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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/ 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.  ResourcesA 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)Support the show

Website: http://TeaJaysGarden.com/ 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 ResourcesCliven Bundy’s remarks - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cliven-bundy-racist_n_5204821Decent starting guidelines for Potting Mix - https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C787Some info on how to work out how much actual NPK your getting - https://www.gardenmyths.com/fertilizer-npk-ratios-what-do-they-really-mean/ Support the show

Website: http://TeaJaysGarden.com/ 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

Website: http://TeaJaysGarden.com/ 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. Perlite 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 varieties 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 RequestSeed Savers Exchange - Donation Program - JoinSan Diego Seed CompanyJohnny’s Selected SeedsNational Plant Germplasm SystemResources Frost Dates in California from UC Davis Frost Dates from the Old Farmers Almanac The Dwarf Tomato Project - Tomato Talk - Micro-Dwarf Tomato ProjectA Tiny Green Cell  - Sebastians EtsyTea Jay’s Garden 1.0 Craig LeHoullier and Patrina Small, The Tomato Episode, Introduction, Dwarfs, and Epic TomatoesInterview with Sebastian Cocioba of New York Botanics LLC  Support the show

Review on Podchaser https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/tea-jays-garden-940560 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. ========== 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=16 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=1Mary’s Fall Garden Seed Starter Kit https://www.marysheirloomseeds.com/collections/seed-pack-combos/products/fall-garden-seed-satrter-kitArmenian 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-melonFurther Reading Seedless Cucumbers are a Different Pickle from the MSU Extension website https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/seedless_cucumbers_are_a_different_pickleBeit Alpha cucumber Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWr6QMPqm_ASupport the show

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. 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 Support the show

Leave a Review on Podchaser https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/tea-jays-garden-940560 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 pandemicSome actually great reasons you should be gardeningWhy I GardenAnd 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.  Support the show

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 PlantsBottle BiologyCarolina Biological SupplyMy First Experience Teaching with Fast Plants by Julie LaConteSignup for their Blog Mailing ListSupport the show

Small crops for small spaces and kids. Dwarf Tomatoes My Interview with Craig LeHoullier and Patrina Small Micro-dwarf Tomatoes Gold Nugget Squash Gold Nugget Squash  Support the show

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 SourceOverview of the GNU‌ system.SDF.orgOpen Source Gardening Links Open Source Seed InitiativeOSSI‌ PledgeFarm.BotThe Grow RoomIssues with Plant Utility PatentsThanks for listening, you can contact the show at http://www.teajaysgarden.com/. Support the show

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/. Support the show