skimp here. Get the best soil you can afford.

And now the fun begins when you add the plants. But we don’t want to add just any kind. Although there are a lot of plants that will thrive in containers, let’s go with the ones that are ideally suited! In general, almost any kind of herb plant will do just fine. Most stay rather small, but even the taller ones, like fennel or dill, will work. Just provide some support as they grow up. Speaking of growing up, as long as you have the proper support, the sky’s the limit for even classic vegetables. Think of Cucumbers, peas, pole beans and even tomatoes! If you’re willing to let your plants ramble vertically, with the proper support, go for it! But to keep your space manageable, here are few suggestions that will give you and your plants room to grow.

For tomatoes, there are two basic types: indeterminate and determinate. You’ll want the latter. Determinate varieties include bush types. The blossoms and fruit develop on the vine at the same time. Harvest time is consolidated into a short period of about 7-10 days. The good news is the plants are self-topping and rarely need staking. That’s what you’re looking for…determinate varieties! It usually even says so on the plant tag. And two great smaller varieties to try from Burpee Home Gardens include: BushSteak Hybrid, Bush Early Girl.

Peppers are another summer classic. And since they all stay on the smaller side, just about any variety will work. Simply provide a stake for each container to hold the plants upright once the fruit starts to develop. Even cucumbers work in small gardens, especially with clumping varieties such as Bush Champion.

And let’s not forget about lettuce blends. Burpee Home Gardens has even created a few special mixes ideally suited for containers, including Global Gourmet, Alfresco and City Garden Mix! And finally, if you just want the container garden without the fuss, then pick up a patio ready pot, already planted and ready to enjoy.

Once your garden is planted, all that’s left for you to do is to make sure you keep your plants watered. Even with great soil, containers dry out much more quickly than plants growing in the ground. So don’t be surprised if you need to water every day! You never want your plants to dry out nor do you want the soil to remain saturated. So the best way to find that proper balance is to simply monitor the soil moisture and water as necessary. A simple probe into the soil with your finger will tell you if the soil is dry in which case, it’s time to water. It’s that easy.

So until you can have the sprawling garden of your dreams, there’s no need to wait! Head out to the garden center, get those containers and soil, and of course, your Burpee Home Garden plant varieties that are ideally suited for just your kind of place! In fact, no matter where your garden grows, we’ll be right there with you, every step of the way to help you have a great season. This is just one of 26 podcasts created to get you off to a successful start and provide helpful, weekly tips throughout the entire growing season. And to be sure you don’t miss a single, you can subscribe to this podcast series for free in iTunes.

And for more ideas and inspiration any time, be sure to check out burpeehomegardens.com.

Now go get dirty!

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Designing your garden is more than just making it look good. In fact, in an edible garden, how you lay out your garden has a lot to do with how healthy and productive it is come harvest time. In this podcast, Joe Lamp’l covers everything you need to know to plan and plant your garden for a more bountiful harvest.

Show Notes: BHG007 – Designing Your Garden for Better Yields

Well last week, we talked about the importance of making notes of your garden through the season so you can repeat the successes and avoid the failures. And one of the things I mentioned was making note of the garden layout for all your plants to thrive. And that’s what I want to talk more about today; How to design your vegetable garden so that all your plants have the best chance of success. So yes, where you place your plants in the garden has a lot to do with their overall health and productivity.

We already know that vegetable plants love sun, and the more we can give them, the better. But how we lay out our garden at planting time can have a big impact on how much sun our plants are getting throughout the season as they grow. Even though we may be starting with a blank palette, we need to keep in mind the mature height and width of each type of plant we put in our garden, and place them so they aren’t shading out the smaller ones.

So with that in mind, here’s a question for you; to get the maximum amount of sunlight on our plants, is it better to have our garden beds run north to south or east to west? Well, actually that was a trick question, because in the southern hemisphere, it really doesn’t matter that much. The sun passes so directly overhead during the summer growing months that no matter which way you place your beds, your plants will still get about the same amount of light.

