Good Growing

This week on the Good Growing Podcast Chris and Ken talk with Dr. Kacie Athey about the newest invasive insect found in Illinois, the spotted lanternfly. Even though it’s only currently in Cook County, this particular bug is likely to spread across the state and Midwest. Will spotted lanternfly devour everything in its path? Or will we barely notice its arrival? Find out this and more on this week’s podcast.

Find out what you want to know:
0:49 – Hey Ken. And Chris has trouble remembering what we’re talking about this week
3:29 – Welcome Dr Athey! 
4:24 – Will they eat everything? Who needs to be concerned about spotted lanternfly?
7:48 – Where can you find spotted lanternfly as of this recording? (10/17/2023)
8:46 – Where does spotted lanternfly come from?
9:21 – How are they being spread?
11:10 – What does a spotted lanternfly look like?
14:07 – What is their lifecycle? What should we expect to see through the year?
16:04 – Spotted lanternfly’s celebrity status
18:36 – How do I keep them out of my yard?
20:16 – What to do if you see a lanternfly?
20:48 – What are ways we can manage spotted lanternfly?
22:45 – Description of their egg cases
23:55 – Where would you scout for adults?
25:16 - Does spotted lanternfly smell bad when smashed like a brown marmorated stinkbug?
27:57 – Does the bright color of the insect mean it’s dangerous?
28:53 – How will the swarming behavior affect things?
29:28 – Dr. Athey’s heads up about periodical cicadas coming in 2024.

Report spotted lanternfly sightings at [email protected] 

Talking Spiders with Dr. Athey https://goodgrowing.transistor.fm/episodes/ep-41-spiders-with-dr-kacie-athey 

Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: [email protected]
Ken Johnson: [email protected] 

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing
Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

--
You can find us on most podcast platforms.  
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Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we welcome Emily Swihart back to talk about water-conscious landscaping! Learn why planning our landscapes with water in mind is important and how we can incorporate water-conscious landscaping into our landscapes. 

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hfIY5e0axak 

Skip to what you want to know:  

  00:30 – Welcome, Ken and Emily, and are our landscapes ready for frost?

  06:30 – What is water-conscious landscaping? Is it just a fancy way of saying xeriscaping? 

  07:55 – Do we need to worry about saving water in Illinois? 

  11:15 - What are some ways we can incorporate water-conscious landscaping into our landscapes? 

    11:50 – Right plant, right place

    18:05 – Mulch

    22:47 – How do lawns fit in?

    24:43 – Irrigation systems

  31:20 – Vegetable gardens use a lot of water, how can we be water-conscious in them?    

    36:50 – What about harvested water?

  38:32 - Now that plants are starting to lose their leaves and go dormant, do we still need to worry about watering them? 

  43:00 - Wrap-up, thank yous, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

Check out other Good Growing Podcast episodes! 

  2023 weather and what to expect for the winter: https://youtu.be/RYXakCpxO2c 

  All about mulch: https://youtu.be/sqw4Cwr7wjo 

Contact us! 

Chris Enroth: [email protected]

Ken Johnson: [email protected] 

Emily Swihart: [email protected] 

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing

Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

--

You can find us on most podcast platforms.  

iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377   

Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing   

Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ 

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR   

Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/   

Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/   

Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902   

Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us   

Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD 

This week on the Good Growing Podcast, Chris and Ken talk with commercial ag educator Nathan Johanning all about pumpkins! Nathan has been researching pumpkins with University of Illinois Extension for years and is himself a pumpkin grower. This week we dive into what is a growing season like for a pumpkin farmer, what are some of their biggest pests, how to pick the perfect pumpkin, and much more!

Skip to what you want to know:
0:34 – Hey Ken! Have we gotten our pumpkins yet?
4:46 – Welcome Nathan! Learning Nathan’s background in growing pumpkins.
5:17 – How does the pumpkin crop look for 2023?
9:16 – How do you deal with pumpkin viruses?
11:29 – What is Nathan’s favorite pumpkin? Which one is the most popular?
15:01 – What’s the process of growing a pumpkin? What is it like to be a pumpkin farmer?
        Ordering seed
 Starting seed
 Transplanting out to the field
 Scouting for disease
 Scouting for insect pests (namely squash bugs)
 Encouraging pollinators
 Practicing IPM
 Looking to harvest
 Protect the stem!
24:46 – What is downy mildew? Is it a serious problem for pumpkins in Illinois?
27:02 – Does trap cropping work to help control insect pests of pumpkins? 
30:56 – What do you look for when picking out a pumpkin? And how do you store it?
33:58 – How can we dispose of pumpkins?
39:20 – What are everyone’s thoughts on pumpkin spice?
41:42 – For those who like to eat pumpkin seeds, what’s a good cultivar for hull-less seeds?
44:38 – Thank you’s and coming up next week!

