S19: E11: The Worst Garden of my Entire Life

I’ve had some epic garden failures over the years, but nothing quite like this one. And judging by what I’m hearing, I know I’m not the only person whose garden has struggled this year.

In this episode, I’m sharing the three main problems that seem to have created the worst garden of my life and also what I’m learning as I try to unravel them. No polished success story here, just real-time troubleshooting in hopes it helps someone else who is currently wallowing in their own gardening woes.

Podcast Episode Highlights:

• A quick glance at my gardening history
• What I noticed about my new place before I started planting
• What happened in my garden so far this year
• Problem #1: Herbicide contamination
• Problem #2: Soil Fertility issues
• Problem #3: Critters
• Final thoughts

Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Episode:

Learn more about Toups and Co. here: https://toupsandco.com/pages/prairie25

First time buyers can use the code Prairie25 to get you 25% off your first Toups order.

Find Redmond's Soil Test Kit here: http://theprairiehomestead.com/soiltest

Previous Podcast Episodes & Blog Articles on Soil:

• The Worst Garden of My Entire Life (recent blog article with garden/house pictures about my current garden problems): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2026/08/the-worst-garden-of-my-entire-life.html
• I Think I Poisoned My Garden (blog article about my previous hay mulch problem): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2016/08/curled-tomato-leaves.html
• The Mystery of the Poisonous Potting Soil (podcast episode about my previous potting soil problem): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-10-episode-12-the-mystery-of-the-poisonous-potting-soil
• How Fall in Love with Your Soil (podcast episode about soil problems): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-12-episode-10-how-fall-in-love-with-your-soil
• How to Feed Your Soil a Whole Food Diet (podcast episode for healing bad soil): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-12-episode-12-how-to-feed-your-soil-a-whole-food-diet
• Weeds, Pests, & Herbicides: Overcoming Your Worst Organic Gardening Woes (podcast episode with tips for bad garden years): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-13-episode-4-weeds-pests-herbicides-overcoming-your-worst-organic-gardening-woes

OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD:

• Sign up for weekly musings from my homestead: https://jillwinger.substack.com/
• Get my free homesteading tutorials & recipes here: www.theprairiehomestead.com
• Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger
• Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead
• Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application

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