LIVING ROOT GARDEN

THE LIVING ROOT ACADEMY

Soil science without the textbook-induced coma.

Learn how soil works, how worms work, how plants interact with their environment, and how to actually use all this information in your garden. Browse every Academy guide by topic, search the whole collection, or use the worm castings calculator.

NOT SURE WHERE TO START?

Find your path in 20 seconds.

Answer three quick questions and we’ll point you at the perfect track.

Worm castings calculator

Enough to matter. Not more than you need.

Choose the job, add your measurements, and get a practical starting amount. More isn’t automatically better; castings work best as part of a balanced mix.

Suggested starting amount
0.75 gal of castings
Blend into 5 gallons of potting mix at 15% by volume.

General guidance, not a lab prescription. Adjust for the product label, crop needs, and the condition of your existing soil.

Guided learning paths.

90 guides is a lot. These twelve tracks take you through them in the order that makes sense.

Looking for something specific? Type any word below to search every learning path instantly — try “worms”, “fall”, or “Florida”.

LEARNING PATH

🌱 Never Grown a Thing? Start Here

The complete beginner track: from bare yard to first harvest, in the order you actually need it.

  1. The Lazy Gardener's Guide to Starting a GardenA low-drama first garden built around fewer chores and better decisions.
  2. I Have a Vegetable Garden. Now What?Watering, feeding, scouting, harvesting — the routine that keeps it alive.
  3. What's Wrong With My Plant?NEWPlant triage: pick your symptoms, get the most likely pests, diseases, and deficiencies ranked — with honest fixes.
  4. What to Plant and When?Zone-by-zone planting guides: find your USDA zone and your planting calendar.
  5. Varieties MatterWhy the cultivar you plant matters as much as how you plant it.
  6. How Much Worm Castings to UseRepeatable application rates for containers, beds, and transplants.
  7. Raised BedsNEWFill tall beds with logs the honest way: what wood to use, nitrogen tie-up, settling, and the Florida termite warning.
  8. Garden GlossaryBolting, hardening off, frass, true leaves — every jargon term in the Academy, decoded in plain English.
LEARNING PATH

🪱 Worm Curious

Everything about worms and their castings: the bins, the feeding, the harvest, the troubleshooting.

  1. Worm Castings 101What worm castings are, why they work, and how to use them.
  2. How to Make a Worm BinBuild your first worm bin from a tote, bedding, and kitchen scraps.
  3. Florida Worm-Bin SetupWorm bins in Florida heat: placement, moisture, and summer survival.
  4. Feeding Your WormsWhat to feed, how much, where to bury it — and what never goes in.
  5. Worm Bin TroubleshooterNEWBin triage: check the symptoms, get the ranked likely causes — escapes, stink, flies, mites, and the famous string of pearls.
  6. Harvesting Worm CastingsWhen and how to harvest finished castings without stressing the herd.
  7. Castings Tea, HonestlyWorm tea brewing without the hype: what works and what does not.
  8. Why Didn't the Castings Seem to Work?Troubleshooting guide for when results do not match expectations.
LEARNING PATH

🌴 Florida Grower

Growing where the sand is deep, the heat is real, and the planting calendar runs backwards.

  1. Florida Growing SeasonsEvery seed packet sold in America is lying to you — Florida plays by its own calendar.
  2. Living Soil for Florida GardensBuilding living soil in sand, heat, and afternoon thunderstorms.
  3. Sandy-Soil GuideFlorida sand drains fast and holds little — here is how to fix that.
  4. Florida Native PlantsNEW419 native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and more — searchable, with growing notes for every one.
  5. Florida's Poisonous Native PlantsNEWKnow them on sight: 25 toxic natives, danger levels, symptoms, and what to do.
  6. Florida's Edible Native PlantsNEWForage your yard: 39 edible natives, what to eat, how to prepare it, and what to watch out for.
  7. Florida Butterfly Host PlantsNEWPick a butterfly, plant its baby food: 30 butterflies and the native hosts their caterpillars need.
  8. Plant This, Not ThatNEW30 Florida invasives and the native swaps that do the same job — without the ecological damage.
  9. Florida Rain GardensNEWTurn the soggy low spot into the best bed: 24 Florida natives for wet-center, middle, and dry-edge zones, plus honest mosquito answers.
  10. The Night GardenNEWThe night shift: 24 Florida plants for moths — moonflower, yucca, evening primrose — plus the yucca-moth love story.
  11. Florida Native Pond PlantsNEWBuild a living pond: 20 Florida natives across submerged, floating, marginal, and bog zones — plants beat algaecide.
  12. Florida Fruit TreesNEW20 fruit trees with real chill hours, Florida-suited varieties, honest years-to-fruit — and plain talk on citrus greening.
  13. Hurricane Garden Prep & RecoveryNEWBefore/during/after checklists for storm season, plus the Florida natives that shrug off hurricanes.
  14. Herbs That Survive a Florida SummerNEW18 herbs with honest summer ratings — culantro over cilantro, Cuban oregano, and what to save for October.
  15. Cover Crops for FloridaNEWNever let a bed sit empty: 12 cover crops with Florida planting windows, termination methods, and real seeding rates.
  16. Where to Buy Florida NativesNEW25 verified native-plant nurseries across Florida, by region — plus how to shop them like a pro.
  17. Florida Garden PestsKnow your enemy: the pests that love Florida gardens as much as you do.
  18. What's Blooming NowNEWA month-by-month calendar of all 419 Florida natives in flower — never wonder what that blooming thing is again.
  19. What's Your Florida?NEWNorth, Central, and South Florida are different planets — see the natives that belong in yours.
  20. Name That Plant QuizNEWTen rounds, 417 plant photos, zero mercy — how well do you actually know your Florida natives?
  21. Seed-Starting CountdownNEWWhat to sow right now in your part of Florida — 30 vegetables with indoor and outdoor dates by region.
  22. Is It Safe for My Pet?NEW100 common garden plants checked for dog and cat toxicity — ASPCA data, straight answers.
LEARNING PATH

