Tea Jay's Garden: Recent Episodes
Tea Jay Truchon
Gardening is for everyone! It can bring people together, aid in our hour of need, and make every day a little better than the one before. With some basic science, a little humanity, and a touch of community you can make it happen. You can do this, We can do this.
Howdy,
I'm back! I've finally gotten myself back to doing this podcast, and I decided to start with bugs. "True" bugs. All those pesky sap suckers that plague our plants. The new Podcast art is a AI Neural Net's cyberpunk "Retro-wave" interpretation of a bumblebee on a Hollyhock. This was generated by Welshpixie - https://mastodon.art/@welshpixie who's a great artist over on Mastodon. I'm on Mastodon as Troy the Gardener - https://kith.kitchen/web/@Capheind. If you subscribed during my long hiatus I'd like to thank you, seeing my nearly abandoned podcast get around 30 downloads a week kept me interested in coming back.
All my social links @ https://social.as/teajay
---Resources---
The order Hemiptera at the Discover Life website. A great overview of the order.
https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Hemiptera
The order Hemiptera from the Australian National Science Agency that breaks down the Suborders.
https://ento.csiro.au/education/insects/hemiptera.html
A squash bug article with a good picture of the egg clusters.
https://extension.umn.edu/fruit-and-vegetable-insects/squash-bugs
A University of Wisconsin extension article about Scale Insects.
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/scale-insects/
The Lost Ladybug project, with some info on Ladybugs as well as details on the loss of native species in the United States.
http://www.lostladybug.org/
Support the show
- Website: http://TeaJaysGarden.com/
- Voicemail: 661-368-5177
NotesIf you have any specific questions about getting started with Compost (or anything else) you can contact me through the website or Direct Message me on the Fediverse http://mastodon.sdf.org/@capheind (or on Twitter or Instagram if you must)
Its time to cover compost, at least cover some of the basics. Compost, and organic matter management in general, is a huge topic, and it will be many episodes before I can even hope to cover it all. In this episode I give a basic overview of Hot Composting, Vermicomposting, and the biology that enables it.
Resources* A handy resource on Hot Composting, the info on dynamic accumulators is a little debatable, but it covers the basics well (https://www.compost.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/4-Hot-Composting.pdf) * A simple overview of compost microbiology from CalRecycle (https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/homecompost/microbes) * Cornells fairly extensive composting handbook (http://compost.css.cornell.edu) * The Humanuer Handbook (https://humanurehandbook.com/) * Everything You Know About Composting is Wrong: Mike McGrath at TEDxPhoenixville, Leaf Mould (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9OhxKlrWwc) * The Myth of Foliar Feeding (https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/foliar-feeding.pdf) * Vermicomposting, Is it Great? (https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/foliar-feeding.pdf) * The Myth of Compost Tea (https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/compost-tea.pdf) * The Myth of Compost Tea Revisited:"Aerobically-brewed compost tea suppresses disease" (https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/compost-tea-2.pdf) * The Myth of Compost Tea, Episode III: "Aerobically-brewed compost tea suppresses disease" (https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/compost-tea-3.pdf)
This episode is released under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) License by its author Troy Truchon. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
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- Website: http://TeaJaysGarden.com/
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NotesUpdate: An explanation of the change I made to the show notes of my Seed Starting Special episode (https://www.buzzsprout.com/501553/6925235 ) after seeing a tweet by Dr. Sarah Taber (https://twitter.com/SarahTaber_bww/status/1350557247680761857). It added to small field of red flags I already had regarding that company.
In this episode I follow up on my Seed Starting Special by discussing the horticultural practice of “Stepping up” or more simply, moving your plants from a low nutrition seed starting mix to a medium suitable for growing out your plants. 2
Resources* Cliven Bundy’s remarks - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cliven-bundy-racist_n_5204821 * Decent starting guidelines for Potting Mix - https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C787 * Some info on how to work out how much actual NPK your getting - https://www.gardenmyths.com/fertilizer-npk-ratios-what-do-they-really-mean/
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Website: http://TeaJaysGarden.com/
Voicemail: 661-368-5177
Notes
If you have any specific questions about starting seeds (or anything else) you can contact me through the website or Direct Message me on the Fediverse http://mastodon.sdf.org/@capheind (or on Twitter or Instagram if you must)
A quick dip into the intricate world of the nitrogen cycle, from its humble origins of N2 to its final form as one of plant kinds most vital nutrient. It can be Synthetic or au naturel, bound up in several different molecules, and fixed freely in the soil or directly in root nodules. Give a listen.
