The seed packet says your carrots should be ready in 70 days - but what if they're still tiny? Or your broccoli starts flowering before you harvest it?

In this episode of HOMEGROWN, we're talking about how to know when your vegetables are truly ready to harvest. You'll learn why "days to maturity" are only a guideline and how to recognize the signs that common garden crops are ready to pick.

Thanks for hanging out in the garden with me today!

Transcript/related post: https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2026/07/when-to-harvest-vegetables.html

Homegrown Garden Blueprint workbook - https://homegrown-garden-blueprint.milotreecart.com/

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If you’re enjoying HOMEGROWN: Your Backyard Garden Podcast, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen:
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Tomato hornworms are one of the most destructive pests in the vegetable garden. These giant green caterpillars can strip a tomato plant of leaves before you even realize they're there.

Learn how to identify tomato hornworms and tobacco hornworms, recognize the signs of damage, protect your tomato plants using companion planting, beneficial insects, and other organic gardening methods. You'll also discover a surprising and fun way to find hidden hornworms.

Download your FREE Tomato Growing Guide here.

Related post/transcript: https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2026/06/tomato-hornworm-control.html

Blacklight flashlight (UV light): https://amzn.to/4xOnEnm (affiliate link)

Companion Planting episode #31 for more information on preventing insect pests: https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2026/05/beginners-guide-to-companion-planting.html

If you’re ready to take your garden a step further, the Homegrown Garden Blueprint workbook will help you map out your entire garden with confidence, from what to plant to how it all fits together.

Sign up to be notified of new episodes by email: https://oakhillhomestead.myflodesk.com/homegrown

Subscribe and Review
New episodes drop every other Tuesday during the gardening season - subscribe so you don’t miss a single one! Subscribe to my emails for even more gardening tips and seasonal ideas.

If you’re enjoying HOMEGROWN: Your Backyard Garden Podcast, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify

Keep in Touch
Website: https://oakhillhomestead.com
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Let's talk about simple ways to grow fruit right alongside your vegetables - no fruit trees required! From strawberries in containers, to melons, berries, kiwi and some unusual curiosities too, you'll discover how fruit can fit into gardens of almost any size.

No matter how large or small your backyard garden might be - even containers on a patio - adding fruit to your garden can increase your harvest and make your space even more productive. Join me as we explore practical ideas for growing fresh, homegrown fruit right where you're already growing your vegetables.

Related post/transcript: https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2026/06/grow-fruit-in-your-vegetable-garden.html.html

Kiwiberry botanical name: Actinidia arguta

Homegrown Garden Blueprint: https://homegrown-garden-blueprint.milotreecart.com/

Seed source for berry seeds, melons, cucamelons and more: Mary's Heirloom Seeds

Sign up to be notified of new episodes by email: https://oakhillhomestead.myflodesk.com/homegrown

Subscribe and Review
New episodes drop every other Tuesday during the gardening season - subscribe so you don’t miss a single one! Subscribe to my emails for even more gardening tips and seasonal ideas.

If you’re enjoying HOMEGROWN: Your Backyard Garden Podcast, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify

Keep in Touch
Website: https://oakhillhomestead.com
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Want more tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and melons from your backyard garden? Pollinators may be the missing piece: they help your vegetables produce bigger, better harvests. In this episode, we’re talking about how pollination works, which pollinators are helping in your garden, and simple ways to attract more bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects naturally. Small changes can make a surprisingly big difference.

Grab your free Pollinator-Friendly Plants guide -
a handy reference chart of plants that will compliment your vegetable garden and attract pollinators.

Transcript/Related blog post: https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2026/06/why-your-garden-needs-bees.html

Homegrown Garden Blueprint workbook - https://homegrown-garden-blueprint.milotreecart.com/

Subscribe and Review
New episodes drop every other Tuesday during the gardening season - subscribe so you don’t miss a single one! Subscribe to my emails for even more gardening tips and seasonal ideas.

If you’re enjoying HOMEGROWN: Your Backyard Garden Podcast, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify

Keep in Touch
Website: https://oakhillhomestead.com
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Cabbage worms can turn healthy plants into a mess almost overnight, but you don’t have to let them take over your garden.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through what they are, how they get there, and the simple, effective ways to stop them before the damage gets out of hand. We’ll talk about prevention, and organic solutions.

If you grow cabbage, broccoli, kale, or other brassicas, this is one problem you can get ahead of.

Related post/transcript: https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2018/05/fighting-cabbage-worms.html

How to Grow Cabbage in Your Backyard Garden: https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2019/03/how-to-grow-cabbage.html

Homegrown Garden Blueprint: https://homegrown-garden-blueprint.milotreecart.com/

Sign up to be notified of new episodes by email: https://oakhillhomestead.myflodesk.com/homegrown

Subscribe and Review
New episodes drop every other Tuesday during the gardening season - subscribe so you don’t miss a single one! Subscribe to my emails for even more gardening tips and seasonal ideas.

If you’re enjoying HOMEGROWN: Your Backyard Garden Podcast, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen:
Apple Podcasts
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Keep in Touch
Website: https://oakhillhomestead.com
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Not all plants get along in the garden, while others actually help each other grow better. Let's walk through the basics of companion planting - you’ll learn what it is, why it works, and a few easy combinations you can try in your own garden, along with a few to avoid.

Transcript: https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2026/05/companion-planting-explained.html

And if you’re ready to take it a step further, the Homegrown Garden Blueprint workbook will help you map out your entire garden with confidence, from what to plant to where it all fits together.

If you’d like an easy way to try companion planting, my free Mini Salad Garden printable shares simple plant combinations you can grow together - https://oakhillhomestead.myflodesk.com/jzof20c210

Subscribe and Review
New episodes drop every other Tuesday during the gardening season - subscribe so you don’t miss a single one! Subscribe to my emails for even more gardening tips and seasonal ideas.

If you’re enjoying HOMEGROWN: Your Backyard Garden Podcast, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen:
Apple Podcasts
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Keep in Touch
Website: https://oakhillhomestead.com
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Starting a vegetable garden is exciting, but many new gardeners unknowingly make a few simple mistakes that can affect how well their plants grow.

In this episode, I’m sharing 4 beginner gardening mistakes and how to avoid them so your garden can grow healthier and more productive this season.

If you're just getting started and would like help planning your garden, take a look at The Homegrown Garden Blueprint, my step-by-step workbook designed to help you avoid common mistakes and grow with confidence.

Transcript/Related blog post: https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2026/04/beginner-gardening-mistakes-how-to-avoid-them.html

Homegrown Garden Blueprint: https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/p/homegrown-garden-blueprint.html

Subscribe and Review
New episodes drop every other Tuesday during the gardening season - subscribe so you don’t miss a single one! Subscribe to my emails for even more gardening tips and seasonal ideas.

If you’re enjoying HOMEGROWN: Your Backyard Garden Podcast, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify

Keep in Touch
Website: https://oakhillhomestead.com
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Can’t seem to grow big onions? In this episode, I walk you through the most common mistakes like choosing the wrong onion type, planting too late and more - and how to fix them. Learn the simple steps that lead to larger bulbs and a better harvest.

Transcript/Related blog post: https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2026/03/grow-big-onions.html

How to harvest, cure and store onions: https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2018/06/harvest-and-store-onions.html

I recommend Dixondale Onion Farms if you're looking for onion plants.

Subscribe and Review
New episodes drop every other Tuesday during the gardening season - subscribe so you don’t miss a single one! Subscribe to my emails for even more gardening tips and seasonal ideas.

If you’re enjoying HOMEGROWN: Your Backyard Garden Podcast, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen:
Apple Podcasts
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Keep in Touch
Website: https://oakhillhomestead.com
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