Vegetable Gardening

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with garden expert and author Ben Cullen on how food fraud may be costing society millions in bad food or food that is not one hundred percent of what you are buying. Food fraud is when the food in the package does not match what is stated on the label.  One such popular example is when agriculture companies add in crushed olive leaves with dried herbs. Ben is going to tell us what food fraud is, some of the common examples that you should look out for in the store and how you can combat being a victim of food fraud. From there, Ben teaches us his herb drying techniques, gives us some popular gardening trends such as fusion gardening, water wise gardening as well as some of his tips he uses in his own garden. This and so much more in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ✅ Four generations of Cullen of gardening✅ Food fraud✅ Drying herbs✅ How to make paprika✅ Fusion Gardening✅ Water wise gardening✅ Skree gardening✅ Using native plants in gardening   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ✅ Toronto Star✅ Ben & Mark Cullen✅ Facebook✅ Twitter✅ Instagram (@markcullen)✅ Ben's Email (bcullen@markschoice.com)   About this episode's guest, Ben Cullen Ben’s interest in growing really began while working maintenance at the local golf course through high school, before heading off to the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus where he completed a Diploma in Agriculture. After working in agricultural research, Ben headed east where a Bachelor’s of Commerce from Dalhousie University in Halifax eventually led him into the food industry. Three years into the food business, Ben took a break to pursue a dream of traveling overland from London, UK to Shanghai, China. Now that Ben is back home, he looks forward to channeling his passion for food, travel and growing back into Mark’s original mission – connecting and inspiring people with things that grow.   Please share The Vegetable Gardening Show! Let`s get everyone gardening!   About the Host Mike Podlesny is the host of The Vegetable Gardening Show where he interviews gardening industry experts, and he is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person. Don`t forget to link up with Mike on In

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with Bradley Herrick, research ecologist at UW Madison about the destructive habits of the Asian earthworm. The Asian earthworm has been in the USA for a little over 70 years and not many people up to this point have been paying much attention to them.  That is however, until reserachers found that the Asian earthworm can be harmful to the home vegetable garden. Brad is going to tell us all about the Asian earthworm, why they are different than other earthworms as well as why they are harmful to the garden as opposed to being helpful. From there he is going to tell us about what the latest research is telling us in regards to earthworm prevention, the makeup of the soil caused by the Asian earthworm and some steps you can take to reduce their damage to your home vegetable garden. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ✅ Asian earthworm✅ What makes the Asian earthworm different from other earthworms✅ How did the Asian earthworm make its way to the USA✅ Why the Asian earthworm is bad for you as a home vegetable gardener✅ Asian earthworm behavior patterns✅ Prevention methods   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ✅ UW Madison✅ Earthworm Vermicompost: A Sustainable Alternative to Chemical Fertilizers for Organic Farming   About this episode's guest, Brad Herrick Brad is the Research Ecologist with the UW-Madison Arboretum where he oversees the research program and assists in developing long-term restoration and management plans for the wide variety of Arboretum ecosystems. He is a plant ecologist with interests in wetlands, prairies, and oak savannas. Most recently, he has been working with colleagues in Madison to investigate the ecological impacts of the Asian earthworms through laboratory study, field experiments, and habitat monitoring.   Please share The Vegetable Gardening Show! Let`s get everyone gardening!   About the Host Mike Podlesny is the host of The Vegetable Gardening Show where he interviews gardening industry experts, and he is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person. Don`t forget to link up with Mike on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with Dr. Lee Reich on various ways you can use natural science to improve the quality of your home garden soil. Dr. Reich is going to tell us what natural science means to the home vegetable gardener, how you may be using natural science techniques already and not even know it, and how that can tie into you making better soil for your home garden. From there, he'll tell us about some common mistakes he sees gardeners make all the time with their soil, why getting your soil tested is very important and why you should know the pH level of your soil and how to fix it. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ✅ How does natural sciences and home gardening go together✅ Using science to have a better home garden✅ How you are already using science for your soil and you don't even realize it✅ The common seed starting mistake most home gardeners make✅ Why compost is one of the biggest allies of a home gardener and a home gardener's soil✅ The proper use of mulch to keep weeds down and help with watering issues✅ Getting your soil tested✅ The 2 products you need to add to your soil to make it either more alkaline or more acidic   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ✅ Dr Lee Reich✅ The Ever Curious Gardener: Using a Little Natural Science for a Much Better Garden ✅ Weedless Gardening✅ Limestone✅ Sulfur   About this episode's guest, Dr. Lee Reich Lee Reich, PhD is an avid farmdener (more than a gardener, less than a farmer) with graduate degrees in soil science and horticulture. After working in plant and soil research with the USDA and Cornell University, he shifted gears and turned to writing, lecturing, and consulting. His books include  A Northeast Gardener’s Year, The Pruning Book, Weedless Gardening, Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden, Landscaping With Fruit, and Grow Fruit Naturally. He writes regularly for a number of gardening magazines and his syndicated gardening column for Associated Press appears biweekly from coast to coast. His farmden has been featured in such publications as the New York Times and Martha Stewart Living, has won awards from National Gardening and Organic Gardening magazines, and has been included in “Open Days” tours of the Garden Conservancy.   Please share The Vegetable Gardening Show! Let`s get everyone gardening!   About the Host Mike Podlesny is the host of The Vegetable Gardening Sh

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show Mike chats with Joel Karsten the creator and inventor of Straw Bale Gardening and how, with Straw Bales, you can easily grow lots of great tasting veggies at home, regardless of space. Joel is going to give us a refresher course on what straw bale gardening is, how to set up your straw bales so they will grow vegetables in them and some basic care information you will need to be successful. From there, Joel is going to share some inspirational stories about how people are using straw bale gardening all over the globe in some of the worse conditions, yet, they are successful. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ✅  How to grow a garden in straw bales✅  Conditioning the straw bale✅  The advantages of straw bale gardening✅  The one crop to not grow in straw bales✅  How gardeners are using the straw bale method in unique ways✅  The various vegetables many are growing in straw bales✅  When to start conditioning your straw bales   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ✅ Straw Bale Gardening✅ Straw Bale Gardens Complete✅ Straw Bale Solutions✅ Bale Garden Buddies✅ The Bale Buster   About this episode's guest, Joel Karsten Joel Karsten is a graduate from the University of Minnesota and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture Science.  He worked in the “Green” industry after graduation, running his own landscape design and Installation company in the Minneapolis/St.Paul metro area.  He is still an avid vegetable gardener, trying new varieties of anything he can fit into his 24 bale garden on his small residential lot in Roseville, Minnesota.  He is also a fan of tulips, dahlias, roses, hostas and lilies, and is always on the lookout for new introductions. Teaching Community Education became an interest of Joel’s when people began to inquire about how he grew vegetables in bales of straw.  These classes began his adventures in traveling the world teaching the Straw Bale Gardening Method that he pioneered so many years ago.  Joel has a busy speaking schedule throughout the year, and his books have become the best-selling books in the gardening category world-wide since their publication.  As Joel attests, “the books are simply tools essential to learning the techniques and protocols that took me over 20 years to perfect.”  Readers agree, the books are filled with information that a new Straw Bale Gardener really can’t do without. Autographed copies of any of his books can be purchased HERE on this website. Karsten is available as a Keynote speaker for events around the country. He often speaks at Home and Garden Shows, Healthy Living, Corporate Wellness, Gardening Expos, or other events where “Gardeners” are prominently in attendance.  Karsten also provides private LIVE Webinar Style appearances for smaller events for garden clubs or educational classes, without a travel budget for speakers. Contact Joel directly with any inquiry you might have, and if he can’t help you, he can probably refer you to one of his many Certified Straw Bale Gardening Instructors around the world. Joel is married to Patty, and they live in Roseville

