Planting the Plains: Too Much Organic Matter

By Anthony Reardon

Published April 17, 2026 at 6:00 AM CDT

It’s commonly understood that adding organic matter to your growing soil can benefit your plants, but what’s less understood are the ways that too much organic matter can lead to worse results. This week, we’ll talk about how to make sure you’re not overdoing it in your garden!

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Planting the Plains Planting the Plains

Anthony Reardon

Anthony Reardon is the Horticulture – Small Farms Extension Agent for Johnson County, Kansas.

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Planting the Plains: Early Pest Awareness

Anthony Reardon

There are few things as disappointing as finding your garden overrun with bugs, feasting on your plants before you’ve even had the chance. You can help to prevent this by keeping an eye on things early in the growing season, and this week, we’ll talk about how to recognize the signs and how to effectively treat these annoying pests!
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Planting the Plains: Making Your Own Compost Tea

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Compost tea isn’t a beverage, but it’s a great way to use the nutrients from your composting to make an easily spreadable liquid you can apply almost anywhere. This week, we’ll talk about how and why you may want to consider making a batch, and seeing what it can do for your garden!
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Planting the Plains: Nurturing Spring Seedlings

Anthony Reardon

It may seem counterintuitive, but maybe…don’t plant EVERY seed in your seed packet. At least, not right away. This is just one of the things that isn’t always obvious when you’re getting ready to plant your garden, but there are lots of “conventional wisdom” tips that don’t get widely shared, and maybe aren’t as commonly known as they should be. We’ll talk about this and some other things to consider this week, as you get your seeds started this spring!
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Planting the Plains: Properly Organic

Anthony Reardon

Everyone talks about organic food and gardening, but when you dig a little deeper, it becomes clear that sometimes, folks don’t always mean the same thing. We’ll talk about true organic gardening in this week’s episode!
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Planting the Plains: Growing Green

Anthony Reardon

Providing basics like soil, sun and water to your plants is something pretty much everyone understands, but did you know that there’s a greener way to approach your growing? Careful attention to a few key details can help prevent these from actually becoming detrimental to your growing conditions. This week, we’ll talk about how to ensure you’re keeping your growing space in top-notch shape!