Growing a Greener World

MALE ANNOUNCER: Growing a Greener World is made possible in part by-- FEMALE ANNOUNCER: The Subaru Crosstrek, designed with adventure in mind, built in a zero landfill plant, so you can roam the earth with a lighter footprint.

Subaru-- proud sponsor of Growing a Greener World.

MALE ANNOUNCER: And the following-- the US Composting Council, Milorganite, and Rain Bird.

[gentle instrumental music] JOE LAMP'L [voice-over]: I'm Joe Lamp'l.

For 10 years, Growing a Greener World has told the stories of the people and the places who are making a difference in the health of our environment and the sustainability of our global community.

But as we embarked on our 11th season, life changed overnight.

So many things we took for granted would never be the same again.

Now it's up to each of us to take a more active role in not just saving our planet, but making it better, feeding our families with organically grown food, conserving vital resources, protecting natural habitats, starting in our own backyards.

Growing a Greener World-- it's still our mission, and it's more important than ever.

On this show, we often share our enthusiasm for the fact that vegetable gardening has become a lot more popular in recent years.

We do it to get the best and freshest flavors, to keep it local, and to have more control over how our food is grown and what we eat.

for those very same reasons, we should be growing more fruit too.

But adding fruit to a garden can be intimidating for some people.

So today, we're going to tackle some of those arguments on why we don't even get started, from fear of crop failure to space constraints.

But along the way, we're going to share with you some of our best tips to make you more successful at growing a variety of fruit in your own backyard garden.

When we grow food at home, the natural starting point for many of us is a vegetable garden.

But when we stop there, which many of us tend to do, we're missing out on a lot, because growing fruit is just as important as growing vegetables to have more control over what's in your food.

And when we grow fruit at home, we get the best flavors and a lot more variety choices than what we're going to find in a typical grocery store.

And when we grow fruit organically, we're cutting down on the demand for conventionally grown fruit, and that's good for the environment.

Last year, we showed you how we installed a vegetable garden here at the GGW Farm and Garden in Atlanta.

It's been exactly one year, and today, we're expanding our food production to include an extensive list of organic fruit.

Of course, we'll be sharing our fruit growing tips along the way.

To lend a hand along with her expertise is my friend and horticulturalist Melinda Myers with Stark Bro's.

With over 30 years of experience, she's a veteran TV and radio host, author of over 20 books, a certified arborist, and a seasoned expert when it comes to growing fruit.

So Melinda, you have been around the gardening world a really long time, and I mean that in a good way.

MELINDA MYERS: I'm sure you do.

JOE LAMP'L: But you've seen a lot of gardeners come and go, and you've seen their preferences for what they like to grow as well as those things they tend to shy away from.

MELINDA MYERS: Right, like fruits.

JOE LAMP'L: Yeah, like fruit.

That's been my observation.

What do you think are the main obstacles for people not wanting to take it on?

MELINDA MYERS: Well, I think, first of all, they're intimidated.

Maybe their parents never grew any raspberries, blueberries, or apple trees.

Or maybe they live in the city and think they don't have enough room.

And probably worse is they've heard it's a lot of work and you have to use a lot of pesticides, so they decide not to do that.

JOE LAMP'L: So what would you say to those gardeners to give them the confidence to give fruit a try?

MELINDA MYERS: Well, they've already got a good start.

They've probably grown perennials-- that's what strawberries are-- bushes like blueberries and raspberries, and maybe an ornamental tree, apples and peaches.

So they've already got a good start.

Plus, it's just like any plant.

Right plant for the growing conditions, you're off to a great and easy start.

JOE LAMP'L: Exactly.

Speaking of starting, this garden was started just a year ago, so nothing existed before then.

MELINDA MYERS: Gorgeous.

JOE LAMP'L: And I focused, well, like most people, on the vegetables and the herbs.

But now it's time for the fruit.

And honestly, I grew a few strawberries because they're so low maintenance.

Look at that.

These were left in the container the whole year, and we have some new strawberries coming on.

So this is where a lot of people start as, I know you know.

But when you want to move on from strawberries, where does that gardener go?

MELINDA MYERS: Well, how about blueberries?

Equally nutritious, equally beautiful.

Both plants have flowers that are pretty.

Both have great fall color and fruit that you can enjoy.

