The best gardening & homesteading channels on Youtube
Do you have cats in the garden? Are you dealing with blossom end rot? Maybe you want to use pine needles as mulch? Or how about eggshells in the garden? There are a LOT of myths and misconceptions about gardening, oftentimes passed down from generation to generation without a lot of science or evidence to…
Pruning is one of the most common tasks we have in the garden, so it makes sense to have a full understanding of the different types of pruning shears out there. From anvil pruners to bypass pruners, we’ll talk about the different types, shapes, and technologies that these garden tools use to help you get…
Join me as I unbox 16 plants from Plants by Post – a mixture of herbs, flowers, ferns, and houseplants. The fun of this unboxing was figuring out WHERE to put all of these in the garden. I experimented with putting some ferns in my backdoor shade garden, we worked in some railing planters, and…
Growing tomatoes can get quite complicated, but if you break it back down to the basics, they’re actually not that challenging! Today we’ll tackle one of the scarier moments in your tomato’s life…transplanting. After starting tomato seeds and hardening them off, it’s time to put your tomato plant in the ground. There are 100+ different…
Potatoes are one of my favorite crops to grow. There are so many different varieties, methods for growing, and even uses for potatoes. Plus the surprise factor of digging them out of the ground is SUPER satisfying. Today, we’ll look at how to grow potatoes in containers, and specifically the process of hilling up, or…
I don’t know about you, but here on YouTube there are some weird channels that have all sorts of “garden tips” that are either inconvenient, dumb, or flat out don’t make any sense! I decided to put together just a few from my bag of tricks as a 5+ year urban gardener. Here are some…
Learning how to make a hydroponic system doesn’t have to be hard – in fact, this is barely a tutorial at all! I used heavy duty 1″ net pots from my friend CZ Garden, who sponsored this video, to make the simplest repurposed water bottle kratky system that I could imagine. It’s perfect for propagating,…
Many of you remember my first video with Steven Cornett of Nature’s Always Right. His farm, located in his 1/4 acre backyard, is a well-thought out and beautifully run market garden here in San Diego, CA. The first time I went to his place was the first time I’d seen someone farming in backyards, or…
Seed starting can be a challenge, even more so when you MIGHT not be using the best seedling trays for the job. I spent some time over at my friend Steven’s farm, Nature’s Always Right. We hung out in his new greenhouse and I tapped his brain for a knowledge dump on his favorite seed…
My favorite worm bin: https://shop.epicgardening.com/collections/composting/products/urban-worm-bag Does your worm bin stink? Is your worm bin too wet? Are there a ton of other bugs in your bin? You’ll be surprised to know that almost all of these problems have the same root cause…over feeding. It’s a common myth that worms can eat 100% of their own…
So your seeds have germinated, and they’re even starting to grow. You’ve avoided damping off disease, your seedlings aren’t too leggy…they’re just…big. This is a GOOD problem to have! But, it’s time to pot them up into larger pots if you’re not transplanting them outside yet. If you don’t, you’ll risk them becoming root-bound in…
In preparation for my Apocalypse Grow survival challenge, I HAVE to have some spices and flavorings…but only if I grow them myself. I had to clear a bed out, so I harvested some garlic early and turned it into a green garlic powder. Clean, wash, and dice garlic into small, even chunks. Slice bulbs in…
I’ve always been fascinated by post-apocalyptic scenarios. Zombies, plagues, you name it. I wonder: how would I survive in that situation? Well, I’m going to put it to the test. Announcing the Apocalypse Grow Challenge, where I’ll attempt to survive off of urban gardening, foraging, and fishing from June 1 to June 30, 2019. In…
It’s been a few months since my last dragon fruit (pitahaya) growing video, and a lot of new growth is here! In fact, I actually let it go too long without training and tying the stems to a central pole. So in this video, you’re going to see if I can save my dragon fruit…
Learning how to start seeds is one of the areas of gardening I get the most questions about…and for good reason! It’s a complicated process where many things can go wrong. In this video, we’ll go through my current method for seed starting indoors under grow lights, including discussion of seed starting, the best trays,…
