Garden

Soil, compost, seeds and growing your own food.

These are short notes in our own words from videos made by others; each note names the channel it came from. Talk with your doctor before changing your diet, taking supplements or starting new exercise.

Add compost to beds every season

Work a layer of well-aged compost, ideally including composted manure, into the top few inches of soil before planting each year to build living soil and stronger plants that tolerate pests better.

Steps:

1. Before planting, spread a good layer of well-aged compost.
2. Work it into the top few inches of soil.
3. Repeat every year rather than only when problems appear.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Add rice to worm bins and compost piles

The video suggests adding 2-3 tablespoons of cooked rice per worm bin feeding, mixed with scraps and bedding, and scattering a thin layer of crushed raw or leftover cooked rice between green and brown layers in a compost pile. It says the resulting castings and compost go back to the garden beds.

You will need:

• cooked rice
• crushed raw rice
• kitchen scraps
• bedding
• green and brown compost layers

Steps:

1. In a worm bin, add 2-3 tablespoons of cooked rice per feeding, mixed with scraps and bedding.
2. In a compost pile, scatter a thin layer of crushed raw or leftover cooked rice between the green and brown layers.
3. Use the finished castings and compost in garden beds.

Idea from a video by Hank’s Gardening Journey.

Age compost with plant roots for a fungal-dominant pile

Fungal-dominant compost builds soil more slowly but more stably than bacterial-dominant compost. Some growers age compost with the target plant’s seedlings or roots growing in it so the mycorrhizal fungi carry over.

Idea from a YouTube video.

Aloe vera gel water for cuttings

Scrape clear gel from an aloe leaf, avoid the yellowish liquid under the skin, blend with a little lukewarm water, and root cuttings in that mix. The video also says a cut end can be pushed into a fresh aloe leaf and planted together.

You will need:

• aloe vera leaf
• lukewarm water

Steps:

1. Cut a small piece from a lower aloe leaf
2. Scrape out the clear gel and avoid the yellowish liquid under the skin
3. Blend the gel with a little lukewarm water
4. Place cuttings in the aloe water

Idea from a video by Living Self-Sufficiently.

Amaranth in depleted, drought-prone soil

An annual that grows in compacted, depleted soil with little organic matter. Its seeds and cooked leaves are eaten, and the leaves are described as spinach-like.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Amaranth is easy to grow from scattered seed

Amaranth tolerates drought, heat, salty and poor soil. Seed can be scattered on dirt and left alone, and the leaves, seeds and flour are all usable.

Steps:

1. Scatter seed on the soil
2. Leave it to grow with little care

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

American groundnut as a low-maintenance perennial

A native vine that yields small edible tubers the first year and bigger ones in later years. Always cook the tubers, since raw they are tough and bitter. Hardy to zone 3 and survives winter underground.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

American groundnut as a perennial food and soil-building legume

A native North American vine with clustered underground tubers. It fixes nitrogen, hardy to zone 3, grows in full to partial sun in moist sandy soil near a support, and regrows from tubers left in the ground.

Steps:

1. Plant beside a structure for the vine to climb.
2. Harvest tubers in fall and leave some in the ground to regrow in spring.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

American groundnut in moist, partly shaded sand

A tuber-producing native vine that tolerates partial shade and moist sandy ground and fixes nitrogen. The tubers taste like a nutty potato.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

American groundnut needs a strong trellis and 2-3 years to mature

Groundnut vines grow 6 to 10 feet per year and need a strong trellis; tubers take two to three years to size up and are harvested in late fall after frosts. It is a nitrogen-fixing legume that improves soil.

Steps:

1. Provide a strong trellis
2. Allow two to three years for tubers to size up
3. Harvest in late fall after a few hard frosts

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Angled 55-gallon barrel cellar

Bury a food-grade barrel at a 30 to 45 degree angle with only the lid end showing, screen the top vent holes with hardware cloth, and add extra insulation like a straw-filled wooden hatch for winter.

You will need:

• 55-gallon food-grade barrel
• gravel
• hardware cloth
• soil
• straw or foam board

Steps:

1. Dig a hole for the barrel at a 30 to 45 degree angle.
2. Line the hole bottom with gravel.
3. Drill vent holes near the top edge and staple hardware cloth over them.
4. Lower the barrel, pack soil tightly, and add straw or foam board insulation over the lid in cold months.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Apply wood mulch on the surface, not tilled in

Surface wood mulch does not starve plants of nitrogen the way mixed-in wood chips can. It adds organic matter, holds moisture, and suppresses weeds.

You will need:

• wood mulch

Steps:

1. Spread wood mulch on top of the soil
2. Do not dig it into the root zone

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Applying diluted microbe liquid to a leaf pile

Dilute a small amount of the stored serum in a large volume of water, soak the leaf pile without making it swampy, and cover it with a dark tarp. The video says the pile heats up within a day or two; this is the video’s claim and is not verified.

You will need:

• stored microbe serum
• non-chlorinated water, such as rainwater or water left out overnight

Steps:

1. Mix one tablespoon of the serum into a gallon of water that has been left out overnight or is rainwater.
2. Spray or pour the mixture over each layer of dry leaves until they are damp but not soaking.
3. Cover the whole pile tightly with a dark plastic tarp.
4. Check the centre of the pile after one to two days for heat.

Idea from a video by Grandpa Bill’s Lost Secrets.

Astragalus root in a deep pot

Grow Astragalus in a deep container, since the root grows straight down. It is a cold-hardy perennial. Harvest roots after three to four years and leave the crown intact. Slice dried root and simmer 30 minutes for broth or soup.

You will need:

• dried sliced Astragalus root
• water or bone broth

Steps:

1. Grow from seed or a root cutting in a deep pot in full sun to partial shade.
2. After three to four years, harvest roots and leave the crown.
3. Slice the dried root thin and simmer in water for 30 minutes.
4. Add to broth or soup.

Idea from a video by Secrets Beneath Nature with Dan.

Avoid spraying foliar product in hot late-day sun

The speaker says a foliar application burned his plant leaves because it was applied too late in the day, with sun hitting the wet leaves. He suggests timing sprays to avoid strong sun.

Steps:

1. Apply foliar sprays earlier in the day or when sun is not strong on the leaves.
2. Test on a small area first if unsure of a product’s leaf tolerance.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Avoid tilling and use a broadfork to loosen compaction

Tilling can break up fungal networks and compact soil over time. Use a broadfork to relieve compaction without turning the soil, and plant cover crops.

You will need:

• compost
• cover crop seed

Steps:

1. Use a broadfork to loosen compacted soil
2. Add compost on top and let it incorporate naturally
3. Plant cover crops

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Bagging straw logs in poly tubing with air holes

Mixed straw and grain spawn can be packed into two-mil poly tubing with holes poked along it so the mushrooms get air. After a couple of weeks the logs are moved to a humidified space and harvested about five days later.

You will need:

• straw and grain spawn mix
• two-mil poly tubing

Steps:

1. Mix the pasteurized straw with grain spawn.
2. Pack the mix into two-mil poly tubing.
3. Poke holes in the tubing to let the mushrooms breathe.
4. Incubate for a couple of weeks, then move to a humidified space to fruit.

Idea from a video by Shroomhouse.

Bakery bread trays for seedlings and hardening off

Open-lattice bakery and produce trays drain well for seed starting and let a flat of seedlings be moved in and out for hardening off. Cracked trays are fine for garden use.

Steps:

1. Ask the bakery counter or produce manager for broken or surplus trays
2. Use for seed starting on a heat mat and for moving seedlings outdoors to harden off

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Balance cover crop mixes

Plant a mix of cover crops from several plant families rather than too many nitrogen-fixing legumes or brassicas. Too many legumes can cause a nitrogen flush when the crop is cut or tilled in, and too many brassicas can suppress fungi.

Idea from a YouTube video.

Bambara groundnut grows its pods underground

Bambara groundnut bends its flower stalk down so the developing pods mature beneath the soil; it tolerates poor soils and low rainfall.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Be careful mixing boron

The video notes that boron is biotoxic, so care is needed when combining it with compost extract. The speaker says extract otherwise mixes well with most other amendments.

Idea from a video by Danthonia Farm.

Beans planted alongside carrots

The video says beans add nitrogen to the soil, which benefits nearby carrots, and their leaves shade the carrot roots.

Idea from a video by Quantloop.

Biochar in soil

Use pure charcoal with no additives, crushed into small pieces, and soak it in compost tea or diluted fertilizer before mixing it into soil or compost. The video says it holds nutrients and lasts for years.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Black-eyed peas need little water and fix nitrogen

Black-eyed peas do better with less water, and their roots pull moisture from deep soil and add nitrogen to the soil for neighboring plants.

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Blanching leeks for long white stems

Plant leeks fairly close and deep, then hill soil up around the stems as they grow to get long, mild, tender white stalks. Watch for allium leaf miner and leek moth.

Steps:

1. Plant leeks fairly close together
2. Set them deep
3. Hill soil up around stems as they grow

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Boron as a trace nutrient for fruiting plants

The video says boron, a trace element, helps fruiting plants set flowers and fruit, and that low boron can show up as hollow or brown centers in some vegetables and poor fruit set in trees. Boron can build up to toxic levels, so get a soil test first and follow a local extension office’s rate rather than the video’s dose.

Steps:

1. Get a soil test to see whether boron is actually low before adding anything.
2. If a test or local extension advice confirms a deficiency, use a boron rate they recommend instead of the video’s figure.

Idea from a video by Eli Yoder Agriculture.

Brewing a fermented rice-and-milk microbe starter

Make a starter from rice wash fermented for a few days, then culture it in milk for about a week. Skim the curds off the top and keep the clear yellow liquid, mixed with an equal amount of brown sugar or molasses for storage.

You will need:

• uncooked rice
• water
• milk
• brown sugar or molasses

Steps:

1. Rinse uncooked rice in water until the water turns cloudy white.
2. Cover the jar with a breathable cloth and let it rest in a dark, warm spot for two to three days.
3. Mix one part of the fermented rice water with ten parts milk in a larger glass container.
4. Leave it undisturbed in the dark for about a week until curds form on top and clear yellow liquid sits below.
5. Scoop off the curds and strain the yellow serum into a clean bottle.
6. Mix the serum with an equal amount of brown sugar or molasses to store it.

Idea from a video by Grandpa Bill’s Lost Secrets.

Broad fork with no-till approach

A broadfork is used to loosen soil with tines only about halfway in, followed by raking, so the soil is not heavily disturbed.

Steps:

1. Insert broadfork tines about halfway into soil
2. Work the soil with the broadfork
3. Rake the bed

Idea from a video by Epic Gardening.

Bucket setup for purslane

Use a 5-gallon bucket with drainage holes, fill with any soil, scatter seed on the surface without burying it, press gently, mist, and place in full sun for at least six hours a day. Seedlings usually appear in about 7 to 10 days.

Steps:

1. Drill four small drainage holes in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket
2. Fill with potting mix, garden soil or other available soil
3. Scatter seeds across the surface without burying them and press in with your palm
4. Mist with a spray bottle and place in full sun for at least six hours a day
5. Water occasionally for the first two weeks, then water sparingly

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Budget buried tote root cellar

Drill drainage and airflow holes in a large plastic tote, line the bottom with gravel, bury it up to the lid on a shaded north-facing spot, and insulate the lid with straw bales or carpet weighted down.

You will need:

• large plastic storage tote
• gravel
• drill
• straw bales or old carpet
• board for weighting

Steps:

1. Drill small holes around the sides and bottom of the tote.
2. Line the bottom with two to three inches of gravel.
3. Bury the tote up to its lid in a shaded north-facing spot.
4. Backfill around it and cover the lid with straw or carpet weighted by a board.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Build a basic rain barrel for garden water

Set a food-grade 55-gallon drum on a sturdy base of cinder blocks under a downspout. Add a spigot near the bottom, an overflow hose on the side away from the house, and fine mesh over the inlet to keep mosquitoes out. Use it for outdoor, non-drinking watering only.

You will need:

• 55-gallon food-grade plastic drum
• three-quarter inch brass spigot or hose bib
• bulkhead fitting
• downspout diverter kit or flexible downspout elbow
• fine mesh screen
• overflow hose fitting and hose
• silicone caulk and teflon tape
• cinder blocks or sturdy stand

Steps:

1. Place the barrel on a flat, stable stand of four to six cinder blocks under a downspout.
2. Drill and seal the bulkhead fitting a few inches above the bottom, then install the spigot with teflon tape.
3. Cut an inlet hole in the top, or fit the flexible elbow, and connect it to the downspout or diverter.
4. Drill and seal an overflow fitting a few inches below the top on the side facing away from the house, and run hose to a flower bed or lawn.
5. Cover the main inlet with fine mesh screen and secure it tightly.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Build a buried wood bed

Dig a trench about two feet deep, lay the largest logs on the bottom, pack smaller branches and wood chips into the gaps, add leaves, grass clippings or kitchen scraps, cover with at least six inches of soil, and plant into it. Water well the first season.

You will need:

• untreated hardwood logs
• smaller branches and wood chips
• leaves, grass clippings or kitchen scraps
• soil

Steps:

1. Dig a trench about two feet deep
2. Lay the largest logs on the bottom
3. Pack smaller sticks and wood chips into the gaps
4. Add a layer of leaves, grass clippings or kitchen scraps
5. Cover with at least six inches of soil and plant directly into it
6. Water well the first season

Idea from a video by Forbidden Roots.

Build a Hugelkultur mound

Stack large logs at the bottom, fill gaps with smaller branches, add a nitrogen-rich green layer soaked with water, then cap with about six inches of topsoil. The buried wood acts as a water-holding sponge and warms the bed as it decomposes.

You will need:

• old logs and large branches
• smaller twigs and sticks
• grass clippings, kitchen scraps or fresh compost
• topsoil

Steps:

1. Dig a shallow trench about a foot deep, or build on level ground
2. Lay the largest logs at the bottom
3. Add smaller branches and twigs to fill gaps
4. Add nitrogen-rich green material and soak thoroughly with water
5. Cap with about six inches of topsoil and rake smooth

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Build a shotgun fruiting chamber from a plastic tote

Drill about a quarter-inch hole pattern spaced roughly two inches apart on all six sides of a plastic tote for fresh air exchange. Line the bottom with screen mesh, add about three inches of rinsed, damp perlite to hold humidity, and elevate the chamber so air can move underneath.