JOE LAMP'L: Plus, the nutritional value you can't beat.

MELINDA MYERS: Unbelievable.

JOE LAMP'L: Yeah.

Well, guess what?

MELINDA MYERS: OK.

I can feel a favor coming here.

JOE LAMP'L: I just happen to have about 15 or 16 blueberry plants that-- MELINDA MYERS: Just about.

JOE LAMP'L: --need to go in the ground.

MELINDA MYERS: I'll be glad to give you a hand.

JOE LAMP'L: That's what I was hoping you would say.

So we're going to put half of them on this side of the fence-- MELINDA MYERS: OK, that'll be great.

JOE LAMP'L: --and then the other half right there.

Blueberry plants are incredible in the garden.

They not only produce delicious fruit for decades, but they're extremely ornamental as a hedge, edging, or even a specimen plant.

The blueberry is one of the only foods that are truly blue in color, making them a favorite among children.

They're low in calories but high in nutrition and packed with antioxidants.

In fact, they have the highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit.

They're surprisingly easy to grow.

The most difficult part, in fact, is keeping the birds and other wildlife away so that you can enjoy all the fruit yourself.

So the good news is, although there are 15 plants, not so big.

MELINDA MYERS: I think we can handle these.

JOE LAMP'L: But these are the ones I got from Stark Bro's through mail order, which is great because I can tell this is a really healthy plant.

It's just heavy, so I know it's got a great root ball and it's got plenty of moisture in there.

Plus, they're easier to plant.

MELINDA MYERS: You bet.

And the small size means the plant will adapt quickly and actually catch up or even surpass some of the larger plants you may buy.

And going mail order means much bigger selection.

JOE LAMP'L: Now, speaking of selection, you do have a lot of choices when it comes to blueberries.

MELINDA MYERS: You do.

First of all, you need to consider which ones are cold hardy for your area.

So Northerners like me need to look for high bush and half highs that will tolerate our cold winters.

Southerners like you can go with the rabbit eye or southern high bush that will tolerate the heat of summer and don't need to be as winter hardy.

JOE LAMP'L: And that can be a little intimidating to people because there are so many choices, but it doesn't have to be that hard because there's tools.

MELINDA MYERS: You bet.

On our website, we have a zip code finder.

So you type in your zip code, and it marks all those blueberries suited to your climate.

JOE LAMP'L: Now, on top of that, you have the choice between an early season, a mid season, or a late season bloomer, or you can just order several and just get through the whole season.

MELINDA MYERS: Right, and extend the harvest.

But you can also increase your harvest.

By having more than one plant, you increase pollination and you increase productivity.

So more for you and for the birds.

JOE LAMP'L: Always a good thing.

Now let's talk about the most important requirements in growing and planting blueberries, drainage and soil pH.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

And that's probably one of the biggest challenge but most important things we can do.

If you get your plant planted in a good foundation, it's going to last longer.

So we want to improve the drainage because they like moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soils.

JOE LAMP'L: Right.

Blueberries thrive with a lower pH, in the 4.5 to 5.5 range.

Now, neutral is 7.0, and most people have soils more in line with a neutral pH.

So getting it down is really important, and there's a couple of easy ways to do it.

The first one is peat moss.

Now, it's a natural soil amendment that's easy to add and work into your soil.

And not only does it lower the pH, but it also improves the soil.

MELINDA MYERS: Right, which is very important for heavy clay soils like yours.

It improves drainage.

And for sandy, rocky soils like mine, it increases the water holding capacity, so we get that moist, well-drained soils blueberries like.

JOE LAMP'L: Right.

Now, if you don't want to use peat moss, you can use a commercial product called a soil acidifier.

It comes in a bag, it's granular, and it's really easy to add to the soil.

Just about a cup and a half that you mix into the top area of the soil around the root ball.

And it's just sulfur, but it does a nice job of lowering the pH as well.

MELINDA MYERS: And if you have a really high pH like I do, 7.3 to 7.4, then you may want to go to a container.

You can use in acidifying potting mix.

So for acid loving plants, use an acidifying fertilizer.

And then, in my case, my pH in my water is 8.0.

JOE LAMP'L: Wow.

MELINDA MYERS: So every time I water, it's like liming the soil.