Resources
Nitrogen on the periodic table - https://www.webelements.com/nitrogen/
Plants do not convert CO2 into O2 - https://www.howplantswork.com/2009/02/16/plants-dont-convert-co2-into-o2/
How Lightning can create soil nitrogen - https://wxguys.ssec.wisc.edu/2018/07/09/lightning/
Nitrogen Fixation in Legumes - https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_a/A129/
The history of Night Soil in the United States - https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/when-american-cities-were-full-of-crap
Humanure Handbook - https://humanurehandbook.com/
Urine as a nitrogen source - http://nwedible.com/how-to-use-pee-in-your-garden/
Guano Islands Act - https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/smithsonian-and-guano
A video on the production of synthetic Ammonium - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1_D4FscMnU
This episode is released under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) License by its author Troy Truchon. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Support the show (https://liberapay.com/capheind/)
- Website: http://TeaJaysGarden.com/
- Voicemail: 661-368-5177
NotesJoyous HumanLight!
If you have any specific questions about starting seeds (or anything else) you can contact me through the website or Direct Message me on the Fediverse http://mastodon.sdf.org/@capheind (or on Twitter or Instagram if you must)
I misspoke about Perlite and Vermiculite. Pearlite is a naturally expanded volcanic gas, Vermiculite is a mineral compound that can be heated to expand (incidentally the name comes from the heated products tendency to expand into worm like strands.)
Also to clarify, when I said “There aren’t many genetically modified organisms in food production right now.” I meant to say varieties, significant portions of our sugar beet and field corn populations are GMO, as is most alfalfa grown as a feed. But those are only a very small handful of varieities that aren’t trivial for you to get.
Update: I am no longer comfortable recommending Baker Creek Seeds as I was unaware of their relationship with Cliven Bundy. There were already some red flags for me and this was one too many. I apologize if anyone made a purchase based on listening to this episode.
Seed Links
- Native Seed Search - Native American Seed Request
- Seed Savers Exchange - Donation Program - Join
- San Diego Seed Company
- Johnny’s Selected Seeds
- National Plant Germplasm System
Resources
- Frost Dates in California from UC Davis
- Frost Dates from the Old Farmers Almanac
- The Dwarf Tomato Project - Tomato Talk - Micro-Dwarf Tomato Project
- A Tiny Green Cell - Sebastians Etsy
Tea Jay’s Garden 1.0
- Craig LeHoullier and Patrina Small, The Tomato Episode, Introduction, Dwarfs, and Epic Tomatoes
- Interview with Sebastian Cocioba of New York Botanics LLC
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Hello Gardeners! This week I thought I’d talk about Bitterness in Cucumbers. Cucumbers can become bitter as a response to literally any stressors of the plant. In this episode I talk about the different types of cucumbers, why they go bitter, how to deal with it, resistant varieties, and a wonderful alternative I’ve taken to using.
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Products Mentioned
- 20 pack of 5-Gallon grow bags on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YR96PZZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- 6 pack of 20-Gallon grow bags on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QLXTH52/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Mary’s Fall Garden Seed Starter Kit https://www.marysheirloomseeds.com/collections/seed-pack-combos/products/fall-garden-seed-satrter-kit
- Armenian Cucumber from San Diego Seed Company https://sandiegoseedcompany.com/shop/warm-season-crops/cucumber-armenian/
- Xylangouro Cucumber Melon (Greek Cucumber) from Baker Creek Seed Company https://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/new-items-2020/xylangouro-cucumber-melon
Further Reading
- Seedless Cucumbers are a Different Pickle from the MSU Extension website https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/seedless_cucumbers_are_a_different_pickle
- Beit Alpha cucumber Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWr6QMPqm_A
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Call the show 661-368-5177
Its 102 Degrees here today (Pics), which is pretty typical of my summers here in Bakersfield. It got me thinking about gardening in extreme heat. In this episode I’ll explain why amaranth does just fine in high heat, why your wilting plants are probably fine, a bit about the wonderful world of Photosynthesis, and why you should pour beer on your plants.
