The Beet: A Podcast For Plant Lovers

Love cilantro but hate its fast-to-bolt personality? Hate cilantro but crave an herby element in your homemade salsa? Up your culinary game with unsung garden hero, Vietnamese coriander! Vietnamese coriander, or Vietnamese cilantro, is a heat-loving perennial with slightly spicy, flavorful leaves that are a great culinary substitute for cilantro or mint. If papalo herb isn’t your thing, this may be the cilantro alternative for you! It thrives in warm climates spring through fall (zones 9-11) and in pots in cooler climates until the first frost. Learn More: Vietnamese Coriander: Another Fantastic Cilantro Substitute Order Field Guide to Urban Gardening My book, Field Guide to Urban Gardening, is available for sale! It's a complete guide to growing plants, no matter where you live. Here's how to order:  Amazon Signed Copies EPIC Raised Beds I'm carrying Birdies Garden Products raised beds, the ones I use exclusively in my front yard garden. They're a corrugated Aluzinc steel, powder-coated raised bed designed to last a lifetime. Buy Birdies Raised Beds at my online store Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anyone who likes Asian cooking is likely to be a fan of the lemongrass plant. With its lemony, slightly-bitter citrus flavor and aroma, it’s commonly used in food. But what very few realize is that it’s fairly easy to grow at home if you’re in a warm climate. Even cooler-climate gardeners can grow it outdoors during the late spring and summer. It’s easy to bring a small clump indoors for the cold months, allowing you to grow it year-round! So let’s explore the citrusy sensation that is lemon grass. Not only is it good for food, it’s great in the landscape! Learn More: Lemongrass Plant: Bright Flavor & Ornamental Charm Order Field Guide to Urban Gardening My book, Field Guide to Urban Gardening, is available for sale! It's a complete guide to growing plants, no matter where you live. Here's how to order:  Amazon Signed Copies EPIC Raised Beds I'm carrying Birdies Garden Products raised beds, the ones I use exclusively in my front yard garden. They're a corrugated Aluzinc steel, powder-coated raised bed designed to last a lifetime. Buy Birdies Raised Beds at my online store Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we discuss the difference between a "detergent" and a "soap", as well as why you should only use insecticidal soaps in the garden instead of DIY dish soap pest control recipes. My Favorite Insecticidal Soap: Safer Brand Insecticidal Soap Order Field Guide to Urban Gardening My book, Field Guide to Urban Gardening, is available for sale! It's a complete guide to growing plants, no matter where you live. Here's how to order:  Amazon Signed Copies EPIC Raised Beds I'm carrying Birdies Garden Products raised beds, the ones I use exclusively in my front yard garden. They're a corrugated Aluzinc steel, powder-coated raised bed designed to last a lifetime. Buy Birdies Raised Beds at my online store Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You all know I'm a huge fan of grow bags for their light weight, portability, and breathability for your plants. Today I answer a listener question from Donna who's wondering what my favorite brands are! My Favorites: Smart Pots (available at most nurseries) Bootstrap Farmer Grow Bags Vivosun Grow Bags Order Field Guide to Urban Gardening My book, Field Guide to Urban Gardening, is available for sale! It's a complete guide to growing plants, no matter where you live. Here's how to order:  Amazon Signed Copies EPIC Raised Beds I'm carrying Birdies Garden Products raised beds, the ones I use exclusively in my front yard garden. They're a corrugated Aluzinc steel, powder-coated raised bed designed to last a lifetime. Buy Birdies Raised Beds at my online store Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You’ve noticed a disturbing trend. The lower leaves on your tomato plants have developed spotting. Some are turning yellow and are falling off. And it looks like it’s spreading. If this sounds familiar, you may have just discovered septoria leaf spot. But while this is likely the most common tomato disease known to home gardeners, it’s fixable. It’s also not limited to tomatoes — it may pop up in many places you wouldn’t expect! Let’s talk about what septoria fungi are, what they cause damage to, and how to treat it. You don’t have to watch your plants drop leaves until there’s none left… you can fix this! Learn More: Septoria Leaf Spot: What It Is And How To Fix It Order Field Guide to Urban Gardening My book, Field Guide to Urban Gardening, is available for sale! It's a complete guide to growing plants, no matter where you live. Here's how to order:  Amazon Signed Copies EPIC Raised Beds I'm carrying Birdies Garden Products raised beds, the ones I use exclusively in my front yard garden. They're a corrugated Aluzinc steel, powder-coated raised bed designed to last a lifetime. Buy Birdies Raised Beds at my online store Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are grown throughout the world as a nutritious, convenient, shelf-stable food. Potatoes are the #1 most-consumed vegetable in the Americas, Europe, and Asian countries. I cannot imagine life without potatoes, can you? Potato cultivars vary in appearance, days to maturity, growth requirements, and culinary qualities. If you live in a temperate climate region like I do, your potatoes planted in late April will be ready for harvesting from mid-summer through early fall. You’ll