So I use the water from my rain barrel, which is slightly acid, so I can keep that soil moist, well-drained, and acidic.

JOE LAMP'L: Very smart.

And it's also a great reminder that you can grow blueberries in a container no matter where you live or how small the space.

Blueberries are a great choice for that.

And this is a great choice for you to put in the ground right now.

MELINDA MYERS: Let's get started planting.

JOE LAMP'L: Let's divide them up, half on one side and half on my side.

And get to work.

Freshly picked raspberries are quite expensive in the stores, but they can be grown at home with little effort or expense.

Part of the reason behind their high grocery store price is the fact that they have a hollow core, making them delicate and hard to ship.

But in the home garden, they only have to travel from cane to your mouth.

Depending on the variety, they produce fruit on new or second year canes.

Most raspberry canes are covered in thorns, but there are some thornless varieties available.

Although you're likely familiar with the red variety, they also come in black, purple, and even a golden color.

When it comes to gardening, we're always looking for simpler ways to deal with some of the most common problems, especially as it relates to pests and diseases.

And more often than not, a lot of those problems can be rectified with simple techniques such as pruning.

And that's certainly the case with raspberries, right?

MELINDA MYERS: You bet.

But it can be a little overwhelming.

So my suggestion is look at when the plant fruits to be your pruning guide.

JOE LAMP'L: And you'll know that because that's how the plant is marketed, like a fall-bearing raspberry or a summer-bearing raspberry.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

JOE LAMP'L: Walk me through the process.

And we're going to do it this way, raspberry 101, because I know that a lot of our audience has questions about this.

I'm going to ask you some questions, and let's go through the process.

MELINDA MYERS: OK. You mentioned fall-bearing, so let's start there.

They'll send up new growth in the spring.

JOE LAMP'L: Known as primocanes.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

And those will grow and mature and, in fall, bear fruit.

JOE LAMP'L: Got it.

MELINDA MYERS: Then we can cut those back to the ground anytime during the dormant season, or let the rabbits and deer do it for us, and they're done.

We'll get new growth, and the process starts over.

JOE LAMP'L: Got it.

MELINDA MYERS: Summer-bearing.

JOE LAMP'L: Summer-bearing.

MELINDA MYERS: And it will say that on the tag.

Primocanes.

JOE LAMP'L: Primocanes.

MELINDA MYERS: They do not have fruit in the fall.

You leave them stand for winter.

And then, in summer, you'll have floricanes-- JOE LAMP'L: On this woody growth.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

JOE LAMP'L: So I'm waiting over a year to finally get fruit on a summer-bearing crop.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

So you'll have your summer crop, and once it's harvested, take these floricanes right back to the ground level.

JOE LAMP'L: Because they are finished.

And that goes back to one of the key problems that we get in our questions.

Why aren't our raspberries producing anymore?

Well, that's because they're past their production growth in the summer.

It's woody.

It's done.

We cut it back.

But they're not doing that.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

And if we remove those, especially in the summer, increase airflow, light penetration, fewer pest problems, and greater productivity.

JOE LAMP'L: Got it.

Now, a little monkey wrench right here.

There's a third type, and it's called ever-bearing.

Walk us through that process.

MELINDA MYERS: It's really not as hard as it seems.

So we're going to have primocanes.

JOE LAMP'L: Primocanes.

MELINDA MYERS: And they will bear in the fall.

But leave those stand.

JOE LAMP'L: Because?

MELINDA MYERS: The next summer, they'll be floricanes, and they'll bear fruit again.

Then cut the floricanes right back to the ground.

JOE LAMP'L: Because once again, they're woody.

And once they're woody and they've produced fruit, they're done.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

And that way, you get a fall and a summer crop.

JOE LAMP'L: So much easier.

MELINDA MYERS: It certainly is.

Not as scary as it seems.

JOE LAMP'L: Not at all.

Now let's talk about how we're going to plant these, because I'm going to do a whole row of these.

And over the course of a year, these can get quite gangly, and they need to be tamed.

And one of the ways that we can do this-- so I'm going to plant all my raspberries on this row right against the fence rails and use the rails to tie the canes because they can get really gangly, but then reach end of harvest and should be no problem.

MELINDA MYERS: And it will also keep those arching branches out of the lawn and garden area as well.

JOE LAMP'L: Absolutely.