The “Greek Cucumber” I mentioned several times in the episode is XYLANGOURO CUCUMBER MELON, which I picked up at Baker Creek Seeds https://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/new-items-2020/xylangouro-cucumber-melon. The Red Amaranth was Red Leaf Vegetable Amaranth which I got from Johnny’s Selected Seeds https://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/greens/specialty-greens/red-leaf-vegetable-amaranth-specialty-green-seed-516.html. You can find my interview with Craig Lehoulier at https://www.buzzsprout.com/501553/episodes/1870285-craig-lehoullier-and-patrina-small-the-tomato-episode-introduction-dwarfs-and-epic-tomatoes. If you want to learn a bit more about Photosynthesis this is a decent primer on the different types https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/photosynthesis-in-plants/photorespiration--c3-c4-cam-plants/a/c3-c4-and-cam-plants-agriculture
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Call the show 661-368-5177
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Welcome back for episode 25. Not episode 52 as i say on the show.
Sorry I’ve been away for so long, alot has happened. I mean aside from the obvious things we’ve all been going through. I hope this episode finds you well.
I’m pivoting yet again. I’ve decided, for now, to just talk about Gardening and leave any other plans off for the time being. From now on this will be a show where I share my gardening experiences, knowledge, and whats going on in Tea Jay’s actual Garden.
In this episode I talk about:
- The pitfalls of trying to Grow Your Own to survive the pandemic
- Some actually great reasons you should be gardening
- Why I Garden
- And some of the interesting plants gracing my garden this year.
For a start I’m groing alot of Bushing and Dwarf Varieties, and looking into getting involved with growing out Micro-Dwarf Tomatoes from https://www.tomato-talk.com/. I’m also trialing Tepary Beans from https://store.experimentalfarmnetwork.org/collections/legumes/products/lofthouse-landrace-tepary-beans . The Experimental Farm Network is a great place to pickup experimental varieties and unfinished hybrids to play around with.
Also an update, since I recorded this there have, in fact, been some food shortages affecting the US. But, every case I’ve heard of so far has been processed foods and beverages. There is a shortage of some Diet sodas, and some brands of Beer. I still feel that my statements in the podcast are substantially correct.
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Full Show Notes at http://teajaysgarden.com/?p=476
Call the show 661-368-5177
An interview with Hedi Baxter Lauffer Director of Teaching & Learning with the Wisconsin Fast Plants Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We talk about Fast Plants and their educational applications. Specifically using them to teach plant biology, and different projects and activities you can use them for.
Links
- Wisconsin Fast Plants
- Bottle Biology
- Carolina Biological Supply
- My First Experience Teaching with Fast Plants by Julie LaConte
- Signup for their Blog Mailing List
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Full Show Notes and Blog Post at http://teajaysgarden.com/?p=468
Call the show 661-368-5177
Dwarf Tomatoes
My Interview with Craig LeHoullier and Patrina Small
Micro-dwarf Tomatoes
Gold Nugget Squash
Gold Nugget Squash
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Hey folks,
This is just a short episode I felt that I needed to put out after the Tomato episode and my talk with Sebastian Cocioba. I wanted to do an introduction to the Open Source methodology/philosophy for gardeners. I’ll cover what “Open Source” is, as well as my history with it and its intersection with gardening.
Open Source Links
- What is Open Source
- Overview of the GNU system.
- SDF.org
Open Source Gardening Links
- Open Source Seed Initiative
- OSSI Pledge
- Farm.Bot
- The Grow Room
- Issues with Plant Utility Patents
Thanks for listening, you can contact the show at http://www.teajaysgarden.com/ or call the show at 661-368-5177
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In this episode I review Backyard Market Gardening: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Selling What You Grow by Andy W Lee and Patricia L Foreman. It is a primer and basic instruction manual to small scale market gardening. Its, yet another, used book I’m reviewing, this is the 11th printing. I also talk a little bit about what I’m doing with the show.
Please follow the show on
Mastodon https://mastodon.social/@troyjoe
Twitter https://twitter.com/teajaysgarden
And you can contact the show at http://www.teajaysgarden.com/ or call the show at 661-368-5177
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Leave Feedback @ (661) 368-5177
For week 44 of the gardening year I’m interviewing a longtime friend of mine Sebastian Cocioba owner of New York Botanics LLC and atinygreencell on Instagram. Sebastian is a “bio hacker” who’s goal is to increase the general level of education about Genetics technologies.
