Epic Gardening

Among all the systems we’ve set up at the Epic Homestead, the rain capture system is hands down my favorite. While the design has changed over time, the idea stays the same: capturing, filtering, and directing rainwater into a holding tank, ready to be pumped wherever it’s needed for irrigation. I’ll admit, it’s not always more affordable than city water, but the self-sufficiency it offers is invaluable. Plus, many cities offer rebate programs, so be sure to explore your options before getting started!

Tossed a half-eaten sweet potato in the ground last year and reaped a hefty yield. Not bad for a throwaway, right?

Winter harvesting at its best ❄️ Fresh broccoli, cauliflower, bananas, and even some eggs straight from the backyard. Nature’s pantry is open all year round—join me! 🧑🏻‍🌾

Loved your pepper plant this season? You can grow it again next year! 🌶️ Most people don’t realize that peppers aren’t strictly annuals. In fact, some pepper enthusiasts have kept their plants alive for a decade or more! Here’s how: trim about 2/3 of the plant’s top growth, transfer it to a container, and store it in a cool, dark spot over winter. When spring arrives, bring it back out, and it’ll start sprouting new leaves! This trick not only ensures you enjoy your favorite peppers for another season but also extends your growing time since newly started plants can take 6+ weeks before transplanting.

Burying food scraps is a classic way to improve garden soil, but what's the best method? To find out, we planted 6 Italian Roma tomatoes from @Botanical Interests and buried 6 different types of food scraps: • @jacquesinthegarden’s leftovers (sourdough, pasta, beans) • Weeds from the yard • Catfish heads • Kitchen scraps • Eggs • And one with no scraps (as a control) After planting and watering, the results surprised us! The simpler the scraps, the faster they break down, making nutrients more available. Tip: If you're burying food scraps, do it before planting.

Grew a bed of mustard… just to chop it down. Battling nematodes and gophers this season, so I’m using this plant as a natural pest fighter. Hope this sacrifice keeps the pests at bay. 🛡️

Our pepper harvest was bountiful, so we decided to try hang-drying them the old-school way! There’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing strings of peppers dangling from the garden shed rafters. It’s a simple process: all you need is a thick needle, like an upholstery needle, and some string. Fishing line works great since it’s strong enough to hold a hefty bunch. To start, carefully thread the needle through the base of each pepper’s cap (the calyx). Once you have a line of peppers, tie a loop at the top and hang them in a low-humidity spot for 4-6 weeks.

Will the kids pick the Potato or the King-Sized Candy? The answer may shock you #trickortreat #halloween #agriculture #potatotiktok

Just harvested a huge banana yield, so it’s time for some chopping. Here’s the thing: once a banana plant produces fruit, it’s done for good — like a grandmother who’s passed down her wisdom. We chop down the old part (the “grandmother”), leaving the stump to support the “mother” plant. Underneath, new shoots, or “granddaughters,” are already growing strong and ready to take their place. It’s the circle of life. 🍌✨

We're gardeners, we just dropped the BEST and longest Epic Gardening sale of the year for Black Friday! Tap the link in bio for some killer deals.

Garlic - one of the most-used crops in the kitchen and surprisingly not THAT hard to grow... if you plant it right. There are two types - soft neck and hard neck. Hard neck requires vernalization, or a period of cold to grow best. In San Diego Zone 10b where the Epic Gardening headquarters is, we don't get temperatures that cold... so we put it in the fridge for a few months!

This project was a standout favorite, and it couldn’t have been easier! At the Epic Homestead, we’ve got a 5,000-gallon rainwater cistern that, while super useful, isn’t exactly the most attractive feature. So, we decided to cover it with a fast-growing, edible vine. Enter passion fruit! Not only is it incredibly vigorous, but it also produces tasty fruits that can cost up to $4 each at the store—if you can even find them. With the potential to yield hundreds of fruits in just the first 1-2 years, it’s a fantastic way to add both beauty and value to your space. It thrives in full sun (or part shade in hotter areas) with rich soil and plenty of water. Once established, it even gets by without active irrigation if there’s some rain. Just remember, it’s not frost-tolerant, so if you’re in a colder climate, consider growing it in a container to enjoy these amazing fruits!

Did you know broccoli is made of tiny unopened flowers? 🌹 Harvest the head and side shoots for max yield, and don’t forget—the leaves are edible too! 😋

Will these carrots surprise us, or are we in for a laugh? Either way, they’re going to taste amazing. Plus, stick around for a quick tip on using carrot tops. 🥕

Did we miss one? Most liked comment gets a free bundle of @Botanical Interests seeds 👀

Always ready @jacquesinthegarden 😎🌱

Suspect challenge with fellow potato daddy @Potato Ty

I made my chickens carve my pumpkin for Halloween 🎃

When the bounty bites back...