You will need:

• plastic tote
• quarter-inch drill bit
• screen door mesh
• perlite
• vermiculite
• aluminum foil

Steps:

1. Drill holes about two inches apart across all sides, including the lid and bottom, letting the bit do the work.
2. Clean out shavings and rinse the container.
3. Cover the bottom holes with screen mesh to keep perlite in.
4. Add about three inches of rinsed, thoroughly damp perlite and drain excess water.
5. Coat cakes in fresh vermiculite, set each on a small piece of foil, and place them on a raised rack or shelf.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Build an insect-proof raised bed with arched mesh cover

Frame a raised bed from wooden boards with internal bracing and a trim edge, insert bent plastic pipes through holes drilled in the sides to form arches, add a latched door, and cover with insect mesh sealed against gaps. Lay straw at the bottom, fill with soil, then plant seedlings and water lightly.

Steps:

1. Build a planting frame from wooden boards and add internal supports for strength
2. Finish the top edges with wooden trim to keep soil in
3. Drill small holes on both long sides
4. Bend plastic pipes and insert them into the holes to form an arch
5. Install a front door with a latch
6. Cover the whole structure with insect-proof mesh, leaving no gaps
7. Lay a layer of straw inside the bed, fill with soil, plant seedlings and water lightly

Idea from a YouTube video.

Build an insectary strip for beneficial insects

Plant a border or strip of flowers and herbs that bloom through the season to give predatory and parasitic insects nectar, pollen and a reason to stay near vegetables.

Steps:

1. Set aside a bed edge or garden side strip.
2. Plant low, long-blooming flowers such as sweet alyssum.
3. Include dill, fennel and yarrow that flower and attract beneficials.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Build the leaf pile in layers and check moisture

Build the pile on bare soil in layers about six inches thick, wetting each layer and mixing by hand. Squeeze a handful to check moisture: it should hold its shape with only a drop or two of water.

Steps:

1. Place the pile on bare earth, not concrete or gravel.
2. Lay about six inches of shredded leaves.
3. Water the layer with the nitrogen liquid and mix by hand.
4. Squeeze a handful: too much water means add dry leaves, crumbling means add liquid.
5. Repeat layers until the pile is at least three feet wide and three feet tall.
6. Cover loosely with a tarp that keeps rain out but does not seal the pile.

Idea from a video by America Grows.

Buried banana peels for potassium

Bury peels 2-3 inches deep near tomatoes, peppers, and roses, or dry and crush them into powder for planting holes. Do not leave them on the surface.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Buried metal plates and earth battery setup

Place a copper plate and a galvanized steel plate on opposite sides of the bed, a few feet apart, among the logs. Run copper wire from each up through the mound. The plates must not touch, or the system short-circuits. Expect roughly half a volt to one volt, enough for a small LED or soil moisture sensor.

You will need:

• copper sheet
• galvanized steel sheet
• copper wire

Steps:

1. Place one copper and one galvanized plate on opposite sides among the logs, three to four feet apart
2. Attach copper wire to each plate with slack to reach the top
3. Make sure the plates never touch inside the bed
4. Connect a multimeter to the two wires to check output

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Buried steel nail and copper penny method (unverified)

The video describes burying two plain steel nails and a pre-1982 copper penny away from the trunk, under mulch, as a slow iron source lasting about 10 years. The lifespan, iron-release, and microbial claims are not supported by any source given in the video, so treat this as an untested idea.

You will need:

• two plain steel nails (not stainless or aluminum)
• one copper penny minted before 1982

Steps:

1. Choose plain steel nails without coatings.
2. Place the nails and penny 6 to 8 inches from the main stem, at the edge of the root zone, a few inches apart.
3. Cover the setup with about a 2-inch layer of organic mulch.

Idea from a video by Forbidden Roots.

Burlap sacks for planters, weed barrier and ties

Empty burlap coffee or grain sacks can be filled as fabric planters, laid as biodegradable weed barrier around young trees, cut into ties, or used to wrap bare root plants and protect trunks.

Steps:

1. Ask coffee roasters or feed stores for empty sacks
2. Fill with potting mix and cut drainage slits, or lay flat as weed barrier
3. Cut into strips for tying and staking

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Buy or grow moringa with a taproot, not from cuttings

The host advises against cuttings because they form no taproot and are more prone to storm damage. Starter trees with a strong taproot, grown in soil, are more durable. Moringa can be grown as an annual in cold zones and planted out after the last frost.

Steps:

1. Choose starter trees with a thick taproot rather than cuttings
2. Plant bare-root trees in the ground when warm
3. In cold areas, grow as an annual and overwinter in a pot

Idea from a video by Learn Organic Gardening at GrowingYourGreens.

Camelina is a low-input, cold-tolerant oilseed

The video says camelina grows on poor, dry soil with little water or fertilizer, tolerates frost, matures in about 85 to 100 days, and its flowers attract pollinators. It presents this as easy to grow from seed, though it gives no detailed planting instructions.

Idea from a video by Quiet Strength Woman.

Cardboard collars protect young transplants from cutworms

Slide a toilet paper roll or a cut paper towel roll section around the base of a transplant, pressed slightly into soil with the top above the soil line, to block cutworms during the vulnerable early stage.

You will need:

• empty toilet paper roll or paper towel roll

Steps:

1. Cut a paper towel roll into smaller sections, or use an empty toilet paper roll.
2. Slide it around the base of the transplant.
3. Press it slightly into the soil so it sticks up above the soil line.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Cardboard egg cartons as seed starters

Cardboard egg cartons hold seed starting mix well. The whole cup can be planted into the ground because the cardboard breaks down and roots grow through it.

Steps:

1. Fill each cup with seed starting mix and sow a seed
2. Water gently and plant the whole cup when transplanting

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Cardboard sheet mulching

Lay plain cardboard with no tape or glossy print between rows or around perennials, then cover with leaves, straw, or wood chips. It smothers weeds and breaks down into soil over a season.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Cattail in waterlogged corners

Cattail thrives in standing water and boggy clay where other food crops fail. The video says spring shoots, green pollen heads and roots are all edible at different stages.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Caucasian spinach for shade

A perennial climbing leafy green that handles partial shade and uses vertical space, useful where spinach struggles with heat and light.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Celtuce: harvest the thick stem

Celtuce is grown for its thick, crisp stem; let the plant grow tall and harvest the stem once it thickens, since bolting is the intended outcome.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Chaya climate and site needs

Chaya suits tropical and subtropical warm climates with mild winters, prefers full sun, tolerates poor soil, and becomes fairly drought tolerant after its first season.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Check onion and potato bags weekly for rot

Tip out onions and potatoes weekly and remove any soft or rotting ones, since a rotting vegetable in the pantry can attract flies.

Steps:

1. Once a week, tip the onion or potato bag out onto a table
2. Check each one and remove the soft or rotting ones before returning the rest

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Check root hairs to judge soil biology

Look at roots with a hand lens or microscope to see whether there are many root hairs. The speaker says root hairs are less likely to form when soil microbes are absent, so abundant hairs are a simple sign of healthy soil life.

Idea from a YouTube video.

Check soil moisture with your finger before watering

Push a finger about two inches into the soil. If it is dry, water deeply; if it is moist, skip watering. Adjust to weather rather than a fixed schedule.

Steps:

1. Push a finger about two inches into the soil
2. If dry, water deeply
3. If moist, hold off watering

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Check soil pH before buying iron for yellow leaves

The video says yellowing on acid-loving or alkaline-sensitive plants can come from high soil pH locking up iron that is already present, so adding more iron may not help. Testing pH first is a sensible step before buying a supplement.

Steps:

1. Test soil pH before buying an iron product.
2. If pH is high, consider how to lower it or choose plants suited to your soil before adding more iron.

Idea from a video by Forbidden Roots.

Check the fruit bowl every morning

Remove any fruit that is starting to turn so it does not become a breeding spot; use soft fruit for cooking or freeze overripe bananas.

Steps:

1. Look through the bowl each morning
2. Remove soft or turning fruit and use it right away or freeze it

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Check water salinity before relying on tap water

Cacao is sensitive to chlorides, which scorch leaf tips and margins. Have water tested by a local lab if salinity is a concern, since fixing it in irrigation is costly. Water daily once seedlings mature.

Steps:

1. Send a water sample to a local lab for a salinity test
2. Watch for scorched leaf tips and margins
3. Water seedlings daily once mature, and at least every two days when young

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Chickpea types and harvest

Desi chickpeas are small and dark and more drought-tolerant; Kabuli are large and mild. Harvest when pods turn brown and dry, hang the plant to finish drying, then shell by hand. Plant early spring or late summer.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Chickweed self-seeds heavily

A single chickweed plant can produce many seeds that stay viable in soil for years, so once it arrives in a garden it tends to persist and return each late winter.

Idea from a video by Backyard Yield.

Chinese artichoke harvested through winter

Krasniz tubers are perennial, can stay in the ground until dug, and can be harvested in fall and winter.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Chocha seed saving

Chocha does not cross with cucumbers or squash, which makes saving its seed simpler.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Choose fresh ripe pods and healthy seeds

Pick ripe pods recently taken from the tree, since this gives better germination. Check the pulp is milky white, not brown, dried or sprouted, and discard small, flat or damaged seeds.

Steps:

1. Open the ripe pod with a machete or mallet
2. Scoop seeds into a colander and discard one husk half
3. Check pulp is milky white and seeds are not sprouted
4. Wash gently to remove some pulp, then sort and discard weak seeds

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Choose only young, healthy brackets when harvesting

Avoid old, decaying or insect-infested brackets, which the video says can carry bacteria that cause food poisoning. Also learn to tell it apart from the toxic Jack-o’-lantern mushroom, which has gills rather than pores and grows in clumps.

Steps:

1. Harvest fresh, young brackets.
2. Skip old, decaying or insect-infested ones.
3. Check for pores underneath, not gills, and avoid clumps with central stems that could be Jack-o’-lantern.

Idea from a video by Garden Explained with Harry.

Choose organically grown or wild plants

Mr. Mills suggests buying plants grown organically without pesticides, or foraging, since plants fighting their own battles may produce more polyphenols; he cites an in-house comparison from his former company.

Idea from a video by The Diary Of A CEO.

Choose peanut types by use

Valencia peanuts are sweetest and best for fresh eating or boiling; Virginia types suit roasting and storage; Spanish types suit peanut butter. Use black plastic mulch to warm soil in cooler climates.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Choose safe wood for buried beds

Use untreated hardwoods such as oak, maple, birch, alder or fruit tree wood that has started to soften. Avoid pressure-treated lumber, black walnut, and cedar or redwood, which the video says break down too slowly.

You will need:

• untreated oak, maple, birch, alder or fruit tree wood

Steps:

1. Use only untreated hardwood
2. Skip pressure-treated lumber
3. Skip black walnut
4. Skip cedar and redwood

Idea from a video by Forbidden Roots.

Choose shade cloth by shade percentage, and black cloth for cooling

Pick shade cloth based on the shade percentage you need. At equal percentages, black cloth tends to keep plants cooler than white.

You will need:

• shade cloth

Steps:

1. Decide the shade percentage you need
2. Choose black cloth at that percentage for better cooling

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Chop and drop with effective microorganisms

Cut down cover crop residue and treat it with an effective microorganism inoculant so it breaks down into amino acids instead of releasing a nitrogen flush that off-gasses carbon and causes compaction.

Idea from a YouTube video.

Clean the drain weekly to remove drain fly breeding film

Drain flies breed in the slime inside drains. Pour boiling water down the drain and scrub the pipe walls and overflow area with a bottle brush or toothbrush once a week.

You will need:

• boiling water
• bottle brush or old toothbrush

Steps:

1. Once a week, scrub around the drain rim and under the stopper, and into the bathroom sink overflow hole with a brush
2. Pour boiling water slowly down the drain, then repeat for other sinks and the shower

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Clover fixes nitrogen in the soil

Clover’s roots host bacteria that pull nitrogen from the air into the soil, so a clover patch in a lawn or bed can improve fertility each season.

Idea from a video by Backyard Yield.

Clover sprouts for indoor winter greens

Clover seeds can be sprouted indoors during winter and are ready in about four days, giving fresh greens when nothing grows outside.

You will need:

• clover seeds

Steps:

1. Sprout clover seeds indoors
2. Harvest in about four days

Idea from a video by Backyard Yield.

Cloves are unopened flower buds picked by hand

Cloves are harvested as unopened flower buds, pinkish when picked and darkening as they dry.

Steps:

1. Pick buds by hand while closed
2. Dry until they darken

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Coffee grounds for acid-loving plants

Mix used grounds lightly into topsoil or compost for acid-loving shrubs. Avoid thick buried layers, which can mat and shed water. A thin surface layer may deter slugs.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Coffee grounds mixed into garden soil

Used coffee grounds can be worked into garden soil as a nitrogen-rich addition, and scattered around the garden to deter some pests.

You will need:

• used coffee grounds

Steps:

1. Collect used coffee grounds.
2. Mix them directly into garden soil.
3. Scatter them around plants to deter some slugs and snails.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Cold pasteurizing straw with lime

Straw for mushrooms can be cold pasteurized by soaking it in water with calcium hydroxide to push the pH to about 11.5 or higher, which knocks back competing bacteria and fungi before spawn is added. The video says this works at home with simple materials.

You will need:

• calcium hydroxide (about two cups)
• water (about 40 gallons at the scale shown)
• straw

Steps:

1. Soak the straw in a high-pH calcium hydroxide solution to raise the pH to 11.5 or higher.
2. Drain and let the straw be used once the pasteurization is done, then mix it with grain spawn.

Idea from a video by Shroomhouse.

Comfrey leaf liquid feed

Grow comfrey in its own patch and cut its leaves several times a season. Steep leaves in water for two to three weeks, then dilute the strained liquid about 1 part to 10 parts water for heavy feeders.

You will need:

• comfrey leaves
• water

Steps:

1. Stuff a bucket with comfrey leaves and cover with water.
2. Let it steep for two to three weeks.
3. Strain and dilute about one part tea to ten parts water.
4. Use around tomatoes, potatoes, and squash.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Compost and fertilizer inputs for raised beds

Roughly an inch of compost is added at every bed flip, several times a year, with a slow-release pelleted organic fertilizer. Soil testing for carbon to nitrogen ratio is valued, and compost sources are switched for diversity.

