Plants Always Win
Plants Always Win
Podcast Description
Plants Always Win is a podcast where two Ontario gardeners dive down plant-fact rabbit-holes, answer audience questions, interview intriguing guests, and compete to bring you the most interesting stories and information. We care about ecologically sound gardening, strong human communities, and up-to-date science.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers a wide range of themes including ecological gardening, plant care, and community engagement. Episodes dive deep into specific subjects such as the history and cultivation of popular plants like roses and orchids, alongside broader topics like garden education and the role of outdoor classrooms in fostering connections with nature.
Plants Always Win is a podcast where two Ontario gardeners dive down plant-fact rabbit-holes, answer audience questions, interview intriguing guests, and compete to bring you the most interesting stories and information. We care about ecologically sound gardening, strong human communities, and up-to-date science.
Smart hydroponics pioneer Jennifer Holston grows a living pantry in her home through all seasons. And so can you.
When most of us hear the word “hydroponics,” we picture sprawling operations in a warehouse or basement, possibly constructed from home-drilled PVC pipes and buckets. We might also have a very specific idea of the kind of plants that are grown hydroponically. But over the last decade, attractive, compact, and easy-to-use home-scale hydroponic systems have become available. This week’s guest, Jennifer Holston, was an early adopter and she uses her bookshelf-sized indoor garden to grow everything from the expected herbs and lettuce to tomatoes, cucumbers, and even an experimental pumpkin.
Jennifer wants everyone to feel comfortable embracing hydroponic gardening—not necessarily as a replacement for growing plants in soil, but as a complement to it. She explains how the technology in today’s hydroponic systems (including AI features in some) has taught her to be more sensitive to her plants’ needs, and how this kind of gardening is both surprisingly sustainable and prodigiously productive. The conversation addresses nutrient management, plant care, disease prevention, maintenance, and resources where listeners can learn more (see below for that list).
Jennifer is working on the first comprehensive book for home hydroponic gardeners, Arable: Modern Indoor Hydroponics to Sustain and Fulfill (coming in 2026). Stay tuned for announcements (and read Jennifer’s blog posts) on her website at www.Gardening-anywhere.com.
You can also find Jennifer on social media:
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/GardeningAnywhere
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gardeninganywhere
Online Resources
Cornell University—Agriculture and Life Sciences, www.greenhouse.cornell.edu
University of Arizona—www.ag.arizona.edu/hydroponic
U.S. Department of Agriculture—www.usda.gov
National Library of Medicine (search here for studies about hydroponics)—https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Books
Howard Resh, Hobby Hydroponics 2nd ed.
Donald L. Coan, Toward a Hydroponic Future
Fact Check
The name of the bacterium sometimes used to counter Pythium (root rot) in hydroponic systems is Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
Jennifer was reaching for remembered details of a study that compared nutrients in tomatoes grown hydroponically vs. in soil. Here’s the study she was referencing:
Verdoliva, S. G., Gwyn-Jones, D., Detheridge, A., & Robson, P. (2021). Controlled comparisons between soil and hydroponic systems reveal increased water use efficiency and higher lycopene and β-carotene contents in hydroponically grown tomatoes. Scientia Horticulturae, 279, 109896. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.109896
Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment?Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon.
Discord: https://discord.gg/K6wF9dY4Ja
Bluesky: @plantsalwayswin.com
TikTok:@plantsalwayswinpodcast
YouTube: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
Website: www.plantsalwayswin.com
Credits
Website Design and Illustration by Sophia Alladin
Intro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-plays
License code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PH
Timestamps
00:34 Introducing Jennifer Holston, Smart Hydroponics Pioneer
02:06 Growing Hydroponically through Texas Summers and Michigan Winters
03:00 Buttons, Lights, and AI: What’s New in Modern Home Hydroponics
06:30 Using and Maintaining Your Hydroponic System
12:00 Air, Pruning, and Pollination (with Dinosaurs?)
16:50 Using Nutrient Mixes for Abundantly Nutritious Produce
18:44 Sustainability and Resource Use in Hydroponics
25:04 Comparing Hydroponics to Traditional Gardening
26:15 AI in Gardening: Not Scary, it Turns Out
30:20 Beyond Cannabis: Hydroponics Preconceptions
37:38 Growing Vining Plants in Your Home
39:30 Keeping it Clean: Avoiding Disease in a Hydroponic System
43:18 Dealing with Hard Water and Chlorinated Water
46:47 Graduating from the Garden AI’s Mentorship
50:00 Resources for Aspiring Hydroponic Gardeners
52:29 Where to Find Jennifer Online
53:11 Jennifer’s Upcoming Book on Home Hydroponics
54:38 Conclusion and Contact Us
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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