Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Inspiration

HappySprout may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

4 lessons we learned from Instagram user @urbanfarmstead

Stacey Nguyen
By

Ever had a question about designing a food garden or planting edible crops? You may have come across Kyle Hagerty, aka the owner of Urban Farmstead, while skimming through YouTube and Instagram. A professional firefighter by trade, Hagerty also produces highly detailed educational and instructive videos on YouTube about gardening while running his very own urban farm. His Instagram account (@urbanfarmstead) is also a treasure trove of advice—ahead, we’ve rounded up our favorite nuggets of wisdom from his archive!

Cabbage crop
Image used with permission by copyright holder

When it comes to successful crops, it’s all about being proactive rather than reactive.

Based in Sacramento, Hagerty explains in this post that he first started prepping for California’s heatwave and drought in the winter, keeping an eye out for heat-tolerant seeds. He planted seeds next to mature plants, which would provide the new crops with shade. He also installed drip irrigation early on for deep watering of roots and used organic fertilizers instead of chemical ones that cause growth spurts requiring lots of water.

Recommended Videos

While you might not have Hagerty’s specific conditions, the lesson here is that you’ll benefit from planning your crops ahead of time. For example, if you live in an especially cold climate zone, prepare to keep your plants warm by making room to overwinter them indoors or mulching them before the first frost to help them retain warmth and water.

Related

Take your time designing and implementing your garden.

Designing a robust vegetable garden can be an overwhelming undertaking, but as Hagerty shows us in this post, a blueprint can be incredibly helpful for getting started. Here, he lays out a detailed and scaled sketch in the second slide, where he draws out where his garden plots (such as those for mixed fruits and perennial edibles) will go. While coming up with a gardening strategy, Hagerty doesn’t rush to do it all at once, opting instead to do everything in phases. He’s also open to suggestions from his Instagram audience and doesn’t mind amending his current blueprint.

Mapping your garden layout on paper can help you strategically grow your plants based on their watering and sun needs. It’ll also lead you to have, generally, a more organized and aesthetically pleasing garden where things aren’t placed randomly—for example, cluster drought-tolerant plants together so that you can water them around the same time. However, don’t be afraid to give yourself leeway to switch up your original plan!

Clearing out the old is part of building a farmstead.

Before sowing seeds or placing down seedlings, you need to clear out lawn space and weeds. In this carousel post, Hagerty shows himself clearing out a large patch of weeds so that he can get started on his garden. While clearing out unwanted growth isn’t the most fun part of the farming process, it’s definitely an essential one. Setting up a blank slate will help plants get a fresh start without any competition. In the new space, Hagerty envisions “rows of fruit trees for every season, raised garden beds, habitat for native pollinators, spaces to gather with friends and family, and so much more.” In addition to making a solid plan for your garden, you also need to put in the work to make it happen!

Garlic at the market
Artem Beliaikin / Shutterstock

Many plants can thrive in a hands-off environment.

In this post about growing garlic, Hagerty explains an experiment that he ran on garlic. Instead of pampering it with the utmost care, he went in the complete opposite direction and pushed the limits of what the bulb plant could handle. A relatively easy plant to grow, garlic doesn’t require much maintenance, and it can do well even when you ignore it. Hagerty noted that he grew his garlic a month later than normal, never fertilized, did not pull many weeds, provided very little supplemental irrigation, and waited longer than usual to harvest it. Though the garlic bulbs were slightly small, they still managed to grow with a decent yield. The lesson to be learned here is that even when you don’t give your plants and crops every supplement you might think they need, nature will still run its course!

If you’re embarking on a gardening project and want to give your plants the best treatment possible, it’s time to give @urbanfarmstead a follow! From taking the time to thoroughly plan out a garden to preparing your crops for extreme weather, he shares the most fundamental lessons in farmsteading. Long story short, Hagerty’s posts are full of inspiration but also lay down specific advice to help you get the lushest and most fruitful garden of your dreams!

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Stacey Nguyen
Stacey Nguyen
Contributor
Stacey's work has appeared on sites such as POPSUGAR, HelloGiggles, Buzzfeed, The Balance, TripSavvy, and more. When she's…
4 easy-care houseplant lessons we learned from YouTube channel Harli G
Repotting plant

When you start your plant journey, one of the names that you'll likely encounter when you search up YouTube tutorials is Harli G. Harli began uploading videos in 2014 and her content now runs the gamut from top plant lists to plant shopping hauls. Occasionally Harli will post about her family and lifestyle, but her posts typically remain devoted to beginner-friendly houseplant guides. Her style tends to be playful and conversational while still being full of helpful information. Over the years, she's shared valuable advice on her channel with plant lovers everywhere — ahead, we've gathered a few of our favorite lessons from her so far.

How you repot your plant matters more than when you do it.
Repotting is an inevitable part of plant parenthood, granted that you have plants that're growing. One of Harli's most popular uploads is a video all about how to repot plants. Harli admits that she often repots her plants when she brings them home — that way, she can check the roots and soil to deal with problems immediately. Her methodology for repotting is pretty straightforward: When filling in a new planter, add a layer of soil at the bottom first, or else the plant may not sit at an appropriate height and the root base may flatten. If your plant is already in good soil, there's no need to remove too much of it. After situating your plant in its new home, add extra soil to fill the sides.

Read more
What you need to know about buying plants from big box stores
plants with shopping carts

Recently there has been a stigma against buying plants from the plant sections at big box stores, like the grocery store or your local Home Depot. While most of us probably started collections with plants from these places, you've likely grown suspicious of them since learning more about plants. As with everything, there are pros and cons Here, we dive into why you should or should not buy plants from these big box stores.
The prices of the plants
One of the biggest pros to buying from big box stores is the price. You can find some adorable plants for not too much money and grow your collection quicker. This is also an excellent opportunity for those with smaller budgets to get into growing plants without having to invest a lot of money. However, lower prices mean the plants were probably bought in bulk and aren't as tended to as plants in smaller, more specialized stores. Of course, this isn't an end-all-be-all con, but it's something to remember when taking a gander at these tempting sections of those stores.

Availability of the plants
Although the plants' prices are agreeable, the variety of plants that the bigger stores offer isn't going to be as impressive. Since those stores buy in bulk to lower their prices, they don't have the budget or the capabilities to invest in a wide range of species. So while you might be able to find an affordable palm or ZZ plant, you're not likely to see more rare plants in those stores. But, of course, if this isn't important to you and you love anything green you can get your hands on, then you'll love the affordable plants at big box stores!
In-store care
One of the most significant differences between big box stores and smaller expert stores is the in-store care the plants receive. Generally speaking, big-box stores instruct their employees to water all the plants on a specific day, and they don't cater to the needs of each plant. However, the smaller stores that specialize in plants take the time to understand what the plant needs, like which plants were watered yesterday and don't need to be watered as often. They'll also be able to see issues with a plant and act on it. For example, big box stores don't care if some of their inventory dies, but the smaller stores might pull the plant from the shelf and try to save it.
Healthy plants
In the end, the plants you buy from a smaller store will be healthier because the staff took the time to tend to their needs. In comparison, you might take a plant home from a big box store that's been over- or under-watered and dies the following week by no fault of your own. Additionally, smaller stores will pull plants with pests or diseases and treat their plants regularly to ensure all their plants are healthy.

Read more
4 important lessons we learned from Crazy Plant Guy’s YouTube channel
Pilea plant

Alongside channels such as Planterina and House Plant Journal, Crazy Plant Guy is one of the main fixtures on plant YouTube. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Crazy Plant Guy, or Christian Esguerra, is known for his plant care guides, tours, and recommendation lists. His videos are often fun and playful while also full of helpful information for both beginner and seasoned plant enthusiasts alike. Since 2017, Esguerra has been spreading his love of plants with the YouTube community — here are the best lessons he’s shared thus far.

Repotting time is an ideal window for aerating soil and taking cuttings.
While this video specifically covers Esguerra’s (now notoriously gigantic) pilea peperomioides, it includes versatile tips about repotting plants in general. As he repots the pilea plant, he moves it into aerated soil, using a well-draining mix of 50% cacti soil, 45% potting mix, and 5% orchid bark and perlite. He reminds us not to pack in the new soil — keep the mix aerated to prevent root rot. Remember to use the opportunity of repotting your plant to take cuttings, too. Just don’t overdo it, or else you may shock your plant when you transplant it.

Read more