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with fruit tree expert Susan Poizner about how to properly care for your fruit trees so you can grow the most fruit possible. Susan, who is part of the team responsible for creating the fruit tree orchard in Toronto Canada, will come on explain some of the fruit tree mistakes she has made along the way so you don't make them also. She also tell us why choosing the correct fruit trees is an important first step along the way to growing plentiful fruit, how and when to water your fruit trees and where fertilizing your fruit trees comes in to play. From there, Susan, will share some creative pruning techniques you can use so you can grow fruit trees at home regardless of the amount of space you have, fruit tree pollination, and whether or not you should stake your fruit trees. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show Overcoming the mistakes with your fruit treesChoosing the right fruit trees for your areaFruit tree pollinationEspalier fruit treesPruning your fruit treesWinter, fall or summer pruningStaking and protecting your young fruit treesWatering your fruit treesFertilizing your fruit trees   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show Learn to Grow Fruit TreesGrowing Urban OrchardsOnline Fruit Tree Care WorkshopsWhen to Prune Fruit Trees?   About this episode's guest, Susan Poizner My name is Susan Poizner and I am a journalist, filmmaker and gardener and one of the founders of the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard in Toronto. We planted our park’s first trees in 2009 but it didn’t take long until we faced common pest and disease problems including trellis rust on our pear trees, black knot on our plum trees, and canker on our apple and apricot trees. I learned early on that there is a lot more to organic fruit tree care than I had expected. So, I did what journalists do – I started researching! I read countless books, interviewed experts and found mentors to help teach me including organic orchardists, agrologists, pomologists and scientists. Over the years I developed a simple and easy-to-implement way to grow organic fruit trees successfully that would help us care for and protect the trees in our park. My passion also lead me to travel across North America to visit and learn from community orchards from coast to coast. I was inspired by all of these projects. And those who I met and interviewed were generous about sharing the problems they have faced and the lessons they have learned. I documented these stories in my award-winning fruit tree care book Growing Urban Orchards: The Ups, Downs and How-Tos of Fruit Tree Care in the City. (Winner of Garden Writers Association Silver Award of Achievement 2014 Book: General Interest). I use this book as a textbook for those who take my hands-on and in-person classes, workshops, presentations and webinars. I have been involved in training urbanites in how to care for fruit

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with award winning author Teri Chace about how you can take steps to permanently destroy weeds and invasive plants wreaking havoc in your garden. Teri is going to give us the background on invasive plants and weeds, where they come from, why you still get them even if you use a weed barrier and why they thrive in areas where your vegetables struggle. From there, she'll give us some common varieties that you will come across and why just simply spraying or pulling won't solve your weed problem.  That you need to study thoroughly, everything about the weed species you are dealing with. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ What are invasive plants ◾ Why do weeds flourish when other plants struggle◾ Where do the weeds come from◾ What are some common invasive plants that are tough to get rid of◾ Open space is bad for your good plants and great for weeds◾ Fight weeds with mulching techniques◾ Study the weeds you are dealing with   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ Teri Dunn Chace◾ How to Eradicate Invasive Plants◾ Mini Dragon Propane Torch   About this episode's guest, Teri Dunn Chace Teri Dunn Chace is a writer and editor with over 35 titles in publication. Timber Press, Cool Springs Press, and Collector’s Press have published her books. She’s also written, edited, and blogged extensively for four major consumer gardening/outdoor-living publications (Horticulture, North American Gardener, Backyard Living, Birds and Blooms). She is the award-winning “Bottom Line Personal” newsletter’s gardening expert and contributes regularly. She brings complex scientific and environmental topics to general audiences in her engaging and accurately researched articles for various regional magazines, including Massachusetts Audubon Society publications and the Appalachian Mountain Club’s member magazine. For clients ranging from Reader’s Digest to Storey Publishing to Timber Press to Harris Publications, she has project-managed other authors’ books as well as consumer SIPs (Special-Interest Publications). She’s also an accomplished travel and food writer. She’s also an experienced copywriter, working on-staff and as a consultant to numerous direct-marketing companies (B-to-B as well as B-to-C), from pet supplies to roses to outdoor-living products/furnishings to scented candles. Her copy for Jackson & Perkins gained the industry’s highest award, The Catalog Age Gold Award. She has written, edited, and blogged for the nation’s leading roadside-travel ‘zine and website, Roadside (and RoadsideOnline.com) on topics ranging from “Why Greeks and Diners?” to urban-planning issues to comfort-food recipes to iconic on-the-road books. The most intriguing job she’s ever held? Monitoring rare turtles for The Nature Conservancy. Or…raising teenage boys. Raised in California and educated at Bard College in New York, she resides in a small upstate New York village with glorious summers and snowy winters. She and her husband

