Good Growing

By University of Illinois ExtensionEducation Leisure Home & Garden

Good Growing episodes

July 15, 2020 Ep. 27 Unique veggies and fall gardening with Grant McCarty
This week the Good Growing team welcomes local foods educator, Grant McCarty to the show. Grant enjoys trying new and unique vegetables and talks about what he has growing in his garden. Time to get a pen and paper out to start making that list of veggies to try for next year! Grant also gives tips for gardeners looking to the fall gardening season. Do you have your garlic ordered yet?
We also answer your home gardening questions. This week’s questions include:
What’s eaten all my cucumber leaves?
My hops are early this year. Should I harvest them now?
What organic options do I have when dealing with Japanese beetles and spotted wing drosophila on blueberries?
How can you tell when to harvest potatoes?
Tips for harvesting zucchini
Does reusing black plastic mulch for tomatoes carry disease over to the next year?
Vegetable seed finder pickacarrot.com
Northwest IL Local Foods Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/ExtensionJSWLocalFoods
Contact the hosts:
Chris Enroth [email protected]
Ken Johnson [email protected]
Katie Parker [email protected]
40 min
July 09, 2020 Ep. 26 Bruno the bear and other wildlife with Peggy Doty
On this week's Good Growing podcast, the crew is delighted to welcome Peggy Doty, Energy and Environment educator with University of Illinois Extension. Peggy works closely teaching youth about natural resources and specializes in wildlife topics. Peggy and the Good Growing team chat about the Bruno the Bear and dealing with large predators in Illinois. Plus Peggy helps us answer these homeowner questions:
What to do about rabbits eating everything in the garden
Keeping raccoons out of the attic
Should we relocate wild animals?
Can a gardener coexist with a groundhog?
Are coyotes really getting bigger? What to do when they're hanging out around the neighborhood
Deer are eating everything. In town! Can anything stop these stomachs with legs?
Living with Wildlife in Illinois website https://www.wildlifeillinois.org/
Peggy's recent webinar on creating backyard bird habitat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFPR1dJWHTs
Contact the hosts:
Chris Enroth [email protected]
Ken Johnson [email protected]
Katie Parker [email protected]
58 min
July 03, 2020 Ep. 25 Tree Troubles with Ryan Pankau
This week on the Good Growing podcast the crew talks about the trouble with trees with University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, Ryan Pankau. Ryan brings his wealth of knowledge and experience on arboriculture (the study of trees). In this episode the group discusses:
The common problems that occur at the base of the tree trunk
Can you train a new redbud from seedlings?
A young maple tree leafed out and then suddenly died. Could it be from the weird growth on the trunk?
Why would a long strip of bark be missing on an oak tree?
What can be done with hydrangeas that don't bloom?
A newly planted tree is dying. What suggestions are there to save the tree?
Contact the hosts:
Chris Enroth [email protected]
Ken Johnson [email protected]
Katie Parker [email protected]
39 min
June 24, 2020 Ep. 24 Japanese Beetles with Andrew Holsinger
In this episode of the Good Growing podcast, Andrew Holsinger joins the crew to talk about everything Japanese beetles. We discuss nearly every angle of dealing with this invasive and incredible nuisance. We dive into:
If home gardeners can feel overwhelmed, what about farmers dealing with Japanese beetles?
How do commercial orchards deal with these pests?
What can you do to protect your large shade trees?
What about backyard fruit trees?
If you control the Japanese beetle grubs in the lawn will it help with damage caused by adult beetles?
Do you need to spray your sweet corn?
What are the organic options to control Japanese beetles?
Check out these resources on Japanese beetles
Japanese beetle factsheet from University of Illinois Extension
Mass Trapping by University of Missouri Extension https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2018/1/mass_trapping_japanese_beetles/
Ken Johnson's webinar on Japanese beetles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On0cbWjkoo4
Japanese beetles - plants they like and don't like & chemical controls https://uofi.box.com/s/9tx9sly5er1il921pmx8osj2t92clwqx
Contact the hosts:
Chris Enroth [email protected]
Ken Johnson [email protected]
Katie Parker [email protected]
42 min
June 17, 2020 Ep. 23 Compost and Ponds with Duane Friend
In this week's episode of the Good Growing podcast, Extension educator Duane Friend joins Ken and Katie to talk about compost and dealing with pond weeds. In this episode they cover topics on:
Recommended composting methods
How often should you stir compost?
Can you compost weeds that have been sprayed with herbicide?
Can you compost dog and rabbit waste?
How do you get rid of algae on your pond?
Why causes tiny pinholes in tomato leaves?
How often should you water a tomato grown in a container?
Check out these resources:
Purdue pond management website: https://extension.purdue.edu/pondwildlife/
IL Department of Natural Resources: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Pages/default.aspx
Everyday Environment webinars: https://extension.illinois.edu/global/everyday-environment-webinar-series
Everyday Environment YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIq7XlTOe3aktogEpAPxp-s64ZoSei3nj
Contact the hosts:
Chris Enroth [email protected]
Ken Johnson [email protected]
Katie Parker [email protected]
41 min
June 12, 2020 Ep. 22 Tree Diseases with Travis Cleveland
On this week's Good Growing podcast the team talks with Travis Cleveland about tree diseases. Travis is an Extension Specialist in the field of plant pathology and woody plant material.
On this episode the Good Growing team talks about:
The difficulty in plant disease diagnosis and the importance of good photos.
