The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers

By Epic Gardening

Education

What's The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers about?

The Beet started as the Epic Gardening Podcast, but has grown into a one-stop shop for plant lovers. Five days a week, we explore topics ranging from beginner gardening tips to in-depth discussions with industry and science experts. Here, we’ll open up new gardening horizons, inspire you to greater heights, share new and exciting discoveries in agriculture, and fill your mind with freshly-harvested information you can apply to your own gardening journey!

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General Advice for Adding C...

09.25.2023

Due to limited space, Rachel Nafis initially felt discouraged in her practice of flower gardening. Today, however, she’s gardening 8 plots of cut flowers in San Diego, most in her neighbor’s yards. These flowers supply her local bouquet subscription, flower ...

The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers episodes:

09.25.2023 General Advice for Adding Cut-Flowers to your Vegetable Garden Due to limited space, Rachel Nafis initially felt discouraged in her practice of flower gardening. Today, however, she’s gardening 8 plots of cut flowers in San Diego, most in her neighbor’s yards. These flowers supply her local bouquet subscription, flower ...
09.22.2023 Vertically Integrated Farming There are serious benefits to raising and processing your own cattle on your own ranch. Not only does it simplify the process of slaughter, but it also consolidates roles of ranching. This, and the benefit to consumers is how vertically ...
09.21.2023 Animal Welfare In regenerative animal husbandry, like Will Harris’s White Oak Pastures, animals live according to their nature. This model is an expansion of the industrial one, where meeting basic needs is the only concern. He can tell from their expression that ...
09.20.2023 Soil Health Soil health is just as important as animal health. That’s because good soil provides the best possible sustenance for cattle. Additionally, animal impact has a positive effect, as manure attracts microbial organisms that give the soil life. Will managed to ...
09.19.2023 Revival of Rural America Regeneration of degraded land. Welfare to the animals. Re-enrichment of the local community. These are the three things Will Harris’ cattle company boasts, and those he is most proud of at White Oak Pastures. And people come to work on ...
09.18.2023 Regenerative Agriculture Will Harris is a 4th generation rancher who has adapted his land to a regenerative agriculture system. The switch occurred after Will had an epiphany about the inherent problems of the industrial system of cattle ranching. Today, he uses the ...
09.15.2023 Encouraging the Next Generation to Farm Ty knows that young people have plenty of energy and know how when it comes to getting into farming. Here he encourages them to do that, and discusses the programs his family potato farm enacts to support the local community. ...
09.14.2023 Growing Potatoes Farmer Edition The difference between farming potatoes and gardening potatoes is vastly different! Ty finds he learns something new every day on the farm. The most important part of farming potatoes is the fertility of the land, and the permeability of the ...
09.13.2023 Reducing Food Waste at the Farm Level What happens to potatoes that aren’t perfectly fit for the grocery store? They end up in cow feed. In response, Ty and the team at his farm started Ugly Potato Day, where they raise money for local food banks and ...
09.12.2023 Protecting Farmland From Development Ty’s farm is under risk of being developed, and with such valuable land, it’s easy to see why. That’s why he took to social media to spread awareness about the importance of farmland, and how it provides food security for ...
09.11.2023 Returning to the Family Potato Farm Neither Ty nor his brothers wanted to be potato farmers like their dad, but after 10 years and a successful sales career, he decided to return home and carry on the family legacy. Today, he has acquired even more land ...
09.08.2023 A garden inspired life The garden nourishes Annette in many ways – not just through the healthy food she produces. She has discovered ways to interweave the garden into her daily life and tries to involve her family in the gardening process. She uses ...
09.07.2023 Slow Down Start Small When she started Azure Farm, Annette had to learn from her mistakes just like any other gardener does. Now she knows how to grow the right things at the right time, and she chooses varieties she likes to grow to ...
09.06.2023 Dream Big & Write it Down The dawn of Azure Farm began with fruit trees and has graduated to 26 to 30 raised beds. But Annette doesn’t recommend this many raised beds for beginners. In fact, starting small and working in phases is a better idea! ...
09.05.2023 Know Your Why Since Annette Thurmon began farming, she’s reaped plenty of benefits. Her excitement about gardening is based on her ability to support herself with healthy and delicious food she can’t get anywhere else. She also loves the lifestyle, and how she ...
09.04.2023 It’s Never too Late to Learn Something New Annette Thurmon went from ICU nurse, to wedding gown designer. Once she found the right land, she pivoted to growing her own food and raising animals on Azure Farm. Here she grows her own food, and tends to her animal ...