🧬 Soil Nerd: The Deep End

The full science track: every living thing in your soil, how nutrients actually move, and the chemistry underneath.

  1. Living SoilNEWA field guide to everything alive in your dirt: bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, worms, and the whole food web.
  2. Soil MicrobiologyMeet the billions of microbes doing the real work under your feet.
  3. What Is Mycorrhizae?The underground fungal network that trades nutrients with your plants.
  4. CEC: Your Soil's Nutrient PantryCation exchange capacity — how your soil holds onto nutrients.
  5. Water & SoilHow water moves through soil — and how to keep it where roots need it.
  6. Roots & Nutrient UptakeHow roots actually absorb nutrients — and what helps or hinders them.
  7. How to Build Living SoilFeed the soil food web and turn dead dirt into a living system.
  8. The Soil Rogues' GalleryNEWPests, pathogens, and parasites in your soil — how to diagnose them and fight back honestly.
  9. Soil Test TranslatorNEWGot a UF/IFAS soil report? Punch in your numbers — find out what they actually mean.
LEARNING PATH

🍂 Seasonal Gardener

Two guides, one full year: what to plant when it is hot, and what to plant when it is not.

  1. Spring & Summer GardeningNEWThe warm-season main event: succession planting, heat lovers, watering, and the summer rogues gallery.
  2. Fall & Winter GardeningNEWThe cold-season comeback tour: frost-sweetened crops, garlic, row covers, and winter harvests.
LEARNING PATH

🪴 Small-Space Grower

No yard? No problem. Seeds, containers, and houseplants — growing in whatever space you have got.

  1. Seedling GuideStart seeds indoors without leggy, floppy, sad seedlings.
  2. Container Gardening GuidePots, mixes, watering, and feeding for container-grown everything.
  3. Houseplant GuideKeep indoor plants alive with better soil, water, and light habits.
LEARNING PATH

🌿 Herb & Medicine Cabinet

From the spice rack to the medicine cabinet: herbs worth growing and their traditional uses.

  1. The Big List of HerbsDozens of herbs, their uses, and how to grow them.
  2. Grow Your Own MedicineNEWA family resilience garden: medicinal plants to grow at home, with real phytochemistry and safety-first rules.
  3. Kitchen ApothecaryNEWAncient digestive remedies from your spice rack — traditional uses, real chemistry, and honest evidence checks.
LEARNING PATH

🍄 Mushroom Grower

Safety first, then cultivation: the complete fungi track.

  1. Mushrooms: Know Before You BiteSafety-first mushroom identification — never eat a wild mushroom on a guess.
  2. Growing Mushrooms at HomeGrow your own mushrooms: species, substrates, and fruiting conditions.
LEARNING PATH

🐔 Backyard Ecosystem

Chickens, ponds, kids, and books — the garden as part of a bigger living system.

  1. Ponds, Ducks, Fish & ChickensThe backyard ecosystem guide: stacking animals, water, and garden into one system.
  2. Grow Your Own Chicken FeedCut feed costs with duckweed, forage crops, and fermented feed.
  3. The Kid's Guide to Weird & Wonderful Fruits and VeggiesStrange fruits and veggies to grow with kids — curiosity required.
  4. The Living Root Reading ListBooks and resources that make better gardeners without requiring a lab coat.
LEARNING PATH

🧪 Soil Amendments, Decoded

Compost, mulch, castings, mycorrhizae — what each one does and when to reach for it.

  1. Compost vs Worm CastingsHow compost and castings differ — and when to use each.
  2. Mulch vs CompostMulch sits on top, compost goes in — know which job you need done.
  3. Know Your AmendmentsA plain-English tour of soil amendments and what each one actually does.
  4. Apply Castings Where You GrowTop-dress, side-dress, or mix in — matching the method to the planting.
  5. Mycorrhizae vs Worm CastingsTwo soil superstars compared — and why you probably want both.
  6. Plant-Soil RelationshipsPlants and soil are in constant conversation — here is what they are saying.
LEARNING PATH

🥕 Grow Your Own Food

Dinner from dirt: planning, planting, and watering your way to a productive food garden.