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats Krystal Trammell about how living a homesteading life leads you to be more free and experience life like you never have before. Just seven years ago, shortly after Krystal's mom had passed away, her family decided to take in her father and start living a smarter, more self sufficient lifestyle through homesteading. By Doing homesteading Krystal and her family were able to grow a lot of the food their family needed, experience the outdoors and nature like they never have before, and have that sense of freedom that a nine to five day to day schedule simply won't give you. Krystal is going to share with us what she did to get started, share some of the mistakes she calls life lessons, she learned along the way and some of the challenges she face by living as a homesteader. From there, she'll share with us how food forests play a big role in homesteading, where permaculture techniques come in to play, and before you start to grow anything on your homestead, make sure you get your soil in the best condition possible. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ What is homesteading◾ The amount of land you need to be a homesteader◾ The biggest challenges of gardening as a homesteader◾ How bees & chickens play a role in homesteading◾ Installing a food forest on your homestead◾ Swales and why they are important to a homestead◾ Guilds◾ Homesteading reconnects you with the outdoors◾ Amend your soil, it's the most important step   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ The Homestead Guru◾ Homestead eBook   About this episode's guest, Krytal Trammell of The Homestread Guru Krystal Trammell is a mother of five, aspiring herbalist, and writer for TheHomestead.Guru. Krystal's trained as a Master Naturalist, and her husband is certified in Permaculture Design. Together, they have over 100 perennial plants and fruit trees on about an acre in the Texas hill country. They've got an annual garden with raised beds, drip irrigation, and companion planting; and they've also got chickens, bees, and a food forest in the making. Krystal's family has been gardening for over 5 years, and they still have a lot to learn! You can find her online at KrystalTrammell.com, and on TheHomestead.Guru blog!   Please visit the sponsors to the Vegetable Gardening Show      

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with Rob Buff the inventor of the Aquajet Irrigation system about how using a subsurface irrigation system can help you save time, money and water in gardening. Rob uis going to give us the backstory on the Aquajet, where the idea came from, how it was built and of course how it works. From there, he'll share with us exactly how the Aquajet irrigation system will save you money on your water bill, time by handling the gardening watering duties for you and water itself with its patent pending capillary watering and aeration action. Rob will also tell us why aeration in the subsurface of your garden is great for your plants, how you can deliver organic nutrients directly to the roots as well as explain the setup, costs and maintenance of the Aquajet system. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ What is the Aquajet water irrigation system and how does it work◾ Why is a subsurface irrigation system better than a drip line or soaker hose◾ How do you save money on watering with Aquajet◾ Conserving water with a subsurface system◾ Why aeration helps your plants grow better   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ Intelligent Irrigation◾ Phone Number: 562-340-3951   About this episode's guest, Rob Buff The AquaJet is a delivery system that can deliver air, water and nutrients through the system and into the root zone. With a 150 mesh filter to keep debris out, along with an anti siphon valve to allow the air in after each watering cycle. You now have the ability to feed nutrients into the root zone through the AquaJet . With the AquaJet you will grow stronger turf and more nutritous vegetables. Being in the subsurface and with it's aeration capability the AquaJet saves water and improves your growth. With these cool additions you can now take your expierience with the AquaJet to new heights.you can find these products on the ordering tab.: ◾     Azomite with over 70 trace minerals◾     BioBlast liquid nutrient & B vitamins◾     Biochar in pelletized form◾     Bountea Compost Tea Kit with Aerator◾     Garden Grow or Green Knight dechlorinator filter◾     Strong nutrient injectors◾     150 mesh inline Filter We hope you take advantage of the AquaJet's delivery capabilities by using these or other liquid nutrients.   Please visit the sponsors to the Vegetable Gardening Show      