But here’s what does matter. Where you place your plants within those beds. You never want the tallest plants shading out the shortest ones. So how do you avoid this? Plant your tallest varieties along the north or west side of your garden. Now earlier, I said the sun passes directly overhead, but really it tracks across the sky with a slightly southern exposure. So as the sun’s rays bath our garden plants through the day, the angle is slightly from the south. So with that in mind, by placing the tallest plants at the north side of our garden, and the shorter plants in front, all our plants will get the maximum amount of sun.

Here’s an example to help illustrate the point. Assume I have one garden bed and I’m growing pole beans, eggplant and cucumbers along the ground. Since the pole beans are the tallest, they go on the north side of the bed. The medium sized eggplants will go in the middle or just south of the pole beans, and finally, the cucumbers that I decided to grow along the ground would be my southern most plants in the bed.

Now for a twist, what if I wanted to grow those cucumbers on a trellis? Well then, I’d put them in the middle, since they’ll grow taller than the eggplants but not as tall as the pole beans. And when you start getting two plants of similar height growing near each other, be mindful of ensuring that however you place your plants, they all have the best chance of getting the most sunlight possible.

OK, that was an example of north to south. Now let’s look at east to west. I bet you can figure this one out from what we just learned. Again, I’ll start with a question: This time you want to grow a big plot of corn within your garden, along with some other crops. But no matter what else you’re growing, are you going to put your corn on the east or west side of your garden? The west side of course! As the sun rises and moves across the sky, we know it rises from the east. So by having the tallest plants on the west side of the garden, everything planted to the east, gets to soak up all that sun before those late day rays have any chance of casting shade on them.

It’s as simple as that! Plant your tallest plants along the north or west side of your garden and everybody wins. OK, here’s one more teaser just to see if you were paying attention: Which location gives all your plants the best opportunity to get every drop of the sun’s rays for the entire day? Placing your tallest plants on the North or the West side of your garden? If you said the north, you’re right! Going back to what I said earlier, the slightly southern exposure as the sun tracks across the sky will bathe all your plants in the most light possible when the tallest plants are at the northern most place in your garden.  So put the right plants in the right place and you should be well on your way to gardening like a pro with your Burpee Home Gardens Plants.

Now next week, we’ll talk about another consideration when considering where and what to plant. For those space-challenged gardeners out there, fear not! I’ll have some great ideas for you to get the most out of your garden too, no matter how small it is. And even if space isn’t an issue, gardening in containers offers an entire new dimension to what and where you can grow edibles. In fact, no matter where your garden grows, we’ll be right there with you, every step of the way to help you have a great season. This is just one of 26 podcasts created to get you off to a successful start and provide helpful, weekly tips throughout the entire growing season. And to be sure you don’t miss a single, you can subscribe to this podcast series for free in iTunes. And for more ideas and inspiration any time, be sure to check out burpeehomegardens.com.

We’ll be right back here next week for another Burpee Home Gardens Tip of the Week.

Now go get dirty!

Joe Lamp’l

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The best gardeners learn from their prior success and failures. It’s all a learning experience. It’s part of gardening. So with that in mind, making notes and taking pictures of your garden as it grows through the season is a key part to ensuring a bountiful and healthy garden in future seasons. But what’s important to note and where do you begin? This week, Joe Lamp’l walks you through the process he goes through, starting before the first plant goes in the ground. Keeping good records is one of the best habits you can form as a gardener and this podcasts includes lots of great ideas on what to know.

Show Notes: BHG006 – Using Notes & Pictures for Gardening Success

I know when I’m starting my garden for the new season, I can’t wait until the day the plants are finally ready to go in the ground. It’s all I think about! And over the years, I’ve had some great success, along with a fair amount of challenges. And that’s ok because that’s what gardening’s about right? In fact learning from those “mistakes” is what makes us all better gardeners.

So here’s an idea I wish I had put into practice a long time ago. Take notes and pictures of your garden. And start doing that early in the process! I don’t know about you, but I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had a real aha moment or tasted a special variety of tomato, and then tell myself I need to remember this for next year. HA! It rarely happened!

Or perhaps, you had a perplexing problem with your squash or peppers. Fill in the blank for any plant…it doesn’t matter. All the conditions seemed right, but you just couldn’t seem to figure out what was causing the problem.

