All Episodes
Two Minutes in the Garden: Gardening Tips, Science, Myths — 422 episodes
Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Garden -- Our own "Wood-Wide Web"?
What Is Phenology -- and Why It Matters
Attracting Fireflies to Your Garden: What They Need
Are Synthetic Fertilizers From Fossil Fuels? Do We Need Them?
Peat in Gardening: What's the Problem?
Overpotting: Should You Pot Up or Go Big?
Noticing Nature: From Gardener to Naturalist
Do Gravel Layers in Pots Improve Drainage?
Can Weeds Reveal Soil Secrets?
Should You Water Plants with Ice Cubes?
Are High Brix Levels the Key to Pest-Free Plants?
Ants in the Garden: Harmful or Beneficial?
Vermicomposting -- It's Different From Regular Composting
How Gardeners Came to Love Earthworms -- Soil's Tiny Engineers
Are Today's Fruits and Vegetables Less Nutritious?
The Purple Tomato: The First GMO Garden Seed
Does Garden-Grown Produce Have A High Carbon Footprint?
Does Touching Soil Make Us Happier?
Do Gardeners Need Crop Rotation?
Plant Nutrients (Part 4): "Up, Down, All Around" and the Phosphorus Myth
Plant Nutrients (Part 3): The Trouble with Balanced Fertilizers
Plant Nutrients (Part 2): What Do NPK Labels Mean?
Plant Nutrients (Part 1): What You Need to Know
Mushrooms: Friends or Foes in the Garden?
Is Soap Safe to Use in the Garden?
Composting (Part 4): How Much Compost is Too Much?
Composting (Part 3): What to Add and What to Avoid
Composting (Part 2): Simpler Than it Sounds
Compost: The Most Valuable Organic Matter for Your Soil
Humus: What Is It and Why It Matters
Plants in Water: A Balancing Act
No Mow May: Does It Really Help Pollinators?
How Frogs Benefit Your Garden -- And How to Attract Them
Fast-Growing Cool-Weather Crops for Spring
Helping Ground-Nesting Bees: The Unsung Garden Heroes
Protect Your Garden From Deer Damage
Baking Soda in the Garden: Is it Really Harmless?
Starting Seeds: An Overview
Growing Carrots in Your Garden
Whacking Tree Trunks and Other Strange Garden Tips
Do Comfrey and Other Plants Grab Nutrients Deep in Our Soil?
Humidity and Houseplants - Increasing Humidity Indoors
Growing and Propagating Aloe vera
Why Leaves Change Color (and Why Some Don't Fall)
Is it Safe to Use Paper in the Garden?
Horticultural Oil: How Does it Work? Is it Safe?
Why You Can't Have True Blue Roses (and Many Other Popular Flowers)
Using Human Urine in the Garden -- Benefits and Risks
Monarch Butterflies and the Garden (Part 2): Milkweed
Monarch Butterflies and the Garden (Part 1): Migration
Attracting Dragonflies to Your Garden
Can We Sequester More Carbon in Our Garden -- and Should We?
How Plants Capture Carbon and Help the Environment
Growing Oak Trees from Acorns
How Oaks Benefit the Garden Ecosystem
Preventing Downy Mildew
Long-Day vs Short-Day vs Day-Neutral Plants
What is Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade?
Are Slugs Repelled by Beer? Copper? Eggshells?
Getting Rid of Slugs in the Garden
Will Bird Feeders Spread Avian Flu?
Getting Rid of Mealybugs on Houseplants
Hydrogen Peroxide in the Garden: Is it Safe?
How Gardening Helps Our Well-Being
Perlite or Vermiculite: What's the Difference?
Spider Mites: How to Avoid or Get Rid of Them
Using Cinnamon in the Garden: Does it Really Work?
Tomato Cracking: Can You Prevent It?
Avoiding -- or Fixing -- Compacted Soil
Getting Rid of Fungus Gnats on Houseplants
Lichens and Their Role in a Garden
Can You Test Seeds By Floating Them in Water?
Radishes: The Easiest Vegetable to Grow in Your Garden
Why Are Sprouts Growing in Your Tomato?
Growing Peas in Your Garden
Is Tap Water Safe for Plants? (Part 2)
Is Tap Water Safe for Plants? (Part 1)
Do Houseplants Really Clean the Air? (Part 2)
Do Houseplants Really Clean the Air? (Part 1)
The Enduring Myth of Poisonous Poinsettias
Beneficial Nematodes (Part 2): Do They Actually Work?
Beneficial Nematodes (Part 1): How Do They Work?
