If you’ve been gardening for any amount of time, you’ve likely come across companion planting charts—maybe you’ve seen advice like “plant basil with tomatoes” or “marigolds repel all pests.” But how much of this is actually true?

Companion planting can mean a lot of things, depending on what our goal is. We can either be going for pest repelling properties, keeping weeds down, soil health benefits, or just enhancing flavors or saving space.

Today on Just Grow Something, we’re sorting fact from fiction. Some companion planting practices do have solid science behind them. But many claims are more anecdotal than evidence-based—and in some cases, well-intended pairings might even backfire. I’m looking at you marigolds. Let's dig in!

References and Resources:

Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at HeirloomRoses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.com

Companion Planting: Fact or Fiction?: https://growappalachia.berea.edu/2019/04/01/companion-planting-fact-or-fiction/

Companion Planting & Botanical Pesticides: Concepts & Resources: https://attra.ncat.org/publication/companion-planting-resources/#4

Companion Planting | West Virginia University: https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/gardening/garden-management/companion-planting

Phytoremediation episode: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/focal-point-friday-are-sunflowers-good-or-bad-for-the-garden

IPM episode: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/integrated-pest-management-in-the-home-garden-ep-228

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Today, we’re diving into a topic that sneaks up on every gardener at some point—pests. Whether they’re crawling, flying, or trotting in on four legs, pests can quickly turn a thriving garden into a frustrated gardener’s nightmare.But here’s the good news: you don’t have to reach for synthetic pesticides to protect your plants.

Today on Just Grow Something we’re talking all about preparing your garden before the pests show up—using methods that keep your crops safe while still protecting pollinators and beneficial insects. We’ll cover physical barriers, companion planting, organic sprays, soil health, and even a few tips for keeping the bunnies and deer at bay.Let’s dig in!

References and Resources:

Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at Heirloom Roses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.com

The influence of host and non‐host companion plants on the behaviour of pest insects in field crops

Pest management tools:

insect netting: https://amzn.to/3XXMxN3

hardware cloth: https://amzn.to/4idDfUo

gopher baskets: https://amzn.to/3YwFiM6

insecticidal soap: https://amzn.to/3Gl50wU

neem oil: https://amzn.to/4jczBeS

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Spinosad: https://amzn.to/4cxt1Nh

DE: https://amzn.to/3RgXGEU

First Saturday Lime: https://amzn.to/4j4iWtP

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One thing I am often asked by beginning gardeners is, “what is the easiest thing for me to grow?” Some of us just dive right in to gardening headfirst, attempting to grow whatever our favorite veggies are, regardless of how easy or difficult it is. Or without even considering that one might be more difficult than others. That was me and ignorance is definitely bliss until you are unsuccessful, and then it’s just frustrating.So, today on Just Grow Something I’m going to cover some of the easiest things for a brand-new gardener to grow, whether it’s in garden beds, raised planters or pots. We’ll take about which growing zones they are appropriate for, what type of light requirements they have, and any specific requirements they prefer like temperature or how they germinate. Just because they’re easy doesn’t mean they won’t appreciate a little attention to their preferences and that will only make them easier for you to get them to maturity. This is a great episode to share with a new gardening friend! Let’s dig in!

References and Resources:

Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at Heirloom Roses.com with code JUSTGROW https://heirloomroses.com

Episode 240: Spring Planted Bulbs and Garden Perennials

Ep. 79 - Planning a Children's Garden

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I will never forget the first time I successfully started my own transplants from seed indoors and they actually looked healthy and strong. I was so excited to get those tomato plants out into my garden and lovingly transferred them from their little pots out into the garden, got them all watered in, and was so excited about the money I had just saved by doing it myself instead of going to the garden center.

Three days later those plants were flopped over flat on the ground, looking like they had seen a hard frost over night even though I knew they hadn’t. Those plants took weeks to bounce back and started producing way later than they should have. That very next year I did it again, only this time it was cabbage and the plants got completely sun bleached and they never bounced back at all. They dropped most of their leaves and just didn’t grow.

In both cases, I had failed to give the plants adequate time to acclimate to their surroundings, moving them way too quickly from the indoor seed-starting setup with its perfect lighting, perfect temperatures, and protection from the elements right out into the full sun, gusting winds and wild temperature swings typical for our gardens here in the spring.That process of acclimating our plants to the outside world is called hardening off and nobody had every told me anything about this. It seems obvious if we think about it in terms of anything else in our world. If we live somewhere warm and travel someplace cold, our bodies need to time to acclimate to our new surroundings or need adequate protection to help with the transition. If we need it, our little plants need it, too.

So, today on Just Grow Something we’re walking step-by-step through how to transition your plants into the garden, whether you started them yourself or you bought them somewhere else. Will it always end in disaster if you don’t do this, no, not always. But the number of times it has ended in disaster for me has me checking myself every time I think I don’t have the patience to wait a week before putting my plant babies in the ground. Let’s dig in.

References and Resources:

Save 20% on your new own-root rose plant at HeirloomRoses.com with code JUSTGROW

Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com

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Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/

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Save 20% on the already discounted subscription price of both the Magic Mind Mental Performance and Sleep shots at https://magicmind.com/GROWMAR and use code GROWMAR at checkout.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces about 4.9 pounds (2.2 kg) of garbage per day. That’s almost 1800 lbs. per year, or 816kg. And over 56% of this garbage is food, yard waste, paper or paperboard. That means over 1,000 lbs. of the municipal waste produced in the U.S. could be composted, per person.

Much of our annual garden cleanup involves yard waste and now would be the perfect time to start a compost pile combining that yard waste with scraps from our kitchen and paper from our offices and cardboard from all those packages we have delivered to our doors.

