Plants Always Win

• Ep. 28 Cultivation Activism with Lorraine Johnson

  This week we talk about the activism embedded in native plant gardening and the creation of pollinator habitat with Lorraine Johnson.Lorraine styles herself as a “cultivation activist”. It’s a term she came up with to describe the common purpose at the intersection of everything she does, from writing books to giving talks to supporting the fight against harmful grass and weed bylaws. This episode is for anyone who:feels guilt or overwhelm when they think about gardening, native plants, and invasive speciesfeels anger or frustration about garden centres promoting invasive plantsneeds tools and resources to fight bylaws that make it hard to grow ecologically responsible gardens (even in cities that have signed pollinator pledges and are investing in flood protection!)wants to feel re-energized about the value of gardening as activismYou can find Lorraine online at https://lorrainejohnson.ca, where she shares her bibliography, her presentation topics, a blog with lots of updates on native-plant advocacy, and a (sometimes up-to-date) list of upcoming events where she’ll be presenting. Here are the resources Lorraine shared for bylaw advocacy:Network of Nature’s interactive map for finding a native plant nursery near you: https://networkofnature.org/where-to-buy.htm/ Ecological Design Lab’s Bylaws for Biodiversity toolkit for municipalities: https://ecologicaldesignlab.ca/site/uploads/2024/07/EDL_Bylaws-Biodiversity_ToolkitforMunicipalities.pdfThe David Suzuki Foundation Action Alert Bylaw toolhttps://davidsuzuki.org/action/bylaws-for-biodiversity/ The 1000 Islands Master Gardeners’ post about the Kingston, Ontario bylaw reform on which they collaborated: https://1000islandsmastergardeners.ca/2024/07/29/prohibited-plants-in-kingstons-new-bylaw/A news story about Kyla Moore’s advocacy on Thunder Bay, Ontario’s bylaw change: https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/thunder-bay-could-be-a-leader-says-boulevard-garden-advocate-9982234 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: @plantsalwayswinpodcastWebsite: www.plantsalwayswin.com CreditsWebsite Design and Illustration by Sophia AlladinIntro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-playsLicense code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PHTImestamps00:11 Introducing Lorraine Johnson01:29 Cultivation Activist: Making Change with Plants07:53 Native-Plant Gardening for Joy, not as a Burden11:16 Tips to get Started with Native Plants12:40 Finding Your Community of Pollinator People15:52 Relieving the Burden: Do the Best You Can17:50 What has Changed in Four Decades of Native-Plant Gardening23:13 Meet People Where they're at25:45 Reclaiming Responsibility as a Joy27:14 Plants as our Kin27:20 Changing Language: Naturalized vs. Native31:44 Changing Language: Invasive Species and Groundcovers34:46 Native Groundcover Options38:00 Gardening Isn't Just for Humans40:00 Reforming Grass and Weeds Bylaws45:00 Convincing Municipalities to Change Bad Bylaws46:00 Kyla Moore's Successful Bylaw Campaign in Thunder Bay, Ontario47:41 Proactive Bylaw Reform in Kingston, Ontario48:48 Native Plant Suggestions for New Developments51:07 Street Trees and Project Swallowtail in Toronto54:01 The Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation58:50 "Nothing Will Grow Here." Working with the Land1:05:55 2025: A Year of Abundance1:09:01 Shout-Out: David Suzuki Foundation Action Alert Bylaws1:11:12 Finding Lorraine Online1:14:04 Outro and Contact Us

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• Ep. 27 Tomato vs. Pepper Part II

