422 - The Truth About Soil, Wood, and Raised Beds with Gardener Scott

The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy

Have you ever wondered if you could fill a raised bed with 100% compost? Or whether pressure-treated wood is actually safe for gardens? In today's episode, I sit down in person with Gardener Scott to tackle common raised bed myths and smart strategies for growing success — whether you're gardening on a patio or across a backyard full of beds.

💬 Topics we cover:

• Should you grow in 100% compost?

• Is pressure-treated wood safe for raised beds?

• When to use a GreenStalk planter vs. a raised bed

• How native soil, compost, and minerals all work together

• What biosolids are — and should you avoid them?

• Mistakes we both made (and how you can avoid them!)

📚 Learn more about Gardener Scott's new book, Gardener Scott’s Guide to Raised Bed Gardening — a must-read if you're building or improving your beds this season!

🎯 Bonus: Today (May 20) is the LAST DAY to grab my Beginner’s Guide to Growing Herbs mini-course on sale for just $19! Learn more here » journeywithjill.net/herbworkshop

🛒 Sponsors:

• Organic REV: Boost your transplant success — get 10% off with code JILL at organicrev.com

• Garden in Minutes: Simplify watering with the Garden Grid™. Save 7% with code JILL at journeywithjill.net/gardeninminutes

• Heirloom Roses: Add beauty to your garden — get 20% off roses with code BEGINNER20 at heirloomroses.com

Show Notes:

Thank you to our sponsors: Organic REV | Garden in Minutes

Organic REV

Organic REV is an organic growth stimulant that can increase nitrogen efficiency by up to 25%, replaces depleted soil carbon and bacterial biomass, and absorbs nutrients to make them more readily available to plants via their root systems.

Promo Code: Use promo code JILL10 for 10% off your order

Want to learn more about Organic REV? Enroll in my FREE course that teaches you how to use REV in seed starting, transplanting and so much more! Click here to enroll.

Garden in Minutes

Water your raised beds more efficiently and effectively with the Garden in Minutes Garden Grids. These garden grids take about 1 minute to set up, water all of your plants evenly at their base, and ship in pre-assembled sections! No messy emitters or tangle of tubing. Just connect & grow! https://journeywithjill.net/gardeninminutes

Discount Code: Use promo code JILL for 7% off your purchase

My Products: 2025 Complete Garden Planner (plus several new editions!) https://shop.journeywithjill.net/

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Book: https://amzn.to/3TZeJux

Products I recommend: Recommended Brands & Products page: https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/

https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden

Connect with Jill: Sign up for Friday Emails: https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos

The Beginner's Garden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden/

Link to Beginner's Garden Podcast past episodes: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/

(*links above contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)