Well, by taking notes and pictures, you can be your own Sherlock Holmes as you compare notes from season to season, or you can use this recorded information to share with others who might be able to help you solve the problem.

And there’s no better way to repeat the successes of the past and avoid the same recurring problems, than to make note of them, especially when accompanied by pictures. You might even want to start a blog about your garden. What a fun and easy way to share your garden with others. Or even better? Video! A couple years ago I posted an entire series on YouTube, called My $25 Organic Victory Garden. To this day, it gets lots of views and I had a really fun way to document and share my garden online.

So let me walk you through a season in my garden and tell you how I use notes and pictures to track the experience. And by the way, it’s important to note that the more information you provide as your make your observations, the better that information will be as you look back on it later. Things I always list include, date and weather conditions, with particular attention to moisture and humidity, since so many problems can be tracked back to excessive moisture.

Here’s what I do:

For any plants I start from seed, I make notes on when I sowed them, how long the seeds took to germinate, did they come up easily, how many weeks until they were ready to go in the garden and were there any problems along the way.

Something else I do before any plant goes in the ground, is make a drawing of my garden beds and a plan for what to plant where. This accomplishes several things. First, it keeps me from getting over zealous at the garden center.

Secondly, it assures that I’m placing my plants in the appropriate parts of my garden, with the tallest and biggest plants sited so as not to shade out the smaller ones and that I’m rotating my crops so I’m not putting plants from the same family back in the same spot year after year. That helps ensure that my plants stay healthy from season to season. And there’s no way I can keep up with what went where, year after year without notes or pictures.

Then there’s the issue with pests & diseases. As an organic gardener, I try to create the most healthy and diverse environment possible. And I’m always trying new plant combinations for that. I love knowing which plants work best in my garden for attracting certain beneficial insects and pollinators and potentially repelling other unwanted pests. But again, making note of what works and what doesn’t is the only way I know to repeat those successes and avoid those defeats in subsequent years.  I also make note of the dates for whatever pests find their way into my garden. That way, I can have a better idea next year on when I might expect to see them again. This is really important because being proactive in your garden is one of the easiest ways to keep pests and diseases in check.

As my garden begins to grow, I make note of the dates I planted what, and then add comments about the weather conditions, namely the water, or lack of it, and temperature. A rain gauge and an outdoor thermometer that records minimum and maximum temperatures are a great resource to your record keeping. You can probably find them wherever you buy your Burpee Home garden plants. They’re not expensive and I find them invaluable for keeping good records.

In recent years, I’ve been taking more pictures than ever. With the ease of digital photography, it’s so easy. I take pictures about once a week, making sure I do so from the same perspective. It’s really fun at the end of the year to revisit the evolution of your garden. And by the way, for about seventy bucks, you can even buy a camera designed to place and leave in your garden and IT will take all the pictures for you. All you do is tell it how often you want those shots recorded. Then, once you’re ready to review your shots, simply remove the memory card and download them to your computer. How simple is that?

Something else I use my pictures and notes for, is to track diseases that crop up. Since no two years are the same in any garden, being able to refer back to a similar experience when it happened in your own garden can really help in finding ways to avoid those problems in future years.

Finally, as your record your season, make sure you find a system that works for you and keep it close to the garden. That may sound trivial but trust me, it’s really important! So next winter, when you can’t wait to get started again, at least you can relive and plan your next garden, with the notes and pictures from seasons past. But that’s for later. We have an entire gardening season in front of us. So if you haven’t already, go out there and get your Burpee Home Gardens plants in the ground and chronicle your season in words and pictures. I promise, you’ll be glad you did.

And just to let you know, we’ll be right there with you, every step of the way to help you have a great season in the garden. This is just one of 26 podcasts created to get you off to a successful start and provide helpful, weekly tips throughout the entire growing season. And to be sure you don’t miss any episodes, you can subscribe to this podcast series for free in iTunes.

And for more ideas and inspiration any time, be sure to check out burpeehomegardens.com. We’ll be right back here next week for another Burpee Home Gardens Tip of the Week.

Now go get dirty!

