In this Small Scale Life Podcast episode, I am going to be talking about Gardening Tips and Advice with the Texas Tornadoes Drew Demler and Michael Bell.
In case you don’t know who Drew Demler and Michael Bell are, here is a quick introduction:
- Drew Demler is the Director of Horticulture at Big Tex Urban Farms at the State Fair of Texas. While Big Tex is a big hydroponic operation, Drew also grows vegetables at his house along his driveway.
- Michael Bell is the owner and operator of Dallas Half Acre Farms. When not planting thousands of salad greens plugs at 5:00 in the morning, he enjoys scooping rabbit poop in his backyard.
Both gentlemen give some great Gardening Tips and Advice that we can all use to improve our gardens and quality of our plants.
Hall of Heroes
“It’s hard to have a bad day when you START your day with gratitude.”
As I mentioned on the last podcast episode about Practicing Gratitude, I am starting this podcast episode by recognizing some folks who have been active on Small Scale Life.
- Adam from A Modern Frontier for the wonderful invitation
- Drew Demler and Michael Bell for spending time and sharing their expertise to be on this show
- Dan and Pam for liking posts and commenting
- Dan, Sue and Jules on their work on Eagle’s Ridge
- The 13 people who stood out with me in the rain with me in Waukesha, Wisconsin, this week.
Thank all of you for listening to this podcast episode, and if you want a shout out in our next Hall of Heroes, get active and participate on Small Scale Life.
What are you grateful for? Maybe you should tell that person or that organization. Give it a try!
Gardening Tips and Advice
Source of Photo: Michael Bell at Dallas Half Acre Farms
Drew Demler, Michael Bell and I have learned a lot over the years, and we had a lot of Gardening Tips and Advice that would be beneficial for both new and veteran gardeners. I break the Gardening Tips and Advice down to 11 “Do’s” and 4 “Do Not Do’s” for gardeners.
Here are 11 “Do’s” that Gardeners should consider:
- Consider timing; know your Date to Maturity (DTM)
- Think ahead to your harvest date and work backwards
- Learn your first and last frost date
- If you live in a cold environment, use a heated greenhouse
- Grow what you eat
- Grow small! Grow 1 or 2 things for the first two seasons (tomatoes and peppers are great ideas). Grow a salsa garden!
- Pay attention and observe your plants
- Have patience
- Learn about compost
- Use natural and organic stuff in your garden. The more; the better
- Find other gardeners in your area and learn from them. People LOVE to talk about gardening
Here are 4 “Do Not Do’s” that Gardeners should consider:
- Do not grow too much at one! Don’t start big.
- Do not ignore the existing grass and weeds. Eliminate them before planting in ground or installing raised bed gardens. Use landscape fabric and cardboard to “sterilize the ground.”
- Do not assume that all compost is the same. Learn about N-P-K and what each micronutrient does. Check your compost before adding it.
- Do not use Miracle Grow or other petroleum based fertilizers. These products actually burn the soil and micronutrients in your soil and require you to add more.
Do you have Gardening Tips and Advice?
Source of Photo: Big Text Urban Farm at the State Farm in Texas
What Gardening Tips and Advice do you have? Perhaps you have developed some creative or great working hacks that make your garden thrive.
Share them in the comments below!
As I always say, you can learn something new each time you step into a garden. This is your chance to teach us as we continue to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday!
Listen to this Episode!
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Special Thanks
For Small Scale Life Podcasts, I would like to thank Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for the intro song "Harvest." Sean wrote this specifically for us, and I really enjoy all of his work. You can find more Osi and the Jupiter at their Bandcamp site: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/
I would also like to thank Austin Quinn at Vlog Vibes for the intro and outro music. For more information abut Austin and Vlog Vibes, please see the Vlog Vibes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY80LeqtJf-YBzJy2TWKpDw
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