Now, there's one more thing to think about.

You have the type with thorns and the type that are thoughtless.

So if you want to reach in there and not get scratched up in the process, thornless would be the way to go, but not as many variety choices.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

So it may be worth a few extra scratches for a little more variety.

JOE LAMP'L: Right.

Now, that is a lot of information to know about raspberries, but you don't need to worry because we're going to have all that information on our website on a PDF.

You'll find it under the show notes for this episode.

The website address, it's the same as our name, it's growingagreenerworld.com.

It's time to plant.

MELINDA MYERS: OK. JOE LAMP'L: Blackberries are less sweet than raspberries and have a larger fruit, but their growing habit is similar to raspberries.

But because they're not hollow in the center like a raspberry, they tend to hold up a bit better and last a little longer once picked.

Blackberries also grow on long, thorny canes, but there are thornless varieties available.

Now, when you order your plants or trees through the mail, typically they'll show up in a box like this.

And it's important to go ahead and open up that box and inspect what's inside to, first of all, make sure that it's what you ordered, but to see also that it's wrapped in plastic and if the roots are protected.

So far, so good.

And when I say the roots are protected, what I'm looking for is this shredded paper.

And it's nice and moist.

Now, that's really important because it keeps the roots hydrated.

Now, the ideal thing to do is to plant these as soon as you get them, put them in the ground.

But if for some reason you have to delay the process, go ahead and make sure that you add enough moisture on this paper, put it back over the roots, wrap it up, and then store it in a cool place for up to a few days.

And then you've got to get them outside and get them planted.

Now, when it comes time for planting, you want to take them out of the plastic, get all the paper off, and then you want to hydrate them in a bucket of water.

About 4 to 6 hours is ideal, but no more than 24 hours.

And that's really important because there's not a lot of roots left on here when they come out of the ground.

But you want to give those roots an opportunity to take up all the moisture they can before they get into the soil.

So by placing them in a bucket of water and allowing them to soak, you give those roots every opportunity to take up a little extra water that's so important as these trees get established.

Keeping your bare root trees and shrubs covered with some shredded damp paper inside the plastic will protect them for several days.

But if your planting is going to be delayed more than 10 days, you need to heel them in.

And what that simply means is taking the root ball and covering it up with some soil outside.

In this case, I've got these beds, which is the perfect parking place for that.

And I'll just dig a narrow trench, place the root ball down in it, and cover it up at a slight angle.

Keep it moist, and that will keep the plants protected until I'm ready to plant.

Planting a fruit tree is an investment in your landscape, and it should be planned carefully.

The tree will not only provide beauty, shade, and food, but it will also give you depth of flavors that you won't find in a grocery store fruit.

Most of the fruit in the grocery store was harvested early so that it would travel well.

But a homegrown fruit is allowed to ripen to perfection on the tree and allows the sugars to develop fully.

Whether you grow apples, pears, or even peaches, there are literally hundreds of varieties to choose from.

So here we are.

MELINDA MYERS: Beautiful spot.

JOE LAMP'L: Think so.

MELINDA MYERS: Hey, it looks great.

JOE LAMP'L: Thank you.

It was kind of a tough decision on where to put these trees, but I think we settled on the best spot.

First of all, beyond the fact that the fruit gives you something delicious to eat, those trees are very ornamental too.

MELINDA MYERS: Beautiful blooms in the spring.

JOE LAMP'L: Yeah.

So I'm right near the street.

And then I had the view from the house, so I had the best of both worlds right there.

MELINDA MYERS: Keep an eye on the beautiful blooms and the fruit when they start to mature.

JOE LAMP'L: Right.

And then, this is the highest point on the property, and that's really important, especially for those late-season frost.

MELINDA MYERS: You're right.

Cold air drains low, so it settles out down in low spots.

So you want to make sure your plants are up high so you don't lose your blossoms to a late spring frost, which means no fruit if you have no flowers.

And better for drainage as well, especially for those gardening and heavy soils like yours.

JOE LAMP'L: Don't remind me.

And then, the other thing is I have great sun exposure here.

I love to observe a property throughout all four seasons, to track the sun and just really get a sense of how that flows.

And that's one of the reasons why I don't have anything else planted here yet.

But now that I know I've got great exposure all through the year, this is going to be a good spot for that.

MELINDA MYERS: And it looks like from your spacing and checking some of the tags, you're growing semi-dwarf plants.

JOE LAMP'L: I am, yeah, about 12 to 15 feet tall and wide on the semi.

MELINDA MYERS: You're right.

The dwarf plants get about 8 to 10 feet tall, some a little smaller depending on the dwarfing rootstock.

So those are great for small spaces and containers.

Semi-dwarf, perfect for this area because you've got plenty of space, but they're still easy to reach.

So great.

Standards, big trees.

Great.

More production.

But a little harder to reach to manage the fruit and the harvest.

You can prune anything you like down to the size you want, but why do all that extra work?

JOE LAMP'L: Yeah, I agree with that.

But we do have a little work to do right now, and that is to put these in the ground.

So let's get these placed.

MELINDA MYERS: Let's get started.

JOE LAMP'L: Thank you, Melinda.

MELINDA MYERS: You bet.

JOE LAMP'L: So I have peaches, apples, and pears, kind of an eclectic mix of semi-dwarf trees.

But that's not the only consideration you have when you're trying to decide what to buy.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

You want to consider flavor and use.

Do you like sweet or tart apples?

Are you going to make pies, jams, or jellies?

You want to pick the variety that works best for those uses.

JOE LAMP'L: Exactly.

And then, if you only have room for one tree, it better be a self-pollinator, and there aren't that many of those, especially with apples.

MELINDA MYERS: But the good news is, if you or your neighbor have a crab apple within 50 feet of your apple and they bloom at the same time, you've got a source of pollen, and you'll still get a good harvest.

JOE LAMP'L: Yeah.

And then, probably the most important consideration for a lot of people, the disease resistance.

But thankfully, there are some good varieties today for that.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

Breeders have been doing a good job of building in some resistance into many of our fruit trees.

So it means less work, less maintenance, better quality.

And you also get to choose what quality you want.

Maybe you tolerate some damage but cut out the damaged portions and eat those fresh or use them right away.

Save the blemish-free fruit for storage.

JOE LAMP'L: Yeah, and then, in the process, you're using a lot less chemicals too.

For some people, planting a bare-root shrub or tree is a new experience.

But there's a few things that you can do to ensure success, and the first is to inspect the root system.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

We want to look for any broken, damaged roots and cut those off, any that are winding around the base of the plant, because they'll continue to encircle the plant and eventually girdle it.

And if you have any really long roots that will extend beyond the planting hole, trim those off.

But I think we're pretty good right here.

JOE LAMP'L: Yeah, we are.

And that's one of the reasons that you want to dig a nice wide hole, about two to three times the area of the root mass.

But with a bare-root tree or shrub, you do something else, and that's to mound the center of the area.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

That way, we can drape the roots over, spread them out to make sure they go and explore the surrounding soil.

JOE LAMP'L: And then planting height is really important, especially when it comes to fruit trees, because you will often have this grafting point right here, and that has to be well above the soil level.

MELINDA MYERS: And allowing for settling.

And that's why I like to backfill with the existing soil.

Put the plant in the soil it's eventually going to grow in.

JOE LAMP'L: Yeah.

And then just add the water and mulch.

One of the most common issues raised with growing fruit trees and berry plants is their potential susceptibility to pests and diseases and how to keep them in control.

Well, like any healthy garden and landscape, keeping a clean planting site is key.

Pruning and destroying diseased limbs.

Removing mummified fruit, especially in late fall and winter, to avoid re-contamination.

Avoid planting in poorly drained sites.

And avoid over-watering to prevent root rots like phytopthora and water molds.

We'll have a link on our website for organic controls of pests and diseases on fruit trees and berry plants.

So by now, you've learned that lack of space should not be a reason for not growing fruit, from a single strawberry pot to a couple fig or berry shrubs in containers, and even trees.

In fact, you can even grow several variety of fruit on a single tree when you buy a grafted tree that has multiple varieties on a single rootstock.

Of all the edibles that we're planning around here, I think I'm most excited to plant my fig trees, not only out in the yard in the garden area, but here in these containers, because they do so well there as long as they have great drainage.

MELINDA MYERS: Right.

And they're beautiful too.

And it's a great way to have your figs right outside your back door.

Now, containers are a great way to expand your planting space, but also if you live in a colder climate, you can bring your figs into an unheated garage or indoors for the winter to protect them, or buy one of the cold hardy types like we have here, Chicago hardy or brown turkey.

JOE LAMP'L: And I like the fact that, because they grow so well in containers, people that don't think they can normally have a tree on a deck or a patio can do it.

Now, I'm just breaking up the circular pattern that's formed because it's been in this container.

And that doesn't hurt anything at all.

In fact, it stimulates new growth with the roots, and so they'll fill in this container and establish more quickly.

MELINDA MYERS: And you've done that with annuals and perennials.

Sometimes it's a little more intimidating with trees and shrubs, but it's just as important.

Now, we've got this nice big container, because even though this is a tall, skinny stem, those roots are going to fill up, and this plant will leaf out quickly.

And you'll have a big plant sooner than you think.

JOE LAMP'L: It doesn't look like much right now, but what a difference it will make in a couple of months.

MELINDA MYERS: You bet.

And sooner than you expect, you'll be harvesting fresh figs right from your back door.

JOE LAMP'L: Yeah, absolutely.

That's good.

One approach to growing fruit trees in tight spaces offers beauty and function at the same time.

The technique is known as espalier.

It's an ancient practice that's believed to have started with the Romans.

The practice was popular in Europe to produce fruit inside the walls of a typical castle courtyard without interfering with the open space, and to decorate solid walls by planting flattened trees near them.

Now, there are a lot of trees and shrubs that respond really well to the espalier process.

And when it comes to fruit trees, apples and pears are two of the most common.

Now, I've got this blank south-facing wall with this narrow strip right here.

My espaliered apple trees are going to look really great right here.

To start this simple project, I dug holes two feet deep for each of the four-by-four cedar posts that would support my horizontal wire.

I made measurements on the wall to use as a guide to make sure both posts were the same height once I set them in the ground.

One bag per hole of quick-setting cement was the perfect amount to hold each post securely in place.

To make sure the posts were positioned properly, I used a post level.

I then allowed the cement to firm up for a day before finishing the project.

No special tools are needed for this job, but you will need to have some wire, wire clamps, and eye screws to mount the wire securely to the post.

To fine-tune the tension of the wire, I used turn buckles, which are perfect for this.

But keep in mind, the wire is only there to serve as a guide to train your branches, so they don't really need to support any weight.

Once the lines were mounted, it was time to plant the trees.

I chose two semi-dwarf apple trees for this spot.

Since the trees were pre-pruned, as soon as I get some developing branches, I'll start training them to the wires.

Well, we're off to a great start here at the GGW Farm and Garden, slash orchard now that I have strawberries and blueberries and raspberries, blackberries, figs, peaches, apples, and pear trees.

We definitely covered a lot today.

And if you'd like to watch the show again, we have it on our website.

We'll also have a lot more information on growing fruit, including the step-by-step instructions on the espalier system that I installed.

The website address, it's the same as our name, growingagreenerworld.com.

And you'll find it under the show notes for this episode.

I'm Joe Lamp'l.

Thanks for joining us, everybody.

We'll keep you posted on the progress, and we'll see you back here next time for more Growing a Greener World.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Growing a Greener World is made possible in part by-- FEMALE ANNOUNCER: The Subaru Crosstrek, designed with adventure in mind, built in a zero landfill plant, so you can roam the earth with a lighter footprint.

Subaru-- proud sponsor of Growing a Greener World.

MALE ANNOUNCER: And the following-- the US Composting Council, Milorganite, and Rain Bird.

[laughter] JOE LAMP'L: We're trying to get some work done.

You're not-- I know you're dressed in black, but you're not part of the crew.

I hate to tell you this.

Hey.

Come on, man.

Come on, buddy.

[laughter] Come on, buddy.

Come on.

Come on.

[gentle instrumental music] MALE ANNOUNCER: Continue the garden learning from the program you just watched, Growing a Greener World.

Program host, Joe Lamp'l's Online Gardening Academy offers classes designed to teach gardeners of all levels, from the fundamentals to master skills.

Classes are on demand any time.

Plus, opportunities to ask Joe questions about your specific garden in real time.

Courses are available online.

For more information or to enroll, go to growingagreenerworld.com/learn.

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