You might think of Labor Day as the time when you start closing down shop for the year, but it's also the time when you can start laying groundwork for next year.

In this episode, Don and John go over some of the most fruitful tasks for your Labor Day/early September to-do list, like fertilizing your lawn, splitting geraniums and tackling your toughest weeds.

Topics in this episode:

0:42 Don's vacation seeing gardens on Martha's Vineyard, Boston and Hyde Park 6:40 Are tomatoes late this year? 12:50 The transition time of the Labor Day holiday 13:52 The most important time of year to fertilize your lawn 15:45 This is the best time to control lawn weeds 16:58 What kind of fertilizer should we be using? 18:54 Overseeding your trouble spots 20:06 What to use for spot spraying 21:31 Making cuttings from your geraniums 23:34 Dig and divide peonies 24:38 Planting tulip, daffodil, hyacinth bulbs 26:15 Moving rhubarb 28:30 Planning your garden expansion 30:27 Harvesting vegetables and fruits 

Your riding mower might make you feel like royalty as you leisurely cut the grass on a hot day...but, you're missing out on some much-needed exercise when you do.

In this episode, Don and John welcome NDSU Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist Julie Garden-Robinson for a discussion about health and gardening, including why you should keep sweating behind your push mower. Julie also has some tips for how to get the most nutrition from your harvest bounty.

As you build out your yard and develop your garden, you'll inevitably find the need to put down some mulch to cover the ground and create pleasing areas around your growing spots.

In this episode, Don and John go over a few key points on mulch, edging and maintenence, including things to consider when choosing rock or mulch and how to prevent weeds.

Topics:

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:33 Today's topic: Mulching
• 2:12 Listener question: What is this powdery substance on my lilacs?
• 4:36 How ground cover has changed
• 9:42 Maitaining rock mulch
• 11:34 Preventing weeds with a pre-emergent herbicide
• 19:46 A disadvantage to rock mulch
• 21:07 Wood mulch; chips vs. shredded
• 23:52 The advantages and disadvantages of wood mulch
• 25:02 What to put underneath wood mulch
• 26:51 Tips for using cardboard under mulch
• 30:00 Wood vs. rock mulch
• 31:17 Rubber pellets
• 35:02 Edging

You have questions, Growing Together has answers.

In this episode, Don and John open up the listener mailbag to hear what's vexing you in your garden. Plus, they share in a couple of listener successes.

If you have a question for Don Kinzler, send an email (with a photo, if possible) to [email protected].

2:29 What's eating my tomatoes? 9:52 What's the best product for post-emergent weed control? 14:54 What's wrong with my baby oak trees? 20:51 White poinsettia success 23:38 How do I care for an apple tree still in the pot? 26:49 Why are leaves falling off my crabapple tree? 32:15 What is this horned caterpillar in my purslane? 37:07 Why is my plum tree bleeding sap? 38:57 Bergenia flower success 40:47 Should I order bare-root day lillies? 42:35 Can I prevent further harm to my storm-damaged tree? 46:01 When is the best time to prune maple trees? 49:23 Is this apple fungus? 52:38 How do I revive a neglected lawn?

If there's a favorite gardening activity of yours, chances are you'll be able to do it during the month of August.

In this episode, Don and John break down some of your main to-do items for the month of August, including fertilizing, weeding and dividing some perennials. You could likely start picking tomatoes or digging a few potatoes, too, and you might still be able to plant some radishes and greens.

Topics in this show:

0:00 Intro 2:03 Listener question: Slime molds 4:09 Grinding stumps for mulch 5:54 Introducing Samantha, NDSU Extension intern 7:56 Fertilizing annuals in late summer 9:11 Water soluable fertilizers on leaves 11:06 Deadheading  12:53 Digging and dividing perennials 18:08 Fertilizing your lawn 21:36 Aerating and seeding your lawn 26:34 Weeding your lawn 29:39 Fall tree and shrub care and planting 32:41 Tomatoes 36:14 Early potato harvest 38:45 Things you can still plant 39:38 What to look for with squash 41:15 When to harvest onions 43:32 Checking in on your apples

As we enter the high summer season, you might be looking at your vegetables and wondering if they're coming along as well they should. 

In this episode, Don and John (and special guest Casey) take stock of midsummer vegetables and give you some tips on seeing them through to success.

Like the plants we love, conversations between gardeners often flower and flourish as we share knowledge and insight, and nowhere was this more apparent than this year's Red River Garden Tour.

In this episode, Don and John relive the highlights of the 2025 Garden Tour and invite you along to participate next year when area gardeners invite you into their yards to share their love of growing.

See more from this year's Red River Garden Tour here: https://www.inforum.com/lifestyle/red-river-valley-garden-tour-opens-yards-to-the-public

(The Growing Together crew is taking some time off to enjoy the summer, so in the meantime, please enjoy this republished episode from August 2024.)

If you’re excited by the idea of canning but feel unsure about where to start, this episode is made for you.

In this episode, Don and John sit down with Rita Ussatis, Family and Community Wellness Extension Agent at NDSU. With years of experience both practicing and teaching canning, Rita shares her wealth of knowledge to help you take that first step.

If you're the kind of gardener who runs out of room in your gardening, climbing and vining plants are an intriguing prospect.

In this episode, Don and John talk about growing up, not out, with vining and climbing plants.

Severe weather shook our region last weekend, with tornadoes, high winds and hail wreaking havoc on lives and property alike.

In this episode, Don and John talk about steps you can take to protect your yard and garden from severe storm damage. Plus, they go over your "Independence Day for gardeners" checklist.