Jill McSheehy
500 episodes listed below
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Welcome to the Beginner's Garden Podcast! This is the podcast with easy-to-understand resources, tips, and information to help beginning gardeners get the most out of their gardening adventure -- big or small. When I began gardening in 2013, I scoured books and Internet resources to find all the information I could. Although good information was abundant, I had trouble understanding all the gardening lingo and sifting through the information to figure out what would work for me. In this podcast, my aim is to provide helpful information while explaining the gardening lingo as we go. I want to equip YOU to...
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Clear questions, tested garden experience, and carefully qualified advice turn unfamiliar growing problems into manageable decisions.
Jill McSheehy works from the question a home gardener is likely to face next, then keeps asking until the answer becomes usable. Solo episodes address summer pests and mid-season fertilizing, while guest conversations bring fruit trees, herbs, mushrooms, and market-farming…
Squash bugs at the gate? Your July plan might be no squash at all.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A calm July planting guide that stays specific enough to be useful without pretending every garden works the same way.
The episode treats July planting as a workable window, not a last chance chore. It is strongest when it stays with frost free days, local timing, and the difference between starting from seed and setting out transplants.
Spring planting advice that mixes old garden cues with frost dates and soil temperature.
Spring planting is treated as a matter of watching the garden closely, not following a fixed calendar. Jill connects old cues like lily of the valley, lilacs, and bearded irises with frost dates and soil temperature, which gives the guidance a useful mix of memory and…
Market-farming experience turns common garden problems into practical advice.
Market farming is the frame here, and it makes ordinary garden headaches feel more immediate. Disease pressure, weeds, pests, crop rotation, and the compromises of small-space planning all land as lived-in problems, not theory.
A practical June checklist that keeps the garden moving without pretending the season has gone idle.
McSheehy frames June as the garden's honeymoon period: most planting chores are behind, crops are settling in, and the first harvests are already underway.
A measured guide to whether a garden really needs fertilizer.
This episode treats fertilizer as a judgment call, not a habit. It starts from the host's tendency to use it sparingly, then makes room for the idea that different plants can ask for different things.
Raised-bed advice that turns soil myths into practical, beginner-level decisions.
Raised beds get a practical checkup here, with Jill McSheehy and Gardener Scott sorting through 100% compost, pressure treated wood, and the best planter setup when space is tight.
A practical guide to pruning apple trees for stronger structure and less guesswork.
The episode treats organic apple growing as a practical backyard skill, with clear attention to choosing a disease-resistant tree and pruning young trees in those first critical years.
A practical beginner guide to herbs that stays focused on watering, harvest timing, and oregano's spread.
The episode treats herbs as a sensible starting point for beginners, and Jill McSheehy keeps the advice close to the realities of a real garden. The strongest parts focus on basil, parsley, and oregano, with clear attention to watering, harvest timing, and where oregano belongs.
Wrestling toy talk with full collector brain.
Jill McSheehy provides a June garden checklist, covering how to manage bolting cool season crops, harvest herbs and root crops, plant heat-tolerant vegetables, and maintain gardens through mulching, pest monitoring, and proper watering techniques.
Jill McSheehy discusses five common summer garden pests—aphids, squash bugs, tomato hornworms, stink bugs, and cucumber beetles—offering organic identification tips and management strategies, such as encouraging beneficial insects and using handpicking methods.
Jill McSheehy interviews Matt McInnis from North Spore Mushrooms about integrating mushroom cultivation into home gardens, covering easy methods like using garden paths and mulch, soil benefits, species diversity, and preservation tips.
Jill McSheehy provides a detailed guide on what vegetables, herbs, and flowers to plant in July, focusing on heat-tolerant crops like bush beans, zucchini, and cucumbers, along with practical tips for success in summer gardening.
Jill McSheehy interviews Bevin Cohen, author of 'Herbs in Every Season', about practical tips for growing and using herbs seasonally.
Jill McSheehy explains why July is the ideal time to start fall crops indoors, covering specific vegetables like broccoli and cabbage, timing based on frost dates, and tips for indoor seed starting to ensure a successful harvest before cold weather.
This episode explores phenology, the traditional practice of using nature's cues like blooming plants to determine planting times, blending ancient wisdom with modern science.
Jill McSheehy explains what gardeners should do when their average last frost date arrives, debunking the myth that it's an automatic planting signal and offering practical advice on assessing weather, soil temperature, and plant readiness to ensure a successful growing season.
Jill McSheehy shares her top five easiest herbs for beginners—basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, and chives—with practical tips on planting, care, and avoiding common mistakes like invasive growth.
Jill McSheehy discusses mid-season fertilizing in organic gardens, sharing her evolving perspective from rarely using fertilizer to recognizing specific scenarios where it boosts yields.
Market farmer Pam Dolling shares practical organic gardening techniques from decades of experience, covering disease management through sanitation and seed-saving, weed control with mulching and flame weeding, and pest prevention using netting and crop timing.
Susan Poizner, a fruit tree expert, guides listeners through organic apple tree care, covering how to choose disease-resistant varieties, the science behind pruning in the first three years, and strategies for reviving older trees.
Jill McSheehy interviews Gardener Scott to debunk myths about pressure treated wood and soil in raised beds, covering topics like compost vs native soil, biosolids safety, and maximizing garden yields.
Jill McSheehy provides a comprehensive April gardening checklist, covering essential tasks like bed preparation, irrigation setup, and planting timing based on frost dates.
A step-by-step guide for planting tomatoes, covering timing, hole preparation, and post-planting care for beginners.
This episode teaches beginner gardeners about soil preparation and amendments, with a sponsored segment about a nursery.
This episode provides practical advice on companion planting for beginners, addressing real-time planting decisions and watering system installation.
An interview with expert Chad Cargill about growing blackberries successfully, from planting to harvest.
This episode teaches beginners how to grow blueberries, covering variety selection, planting, soil acidity, and harvest tips.
Jill McSheehy interviews Lisa Mason Ziegler about growing cut flowers, blending beauty with edible gardening for beginners.
Jill McSheehy interviews Brian from Garden in Minutes about how to successfully grow vegetables using the square foot gardening method.
Jill interviews Susie, head gardener at Greenstock, about growing large crops like tomatoes and cucumbers in vertical planters.
Jill interviews Kevin Espiritu about his homesteading projects, including gardening choices, orchard care, water conservation, solar, and greenhouses.
Jill McSheehy answers listener questions about planting cool season crops, covering indoor vs.