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with Paige Embry on ways you can attract native bees to your garden area to help you grow a great garden. Paige is going to tell us some fascinating stories about the honey bee and the tomatoes in your garden, as well as information on other bee species that are just as good for pollination. She'll tell us the steps you can take to attract a wide variety of native bees to your area, some simple end of season techniques to make your garden more appealing to native bees, and what to do about water for your bees. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ Surprising Pollination Facts about the Honey Bee◾ Tomatoes and the Honey Bee◾ Native Bees to North America◾ Things people are doing that are bad for bees◾ Steps to take to help keep bees safe in and around your home◾ ceratina calcarata bee◾ Garden in such a way to attract native bees in◾ New garden cleanup techniques that will help your bees   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ Paige Embry◾ Our Native Bees: North America’s Endangered Pollinators and the Fight to Save Them   About this episode's guest, Paige Embry My multi-year immersion into the lives of America’s native bees began with a gardening epiphany—European-import honey bees can’t pollinate tomatoes, but a variety of native bees can. This realization led to an obsession with native bees that cascaded into taking classes, wading through the scientific literature, raising bees, participating in bee science, modifying my garden, and trekking into fields and onto farms with bee experts to learn who America’s bees really are, and how they are faring. It also led to a book. I’ve spent my adult life involved in science and nature. I tend to latch onto something and love it hard for a long time. I fell in love with geology in the very first geology class I took at Duke. Afterwards, I headed out to Montana to graduate school, a place where one can see the rocks so much better than in the deep south where they are so often covered in dirt and plants. When I moved to Seattle I discovered gardening and fell in love with plants. After having a couple of kids, I started a garden design and coaching business. I’ve taught classes on geology, soils, gardening, and pruning. I started writing to promote the business, sending out monthly newsletters, and discovered the pleasure of writing and the power of story-telling. I’ve been surprised to find that my Georgia roots, which I thought were long-decayed, sneak into my writing. Despite living in Seattle for 25 years, when I write I hear the dropped g’s, slippery vowels, and soft, slurring rhythms that filled my childhood. This mid-life foray into writing has been an unexpected gift on many levels.   Please visit the sponsors to the Vegetable Gardening Show    

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with gardening expert Joseph Tychonievich about how you can cross pollinate different varieties of vegetables to create your own great tasting veggies at home. Author of the book, "Plant Breeding for the Home Vegetable Gardener", Joseph comes on today to share with us the steps you will follow to create some amazing new varieties of vegetables, and it is a lot easier than you think. He'll share the basics of plant breeding and cross pollination, how it works, and what makes up a successful new vegetable variety. From there, Joseph will tell us what the significance is of the "F" numbers for seeds in hybrids, go over the equipment you will need, and share some common mistakes that many new plant breeders experience. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ The basic levels of breeding plants at home◾ What is the definition of a successful cross pollination◾ Plant breeding is easier than you think◾ Saving seeds from F1 hybrids to make plant breeding more interesting◾ "Dehybridizing"◾ The process of plant breeding◾ Defining the generations of the seeds◾ The equipment of plant breeding◾ Which fruits and vegetables you can cross   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ Green Sparrow Gardens◾ Joseph on Facebook◾ Joseph on Instagram◾ Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener: How to Create Unique Vegetables and Flowers◾ Rock Gardening: Reimagining a Classic Style   About this episode's guest, Joseph Tychonievich Joseph Tychonievich studied horticulture, plant breeding, and genetics at the Ohio State University and was the nursery manager at Arrowhead Alpines, a premier rock garden nursery in Fowlerville, Michigan. He spent a summer working at Shibamichi Honten Nursery in Japan and has been a repeat guest on public radio's food show The Splendid Table. Starting from the age of five when he asked his parents for seeds for his birthday, Joseph has had a deep and abiding obsession with just about everything photosynthetic, from the vegetable garden to the rock garden. Organic Gardening Magazine called him one of “six young horticulturalists who are helping to shape how America gardens.”   Please visit the sponsors to the Vegetable Gardening Show      