A few things. First, I’ve tweaked the show format, moving to a single segment a week. Trying to squeeze in three segments every episode just wasn’t possible with the current demands on my time. I also apologize that there was no Week 43, I had been out with a minor back injury and producing that week was clobbered by my return to work. The audio quality bounces around just a little bit, I have to replace a piece of equipment so hopefully I’ll have this resolved in time for the next show.
- Crispr
- Agrobacterium
- Gene Gun
- Spermadine
- Myo Tomato
- School of Visual Arts
- crelox
- Community Labs
- Ghost Orchid
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I apologize in advance for the audio quality of this episode. I was dealing with a dodgy microphone and some parts of my audio has static, but this is only here and there during the interview and its otherwise acceptable. I have it fixed, it won't continue into future episodes.
In this episode I give an overview of the domesticated tomato, my feelings on the term "Heirloom", I have a talk with Patrina Nuske Small and Craig LeHoullier about Dwarf Tomatoes, and I review Craigs book Epic Tomatoes.
Here are some tomato varieties mentioned in the Interview Portion
- Wherokowhai pronounced fer-dow-co-fi
- Uluru Ochre
- Kangaroo Paw Red
- Sweet Scarlet Dwarf
- Dwarf Golden Gypsy
- Dwarf Firebird Sweet
- Dwarf Wild Fred
Craig LeHoullier and Patrina Small links
- Epic Tomatoes
- Dwarf Tomato Project
- S2E4 THE DWARF TOMATO PROJECT -- FREE THE SEED! PODCAST
- Tomato grower Petrina Nuske Small, from south-east NSW, talks about the new tomato variety she has bred.
General Links
- Seed Savers Exchange
- Tomatoville
- Open Source Seed Initiative
- Father of modern tomato breeding
- PFAF Entry on Tomatoes
Seed Suppliers who carry Dwarf Tomatoes in the US
- Victory Seed Company
- Heritage Seed Market
- Tatianas Tomato Base
- Sample Seed Shop
- Tomatofest
- Fruition Seeds
Thanks for listening, you can contact the show at http://www.teajaysgarden.com/ or call the show at 661-368-5177
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This week I get into my year at the Learning Garden, have a great chat with Suzy Buttress of The Casual Birder Podcast, and I review a couple of books on Straw Bale Gardening. I have to apologize, near the end of the Podcast accidentally called Patrina Small by the name Patricia.
After speaking with Suzy Buttress I was still unable to work out the hawk that made an unscheduled appearance in the podcast, but in the process I did stumble onto All About Birds. Its linked to the Cornell Universities Merlin App database. Here is a link to her appearance on the Hummingbirds Episode of the Varmints Podcast.
Here are the birds mentioned in the interview care of All About Birds.
- Collared Doves
- White Winged Pigeons
- Sharp Shinned Hawk
- Coopers Hawk
- Morning Dove
- Black Phoebe
- Californian Towhee
And here are some links to other things mentioned in the interview.
- Humming Bird Calls
- Structural Color
- Aotearoa's extinct bird calls
- Thousands Of Feral Lime Green Parakeets Call Bakersfield Home
- Silent Spring
Wrapping up the podcast I review the following books.
- Straw Bale Gardens Complete, Updated Edition: Breakthrough Method for Growing Vegetables Anywhere, Earlier and with No Weeding 2nd Edition by Joel Karsten
- Growing Vegetables in Straw Bales: Easy Planting, Less Weeding, Early Harvests. A Storey BASICS® Title Paperback by Craig LeHoullier
Thanks for listening, you can contact the show at http://www.teajaysgarden.com/ or call the show at 661-368-5177
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Wrapping up Seed Saving Week we are talking about plant breeding experiments you can do provided you have the space and time. And I Cover the University of Wisconsin's Fast Plants, which don’t require much time or space.
Resources
- Saving Sun Gold Pg. 151 Epic Tomatoes
- Dwarf Tomato Project
- BREEDING NEW DWARF TOMATOES craiglehoullier.com
- Wisconsin Fast Plants of the University of Wisconsin: Homepage
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In this episode we get into the realm of Self Fertile Fruits and Vegetables. Self Fertile crops rarely deviate from the mother plant since it is often usually the father crop as well. Crosses of self fertile crops often have to be done manually and as such they are great plants to get started with Seed Saving.
Resources
- Pollination of Vegetable Crops
- What are Self-Pollinating Vegetables?