09.01.2023 Growing and Cooking from the Garden Meg’s gardening journey led her to try new and exciting things in the kitchen. Here she talks about how she learned to make new things, and some of the interesting plants she’s trying this year. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3QSOisd ...
08.31.2023 Meg’s Favorite Tomato Varieties Meg is growing 15 different varieties of tomatoes! She covers the different types in her garden and highlights a couple of interesting and exotic varieties. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3EfeMMY Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/3qPGMDH EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/3YPA2lT Connect With ...
08.30.2023 Beginner Chicken Keeping Meg is starting her very first chicken coop! Here she discusses her choices regarding life stages, breeds, and coops Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3PdxSJs Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/44yaWZP EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/45FZ5Kc Connect With Meagan Lloyd: Meg Lloyd currently grows, ...
08.29.2023 Toxic Squash Syndrome What is toxic squash syndrome? Listen to Meg talk about how to determine whether or not a squash is toxic, and what to do with it. She also talks about squash vine borer, and how to do surgery on squash ...
08.28.2023 She Started a Thriving Garden in 3 Years Starting your own garden isn’t hard at all! Here’s how Meg Lloyd, creator of @meggrowsplants, went from 3 raised beds to a vast lush oasis in the backyard of her first home. Learn everything about her process, from plants to ...
08.25.2023 How Tomato Color Impacts Flavor Humans eat with their eyes and with their memories of impactful flavors. Craig likes tomatoes with intensity, but he knows that everyone’s tasting preferences are different. That’s why he’s taken lots of time to understand the intricacies of different tomatoes. ...
08.24.2023 Do THIS to Grow EPIC Tomatoes Believe it or not, Epic Tomatoes is a book written by Craig LeHoullier! Here he outlines all the basic tenets of great tomato-growing. Having a bountiful harvest of these fruits involves building in quality at every step, from seed-selection to ...
08.23.2023 Growing in Straw Bales Containers When Craig started gardening tomatoes, he learned to maximize his space by growing them in containers, and straw bales. In this episode, he reveals his secrets for successful bale and container tomatoes, and turns to the old adage “what you ...
08.22.2023 The Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project Craig’s Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project has been going strong for the last 18 years. Fervor about this project spread largely through word of mouth. He and other gardeners involved in the project have developed some of the coolest dwarf cultivars ...
08.21.2023 The Godfather of Tomato Growing Craig LeHoullier has spent over 40 years gardening tomatoes. He loves the variety of available to gardeners, and he loves to teach people about their flavors and nuances. Kevin and Craig talk about the Godfather’s current tomato projects, and reflect ...
08.18.2023 Looking forward to fall: What do you both have planned for the garden this fall Kevin plans to improve one of his favorite investments on the Epic Homestead – his greenhouse. Jacques is in the planning stages of improving his greenhouse too. Fall plans are the topic of this episode, and in those plans are ...
08.17.2023 Additional Thiccies Unlocked! Peeping toms on the Epic Homestead? No way! That peeping comes from 3 new additions to the Epic Thiccies. This episode is all about chickens, and roosters too. Jacques has even added a few to his coop, and feeds and ...
08.16.2023 Harvest to Table: Cooking in the Garden Cooking in the garden is one of Kevin and Jacques favorite parts of growing. Kevin details his adventures with the green egg. Jacques waxes poetic about his outdoor pizza oven. They reveal the best parts of transmuting their harvests into ...
08.15.2023 Letting Go of Pest “Control” Jacques and Kevin consider their encounters with powdery mildew, how it might crop up regardless of prevention measures, and why their gardens aren’t subject to pest pressure this year. They ponder the benefit that comes when control is relinquished. EG ...
08.14.2023 Summer Garden: What We Learned from Our Garden this Summer Jacques and Kevin reflect on their weird spring season, and how that affected the timing of their summer crops. They discuss varieties they’re growing, and those they’d leave behind. They answer the question about why certain rare hybridized varieties are ...
08.11.2023 Benefits of Water Harvesting Why harvest rainwater? In Martha’s garden, the harvesting process has afforded her a thriving, lush garden, and her book, City Nature. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/44SRvMq EG book collection page: https://growepic.co/3QujiOR EG homesteading book: https://growepic.co/3YmQKsH Connect With Martha Retallick: Martha Retallick ...
08.10.2023 I Have An EPIC Podcast Announcement... For over six years, the Epic Gardening podcast has delivered daily gardening tips and tricks - and now we have a new name! Introducing....The Beet: A Podcast for Plant Lovers. We're updating the name to reflect the broader scope of ...