  It’s Part II of the nightshade party!Sean and Erin plunge back in with tomatoes and peppers, covering cultural history, culinary and medical uses, and fun facts about these garden staples of the nightshade family. If you could look back thousands of years to see gardens in the Andes mountains, you would find both of them growing there. Find out how peppers once acted both as a trade good and a discipline tool, where tomatoes have spread most around the world, and the truth about the fantastical-sounding tomato-potato. If you want to know more about growing tomatoes and peppers or to explore their botany and etymology, be sure to check out Part I of this plant face-off. Who brought the most fascinating facts about their plant this week? Vote for borage or cosmos by tagging us on social media and using the hashtag #PAWFaceOff. 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: @plantsalwayswinpodcastWebsite: www.plantsalwayswin.com CreditsWebsite Design and Illustration by Sophia AlladinIntro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-playsLicense code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PHCitationsThe biggest global tomato-growing nations todaySolanum lycopersicum (Tomato, Tomatoes). (n.d.). North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/solanum-lycopersicum/#:~:text=The%20genus%20name%2C%20Solanum%2C%20is,when%20they%20came%20to%20EuropeTomato varieties, history, and misconceptions of toxicityThe University of Vermont. (n.d.). A History of Tomatoes. University of Vermont Extension. https://www.uvm.edu/extension/news/history-tomatoes#:~:text=Tomatoes%20have%20undergone%20centuries%20of,Andes%20of%20 western%20South%20africa Heirloom vegetablesHeirloom vegetables. (n.d.). Wisconsin Horticulture. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/heirloom-vegetables/ Carnivorous tomatoes!Chase, M. W., Christenhusz, M. J. M., Sanders, D., & Fay, M. F. (2009). Murderous plants: Victorian Gothic, Darwin and modern insights into vegetable carnivory. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 161(4), 329–356. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.01014.x Toxicity of capsaicinRohrig, B. (2013). Hot peppers: Muy caliente! In Chemmatters. American Chemical Society. https://www.acs.org/chemmatters The debate about weaponizing capsaicinPeppers as non-lethal weapons. (2022). In The Royal Society of Chemistry eBooks (pp. 145–155). https://doi.org/10.1039/9781839160646-00145Chili peppers in cultural historyKelly, V. a. P. B. C. P. (2021, March 5). The Trail of Fire: The Story of the Chili Pepper. Synaptic Space. https://synapticspace.wordpress.com/2019/05/02/the-long-journey-of-the-chili-pepper/The capsaicin isn’t in the pepper seedsCronin, J. R. (2002). The chili pepper’s pungent principle: capsaicin delivers diverse health benefits. Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 8(2), 110–113. https://doi.org/10.1089/10762800252909865 Timestamps00:11 Introduction01:28 Culinary and Medicinal Uses of Peppers04:30 Pepper Spray Throughout History05:55 Is Capsaicin Toxic? 07:00 Why Capsaicin Burns09:44 Health Benefits of Capsaicin12:24 Nutritional Benefits of Tomatoes16:15 A Brief History of Tomatoes20:41 A Brief History of Peppers27:00 Tomato Fun Facts 30:00 Heirloom Varieties38:43 The Tomato Potato40:36 Tomatoes are Carnivorous?43:22 Pepper Seeds are not Where the Heat Is!44:45 The Scoville Scale to Measure the Heat of Peppers37:37 Outro and Contact Us

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• Ep. 26 Tomato vs. Pepper Part I