- This Bee Gets Punched by Flowers For Your Ice Cream | Deep Look
- Hermaphroditic Flower Performs Gravity Defying Dance to Fertilize Itself
- Google Doodle celebrates Mexican-American botanist and explorer Ynés Mexía
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Landrace Gardening is gaining some traction. As part of Seed Saving Week we’ll dive into the world of landrace breeding and seed saving, and why it might be the easiest way to save seed.
Resources
- Landrace Gardening: Survival of the Fittest
- SECTION B. LANDRACES B.1. Introduction fao.org
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In this episode I’m going to shed some light on the world of Heirloom Fruit and Vegetable cultivars. I will also stumble excessively on the distinction between a Variety and a Cultivar. Heirloom and open pollinated varieties are perhaps the best choices for saving seed and amateur breeding experiments so I wanted to hit them early on.
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This week I’m going to tackle plant breeding and seed saving. I’m sure in future episodes I’ll dig into these topics alot more, but for now I wanted to dive into the basics. This episode covers some preliminary plant genetics to serve as a primer for what I’ll be talking about the rest of the week.
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A review of the 1998 edition of Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza. Lasagna gardening is essentially a sheet mulching/composting method designed to turn a patch of turf into a garden bed nearly instantly. Because these gardens don’t require building raised beds, do not rely on the local soil, and only require materials that can be made or sourced cheaply its a great way to start a garden. Although I’m not sure where to get that many newspapers these days.
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A review of the 2005 edition of The All New Square Foot Garden by Mel Bartholomew with a particular focus on using it to start community and school gardens. You can find more at his Square Foot Gardening Website. The Truth About Peat at In Defense of Plants breaks down the issues with Peat Moss.
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A brief and realistic introduction to starting a school garden. There will be alot more from me on this topic, but for now I just wanted to give some quick “getting started” advice to educators and administrators interested in starting or restarting a school garden. These tips apply equally well to anyone wanting to start a garden with or without children being involved.
Resources
- School Garden Sustainability
- When a School Garden Doesn’t Grow | Bright
- How to use a Olla to water your garden
- Seed Savers Exchange Seed Donation Program
- Native Seeds/Search Seed Donation Program
- Integrated Pest Management | UC Davis
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A very basic introduction to gardening with children. This is a topic I’m somewhat passionate about, as I’ve already mentioned it is actually my day job. This episode focuses on tips for how to get children engaged in gardening, and how to ensure basic safety. If you have any questions, or if there are topics I mentioned that you’d like me to explore in greater depth, please Contact Me and let me know.
Resources
- Sarah’s Realm
- A Cure for Plant Blindness | Margaret Conover | TEDxSBU
- Thousands Of Feral Lime Green Parakeets Call Bakersfield Home
- Crown Bees: The Native Bee Experts
- Frau Zinnie on Monarch Butterflies
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Call it Razor Grass, Wire Grass, or Bermuda Grass, it can be a pain. I had just spent the last week ripping up Bermuda Grass from my garden beds. In this episode I cover why its so hard to deal with, and why the only way tends to involve quite a bit of elbow grease.
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Another episode on corn, this one covering the complicated world of Hybrid Corn. This should be the end of my info dump on corn for a while. I’m sure as time goes on I’ll have more to say on the topic… hope your all ears :)
Resources
- Landrace Gardening
- F1 Hybrid, What is it.
- Heinz 57 catalog
- Heirloom Corn at Seed Savers Exchange
- Heirloom Corn at Native Seed Search
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All about corn! Ok, that is an exaggeration, quite a bit about corn. I’m no expert, but I am fascinated by just how much we’ve managed to do with this insanely versatile plant.
Resources
- Corn: It's Not for Cocktails kind of poo poos my favorite theory, but a good overview of some current research.
- The Corn of the Future Is Hundreds of Years Old and Makes Its Own Mucus.
- Who should profit from Mexico’s nitrogen-fixing corn?
- Atom in the garden of Eden
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Getting down with some soil science basics in week 1 of the podcast. Hopefully this lets you understand the material we grow in a bit better. This is definitely a topic I will revisit as things go forward.
Resources
- Soil Layers
- What Clay Looks Like
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First Episode
Decided to talk about water since it seems to be a question everyone has. Knowing when to water can literally be as complicated or as easy as you'd like.
Links
- Evapotranspiration
- Water Holding Capacity
- Crassulacean Acid Metabolism
- Native Seed Search
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