Joe Lamp’l

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This week, we focus on raise beds; how to make them properly and why they work so well for creating the ideal growing conditions for your plants to thrive. Given the option, I can’t imagine not gardening in raised beds. They provide the best growing environment for plant roots to thrive by creating essential elements for success below ground, namely, good soil structure and drainage.

Show Notes: BHG005 – Gardening in Raised Beds; The Best Growing Environment for a Productive Garden

In last week’s podcast, we talked about why compost is so important for your garden, and how to make it yourself. So it’s only fitting that this week, we talk about where to put it, and for me, there’s no better place than raised beds.

Given the option, I can’t imagine not gardening in raised beds. They provide the best growing environment for plant roots to thrive by creating essential elements for success below ground, namely, good soil structure and drainage. With raised beds, soil can be brought into the garden and mounded up in rows or added to a framed structure no matter what the condition of your existing soil.  The goal is to create a deep wide growing area that encourages roots to grow down and out. And you do that by adding plenty of organic material such as well-aged manure and compost, along with a generous dose of quality topsoil.

And before we get too deep into this podcast, how about a definition of a raised bed; well for me, it’s simply mounded soil or a contained bed of soil above the surrounding grade. Does it have to be contained by some sort of physical barrier? No not at all. In fact, I know a lot of gardeners that mound up the soil a good six inches or more, and simply angle the sides to reduce erosion. It’s easy to do and it’s certainly less expensive. It also makes your garden more flexible if you decide to change the layout next season, in which case you just knock down the soil and start over.

On the flip, I like having raised beds with actual physical barriers to define the planting area and contain all the soil. And just as important for me, I love the look, and knowing that I have a semi-permanent area to hold the soil and grow my plants as my garden evolves through the seasons. Yes… it’s more work up front to build and layout your beds, but it’s a lot less work after that, since you never have to go back and reconfigure or redefine your bed lines.

So whatever way you decide to make your raised beds, how big should they be? Let’s start with depth: I like really deep beds, 12 or even 18” if possible and it’s really hard to do that unless you have some way to contain the soil. But don’t worry, you don’t need them to be that high but try to shoot for at least 6 inches. The most important point of deep beds is to create ideal conditions for roots to grow as deeply as they want. And the deeper the roots can go, the more drought tolerant and vigorous the top growth.

As for the dimensions on length and width, that’s up to you. In fact, I don’t think the length of the bed matters at all. It’s more about how big do you want your garden and how much space you have.

But here’s what is important; the width. You never want your raised bed to be wider than your ability to reach into the center of the bed. That’s because you don’t want to have to step into the bed, and compact your soil. I find that the ideal width is four feet. It gives me easy reach into the center from both sides, and it’s wide enough to allow lots of planting options.

Options to Contain the Soil

OK, so now that I’ve hopefully sold you on the benefits of raised beds, if you decide you want to have physical boarders, the choices of what to use to construct it are many. Traditional options include treated lumber, non treated, weather resistant wood such as cedar or redwood, recycled composite material, usually made up of plastic and wood fibers, stone, concrete blocks, logs, etc.  You get the idea; it really comes down to personal preference, budget or simply, what’s available. But here’s one caveat about treated wood, although it’s readily available and inexpensive, you might want to avoid this option, especially if you’re an organic gardener or if you’re growing food in these beds since it’s possible for chemicals used in treated lumber can leech into the soil.

So there you have it. Providing a growing environment with great soil and drainage is a sure way to get your Burpee Home Garden plants off to the best start. And raised beds are a great way to make that possible.

This is just one of 26 podcasts created to get you off to a successful start and provide helpful, weekly tips throughout the entire growing season for your Burpee Home Garden plants to thrive. And if you don’t want to miss any episodes, you can subscribe to this podcast series for free in iTunes. And for more ideas and inspiration any time be sure to check out burpeehomegardens.com

Thanks for listening everybody. We’ll be right back here next week for another Burpee Home Gardens Tip of the Week.

Now go get dirty!

Joe Lamp’l

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This week, we focus on the basics of making compost and how to do it quickly! it’s my all time favorite soil amendment.

Show Notes – BHG004 – How to Make Compost, and do it Quickly

Welcome to Burpee Home Garden’s Tip of the Week Podcast. If you listened to last week’s podcast you know I talked about some of the reasons I love compost so much. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the single most important amendment we can put into our soil. I also shared one of my favorite sayings; Feed the soil, and let the soil feed the plants! And compost does that better than anything else!