  In this shady plant face-off, Sean and Erin explore two of the gardening world’s favourite nightshades: tomatoes and peppers. Both are members of the family Solanaceae, and have plenty of traits in common, so rather than splitting the episode in half our two hosts try a livelier approach this week, passing the stage back and forth to talk about their chosen plant’s botany, etymology, growing habits, and pest and disease management. Prepare for a wealth of interesting information (did you know the Spanish word for tomato references an old belief in their aphrodisiac qualities?) alongside practical gardening tips (make sure you don’t feed your pepper plant too late in the season). And what about our other usual categories of cultural history, culinary and medical uses, and fascinating facts? Well, there’s just so much to say about these delicious horticultural staples that you’ll have to tune in next week to hear the rest. 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: @plantsalwayswinpodcastWebsite: www.plantsalwayswin.com CreditsWebsite Design and Illustration by Sophia AlladinIntro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-playsLicense code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PHCitationsTomato overview and etymologySolanum lycopersicum (Tomato, Tomatoes). (n.d.). North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/solanum-lycopersicum/#:~:text=The%20genus%20name%2C%20Solanum%2C%20is,when%20they%20came%20to%20EuropeA History of TomatoesThe University of Vermont. (n.d.). A History of Tomatoes. University of Vermont Extension. https://www.uvm.edu/extension/news/history-tomatoes#:~:text=Tomatoes%20have%20undergone%20centuries%20of,Andes%20of%20western%20South%20America Heirloom VegetablesHeirloom vegetables. (n.d.). Wisconsin Horticulture. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/heirloom-vegetables/ Adventitious Roots on TomatoesGrant, A. (2021, June 19). Bumpy tomato stems: Learn about white growths on tomato plants. Gardening Know How. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/white-growths-on-tomato-plants.htm Carnivorous Tomatoes!Chase, M. W., Christenhusz, M. J. M., Sanders, D., & Fay, M. F. (2009). Murderous plants: Victorian Gothic, Darwin and modern insights into vegetable carnivory. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 161(4), 329–356. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.01014.x Bell pepper overviewCapsicum annuum Grossum Group (Bell Pepper, Green Pepper, Red Pepper, Sweet Pepper). (n.d.). North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/capsicum-annuum-grossum-group/#:~:text=The%20Grossum%20Group%20of%20this,plant%20grows%20upright%20and%20bushy. Hot pepper overviewCapsicum frutescens (Bird Pepper, Capsicum, Hot Pepper, Tabasco Pepper). (n.d.). North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Retrieved June 4, 2025, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/capsicum-frutescens/Growing peppers in CanadaCollege of Agriculture and Bioresources. (n.d.). Peppers. Gardening at USASK. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://gardening.usask.ca/gardening-advice/gardenline-nested-pages/food-plant-pages/vegetables/peppers.php Planting conditions for peppers: home gardenersJeavons, J. (2012). How to Grow More Vegetables, eighth edition: (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine (8th ed.). Random House Digital, Inc.Growing peppers profitably as a market gardenerFortier, J., & Bilodeau, M. (2014). The market gardener: A Successful Grower’s Handbook for Small-scale Organic Farming. New Society Publishers.Toxicity of capsaicinRohrig, B. (2013). Hot peppers: Muy caliente! In Chemmatters. American Chemical Society. https://www.acs.org/chemmatters Timestamps00:12 Introduction01:08 What's Growing On: Erin's doing EVERYTHING01:35 What's Growing On: Sean's Grafting, Chickens, and Late Frosts03:40 Canada in June: A Compressed Garden Season05:24 Water Break: Fruits vs. Vegetables07:38 Botanical Background: Solanaceae, the Nightshade Family10:50 Tomato Taxonomy11:53 The Native Range of Tomatoes14:07 Hot Peppers, Bell Peppers, and Cayenne Pepper16:37 Aztec Empire Tangent18:19 Etymology and Black Pepper vs. Capsicum Peppers20:03 Caring for Tomatoes22:36 How Deep do you Plant Your Tomato?24:59 Starting Tomatoes from Seed26:56 Soil and Fertilization for Tomatoes29:53 Grafting Tomatoes31:35 Tomato Toxins34:33 How Peppers Grow37:40 Don't Fertilize Peppers too Late39:35 Should You Top Your Pepper Plants?42:16 How Market Gardeners Grow Peppers43:30 Irrigation and Blossom-End Rot45:26 Pests and Diseases of Peppers46:50 Pests and Diseases of Tomatoes52:05 How to Mitigate Pests and Disease59:41 Outro

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• Ep. 25 Smart Hydroponics with Jennifer Holston

  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/GardeningAnywhereInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gardeninganywhereOnline ResourcesCornell 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/ BooksHoward Resh, Hobby Hydroponics 2nd ed.Donald L. Coan, Toward a Hydroponic FutureFact CheckThe 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.2021.109896Comments? 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: @plantsalwayswinpodcastWebsite: www.plantsalwayswin.com CreditsWebsite Design and Illustration by Sophia AlladinIntro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-playsLicense code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PHTimestamps00:34 Introducing Jennifer Holston, Smart Hydroponics Pioneer02:06 Growing Hydroponically through Texas Summers and Michigan Winters03:00 Buttons, Lights, and AI: What’s New in Modern Home Hydroponics06:30 Using and Maintaining Your Hydroponic System12:00 Air, Pruning, and Pollination (with Dinosaurs?)16:50 Using Nutrient Mixes for Abundantly Nutritious Produce18:44 Sustainability and Resource Use in Hydroponics25:04 Comparing Hydroponics to Traditional Gardening26:15 AI in Gardening: Not Scary, it Turns Out30:20 Beyond Cannabis: Hydroponics Preconceptions37:38 Growing Vining Plants in Your Home39:30 Keeping it Clean: Avoiding Disease in a Hydroponic System43:18 Dealing with Hard Water and Chlorinated Water46:47 Graduating from the Garden AI’s Mentorship50:00 Resources for Aspiring Hydroponic Gardeners52:29 Where to Find Jennifer Online53:11 Jennifer’s Upcoming Book on Home Hydroponics54:38 Conclusion and Contact Us

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• Ep. 24 Serviceberry vs. Haskap

