Epic Gardening

Thinking of growing your own saffron? 👀 Farmers in the US have been growing saffron crocus since the 1600s, when the Pennsylvania Dutch first brought over these little bulbs. Grown from corms (not seeds), the plant is easy to grow in raised beds or containers. But the real work? Harvesting those tiny red threads in the center—that’s the saffron, and it’s worth more than gold (literally). Saffron is pricey not because it’s hard to grow, but because picking and drying the spice is super labor-intensive. Each flower produces just three bright red stigmas, which need to be harvested fast and by hand. You’ll want to harvest in the morning on a dry day, about 6–8 weeks after planting. Wait until the bloom is partially open, snip the flower at the base (leave the leaves), then gently pull out the stigmas by hand or with tweezers. Small flower. Big flex.

Fresh eggs in hand, kois doing their thing, and carrots pulled came out sweet. Picked ripe tomatoes close to the stem, and onions bent their necks so they’re ready for the basket. Overall a great harvest! 🧑🏻‍🌾

Paprika isn’t one spice. It’s a whole range... sweet, spicy, smoky, depending on the pepper you grow and how you dry it. In Spain and Hungary, they’ve dialed this in. But you don’t need to live there... you can grow and dry your own! Want sweetness for stews? Grow a sweet variety like a Hungarian pepper. Need heat? Pick a spicy one. That deep smoky flavor? That’s all in the drying. When you grow it yourself, you control everything. Flavor, texture, color. Drying takes a few months, so stick them in a cool, dry, shaded spot with airflow and forget about them for a while. Once they’re brittle, grind and sift. That’s it. You’ve got fresh, deep red paprika straight from the garden. One of the easiest ways to start making your own spices. And yeah, it’ll blow the store-bought stuff out of the water.

Even though we own a seed company (@Botanical Interests) and we print specific plant spacing guidelines on the back of our packets, we still wondered… what if you ignored them? 🤔 So we did. And we found that spacing at maximum recommended distance or further resulted in the heaviest cabbages on a per cabbage basis, but cramming tighter resulted in more OVERALL yield. 💡 If you're a small space grower, this is a key finding. You can get a lot more overall mass out of your garden by spacing tighter, BUT you're also increasing pest / disease pressure (due to increased moisture, density, and contact between plants) and you're also removing more organic matter from the soil, so will need to supplement with more fertilizer. 🌱 What do you think - have you tried something like this in your garden?

You can grow potatoes pretty much anywhere, and honestly, it’s way easier (and more fun) than you think. They are a top staple in the human diet, along with wheat and rice. In fact, it’s the most common non-cereal crop grown worldwide and holds such significance that it’s been nicknamed the Apple of the Earth. This year, I went all in and tried eight different ways to grow spuds. I did the classic trench method, threw a frost blanket over some to see if a little extra warmth would make a difference, planted a few in buckets for a small-space approach, went twice as deep to see if depth really matters, messed around with the straw method, started some from actual seeds, added more soil as the plants grew to encourage more production, and even tested grow bags. If you decide to grow these terrific tubers, you’ll find yourself with a delicious harvest and definite bragging rights. After all, not many people can say they grow their own french fries! Follow along to see which method yielded the best results. 🥔

First few weeks of spring harvest check-in: fresh eggs, a monster beet, and a garden bursting with promise. I went through the usual rounds, and everything’s coming along... some ready to pick, others taking their time. What're you harvesting right now? ⬇️

We’ve learned two simple ways to grow bigger strawberries and keep them coming longer through the season. These methods might seem a bit unusual, but they’ve worked well for us over time. The first is removing flowers, but only at the right time. If you’re growing June-bearing strawberries, remove the flowers until early May, then let them grow. This helps the plant focus on building strong leaves first, then flowers and fruit later in the season. If your strawberries are everbearing, you can keep removing the flowers until about mid to late May before allowing them to bloom. The second method is about runners. If you’re growing vertically like we are, those runners won’t root as they’ll just hang there. So go ahead and trim them off. You can place them in water to root and save them for next season if you’d like. Fun fact: strawberries aren’t actually berries in the botanical sense. They’re classified as “aggregate fruits” because they form from more than one ovary.

More gardeners need to consider adding mushrooms to their garden plans. Not only are they absolutely delicious, but they help improve your garden in a myriad of ways. For example, adding a species like wine cap to your garden pathways, which might be made of straw, woodchips, or some other organic matter, helps break down material MUCH faster, and gives you a rare edible mushroom you don't often find at stores. They can boost your plant yields, too - @jacquesinthegarden is testing this out with a tomato experiment based on a study we found. Best of all, they're actually easier to grow than most plants 😂 especially when you do something as simple as the buried block technique demonstrated in this video.

Herbs are one of the easiest wins in the garden. They don’t ask for much, they smell amazing, and they save you cash at the grocery store. Plus, there’s nothing like tossing fresh basil or thyme into your cooking. Tastes better, hits different. If you want to keep your herb plants thriving and producing more, it’s all about how you harvest. Each herb grows a little differently, so trimming the right way makes a big difference. More growth, less waste, and no sad stick-looking plants. Take basil for example. Don’t just chop randomly. Look for where two little side shoots are popping out and snip just above that spot. It will encourage your basil to bush out instead of growing into a tall, thin stem with nothing going on up top. For chives or green onions, the lawnmower method works best. Just grab some scissors and cut a few inches off the top. The key is to leave the central base alone so the plant keeps growing strong. Go too low and you risk slowing things down or damaging the regrowth point. Thyme and oregano are a little different since they like to spread out low across the soil. These herbs are tough and bounce back fast, so feel free to trim stems down near the base to keep things tidy. If you want more plants, stick those fresh cuttings in water or soil and let them root. Easy way to multiply your herb game.

Forgot to harvest your artichoke? No worries, you’re still in for a show. When left alone, those heads bloom into one of the most striking flowers in the veggie garden. We’re talkin’ bold purple blue vibes that totally steal the spotlight. Bees go nuts over it too. 🐝 If you do want to eat them, make sure to harvest the heads before they open up. Once it flowers, it’s game over for your dinner plate, but hey, it’s still a win for your eyes. Artichokes are actually a type of thistle, so that flashy bloom is just nature showing off. ✨ Not seeing any buds yet? Don’t stress. Some artichokes take a year or more to really kick off. Just make sure they’re getting plenty of water and nutrients. If your plant’s all leaves and no action, try cutting back some of the extra stalks. Sometimes they just need a little tough love to get things going. 💪🏼🌱

Artichokes don’t get nearly enough credit. These unique plants aren’t just vegetables—they’re unopened flower buds that, if left to bloom, transform into striking blue-violet thistles. Whether you’re growing them for their beauty or their flavor, artichokes make an excellent addition to any garden with plenty of space. 🏡 To get started, plant artichokes in early spring or late fall, ensuring the soil temperature is between 50-85°F (10-29°C). Seeds should be planted half an inch deep and thinned to six feet apart, while transplants need three to four feet of space. Compost boosts their growth, and a layer of mulch helps retain moisture. With the right care, these perennials can keep producing for 5-7 years, making them a long-term investment in your garden. 🪴 When it’s time to harvest, artichokes bring a rich, nutty flavor with a meaty texture. They’re delicious steamed and dipped in butter, added to soups, or even tossed on pizza. While their relatives were once used medicinally, today we simply enjoy their one-of-a-kind taste. Give them a try, you might just find a new favorite crop. 💯

We’ll never get tired of growing (and eating!) tomatoes. Hands down, our garden favorite. This time, we used ‘Fortamino’ rootstock seeds from @Botanical Interests and they delivered: • Better leaf coverage • More blooms per truss • Heavier fruit • Stronger tolerance to heat and stress • And solid disease resistance, including against root knot nematodes What varieties are you growing this season? 🍅

This is my 1/3 acre suburban homestead which I built to see how far you can take sustainability in a normal home. Automatic garden watering? Check. Chickens for eggs and fertilizer? Yup. Solar everything? You know it. It took me five years to figure this out. Want to learn it quicker? Look up ‘Epic Homesteading’ wherever you buy books. 📚

Blowing on your seedlings seems like one of those tricks you see on viral "plant hack" videos, but it actually works, because of THIGMOMORPHOGENESIS A really complex word that basically means that plants respond to mechanical stressors like wind by strengthening themselves or adapting to deal with the stress. In this case, that adaptation = stronger stems that'll hold up better when it comes time to transplant!