Now, I want to talk about how you can make it at home for free, and how to speed up the process as much as possible. Based on the questions I get all the time, a lot of people think composting is too complicated so they never get started. Others think that composting can smell badly, and attract all kinds of unwanted pests. Well I’m here to tell you, neither has to be true.

First understand that composting happens in nature constantly, without any help from us, so It really a simple process. We just need to intervene to speed up the process and make more of it. And as for the smell and attracting pests, it’s an easy fix and I’ll tell you more about that in a minute.

The most basic compost piles are just that; heaps of yard waste and kitchen scraps. There aren’t any fancy systems, or bins, to facilitate the process. It’s how I’ve done it for years. Yes, more elaborate systems can be built or purchased to contain the mix, and they look nice, but they’re really not necessary.

But once you’ve decided to make compost, you should know about a few essential elements for composting to occur most efficiently: you’ll need carbon (which generally is the brown stuff, like dead leaves and twigs), and nitrogen (the green stuff, like grass clippings and vegetable and salad scraps from the kitchen) plus sufficient air and water. That’s it; that’s the four main components of making compost.

So to get started, we’re simply talking about an accumulation of green and brown waste. If you want a guideline of how much of each to add, shoot for about 4 parts brown to one part green. But again, don’t get hung up on the details. You’ll still have compost eventually.

Almost anything from the yard or garden can be added like grass clippings, leaves and small twigs. But try to avoid adding diseased plants because the pathogens may not be killed in the composting process. And personally, I choose not to include weeds into the mix because the seeds can persist for a really long time, and they might survive through the composting process, only to be spread to other areas of the garden with the addition of the new compost. And here’s another tip: keep branches that are thicker than a pencil out if you can since they’ll take longer to break down. Similarly, the smaller the components going in, the faster they break down and the sooner you’ll be adding finished compost for those Burpee Home Garden plants to enjoy!

As for items from the house and kitchen, include everything that came from a plant. And that includes coffee grounds, tea bags and paper towel rolls. As for what to avoid, don’t add meat, fish, animal fat, bones and dairy products. Those are the things that can cause your compost to smell temporarily and attract outdoor pests. It’s that simple!

Once you have your compost started, if you want to speed up the process, and who doesn’t, mix it up every week or so to introduce more oxygen to the center, and spray with water so that it maintains the moistness of a damp sponge. And how big should your compost pile get? Shoot for about 4 cubic feet. That seems to be the ideal size for best results.

And that’s about all there is to it. Your compost is ready to use when your original components are unrecognizable! And the end-result is the best natural fertilizer and soil conditioner available – it’s recycling at it’s best and the best amendment for your Burpee Home Garden Plants to thrive!

In our next podcast, we’ll talk about raised bed gardening and how they can provide the ultimate control to the ideal growing environment.Beyond that, we’re creating a whole series of podcasts to get you off to a great start with your Burpee Home Garden plants and what to do throughout the entire growing season, every step of the way. You can find them in the  iTunes store for free or at burpeehomegardens.com where you’ll find great  ideas and inspiration online, any time!

We’ll be right back here next week for another Burpee Home Gardens Tip of the Week.

Joe Lamp’l

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This week, we focus on my all time favorite soil amendment and why I love is so much! To set the stage, one of my favorite garden quotes that I put into practice all the time is; “feed the soil and let the soil feed the plants”.  It’s true.  Healthy soil is the key to healthy plants. It helps add life and fertility, and improves the soil structure. Yet of all the organic matter you can add to improve you soil, compost is king! There is no store bought product better for the garden, and I believe it’s the single most important ingredient we can add to our gardens.

Show Notes – BHG003 Podcast – Why Compost is the Best Soil Amendment for Your Garden

In last week’s podcast, we talked about the keys to creating the best soil possible for your Plants to establish quickly and thrive throughout the season. This week, I want to focus on my all time favorite soil amendment and why I love is so much!