You will need:

• compost
• pelleted organic fertilizer

Steps:

1. Add about an inch of compost at each bed flip
2. Use slow-release pelleted fertilizer
3. Check carbon to nitrogen ratio on compost
4. Vary compost sources to avoid over-loading one nutrient

Idea from a video by Epic Gardening.

Compost extract is a liquid soil inoculant

Compost extract is made by washing diverse microorganisms out of living compost into water, along with some humic acids and nutrients. It is then sprayed on or injected into soil to reintroduce soil biology.

Idea from a video by Danthonia Farm.

Conditions needed for real wasabi

Real wasabi needs cool temperatures between 45 and 70 F, high humidity, constantly moist well-drained soil and deep shade; rhizomes take 18 months to two years.

Steps:

1. Provide cool temperatures around 45 to 70 F
2. Keep humidity high and soil moist and well-drained
3. Grow in deep shade
4. Harvest rhizomes after 18 months to two years; leaves and stems can be harvested earlier

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Contain sunchokes in a dedicated bed

Sunchokes spread fast through underground rhizomes, so grow them in a contained bed. Harvest tubers in fall after the first frost, which makes them sweeter.

Steps:

1. Plant tubers in a contained bed
2. Harvest in fall after the first frost

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Container and light conditions for ginger

Ginger does well in a pot about twelve inches wide, in partial shade with moist soil, and needs temperatures above 55 degrees. In cold areas, move the pot indoors before frost.

Steps:

1. Use a pot about twelve inches wide
2. Give partial shade and keep soil moist
3. Keep temperatures above 55 degrees F
4. Bring the container indoors before frost

Idea from a video by Forbidden Roots.

Coriander grows easily and self-seeds

The video says coriander is easy to grow and self-seeds prolifically, with leaves, seeds and roots all usable.

Steps:

1. Grow coriander, which self-seeds readily

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Cover dragon fruit flowers when rain is coming

Growers tie flower tips shut with rubber bands before rain, since rainwater inside the flower can affect pollination and later fruit quality.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Cover the fruit bowl with a mesh dome or cloth

Keep fruit covered with a cloth or a wire/net dome that lets air through but stops flies from landing on the fruit to lay eggs.

Steps:

1. Cover the fruit bowl with a clean cloth napkin overnight or during the day
2. In hot months, use a mesh dome over the bowl that lets air through

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Crimp cover crops for a weed-suppressing mulch

Terminate cover crops by rolling or crimping them flat rather than tilling, leaving the residue on the soil as a weed barrier. Plant seedlings through it with a strip tiller or by hand where needed.

Idea from a YouTube video.

Crushed eggshells for calcium

Rinse and dry shells, crush them finely, and work them into soil around tomatoes, peppers, squash, and brassicas. The finer the crush, the faster the calcium is released.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Crushed seashells as slug barrier and calcium source

Crush clean seashells and make a ring around plants that slugs attack. The shells slowly release calcium and minerals over years and may improve drainage in clay soil. Restaurant shells may be a free source.

You will need:

• crushed seashells

Steps:

1. Collect and crush clean shells.
2. Form a ring around the base of plants that slugs attack.
3. Work crushed shells into soil for slow mineral release.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Cumin in warm, dry climates

The video says cumin is easy to grow in warm, dry climates and stores well when dried, and has been a staple in Middle Eastern diets.

Steps:

1. Grow cumin in a warm, dry climate
2. Store dried cumin in a well-sealed container

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Cure pumpkins before storing

Leave harvested pumpkins in sun for a week or two to harden the skin, then keep them in a cool, dry place, where the video says they can last six months or more.

Steps:

1. Harvest the pumpkin.
2. Leave it in the sun for one to two weeks to harden the skin.
3. Store it in a cool, dry place.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Curing sweet potatoes for longer storage

Cure sweet potatoes warm and humid for about a week to help them store longer and taste sweeter.

Steps:

1. Cure sweet potatoes warm and humid for about a week

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Cut below a leaf node with a clean angled cut

Make a clean cut at about 45 degrees with a sharp disinfected knife, just below a leaf node. Remove the lowest leaf so the node sits under water, and keep only two to three medium leaves on top. Large leaves like Monstera can be halved.

Steps:

1. Use a razor sharp disinfected knife
2. Cut at a 45 degree angle just below a leaf node
3. Remove the lowest leaf so the node is bare and submerged
4. Keep two to three medium leaves at the top
5. Cut large leaves in half to reduce evaporation

Idea from a video by Living Self-Sufficiently.

Cut-and-come-again leaf lettuce

Harvest outer leaves so the plant keeps growing from the center, and plant containers two weeks apart for a rolling supply.

Steps:

1. Cut outer leaves and leave the center to keep growing.
2. Plant three or four containers about two weeks apart for continuous supply.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Cut-and-come-again lettuce harvest

Lettuce is cut with a knife so it regrows, and fast successive plantings keep beds productive.

Steps:

1. Cut lettuce leaves or heads with a knife, leaving the base to regrow

Idea from a video by Epic Gardening.

Damp builder’s sand for carrots and beets

Pack carrots, beets, parsnips, celeriac and turnips in slightly damp builder’s sand, not beach sand, so each root keeps humidity without touching its neighbors. Beets should keep an inch of stem.

You will need:

• builder’s sand
• carrots, beets, parsnips, celeriac or turnips

Steps:

1. Dampen builder’s sand until it is damp, not wet.
2. Pack roots in boxes so they do not touch each other.
3. For beets, twist off the tops leaving about an inch of stem.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Dark water barrels as heat storage in a south-facing greenhouse

In a greenhouse built in 2019 in South Carolina, dark water barrels were placed along the back wall, with insulated north walls and a south-facing glazed side. The barrels absorb sun heat during the day and release it into the growing space overnight, which the video says reduced winter heating needs.

Idea from a video by OffGrid Secrets.

Dense planting to suppress weeds

Planting closely in the grid leaves little open soil, which the video says keeps weeds from establishing.

Idea from a video by Quantloop.

Direct-sow California poppy in full sun

Sow seed directly where it will grow in a sunny, well-drained spot, scatter thinly, cover only lightly, then thin seedlings to 15 to 20 cm apart. Avoid soggy low ground; raise the bed or add sand if water pools.

Steps:

1. Choose a spot with full sun for at least six hours and well-drained soil.
2. Sow seed directly in place rather than transplanting, since the plant dislikes being moved.
3. Rake seed in only about 0.3 to 0.6 cm deep, because seed needs light to germinate.
4. Thin seedlings with the fingers once they have two or three true leaves, leaving 15 to 20 cm between plants.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Discarded nursery pots for seed starting

Discarded one-to-three gallon nursery pots and cell seedling trays suit cuttings, potting up and starting seeds. Small independent garden centers are most likely to give them away.

Steps:

1. Call small independent nurseries after a large shipment arrives
2. Use the pots for cuttings and transplants and the cell trays for seedlings

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Drought tolerance and poor soil

The video says Moringa tolerates long dry spells by dropping leaves and going dormant, grows fast when water is available, and tolerates poor or sandy soil. Yield figures given are 20 to 40 pounds of seed per mature tree per year.

Idea from a video by DTD History Radio.

Egyptian walking onion propagation by bulblets

Instead of seeds, this onion makes bulblets at the top of its flower stalk. The stalk bends and the bulblets root, spreading the patch over time. Green tops, bulbs and bulblets are all edible.

Steps:

1. Let the stalks bend so bulblets reach the ground and root.
2. Eat green tops like chives, and use the base bulbs or top bulblets.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Elderberry needs two varieties

Elderberry shrubs need a second compatible variety for cross-pollination. The video suggests pairing two named cultivars for a productive planting.

Idea from a video by Superfood Garden.

Electroculture claims for plant growth

The video cites a 2024 PNAS study in which electrically stimulating barley seedlings for five days boosted growth by up to 50 percent, and says other research links weak root-zone electric fields to faster germination and better nutrient uptake. It also says results are not always consistent and the field has a history of exaggerated claims. This is an unverified garden technique, not a proven practice.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Empty compost buckets and rinse cans the same hour

Compost containers and recycling cans with sugary residue can breed flies, so empty and rinse them promptly and keep compost buckets covered.

Steps:

1. Empty the compost bucket regularly and keep its lid closed
2. Rinse juice and food cans for recycling right away

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Expand storage by daisy-chaining barrels

Connect the overflow of one barrel to the inlet of a second barrel with a short pipe so excess water fills the next barrel. Two to four barrels can be linked this way.

You will need:

• short pipe or connector fittings

Steps:

1. Attach a short pipe from the overflow fitting of the first barrel to the inlet of the second.
2. Repeat for a third or fourth barrel if more storage is wanted.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Expected chayote yield per plant

The video claims one chayote plant can produce 50 to 100 fruits in a single season, enough for a family of four with one well-placed vine.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Feed peyote with liquid cactus fertilizer in growing season

During the growing season, feed peyote a liquid fertilizer formulated for cactus.

You will need:

• liquid cactus fertilizer

Steps:

1. Apply liquid cactus fertilizer during the growing season.

Idea from a video by Sacred Buttons.

Ferment rice rinse water as a soil drench

Save the cloudy water from rinsing uncooked rice, leave it loosely covered at room temperature for two to three days until it smells slightly sour, dilute it one-to-one with fresh water, and pour it on the soil around plants once a week. The video presents this as a microbial drench that feeds soil bacteria rather than the plant directly.

You will need:

• uncooked rice
• fresh water

Steps:

1. Rinse one cup of uncooked rice in two cups of water and save the cloudy rinse water.
2. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for two to three days until it smells slightly sour.
3. Dilute the fermented liquid one-to-one with fresh water.
4. Apply to the soil around plants once per week.

Idea from a video by Hank’s Gardening Journey.

Fertilize after the first leaf flush and cull weak seedlings

Once the first leaves have matured, spread about one and a shy teaspoon of slow-release Triple 13 per plant evenly over the media and water in. Remove weak or deformed seedlings, then move every other seedling so each tray holds 10, sorting by height monthly.

You will need:

• Triple 13 slow-release fertilizer, about one and a shy teaspoon per plant

Steps:

1. Wait until the first leaf flush has matured
2. Spread fertilizer evenly across the media surface
3. Water it in
4. Cull weak or deformed seedlings
5. Thin each 20-cell tray to 10 seedlings and sort by height

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Fish bones buried as garden fertilizer

Bury fish bones and heads directly in garden soil; the video says they break down into fertilizer.

You will need:

• fish bones and heads

Steps:

1. Save fish bones and heads.
2. Bury them directly in garden soil.
3. Let them break down over time.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Foliar spray after leaves appear

Once plants are established and have leaves, extract can be sprayed onto the foliage. The video says a high spray volume, around 200 liters per hectare or more, gives full leaf coverage.

Steps:

1. Wait until plants are established and have leaves.
2. Mix extract into a foliar spray, often with other nutrients or biostimulants.
3. Spray at a high volume for full leaf coverage.

Idea from a video by Danthonia Farm.

Food-grade 5-gallon buckets as containers

Ask bakeries and delis for discarded food-grade buckets. Drill drainage holes to grow tomatoes, peppers, potatoes or herbs, or use them for mixing compost and storing seed.

Steps:

1. Ask the bakery or deli for food-grade buckets
2. Drill drainage holes in the bottom
3. Fill with potting mix and plant

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Frost, humidity and mulch care for monk fruit

The vine tolerates cool temperatures but not frost, so cooler climates may need a greenhouse. In dry areas, mist the plants regularly and mulch heavily to hold soil moisture.

Steps:

1. Keep the vine out of frost; use a greenhouse in cooler climates
2. In dry climates, mist the plants regularly
3. Mulch heavily to keep soil moist

Idea from a video by DTD History Radio.

Frost-free climate needed for Moringa

Moringa oleifera is only practical where it stays frost-free, since the video says it cannot tolerate temperatures below about 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Seeds can be planted directly or seedlings transplanted.

Steps:

1. Confirm your area stays frost-free, ideally tropical or subtropical.
2. Plant seed directly or transplant seedlings.

Idea from a video by DTD History Radio.

Fruiting a colonized oyster mushroom kit indoors

Cut an X in the plastic on a fully colonized block, mist the exposed surface two to three times a day, and keep it between about 60 and 75 F. Pins typically appear in 2 to 5 days and are ready in about 7 to 10 days. After the first harvest, let the block rest one to three weeks, keep it damp, and expect a second flush.

Steps:

1. Cut an X through the plastic on the front of the block
2. Mist the cut surface two to three times a day
3. Keep the block between about 60 and 75 F
4. Harvest when caps are rounded and slightly curled, before they flatten
5. Twist the whole cluster off at the base and remove stem residue
6. Rest the block one to three weeks, keep it damp, and wait for the next flush

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Get three harvests from scarlet runner beans

Scarlet runner beans give young pods to eat like green beans, shelling beans when pods mature, and dry beans if left on the vine. Their roots fix nitrogen, so chopped spent vines enrich the soil for compost.

Steps:

1. Harvest young pods like green beans.
2. Let pods mature for shelling beans.
3. Leave seeds to dry fully on the vine for dry storage beans.
4. Chop spent vines at season end and compost them.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Ginger is propagated by planting rhizome pieces

Many cultivated ginger varieties do not reliably grow from seed; farmers cut pieces of rhizome and plant them, and each piece can grow a new plant.

Steps:

1. Cut pieces of the rhizome
2. Plant the pieces directly in the ground

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Goji thrives on neglect

Goji tolerates drought and poor sandy soil. Too much water and nitrogen makes leaves instead of fruit. Branches that touch the ground will root, so they need managing.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Goumi as a nitrogen-fixing companion

Goumi fixes nitrogen through its roots and can be planted under larger trees in partial shade. The video suggests planting heavy feeders such as tomatoes or squash next to it, though it gives no measured results for that claim.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Green garlic harvest

Green garlic is pulled young for its tops and sold, while a row of garlic is left to bulb for seed; a variety saved and adapted over seven years is used for seed.

Steps:

1. Pull young garlic plants for green garlic
2. Let a row fully bulb out and save bulbs for seed garlic

Idea from a video by Epic Gardening.

