Have you ever wondered what causes the reds, yellows, oranges, and maroons of autumn? There are lots of different plant pigments beyond the green color of chloroplast. In this episode horticulture educator Chris Enroth peers inside the processes of a leaf in the fall and how we get those spectacular autumn leaf displays.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2puA2uMoXEg

Skip to what you want to know:
00:18 Fall color lore
00:33 What we thought was happening in leaves to produce fall color.
01:06 What triggers fall color to begin?
01:19 Senescence 
01:32 Resorption
02:08 Abscission layer
02:34 What role does fall color play in leaf senescence?
03:44 Leaf pigments: carotenoids
05:18 Tannins
05:55 Anthocyanins
09:06 What autumn weather produces the best fall color?

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.

Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk 

--
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Have the weeds been popping up all over the place in your landscape? You’re in luck, fall is a great time to manage weeds. On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we discuss why fall is a good time to manage weeds, types of weeds, and different ways we can manage them. We also discuss some herbicide updates on Roundup and glyphosate as well as Dacthal.

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/R8N_ANQkUTw 

Skip to what you want to know:  

  00:30 – Welcome, Ken! Tomatoes and peppers everywhere.

  02:15 – Managing weeds in the fall

    02:50 – Why focus on weeds in the fall?

    04:15 – Annual weeds

    10:00 – Biennial weeds

    11:40 – Perennial weeds

  14:40 – Changes to Roundup

  24:20 – EPA emergency stop order for use of Dacthal

  27:40 – Wrap-up, thank yous, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

Illinois Extension garlic mustard - https://extension.illinois.edu/invasives/invasive-garlic-mustard 

When Roundup Isn’t Roundup: Clearing up the confusion between products (Purdue University) - https://www.purduelandscapereport.org/article/when-roundup-isnt-roundup-clearing-up-the-confusion-between-products/
EPA stop use (Dacthal) - https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-issues-emergency-order-stop-use-pesticide-dacthal-address-serious-health-risk-4 

Illinois EPA Clean-Sweep Program - https://agr.illinois.gov/pesticides/pesticide-clean-sweep-program.html 

Henbit picture: "Henbit Colony" (CC BY 2.0) by klm185

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.

Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk 

--

You can find us on most podcast platforms.  

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This week on the Good Growing podcast Ken and Chris talk about hazelnuts. Chris remembers hazelnut shrubs growing in the woods from his childhood, we compare European and American hazelnut species, talk about pests, what you might find if you go looking to buy hazelnut plants, and more! 

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

Skip to what you want to know:

00:32 Hey Ken! The messy consumption of chocolate hazelnut spread in our houses.
01:47 RIP Roger Cook
02:56 Correction from a previous episode on calcium in fertilizer
04:03 Our initial experiences with hazelnut
05:49 Hazelnut origins: Where do they come from? Are there multiple species?
06:57 Comparing American and European hazelnut
09:31 Flavor of American hazelnut vs. European hazelnut
11:00 Another common name for hazelnut is "filbert"
11:45 Eastern Filbert Blight and its impact on hazelnut production in the US
15:23 Where can American hazelnut be planted and grown?
19:53 Pests of hazelnut in Illinois
22:05 Walking through a year in the lifecycle of the hazelnut
26:50 Selecting your hazelnut plants. Seedlings, cultivars, hybrids, oh my!
32:36 Pollination is not so straightforward. There are some considerations when it comes to selection.
35:57 Thank yous!

Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative https://www.midwesthazelnuts.org/

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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This week on the Good Growing Podcast: Join Ken and Chris as they delve into the fascinating world of cover crops! More and more home gardeners are discovering the benefits of using cover crops to enhance their gardens. Are you curious about how cover crops can transform your garden or landscape? Tune in to this week’s episode to uncover Ken and Chris’s top tips and insights on incorporating cover crops into your gardening routine.

