‘Teaming With Microbes’ podcast: Bears in the garden

This week, Jeff and Jonathan talk about ways to keep bears out of the garden.

Welcome to our weekly podcast with longtime Anchorage Daily News garden writer and author Jeff Lowenfels and co-host Jonathan White. Think of it as a companion to Jeff’s weekly ADN gardening columns and his popular series of books.

This week, the guys continue their discussion on preparing for the summer gardening season.

In places like Alaska, bear activity can be quite prevalent, even in cities such as Anchorage! Jeff and Jonathan share some of their personal encounters with bears. The takeaway from these stories is the importance of cleaning out last season’s bird feeders, as they can attract bears.

After the break, they delve into the process of identifying the best types of soil, either online or at local gardening stores.

Finally, they respond to a listener’s question about the application of leftover coffee grounds.

Have a question? Ask Jeff and Jonathan at teamingwithmicrobes@me.com

Sponsored by Number 2 Organics, Big Foot Microbes and Down to Earth Fertilizers

Hosts: Jeff Lowenfels and Jonathan White. Produced by Evan Phillips.

This podcast is a collaboration between the hosts and Anchorage Daily News.

Feedback: teamingwithmicrobes@me.com

Read Lowenfels’ weekly columns on gardening and growing at ADN.com.

Read Jeff’s books: “Teaming with Microbes: The Organic Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web,” “Teaming with Nutrients: The Organic Gardener’s Guide to Optimizing Plant Nutrition,” “Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower’s Guide to Mycorrhizae,” among others.


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Jeff Lowenfels

Jeff Lowenfels has written a weekly gardening column for the ADN for more than 45 years. His columns won the 2022 gold medal at the Garden Communicators International conference. He is the author of a series of books on organic gardening available at Amazon and elsewhere. He co-hosts the "Teaming With Microbes" podcast.

Jonathan White

Jonathan White is the co-host, with Jeff Lowenfels, of the "Teaming with Microbes" podcast. He's an Anchorage small business owner, gardener and former journalist.