What's happening with Virginia creeper with spots on the leaves?
An older silver maple is dropping leaves and it's spring. What's happening?
Why do all the sycamores have emptying branches with no leaves?
A dogwood only leafed out in the upper canopy. Is it dead?
What causes a Colorado blue spruce to lose needles from the bottom up?
Links to resources mentioned in the show:
A Box folder with photos of some of the plants in question on today's episode https://go.illinois.edu/GoodGrowingPhotos
Home Yard and Garden Newsletter - Maple leaf blister article http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1068
Spruce problems https://web.extension.illinois.edu/plantclinic/downloads/Plant%20Clinic%20Report%20Spruce.pdf
Contact the hosts:
Chris Enroth [email protected]
Ken Johnson [email protected]
Katie Parker [email protected]
40 min
June 02, 2020 Ep. 21 Micro Propagation and Community Gardens with Bruce Black
Horticulture educator Bruce Black joins this week's episode of the Good Growing podcast to talk about micropropagation and starting a community garden. Plus your home garden and landscaping questions.
In this episode we chat about:
Micropropagation
What are some tips for starting a community garden?
Who/What are eating the cucumber seeds?
Oaks dropping leaves
Small holes in radish leaves
Watch Bruce's recent gardening webinars: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRH8QA5Yn_PdZFinAjKJj3WcLqJg7aODB
Community Garden webinar series: https://go.illinois.edu/communitygarden
Contact the hosts:
Chris Enroth [email protected]
Ken Johnson [email protected]
Katie Parker [email protected]
40 min
May 29, 2020 Ep. 20 Pollinators and Q & A with the Hosts
On this episode of the Good Growing podcast your host Chris, Katie, and Ken chat about what going on in their yards and gardens plus answers to listener questions.
What to do with swarming honeybees
Remedies for soils with excessively high phosphorous levels
Dealing with carpenter bees nesting in decks and wood siding
Can you grow industrial hemp in your garden?
Dealing with weeds growing between patio pavers
Contact the hosts:
Chris Enroth [email protected]
Ken Johnson [email protected]
Katie Parker [email protected]
30 min
May 18, 2020 Ep. 17 Weed Woes with Michelle Wiesbrook
In this episode of the Good Growing podcast we chat with University of Illinois pesticide safety and weed specialist, Michelle Wiesbrook. During our conversation we dive into the following topics:
Options for Illinois residents seeking pesticide applicator licenses
Controlling weeds in a driveway
What can we do about knotweed and black medic
What herbicides can you spray when establishing a prairie
What are the options for spraying herbicides around chickens and ducks
How do you control creeping Charlie
Pesticide Applicator Testing information https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/agr/Pesticides/Pages/Commercial-Pesticide-Applicator.aspx
Pesticide Education and Safety Program website https://web.extension.illinois.edu/psep/
Contact the hosts:
Chris Enroth [email protected]
Ken Johnson [email protected]
Katie Parker [email protected]
37 min
May 08, 2020 Ep. 16 Landscape Design Tips with Martha Smith & Murder Wasps
This week Martha Smith joins the Good Growing team to talk all about landscape design. Martha is a horticulture educator with University of Illinois Extension and has previous experience as a landscape designer. During this episode the group talks about:
What's blooming in their yards
What does Martha recommend for new gardeners as they start designing their yard
Where can homeowner look to get information on plants before going to the garden center
What to do with a soggy part of the yard
Addressing the Murder Wasp question
Dealing with spring weeds in the strawberry patch
And should we be spraying our apple trees right now?
Rain Garden resources
ILLINOIS NATIVE PLANTS FOR THE HOME LANDSCAPE https://iiseagrant.org/publications/illinois-native-plants-for-the-home-landscape/
RAIN GARDEN- A NATIVE PLANTING GUIDE FOR RAIN GARDEN BEDS https://iiseagrant.org/publications/rain-garden-a-native-planting-guide-for-rain-garden-beds/
POLLINATOR GARDEN- NATIVE PLANTS FOR ATTRACTING POLLINATORS https://iiseagrant.org/publications/pollinator-garden-native-plants-for-attracting-pollinators/
Webinar recording from Purdue on their Rainscaping Program https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxwarSqe3Sc
The Red Oak Rain Garden https://redoakraingarden.org/
Contact the hosts:
Chris Enroth [email protected]
Katie Johnson [email protected]
Katie Parker [email protected]
Upcoming Webinars
Good Bugs in the Garden: May 13: Not all insects we find in our gardens are pests. In fact, most insects aren’t pests at all. Ken Johnson will explore the most common beneficial insects and ways to attract them to your garden. web.extension.illinois.edu/registratio…ionID=22204
Landscape Safety: May 20: There can be hazards to working in the yard and garden. Landscape work can involve dangerous and loud equipment, pesticides, and contact with plants and animals that may be harmful. Chris Enroth will provide safety tips everyone can use when working the yard, including hearing, eye, and sun protection; best practices for operating equipment; and using pesticides safely. web.extension.illinois.edu/registratio…ionID=22214
Mulching Options for the Garden: May 27: The use of mulch in flower and vegetable gardens has many benefits, such as weed prevention and soil moisture retention; however, with a dozen or more options, how do you choose one to use? Katie Parker will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of mulches available. web.extension.illinois.edu/registratio…ionID=22206
41 min

About Good Growing

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The Good Growing Podcast from University of Illinois Extension helps gardeners grow with confidence. Each episode features research-based advice, practical gardening tips, and engaging conversations…