In this episode, I sit down with Chad Cargill to dive deep into one of his favorite fruits to grow—blackberries! Whether you're a beginner or have been growing blackberries for years, this conversation is packed with insights. Chad shares his passion for blackberries, the best varieties to grow, tips for pruning and trellising, and how to get the sweetest harvest possible. We also discuss the importance of timing your picks, dealing with pests, and what to expect as your blackberry plants mature.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why blackberries are a great fruit for home gardeners
• The difference between primocane and floricane fruiting varieties
• Best trellising and pruning techniques for bigger harvests
• How to pick blackberries at peak ripeness for the best flavor
• What to expect from your blackberry plants over time

Resources & Links:

• Visit Chad’s farm at Smith Ferry Farm
• Recommended blackberry variety: Ponca (developed by the University of Arkansas)
• Learn more about blackberry care from the University of Arkansas Blackberry Breeding Program

Thank You to Our Sponsors: 🌹 Heirloom Roses – Get 20% off any rose order with code BEGINNER20 at heirloomroses.com (Valid through Sept. 30, 2025) 💦 Garden in Minutes – Stress-free, pre-assembled irrigation systems for raised beds. Get 7% off at journeywithjill.net/gardeninminutes with code JILL 🌱 Organic Rev – Boost plant health with this organic root growth activator. Get 10% off at organicrev.com with code JILL10

👉 Subscribe to the podcast and join me next week as we talk all about your April garden checklist!

My Products: 2025 Complete Garden Planner (plus several new editions!) https://shop.journeywithjill.net/ 

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Book: https://amzn.to/3TZeJux

Products I recommend: Recommended Brands & Products page:  https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/ 

https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden

Connect with Jill:    Sign up for Friday Emails: https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos  

The Beginner's Garden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden/

Link to Beginner's Garden Podcast past episodes: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/ 

(*links above contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

Want to grow sweet, homegrown blueberries? In this episode, we’re diving into everything you need to know about planting, caring for, and harvesting blueberries. Whether you’re growing them for the first time or looking to boost your current harvest, I’ll cover:

🌱 How to pick the perfect variety for your region 🌍 Why planting multiple varieties improves yield 🫐 The importance of soil acidity and how to adjust pH ☀️ Where to plant for the best results

Plus, I’ll share my favorite tips from over a decade of growing blueberries!

🔗 Blueberry Planting Workbook: journeywithjill.net/blueberry-planting-workbook

🎟 Spring Workshop: Ready - Set - Plant! Join me on March 18th for step-by-step spring planting guidance! Sign up by March 14th to save $10. Register now: journeywithjill.net/springworkshop 

🛍 Sponsor Discounts: 🌹 Heirloom Roses – Get 20% off with code BEGINNER20 at HeirloomRoses.com 🌱 Garden in Minutes & Organic REV – Exclusive discounts at journeywithjill.net/gardeninminutes

📢 Listen now and start growing your best blueberry harvest yet!

Show Notes: 

Thank you to our sponsors: Organic REV | Garden in Minutes | Heirloom Roses

Organic REV

Organic REV is an organic growth stimulant that can increase nitrogen efficiency by up to 25%, replaces depleted soil carbon and bacterial biomass, and absorbs nutrients to make them more readily available to plants via their root systems.

Promo Code: Use promo code JILL10 for 10% off your order

Want to learn more about Organic REV? Enroll in my FREE course that teaches you how to use REV in seed starting, transplanting and so much more! Click here to enroll.

Garden in Minutes

Water your raised beds more efficiently and effectively with the Garden in Minutes Garden Grids. These garden grids take about 1 minute to set up, water all of your plants evenly at their base, and ship in pre-assembled sections! No messy emitters or tangle of tubing. Just connect & grow! https://journeywithjill.net/gardeninminutes 

Discount Code: Use promo code JILL for 7% off your purchase

Heirloom Roses

HeirloomRoses.com has over 900 roses to choose from and hundreds of perennials and bulbs for your complete garden dreams. Get yours today and check out their selections here.