have the best results with your potato harvest if you choose cultivars best suited for your local growing conditions and culinary interests. Learn More: Harvesting Potatoes: How to Know When Your Potatoes Are Ready Order Field Guide to Urban Gardening My book, Field Guide to Urban Gardening, is available for sale! It's a complete guide to growing plants, no matter where you live. Here's how to order:  Amazon Signed Copies EPIC Raised Beds I'm carrying Birdies Garden Products raised beds, the ones I use exclusively in my front yard garden. They're a corrugated Aluzinc steel, powder-coated raised bed designed to last a lifetime. Buy Birdies Raised Beds at my online store Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cereus peruvianus, which is more commonly referred to as Cereus repandus these days, makes a unique addition to your ornamental oredible landscape with its tall, thorny, columnar appearance and low care requirements. Also known as the Peruvian apple cactus, you might be surprised to find that the Cereus fruits, called Peruvian apples, are actually edible! In fact, they make a wonderful source of food for both the people where this plant originated, as well as the local bird population. Let’s learn how to grow, care for, and harvest from this gorgeous and under-utilized cactus…hopefully we can increase its profile amongst gardeners everywhere! Learn More: Cereus Peruvianus: Growing The “Peruvian Apple Cactus” Order Field Guide to Urban Gardening My book, Field Guide to Urban Gardening, is available for sale! It's a complete guide to growing plants, no matter where you live. Here's how to order:  Amazon Signed Copies EPIC Raised Beds I'm carrying Birdies Garden Products raised beds, the ones I use exclusively in my front yard garden. They're a corrugated Aluzinc steel, powder-coated raised bed designed to last a lifetime. Buy Birdies Raised Beds at my online store Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tomatoes are the quintessential garden crop…but they can also be one of the most confusing! With determinate and indeterminate varieties, there’s no absolute right formula for tomato plant spacing. Your selection of tomato variety along with your garden soil, light, and growing conditions all give clues to answer the question, “How far apart do you plant tomatoes?” Learn More: Tomato Plant Spacing: Everything You Need to Know Order Field Guide to Urban Gardening My book, Field Guide to Urban Gardening, is available for sale! It's a complete guide to growing plants, no matter where you live. Here's how to order:  Amazon Signed Copies EPIC Raised Beds I'm carrying Birdies Garden Products raised beds, the ones I use exclusively in my front yard garden. They're a corrugated Aluzinc steel, powder-coated raised bed designed to last a lifetime. Buy Birdies Raised Beds at my online store Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s cute. It’s crisp. It’s slightly pungent. It’s the perfect, bite-size snack on a hot, muggy day. What could this garden snack-bite be? If you guessed cucamelon, you’re right!   Affectionately referred to as the “world’s smallest watermelon”, the cucamelon is a vine that bears edible mini-melons about the size of grapes. The cucamelon tastes like a cucumber with a burst of citrusy tartness from the skin. Commonly known as dandita or “little watermelon” in Mexico, Melothria scabra was a domesticated crop in Central America before the Americas were colonized by Europeans.  While they look like they’re a cross between a cucumber and melon, the cucamelons are their own unique plant species within the Curcurbitaceae family…and they’re an exceptionally fun crop to grow in your edible garden…so let’s learn how! Learn More: Cucamelons: Grow Cute “Mouse Melons” Order Field Guide to Urban Gardening My book, Field Guide to Urban Gardening, is available for sale! It's a complete guide to growing plants, no matter where you live. Here's how to order:  Amazon Signed Copies EPIC Raised Beds I'm carrying Birdies Garden Products raised beds, the ones I use exclusively in my front yard garden. They're a corrugated Aluzinc steel, powder-coated raised bed designed to last a lifetime. Buy Birdies Raised Beds at my online store Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aquaponics has come a long way in its storied history...and Greg Peterson has been around for most of it! Hear his history of aquaculture and aquaponics, and what he thinks of the growing method today. Connect with Greg Peterson: Farmer Greg is the founder of Urban Farm U and the Urban Farm Podcast, and has been a permaculturist and urban homesteaders for decades. His wealth of experience shows in his incredible courses and you’re going to absolutely love this week with him on the podcast. Learn More: Aquaponics Basics This episode is a primer on aquaponics. If you're curious about it and want to give it a try, check out today's explainer episode. Order Field Guide to Urban Gardening My book, Field Guide to Urban Gardening, is available for sale! It's a complete guide to growing plants, no matter where you live. Here's how to order:  Amazon Signed Copies EPIC Raised Beds I'm carrying Birdies Garden Products raised beds, the ones I use exclusively in my front yard garden. They're a corrugated Aluzinc steel, powder-coated raised bed designed to last a lifetime. Buy Birdies Raised Beds at my online store Follow Epic Gardening YouTube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Facebook Group   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices