The Maritime Gardening Podcast

This week we revisited the issue of how important mulches are in a permaculture garden, with a focus on how mulches act as “irrigation systems”. We talked about how employing a mulch copies the successful systems that occur in nature, and how planting at grade (not in a raised bed) also brings the plant closer …

In this episode Greg talks about the use of mulches in vegetable gardens. Why Mulches are important -weed control -water retention -fertilization -ideal environment for beneficial organisms -generates compost in your garden Types of mulch: -ramial woodchips -leaves -grass clippings -rotten logs -seaweed -hay -straw -spruce boughs Mulches and permaculture design – Permaculture is about …

In this episode, Greg gives us an update on how his garden is progressing as of Early May.  Topics covered are; beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, peas, fava beans (windsor beans), kale, swiss chard, chicory, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, onions, spinach, dill, parsley, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cold frames, drip irrigation and more.

In the last episode we talk a little about permaculture garden designs, and how they tend to be very efficient from a “calories in/calories out” ration point of view. Well what could be a more efficient way to produce calories and bee keeping? The bees do all the work and you eat half their honey! …

Permaculture is a method of agriculture that results in gardens that function like natural systems such that they are sustainable over the long term, require minimal labor and inputs, and have a net-positive impact on the ecosystem where they are located. In this episode we talked a little about the concept of ‘efficiency’ in a …

Many gardeners like the idea of having an herb garden, but many of them are hard to grow from seed, and it can be costly to buy them all as transplants. In this episode we discuss strategies for building a good herb garden without spending too much money. Perennial Herbs Perennial herbs, like any perennial, …

As you garden becomes larger and more elaborate, it becomes increasingly useful to plan out the space prior to planting each year. While there is software available online for this task, I find it far simpler to just take a picture of my garden from a high point, pop the picture into MS excel (or …

One ritual of the Northern gardener is the growing of transplants in spring. For some it means the annual firing up of the improvised grow-op, whereas for others it is signified by the colonization of all the space in every south facing window in the house. In this episode Dave and I talk about all …

Many gardeners time their planting dates around tables and charts that are based on “plant hardiness zones”. In this episode we discuss how they are determined, how informative they are for planning a garden, and some strategies for working around the limitations that your zone might impose on plant variety options. What Determines a Hardiness …

Growing transplants is a great way to jump start your garden each year. Carefully done, it can result in earlier harvests, and an all-around greater yield from your gardening space over the course of a growing season. Another added benefit is that it allows the gardener to get back into gardening months before the soil …

It’s the time of year when gardeners start dreaming about the next garden, imagining how it will be so much better than last year’s garden, and coming up with all manner of fanciful schemes to make that happen. For me, a big part of that process is contemplating what varieties I will plant for the …

It’s March, and this time of year I like to look back on the previous gardening season and reflect on what went wrong the previous year, and I thought that it might be of interest to the listeners to hear a discussion about mistakes, and what can be learned from them. The first of these …

The 2017 gardening season is about to begin, and as we all contemplate our plans for next year’s garden, I thought it would be useful to discuss why gardening makes sense from a financial point of view.  So much of gardening today seems to be about buying fertilizers, amendments and accoutrements, but I think that …

As the 2017 gardening season approaches, Greg and Dave talk about recent developments for the podcast. We review our end of season 1 survey results. We announce our first podcast partner, Kent Building Supplies. Videos produced in the recent months. Available listener support/donations (see donation button in sidebar). Greg speaks to his first ebook that …

It’s fall and that means that people are putting out bags of leaves on curbs all over the place. What a colossal waste of an extraordinary resource, and a what a great opportunity for you to stock up and hoard this most excellent garden resource! In this episode, Dave and I talk about leaves in …

In this our final episode of season 1, we reflect on the first season of The Maritime Gardening Podcast.  Listen as we discuss how the show came to be and learn more about us (Greg and Dave), for example, Greg owns and operates Sun and Soil, a custom organic garden business.  We also end the season …

Many people view fall as a time of year that symbolizes the end of the gardening season – and to some extent that is true – but it’s also the beginning of next season in many regards, and can also be a time of great activity for a gardener. Here’s a list of things to …

The concept of no till gardening has been around since the 70’s, yet few people practice this time saving, and highly productive form of gardening. Outside of its labor saving advantages, and of all the benefits to soil health that it has to offer – at the very least – the potential that this form …

Fall is fast approaching and it’s time to start thinking about next year’s garden. A garden plan is a great way make the most of your gardening space, and the best time to plan next year’s garden is now, because everything that went right and wrong this season is fresh in your mind – so …

My oldest memory of canning involves Mason jars, sterilization, stock pots, time, effort, logistics, division of labour, etc. – basically a big overwhelming production for a few jars of pickles. In this episode I discuss a method of preserving any sort of ‘acidic’ preserve that is very easy to do, and can be scaled down …