08.10.2023 Greywater Systems There are many different kinds of greywater systems and ways to employ them in a garden. Martha uses greywater from her washing machine to water her fruit trees. She reaps other benefits, too, including financial incentives! EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/3QutqqV ...
08.09.2023 How to Use Rainwater Cisterns Rainwater cisterns are a great way to actively harvest and conserve water. Here, Kevin and Martha discuss the ins and outs of using cisterns, and the benefits that come with installing them in your yard. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/3OxtQKK EG ...
08.08.2023 Passive Water Harvesting What is passive water harvesting? Martha outlines two methods of passively harvesting water in her garden. By slowing the water, allowing it to spread out, and sink down, she harnesses what would otherwise be urban runoff, and adds tons of ...
08.07.2023 The Rationale for Water Harvesting When Martha moved to Tucson, she wanted to plant a garden full of trees. But irrigating them posed a huge problem in her desert climate. Instead of spending tons of money on a full system, Martha opted to harvest from ...
08.04.2023 Soil Microbes and Gut Health, Gut Links to Immune System and Brain We have talked quite a bit about soil microbes and gut health on the podcast this season. In this episode we talk about what benefits the no dig method specifically gives your gut. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/3OJRDbH EG book collection ...
08.03.2023 Companion Planting What Does It Mean Companion planting, multi-sowing, inter-planting, Charles and I get into all of it in this episode. Spoiler alert: we are breaking all the rules, and you can too. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/43M4QVx EG book collection page: https://growepic.co/453fvMD EG homesteading book: https://growepic.co/450OMkl ...
08.02.2023 Is Bare Soil Okay With the no dig method, you always have the ground covered, even if it’s just a thin layer of compost. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/43PkmQt EG book collection page: https://growepic.co/3rLcXnT EG homesteading book: https://growepic.co/44J258T Connect With Charles Dowding: Charles Dowding has ...
08.01.2023 Where Did No Dig Gardening Come From Charles Dowding has been using the no-dig method since the '80s. We discuss what he’s learned during his decades of do dig and what current experiments he’s running on his newly expanded gardening area. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/43QVCqW EG book ...
07.31.2023 What is No Dig Gardening This week we welcome Charles Dowding, the godfather of the no dig method! There is no one better to give us the scoop on no dig. In this method, you don’t disturb the soil as much as possible, add mulch ...
07.28.2023 The Power of Red and Black Berries Deep red and purple produce like berries, can be a powerful part of our nutrition that can help protect our cells from cancer. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3rL7gWY Book Collection Page: https://growepic.co/44ShpPY EG Homesteading Book: https://growepic.co/3Od57LA Connect With Dr. Ross ...
07.27.2023 Restoring Your Attention in the Garden Our daily lives can be stressful. With work and other stressors, our brains work very hard day in and day out. While we are in the garden, we are able to have a “soft fascination” which helps restore our ability ...
07.26.2023 How You Breathe In The Garden Impacts Your Health You are what you eat and you are what you breathe in. Humans are mostly microbial beings, it is very important that we are mindful about what beneficial organisms we surround ourselves with. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3KbWOhT Book Collection ...
07.25.2023 What Attracts Us to Flower Colors Colors are powerful! Dr. Ross Cameron discusses including plants in your garden that have a positive effect on your mood. What is fascinating about this is, there is a rule of thumbs for which colors evoke which emotions. However, your ...
07.24.2023 Birds by the Backdoor Dr. Ross Cameron and I talk about why it’s important to attract birds to your garden. Not only is it important for your garden ecosystem, it is also important for your overall health. Epic Gardening Shop Homepage: https://growepic.co/3Dh1X4a Book collection ...
07.21.2023 Are Crows Good Or Bad for the Garden If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! Crows may pull up some plants in your garden - but they may also protect your chickens and other animals from predators. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/43vuMo1 EG books: https://growepic.co/3OcDB1D EG homesteading book: https://growepic.co/3PRWbh3 ...
07.20.2023 How to Get Gifts From Crows The crows might not ACTUALLY be giving me gifts as we know it. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/43rlMR9 EG books: https://growepic.co/3XOI7qk EG homesteading book: https://growepic.co/3NPIKeM Connect With Kaeli Swift: Dr. Swift earned her PhD in avian behavioral ecology from the University ...
07.19.2023 How to Ethically Befriend Crows Dr. Kaeli Swift discusses why we have to be careful, educated, and thoughtful if we want to feed wildlife. EG shop homepage: https://growepic.co/3JYln1D EG books: https://growepic.co/46OGNYH EG homesteading book: https://growepic.co/44ppoUP Connect With Kaeli Swift: Dr. Swift earned her PhD in ...

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