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with Sam Lillie the creator of VeggieVinder.com about how you can make money selling the fruits and vegetables that you grow at home. Sam's story begins in his town just outside of Seattle where he was looking for a way to help reduce the waste from people's backyards by paying for their abundance and then reselling those fresh vegetables to eager buyers. That concept led Sam to create VeggieVinder.com, an online marketplace that connects home vegetable gardeners with buyers that are looking to eat healthier and buy local. Sam will tell us how it all started, the work he put in to get to where he is today and how VeggieVinder.com works.   He'll tell you how you can sign up for free, the costs associated with selling your produce through VeggieVinder.com and Sam will share stories about buyers and sellers getting together to create some memorable experiences in the garden. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ The demand for locally grown vegetables◾ Making money with your garden◾ The story behind Veggie Vinder◾ Signing up on Veggie Vinder for free◾ #DoWhatsRipe   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ Veggie Vinder◾ Contact Sam   About this episode's guest, Sam Lillie Vinder is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and buy local produce. We want to connect home growers who have an abundant garden with community members looking for local produce. We're here to create a transparent agricultural system that informs consumers about who's growing their food, how it's being grown, and where. Vinder makes it easy to buy ultra local food, boost your community's economy, and promote sustainable agriculture. Founded in Port Townsend, WA, a rural Victorian art and seaport community on the Olympic Peninsula, on July 11th, 2016, Vinder was originally launched on foot and bicycle by the founder and CEO, Sam Lillie. Sam would go door to door asking homeowners if they had a home garden, if they ever had too much produce, and if they ever thought about selling some. Many said yes, they did produce an abundance of produce and no, they never thought about selling any. Within 3 months, Vinder connected 30 home growers with 15 families and distributed over 300 lbs of homegrown produce. Sam Lillie lives in Port Townsend, WA and is a graduate of San Jose State University ('15). After graduating with a B.S. in business, Sam hiked from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. After the 5 month journey was complete, Sam applied to, and was rejected from, 106 companies across 4 states. That's when he decided to launch Vinder and he's never looked back. Sam says the thing he enjoys most about Vinder is the connection with growers in the community- being able to talk to the community members growing the food, seeing the home gardens, learning how they grow their crops, and getting his hands in the soil.   Please visit the sponsors to

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with bee expert and chief scientific officer the The Bees Company about how raising bees at home can increase your vegetable garden production. His expertise on bees and bee keeping has lead Noah to be featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and National Geographic on why bees are so important. Noah is going to come on today and share his findings on the big three causes for the decline of bees, steps we can take to ensure we are not contributing to bee decline and a number of ways to help increase the number of bees. From there, Noah is going to tell us about a new genomic process that has lead apiologists to learn more about bees through the genome of the honey they produce and how, with this data, they have a better understanding of what should be planted to make your local bees happy. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ Causes to the decline of bees◾ What home gardeners can do to help increase the number of bees◾ The number of bees you need to increase pollination◾ How genome testing on honey helps us understand the needs of bees◾ The number of species of bees and which ones you should focus in on◾ Why starting your own bee hives will be beneficial to your gardening efforts   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ The Best Bees Company◾ Email: info@bestbees.com◾ Phone: 617-445-2322◾ Best Bees on Facebook◾ Best Bees on Instagram◾ Best Bees on Twitter◾ Best Bees on Pinterest◾ Best Bees on LinkedIn◾ Honey Hunters   About this episode's guest, Noah Wilson-Rich of The Best Bee Company The Best Bees Company is a full-service beekeeping operation with headquarters in Boston. We deliver, install, and manage beehives for residences and businesses in select markets nationwide. Our team of beekeepers brings a scientific know-how and environmental enthusiasm to the work of connecting our clients with the benefits of beekeeping. Our proprietary software allows us to track data on every hive visit making our approach to beekeeping the new gold standard. Founded in 2010 by Noah Wilson Rich, Ph.D., The Best Bees Company began in earnest as a means to raise funding for scientific research to improve honey bee health. We are proud to have extended our beekeeping services to hundreds of clients throughout southern New England, New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Portland and San Francisco. The Best Bees Company’s mission is to expand the honey bee population whilst improving the overall health and safety of bees nationwide. Here at The Best Bees Company we envision a healthier and safer world for the bee community. Each bee hive is a data point that contributes to our affiliated 501(c)3 nonprofit to analyze and improve bee health. Through our research and work, we aim to make our vision a reality.