Watch us on YouTube

Skip to what you want to know:

00:29 Hey Ken!
01:15   What is a cover crop and what would a home gardener use them to accomplish?
02:26  Why do people use cover crops: To help rebuild soil structure.
04:20  Why do people use cover crops: To break up soil compaction
04:40  Why do people use cover crops: Weed suppression
04:57  Why do people use cover crops: Fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil
05:22  Why do people use cover crops: Build up organic matter
05:38  What types of cover crops do we have to choose from?
08:07  Why do people use cover crops: It can look pretty
09:37  Why do people use cover crops: Attract pollinators or beneficial insects
10:02   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLvJLHERYJI 
10:45   Why do people use cover crops: Scavenge nutrients from the soil
13:36   Chris likes to use cover crops that winterkill.
15:37   Ken's preferred cover crop mix.
17:55   Why we terminate (kill) cover crops.
21:21    Ways to terminate (kill) your cover crop.
26:51   How soon can we plant into a recently terminated cover crop?
30:01   Drawbacks of cover crops
33:15   How do you choose what cover crop to use in your backyard?
34:57   Purdue Extension document - Cover Crops in the Home Garden https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/HO/HO-324-W.pdf
37:11    Cover crops and competition with nearby crops.
41:04   Can't we leave our dead vegetable crops in the ground and get the same results as a cover crop?
43:53  Why do people use cover crops: Allelopathic effects in the soil that can prevent weed seed germination.
44:22  Thank yous and coming up next week.

There are a lot of garden remedies that have been used throughout the years, and some of them are still recommended today. Do they work? Should we still be using them? On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we discuss some of these old-time remedies like vinegar, pruning paint, dynamite, pesticide concoctions, and more. 

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/v64wU2PINS8 

Skip to what you want to know:  

  00:45 – Welcome, Ken! Pest control in the past.

  03:10 – Vinegar 

  06:22 – Pruning tars and paints

  08:12 – Epsom salt

  10:22 – Eggshells

  16:05 – Dynamite!

  27:55 – Old-timey pesticides

    28:25 – Tobacco

    30:45 - Forsyth’s Composition  

    33:00 – 1849 concoction for mildew on peaches

    35:30 – Heavy metals

  37:40 – Dish soap

  38:40 – Oils 

  40:00 – Can water burn plants?

  41:03 – Wrap-up, thank yous, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

Gillman, Jeff. 2008. The Truth about Garden Remedies : What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why. Portland: Timber Press.

Abscisic acid triggers whole-plant and fruit-specific mechanisms to increase fruit calcium uptake and prevent blossom end rot development in tomato fruit

Landscape Architecture Magazine – Planting with Dynamite

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.

Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk 

--

You can find us on most podcast platforms.  

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In this episode, we dive into the latest challenges facing gardeners and landscapers. From toppling trees to the potential for itchy mites dropping from the sky, Ken and Chris have a list of things that might be bugging your garden and landscape!

Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/r3od_YL19_s

Skip to what you want to know:
00:38 Hey Ken!
01:57 Chris found a pretty bug! A dog-day cicada.
03:47 Updates from Ken and Chris' yards.
07:06 What is this green bug eating my flowers?
10:53 Issues with a pin oak tree dropping limbs and leaking fluid from a hole in the trunk
17:50 The problem with aphids this summer. So many! Why?
21:02 Why did my ash tree fall over? It seemed healthy and we treated it for EAB every year."
26:48 What are these bumps on my magnolia tree? Magnolia scale is everywhere this year!
33:32 The rise of oak leaf gall mite? Makes people itchy.
38:05 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.  

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

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It’s time for another Grow Along check-in. Each year we at Good Growing decide to try growing some new (to us) vegetables. This year we invited you to grow along with us. This video is for those who signed up to receive seed for our Grow Along. In this video, we check in and share how our Grow Along crops are progressing in our gardens, answer some of your questions, and share some of our plans for the produce we harvest.

We want to hear back from you! You should have gotten an email with a survey link if you received Grow Along seed from us. How is your crop progressing? Have you been able to harvest anything? And more. Please use the survey link sent to you in the most recent email that included a link to this episode. 

We are treating this as a quasi-trial of these crops. So, we are asking for some specific details on your growing conditions. If this year works out, we may make these "trials" more official. 