My Products: 2025 Complete Garden Planner (plus several new editions!) https://shop.journeywithjill.net/ 

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Book: https://amzn.to/3TZeJux

Products I recommend: Recommended Brands & Products page:  https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/ 

https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden

Connect with Jill:    Sign up for Friday Emails: https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos  

The Beginner's Garden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden/

Link to Beginner's Garden Podcast past episodes: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/ 

(*links above contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

When you think of carrots, you probably picture the classic orange root vegetable—but did you know there are many different types, each with its own flavor, texture, and ideal growing conditions? In this episode, we’re diving into the fascinating world of carrot varieties, from crisp Imperators to sweet Nantes and stubby Chantenays. Whether you're growing in deep, loose soil or tackling heavy clay, there's a perfect carrot for you. Plus, I’ll share tips on choosing the best variety for fresh eating, storage, juicing, or cooking. Tune in and get ready to add some colorful, delicious carrots to your garden this season! 🌱🥕

Show Notes:

Thank you to our sponsors: Organic REV | Garden in Minutes | Heirloom Roses

Organic REV

Organic REV is an organic growth stimulant that can increase nitrogen efficiency by up to 25%, replaces depleted soil carbon and bacterial biomass, and absorbs nutrients to make them more readily available to plants via their root systems.

Promo Code: Use promo code JILL10 for 10% off your order

Want to learn more about Organic REV? Enroll in my FREE course that teaches you how to use REV in seed starting, transplanting and so much more! Click here to enroll.

Garden in Minutes

Water your raised beds more efficiently and effectively with the Garden in Minutes Garden Grids. These garden grids take about 1 minute to set up, water all of your plants evenly at their base, and ship in pre-assembled sections! No messy emitters or tangle of tubing. Just connect & grow! https://journeywithjill.net/gardeninminutes 

Discount Code: Use promo code JILL for 7% off your purchase

Heirloom Roses

HeirloomRoses.com has over 900 roses to choose from and hundreds of perennials and bulbs for your complete garden dreams. Get yours today and check out their selections here.

My Products: 2025 Complete Garden Planner (plus several new editions!) https://shop.journeywithjill.net/ 

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Book: https://amzn.to/3TZeJux

Products I recommend: Recommended Brands & Products page:  https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/ 

https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden

Connect with Jill:    Sign up for Friday Emails: https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos  

The Beginner's Garden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden/

Link to Beginner's Garden Podcast past episodes: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/ 

(*links above contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

In this episode of The Beginner’s Garden Podcast, we’re diving into the world of homegrown fruit! 🍎🍑🍋 You told us you wanted to learn more, so today marks the beginning of many future episodes on growing different kinds of fruit. To kick things off, I’m joined by Chad Cargill, an experienced fruit grower, to help us navigate the basics. 🌱

We discuss how to determine whether certain fruits—like lemons 🍋, blueberries 🫐, or peaches 🍑—can thrive in your garden, how to choose the best varieties 🌳, and what to know about tree sizes 📏, rootstocks, and pollination needs 🐝. Chad also shares organic strategies 🌿 for managing fruit tree diseases, the basics of planting and maintenance 🌱💧, and his top recommendations for getting started.

If you’ve ever wanted to grow your own fruit but weren’t sure where to begin, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you take the first step! ✅ Plus, we wrap up with a conversation about how growing and sharing food can bring people together. 🏡❤️ Don't miss it! 🎧

Show Notes:

Thank you to our sponsors: Organic REV | Garden in Minutes | Heirloom Roses

Organic REV

Organic REV is an organic growth stimulant that can increase nitrogen efficiency by up to 25%, replaces depleted soil carbon and bacterial biomass, and absorbs nutrients to make them more readily available to plants via their root systems.

Promo Code: Use promo code JILL10 for 10% off your order

Want to learn more about Organic REV? Enroll in my FREE course that teaches you how to use REV in seed starting, transplanting and so much more! Click here to enroll.

Garden in Minutes

Water your raised beds more efficiently and effectively with the Garden in Minutes Garden Grids. These garden grids take about 1 minute to set up, water all of your plants evenly at their base, and ship in pre-assembled sections! No messy emitters or tangle of tubing. Just connect & grow! https://journeywithjill.net/gardeninminutes 

Discount Code: Use promo code JILL for 7% off your purchase

Heirloom Roses

HeirloomRoses.com has over 900 roses to choose from and hundreds of perennials and bulbs for your complete garden dreams. Get yours today and check out their selections here.

My Products: 2025 Complete Garden Planner (plus several new editions!) https://shop.journeywithjill.net/ 

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Book: https://amzn.to/3TZeJux

Products I recommend: Recommended Brands & Products page:  https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/ 

https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden

Connect with Jill:    Sign up for Friday Emails: https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos  

The Beginner's Garden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden/

Link to Beginner's Garden Podcast past episodes: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/ 

(*links above contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

March is one of the busiest planting months! In this episode, I’ll share exactly what I’m planting in the weeks leading up to my last frost date. Whether your climate matches mine or not, you can adjust the timing based on your own frost date.

What You’ll Learn:

• Key crops to plant in early, mid, and late March

• How to adjust for your last frost date

• Tips for direct sowing, transplanting, and greenhouse starts

Resources: 🌱 Want a step-by-step garden plan? My course Dream to Garden is open for enrollment until March 3rd! Join here.