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with Mike Nocks from the White Harvest Seed Company about how you can successfully grow a great vegetable garden from heirloom seeds. With the wide variety of heirloom seeds available now to the public, heirloom seeds are becoming more popular to grow in a lot of home vegetable gardens. For 14 years, Mike Nocks and his family have been specializing in growing great gardens from heirloom seeds and in 2010 he launched the White Harvest Seed Company to sell and distribute heirloom variety seeds. Mike will share with us the basics of what makes an heirloom seed an heirloom, the differences between heirlooms, hybrids and gmos, and where the term organic comes into play. From there, Mike will tell us the 6 most important things you need to know to increase the success of growing heirloom variety vegetables from seeds. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetables Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ How the White Harvest Seed Company Started◾ What makes an heirloom seed an heirloom◾ What happens when you try to grow something from a seed saved from a hybrid plant◾ Differentiating organic and heirloom as individual terms◾ Identifying the pros and cons of growing heirlooms and hybrids◾ The 6 things you need to know to increase your success of growing heirloom varieties from seeds◾ How to prevent "leggy" heirloom plants◾ Calculating the correct date to start your heirloom seeds indoors   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ White Harvest Seed Company◾ Hillbilly Tomato◾ grow@whiteharvestseed.com◾ Phone: 866-424-3185◾ Catalog   About this episode's guest, Mike Nocks and The White Harvest Seed Company The southern Missouri Ozarks is home to us. The Lord lead our family to these rolling hills and since then our hearts have never left. In 2010, we started our heirloom seed business – White Harvest. (Read here to see how we got our name.) It's been a wonderful work-in-progress ever since. And we consider ourselves blessed to be able to work from home providing fellow gardeners with the heirloom seeds we love. "Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." Aristotle In the past 15+ years, our family has really sharpened our focus upon growing as much of our own food as possible. The taste and quality of store-bought produce left so much to be desired that we stepped out and began sowing seeds in our rocky soil with hope. We watched in delight as those beloved plants produced delicious fruits and there – in our homegrown haven – we found the happier version of ourselves. “For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands: Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.” Psalm 128:2 We're here today to share our passion for gardening and encourage others to keep sowing and growi

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with award winning garden author and expert Niki Jabbour about her new book, "Veggie Garden Remix." Niki will teach us about a wide variety of vegetables and fruits that you can add in your garden, that are easy to grow and prolific producers. She'll tell us about why she chose the 224 varieties in her book, where you can get the seeds for them, and what her motivation behind them were. From there we'll learn about a few specific veggies that Niki likes to grow, their origins and what to expect from them. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ Cool new tomato varieties◾ The cucamelon◾ Where you can get new varieties to grow in your garden◾ Making sure you do your research before you grow anything new   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ Niki Jabbour's Veggie Garden Remix: 224 New Plants to Shake Up Your Garden and Add Variety, Flavor, and Fun◾ Savvy Gardening◾ The Weekend Gardener Radio Show   About this episode's guest, Niki Jabbour Niki Jabbour is an award-winning author and edibles expert from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who believes that a long Canadian winter shouldn’t mean an end to the homegrown harvest. While as a child Niki limited her vegetable intake to yellow beans and potatoes, she now grows (and eats!) dozens of different vegetable varieties in her 2,000-square-foot garden, including experimental crops like quinoa, peanuts, artichokes and figs. Niki’s unconventional – yet wildly successful – growing techniques are proof that elbow-deep snow is NOT, in fact, a valid excuse for a puny parsnip harvest. Her first book, The Year Round Vegetable Gardener, was honored with the 2012 American Horticultural Society’s Book Award, and her latest title, Groundbreaking Food Gardens: 73 Plans That Will Change the Way You Grow Your Garden (Storey Publishing, 2014) opens your eyes to an infinite number of tasty possibilities. Look for Niki’s next book in 2017!  