473 - What the Spring Garden Taught Me This Year

Struggling with cabbage worms, bolting brassicas, or disappointing cauliflower heads? In this episode, you'll learn practical spring garden lessons from my own Zone 8a garden experience. I'm sharing what worked with cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, onions, and companion planting so you can grow stronger cool-season crops next spring with more confidence. Free Download: Broccoli, Cauliflower & Cabbage Quick-Start Growing Guide Learn how to grow productive brassicas with better timing, pest protection, and harvest success. http://journeywithjill.net/broccoli-guide Key Takeaways Learn how different cauliflower varieties performed in spring heat Discover which cabbage varieties were most productive and flavorful Hear what helped reduce cabbage worm pressure naturally Learn how crimson clover worked as a companion planting mulch Understand how late freezes affected cool-season crops Chapters 00:00 – Spring garden reflections 02:15 – Why cauliflower intimidated me 06:45 – Choosing better cauliflower varieties 09:05 – How to blanch cauliflower heads 13:20 – Preventing cabbage worm damage 15:10 – Comparing cabbage varieties 20:10 – Testing crimson clover with broccoli 24:40 – Lessons from a late freeze 26:00 – Growing onions through winter Resource *]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:e13474f9-4615-4b8a-baa3-df96528a99e2-0" data-turn-id-container= "request-WEB:e13474f9-4615-4b8a-baa3-df96528a99e2-0" data-testid= "conversation-turn-2" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn= "assistant"> Broccoli, Cauliflower & Cabbage Quick-Start Growing Guide (free): http://journeywithjill.net/broccoli-guide Companion Planting for Pest Control (free):<br data-start="1573" data-end=