  We’re berry excited for this extra delicious plant face-off. In this week’s shrub showdown, our hosts go head to head with serviceberries and haskaps. Sean represents the former, a member of the Amelanchier genus also known as saskatoons, juneberries, and shadbushes, among other names. With cocky confidence of a guaranteed win, he extols their hardiness (down to zone 1!), their robust hybridization, and their independence when it comes to fertilization. Who needs a pollenizer? Not serviceberry! Sometimes they don’t even need pollinators. With tangents into breeding seedless fruits and food-as-medicine research, we savour serviceberry’s taste, versatility, abundance, ecosystem benefits, and ability to thrive across North America.Erin swings in second with haskaps, a relatively new fruit on the commercial block. She tells us about breeding programs in near-polar regions around the world that are crossing varieties from Canada, Russia, and Japan for taste and resilience. While haskaps do need pollenizers to set fruit, Erin argues for their ease of care, their long lives, and their bountiful all-at-once harvests. The conversation delves into humane ways of bird-proofing berry crops, the perils of “superfood” marketing, and the fragility of fruit trees that bloom too soon. Haskap blossoms, by the way, can survive a -7 C frost. Who made you want to grow their berry of choice in your own garden? Vote for your favourite by tagging us on social media and using the hashtag #PAWFaceOff. CitationsServiceberry Species in OntarioMuma, W. (n.d.). Serviceberries Group. Ontario Trees and Shrubs. https://ontariotrees.com/main/group.php?id=81The Downy Serviceberry TreeTree Canada, Arbres Canada. (2017, August 6). Downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) - Tree Canada. Tree Canada. https://treecanada.ca/resources/trees-of-canada/downy-serviceberry-amelanchier-arborea/ The cultivar “Altaglow”, a dwarf Saskatoon, is hardy to zone 1Mahr, S. (n.d.). Serviceberry, Amelanchier spp. Wisconsin Horticulture. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/serviceberry-amelanchier-spp/ Serviceberry phytochemical researchDonno, D., Cerutti, A., Mellano, M., Prgomet, Z., & Beccaro, G. (2016). Serviceberry, a berry fruit with growing interest of industry: Physicochemical and quali-quantitative health-related compound characterisation. Journal of Functional Foods, 26, 157–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2016.07.014Haskap resilience.Camerise Québec. (2025, January 21). Grow haskap - Camerise Québec. https://camerisequebec.com/en/grow-haskap/Growing haskaps in Canada resource from the University of Saskatchewan breeding programBors, B. & University of Saskatchewan. (n.d.). Growing haskap in Canada. https://research-groups.usask.ca/fruit/documents/haskap/growinghaskapinCanada.pdfAntioxidants and Vitamin C in haskaps: Specialty CroppertunitiesOntario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. (n.d.-a). Haskap. Specialty Croppertunities. https://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/CropOp/en/spec_fruit/berries/hask.htmlHaskap care for home gardenersHaskaps - Gardening at USASK - College of Agriculture and Bioresources. (n.d.). Gardening. https://gardening.usask.ca/gardening-advice/gardenline-nested-pages/food-plant-pages/fruit/haskap.phpComments? 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: @plantsalwayswinpodcastWebsite: www.plantsalwayswin.com CreditsWebsite Design and Illustration by Sophia AlladinIntro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-playsLicense code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PHTimestamps00:12 Introduction 1:12 What's Growing On: Erin’s Weeding Adventures1:58 What’s Growing On: Sean’s Woodchips and Natural Wall06:12 Should Have Asked for a Hoe09:15 The Plant Face Off: Serviceberries, Sean’s Guaranteed Win?10:20 A Serviceberry By Any Other Name13:30 Range and Growing Habits17:35 Sean’s Ode to the Beauty of the Serviceberry20:50 Apomixis: This Plant Don’t Need No Man (or Woman)22:40 Diploids and Polyploids: Making Seedless Plants26:35 Serviceberry Hardiness Zones29:30 Serviceberry Pests and Diseases32:16 When Will Western Medicine Research More Food?33:59 All Hail Alexis Nikole, AKA Black Forager36:42 The Plant Face-Off: Haskaps35:06 Haskap Etymology: Hasukappu, Honeyberry, Lonicera caerulea38:36 The Endless Loop of Inter-Referential Internet Research40:27 The Cultivation History of Haskaps43:10 The University of Saskatchewan Breeding Program45:00 Using Fruit Tree Pollenizers49:17 What’s a Haskap Like Anyway? Totally Tubular.48:53 How to Know Your Haskap Berries are Ripe50:11 Safe Bird Netting for Berries51:43 Haskaps Tolerate Cold, Clay, Damp, Disease, and Pests54:25 Haskap Uses: Food, Medicine and Superfoods56:45 Plant Care: Growing Haskaps at Home58:55 Patented Plants1:02:00 Outro and Contact Us

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