Niki’s work is also found in Fine Gardening, Garden Making, The Heirloom Gardener, and Birds & Blooms magazines, and her column on vegetable growing techniques appears in each issue of Horticulture magazine. Oh, and one last thing about Niki: her radio program, The Weekend Gardener, which launched in 2007 is heard throughout Eastern Canada on News 95.7 FM. In 2015, Niki won the ‘Best On-Air Talent’ award from the Garden Writers of America   Please visit the sponsors to the Vegetable Gardening Show      

In this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show In this episode of the Vegetable Gardening show, Mike chats with Peter Aquilina of Deerbusters and Jennifer Smith of Deer Defence about choosing and properly installing a deer fence to keep your property and home vegetable garden safe. They are going to tell us which material you should choose when selecting a deer fence, how long you can expect your deer fence to last, and why you should focus in on making sure the animals do not chew through your deer fence. From there, we'll learn about why the bottom of the fence is more important than the height and how increased deer and rodent activity should give you cause for concerns about ticks and Lyme disease. This and so much more on this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show!   Here's what we'll cover in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ Choosing the right deer fence and the proper material◾ How long should your deer fence last◾ The type of fencing you need to install to prevent animals from chewing through the fence◾ Why the sealing the bottom of the fence is far more important than the height◾ Trenching your fence is not necessary so as long as you set up your deer fence this way◾ White warning banners and flags for your deer fence◾ Ticks and Lyme disease   Mentioned in this episode of The Vegetable Gardening Show ◾ Trident Corp.◾ Deer Busters◾ Cedar Oil Industries   About this episode's guests, Peter Aquilina and Jennifer Smith Jennifer Smith is the Marketing and PR Manager for Deerbusters Deer Fence in Waynesboro, PA. She has spent years studying deer movement and tick prevention through her working company. Peter Aquilina is owner and founder of Deer Defence located in Seymour, CT. In 1998, Peter got interested in Lyme and other tick borne diseases and has been a pioneer in the deer abatement. Trident Enterprises International has been the U.S. leading supplier of garden solutions for deer management since 1984. While initially dealing only with electric fence installation in Frederick, Maryland, steady inquiries about deer and garden pest control motivated the founder of Trident Enterprises to become involved with deer fencing; and in 1994, Trident began to install fences and distribute our very first line of poly deer fence rolls and metal deer fence rolls. Trident Enterprises is named after the Ohio Class of Submarines that carried the ballistic "cruise" missiles in the 1970s called the Trident Subs. Because of the founder's admiration for his Navy days, he named his company after the submarine. Today, Trident Corp is located in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania; and transitioned from installer to strictly distributor. Our background in fence installation gave us the know-how to expand our business further, by initiating our own line of deer fencing accessories, like our rebar stakes, driveway gates, corner and end systems, and kits to address the needs of our gardeners, farmers and landowners across North America. Our experience continues to assist us in offering the best customer service possible when it comes to helping our customers during the installation process. We off