The Growth of a Gardening Empire

Kevin Espiritu, founder and CEO of Epic Gardening, has transformed a simple hobby into one of the internet's most influential gardening platforms. What began as a personal challenge to spend less time in front of screens has bloomed into a multimillion-dollar business with a mission to teach the world how to grow.^[4]^[6]

From Poker Player to Plant Enthusiast

Born in August 1987 and raised in Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego, Espiritu's journey to gardening fame followed an unconventional path. During his college years at UC Santa Barbara, he financed his education by playing online poker, eventually graduating with an accounting degree. After college, concerned about his growing video game habit, Espiritu and his brother took up gardening as a hobby to disconnect from screens and reconnect with the outdoors.^[4]^[10]

In February 2013, Espiritu uploaded his first YouTube video focusing on hydroponics systems, marking the humble beginnings of Epic Gardening. Initially launched as a blog to share gardening techniques and strategies he had learned, the platform was created to address what Espiritu saw as a gap in accessible gardening information for beginners.^[4]^[6]

Building a Digital Gardening Community

By 2016, Espiritu had made the bold decision to leave his job at a book subscription service to pursue gardening full-time, simultaneously developing his gardening blog while cultivating food in backyards. As his following expanded, he strategically ventured into YouTube and various other social media platforms, eventually establishing an e-commerce website.^[4]

As of May 2025, Epic Gardening has grown to impressive proportions with 3.78 million YouTube subscribers, 683 videos, and approximately 781.8 million total views. The channel continues to show healthy growth, with subscriber numbers increasing by 1.34% and video views by 2.16% in the last 30 days. With an excellent engagement rate of 4.2%, Epic Gardening maintains a strong connection with its audience despite a relatively moderate upload frequency of 1.5 videos per week.^[1]^[4]

Content Strategy and Audience Engagement

Epic Gardening's success stems from its practical, accessible approach to gardening education. The channel offers in-depth tutorials for gardeners of all experience levels, with videos averaging nearly 16 minutes in length-focusing on quality information rather than quick tips. Espiritu has documented his own gardening journey, including the transformation of his San Diego residence into an eco-friendly urban homestead complete with chickens, rainwater collection systems, composting, and solar panels.^[1]^[3]^[4]

From Content to Commerce

What distinguishes Epic Gardening from many content creators is its successful transition into e-commerce. The business began monetizing through display ads and affiliate links, but has since expanded significantly. The company now operates an online store selling gardening supplies, with its bestseller being the galvanized raised garden bed that Espiritu had featured in his early content. The product line has expanded to include seed trays, grow lights, planters, and an impressive 650 different varieties of vegetable, herb, and flower seeds.^[6]^[10]

This business growth attracted significant investment when, in January 2022, The Chernin Group invested $17.5 million in Epic Gardening to finance its continued expansion. By the end of 2022, the channel had reached 2 million subscribers, and the company had grown to employ more than 80 people.^[4]^[5]

YouTube Revenue and Growth

The channel's popularity translates into substantial revenue. As of May 2025, Epic Gardening's estimated monthly earnings from YouTube range between $28,700 and $86,000, not including income from merchandise sales or sponsored content. Recent video performances show strong engagement, with some videos garnering hundreds of thousands of views within days of publication, demonstrating the channel's continued relevance in the gardening niche.^[1]^[8]

Recognition and Cultural Impact

Espiritu's influence extends beyond social media metrics. In 2019, he was selected by Timberland as one of their eight "Heroes for Nature" in an international sustainability campaign. His expertise has been recognized in mainstream media, with multiple appearances on the Today Show throughout 2021. His first book, "Field Guide to Urban Gardening," which teaches readers how to grow food regardless of where they live, has sold over 30,000 copies.^[4]^[5]^[7]

Epic Gardening's simple mission-"to help people around the world learn how to grow fresh, healthy food, no matter where they live"-resonates with audiences seeking practical gardening advice. The channel's approachable style makes gardening accessible to beginners while still providing valuable insights for experienced growers.^[2]^[9]

Expanding the Epic Gardening Brand

In 2022, Epic Gardening began expanding its roster of talent by adding Jacques Lyakov of "Jacques in the Garden" as a guest star on the channel. This strategic move brought different growing perspectives and additional expertise to the platform, helping to further diversify its content and appeal to a wider audience.^[4]

Epic Gardening's social media presence extends well beyond YouTube, with the brand amassing significant followings across multiple platforms. By late 2023, these included 955,000 Instagram followers, 2.7 million TikTok followers, 673,000 Facebook followers, and 81,000 Pinterest followers-making it a true cross-platform gardening influencer. While some community members have noted the channel's increased focus on product sales in recent years, Epic Gardening remains one of the most trusted sources for gardening information online.^[10]^[11]

Epic Gardening (Kevin Espiritu)

Epic Gardening (Kevin Espiritu)