The Dirt on Gardening

We’re live with Andre the Farmer, Gray (Urban Gardening with Gray), and Derek (The Chocolate Botanist) talking winter-damaged gardens, small‑space wins, and a big announcement: Gray’s new YouTube series “Q&A with Gray” debuts on the Botanical Interests channel. We swap freeze‑recovery strategies for fruit trees (wait to prune until you’re safely past frost), what to do with flopped annuals, and seed‑starting tips for herbs like rosemary. We also field live questions on mangos after frost and which herbs are truly “easy” depending on your watering style and climate. Indoors and off‑grid, we dive into homestead projects you can do right now: shaking up homemade butter (heavy cream, optional salt/honey, then rinse and pack), simple alcohol‑based extractions/tinctures for teas and DIY, and our top “survival crops.” Gray picks potatoes, beans, and spinach for calories, nitrogen, and storage; Derek goes loofah (cleaning + barter), mint (teas), and a sweetener crop; Andre opts for sweet potatoes (plus edible greens), longevity spinach, and a long‑keeper like squash. We touch on ube/yams and Florida’s invasive winged yam/air potato, and close with community notes, including PlantCon Houston in April. Drop your questions in the comments for next week’s show!'Botanical Interests' (official site): https://www.botanicalinterests.com/'Botanical Interests' (YouTube channel): https://www.youtube.com/@botanicalinterests'Epic Gardening' (official site): https://www.epicgardening.com/'Epic Gardening' (YouTube channel): https://www.youtube.com/@epicgardening'Urban Gardening with Gray' (website): https://urbangardeningwithgray.com/'The Chocolate Botanist' (website): https://thechocolatebotanist.com/'StreamYard' (live streaming studio used on the show): https://streamyard.com/'Kerrygold USA' (butter mentioned): https://www.kerrygoldusa.com/'Everclear – DIY With Everclear' (brand site for high‑proof alcohol used in extractions): https://diywitheverclear.com/'UF/IFAS Assessment: Dioscorea alata (winged yam)' (Florida invasive species reference): https://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu/assessments/dioscorea-alata/'UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic & Invasive Plants: Dioscorea bulbifera (air potato)' (Florida invasive species reference): https://plant-directory.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/dioscorea-bulbifera/'PlantCon Houston 2026' (event mentioned): https://www.plantcon.org/houston-home'Fallout' (Prime Video series referenced): https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/fallout-series-trailer'Jacques in the Garden' (creator mentioned; link hub): https://linktr.ee/Jacques1x  Support Our Sponsors: Retain Spray: retainspray.com Sonia’s Bug Spray: https://sonias-essentials.myshopify.com/Thryve Roots: ThryveRoots.comAndre The Farmer’s Pepper Sauce: andrethefarmer.com#Gardening #UrbanFarming #podcast #TheChocolateBotanist #BlackPlantCreators #GrowYourOwn #Horticulture #PlantCare #andrethefarmer #FarmToBalcony #BudgetGardening #GardenTips #GardenLife #PlantParent #UrbanGardening

A major cold snap is pushing freezing temperatures deep into warm climates—bringing serious frost and freeze risk for gardens, fruit trees, and container plants. In this episode of the Dirt on Gardening Podcast, Andre the Farmer, Urban Gardening with Gray, and The Chocolate Botanist (Derek) share practical cold weather gardening tips to help you protect plants from frost damage, hard freezes, and sustained cold.You’ll learn why tropical and subtropical plants (like mango trees and banana plants) are more vulnerable than cold-hardy trees, what freezing does to plant cells, and the best DIY methods for freeze protection—including plant covers, breathable blankets and sheets, propping covers to avoid leaf contact, moving pots near the house for a windbreak, grouping containers for warmth, and using mulch to insulate roots. The crew also discusses simple heat-boosting options like incandescent Christmas lights, gentle heaters, and DIY heat sinks (dark buckets of water) to raise temperatures just enough to save buds, blooms, and fruit.Plus: a reality check on whether gardening can replace your grocery bill, what “intentional gardening” really means, and a debate on planting by moon phases—tradition vs. measurable results.If you’re searching for how to cover plants for frost, how to protect tropical plants in winter, or freeze prep for container gardens, this episode is your cold-snap survival guide.  Support Our Sponsors: Retain Spray: retainspray.com Sonia’s Bug Spray: https://sonias-essentials.myshopify.com/Thryve Roots: ThryveRoots.comAndre The Farmer’s Pepper Sauce: andrethefarmer.com#Gardening #UrbanFarming #podcast #TheChocolateBotanist #BlackPlantCreators #GrowYourOwn #Horticulture #PlantCare #andrethefarmer #FarmToBalcony #BudgetGardening #GardenTips #GardenLife #PlantParent #UrbanGardening

We’re back! In our Season 2 premiere, the three of us shake off some live-stream rust, catch up on travel, family news, and what’s sprouting in our lives and gardens. Then we dive into practical, no‑stress seed starting: start something you love, use your planting calendar, mind your media, keep lights close, and don’t fear a little failure. We talk germination triggers, damping off, fans for sturdier seedlings, when to pull domes and heat mats, how much daily light to give (often 14–16 hours), and making that tricky handoff from tray to garden. We also share what we’re growing this year—Andre’s finally tackling rice and kiwano; Derek’s dreaming gourds and uncommon mints; Gray’s running back Korean melons and firing up Gaillardia ‘Goblin’—plus a nifty sphagnum‑moss propagation box. We swap tips for protecting seedlings in cold snaps (thermal mass, wind shelter, grouping) and even wander into food hot‑takes (raisins? chocolate + fruit?) and the lore of perpetual stew. It’s a lively, learning‑packed kickoff to the season.'Andre the Farmer (site & shop)': https://andrethefarmer.com/'The Chocolate Botanist (Derek Haynes)': https://thechocolatebotanist.com/'Urban Gardening with Gray': https://urbangardeningwithgray.com/'PlantCon (official site)': https://www.plantcon.org/'PlantMania Expo (Raleigh, NC)': https://plantmaniaexpo.com/'Botanical Interests (seeds)': https://www.botanicalinterests.com/'Find Your Local Cooperative Extension': https://extension.org/find-cooperative-extension-in-your-state/'Epic Gardening (articles, videos, products)': https://www.epicgardening.com/'Kiwano (horned) melon — Cucumis metuliferus': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumis_metuliferus'Noni (Morinda citrifolia)': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morinda_citrifolia'Sonia’s Essential Mosquito Spray ("Sonia’s Bug Spray")': https://sonias-essentials.myshopify.com/'Retain — Organic Pruning Tool Cleaner (Walmart listing)': https://www.walmart.com/ip/14855670600'Thryve Roots (OMRI‑listed root & soil booster)': https://thryveroots.com/  Support Our Sponsors: Retain Spray: retainspray.com Sonia’s Bug Spray: https://sonias-essentials.myshopify.com/Thryve Roots: ThryveRoots.comAndre The Farmer’s Pepper Sauce: andrethefarmer.com#Gardening #UrbanFarming #podcast #TheChocolateBotanist #BlackPlantCreators #GrowYourOwn #Horticulture #PlantCare #andrethefarmer #FarmToBalcony #BudgetGardening #GardenTips #GardenLife #PlantParent #UrbanGardening