Find a Pumpkin Smash near you
https://www.scarce.org/pumpkins/#locator

The great debate! Fall Flavors: Pumpkin vs. Apple
https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-09-24-fall-flavors-pumpkin-vs-apple 

Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: [email protected]
Ken Johnson: [email protected] 

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing
Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

--
You can find us on most podcast platforms.  
iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377   
Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ 
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR   
Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/   
Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/   
Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902   
Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us   
Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

This week on the Good Growing Podcast, Chris and Ken chat with state climatologist, Dr. Trent Ford. During the episode, we chat about what’s up with the weather for 2023. Soils are dry across Illinois. Is there any relief in sight? Will El Nino play a role in our weather this winter? Will it be a cold and snowy winter? Trent will share the Climate Prediction Center’s outlook for the fall and winter.

Citizen Science Climate Data Collection Opportunities
Check out CocoRahs https://www.cocorahs.org/ 
Check out CMOR https://go.illinois.edu/cmor 
Contact Trent Ford [email protected]

00:31 - Hey Ken  

3:16 – Welcome Trent! What’s up with the weather for 2023?

8:16 – What is the report from the farmers this year? What is harvest shaping up to be?

10:49 – Western Illinois seems to be in and out of drought this year. What does the US Drought Monitor show?

12:46 – How is El Nino going to influence our Midwestern weather this winter?

17:40 – How is reoccurring drought affecting our perennial plants like trees?

20:23 – What are the fall and winter predictions for 2023 from Climate Prediction Center?

23:06 – What influences our Illinois climate?

23:40 – What questions about Earth’s climate keeps Trent up at night?

28:55 – What is the most common question a state climatologist answers?

32:42 - What are ways people can report climate data for Citizen Science efforts?

37:53 – Thank yous and coming up next week!

Contact us! 

Chris Enroth: [email protected]

Ken Johnson: [email protected] 

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing

Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

--

You can find us on most podcast platforms.  

SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573   

iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377    

Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ 

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Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/   

Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902   

Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us   

Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD 

On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we welcome Emily Swihart back to talk about mulch! Learn about what mulch is, what it’s good for, what mulches we should avoid using, and why our mulch should be thick and chunky. We also dispel some common misconceptions about mulch.

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sqw4Cwr7wjo 

Skip to what you want to know:  

  00:30 – Welcome, Ken and Emily, and Chris’ existential crisis

  02:45 – What is mulch, and what is it good for?

  04:50 – What are our favorite types of mulch?

  09:20 – Any drawback to using woodchips as mulch?

  12:12 – Most effective mulch attributes

  14:15 – Much repelling water

  15:25 – Is rubber mulch a good choice?

  18:25 – Are rocks and landscape fabric a good mulch option?

  23:40 – Astroturf as a mulch?

  25:25 – Is allelopathy a problem with mulch?

  26:50 – Will mulch from diseased trees infect plantings?

  31:06 - Will decomposing wood mulch tie up nitrogen in the soil?

  32:00 – Should we or should we not use landscape fabric?

  33:45 – Is there a best time of year to put mulch down in the landscape?

  40:10 - Wrap-up, thank yous, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

Contact us! 

Chris Enroth: [email protected]

Ken Johnson: [email protected] 

Emily Swihart: [email protected] 

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing

Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

--

You can find us on most podcast platforms.  

SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573   

iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377   

Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing   

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Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/   

Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/   

Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902   

Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us   

Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD 

Now that night temperatures are starting to cool,  it’s time to start thinking about bringing houseplants back indoors for the winter. On this week's Good Growing Podcast, Ken Johnson discusses some steps we can take to successfully transition our houseplants indoors, as well as some tips on their care over the winter. 