To set the stage, one of my favorite garden quotes that I put into practice all the time is; “feed the soil and let the soil feed the plants”.  It’s true.  Healthy soil is the key to healthy plants. It helps add life and fertility, and improves the soil structure. Yet of all the organic matter you can add to improve you soil, compost is king! There is no store bought product better for the garden, and I believe it’s the single most important ingredient we can add to our gardens.

So what exactly is compost and why do I love it so much? Simply put, compost is decayed organic matter, consisting of material you’d find around your yard, plus kitchen scraps from inside your house.

Now we’ve already established that compost is a fantastic soil conditioner, but it’s also an excellent fertilizer! In just a tablespoon of compost, you find billions of living beneficial microorganisms along with vital organic nutrients that are released slowly. Think of compost as a savings account of nutrients that are available to your plants as needed, unlike water-soluble synthetic fertilizers, which once applied, quickly leach through the soil, and leave behind potentially damaging salts. In addition, compost is known to be a growth stimulant; it protects plants from certain diseases, buffers toxins in the soil, helps moderate soil pH, feeds earthworms, and supports beneficial microorganisms.

So now that I’ve got your attention on why compost is such a valuable ingredient to productive soil, and your Burpee Home Garden Plants, you’ll want it in your own garden, right? So where do you get it and how much do you need?

Well first lets talk about the quantity. Since compost is an amendment to your existing soil, you only need a small amount. In fact, a little goes a long way. You can start with just a half inch mixed into the top few inches of your soil But if you have more, even better to condition the soil. Then a couple times each year, work in another inch or so around the surface.

OK, so where do you get compost? Well there are three primary sources. First, some – but not all nurseries and garden centers carry high-quality compost by the bag.

Second, many municipalities these days have a composting facility that makes it from all the collected leaves and yard debris over previous seasons.  It’s usually offered for free or for just a nominal fee. It’s a great option if you have it, especially if you need a lot.

But with these first two ways, there’s one big caveat. You just really don’t know what went into making that compost. As an organic gardener, I don’t want to bring home compost that might include pesticides or chemical residue or even weed seeds for that matter and you can just never be sure when someone else is making it commercially.

Which leads me to the third way; making it yourself. It’s the ultimate way to control what goes into your compost and it’s extra gratifying to know you made it happen! In our next podcast, we’ll talk all about how to make compost at home. It’s easier than you think but there are a few things you should know to do it right and make it as quickly as possible!

In fact, we’re creating a whole series of podcasts to get you off to a great start with your Burpee Home Garden plants and what to do throughout the entire growing season, all the way through harvest. And be sure to check out burpeehomegardens.com for more ideas and inspiration online, any time!

Thanks for listening. We’ll be right back here next week for another Burpee Home Gardens Tip of the Week.

Joe Lamp’l

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The Burpee Home Gardens Tip of the Week Podcast provides practical information from gardening expert and national television host, Joe Lamp’l on how to grow a bountiful vegetable garden. From planting to harvest, we have what you need to know, every step of the way. In this episode, we focus on what exactly makes “rich healthy soil” and how do you know when you get there.

Show Notes – BHG002

It’s All About the Soil; How to know your soil is the best it can be: A formula for success

Welcome to Burpee Home Garden’s Tip of the Week. Well in last week’s podcast, we talked about 3 basic elements you need to create a healthy and manageable garden: plenty of sunlight, rich healthy soil, and a bit of restraint. This week, I want to focus in more on what exactly makes “rich healthy soil” and how do you know when you get there.

First of all, for plants to thrive, nearly all soil needs to be improved, commonly known as “amended”, as in “amended soil. Typically, as is, soil is either too sandy, and water drains right through it, before the roots have a chance to take up the water, or, the soil is too heavy, like with clay, and water doesn’t drain fast enough. Consequently, the soil can become so saturated, plants can literally drown.

But fear not, we can fix either problem with the addition of soil amendments.

Now to begin, take comfort in knowing this is not an exact science in my book. It’s simply a matter of adding organic matter, such as rotted leaves or aged manure, decomposed wood mulch, or my favorite: Compost. And the best mix is a combination of several options for your Burpee Home Garden plants to thrive!