Ground cherries self-seed

Ground cherries often self-seed, so new plants may appear the next year without replanting.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Grow akebia for shade and fruit

Akebia tolerates partial shade well, so it suits north-facing fences. Its edible fruit usually comes in year two or three, and it is often sold as an ornamental.

Steps:

1. Plant on a north-facing or shady fence.
2. Expect first meaningful fruit in year two or three.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Grow American groundnut as a perennial vine

The vine comes back each year from underground tubers and rhizomes, climbs fences, shrubs, or trellises, tolerates partial shade and moist soil, and fixes nitrogen with bacteria, so it needs less external fertilizer.

Idea from a video by Botanical Vault.

Grow cardamom in deep humid shade

Cardamom is a forest-floor understory plant that does best in deep humid shade with rich soil and steady moisture; in cooler zones grow in a pot and overwinter indoors.

Steps:

1. Plant in deep, humid shade with rich soil and consistent moisture
2. In zones colder than about 8, grow in a large pot and overwinter indoors

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Grow chayote on a trellis

Chayote is a gourd-family vine related to squash and cucumber that climbs well on a trellis. The video says it is grown in zones 7 through 11.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Grow groundnuts as a shaded native vine

Groundnut is a native vine that grows in partial to full shade, climbs fences, fixes nitrogen, and produces edible tubers; source from native plant nurseries.

You will need:

• groundnut tubers or plants

Steps:

1. Plant in partial to full shade with moisture
2. Provide a fence or shrubs for the vine to climb
3. Harvest tubers after frost for better flavor

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Grow He Shou Wu in a contained bed or container

The vine can be grown in a root-barriered raised bed or a container, in full sun to partial shade, in well-drained compost-rich soil, against a trellis or fence. Start from cuttings or nursery plants rather than seed, space plants 3 to 5 feet apart, and water moderately the first season. The video says it can reach about 30 feet and is invasive in warm climates, so it should never be allowed to escape into the wild.

Steps:

1. Use a root-barriered raised bed or container.
2. Plant in full sun to partial shade in well-drained, compost-rich soil.
3. Start from cuttings or nursery starts, not seed.
4. Space plants 3 to 5 feet apart and install a climbing support.
5. Water moderately the first season, then rely mostly on rainfall.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Grow miner’s lettuce from seed in shade

Miner’s lettuce grows from seed in about 40 days in shade and cool temperatures and self-seeds year after year.

Steps:

1. Sow seed in a shaded bed in cool conditions
2. Allow it to self-seed for recurring harvests

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Grow oyster mushrooms on straw at home

Buy oyster mushroom spawn from a garden center or online supplier, prepare a mushroom substrate such as straw, shredded cardboard, or used coffee grounds, inoculate it with the spawn, and keep it warm and humid until white threads spread and mushrooms fruit.

You will need:

• oyster mushroom spawn
• straw, shredded cardboard, or used coffee grounds

Steps:

1. Buy oyster mushroom spawn from a garden center or online supplier.
2. Prepare a standard mushroom growing substrate using straw, shredded cardboard, or used coffee grounds.
3. Inoculate the substrate with the oyster mushroom spawn.
4. Keep the container in a warm, humid spot.
5. Wait for white mycelium threads to spread through the substrate, then pick the mushrooms when they fruit.

Idea from a video by Garden Explained with Harry.

Grow ramps in shade with patience

Ramps grow best in shaded woodland with rich, moist soil; seed to harvest takes five to seven years and germination can take up to 18 months.

Steps:

1. Plant in shaded woodland with rich moist soil
2. Be patient, as seed to harvest takes five to seven years

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Grow ramps in shaded woodland conditions

Ramps grow well under deciduous tree dappled shade in rich, moist soil. Buying bulbs or transplants shortens establishment; harvest only one leaf per plant and no more than a third of a patch per year.

Steps:

1. Plant in dappled shade under deciduous trees in rich, moist soil with organic matter
2. Start with bulbs or transplants to speed establishment
3. Take only one leaf per plant and no more than a third of the patch each year

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Grow rosemary in containers

The video says rosemary can be grown in containers on a sunny windowsill or patio in most American climates.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Grow seed-focused pumpkin varieties

For seed, skip pie or carving pumpkins and choose hull-less seed varieties such as Lady Godiva or Cacahuete, which the video says give much higher seed yield. Pumpkins need warm soil and a 90 to 120 day frost-free season.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Grow sochan in spring and late summer

Sochan tender leaves come up in spring, with a second flush in late summer after flowers die back.

Steps:

1. Plant sochan once
2. Harvest tender spring leaves
3. Expect a second flush in late summer

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Grow sorrel in shade for milder leaves

Sorrel is a perennial that tolerates shade and produces less acidic leaves than in full sun; harvest outer leaves continually.

Steps:

1. Plant sorrel in shade
2. Harvest outer leaves continually so the plant keeps growing

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Grow spinach in morning sun and afternoon shade

Spinach bolts in heat, so planting where it gets morning sun and afternoon shade or dappled light extends the harvest into summer.

Steps:

1. Choose a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade or dappled light
2. Harvest before heat triggers bolting

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Grow tromboncino to avoid squash vine borers

Tromboncino has a dense, solid stem that squash vine borers cannot tunnel through, so it can keep producing when zucchini fails. Train it up a fence or trellis.

Steps:

1. Train the vine up a fence or trellis.
2. Pick fruit young for a zucchini-like taste, or leave it longer for a hard-skinned winter squash.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Grow turmeric in shade like ginger

Plant turmeric rhizomes from a health food store in spring in partial to full shade with humid warmth, rich soil and steady water; harvest in fall as leaves die back.

You will need:

• turmeric rhizomes from a health food store

Steps:

1. Plant rhizomes in spring in partial to full shade
2. Keep soil rich and water consistent
3. Harvest in fall when leaves start dying back

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Grow water caltrop in a stock tank

Line a galvanized stock tank with pond liner, fill with water, add soil at the bottom and plant. Keeps the invasive plant contained; keep water above 60 F. Check local rules before planting.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Grow wine cap mushrooms on wood chips

Wine cap mushrooms can be grown by spreading spawn on wood chips in a shaded area; they fruit well, improve soil and can spread on their own.

You will need:

• wine cap mushroom spawn
• wood chips

Steps:

1. Spread spawn on a bed of wood chips
2. Keep in a shaded area

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Growing amaranth from seed in containers

Amaranth seed packets are sold at garden centers, and the plant can be grown in a container on a balcony. The video says it grows in poor soil, tolerates drought, needs no fertilizer, and reseeds itself.

Steps:

1. Buy an amaranth seed packet from a garden center.
2. Grow it in a container on a balcony or in poor, dry soil.
3. Expect one plant to produce more seed than one season’s use.

Idea from a video by Nature Lost Vault.

Growing gotu kola in containers

Grow it in a pot with drainage holes and moisture-retentive mix, keep it watered (daily in hot weather), and use partial shade to full sun. It spreads by runners, so contain it.

Steps:

1. Use a pot with drainage holes and moisture-retentive potting mix
2. Plant a starter and water frequently, daily in hot weather
3. Give partial shade to full sun
4. Contain the runners, since the plant can become invasive in warm moist climates

Idea from a video by Secrets Beneath Nature with Dan.

Growing oyster mushrooms on used coffee grounds

Used coffee grounds from a coffee shop can serve as a free substrate. Mix them with about 10 to 15 percent grain spawn by weight, seal in a bag with a few small holes, and keep at room temperature until fully white. Then fruit it the same way as a kit.

You will need:

• used coffee grounds
• oyster mushroom grain spawn (about 10 to 15 percent of substrate weight)

Steps:

1. Mix coffee grounds with about 10 to 15 percent spawn by weight
2. Place in a clean container or ziplock bag with a few small holes for gas exchange
3. Keep at room temperature for 10 to 14 days until fully colonized and white
4. Fruit it by cutting, misting, and keeping it damp

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Growing sweetgrass in moist soil

Sweetgrass likes moist, slightly acidic soil and partial sun, so rain gardens or damp spots suit it. It spreads by rhizome and comes back each spring with little upkeep. Live plants or plugs are sold by native plant nurseries and herb suppliers.

Steps:

1. Choose a moist, slightly acidic spot in partial sun, such as a rain garden or downspout area.
2. Plant a live plug or clump from a native plant nursery or herb supplier.
3. Let it establish; it spreads by rhizome and returns each spring.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Hand-pollinate indoor tomatoes

Indoors, tomato flowers need help; vibrate a flower stem once a day, for example with a battery toothbrush, to release pollen.

Steps:

1. Once flowers open, touch a battery toothbrush to the flower stem.
2. Do this once a day to release pollen.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Hand-powered garden and farm tools

Manual seeders, hand cultivators, scythes and hay or manure forks work without fuel or electricity. Forged, well-kept vintage versions are presented as more durable than modern stamped ones.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Hang dish rags to dry after each use

Wet dish rags and racks left in the sink ferment and attract flies, so rinse and hang rags over the faucet to dry after every use.

Steps:

1. Wring out the dish rag after each use
2. Hang it over the faucet so it dries

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Hardware cloth for rodent proofing

Use rigid galvanized hardware cloth with quarter-inch openings rather than window screen on all vents, and line earthbag floors with it. Seal gaps in early fall before rodents look for winter shelter.

You will need:

• galvanized hardware cloth, quarter-inch mesh

Steps:

1. Cover every vent opening with hardware cloth.
2. Line an earthbag cellar floor with hardware cloth before adding storage material.
3. Seal gaps and remove nesting debris in early fall.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Harvest American groundnut tubers in autumn

American groundnut is a native perennial vine with edible tubers and bean pods. Tubers are dug in autumn, and the plant returns each year. Source stock from specialty native plant nurseries.

Steps:

1. Source tubers or seeds from a specialty native plant nursery.
2. Plant in partial shade or full sun in moist soil.
3. Harvest tubers in autumn by gently working through the root zone.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Harvest and cure winter squash for storage

Harvest when the rind is fully hard, cure warm and dry, then store cool with airflow for months.

Steps:

1. Harvest when rind is fully hard
2. Cure warm and dry
3. Store cool with airflow

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Harvest moringa tips to keep it bushy

Cut only the top few inches of new growth so the tree branches and makes more leaves. Treat it like a hedge rather than stripping it bare. The first leaf tips can be taken about a month after planting.

Steps:

1. Wait about a month after planting before the first harvest
2. Snip the top few inches of new growth
3. Avoid stripping the whole tree

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Harvest mugwort leaves as flowering begins

The leaves hold most of the plant’s medicinal energy. Harvest the aerial parts just as the plant starts to go into flower, not at full bloom.

Steps:

1. Cut the aerial parts when the plant is just starting to flower.
2. Use the leaves as the main part.

Idea from a video by School of Evolutionary Herbalism.

Harvest yacon and save the crown over winter

Harvest in October after frost kills the tops. Set aside the reddish crown cluster, store it in slightly damp soil or sawdust over winter, and replant it in spring.

Steps:

1. Wait for frost to kill the tops in October.
2. Dig carefully around the base and collect the 4 to 8 roots.
3. Separate the crown cluster and store it in slightly damp soil or sawdust over winter.
4. Replant the crown in spring.

Idea from a video by DTD Stories.

Harvesting and cleaning seed

Collect seed in late summer or autumn once seed heads are dark and dry, strip the clusters into a container, and winnow in a breeze to remove chaff; toast before eating or grinding.

Steps:

1. Wait until seed heads turn dark and dry in late summer or autumn
2. Strip seed clusters into a container
3. Winnow by pouring between containers in a breeze
4. Toast lightly before eating or grinding

Idea from a video by Secrets Beneath Nature with Dan.

Harvesting and pressing Moringa seed

Pods are harvested when they mature and begin to dry, then opened to remove seeds. The video describes sun drying and then cold pressing the crushed seeds without heat for a small-scale oil.

You will need:

• Dried mature Moringa seed pods

Steps:

1. Harvest pods when mature and beginning to dry.
2. Open pods and remove the seeds.
3. Sun dry the seeds, then crush and cold press them.

Idea from a video by DTD History Radio.

Harvesting purslane stems to regrow

Start harvesting when stems reach about four to five inches. Cut above the lowest leaf node, since the plant sends new growth from that node, and it can be cut again in about a week.

Steps:

1. Wait until stems are four to five inches long
2. Cut or pinch stems above the lowest leaf node
3. Expect regrowth from the same node and cut again in about a week

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Harvesting young leaves for regrowth

Pick young leaves when plants are about six to eight inches tall and take the top growth; the video says new leaves regrow within days, allowing repeated harvest through the season.

Steps:

1. Harvest when plants are six to eight inches tall
2. Cut the top growth
3. Harvest repeatedly through the season as leaves regrow

Idea from a video by Secrets Beneath Nature with Dan.

Herbs the video says repel wasps

The video suggests planting spearmint near outdoor seating, growing thyme, and using a potted eucalyptus, claiming these reduce wasps. Spearmint and thyme are also kitchen herbs. The video cites no study for the wasp claims and does not describe how to grow or place the plants.

Idea from a video by Uncle Bobo.

Honey dip for cuttings

Dip the fresh cut end in a little raw honey, or dissolve a tiny amount in the water, before rooting. The video says honey protects the wound from rot and gives the cutting easy energy. It also suggests wiping off milky sap first on plants like ficus.

You will need:

• raw honey

Steps:

1. Briefly dab off any milky sap with a clean cloth
2. Dip the cut end in raw honey or add a tiny amount to the water
3. Place in room temperature water

Idea from a video by Living Self-Sufficiently.

Honeyberry flowers tolerate cold and fruit early

Honeyberries ripen weeks before strawberries in cold climates, and their flowers are described as tolerating light frost. They need two different varieties for pollination, according to the speaker.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

How to identify the plant before harvesting

Look for a bottle-brush flower spike, small white four-petal flowers, and flat round seed pods stacked along the stem, and crush a pod to check for a peppery bite. Harvest only from ground known to be unsprayed.

Steps:

1. Find it in late spring or early summer in full sun on dry disturbed ground
2. Check for bottle-brush spike, four-petal white flowers, and flat round pods
3. Crush a pod and smell it; leave the plant if there is no bite
4. Rinse well and harvest only from unsprayed ground

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Hugelkultur beds may need little irrigation after year one

The video says many gardeners report needing little or no watering after the first year because the decomposing wood holds and slowly releases rainwater. This is a gardener report, not a controlled test.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Hugelkultur beds with buried wood

Raised mounds are built over large amounts of buried logs, branches and woody debris, then planted with vegetables, fruit and grains. The wood slowly decomposes, releasing nutrients and holding moisture for dry spells.

Idea from a video by DTD Stories.

Human hair as slow-release nitrogen

Mix small amounts of hair into planting holes or scatter it on beds. The video says it breaks down over two to four months and may deter rabbits and deer.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Identify edible camas before harvesting

Edible camas has blue-purple flowers; death camas, which looks similar and is deadly, has cream-colored flowers. Harvest only after the bloom is visible.

Steps:

1. Check flower color before harvesting
2. Only harvest after blooming
3. Plant camas in moist, fertile soil

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Improve clay soil with organic matter, not sand

Adding sand to clay can create a concrete-like soil. Work in compost, aged manure, shredded leaves or wood chips over repeated seasons instead.

You will need:

• compost
• aged manure
• shredded leaves
• wood chips

Steps:

1. Spread organic matter over the clay bed
2. Repeat applications over time
3. Let it mix into the soil

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Indoor lamp setup for food plants

Use a full-spectrum LED bulb in a desk or clamp lamp, hold it about 6 to 12 inches above the canopy, raise it as plants grow, and run it 14 to 16 hours a day on a timer.

Steps:

1. Screw a full-spectrum LED bulb into a desk, clamp or floor lamp.
2. Position it 6 to 12 inches above the plant top, closer for seedlings.
3. Raise the lamp as plants grow taller.
4. Run it 14 to 16 hours a day on an outlet timer.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Inoculate hardwood logs to grow chicken of the woods at home

Use fresh hardwood, ideally oak, cut into roughly one-meter lengths. Drill holes, pack in purchased spawn, seal with wax, and stack the logs in a shaded, moist spot. Fruiting begins within one to two years and can continue for five to eight years.

You will need:

• Fresh hardwood logs, oak ideal, about 1 m long and 10 to 20 cm diameter
• Laetiporus spawn from a specialty mushroom supplier
• Wax for sealing

Steps:

1. Cut fresh hardwood logs to about a meter long.
2. Drill holes in the logs and pack in the spawn.
3. Seal the holes with wax.
4. Stack the logs in a shaded, moist area such as under trees or along a north-facing fence.
5. Keep the logs damp during dry spells and wait one to two years for fruiting.

Idea from a video by Garden Explained with Harry.

Inoculate seed or the seed trench

Extract can be sprayed onto seed and mixed in as a seed inoculant, so the biology is available as the seed germinates. It can also be delivered into the seed trench alongside seeds.

Steps:

1. Spray extract onto seed and mix it in before sowing.
2. Or deliver the extract into the seed trench alongside the seeds.

Idea from a video by Danthonia Farm.

Jar test before mixing products in a tank

Before combining products in a spray or irrigation tank, the speaker advises a small jar test to check for reactions. He says mixing has rarely caused problems in the fields he has worked.

Steps:

1. Mix the products in a small clear jar in the same proportions planned for the tank.
2. Watch for clumping, separation, or color change before mixing the full tank.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Jerusalem artichoke spreads, so give it its own corner

This perennial sunflower comes back yearly and spreads aggressively, so it should be planted in a contained area of the yard.

Steps:

1. Plant it in its own bed or corner
2. Keep it contained because it spreads

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Jerusalem artichokes as a low-maintenance crop

Plant tubers in spring; they can be left in the ground through winter and harvested as needed. The video calls them vigorous and potentially invasive.

Steps:

1. Plant a few tubers in spring
2. Harvest as needed from the ground through winter

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Keep apples away from potatoes

Apples give off ethylene gas that makes potatoes sprout early, so store them in separate containers, sections or builds.

Steps:

1. Store apples and potatoes in separate containers, sections or builds.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Keep bananas away from the fruit bowl

Store bananas on their own hook or plate away from other fruit, since they release ripening gas that speeds up nearby fruit and they ripen quickly.

Steps:

1. Hang bananas or set them on a separate plate away from the other fruit
2. Freeze bananas once they get spotty

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Keep compost to a layer mixed into soil

Mix about two to four inches of compost into the top six to eight inches of soil. Pure compost can shed water and turn soggy and hurt seedlings.

You will need:

• compost
• garden soil

Steps:

1. Spread two to four inches of compost
2. Mix it into the top six to eight inches of soil

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Keep fields covered between cash crops

Maintaining plant cover or crop residue on bare ground protects the soil surface from rain impact and improves water absorption over time.

Idea from a video by The Last Farmers.

Keep Malabar spinach producing with cut-and-come-again harvests

Malabar spinach handles summer heat and humidity. Harvesting leaves and growing tips regularly makes the vine branch and produce more. Save seed in fall to replant.

Steps:

1. Grow it on a trellis in full sun.
2. Pick leaves and growing tips regularly through the season.
3. Save seeds in fall for next year, since the plant does not survive frost.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Lasagna compost layering

Alternate green materials such as kitchen scraps and fresh grass with brown materials such as dry leaves and straw. Build the pile in layers, ideally in garden beds in fall, and plant into it in spring.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Layer shade garden plantings and leaf mulch

Plant in layers like a forest, use leaf mold and leaf mulch to enrich compacted shaded soil, use reflective white surfaces to bounce light, and succession plant every two to three weeks.

You will need:

• leaf mold
• compost
• aged wood chips

Steps:

1. Layer tall vines, middle crops and ground covers
2. Amend soil with compost, leaf mold and aged wood chips or build raised beds
3. Leave leaf mulch on the surface
4. Use white or silver reflective surfaces where shade comes from structures
5. Plant a new batch every two to three weeks

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Leave cones for wildlife and harvest modestly

Take only what you need and leave plenty of cones for birds that eat them through winter; avoid harvesting in hard rain since it washes away the flavorful coating.

Steps:

1. Pick on a dry day.
2. Take only what you need.
3. Leave cones for winter birds.

Idea from a video by Nature Lost Vault.

Leave root stock to regrow wild lettuce

If you want wild lettuce to return, cut the plant at the base rather than pulling it up, since leaving the root stock often brings it back the next year in the same spot.

Steps:

1. Cut the plant at ground level with a knife instead of pulling the roots.
2. Leave the root stock in place.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Leave some habitat for predatory insects

Keep some cover such as a clover patch, a lightly wild fence strip, straw mulch or stones along an edge so ground beetles and spiders have shelter and overwintering space.

Steps:

1. Leave a small clover patch or lightly wild strip near the garden.
2. Use straw mulch and stones along edges.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Lentils can grow where fields would otherwise sit barren

Lentils can be planted on land that would otherwise go unused for a year, and they tolerate drier climates better than chickpeas.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Lentils fix nitrogen and enrich soil for rotation

Lentils host bacteria in root nodules that take nitrogen from the air, leaving nitrogen in the soil for following crops; the video cites about 90 kg per hectare and rotation use in Saskatchewan.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Let it self-seed and avoid pulling it

Lamb’s quarters often appears on its own in gardens; leaving plants in place lets them reseed and establish a patch.

Steps:

1. Stop pulling out plants that appear in the garden
2. Let the plant disperse its own seed

Idea from a video by Secrets Beneath Nature with Dan.

Let pumpkin seeds volunteer from compost

Toss a leftover pumpkin into the compost pile; the seeds overwinter in the pile and sprout in spring, often into vigorous vines that fruit with little care.

Steps:

1. Add a jack-o’-lantern or pumpkin to the compost pile in autumn.
2. Leave the seeds in the pile over winter.
3. Watch for vines to sprout in late spring as the soil warms.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Letting purslane self-seed

In late summer, let a few plants flower and set seed capsules, then let the capsules dry and split on the plant so seed falls into the soil for next spring.

Steps:

1. Allow a few plants to flower in late summer
2. Let the seed capsules dry on the plant and split open naturally
3. Let seed fall into the bucket soil and expect germination the following spring

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Light dusting of cooled wood ash

Sprinkle a light layer of cooled, clean wood ash around tomatoes, brassicas, and apple trees, or add small amounts to compost. Keep it away from acid-loving plants and do not pile it heavily.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Listen for the toast instead of watching the clock

Toasting rice in fat changes sound: it starts quiet and wet, then rattles like small stones once the moisture has cooked off. Use that sound to know when to stop.

Steps:

1. Toast rice in fat and listen as the sound shifts from soft to a rattle.
2. Stop toasting when the rattle starts, then stir once and trust the pot.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Lovage as a permanent celery-flavored herb

A tall perennial herb grown from a taproot that grows larger each year. Leaves, stems, seeds and roots are all usable, and the hollow stems can serve as drink straws.

Steps:

1. Plant once in a permanent spot.
2. Harvest leaves and stems for soups, stews and salads in place of celery.
3. Dry seeds for winter seasoning.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Low-cost, incremental farm expansion

Equipment and structures are added one upgrade per year as budget allows, such as a hoop house or irrigation, rather than taking loans; he also grows kale and other greens every three to four months for succession.

Steps:

1. Buy only what is needed and avoid loans
2. Add one major upgrade each year
3. Plant kale and chard every three to four months for steady supply

Idea from a video by Epic Gardening.

Lower soil pH with sulfur or aluminum sulfate, not coffee grounds

Used coffee grounds are close to neutral and do not meaningfully acidify soil. They are still a useful organic matter and nitrogen source.

You will need:

• sulfur or aluminum sulfate (to lower pH)
• used coffee grounds (organic matter)

Steps:

1. Test soil pH first
2. Use sulfur or aluminum sulfate to lower pH if needed
3. Use coffee grounds only for organic matter

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Lower-and-coil cucumber trellis method

Store spare twine on a spool above each cucumber plant, release more as it grows, and lower the plant so the older stem coils along the bed while the top keeps climbing, letting a short trellis support a very long vine all season.

Steps:

1. Place a spool above each cucumber plant at the top of the trellis and wind extra string onto it.
2. Tie the vine to the string as it grows.
3. As the vine lengthens, release more string and lower the whole plant.
4. Coil the older stem along the bed while the younger growth continues climbing.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Maintain a 2-inch mulch layer

The video recommends a consistent 2-inch layer of organic mulch to hold soil moisture and buffer temperature. Mulching for moisture and temperature is standard practice, though the video’s claim that it doubles available iron is not sourced.

You will need:

• shredded leaves, straw, or wood chips

Steps:

1. Spread about 2 inches of organic mulch over the planting area.
2. Keep the mulch in place and check soil moisture periodically.

Idea from a video by Forbidden Roots.

Mashua tubers form in fall

Mashua is short-day sensitive and its tubers develop when photoperiod shifts in fall, not during summer.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Microgreens from seed to tray

Cover seeded trays for a few days to darken them, then uncover under the lamp and cut at the soil line after 7 to 14 days.

You will need:

• seeds for microgreens
• potting mix

Steps:

1. Fill a shallow tray with about an inch of potting mix.
2. Scatter seeds densely and cover 3 to 4 days.
3. Uncover under the lamp.
4. Harvest with scissors at the soil line in 7 to 14 days.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Minimal disturbance planting in wind-prone soil

In dry, windy sites, avoid cutting up the soil. Open a small slot to set transplants and cover it back up, keeping soil structure and reducing wind erosion.

Idea from a YouTube video.

Minimize tillage to let soil structure rebuild

Each tillage pass breaks up fungal networks and soil clusters, so reducing disturbance lets the underground structure develop and hold.

Idea from a video by The Last Farmers.

Mist by watching the cake surface

Rather than misting on a fixed schedule, check the surface of the cakes. Mist lightly when the moist surface with water beads starts to dry, and skip misting if the surface is already wet so water does not pool or run onto the mycelium.

Steps:

1. Look for a lightly moist surface with tiny water beads.
2. When the surface starts drying, mist gently.
3. If the cakes are already wet, leave them alone.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Mix growing media 1:1 with fine perlite

Combine your preferred potting media with small perlite in equal parts, moisten until damp but not soggy, then firmly tamp into pots so the surface sits about half an inch below the rim.

You will need:

• preferred potting media
• small size perlite

Steps:

1. Mix media and perlite 1 to 1 in a tub
2. Wet until moist but not saturated
3. Fill MT38 pots to the brim and tamp firmly
4. Top off so media sits about half an inch below the rim

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Mix herbs and flowers among vegetables

Interplant crops with strongly scented herbs and flowers such as basil with tomatoes, or dill and cilantro with brassicas, to break up the scent pattern pests follow and support beneficial insects.

Steps:

1. Avoid long single-crop rows.
2. Tuck basil among tomatoes.
3. Add dill or cilantro among cabbage, broccoli, or kale.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Moving water roots into soil

Add a small spoonful of fine potting soil to the water each day for about a week to ease roots into soil. Once planted, cover the pot with a loose plastic bag to hold humidity for one to two weeks, airing it daily to prevent mold.

You will need:

• fine potting soil
• clear plastic or freezer bag

Steps:

1. Add a small spoonful of fine potting soil to the water daily for about a week
2. Plant the rooted cutting in a pot
3. Cover the pot and plant loosely with a plastic bag, keeping leaves off the plastic
4. Air out the bag daily and remove it after one to two weeks

Idea from a video by Living Self-Sufficiently.

Neem breaks down quickly in the environment

The video says neem’s active compound degrades within days on leaves and in soil, so it does not build up, though it notes it is gentler and slower than harsh chemical sprays.

Idea from a video by DTD History Radio.

Nettle grows wild across North America

The video says stinging nettle grows wild across most of North America, so it can be harvested as a free source for tea.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Newspaper seedling pots

Wrap newspaper around a jar, fold the bottom, fill with soil, and sow seeds. Plant the whole pot into the ground once seedlings are ready. Useful for crops that dislike root disturbance.

You will need:

• newspaper
• soil
• seeds

Steps:

1. Wrap newspaper around a glass or jar and fold the bottom to form a pot.
2. Fill with soil and plant seeds.
3. Plant the whole pot into the ground when seedlings are ready.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Newsprint as weed path cover and seed pots

Layer five to ten sheets of newspaper as a weed-suppressing path cover or around transplants. Rolled newspaper makes biodegradable seed pots. Avoid glossy magazine inserts.

Steps:

1. Layer five to ten sheets between rows and weigh them down
2. Roll sheets around a cylinder, fold the bottom, fill with soil and sow

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Night lighting to encourage repeat blooming

Dragon fruit is sensitive to light cycles, and extra lighting at night can prompt it to bloom again, so it may fruit outside its normal season.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Nitrogen liquid using blood meal or pelletized chicken manure

If you have no livestock, dissolve a high-nitrogen garden product such as blood meal or pelletized chicken manure in water to make the same nitrogen liquid.

You will need:

• 2 cups blood meal or pelletized chicken manure fertilizer
• 5-gallon bucket of water

Steps:

1. Dissolve two cups of blood meal or pelletized chicken manure in a five-gallon bucket of water.
2. Stir until the material is fully suspended.
3. Pour the liquid over each layer of shredded leaves.

Idea from a video by America Grows.

Nitrogen liquid using fresh manure

Mix fresh chicken or rabbit manure into water to make a nitrogen-rich liquid that also carries gut bacteria to start the pile. Pour it over the leaf layers.

You will need:

• 2 shovels of fresh chicken or rabbit manure
• 5-gallon bucket of water

Steps:

1. Add two shovels of fresh manure to a five-gallon bucket of water.
2. Stir hard with a stick until it looks like dark, muddy coffee.
3. Pour the liquid over each layer of shredded leaves.

Idea from a video by America Grows.

No-dig cardboard sheet mulch

Overlapping cardboard laid on grass or weeds smothers them in a few weeks and breaks down into the soil. Top it with compost or wood chips and plant into it.

Steps:

1. Remove tape and staples from the cardboard
2. Lay overlapping sheets over the area and wet them thoroughly
3. Pile four to six inches of compost or wood chips on top
4. Plant directly into the top layer

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Notch, tilt and stake young papaya trunks

Early in growth, notch the trunk, tilt it about 30 to 40 degrees, and hold it with a stake so nutrients reach lower fruit more evenly, per the video.

Steps:

1. Catch the young papaya early
2. Notch the trunk
3. Tilt it about 30 to 40 degrees
4. Hold it in place with a stake

Idea from a video by Atish Aladel.

Oca in cool or mild climates, and treating it like a dahlia in colder zones

A Andean tuber crop that comes back perennially where winters are mild. In colder zones, dig tubers before hard frost, store them dry over winter, and replant in spring. Tubers can be cured in the sun for a few days after harvest to sweeten them.

Steps:

1. In colder zones, dig tubers before hard frost.
2. Store tubers dry through winter.
3. Replant in spring.
4. Cure harvested tubers in the sun for a few days to sweeten them.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Oca timing by day length

Oca forms tubers as days shorten to about 12 hours of light, so planting it like a spring potato and expecting summer tubers will disappoint.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Olive oil storage and growing an olive tree

The video recommends buying cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and storing it, and growing an olive tree if the climate allows.

Steps:

1. Buy cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and store it
2. Grow an olive tree if your climate allows

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Only harvest self-heal from unsprayed ground

Self-heal draws up what is in the soil, so only gather it from clean ground that has never been treated with sprays. Lawns that are sprayed with chemicals are not suitable sources.

Steps:

1. Identify self-heal by its low growth, square stem, opposite leaves and purple hooded flower spike
2. Only gather from ground known to be free of sprays

Idea from a video by Nature Lost Vault.

Ostrich fern fiddleheads: identification and harvest

Identify fiddleheads by a smooth dark green stem with a deep U-shaped groove and a papery brown covering. Harvest in early spring by snapping them off the crown, taking only half from each crown.

Steps:

1. Look for smooth dark green stem with U-shaped groove
2. Check for papery brown covering
3. Harvest in early spring by snapping off the curled fronds
4. Take only half from each crown

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Pallets: only use HT-stamped wood

Use only pallets stamped HT (heat treated). Avoid MB (methyl bromide) stamped pallets and pallets with no stamp. HT pallets can make raised beds, wall planters or compost bin frames.

Steps:

1. Check the stamp for HT and reject MB or unstamped pallets
2. Stack two pallets to make a raised bed frame or stand one up as a wall planter

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Perennial kale propagation by cuttings

Tree kale and similar perennial kales can live for years and reach several feet tall. They rarely seed and are instead propagated from cuttings, so one plant can expand the planting.

Steps:

1. Take cuttings from an established plant to start new plants.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Pick oilseed sunflowers for seed yield

For eating seeds, choose oilseed types, which yield more per plant with higher oil content. Confection types are milder and sweeter. Plant after the last spring frost.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Pinch basil to delay flowering

Regularly pinch the top leaves of basil so it stays leafy; once it flowers the leaves turn bitter.

Steps:

1. Pinch off top leaves regularly.
2. Keep the plant from flowering to extend the harvest.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Plant a living hedge from thorny trees in a tight row

Set young thorny trees close together in a single row and let neighboring branches grow into each other. Trim and shape the hedge as it matures to form a field or pasture boundary that gets denser over time. The transcript names Osage orange, which it spells ‘Ozap orange’.

Steps:

1. Plant young thorny trees in a tight row (the video names Osage orange).
2. Allow the branches to grow together as the trees mature.
3. Trim and shape the hedge over time to keep it dense and in line.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Plant a whole chayote fruit

A grocery store chayote can be planted whole, placed at a slight angle with the sprouting end just visible. Expect modest first-season yields while roots establish.

You will need:

• one chayote from the grocery store

Steps:

1. Place the chayote at a slight angle in the soil.
2. Leave the sprouting end just visible.
3. Provide a sturdy trellis for the vine.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Plant ginger in deep rows and hill up soil as it grows

Ginger is set into deep furrows, and more soil is added over the growing plants over time. The video says this helps the roots develop deeper and gives a better harvest. The method is shown at commercial scale with machines, but the idea of trenching and mounding soil can be adapted to a home bed.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Plant groundnut in a mixed garden with corn and squash

Historically the vine was grown alongside corn and squash, using its climbing habit so it does not compete heavily for ground space while its nitrogen fixing helps the system.

Idea from a video by Botanical Vault.

Plant prickly pear in dry sandy soil

Plant in dry, sandy soil in full sun; fallen pads root into new plants. Remove the tiny barbed hairs before eating fruit or pads.

Steps:

1. Plant in dry, sandy soil with full sun
2. Let fallen pads root on their own
3. Scrape off glochids before eating

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Plant seeds hilum-down and shallow

The hilum is the rougher, darker side of the seed where the root emerges, so point it down. Press the seed halfway in, or lay it flat under about a quarter inch of media if the hilum is hard to find. Planting too deep traps the seed.

Steps:

1. Poke a quarter-inch indent in each pot
2. Find the hilum and point it downward
3. Press the seed halfway into the media, or lay it flat and cover lightly
4. Label trays with the planting date

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Plant warm-climate crops near ponds

The video says figs and kiwis are grown at high altitude by placing them near ponds that buffer temperature extremes. Pond reflection is also said to add light to nearby slopes, though no measurements are given.

Idea from a video by DTD Stories.

Plant yacon crowns in spring

Plant crown pieces in spring after the last frost, in loose, well-drained soil and full sun. The plant grows tall and needs only water during dry spells.

Steps:

1. Wait until after the last spring frost.
2. Plant crown pieces in loose, well-drained soil in full sun.
3. Water only during dry spells; no fertilizer or staking is described.

Idea from a video by DTD Stories.

Plastic milk crates as planters

Lined milk crates hold about four to five gallons of potting mix, work for peppers, herbs or strawberries, and can be stacked or used as trellis supports.

Steps:

1. Line the crate with burlap or landscape fabric
2. Fill with potting mix and plant
3. Stack two crates for an elevated planter

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Pokeweed: only young spring shoots, boiled twice

Only the very young spring shoots of pokeweed, before flowers and knee height, are eaten, boiled in two or three changes of water. The mature plant, berries and roots are toxic.

You will need:

• Young pokeweed shoots
• Water

Steps:

1. Harvest only young spring tips before knee height
2. Boil in two changes of water, sometimes three
3. Prepare the traditional southern way

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Ponds to moderate frost and temperature

Water stored in ponds absorbs heat by day and releases it at night, which the video says reduces spring and autumn frost damage. The humid air around pond edges is described as letting more heat-loving plants survive.

Idea from a video by DTD Stories.

Potato peels with eyes planted in soil

Potato peels that still have eyes can be planted in soil to grow potatoes.

You will need:

• potato peels with eyes

Steps:

1. Keep potato peels that have visible eyes.
2. Plant them in soil.
3. Water and tend as you would seed potatoes.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Potatoes kept dark and unwashed

Store potatoes in darkness, unwashed with dirt left on, in loosened crates or dry sawdust. Light causes green skin and unwashed skin resists rot. Cure them about two weeks at room temperature before storing.

You will need:

• potatoes
• dry sawdust or loose crates

Steps:

1. Cure harvested potatoes about two weeks at room temperature.
2. Leave dirt on and do not wash before storing.
3. Store in darkness in loose crates or dry sawdust.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Pre-load hardwood charcoal before adding it to soil

Crush clean lump hardwood charcoal (no lighter fluid, no chemically soaked briquettes) to gravel size. Soak it for at least 48 hours in nutrient liquid such as compost tea, worm castings or diluted fish emulsion so it does not pull nutrients from plants. Then mix it into the top six to eight inches of the bed at about 10 to 15 percent by volume.

You will need:

• clean lump hardwood charcoal
• compost tea, worm castings or diluted fish emulsion

Steps:

1. Crush clean hardwood charcoal to gravel size
2. Soak it at least 48 hours in compost tea, worm castings or diluted fish emulsion
3. Work it into the top six to eight inches of the bed at about 10 to 15 percent by volume

Idea from a video by Forbidden Roots.

Preventing contamination and providing airflow

Keep hands and tools clean when handling substrate and spawn. Once fruiting starts, give the growing space fresh air, such as cracking a door or running a small fan on low that is not blowing directly on the block. Remove any green, black, or orange mold from the block and discard it outdoors.

Steps:

1. Clean hands and tools when handling substrate and spawn
2. Provide fresh air exchange during fruiting, without blowing directly on the block
3. Discard any block showing green, black, or orange mold outdoors

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Propagate yacon from crown pieces

Yacon regrows from saved crown pieces rather than the tubers you eat, so keeping crowns lets the perennial return each year.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Propagating chaya from a broken stem cutting

Take a semi-woody cutting about 15-20 cm long, snap it rather than cutting, let the broken end callus in shade for a day or two, then plant after the last frost date and water regularly until roots establish.

Steps:

1. Take a semi-woody cutting about 15-20 cm long
2. Snap the stem rather than cutting it with a tool
3. Dry the cutting in shade for a day or two until the end calluses
4. Plant after the last frost date and water regularly while roots establish

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Propagating from runners and nodes

Each node on a runner can root into a new plant, so a dug-up rooted section can be transplanted to start more plants.

Steps:

1. Find a rooted section along a runner
2. Dig it up
3. Transplant it to a new spot

Idea from a video by Secrets Beneath Nature with Dan.

Protect beneficial insects instead of spraying everything

Ladybugs, lacewings, predatory wasps, ground beetles and spiders eat pests. Broad-spectrum sprays kill them and can make pest problems rebound.

Steps:

1. Learn to recognize common beneficial insects
2. Avoid broad-spectrum sprays that kill them
3. Accept some pest damage

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Protect chayote roots over winter in zone 6

Gardeners in zone 6 have had success protecting chayote roots over winter with a thick layer of mulch, per the video.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Pruning squash vines for airflow

Remove leaves touching the ground, those crowding the center, and older mildewy leaves so light and air reach the plant and soil dries, but leave enough top leaves to feed the fruit.

Steps:

1. Remove leaves touching the ground
2. Remove leaves crowding the center
3. Remove older or mildewy leaves
4. Do not strip the plant bare

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Purslane grows without watering

A weedy succulent that stores water in its leaves, self-seeds heavily, and can be eaten raw in salads or blended. Its omega-3 content is described as unusually high for a plant.

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Purslane thrives in heat and drought

Purslane keeps growing in hot, dry, poor-soil conditions where tomatoes and lettuce struggle, so it needs little attention in summer.

Idea from a video by Backyard Yield.

Rainwater is slightly acidic and gardeners value it

The speaker says rainwater typically sits between about pH 5.3 and 5.9, and that gardeners prize it. He links this to minerals in soil becoming available, which is his explanation rather than tested data.

Steps:

1. Consider collecting rainwater for watering where practical.
2. Check water pH if you rely on well or tap water for plants.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Regrow scallions from store-bought roots

Place the rooted white ends of scallions in water, harvest the green tops, and change the water every few days; soil-potted roots give thicker greens.

You will need:

• store-bought scallions with roots

Steps:

1. Place the root end with some white part in a glass with about an inch of water.
2. Harvest the green tops once they regrow in two to three days.
3. Change the water every few days.
4. Optionally plant root ends in potting mix for thicker greens.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Rehydrate colonized cakes before fruiting

Before fruiting, soak the mycelium cakes in clean water for 12 to 24 hours. In this video the cakes gained roughly 30 grams of water each, from about 80 grams to about 110 grams, which the creator treats as a moisture reserve.

Steps:

1. Weigh a few cakes before soaking.
2. Submerge them in clean water in a bowl, using a small pan to keep them under.
3. Soak for 12 to 24 hours, then weigh again.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Remove lower tomato leaves only when disease is present

Lower leaves feed the plant by photosynthesis, and removing them usually cuts yield with little disease benefit. Mulch and spacing help more with soil splash.

Steps:

1. Keep lower leaves unless disease is active
2. Mulch under plants to reduce soil splash
3. Space plants for air circulation

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Remove the tassel after corn pollinates

Once the tassel at the top of a corn plant has shed its pollen, cutting it off is said to shade the leaves less and send more energy to the developing ears, which the video says fill more evenly and ripen a few days sooner.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Root cellar storage

Store potatoes, carrots, cabbage and apples in a cool, humid, dark underground space around 38 degrees, below the frost line.

Steps:

1. Use a cellar or dugout below the frost line held near 38 degrees.
2. Keep it humid enough that potatoes do not shrivel and dry enough that apples do not rot.