Want to read more about moving houseplants indoors and houseplant pests? Check out these blog articles:

• Tips for moving houseplants indoors and overwinter care: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-09-09-tips-moving-houseplants-indoors-and-overwinter-care

• Houseplant pests and how to manage them: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-01-14-houseplant-pests-and-how-manage-them

Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: [email protected]
Ken Johnson: [email protected] 

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing
Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

--
You can find us on most podcast platforms.  
SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573   
iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377   
Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ 
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR   
Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/   
Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/   
Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902   
Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us   
Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

This week on the Good Growing podcast Chris shares a Gardenbite of when retired horticulture educator Richard Hentschel visited the show in 2021 to talk about fall lawn care. During the show, Richard spoke about three things we could all do to reduce our lawn inputs. 

Want to see or listen to the entire show? Watch this episode on YouTube or listen on our website.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCWX2HzFpY8&t=151s 
Good Growing Podcast: https://extension.illinois.edu/podcasts/good-growing/ep-80-fall-lawn-care-tasks-and-tips-richard-hentschel-goodgrowing 

Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: [email protected]
Ken Johnson: [email protected] 

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing
Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

--
You can find us on most podcast platforms.  
SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573   
iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377   
Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ 
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR   
Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/   
Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/   
Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902   
Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us   
Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

Fall is almost here! On this week's Good Growing Podcast, Ken talks about something we should add to our to-do list for this fall: conducting a soil test. 

Contact us! 

Chris Enroth: [email protected]

Ken Johnson: [email protected] 

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing

Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

--

You can find us on most podcast platforms.  

iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377   

Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing   

Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ 

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR   

Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/   

Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/   

Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902   

Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us   

Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD 

On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we are answering more of your questions. We discuss the new invasive hornet that has been found in Georgia, coca mulch and worms in ponds, tree roots affecting building foundations, apple fruit rots, and more!

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fFmCDDUwXQ4

Skip to what you want to know:  

  00:05 – Welcome

  01:20 – New invasive wasp found in Georgia, the yellow-legged hornet

  07:47 – Be on the lookout for spotted lanternfly

  11:10 – White “worms” in a pond after using cocoa mulch. What are they, and how do we manage them? 

  18:30 – Will tree roots interfere with the foundation of a home?

  23:00 – Water lotus is taking of my pond, what can I do to get rid of it?

  29:20 – Large black spots on my apples, what is causing it and how do I get rid of it?

  34:00 - Wrap-up, thank you’s, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

Photo credits:

Yellow-legged hornet nest By Francis ITHURBURU - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25339575 

Yellow-legged hornet By Charles J. Sharp - Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52006827
 
 

Cheese skipper maggots by Deborah Kent

Contact us! 

Chris Enroth: [email protected]

Ken Johnson: [email protected] 

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing

Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

--

You can find us on most podcast platforms.  

SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573   

iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377   

Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing   

Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ 

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR   

Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/   

Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/   

Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902   

Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us   

Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD 

On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we discuss fall-blooming plants. While we typically reach for mums, there are a lot of other plants we can use in our landscapes for an end-of-season flower show! 

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NYmaaXnh7JY 

Skip to what you want to know:  

  00:33 – Welcome, Ken and have we followed our advice and started our fall vegetable gardens?  

  02:20 – Benefits of fall blooming plants for pollinators

  05:05 – Goldenrods

      06:25 – Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’

      08:00 – Zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)

      09:02 – Stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida)

      11:10 – Managing Canadian goldenrod

      12:11 – Goldenrod and allergies

  13:40 – Asters

      13:55 – New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

      16:26 – Calico aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)

  17:30 – Ironweed (Vernonia lettermannii) ‘Iron butterfly’

  19:25 – Black-eyed Susan ‘American GoldRush’

  21:07 – Sweet Black-eyed Susan  (Rudbeckia subtomentosa)

  22:20 – Bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii)

  23:50 - False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra) 'Bleeding Hearts' 

  25:37 - Perennial sunflowers 

      26:38 – Western/naked stemmed sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis) 

      27:10 – Swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)

  28:35 – More fall-blooming plants: mums, sedum, bulbs  

  31:38 - Wrap-up, thank you’s, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

Autumn allergies: Don’t blame goldenrod: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-10-21-autumn-allergies-dont-blame-goldenrod 

Fall Blooming Bulbs: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-09-17-theyre-not-just-spring-fall-blooming-bulbs 

Contact us! 

Chris Enroth: [email protected]

Ken Johnson: [email protected] 

Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing

Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe

Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

--

You can find us on most podcast platforms.  

SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573   

iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377   

Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing   

Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ 

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR   

Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/   

Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/   

Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902   

Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us   

Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD