Two Minutes in the Garden: Gardening Tips, Science, Myths

Bite-sized informative updates on gardening basics, solutions, myths, news and other subjects of interest to gardeners both new and experienced. From the popular Empress of Dirt website (empressofdirt.net), home of creative and frugal ideas for your backyard garden.

Peat in Gardening: What's the Problem?
Jun 5, 2025 – 21:50
Overpotting: Should You Pot Up or Go Big?
May 1, 2025 – 13:30
Noticing Nature: From Gardener to Naturalist
Apr 20, 2025 – 13:51
Do Gravel Layers in Pots Improve Drainage?
Mar 17, 2025 – 15:09
Can Weeds Reveal Soil Secrets?
Dec 9, 2024 – 12:28
Should You Water Plants with Ice Cubes?
Nov 11, 2024 – 11:27
Are High Brix Levels the Key to Pest-Free Plants?
Oct 17, 2024 – 13:19
Ants in the Garden: Harmful or Beneficial?
Aug 7, 2024 – 15:50
Vermicomposting -- It's Different From Regular Composting
Jun 17, 2024 – 12:41
How Gardeners Came to Love Earthworms -- Soil's Tiny Engineers
May 29, 2024 – 13:44
Are Today's Fruits and Vegetables Less Nutritious?
May 9, 2024 – 11:27
The Purple Tomato: The First GMO Garden Seed
Mar 3, 2024 – 13:17
Does Garden-Grown Produce Have A High Carbon Footprint?
Feb 11, 2024 – 14:52
Does Touching Soil Make Us Happier?
Jan 22, 2024 – 12:38
Do Gardeners Need Crop Rotation?
Nov 24, 2023 – 11:34
Plant Nutrients (Part 4): "Up, Down, All Around" and the Phosphorus Myth
Oct 28, 2023 – 10:25
Plant Nutrients (Part 3): The Trouble with Balanced Fertilizers
Oct 13, 2023 – 12:05
Plant Nutrients (Part 2): What Do NPK Labels Mean?
Sep 28, 2023 – 11:32
Plant Nutrients (Part 1): What You Need to Know
Sep 18, 2023 – 14:03
Mushrooms: Friends or Foes in the Garden?
Aug 16, 2023 – 11:19
Is Soap Safe to Use in the Garden?
Aug 1, 2023 – 11:58
Composting (Part 4): How Much Compost is Too Much?
Jul 6, 2023 – 10:42
Composting (Part 3): What to Add and What to Avoid
Jun 24, 2023 – 12:04
Composting (Part 2): Simpler Than it Sounds
Jun 10, 2023 – 10:19
Compost: The Most Valuable Organic Matter for Your Soil
Jun 2, 2023 – 10:12
Humus: What Is It and Why It Matters
May 16, 2023 – 9:43
Plants in Water: A Balancing Act
May 6, 2023 – 9:53
No Mow May: Does It Really Help Pollinators?
Apr 15, 2023 – 10:09
How Frogs Benefit Your Garden -- And How to Attract Them
Apr 1, 2023 – 11:17
Fast-Growing Cool-Weather Crops for Spring
Mar 21, 2023 – 9:28
Helping Ground-Nesting Bees: The Unsung Garden Heroes
Mar 15, 2023 – 10:47
Protect Your Garden From Deer Damage
Mar 3, 2023 – 10:23
Baking Soda in the Garden: Is it Really Harmless?
Feb 23, 2023 – 11:10
Starting Seeds: An Overview
Feb 9, 2023 – 8:50
Growing Carrots in Your Garden
Jan 24, 2023 – 9:15
Whacking Tree Trunks and Other Strange Garden Tips
Jan 2, 2023 – 8:45
Do Comfrey and Other Plants Grab Nutrients Deep in Our Soil?
Dec 17, 2022 – 10:14
Humidity and Houseplants - Increasing Humidity Indoors
Nov 30, 2022 – 9:26
Growing and Propagating Aloe vera
Nov 11, 2022 – 8:15
Why Leaves Change Color (and Why Some Don't Fall)
Oct 31, 2022 – 7:49
Is it Safe to Use Paper in the Garden?
Oct 17, 2022 – 9:57
Horticultural Oil: How Does it Work? Is it Safe?
Oct 5, 2022 – 9:14
Why You Can't Have True Blue Roses (and Many Other Popular Flowers)
Sep 26, 2022 – 9:53
Using Human Urine in the Garden -- Benefits and Risks
Sep 17, 2022 – 8:43
Monarch Butterflies and the Garden (Part 2): Milkweed
Sep 5, 2022 – 9:25
Monarch Butterflies and the Garden (Part 1): Migration
Aug 30, 2022 – 9:46
Attracting Dragonflies to Your Garden
Aug 21, 2022 – 9:14
Can We Sequester More Carbon in Our Garden -- and Should We?
Aug 13, 2022 – 10:06
How Plants Capture Carbon and Help the Environment
Aug 3, 2022 – 9:58
Growing Oak Trees from Acorns
Jul 25, 2022 – 8:35

Recent Reviews

Helen in AZ

Love the science and common sense

This is a fabulous podcast! I am a seasoned gardener and really like digging into actual research along with your telling us the how and why-I never miss an episode!
ejoxkpvekchdd

My favorite

My favorite podcast of many gardening related podcasts. I have listened to them all now. They are all interesting and to the point.
Bobbyjd3

Informative tidbits!

It’s short, smart, and an interesting little podcast about gardening, plant care, etc. I try to listen to it every night in my Amazon flash briefing. The host Gary has a great voice which I’m sure you will enjoy. Check it out! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wordy Worderton

I can’t wait to here your podcast everyday on my Alexa!

I cannot rave enough about how wonderfully entertaining and informative your program is! Thank you for taking so much time to put out such a spectacular program! I am going to figure out how to have your site and podcasts at my fingertips. Love your work! Thank you so much for feeding my brain so it can grow! 😉
TankEmAim

Great, quick & informative!

I kept seeing your articles pop up when I was researching garden stuff on Pinterest! Thanks to your version, lots of my friends have avacado seedlings 😉. Very informative podcast as I’m always learning when it comes to gardening. Cant wait to binge all of the episodes.
DILL CALL

Amazing

A must listen for any new gardener, especially cool being from the Midwest !! Love it