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/k0Qj0zQRs-A 

Grow and harvest okra: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/raise-grow-harvest-eat-repeat/2020-08-11-growing-and-harvesting-okra  

Selecting okra pods and how to reduce the
slime:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LjXEK855rqs 

Freezer pickles: https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/freezing-garden-produce-best-results  

Got questions? Contact us at
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.
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Many of us skipped planting trees this spring to avoid damage from periodical cicadas. But now that we’re approaching fall, we have an opportunity to plant some trees. Our Gardenbite this week goes back to 2022 when we had a conversation with Emily Swihart about fall tree planting. We discussed what trees can be planted in the fall, things to consider when planting trees, how to plant and care for trees, and more!

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/G3hUNwf3lcI 

00:55 – We commonly hear fall is a good time to plant trees. Is this true? Why or why not?

03:27 – What are some things we need to consider when planting trees? 

07:19 – What do we mean by a tree is planted too deep?

09:20 – Should we amend the planting hole? Digging the planting hole.

12:20 – Should burlap and wire cages be removed from ball and burlap trees?

15:25 – Should newly planted trees be staked?

20:29 – After planting care

24:47 – Wrap-up, thank you, and goodbye! 

Check out the full original version, Tree planting and care: https://youtu.be/b4RWZi_7OsA 

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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Have you been having problems in your garden this year? We certainly have! On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we discuss some of the most common problems we’ve been seeing in gardens so far this year, including problems with coneflowers, oak wilt, fire blight, and blossom end rot. Plus, where have all the Japanese beetles gone?

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7O96jjEbZ3o

Skip to what you want to know:  

  00:40 – Welcome, Ken! Garden updates and purple tomatoes!

  07:40 – Coneflower rosette mite damage vs aster yellows

  13:50 – Oak wilt

    15:20 – Identifying red oak group and white oak group

    18:00 – Oak wilt symptoms

    19:55 – Submitting samples

    22:05 – Spread by root grafts

    25:05 – Fungicide treatment?

  27:35 – Fire blight in ornamental pear

  33:05 – Blossom end rot in tomatoes

  36:58 – Where are all the Japanese beetles?

  40:08 – Wrap-up, thank yous, what’s up next week, and goodbye!

University of Illinois Plant Clinic: https://extension.illinois.edu/plant-clinic  

Talking summertime tomato growing with #GoodGrowing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmkBN8tqLOs

What causes blossom end rot of tomatoes?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK1UUJXpTrc 

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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This week on the Good Growing podcast, Ken and Chris sift through a survey that asks homeowners about water-saving products that can be used during water restrictions. The duo go down the list of products suggested by the survey and discuss whether these items would truly help save water and benefit your plants during a severe drought. After debating the merits of the survey’s products, Ken and Chris provide some horticulturally sound water-saving tips for our Midwest yards and gardens.

Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/oO3BYDiOzww 

Skip to what you want to know:
03:02 The survey we are discussing today regarding water-saving products from the lawn and garden. Impacts from water restrictions.
07:36 Going through the survey results.
12:26 Natural fertilizers. Water Saving Product?
16:08 Soil Wetting Agents. Water Saving Product?
21:49 Compost. Water Saving Product?
25:28 Liquid lawn fertilizers and soil moisture monitors. Water Saving Product?
30:35 Artificial Turf. Water Saving Product?
33:53 Soil amendments. Water Saving Product?
36:56 Granular lawn fertilizer. Water Saving Product?
40:35 Herbicides and fungicides. Water Saving Product?
42:17 Polymer pellets (hydrogels). Water Saving Product?
47:11 Recommendations for saving water in Illinois gardens and landscapes.
47:32 Soil amendments based on soil test results.
48:27 Planting vegetables in blocks rather than rows.
48:35 Siting plants based on their water requirements.
49:51 Select plants adapted to your site conditions.
50:12 Shade cloth in vegetable gardens.
51:00 Enhance and protect shade trees.
52:55 Eliminate non-functional turf.
53:32 Break up impervious pavement surfaces.
54:55 Water collection devices.
56:02 What about graywater in Illinois?
56:48 Watering properly and efficiently. 
57:59 Drip irrigation or soaker hoses.
58:51 Prioritizing what plants get watered and which are on their own.
01:02:07  Thank yous! See ya next week!

Mulch episode https://youtu.be/sqw4Cwr7wjo

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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