Today on Just Grow Something we’re going to talk about starting a compost pile or re-starting it if you’ve made an attempt before and maybe weren’t as successful as you’d hoped. Composting can be done in lots of ways in lots of spaces, so we’re going to cover the basics of what you need to know regardless of where and how you accomplish it, give you a few options for composting systems, large and small, and the do’s and don’ts of what goes into our composting systems and what we should avoid. Let’s dig in!

References and Resources:

Simple Compost Solutions for Every Garden Space - Ep. 218

Indoor and Small-Space Composting: 5 Effective Methods

University of Florida Extension: Composting Guide

Composting Dairy Products

Turning Compost by Temperature

Composting to Kill Weed Seeds

EPA: Composting at Home

Get 10% and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10: https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593

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Many traditional "old-wives' tales" and "farmer's wisdom" about planting and gardening are actually based on phenology, the study of seasonal changes in plants and animals in relation to climate and weather.

Many traditional planting rules are based on biological indicators—when certain plants leaf out or bloom, or when specific animals become active. These signals reflect cumulative temperature trends and help predict when conditions are right for planting, pruning, or harvesting.

Today on Just Grow Something we’ll do a breakdown of common gardening wisdoms across different regions, why they work, and how they can help gardeners time their planting based on natural cues. We’ll even check out some of these wisdoms from a few regions outside the U.S., namely Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K., to see how they compare. Let’s dig in!

References and Resources:

Get 10% and FREE shipping on my favorite raised plantersat Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10: https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593

Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com

Just Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shop

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Save 20% on your Magic Mind subscription! https://magicmind.com/GROWSOMETHING20 with code GROWSOMETHING20

One of my goals this year for the garden is to focus a little bit more on the aesthetics of the garden, rather than just the functionality of it. I really feel like I can get more enjoyment from the gardens if I enjoy how they look and enjoy spending time in them not for just planting and weeding and harvesting, but just for the sheer joy of it.

One of the ways I think I can do this is by adding flowers. I am pretty adept and growing annuals from seed but this year I’m adding bulbs to the list. Spring is also a really good time to be adding perennials to the edible areas of the garden, vegetables and fruits.

Today on Just Grow Something we’re talking about perennial fruit and vegetable plants best planted in spring and flowering bulbs planted in spring for summer blooms. We'll cover proper planting methods, timing, and first-year care to set you up for success. Let’s dig in!

References and Resources:

Seed to Sprout seed-starting course: https://www.justgrowsomething.com/indoor-seed-starting

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At the beginning of the year, I asked you think about why you garden. Whether it’s a hobby, our family’s main source of food, or anything in between, I maintain that understanding why you garden is really important to planning the garden and defining a budget.

But, what about the garden being more than just a source of food, exercise, or a connection to nature. What if it were something more?

That’s the question that Bailey Van Tassel has asked and answered. Bailey is the founder of the Kitchen Garden Society and author of the recently released book, Kitchen Garden Living. She has taken an approach to gardening that is not just seasonal in nature but all-encompassing in its seasonality, growing not just food but friendships, gifts, and time with family.

Today on Just Grow Something, I sit down with Bailey and chat all things kitchen garden, flavor gaps, winter bulk, and moving a garden from one climate to another. We also get into her book and her unique way of determining exactly what gets prioritized in her garden beds using playing cards and the game of Poker. Let’s dig in.

References and Resources:

Kitchen Garden Living book: https://amzn.to/3Xosxme

Bailey Van Tassel: https://www.baileyvantassel.com/

Great Grow Along - FREE Virtual Garden Festival Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/great-grow-along-free-virtual-garden-festival-tickets-1249534915569

Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com

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Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething

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Last chance for the special Magic Mind offer for themonth of February where you can save 40% off your subscription: https://magicmind.com/GROWSOMETHING40

Knowing when and how to pot up your seedlings can make all the difference in their health and success when they finally reach the garden. This is usually something we only have to worry about when starting our own seedlings ahead of the gardening season. But you may find if you buy warm-weather plants from the garden center too early, that they quickly outgrow their containers, and they’ll need to be potted up or risk being stunted when they finally do go into the garden.

Today on Just Grow Something we’ll cover why and when potting up is necessary, which plants typically don't need potting up, and the best technique for potting up transplants.

We’re also going to answer the question of the month: Whatdo you have the most difficulty with starting seeds indoors?

Let’s dig in!

References and Resources:

My new SEED TO SPROUT course is live! https://www.justgrowsomething.com/indoor-seed-starting

Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com

Just Grow Something Merch andDownloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shop

Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/508637300354140/

Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomething

Bonus content for supporters of the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething

Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

Success with starting seeds indoors comes down to a handful of factors: your materials and technique, soil temperature, air temperature, light, and air flow. How we approach each of these will determine how successful our outcome is. Just like any new skill, starting seeds indoors and successfully getting them to the transplant stage takes practice. Last week we talked about the supplies we need to get started. This week, we’re covering how to use them.

Today on Just Grow Something, we’re going to run through what I would consider to be best practices in terms of each of these factors. We’ll talk about the optimal way to approach seed starting and talk about where we can go wrong. By the end you’ll be able to decide for yourself whether you should tackle indoor seed starting as a beginner or where you can improve if you’ve been there before. Let’s dig in!

References and Resources:

Garden Planning Workbook:

Seed Starting Supplies Options (aff):

https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething/list/2C6VB08JWCYZ9?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_PQ0YZ9H0SFS3SM5RXCH5

Just Grow Something: ⁠https://justgrowsomething.com⁠

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Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group:

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