Why Plants Wilt -- And How Watering Can Make it Worse
The Best Soil for Raised Beds (Part 2)
The Best Soil for Raised Beds (Part 1)
Grow Lights and What You Need to Know About Light
Why Photosynthesis is Essential to Plants
Turning Autumn Leaves Into Leaf Mold
Introduction to Hydroponics (For Soil Gardeners)
Planting Garlic in the Fall
An Introduction to Seed Saving
Growing Asters for Vibrant Fall Colors
Using Keiki Paste to Clone Orchids and Grow Other Plants
Hollyhock Rust - And How to Deal With It
Rooting Hormone Alternatives -- Do They Work?
Rooting Hormones for Successful Cuttings
Do You Need Soil Amendments?
Improving Your Garden Drainage
Nematodes: Good or Bad for the Garden?
Compost Tea: Does it Help the Garden?
The Debate About Epsom Salt (Part 2)
The Debate About Epsom Salt (Part 1)
Variegated Leaves: Causes and How to Keep Them
Do Sunflowers Move to Follow the Sun?
Sunflowers: Not Always What They Seem to Be
How to Grow Sunflowers in Your Garden
Double Flowers ... and Their Value to Pollinators
Preventing Heat Damage to Your Plants
Bolting Vegetables: Can You Prevent It?
The Science Behind Pruning and Deadheading
Powdery Mildew: How to Treat or Avoid It
Using Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to Control Pests
How Flowers Communicate with Pollinators
Does Planting By Moon Phases Work? (Part 3)
Does Planting By Moon Phases Work? (Part 2)
Does Planting By Moon Phases Work? (Part 1)
Straw Bale Gardening: An Introduction
What is Square Foot Gardening?
Using Milk in the Garden
Should We Leave the Dandelions?
What Does it Mean to Garden Organically?
Can You Propagate a Patented Plant?
Using Neem Oil as an Organic Insecticide
Aphids and How to Control Them (Part 2)
Aphids and How to Control Them (Part 1)
Mulch: What It Is and Why You Should Use It
Protecting Seedlings from Damping-Off
The Strengths of No-Dig ... and Objections
The Growth of No-Dig Gardening
Does Brushing Seedlings Make Them Stronger?
Should We Be Shaking Our Houseplants?
Welcome Back Hummingbirds!
How Salt Can Injure Your Plants
How Important is a Soil Test?
Self-Seeding Plants Can Save Money and Effort
Types of Seeds for Your Garden
Can You Clone Plants Through Seeds?
What's the Problem With Starting Seeds Early?
Is it Safe to Use Wood Ash in the Garden?
Why Plants Need Scientific Names
When is a Fruit Not a Fruit?
Get Ready to Start Seeds Indoors
Using Manure in the Garden
Do Plants Have Sexes?
Feeding Houseplants: Fertilizer Basics
Mimicking Changing Seasons to Break Seed Dormancy
Breaking Seed Dormancy with Scarification
How Seed Dormancy Helps Plants Survive
Creative Ways to Reuse a Christmas Tree
The Benefits of Snow in the Garden
Caring for Your Christmas Tree
Growing Holly Bushes
Poinsettia: The Christmas Plant You Can Keep Year-Round
Mistletoe: Toxic Parasite and Popular Decoration
Grafting: What You Need to Get Right
A First Look at Grafting
2020: A Great Year for Gardening
Are Plastics Safe for Gardening?
Is Foliar Feeding Effective?
Why Cuticles are Essential to Plant Health
Grow Avocado Plants from Seed
Freezing vs Frost
First Frost: How the Cold Damages Plants
What You May Not Know About Pumpkins
Do Leaves Rob the Soil?
What Should We Do With Fall Leaves?
How Deep Should You Plant Bulbs?
Planting Bulbs and Keeping them Safe from Wildlife
When is the Best Time to Plant Bulbs?
Are Green Tomatoes Safe to Eat?
Should Tomatoes Go in the Refrigerator?
Do Potatoes Belong in the Refrigerator?
Storing Potatoes Safely
When to Harvest Potatoes
Growing Chard in Your Garden
Choosing Plants for Alternative Lawns
Lawn Alternatives: What Will the Neighbors Think?
The Search For Alternative Lawns
Lawns: Both Loved and Loathed
Roots We Use to Make New Plants
Healthy Shoots Need Healthy Roots
Understanding Plant Roots
The Best Way to Store Seeds
The Weed that Became One of the World's Most Important Plants
Get Free Plants You'll Love with Cuttings
Prevent Pests Organically with Diatomaceous Earth
How to Grow Bee Balm and Attract Pollinators
Tomatoes: The Most Popular Garden Veggie
Preventing Blossom-End Rot
How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles
Japanese Beetles: The Basics
Is That a Bee? Or a Wasp?
Which Bees Should We Worry About?
Identifying and Treating Plant Disease
Controlling Disease in Your Garden
Disease in Your Garden: The Challenges
Plant Diseases: A First Look
Growing Lavender in Your Garden
Stay Safe From the Sun While Gardening
Companion Planting: Why the Skepticism?