Idea from a video by Silas Mercer Cooking.

Rose hips sweeten after first frost

Rugosa rose hips can stay on the bush into winter and are said to get sweeter after the first frost. The hips suit teas, syrups and jams, and a dense rose hedge can serve as a low-maintenance living fence.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Roselle from seed in a large pot

Grow roselle from seed in a large pot in full sun. It is an annual in temperate climates. Harvest the calyces after the flowers drop, dry them, and store them for brewing.

You will need:

• roselle seeds

Steps:

1. Sow seed in a large pot in full sun.
2. After flowers drop, harvest calyces.
3. Dry and store them.

Idea from a video by Secrets Beneath Nature with Dan.

Rye in poor, acidic sandy soil

A cold-hardy grain the video says grows where wheat fails, in sandy, acidic and frost-prone soil, without amendment.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Sample microgreen grow cycle for broccoli

The example broccoli schedule starts with soaking and planting seed, then keeps trays weighted in the dark for about three days to germinate. Next they move under lights for about seven more days and are harvested around day 10. Total grow time is the sum of these stages.

Steps:

1. Soak and plant the seed on day zero.
2. Keep the tray under a weight to germinate for three days.
3. On day three, move the tray under grow lights for seven days.
4. Harvest on about day 10.

Idea from a video by Microgreen Manager.

Save seed from dried pods

Let some plants set pods, collect them once tan and papery and just before they split, dry them in a paper or cloth bag in an airy room, then store seed in labeled paper envelopes in a cool, dry place. Keep this poppy separate from other poppies to avoid mixing seed.

Steps:

1. Leave some plants unharvested so they set seed pods after petals fall.
2. Pick pods when tan and papery, just before they split on their own.
3. Place pods in a paper or cloth bag, never a sealed plastic bag, and dry in a shaded airy room for a few days.
4. Shake out seed onto clean paper once pods split.
5. Store seed in a labeled paper envelope in a cool, dry drawer and keep it in its own bed away from other poppies.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Save seeds from heirloom varieties

Heirloom (non-hybrid) seeds grow true to type, so seeds saved from a plant can be replanted in later seasons. Hybrid seeds generally do not breed true and must be rebought each year.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Scatter cooked plain rice on garden beds

Spread about 2-3 tablespoons of plain cooked rice per square foot on the bed surface, press it lightly in, and cover with mulch to keep it moist. The video says to repeat every 2-3 weeks during the growing season. It advises small, frequent applications rather than one large dump to avoid oxygen-starved soil.

You will need:

• plain cooked rice with no oil, salt, or seasoning
• mulch

Steps:

1. Scatter 2-3 tablespoons of plain cooked rice per square foot over the bed.
2. Press the rice lightly into the surface.
3. Cover with a thin layer of mulch.
4. Repeat every 2-3 weeks during the growing season, in small amounts.

Idea from a video by Hank’s Gardening Journey.

Sea buckthorn in poor sandy ground

A cold-hardy shrub that grows in pure sand and gravel, fixes nitrogen and helps prevent erosion. The video says it tolerates very low fertility and is hardy to about minus 40 F.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Sea kale blanching for tender spring shoots

A coastal perennial whose early spring shoots can be blanched by covering the crown with an upturned pot to produce pale, tender stems. Flowers are also edible.

Steps:

1. In early spring, cover the crown with an upturned pot to blanch the shoots.
2. Harvest pale tender stems.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Sea kale in shingle and gravel

A perennial coastal vegetable that grows in gravel and rocky ground above the tide line and lives for decades. Blanched spring shoots are eaten.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Shade cloth for lettuce establishment in heat

New lettuce plantings are shaded for about two weeks after seeding when temperatures are above 75, then uncovered for a night at a time; hoops about five feet high are needed so plants have room.

You will need:

• shade cloth

Steps:

1. Shade new plantings for about two weeks when temperatures are 75 or higher
2. Uncover for a night to let plants harden
3. Use hoops about five feet tall to hold the cloth

Idea from a video by Epic Gardening.

Shiitake log cultivation in shade

Drill holes in a hardwood log, insert mushroom plugs, seal with wax and lean the log in a shaded humid corner; fruiting starts in 6 to 18 months.

You will need:

• hardwood log
• shiitake mushroom plugs
• wax

Steps:

1. Drill holes in a hardwood log
2. Pound in mushroom plugs
3. Seal with wax
4. Lean log in a shaded, humid corner

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Shiitake logs

Drill holes in freshly cut hardwood logs, insert shiitake plug spawn, seal with wax, and stack the logs in shade. The video says a log fruits for about one year per inch of diameter.

You will need:

• shiitake plug spawn
• fresh cut oak, maple, or beech logs 4 to 6 inches diameter

Steps:

1. Drill holes in fresh cut logs
2. Hammer in spawn plugs
3. Seal the holes with cheese wax
4. Stack the logs in shade

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Shred leaves before composting

Run a lawnmower over leaves two times so they break into small pieces. Whole leaves shed water and stay dry inside the pile, while shredded leaves soak up liquid and break down faster.

Steps:

1. Mow dry leaves two times to shred them into small pieces.
2. Use the shredded leaves for the pile instead of whole leaves.

Idea from a video by America Grows.

Small bark cuts to favor fruiting

The video says small cuts in the bark can push a papaya to focus less on height and more on fruit.

Steps:

1. Make small cuts in the bark of the trunk

Idea from a video by Atish Aladel.

Soil microbes as a source of antibiotic-producing bacteria

Soil is a historic source of antibiotic-producing Streptomyces bacteria; researchers isolate them by growing soil samples on a homemade agar that favors Streptomyces. This is a lab method, not a home gardening practice, and the video makes no health claim for eating or touching soil.

Idea from a video by nature video.

Sorrel as a cut-and-come-again spring and summer green

Sorrel is among the first greens up in spring and regrows from the base after each cutting, so one planting can supply lemony greens through the season for soups and sauces.

Steps:

1. Plant once in good soil.
2. Cut leaves repeatedly; the plant regrows from the base.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Sow cereal rye as a cover crop soon after harvest

Plant cereal rye within days of corn harvest to keep soil covered over winter. The video gives about 80 lb per acre broadcast onto standing stubble, or about 60 lb per acre if drilled. Its roots are said to help break up compaction and it is said to hold bare soil against erosion. It is also said to allow earlier planting the following spring. These are acre-scale rates, so a home gardener would need to scale them down.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Spacing for a dense moringa leaf planting

On a three-quarter acre, the host describes about 500 moringa trees planted ten feet apart one way and five feet the other. Closer spacing works if you harvest often; wider spacing is needed if trees are left to grow tall.

Idea from a video by Learn Organic Gardening at GrowingYourGreens.

Spent coffee grounds as soil amendment

Cafe spent grounds are close to pH neutral, supply nitrogen and organic matter, and can go into compost or be spread as mulch. The video says slugs tend to avoid a band of grounds.

Steps:

1. Ask a cafe to set aside spent grounds in your container
2. Add to compost as a green material or spread as a top dressing or mulch

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Spot cucumber problems early on a trellis

Because the whole plant is visible when trained vertically, you can notice problems sooner.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Sprouting seeds in a jar

Soak seeds overnight in a mason jar, then drain and rinse them twice a day for three to five days, out of direct light.

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons seeds
• water

Steps:

1. Put seeds in a wide-mouth mason jar covered with mesh or cheesecloth.
2. Soak overnight and drain in the morning.
3. Rinse and drain twice a day for three to five days.
4. Keep out of direct light.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Sprouting winged bean seeds in a jar or tray

Pick undamaged dry seeds, soak them 12 to 24 hours in room-temperature water, drain and rinse, then rinse twice daily in a well-drained container kept out of direct sun at about 20 to 30 C. Harvest around day 4 to 5, before the stems lengthen.

Steps:

1. Remove cracked, very dark, moldy or damaged seeds.
2. Soak seeds in room-temperature water, using about three times their volume, for 12 to 24 hours.
3. Drain completely and rinse; never leave standing water.
4. Use a container with drainage and keep it out of direct sunlight.
5. Rinse and drain twice a day, morning and night.
6. Keep temperature around 20 to 30 C.
7. Harvest around day 4 to 5 by cutting at the base or lifting the mat, then rinse, drain and refrigerate.

Idea from a video by Botanical Vault.

Square-grid planting with a spacing tool

Divide the bed into squares and use a spacing tool to press in evenly measured holes, with different spacing marked by color for different seed counts per square.

Steps:

1. Divide the soil bed into strict squares
2. Press a color-coded spacing tool into the soil to make measured holes
3. Plant the number of seeds that matches each square’s color marking

Idea from a video by Quantloop.

Standard raised bed layout for market garden

Beds are staked about 30 inches wide with 18-inch spacing between them so a wheelbarrow can pass, and every bed is kept intensively planted so none sit empty.

Steps:

1. Stake out beds about 30 inches wide
2. Leave about 18 inches between beds for a wheelbarrow path
3. Keep beds planted continuously

Idea from a video by Epic Gardening.

Start cucamelon indoors early

Start cucamelon seed indoors four to six weeks before last frost and transplant once the soil has warmed. In colder zones, store the tuber over winter and replant in spring.

Steps:

1. Start seeds indoors four to six weeks before last frost.
2. Transplant once the soil has warmed.
3. In zone 7 and warmer, leave the tuber in the ground; in colder zones, store it cool and dry over winter.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Start ginger from grocery store rhizome in shade

Soak a grocery ginger piece with visible eyes overnight, plant about two inches deep in a shaded bed or pot, keep moist, and green-harvest early pieces for milder flavor.

You will need:

• grocery store ginger with visible eyes

Steps:

1. Choose a piece with visible growth eyes
2. Soak overnight
3. Plant about two inches deep in shaded raised bed or pot and keep moist
4. Harvest small pieces as early as four months for milder flavor

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Start moringa from seed or cuttings

Seeds are easy to find and sprout in about a week. Cuttings of thumb-thick branches can root in the ground within weeks. Use well-draining soil or a pot with good drainage, since moringa dislikes wet roots. In cold climates, use a pot of about 20 gallons and bring it indoors before frost.

Steps:

1. Plant seeds in well-draining soil or sow cuttings in the ground
2. Use a large pot with drainage in cold climates and bring it inside before frost

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Start mugwort from seed

Mugwort is vigorous and easy to start from seed, and it spreads readily once established. It is widely native across North America, Europe and Asia.

Idea from a video by School of Evolutionary Herbalism.

Starting a monk fruit vine

Start from seed or from a seedling. Seeds are slow to sprout, while seedlings establish faster. Plant in rich, well-drained, loamy soil with plenty of organic matter, and give it a sturdy trellis because it climbs 15 feet or more.

Steps:

1. Get seeds or seedlings from a specialty supplier
2. Plant in rich, well-drained loamy soil
3. Install a trellis or support structure before the vine gets big

Idea from a video by DTD History Radio.

Starting a patch from seed

To establish a patch on purpose, scatter seed on disturbed soil in spring after the last frost and water occasionally until plants are established.

Steps:

1. Scatter seeds on disturbed soil in spring after the last frost
2. Water occasionally until established

Idea from a video by Secrets Beneath Nature with Dan.

Starting ginger from rhizome pieces

Ginger grows from pieces of its own root rather than seed. Cut a finger-sized piece, bury it shallowly in loose potting soil, and shoots emerge in about eight weeks; harvest and replant to keep it going.

Steps:

1. Cut a finger-sized piece from a ginger rhizome
2. Bury it about two inches deep in a pot of loose soil
3. Expect shoots in roughly eight weeks and a harvestable clump in eight to ten months

Idea from a video by Forbidden Roots.

Storing carrots all winter in soil

Cut tops off, leave roots unwashed, and layer carrots with garden soil in a tote or bucket, keeping them apart, in a cool dark place near freezing. Check and remove soft ones. The video says this keeps them crisp for three to five months.

Steps:

1. Cut the tops off
2. Leave roots unwashed
3. Layer carrots and soil in a tote or bucket so they do not touch
4. Loosely lid or poke air holes
5. Store cool and dark, ideally just above freezing
6. Check periodically and remove soft carrots

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Strawberries in a hanging basket

Alpine and ever-bearing strawberry varieties can grow in a hanging basket with full sun and basic watering. The video says they fruit through the season and can be mulched to survive winter.

Steps:

1. Hang the basket in full sun.
2. Water regularly.
3. Mulch to get through winter.

Idea from a video by Secrets Beneath Nature with Dan.

Tarp and direct-seed a freshly cleared bed

After cutting old crop down to the surface and leaving roots in, add compost, cover with white-side-up tarp for about a week, then rake and direct seed into the bed.

You will need:

• earth compost
• tarp

Steps:

1. Cut old crop down to soil surface and leave roots
2. Lay compost over the bed
3. Cover with white-side-up tarp for about a week
4. Remove tarp, rake, and direct seed

Idea from a video by Epic Gardening.

Tea plant in a container

Camellia sinensis can be grown in a pot with acidic, consistently moist soil and partial shade. Harvest the youngest tip leaves and dry them.

Steps:

1. Use a pot with acidic soil.
2. Keep moisture consistent and give partial shade.
3. Harvest the youngest tip leaves and dry them.

Idea from a video by Secrets Beneath Nature with Dan.

Tepary bean for dry, low-water gardens

A desert-adapted bean that the video says fixes nitrogen and grows in sandy loam and rocky desert soil with very little rain.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Test soil and inputs before and after changes

Record what inputs you add, with timing and amounts, then test soil before and after so you can see what actually worked on your own site rather than relying on general claims.

Idea from a YouTube video.

Thin carrots and let them sit in cool weather

Sow carrot seed a little thick, thin aggressively so roots have room, and let them mature into cool weather, which the video says makes them sweeter.

Steps:

1. Sow seeds a little thick
2. Thin aggressively
3. Let roots mature into cool weather

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Three Sisters planting

Plant corn, beans, and squash together in one mound. The corn supports the beans, the beans add nitrogen to the soil, and the squash shades the ground. The video recommends traditional heirloom varieties over dwarf types.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Tiger nut harvest and invasive-plant caution

Dig up the roots after the plant dies back in fall, then rinse, dry and store the tubers. Tiger nuts are classed as a noxious weed in parts of the southern US, so check local rules before planting.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Timing and judging harvest

Expect flowers in spring and fruit by fall, with the first real harvest in the second or third year. Pick when the fruit turns brownish green and gives slightly when pressed, since overripe fruit loses sweet compounds.

Steps:

1. Expect the first harvest in year two or three
2. Pick when fruit is brownish green and gives slightly when pressed
3. Do not wait for overripe fruit

Idea from a video by DTD History Radio.

Top moringa trees to keep them short and bushy

Cut moringa back to about three to four feet so it sends out many new shoots low down, which can be harvested for leaves. Remove the center and keep popping the tops to keep the plant bushy.

Steps:

1. Cut the tree back to about three to four feet high
2. Let new shoots grow from the lower stem
3. Harvest the tender young shoots by snapping them off
4. Keep popping tops and clearing the center to stay bushy

Idea from a video by Learn Organic Gardening at GrowingYourGreens.

Trap cropping with nasturtiums, radishes and decoy squash

Plant a crop pests prefer near the edges to draw them away from main crops: nasturtiums for aphids, radishes for flea beetles, and attractive squash on garden edges for cucumber beetles or vine borers.

Steps:

1. Plant nasturtiums around bed edges or near beans and peppers to draw aphids.
2. Plant radishes near young brassicas or eggplant to draw flea beetles.
3. Use attractive squash on outer edges to pull cucumber beetle or vine borer pressure away.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Treating non-fruiting male papaya plants (as reported)

The video says some farmers treat non-fruiting male papaya plants by inserting a small stake into the trunk and applying turmeric paste. The video gives no further detail or evidence for this.

You will need:

• turmeric paste

Steps:

1. Insert a small stake into the trunk
2. Apply turmeric paste

Idea from a video by Atish Aladel.

Trellis cucumbers for straighter fruit

Growing cucumbers up a trellis lets the fruit hang freely instead of curling along the ground, which the video says gives straighter cucumbers.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Trial planting on different dates to test drought tolerance

Researchers plant the same variety on staggered dates so different growth stages meet drought, revealing tolerance at each stage.

Steps:

1. Plant the same variety on several different dates
2. Observe which stage meets drought

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Trim flower tails and old stems for airflow

Workers trim off the long yellow flower tails and remove old stems so the plant row stays well ventilated.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Turmeric from rhizomes in a container

Plant turmeric rhizomes (not seed) in a large pot in spring, in warmth, moisture and partial shade. Harvest in fall when leaves yellow, store rhizomes over winter, and replant in spring.

You will need:

• turmeric rhizomes

Steps:

1. Plant rhizomes in a large container in spring.
2. Keep warm, moist and partially shaded.
3. Harvest in fall when leaves yellow.
4. Store rhizomes over winter and replant in spring.

Idea from a video by Secrets Beneath Nature with Dan.

Turn the pile to keep it heating

Check the pile for heat after a few days. When the center cools, turn the pile inside out, lightly water it, and turn it about every two days until it stops heating and turns dark brown.

Steps:

1. Check for steam and heat in the center around day three or four.
2. When the heat fades around day five, turn the pile so the outside material moves to the center.
3. Water lightly while turning and cover again.
4. Turn about every two days until the pile no longer heats up.

Idea from a video by America Grows.

Two-vent passive airflow

Use a low inlet pipe for cold air and a high outlet pipe for warm, moist air so the cellar circulates without fans. If airflow is weak, widening the inlet by one pipe size may help.

You will need:

• two PVC pipes
• hardware cloth screens

Steps:

1. Place the inlet pipe low near the floor.
2. Place the outlet pipe high near the ceiling.
3. Test the flow with incense near each pipe.
4. If flow is weak, widen the inlet by one pipe size.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Use a trellis to improve airflow against powdery mildew

Vertical growing on a trellis is said to improve airflow and noticeably reduce powdery mildew, which the video calls a major cucumber killer.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Use afternoon shade in hot climates for some vegetables

In very hot regions, lettuce, spinach, peas and some tomatoes can do better with afternoon shade. Adapt sun exposure to local conditions.

Steps:

1. Observe how much afternoon heat your site gets
2. Plant cool-season greens in afternoon shade
3. Use shade cloth or structures for shade where needed

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Use compost extract fresh

The video says extract should be used within two to three weeks, and the farmer prefers to make it and use it the next day when possible, since microbes die off over time.

Idea from a video by Danthonia Farm.

Use fast-draining soil for peyote

Peyote need soil that drains quickly so water soaks in rather than pooling on the surface.

Idea from a video by Sacred Buttons.

Use floating row covers early, remove for pollination

Cover young brassicas and cucurbits with floating row covers to keep egg-laying insects off, then remove covers when flowering starts or hand pollinate.

You will need:

• floating row cover

Steps:

1. Cover young brassicas and cucurbits early.
2. Remove covers when squash, cucumbers or melons begin flowering, or hand pollinate if kept covered.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Use less concentrate in a foliar spray with more water

For foliar spraying, the speaker recommends a lower concentrate with more water to reduce burn risk. He says this also works better than heavier applications.

You will need:

• one part product to ten parts water (as stated for the sample trial)

Steps:

1. Measure the product carefully using the label or company instructions.
2. Dilute with more water for foliar application rather than applying a strong mix.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Use moringa leaf as a compost tea for greens

Moringa leaf powder or blended fresh leaves can be steeped in water and sprayed on or poured onto soil as a fertilizer-type tea. The host says he sprays greens such as kale and lettuce every two to three weeks for fast leafy growth.

You will need:

• moringa leaf powder or fresh leaves
• water

Steps:

1. Mix leaf powder or blended leaves with water
2. Pour onto soil or spray on leafy greens
3. Repeat every two to three weeks during growth

Idea from a video by Learn Organic Gardening at GrowingYourGreens.

Use mulch around dragon fruit plants

Fresh mulch on the ground helps block weeds and keeps moisture in the soil.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Use perennial or year-round living plantings

Continuous living root systems build soil pores and feed soil organisms more reliably than plants that cycle in and out each year, according to the video’s cited review.

Idea from a video by The Last Farmers.

Use raised benches and about 40-60% shade

Keep pots off the ground so drainage and airflow stay good and roots air-prune instead of pushing into the soil. Shade cloth around 40 to 60 percent is suggested, adjusted for how harsh your light is.

Steps:

1. Place trays on a raised, perforated bench
2. Use roughly 40 to 60 percent shade cloth in a greenhouse
3. Adjust shade percentage to local light conditions

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Use sheet mulch of newspaper

Standard newsprint made with modern inks is safe in the garden. It works under wood chips, in compost, or as a weed barrier and pathway layer.

You will need:

• newsprint
• wood chips

Steps:

1. Lay newspaper as a layer under mulch
2. Add wood chips on top or use in compost

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Using dried vegetable scraps as flavor

Save onion skins, carrot ends and celery tops, dry them in a low oven until brittle, then grind them into the bouillon mix.

You will need:

• onion skins
• carrot ends
• celery tops

Steps:

1. Dry vegetable scraps in a low oven until brittle.
2. Grind them and mix them into the powder.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Vanilla orchids often need hand pollination

Outside Mexico, vanilla flowers typically need to be pollinated by hand, one flower at a time, since the native pollinator is absent; pods then need months of curing after harvest.

Steps:

1. Hand-pollinate each flower
2. Harvest the pods
3. Cure the pods for months

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Vinegar and soap trap for adult flies

A shallow dish of vinegar with a drop of dish soap catches adult fruit flies already in the kitchen; it does not address eggs or larvae, so it is only for short-term use.

You will need:

• vinegar
• drop of dish soap

Steps:

1. Pour vinegar into a shallow open dish and add a drop of dish soap
2. Leave it out for a few days to catch adults; remove it once flies are gone

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Vinegar scrub for cellar mold

Scrub mold from the walls or floor with one part white vinegar to one part water and let it dry, avoiding chemicals near stored food.

You will need:

• white vinegar
• water
• scrub brush

Steps:

1. Mix one part white vinegar with one part water.
2. Scrub the affected walls or floor.
3. Let the surface dry completely.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Wait three to four years and harvest roots in autumn

The video says roots should come from plants at least three to four years old, harvested in autumn, because younger roots are said to be less concentrated. Store dried, processed slices in a cool dark place.

Steps:

1. Wait until plants are at least three to four years old.
2. Harvest the root in autumn.
3. Store dried slices in a cool, dark place.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Wapato tubers harvested in fall

Wapato grows in shallow water with arrow-shaped leaves; tubers are harvested in fall, typically October, and can be peeled and cooked like potatoes.

Steps:

1. Grow in shallow water
2. Harvest tubers in fall, typically October
3. Peel and cook like a regular potato

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Wash dragon fruit buds before flowering

Commercial growers spray the buds with water before they open to wash off dust and tiny insects.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Water dry-farmed tomatoes for 30 days, then stop

Water tomatoes for about the first month after planting, then stop. Less water is said to concentrate flavor and reduce fungal disease, though the fruit will be smaller.

Steps:

1. Water for the first 30 days after planting
2. Stop watering after that and let the roots go deep

Idea from a video by NATIVES WISDOM.

Water in the morning

Water in the morning so foliage dries during the day, which the video says lowers fungal problems like mildew and blight. If watering in the evening, water at the base of plants using drip irrigation or soaker hoses.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Water native plants during their first one to three years

Native plants need less water once established, but they still need regular watering during their first years and during unusual droughts.

Steps:

1. Water regularly for the first one to three years
2. Water during abnormal droughts even when established

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Water only after soil dries completely

Wait until the soil is fully dry before watering. Clear bins make it easy to check moisture level.

Steps:

1. Let the soil dry out completely.
2. Water thoroughly once dry.
3. Check moisture easily by growing in clear bins.

Idea from a video by Sacred Buttons.

Water quality and changes

Use collected rainwater or boiled-then-cooled tap water, or let tap water stand uncovered for 24 hours so chlorine leaves. Change the water every three to four days for oxygen, and rinse the glass with hot water, not dish soap.

Steps:

1. Use rainwater or boiled and cooled tap water, or let tap water stand 24 hours uncovered
2. Change the water every three to four days
3. Rinse the glass with clear hot water, avoiding dish soap

Idea from a video by Living Self-Sufficiently.

Water seedlings shallowly and often

Seeds and fresh transplants need the top layer or root-ball depth kept moist. Established plants with deep roots are watered deeply but less often.

Steps:

1. Keep the top inch moist for seeds
2. Water transplants at root-ball depth until roots spread
3. Water established plants deeply and infrequently

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Water temperature and light for rooting

Keep the rooting water around 22 to 26 C, using a book or foam under the glass on cold sills. Give bright but indirect light, such as an east window, and avoid hot midday sun on the glass.

Steps:

1. Keep water around 22 to 26 C
2. Place a book or foam under the glass on a cold windowsill
3. Choose bright indirect light, such as an east-facing window
4. Avoid direct midday sun

Idea from a video by Living Self-Sufficiently.

Welsh onion clump harvesting

A perennial bunching onion that never forms a bulb and keeps producing green tops from a clump. Harvest from the outside and leave the center to grow. Clumps divide easily to share.

Steps:

1. Harvest green tops from the outside of the clump.
2. Leave the center to keep growing.
3. Divide the clump to give starts to other parts of the garden or to neighbors.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Willow water rooting soak

Steep chopped young green willow shoots in boiling water for at least 24 hours, strain, then soak fresh cuttings in the liquid for about two days before moving them to plain water.

You will need:

• young green willow branches
• boiling water

Steps:

1. Collect fresh flexible willow tips from this year
2. Cut into pieces about 2 to 3 cm
3. Pour boiling water over them and steep at least 24 hours
4. Strain out the branches
5. Soak cuttings in the liquid for the first two days, then move them to normal water

Idea from a video by Living Self-Sufficiently.

Wine cap mushroom mother bed

Build a shaded bed of hardwood wood chips over cardboard, mix in wine cap spawn while layering, and water it well. Add fresh wood chips each year and move colonized chips to start new beds.

You will need:

• hardwood wood chips
• cardboard
• wine cap mushroom spawn

Steps:

1. Pick a shady spot under trees or on the north side of a building
2. Lay cardboard down to suppress weeds
3. Layer 8 to 12 inches of hardwood chips in a 4 by 8 foot bed
4. Mix spawn through the chip layers and water thoroughly
5. Cover with burlap or leaves
6. Add 4 to 6 inches of fresh chips each fall or spring
7. Transplant colonized chips to new mulched areas to expand

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Winged bean is a nitrogen-fixing, whole-plant crop

Nearly every part of the winged bean plant is edible, and like other legumes it fixes nitrogen into the soil through root bacteria, which can reduce fertilizer needs for neighboring crops.

Idea from a video by PLANT BASED NEWS.

Winter sowing in clear bottles

Cut a clear plastic bottle, leaving a hinge, add soil and seeds, water lightly, tape it shut, and punch drainage and air holes. Set it outdoors in winter so the seeds stratify and sprout in spring. The video says this worked in zone 3A.

You will need:

• clear plastic bottle
• soil
• seeds
• tape

Steps:

1. Cut a clear plastic bottle around the middle, leaving a small hinge.
2. Add soil, plant seeds, and water lightly.
3. Close and tape the bottle, and punch drainage holes in the bottom and air holes on top.
4. Place outdoors in winter and open for a few days to harden off before transplanting.

Idea from a video by Sidney Explains.

Work crushed raw rice into the top soil

Lightly crush dry uncooked rice with a rolling pin or a brief pulse in a blender, then work 1-2 tablespoons per square foot into the top 2 inches of soil and mulch over it. The video says the starch releases slowly over several weeks, and it suggests alternating with cooked rice applications.

You will need:

• uncooked rice
• mulch

Steps:

1. Crush dry rice lightly with a rolling pin or a short pulse in a blender.
2. Scatter 1-2 tablespoons per square foot.
3. Work it into the top 2 inches of soil.
4. Cover with mulch.
5. Apply monthly, alternating with cooked rice every two weeks.

Idea from a video by Hank’s Gardening Journey.

Yellow nutsedge spreads by underground tubers

Yellow nutsedge, the wild form of chufa, spreads through underground tubers that can regrow after the visible plant is killed. One plant can produce many tubers, and they can persist in soil for years, so it is hard to eradicate once established.

Idea from a video by Nature Lost Vault.