  1. Grow Your Own Kitchen GardenA kitchen garden is exactly what it sounds like — dinner, steps from the door.
  2. The Companion Planting GuideWhich plants help each other — and which combinations to avoid.
  3. Tomatoes Are Thirsty Drama QueensA hydration intervention for the thirstiest plant in your garden.
  4. Grow Your Own Tea GardenNEWYaupon holly — North America’s own caffeine — plus 14 more tea plants with harvest-and-brew notes.
  5. Can We Plant Together?NEWPick two plants — garden besties, sworn enemies, or just neighbors? 40 crops checked, science labeled.
  6. Saving Your Own SeedsNEWOpen-pollinated vs hybrid, tomato fermentation, and storing seeds like a pro.
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  7. Square Foot Gardening, Florida EditionNEWThe grid method adapted for Florida sun, sand, and rainy seasons.
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LEARNING PATH

🍳 From the Garden to the Kitchen

You grew it — now cook it. Preserving and cooking the harvest, from the safety-first canning guide to fermented hot sauce.

  1. Water-Bath Canning Without FearNEWThe safety-first guide to preserving your harvest: botulism science, the pH 4.6 rule, and water-bath canning step by step.
  2. Fermented Hot SauceNEWLet the microbes do the cooking: lacto-fermented hot sauce from garden peppers, with the safety science built in.
  3. Drying Herbs the Right WayNEWWhich herbs dry beautifully, which ones should be frozen instead, and the methods that actually preserve flavor.
  4. Freezing the HarvestNEWBlanching times, what freezes well (and what absolutely does not), and beating freezer burn.
  5. The 40-Pound Tomato ProblemNEWFive ways to survive a tomato avalanche: roasting, sauce, pico de gallo, bruschetta, and oven-dried tomato candy.
  6. Fresh Salsa FormulaNEWRatios, not rules: garden salsa with the science of acid, heat, and salt — plus four variations.
  7. Chimichurri from the GardenNEWThe classic Argentine herb sauce from your own beds, with variations and the food-safety fine print.
  8. Pesto Beyond BasilNEWCarrot-top pesto, radish-green pesto, and the scraps manifesto — plus why pesto is never canned.
  9. Compound Butter FlightNEWFive herb butters from a single stick: the easiest way to burn through an herb garden and feel fancy.
  10. Florida Preserving CalendarWhat to preserve each month in Florida: 31 crops across 3 regions, with the right method for each — can, freeze, dry, or ferment.
  11. From Your KitchenThe community cookbook: share your garden recipes and browse what other readers are cooking.
  12. The Garden Bar Cart: Mocktails & ShrubsNEWHerb syrups, garden mocktails, and drinking vinegars — the bar cart grows in the backyard now.
  13. Eat Your WeedsNEWDandelion, purslane, lamb’s quarters, dollarweed — the garden is already growing dinner and you keep composting it. With the ID rules that keep it safe.
  14. Kimchi from the GardenNEWNapa cabbage to bubbling jar: lacto-fermentation science, a full measured recipe, and the kahm-vs-mold rules.
  15. Salsa You Built Yourself (Kids)NEWKids in the kitchen: build your own salsa with zero heat — and learn why onions make you cry.
  16. Smash Your Own Herb Butter (Kids)NEWKids in the kitchen: fork-mashed herb butter with no knives and no heat.
  17. Tomato Candy (Kids)NEWKids in the kitchen: oven-dried cherry tomatoes — grown-up handles the oven, kid handles the tasting.
  18. Pesto, Smashed by You (Kids)NEWKids in the kitchen: mortar-and-pestle pesto, smashed by hand — no blender required.
  19. Rainbow Garden Wraps (Kids)NEWKids in the kitchen: no-heat rainbow wraps — eat the rainbow, literally.
  20. The Zucchini AvalancheNEWSix ways to survive the summer squash surge — the sequel to the 40-Pound Tomato Problem.
  21. Pickles, ActuallyNEWVinegar vs. fermented, the crunch science, and the safety rules that matter.
  22. Edible Flowers on the PlateNEWNasturtiums, pansies, squash blossoms — what is safe, what is not, and how to serve them.
  23. Stone Soup FormulaNEWRatios, not rules: garden soup from whatever the harvest hands you.
  24. Smoked & Dried PeppersNEWRistras, chipotles, homemade paprika — plus the capsaicin safety talk.
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  25. Okra, RedeemedNEWFor skeptics: the slime science, then grilled, roasted, pickled, and a proper gumbo.
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  26. Herb Focaccia from the GardenNEWThe most forgiving bread meets the herb garden — dimples, olive oil, oven science.
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PHILOSOPHY

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