Two Minutes in the Garden

Bite-sized informative updates on gardening basics, solutions, myths, news and other subjects of interest to gardeners both new and experienced. From the popular Empress of Dirt website (empressofdirt.net), home of creative and frugal ideas for your backyard garden.

The Purple Tomato: The First GMO Garden Seed 03/03/2024

The Purple Tomato: The First GMO Garden Seed We always used to be able to say that there were no GMO garden seeds. That's still true in most of the world but, in the U.S., gardeners can now buy seeds for the genetically engineered, high-antioxidant Purple Tomato. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/30209188

Does Garden-Grown Produce Have A High Carbon Footprint? 02/12/2024

Does Garden-Grown Produce Have A High Carbon Footprint? A recent study claimed that urban-grown fruits and vegetables had a carbon footprint six times that of those from conventional farms. Rants ensued. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/29894083

Does Touching Soil Make Us Happier? 01/22/2024

Does Touching Soil Make Us Happier? For the last 15 years, gardeners have been told that soil acts like an antidepressant, thanks to a particular bacterium. Is there anything to it? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/29600828

Do Gardeners Need Crop Rotation? 11/24/2023

Do Gardeners Need Crop Rotation? It can do great things on farms, but does crop rotation make sense in a garden? What are the benefits claimed for crop rotation, and can we get those same benefits in easier ways? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/28781818

Plant Nutrients (Part 4): "Up, Down, All Around" and the Phosphorus Myth 10/28/2023

Plant Nutrients (Part 4): "Up, Down, All Around" and the Phosphorus Myth Do nutrients really specialize in one aspect of plant growth, like roots or shoots? Why adding more of one nutrient to your soil, like phosphorus-heavy bloom boosters, often don't provide any benefit. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/28449065

Plant Nutrients (Part 3): The Trouble with Balanced Fertilizers 10/13/2023

Plant Nutrients (Part 3): The Trouble with Balanced Fertilizers Are you using a balanced fertilizer in your garden? It may seem like a simple and effective way to provide nutrients to your plants, but it could also cause problems for your soil and for the environment. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/28310138

Plant Nutrients (Part 2): What Do NPK Labels Mean? 09/28/2023

Plant Nutrients (Part 2): What Do NPK Labels Mean? Most countries use a confusing and outdated NPK labelling system for fertilizer packages. What do the numbers mean? Depending on where you live, it's probably not what you think. And why is a "balanced fertilizer" not so balanced after all? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/28171535

Plant Nutrients (Part 1): What You Need to Know 09/18/2023

Plant Nutrients (Part 1): What You Need to Know Our plants can't live without them, but how do we know that they're getting them? Do we need to feed them to our plants? And what are these essential nutrients? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/28070709

Mushrooms: Friends or Foes in the Garden? 08/16/2023

Mushrooms: Friends or Foes in the Garden? Not everyone wants them in their garden, but others grow them deliberately. They aren't even plants. So what are mushrooms and are they okay around our plants? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/27773445

Is Soap Safe to Use in the Garden? 08/01/2023

Is Soap Safe to Use in the Garden? What kinds of soap should we be using -- or avoiding -- in the garden? What about liquid dish soap? And we're all familiar with soap, but what is it, exactly? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/27626325

Composting (Part 4): How Much Compost is Too Much? 07/06/2023

Composting (Part 4): How Much Compost is Too Much? Compost is great for your garden, but can you have too much of a good thing? What problems could there be if you use too much? Will it harm your plants ... or something else? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/27392562

Composting (Part 3): What to Add and What to Avoid 06/24/2023

Composting (Part 3): What to Add and What to Avoid What can you add to your compost pile? Is it any organic material, or are there some things you may want to avoid? What about dryer lint or hair? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/27256125

Composting (Part 2): Simpler Than it Sounds 06/10/2023

Composting (Part 2): Simpler Than it Sounds Calculating C:N ratios? Regular turning? For anyone who's been put off from composting because it sounds too involved -- it really isn't as hard as it's sometimes made out to be. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/27103509

Compost: The Most Valuable Organic Matter for Your Soil 06/02/2023

Compost: The Most Valuable Organic Matter for Your Soil When it comes to building healthy soil, there may be no more important tool in the garden than compost. So what is compost, and how does it help our plants? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/27027903

Humus: What Is It and Why It Matters 05/16/2023

Humus: What Is It and Why It Matters We've heard that humus is good for our garden, but do we know what it actually is? And, for that matter, does ANYONE know what it actually is? And why has humus become a controversial topic? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/26856840

Plants in Water: A Balancing Act 05/06/2023

Plants in Water: A Balancing Act We're told not to overwater our plants, but some popular houseplants grow fine with their roots fully immersed in water and nearly all outdoor plants experience overwatering at times. How does that work? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/26762655

No Mow May: Does It Really Help Pollinators? 04/15/2023

No Mow May: Does It Really Help Pollinators? No Mow May is a popular initiative that encourages people to stop mowing their lawns for a month to help bees and other pollinators. But does it really work? And what are the drawbacks? In this episode, we explore the pros and cons of No Mow May from a gardener’s perspective. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/26552154

How Frogs Benefit Your Garden -- And How to Attract Them 04/01/2023

How Frogs Benefit Your Garden -- And How to Attract Them Frogs enrich your garden in many ways: they control pests, provide food for other wildlife, and indicate a healthy environment. In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of frogs and their role in the garden ecosystem. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/26412651

Fast-Growing Cool-Weather Crops for Spring 03/21/2023

Fast-Growing Cool-Weather Crops for Spring At the beginning of a new gardening season, temperatures are still low, but some vegetables thrive in cool weather and can be ready to eat in just a few weeks. Choose these vegetables and before you know it, you'll eating your first batch of produce fresh from your garden. MORE FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/26295378

Helping Ground-Nesting Bees: The Unsung Garden Heroes 03/15/2023

Helping Ground-Nesting Bees: The Unsung Garden Heroes Most bees don't live in hives and most don't live in hollow stems. They live in the ground and emerge from the soil in the spring and summer to join us in the garden. What can we do to make their winters easier? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/26242881

Protecting Your Garden From Deer Damage 03/03/2023

Protecting Your Garden From Deer Damage Deer can cause a lot of damage to your garden, but there are ways to prevent or reduce it. Learn about different types of fences, repellents, deterrents and deer-resistant plants that can help you protect your plants from these hungry animals. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/26119701

Baking Soda in the Garden: Is it Really Harmless? 02/23/2023

Baking Soda in the Garden: Is it Really Harmless? Also known in many parts of the world as bicarbonate of soda or bicarb soda -- you see it recommended for dozens of uses in the garden. It sounds pretty harmless, but should we be using it around our plants? READ MORE at Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/26024148

Starting Seeds: An Overview 02/09/2023

Starting Seeds: An Overview What's the advantage of starting seeds -- especially indoors? What do you need? What do seeds need to germinate? And how can you improve your odds against diseases? READ THE FULL GUIDE at Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/25881723

Growing Carrots in Your Garden 01/24/2023

Growing Carrots in Your Garden Carrots are one of the most popular vegetables to grow in the garden, and you can get them in a range of sizes and a rainbow of colours. ALSO FROM Empress of Dirt: AND: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/25713549

Whacking Tree Trunks and Other Strange Garden Tips 01/02/2023

Whacking Tree Trunks and Other Strange Garden Tips Does hitting the trunk of a tree with a baseball bat or or a stick make it produce more leaves -- or maybe more flowers or fruit? It sounds crazy, but is there anything to it? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/25482003

Do Comfrey and Other Plants Grab Nutrients Deep in Our Soil? 12/17/2022

Do Comfrey and Other Plants Grab Nutrients Deep in Our Soil? In permaculture circles, they're called dynamic accumulators -- plants that accumulate above average levels of particular nutrients in their leaves, which we can then add to compost piles, use as mulch or in other ways make the nutrients available to our plants. Do they work? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/25358184

Humidity and Houseplants - Increasing Humidity Indoors 11/30/2022

Humidity and Houseplants - Increasing Humidity Indoors Humidity doesn't get as much attention as temperature, light and soil moisture, but it can have a big effect on our plants. Many houseplants prefer more humidity than we give them, especially over the winter. What can we do about that? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/25177554

Growing and Propagating Aloe vera 11/11/2022

Growing and Propagating Aloe vera It's one of the world's most popular houseplants. Easy to grow and easy to propagate -- and maybe even a handy source of some skincare gel. NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/24980601

Why Leaves Change Color (and Why Some Don't Fall) 10/31/2022

Why Leaves Change Color (and Why Some Don't Fall) What makes the leaves of some trees change color? Is there a benefit to the trees? And what about deciduous trees that keep leaves over the winter? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/24855411

Is it Safe to Use Paper in the Garden? 10/17/2022

Is it Safe to Use Paper in the Garden? Many gardeners put paper overtop of a lawn to create a new garden bed. Or add paper to their compost pile. Is it safe? NEW FROM Empress of Dirt: /episode/index/show/cultivatingstartups/id/24704133

Two Minutes in the Garden

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