Tegan Johnston

06/27/2025

4 years ago, a weird pumpkin avatar slid into my DMs and asked if I had just moved into its neighborhood. I noticed the screen name, it had the name of an old French guy, Jacques.

Even though I feared for my life, I invited this old French guy with a pumpkin avatar over to my house to try out some of these new seed trays I had just received.

To my surprise, a late 20s Bulgarian man came over, wearing a straw hat of all things...

I gave him a few of these new seed trays I was trying out and told him to let me know what he thought.

Later that week, I posted about needing some help in the garden, and wouldn’t you know it but Jacques through his straw hat into the ring, and thus began a new chapter at Epic Gardening.

Within 5 months, Jacques quit his PhD program to work full-time with me, and we developed his YouTube channel, instagram, and elevated his role here at epic. He’s done just about everything, from staffing the warehouse, to unloading containers, to horticultural research, to product development and feedback.

AND TODAY IS HIS BIRTHDAY!

I couldn’t be more grateful to have him on the team and as a friend. So let’s go wish this mysteriously named garden hermit who I’ve never seen outside without a straw hat on a big happy birthday!

06/27/2025

06/25/2025

4 years ago, a weird pumpkin avatar slid into my DMs and asked if I had just moved into its neighborhood. I noticed the screen name, it had the name of an old French guy, Jacques.

Even though I feared for my life, I invited this old French guy with a pumpkin avatar over to my house to try out some of these new seed trays I had just received.

To my surprise, a late 20s Bulgarian man came over, wearing a straw hat of all things...

I gave him a few of these new seed trays I was trying out and told him to let me know what he thought.

Later that week, I posted about needing some help in the garden, and wouldn’t you know it but Jacques through his straw hat into the ring, and thus began a new chapter at Epic Gardening.

Within 5 months, Jacques quit his PhD program to work full-time with me, and we developed his YouTube channel, instagram, and elevated his role here at epic. He’s done just about everything, from staffing the warehouse, to unloading containers, to horticultural research, to product development and feedback.

AND TODAY IS HIS BIRTHDAY!

I couldn’t be more grateful to have him on the team and as a friend. So let’s go wish this mysteriously named garden hermit who I’ve never seen outside without a straw hat on a big happy birthday

06/25/2025

Potato Daddy vs. Potato Farmer…who’s the REAL potato king 👑 ?

06/25/2025

Just like people, carrots need their personal space to thrive. When you grow carrots, it is important to thin them out. That means pulling up some of the small plants early so the remaining carrots have space to grow. If you skip the thinning step, the carrots can get crowded and end up small, twisted, or growing in funny shapes like doubles or triples that are all stuck together.

Here is your carrot red flag: when a carrot’s stem gets really thick and tall. That is a sign the carrot has bolted. Bolting means the plant is focusing on making flowers and seeds instead of growing a nice root. In other words, your carrot has officially given up on being delicious and decided to make babies instead. When this happens, the carrot usually does not taste as good and can be tough or woody.

PS The crunch test never lies. If it does not snap with that satisfying crack when you bite it, you have either waited too long or not long enough.

What’s your best carrot growing tip? 🥕

06/23/2025

how I grow a ton of food vertically

06/23/2025

Let’s talk about topping pepper plants (spoiler: we’ve stopped doing it).
You’ve probably heard the old advice about snipping the growing tip off young pepper plants to encourage them to grow bushier. We used to follow that too. But over time, we’ve found that it’s not always the best approach, so we’ve moved away from it.
Topping can be effective, but really only under certain conditions: if you have a long, warm growing season, you’re doing it early in the plant’s life, and you’re growing varieties that produce lots of small peppers, like Thai chilies or shish*tos. In those cases, the plant has time to branch out and still produce plenty of fruit.
But for larger peppers like bells, or when you’re working with a shorter season? It’s usually not worth it. You’re asking the plant to heal and still deliver a great harvest, and that’s a lot to expect. In many cases, it’s better to let the plant focus on what it does best. Sometimes, the smartest gardening decision is knowing when to leave well enough alone.
What’s your take? Team topping or team “let it be”?

06/17/2025

05/24/2025

Potatoes in buckets = heavy yields. I learned this particular technique from my friend Tony Gardening - the vertical setup means you’re using limited space efficiently while still getting high yields. A good soil mix lets roots spread easily and gives the plant steady access to nutrients and oxygen. Adding compost boosts microbial activity, which helps break down organic material into nutrients the plant can absorb.

Topping the bucket with mulch helps hold moisture, regulate soil temperature, and prevent sunlight from greening the shallow tubers. Where you place the buckets matters too. Potatoes need full sun and good airflow to stay healthy and productive. By managing all these factors closely, you create near-ideal growing conditions, which is why this method can give you hundreds of pounds of potatoes, even from a small space.

A big part of making it all doable was having the extra help from my ® cart. It handled all the heavy lifting—soil, compost, mulch, and harvests—without slowing me down.

05/06/2025

Brussels sprouts are a flavorful cool-season crop that deserves a spot in your raised beds this fall. These hardy plants thrive in chilly weather and actually taste better after a light frost, which helps convert their starches into natural sugars. Depending on the variety, sow seeds from late spring through late summer—or start with transplants in early fall if you’re short on time. Give each plant plenty of space to grow—about 18 to 24 inches apart—and be patient: they take 80 to 100 days to mature. As the plant grows, small sprouts will begin forming along the stalk, starting at the bottom. Harvest when they’re firm, green, and about the size of a large marble, working your way up the stalk as new sprouts develop. In the kitchen, Brussels sprouts are as versatile as they are delicious. Toss with olive oil and roast at 425°F until crispy and golden, or sauté with garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar for a quick and savory side. You can even shave them raw into a slaw with lemon and parmesan for something fresh and bright. Have a go-to Brussels sprouts recipe? Drop it in the comments. 🧑🏻‍🍳

05/04/2025

Looks like Potato Daddy Kev has his calories sorted for the next month 🥔

New growing experiment coming soon on the channel with and testing 8 different potato growing methods...stay tuned 👀