Learning how to transplant seedlings successfully can save you a lot of headaches. After all, you just went through the seed starting process..the last thing you want to do is ruin your precious seedlings by making an error in the transplanting! I keep it simple here with this high-density method for transplanting greens: prep your…
Apologies upfront for the audio issues on this one, folks! 30+MPH winds on a roof is tough…but I tried! I visited my friends Lydia and Gina of Eix Verd (Green Path), an ecological design company focused on urban farming. I checked out their rooftop garden, which they use as a testing site to see what…
Have you ever wanted to start a microgreens business? Or simply be a microgreens farmer? My friends Remko and Anneke are DOING IT in the middle of Barcelona, a bustling international city. In this tour I take you through their farm in two parts. First, we look at their initial test farm, going over their…
Instead of buying one of those expensive cloning machines for your plant propagation, try these designs out! These types of diy propagation stations are simple and inexpensive to build. In this video, we’ll talk about a design that uses air stones only, as well as a design with a submersible water pump with a 360°…
My friend Robert Strauss is The Gardener On The Roof. I met him in Barcelona, Spain and had to come to his house to see his highly-productive and creative rooftop garden. In fact, it’s more than a rooftop garden as he has 5 total stories of growing space. He makes his own compost by getting…
If you’ve got some overripe tomatoes that you’re wondering what to do with…save the seeds! In fact, slightly overripe tomatoes are the perfect way to dip your toes into the world of saving seeds by fermentation. For seeds with a mucilaginous coat, fermentation is a great way to break down the coat and introduce beneficials…
Learning how to save seeds by winnowing requires you to go back to ancient times, when this was THE way to save seeds. Winnowing makes use of the wind to blow off lighter particles, weak seed, dust, debris…you get the picture. You can use a box fan to add some more precision to the process,…
Ever wondered if there’s an alternative to stackable tote systems for vermicomposting? Wonder no more! Flow through systems are typically suspended in the air and only use one chamber to process food scraps into worm castings. Better yet, you don’t have to deal with switching up totes, other bugs laying eggs in your bins, etc.…
When it comes to houseplants and container gardening, the most common questions I get ALWAYS revolve around watering: – How much water do my plants need? – How often should I water? – Am I overwatering? I decided to put this video out to give you a “watering framework” so you understand how all of…
Shiitake mushrooms are my FAVORITE. The flavor is so rich and complex, but they’re often extremely expensive at the grocery store. So I figured I’d grow some of my own and cook them up for you guys! Keep in mind this is a partial grow guide…to grow from “scratch” you’d need to create your own…
OK, I went crazy on my self-imposed “holiday break” and busted out the seed catalog. Here are the 23 new seeds I’m experimenting with this year. Have you grown any of these? If so, let me know in the comments below. 2019 SEEDS Mizuna, Beni Houshi Red Ursa Kale Dishcloth or Luffa Gourd Little Gem…
What did you learn this year in the garden?! My good friend Steven Cornett over at Nature’s Always Right challenged me to come up with the top gardening lessons I learned this year. 2018 was a huge year for Epic Gardening, with the completion of my urban gardening book (coming out 2019) and an overall…
This video shows how to grow parsley hydroponically using the Kratky method. The Kratky method is a non circulating hydroponic method. That means it is simple to set up, no pumps, no airstones….really a set it and forget it method. If you are not familiar with the Kratky method, check out my video on how…
Also known as coco coir, coco peat, coconut fiber, or many other branded names, this soil amendment and hydroponic medium is a fantastic addition to most gardens. In this video, we’re going to talk about: – How coco coir is made – What to watch out for when buying from the store – The difference…
Ever wondered how to attract birds like the house wren, house sparrow, mourning dove, or dozens of other birds to the garden? In this video, we go over exactly that! You’ll learn: – General landscaping tips for birds – How to identify what birds are local to your region – The type of bird box…
