Lorin Nielsen, Author at Epic Gardening

About Lorin Nielsen

Lorin Nielsen

Head Horticulturist

Hi! I’m Lorin. As a kid, I planted my first plant under the careful tutelage of my mom. However, the neighbor’s cherry tomatoes were what really had my attention. The tastiest food is always the stuff you grow yourself… or maybe it’s the stuff you pilfer from the neighbor’s garden as a kid. Either way, I was hooked from that moment.

For years, I’ve had my hands buried deep in the soil no matter where I was. While living in an apartment, my balcony was a green spot in an urban landscape. I’ve rented plots at community gardens to grow insanely-tall tomato plants and other food crops. Now, I’ve reclaimed most of a previously weed-filled yard from invasive species and have turned it into a family food garden.

As a result, I’ve developed a passion for soil-building and composting and could talk your ears off about vermicomposting and bokashi. I’m a huge advocate for raised bed gardening for people with physical limitations, and every tiny sprout in my seed starting trays brings a huge smile to my face.

For years I’ve been a writer and an editor, and have truly enjoyed my time as the Editor-In-Chief of Epic Gardening — but have moved on to a position as the company’s Head Horticulturist and couldn’t be happier! I’m also a California Master Naturalist-in-training; this helps me to get a more holistic view of how various ecosystems impact gardening and how our gardens change the ecosystem.

Every day is a chance to learn, grow, and share everything I’ve experienced with all of you. Even better, I never stop learning new things, and that strengthens my love of gardening. It’s a combination of artistry meeting science, paired with a whole lot of healthy exercise. What more could you need?

I’m absolutely thrilled to share my lifetime of experience in organic gardening, soil-building and remediation, raised bed tricks, and more. No matter if you have a foot of space or an acre, you can grow in it!

Q. What’s your favorite plant?

A. If I absolutely have to pick a favorite plant (and it’s hard!), it’s going to be the tomato plant. They’re the one plant I absolutely must grow every single year. But I love edible gardening in general, because edible plants can produce a gorgeous bed!

Q. What is your “spirit vegetable”?

A. Recently, it’d have to be a potato because I just spent too much of the winter months on my couch. But at least I’m a sweet potato!

Q. What’s the most unusual plant you’ve grown?

A. There’s been quite a few weird ones, but I’ll have to go with a tiny redwood tree in a jar. It was developed from genetic material from a California redwood and was reproduced through splicing in a sterile lab environment.

The sealed jar was its own miniature ecosystem, creating “rain” through moisture evaporation and condensation, and the tree was planted in a nutrient gel. The tree eventually got too large for its jar, and the acclimation to the outside world didn’t go so well. But for nearly a year, I had a tree in a jar!

How to Bottom Water Seed Starts in 5 Easy Steps

by Lorin Nielsen

Bottom watering your seedling trays is a wonderful thing, and yet many people struggle with it! But there’s a way to make it work every single time, and it’s a specific combination of the right trays, the right growing medium, and the right watering regimen. With just a few simple tips, you can get from … Read more