S5E5 Seedling problems, uncommon backyard vegetables, Guest Jennifer McGuinness- The Gardening with Joey and Holly radio show

The gardening with Joey and Holly Radio Show heard weekly March - Oct

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https://thewisconsinvegetablegardener.com/

In segment 1 Joey and Holly go over several seedling and seed problems you may or have already faced
Seedling problems from indoors to garden
Old seeds are your seeds good
1 to 10 years seeds are good; germinations test
Damping off
Temperature is key for seeds to grow
Fungus Gnats
The barely discernible flies flitting about just above soil level are probably fungus gnats. While the adult flies don’t damage plants, their larvae can, feeding at the roots so that seedlings fail to flourish
Tiny flies may be fungus gnats, whose larvae feed on plant roots
Leggnest
seedlings turning yellow, white, or brown (and how to fix them)?
Overwatered seedling – Solution: Make sure the soil is never saturated or soggy, and drain excess water from the trays. A soil water gauge is a great tool to help you give them the perfect amount of moisture.
Fertilizer burn – Solution: Chemical fertilizers are notorious for burning delicate seedlings. Switch to a natural, organic seedling fertilizer rather than using chemical fertilizers. And always be sure to follow instructions on the package.
While garden seeds are commonly eaten by mice, most seedlings are damaged by voles, chipmunks, rabbits, or squirrels. In many cases, these small animals may be seen in the garden early in the morning or late in the evening
Row covers
In segment two Joey and Holly talk about several uncommon vegetable that you can grow in your backyard

Yacons:The yacón is a species of perennial daisy traditionally grown in the northern and central Andes from Colombia to northern Argentina for its crisp, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots
Jerusalem artichokes: The Jerusalem artichoke, also called sunroot, sunchoke, or earth apple, is a species of sunflower native to central North America. It is also cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable.
Ocas With its distinctive leaf shape, it’s easy to recognize oca as a member of the wood sorrel family. The leaves can be eaten in moderation but the real treat lies beneath the ground. Oca tubers are rich in vitamin C and may be eaten raw, or cooked in exactly the same ways as potato. Oca is planted in spring with the tubers forming in early autumn.
Kohlrabi Kohlrabi is an almost alien-looking vegetable that’s used in similar ways to turnip. The ‘bulbs’ are in fact swollen stems and taste like tender broccoli. They grow best from the second half of summer and should be harvested before they reach tennis ball size. We love them sliced then baked into healthy fries.
Armenian (Yard Long) Cucumber
Ground cherries: are close relatives of tomatillos, considered a type of “husk tomato.” The flavor is often more tangy than sweet, and tastes more like a vegetable
celery
In segment three Joey and Holly welcome their guest Jennifer McGuinness aka Frau Zinnie - https://frauzinnie.blogspot.com/ is an blogger, photographer, writer, and an author who enjoys gardening of all kinds. Her new book MicroFood Gardening will be available April 13.
1. What is microfood gardening?
2. Your new book, MicroFood Gardening comes out soon - can you tell us about an interesting part of it, something to intrigue our listeners?
3. We've been putting up more birdfeeders around our home - you like to attract songbirds - what are some tips to attract them to your garden or yard?
We are talking with
4. You don't have a lot of full sun in your yard, what do you like to grow in minimal light? How do you best utilize your areas with full sun?
5. You raise monarch butterflies and even visited where they overwinter. We would love to hear more about raising them - is it a huge process? A lot of work? Challenges? Fun?
6. How can our listeners find out more about(continued)