But why is that? Well fist of all, understand that soil is almost always a mixture of sand, silt and clay; the variable is just in the percentage of each. So, think of each component as a different particle size. Imagine that sand particles are basketballs, silt particles as tennis balls, and clay, the size of golf balls. If you had only basketballs in a container, as with sandy soil that’s a lot of air space between the balls, so water runs right through. Clay soil on the other hand, with all golf balls, doesn’t have enough space. In the perfect world, using the balls as our example, you’d want about equal parts of each to create optimal conditions for air and water drainage and retention.

And that’s why adding organic matter to your soil helps introduce various particle sizes and opens up the soil. But in addition, over time, all of these organic soil amendments create something called humus, which helps with water retention, nutrient availability and allows soil particles to bind together in a favorable way.

But since the topic of soil science is beyond the scope of this podcast, lets summarize what you should know to make it simple.

No matter if you’re starting with loose, sandy soil or heavy, clay, in either case, you want to add enough amendments so that when you squeeze a handful of soil, it binds together, but as you run your fingers through it, it easily breaks apart. So use this example to create your ideal garden soil, and the perfect growing environment.

In our next podcast, we’ll talk more about my favorite of all soil amendments: Compost, why it’s so important, and how you can make it at home for free! Beyond that, we’ll have a whole series of podcasts to get you off to a great start with your Burpee Home Garden Seedlings and what to do throughout the entire growing season, every step of the way, all the way through harvest. And be sure to check out burpeehomegardens.com for more ideas and inspiration any time!

Thanks for checking in!

Joe Lamp’l

Click the Arrow to Listen Now

The Burpee Home Gardens Tip of the Week Podcast provides practical information from gardening expert and national television host, Joe Lamp’l on how to grow a bountiful vegetable garden. From planting to harvest, we have what you need to know, every step of the way.

Show Notes – BHG001 Podcast

The Three Most Important Things to a Bountiful Vegetable Garden: Sun, Soil, and Size

Welcome to “Burpee Home Gardens Tip of the Week” Podcast! Well, it’s about that time. We’ve been anxiously waiting for the day when we can finally go out and start our spring garden, and for many of us, it may be for the very first time. But no matter what your experience, there are a few things that are essential to consider for having a productive and manageable garden:

First, find a sunny space!

Vegetable and herb plants thrive in full sun. Shoot for a place where they’ll receive about 8 hours a day of direct sun. Now, do you have to have this much? No, you don’t, but the fewer hours of sun your plants are getting, the less productive the harvest, and it’s all about the harvest, right? A southern exposure is best and if it seems like all you have is shade, look up. Perhaps you can remove some limbs of overhanging trees because that’s a pretty common problem and a fairly easy fix as well. But anything you can do to add more light to your plants will pay big dividends as your plants grow. I even know people that plant in containers with a platform underneath with wheels or rollers. And throughout the day, they move their plants around to chase the sun. Now that may sound pretty extreme but it really can work if you have the ambition and time.

Once you’ve identified the site, it’s time to focus on the soil!

Well-drained soil is critical for your plants to perform their best. Soil that stays too dry will stunt growth, stress plants, and adversely affect fruit production. On the other hand, soil that stays too wet, will eventually rot the roots and prevent healthy growth. This is a common situation when we try to plant into straight soil, usually full of heavy clay. The answer for both cases is to amend the entire planting area with lots of rich organic matter, such as compost, aged manure, rotted leaves, worm castings and more.

And finally, don’t over do it.

It is so easy to want to have a big garden if you have the space, but I’d say to go a little conservative here, especially if it’s your fist garden. But your vegetable and herb plants will grow so lush and full if your garden gets enough sun and you have rich, healthy soil. In fact, once your plants establish, they’ll grow so fast, I don’t want you to become overwhelmed. So the bottom line is don’t over do it starting off. You can always make it bigger later.

In our next podcast, we’ll talk more about the soil and how to create the perfect growing conditions for your plants. And beyond that, we’ll have a whole series of podcasts to get you off to a great start with your Burpee Home Garden Seedlings and what to do throughout the entire growing season, every step of the way, all the way through harvest. In the mean time, be sure to check out the Burpee Home Gardens website for more ideas and inspiration online.

Thanks for stopping by!

Joe Lamp’l