Happy planting! 🌿

Show Notes:

My Products: 2025 Complete Garden Planner (plus several new editions!) https://shop.journeywithjill.net/ 

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Book: https://amzn.to/3TZeJux

Products I recommend: Recommended Brands & Products page:  https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/ 

https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden

Connect with Jill:    Sign up for Friday Emails: https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos  

The Beginner's Garden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden/

Link to Beginner's Garden Podcast past episodes: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/ 

(*links above contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

Feeling overwhelmed by all the tomato varieties out there? Whether you're flipping through a seed catalog, browsing online, or staring at the racks at your local garden center, choosing the right tomato can be daunting. But the right tomato for you depends on your garden, your kitchen, and your taste! In this episode, I break down the different types of tomatoes—by size, growth habit, breeding, and even color—so you can make the best choice for your garden this year.

Thank you to our sponsors: Organic REV | Garden in Minutes

What You’ll Learn: 🍅 Tomato Types Explained – Cherry, grape, paste, and slicing tomatoes: What’s the difference? 🌱 Growth Habits 101 – Determinate vs. indeterminate vs. semi-determinate: Which one fits your garden? 🌿 Heirloom vs. Hybrid – Which is better for flavor, disease resistance, and saving seeds? 🎨 Color & Flavor – How tomato color influences taste and acidity. ☀️ Best Tomatoes for Your Climate – Top picks for small spaces, hot summers, and short growing seasons.

🌱 Limited-Time Offer: Dream to Garden is Buy One, Get One Free through 2/28!

📌 Links & Resources:

• Get your BOGO Dream to Garden course
• Tomato Planting YouTube Videos
• Follow me on Instagram for daily garden tips

🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you found this episode helpful! Happy planting! 🌿

Show Notes: 

Organic REV

Organic REV is an organic growth stimulant that can increase nitrogen efficiency by up to 25%, replaces depleted soil carbon and bacterial biomass, and absorbs nutrients to make them more readily available to plants via their root systems.

Promo Code: Use promo code JILL10 for 10% off your order

Want to learn more about Organic REV? Enroll in my FREE course that teaches you how to use REV in seed starting, transplanting and so much more! Click here to enroll.

Garden in Minutes

Water your raised beds more efficiently and effectively with the Garden in Minutes Garden Grids. These garden grids take about 1 minute to set up, water all of your plants evenly at their base, and ship in pre-assembled sections! No messy emitters or tangle of tubing. Just connect & grow! https://journeywithjill.net/gardeninminutes 

Discount Code: Use promo code JILL for 7% off your purchase

My Products: 2025 Complete Garden Planner (plus several new editions!) https://shop.journeywithjill.net/ 

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Book: https://amzn.to/3TZeJux

Products I recommend: Recommended Brands & Products page:  https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/ 

https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden

Connect with Jill:    Sign up for Friday Emails: https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos  

The Beginner's Garden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden/

Link to Beginner's Garden Podcast past episodes: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/ 

(*links above contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

Remember all that extra time you had for gardening in 2020? Fast forward five years, and life feels busier than ever. But you’re still gardening—which means you’re finding ways to make it work. The biggest challenge? Time.

In this special episode of The Beginner’s Garden Podcast, we’re exploring how AI, specifically ChatGPT, can help streamline your garden planning so you can spend more time growing and less time on tedious research. I’ll share practical ways I’ve used AI to speed up my own planning and simple prompts you can start using today.

✅ How ChatGPT acts as a supercharged search engine for gardening research ✅ Simple AI prompts to find frost dates, best seed prices, and ideal plant varieties ✅ How AI can assist with succession planting, companion planting, and garden layout design ✅ Why AI isn’t perfect—and how to critically evaluate its recommendations

Exciting News! Dream to Garden, my step-by-step garden planning course, is open for enrollment! And new for 2025, we’ve added an AI-powered Dream to Garden Companion, making garden planning easier than ever. Learn more at https://journeywithjill.net/dreamtogarden 

AI is just another tool—one that, when used wisely, can help you grow more with less stress. Let’s dive in! 🎧

Show Notes:

My Products: 2025 Complete Garden Planner (plus several new editions!) https://shop.journeywithjill.net/ 

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Book: https://amzn.to/3TZeJux

Products I recommend: Recommended Brands & Products page:  https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/ 

https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden

Connect with Jill:    Sign up for Friday Emails: https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos  

The Beginner's Garden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden/

Link to Beginner's Garden Podcast past episodes: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/ 

(*links above contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

When you hear "companion planting," do you feel excited, skeptical, or just plain confused? In this episode, we're cutting through the myths and giving you a practical, science-backed approach to pairing plants in your garden.

What You'll Learn: 🌿 Myth 1: Do certain plants really boost each other’s growth? 🐞 Myth 2: Can companion planting truly prevent all pests? 🌱 Myth 3: Will plants always thrive together if paired correctly? ☀️ Myth 4: Does plant height matter in companion planting? 🌸 Myth 5: Is companion planting only for pest control?

Along the way, I’ll share my personal experiences—both successes and surprises—and help you see that companion planting doesn’t have to be complicated. Plus, I’ll tell you how to go deeper with my free live workshop and my garden planning course, Dream to Garden!

Links Mentioned: 👉 Join my FREE Live Workshop: https://journeywithjill.net/masterclass  👉 Enroll in Dream to Garden + Companion Planting 101 Bonus: https://journeywithjill.net/dreamtogarden 

Don’t miss this one—your garden will thank you! 🌿✨

Show Notes:

Thank you to our sponsors: Organic REV 

Organic REV

Organic REV is an organic growth stimulant that can increase nitrogen efficiency by up to 25%, replaces depleted soil carbon and bacterial biomass, and absorbs nutrients to make them more readily available to plants via their root systems.

Promo Code: Use promo code JILL10 for 10% off your order

Want to learn more about Organic REV? Enroll in my FREE course that teaches you how to use REV in seed starting, transplanting and so much more! Click here to enroll.

My Products: 2025 Complete Garden Planner (plus several new editions!) https://shop.journeywithjill.net/ 

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Book: https://amzn.to/3TZeJux

Products I recommend: Recommended Brands & Products page:  https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/ 

https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden

Connect with Jill:    Sign up for Friday Emails: https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos  

The Beginner's Garden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden/

Link to Beginner's Garden Podcast past episodes: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/ 

(*links above contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

Welcome to our first Friday bonus episode of the season! As you gear up for gardening this year, we're diving into a topic that has been the biggest game-changer for my garden’s productivity: understanding the differences between cool-season and warm-season crops.

We’ll explore: 🌱 Why some crops thrive in cool weather while others prefer heat 🌡️ The science behind plant temperature preferences and how enzymes react to different conditions 🌾 How temperature affects seed germination, growth, and fruit production ❄️ Heat- and cold-adaptive strategies plants use to survive extreme temperatures

Plus, I’ll share real-life examples from my own garden that have helped me make better planting decisions—and how you can apply them to maximize your harvest.

Show Notes:

🔥 FREE Live Workshop: The Productive Gardener’s Blueprint 🔥 Want to take your garden planning to the next level? Join my free live workshop next week, where you'll learn: ✅ The most common planting mistakes and how to avoid them ✅ Two surprising climate factors that can transform your success ✅ Easy succession planting techniques to extend your harvest ✅ My newest time-saving strategy for stress-free garden planning

Register now at journeywithjill.net/masterclass for a chance to win prizes from GreenStalk Gardens, Epic Gardening, and more!

Let’s grow together! 🌿

My Products: 2025 Complete Garden Planner (plus several new editions!) https://shop.journeywithjill.net/ 

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Book: https://amzn.to/3TZeJux

Products I recommend: Recommended Brands & Products page:  https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/ 

https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden

Connect with Jill:    Sign up for Friday Emails: https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos  

The Beginner's Garden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden/

Link to Beginner's Garden Podcast past episodes: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/ 

(*links above contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

Gardening success often comes down to avoiding a few common mistakes. In today's episode, Jill dives into 5 overlooked mistakes to think about. If you think about them now, it will help you down the road in the season. 

Don't forget to sign up for the Masterclass here: https://journeywithjill.net/masterclass 

Show Notes:

Thank you to our sponsors: Organic REV 

Organic REV

Organic REV is an organic growth stimulant that can increase nitrogen efficiency by up to 25%, replaces depleted soil carbon and bacterial biomass, and absorbs nutrients to make them more readily available to plants via their root systems.

Promo Code: Use promo code JILL10 for 10% off your order

Want to learn more about Organic REV? Enroll in my FREE course that teaches you how to use REV in seed starting, transplanting and so much more! Click here to enroll.

My Products: 2025 Complete Garden Planner (plus several new editions!) https://shop.journeywithjill.net/ 

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Book: https://amzn.to/3TZeJux

Products I recommend: Recommended Brands & Products page:  https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/ 

https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden

Connect with Jill:    Sign up for Friday Emails: https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos  

The Beginner's Garden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden/

Link to Beginner's Garden Podcast past episodes: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/ 

(*links above contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)