How Companion Planting Might Work
Companion Planting: A First Look
Removing Weeds From Your Garden
Don't Accidentally Add Weeds to Your Garden
How to Get Fewer Weeds
Weeds in Your Garden
Is Biochar Right for Your Garden?
Do You Need to Use Fertilizer?
Fertilizers: Organic vs Synthetic
Questionable Fertilizer Formulas
Most Important Lesson on Nutrients
Nutrients Your Plants Need to Thrive
Soil pH: Change It or Adapt to It?
Why Ions are Critical to Plants
The Difference Between Annual and Perennial
Growing Strawberries in Your Garden
Get Your Seedlings Ready for Life Outdoors
Mulch Volcanoes: A Gardener's Peeve
How Mulch Benefits Your Garden
Mulch in Your Garden: A First Look
A Quick Look at Victory Gardens
How To Read Seed Packets
The Best Time to Sow Seeds Outdoors
Avoid Overwatering Your Plants
Should We Worry About Walnut Trees in the Garden?
Do Walnut Trees Kill Other Plants?
Getting to Know Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds Are On Their Way!
Plenty to Do in the Garden
Fling Into Spring
What Can You Do About Soil Texture?
How to Know Your Soil Texture
What Determines Soil Texture?
Soil: The Foundation of a Garden
Garden Bulb Basics
Extending the Longevity of Seeds
How to Avoid Damping-Off
Damping-Off: Causes and Appearance
Watering Options for Seedlings
The Right Lights for Starting Seeds
Starting Seeds: Temperature and Planting Depth
Starting Seeds Indoors: What Seeds Need
Germination: Where Seeds Become Seedlings
Seeds: The Embryo of the Plant
How a Tomato is a Fruit and a Vegetable
How Flowering Plants Create Seeds
Supporting Mycorrhizal Fungi in Your Soil
Should You Buy Mycorrhizal Inoculants?
How Your Garden Benefits from Mycorrhiza
How Mycorrhizal Fungi Help Plants Grow
The Flower That Grows Entirely Underground
How to Push the Winter Blues Aside
Does Wood Chip Mulch Steal Nitrogen from Your Soil?
Nitrogen: The Most Important Nutrient for Your Plants
Are Gardeners Happier than Non-Gardeners?
Eating Healthier with a Keto Diet
Creative Ways to Reuse a Christmas Tree
The Annual Christmas Bird Count
What Makes a Tree a Tree?
Grow Vegetables Indoors This Winter
Does Hairspray Help Christmas Trees Keep Needles?
Some Tree Basics: Rings and Trunks
Can Poinsettias Rebloom Next Year?
Are Poinsettias Poisonous to Pets?
Gifts That Gardeners Will Use
Thanksgiving: Celebrating the Fall Harvest
The State of the Garden Center Industry
Why Are There Many More Acorns Some Years?
Propagating Plants With Cuttings: A First Look
Poppies: From Weed to Remembrance Icon
Keeping the World's Seeds Safe
Have Fresh Flowers Through Winter
Pumpkins: From Bitter Fruit to Fall Icon
Keep Your Halloween Pumpkins Out of Landfill
Keep Pond Fish Safe in Freezing Weather
Why Do Blue Jays Eat House Paint?
Why Are Some Falls More Colorful Than Others?
Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?
Extend the Life of Your Fruit with Dehydration
Where Do Hummingbirds Go For the Winter?
How to Hand-Feed Wild Birds
Should You Plant Cover Crops in Your Garden?
Cover Crops in Your Home Garden
When to Harvest Winter Squash
How to Tell if a Watermelon is Ripe
Do Balanced Fertilizers Makes Sense For You?
Rubber Mulch: Benefits and Toxicity
Ripening Green Tomatoes
The Controversy Around Peat in Gardening
Is it Safe to Use Rainwater from the Roof in Your Garden?
Plastic Waste and Gardening
Plant Propagation: The Basics
Get Started on Plant Propagation
Vermicomposting: Avoid Common Problems
Best Worms for Vermicomposting
Why Use Vermicompost?
Do Cold-Weather Carrots Taste Sweeter?
How to Stay Safe in the Sun
Is Sunscreen Safe to Use?
Watering Tips for Your Garden
Why Plants Need Water
Water: Gardening's Essential Ingredient
Does Watering in the Sun Burn Plants?
Latin Names for Plants -- Pretentious or Useful?
Growing Citrus Trees in Cooler Climates
How to Grow Citrus Trees From Seed
Poison Ivy on Skin -- What to Do
Poison Ivy and Why You Want to Avoid It
Do Plants Have Thoughts and Feelings?
Do Garden Center Plants Attract Pollinators?
Get More Flowers This Year by Deadheading
Best Plants to Attract Pollinators?
Can Blossom-End Rot be Avoided?