Planted one nasturtium in the backyard 2 year ago. Now the backyard IS nasturtiums.

Brussels sprouts are a flavorful cool-season crop that deserves a spot in your raised beds this fall. These hardy plants thrive in chilly weather and actually taste better after a light frost, which helps convert their starches into natural sugars. Depending on the variety, sow seeds from late spring through late summer—or start with transplants in early fall if you’re short on time. Give each plant plenty of space to grow—about 18 to 24 inches apart—and be patient: they take 80 to 100 days to mature. As the plant grows, small sprouts will begin forming along the stalk, starting at the bottom. Harvest when they’re firm, green, and about the size of a large marble, working your way up the stalk as new sprouts develop. In the kitchen, Brussels sprouts are as versatile as they are delicious. Toss with olive oil and roast at 425°F until crispy and golden, or sauté with garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar for a quick and savory side. You can even shave them raw into a slaw with lemon and parmesan for something fresh and bright. Have a go-to Brussels sprouts recipe? Drop it in the comments. 🧑🏻‍🍳

Here’s how I cure my garlic for storage, step by step. 🧄 First, check if it’s ready to pull. Soft neck garlic will have yellow, droopy leaves, while hard neck types will look a bit more rugged with brown, papery wrappers. That’s your sign. Next, loosen up the soil gently and pull the bulbs out. Brush off the extra dirt, but don’t wash them. You want those papery skins to stay on so they cure properly. Bundle them up and hang or lay them out in a cool, shady spot with good airflow. Leave the stalks on for hard necks, but trim soft neck leaves down to about an inch. Let them cure for 2 to 4 weeks until the wrappers feel dry and papery. After that, trim the roots, peel off a layer or two, and store them in a cool, dark place. Soft necks store longer, while hard necks bring that bold flavor—great for roasting. Want more garlic-growing tricks? Follow along for gardening tips!

Squash, zucchini, and pumpkins all belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, which is known for its fast-growing vines and heavy feeders. These plants thrive in soil rich in organic matter because compost improves structure, holds moisture, and slowly releases nutrients like nitrogen and potassium, all critical for rapid leaf growth and fruit production. Mounding the soil around them also helps with drainage and root development, which leads to stronger, more productive plants. The real challenge with squash isn’t growing the plant, it’s making sure the flowers get pollinated. Squash plants produce separate male and female flowers, and for fruit to form, pollen has to be transferred from the male flower’s anther to the female flower’s stigma. This is usually done by bees and other pollinators, but if pollinators are low or timing is off, the fruit won’t set. That’s why hand-pollination works because you’re manually doing what nature intended, ensuring the female flower gets the pollen it needs to develop a healthy squash. When I’m overloaded with squash, I just slide a few over to @jacquesinthegarden. Gotta keep the neighbor happy, right? 😉

#ad Potatoes in buckets = heavy yields. I learned this particular technique from my friend Tony @Simplify Gardening - the vertical setup means you’re using limited space efficiently while still getting high yields. A good soil mix lets roots spread easily and gives the plant steady access to nutrients and oxygen. Adding compost boosts microbial activity, which helps break down organic material into nutrients the plant can absorb. Topping the bucket with mulch helps hold moisture, regulate soil temperature, and prevent sunlight from greening the shallow tubers. Where you place the buckets matters too. Potatoes need full sun and good airflow to stay healthy and productive. By managing all these factors closely, you create near-ideal growing conditions, which is why this method can give you hundreds of pounds of potatoes, even from a small space. A big part of making it all doable was having the extra help from my @Gorilla® cart. It handled all the heavy lifting—soil, compost, mulch, and harvests—without slowing me down. #gorillacarts #gorillatough #gorillatools

A true gardening victory 🏆