Ladybugs: Great in the Garden, But Not to Buy
Skunks in the Garden
Best Ingredients for Potting Soil Mix
Is it Safe to Reuse Potting Mix?
Keep Ants Off Your Hummingbird Feeder
Are Coffee Grounds a Danger to Your Garden?
Get Inspired by Garden Tours
How to Attract Moths to Your Garden
Moths: Pollinators with a Bad Reputation
Why are Birds Pecking at Your Window?
Soil Testing -- Lab vs Home Test Kit
Soil Testing Options for Your Garden
Should You Get Your Garden Soil Tested?
What is pH and Why is it Important?
Are Tastier Tomatoes on the Way?
Do Oils, Candles, Plants Keep Mosquitoes Away?
Four Proven Mosquito Repellents
Alternatives to DEET in the Garden
Gardening Without Mosquito Bites
Dubious Method for Weed Control
Backyard Farming ... in 1889!
What to Do if You Find Bones in Your Garden
Were Vegetables More Nutritious in the Past?
Is Gardening as Good as Going to the Gym?
Do Feeders Increase Bird-Window Collisions?
Reducing Bird-Window Collisions
Are People Oblivious to Plants?
Should You be Gardening by the Moon?
Can Gardening Help our Memory as We Get Older?
Do Pine Needles Make Soil Acidic?
Do Marigolds Help Tomatoes?
Get Ready for Hummingbirds!
Spring Checklist - Time to Get Started!
A Butterfly's Astonishing Migration
Our Favorite Gardening TV Show
Do Hummingbird Feeders Spread Disease?
How to Change the Color of Hydrangea
Should You Use Compost Tea in Your Garden?
The Compost Tea Debate - Part 2
The Compost Tea Debate - Part 1
Can Plants Solve Air Pollution in the Home? - Part 3
Plants as Air Purifiers - Part 2
Do Plants Remove Chemicals from Our Air?
Is it Safe to Eat Sprouting Onions?
Keeping Birds Safer from Cats in the Garden
Should Cats Roam Free?
How Frost Harms Gardens
'Days to Harvest' May Not Mean What Beginners Think
FAQ - Starting Seeds Indoors for Beginners
Starting Seeds Indoors in Winter
How Do Birds Survive the Cold?
Do Plants Hear Water?
Can Plants Hear?
How to Make DIY Beeswax Wraps
Is it Okay to Feed Birds?
Which Bird Feeders Attract Birds
Best Bird Seed Mix
Best and Worst Bird Seed
Gardeners Love Feeding Birds
Benefits of Gardening - New Research
Legionnaires' Disease from Potting Mix?
Planning the Year Ahead with Seed Catalogs
Reusing Your Christmas Tree
Keeping Your Christmas Tree Fresh
Do Gardening Anecdotes Make Good Evidence?
Poinsettias: Keeping them Year-Round (and No, Not Poisonous)
Christmas Cactus: What are They and How to Help Them Bloom
Growing More in Less Space with Vertical Gardening
Are Native Plants Better for Gardens?
Native vs Non-Native: A First Look
Fixing a Smelly Compost Pile
Gift Ideas for the Garden Nerd
How to Keep Composting in Winter
Compost for Your Garden: Getting the Right Brown-Green Mix
Compost for Your Garden: Browns and Greens
Compost for Your Garden: An Introduction
Growing Vegetables in Your Garden Year-Round
Do Homemade Rooting Hormones Work?
Are Avocado Seeds Safe to Eat?
Are Banana Peels Good for the Garden?
Is Baking Soda Safe in the Garden?
Coffee Grounds in the Garden - Myth and Reality
Dish Soap -- Safe for the Garden?
Is Salt Safe for the Garden?
Does Vinegar Kill Weeds?
Too Late to Plant Trees this Fall?
Too Late to Plant Bulbs this Fall?
Are Halloween Pumpkins Edible?
Bee Hotels in the Garden
Choosing Garden Seeds: Heirloom Seeds
Choosing Garden Seeds: Organic Seeds
Choosing Garden Seeds: Hybrid Seeds
Planting Fall Mums as Perennials
Choosing Garden Seeds: Open-Pollinated Seeds
Choosing Garden Seeds: GMO Seeds
Do Pot Shards and Gravel Improve Drainage?
Using Fall Leaves as Mulch and Compost
First Look at Bees
Fall Pruning Plan
Invasive Earthworms: Gardener's Friends, Forests' Foes
Hummingbird Feeders in the Fall
Does Talking to Plants Help Them Grow?
Rooftop Farms: Growing Food in Cities
Night Lighting
Digging or No Digging?
The Danger of Overwatering
Are Epsom Salts Good for Plants?
Japanese Beetles: How They Got Here, What Can Be Done
Benefits of Joining a Fruit Sharing Program