It may be hard to believe, but as we enjoy fresh tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and other vegetables from our garden this summer, it's also time to start planting our fall vegetable gardens. Many vegetables that we grow in the spring can also be planted in late summer or early fall. Check out the Good Growing Blog: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no ...
Aug 11, 2022•5 min•Ep. 126
On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we talk about horseradish with commercial agriculture educator Elizabeth Wahle. We discuss where it’s grown commercially, how to grow it at home, our favorite ways to use horseradish, and more! Watch our smiling faces on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PXKp-MLkHAk 00:28 – Where has Ken been? 03:10 – Welcome Elizabeth 4:45 – What is horseradish? An herb, spice, vegetable? 5:36 – Where is horseradish grown commercially 6:40 – Why is Illinois the largest producer? 7:5...
Aug 05, 2022•37 min•Ep. 125
Ack! What happened to the tomato plant!? Have you ever walked out to the garden to find out a hungry hungry caterpillar has stripped the leaves off your tomato plant? These are known as tomato hornworms. And in this week's Gardenbite, Ken Johnson describes the hornworm, a super neat way to find them, and how to control them. These are also pollinators, so if you prefer to give them a home Ken also has got you covered! Check out the Good Growing Blog: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the ...
Jul 22, 2022•5 min•Ep. 124
Summertime is insect time! As our days warm up so do our insect populations. While most are beneficial, we have a small number of pest insects that plague us every year in the garden and landscape! This week Ken and Chris chat about the most common ones we face every summer. Or watch our smiling faces on YouTube! https://youtu.be/zOH1s9IW2mw Skip to what you want to know: 0:21 - Hi Ken! Wait where’s Katie? 2:06 - Japanese beetles…again 7:04 - Protecting shade trees from Japanese beetles 10:20 - ...
Jul 15, 2022•21 min•Ep. 123
We're heading into the heart of harvest season! Illinois Extension horticulture educator Ken Johnson talks about how and when to harvest vegetables, so they are at their peak. Read the blog post: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-07-15-harvesting-garden-vegetables Check out the Good Growing Blog: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a p...
Jul 07, 2022•10 min•Ep. 122
As we enter the thick of the summer growing season, you may be noticing some pests and diseases problems. Listen in as we revisit Ken Johnson's article on Scouting in the Garden https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2019-06-24-scouting-garden to effectively identify any pests or diseases you might be experiencing.
Jun 28, 2022•3 min•Ep. 121
On this week’s Good Growing podcast we are celebrating National Pollinator Week! We give helpful tips for helping out pollinators plus our favorite pollinator plants. Plus, tons of resources if you’re looking to include pollinator habitat in your landscape. Watch us YouTube https://youtu.be/YhxRfaGN2PU 0:26 - Hi Katie! 0:36 - Those Darn Racoons 2:25 - Hi Ken! 4:11 - What are pollinators? 8:10 - Tips for helping pollinators 8:51 - Reduce pesticide use and minimize pollinator exposure if spraying ...
Jun 24, 2022•37 min•Ep. 120
It's getting hot! On this week's Good Growing podcast, we discuss gardening when the weather gets hot and tips to get you and your garden through the hot weather. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jjUi2MSfgF8 Skip to what you want to know: 02:30 - Strawberry moon 03:20 - How are your strawberries doing? 06:10 - Staying safe while gardening in the heat 09:45 - Watering when it's hot 12:40 - Cool-season plants and the heat 14:00 - How will hot weather affect tomatoes? 15:25 - How will hot weat...
Jun 16, 2022•23 min•Ep. 119
On this week's gardenbite, Katie shares a blog post written by Ken Johnson about the Spotted lanternfly. The Spotted lanternfly is an invasive species with the potential to become a serious pest in the United States. Listen in to learn how it could become an issue and how to identify this pest.
Jun 10, 2022•6 min•Ep. 118
On this week's Good Growing podcast we chat with small farms and local foods educator Nick Frillman about getting our tomatoes and pepper off on the right foot (root?) this growing season. We chat about best practices for getting these very popular garden veggies growing. Plus dealing with the common hurdles of blossom end rot and cracking of the tomato skin. As a bonus, Nick asks us about our favorite tomato and pepper varieties at the end of the show. Time to take some notes for next year! Ski...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 117
On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we discuss some of your questions on managing weeds! Learn about managing quackgrass, bamboo, violets, and more. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sFdJu4MCa4s Skip to what you want to know: 01:45 - Managing quackgrass in lawns 04:45 - How can I manage bamboo? 07:45 - How can I manage violets in my lawn? 09:30 - Herbicide damage complaint process 11:15 - Wrap-up, thank you's, and goodbye! Illinois Department of Agriculture Pesticide Uses and Misuses page: ...
May 27, 2022•14 min•Ep. 116
This week's Good Growing looks back on a past blog post by University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Chris Enroth about jumping worms. Jumping worms is an invasive species that we are currently hearing about in the news. Listen in to learn how to identify jumping worms and what to do if you find some.
May 19, 2022•3 min•Ep. 115
This week Good Growing looks back to our interview with Dr. John Vanek all about snakes. In this clip, John talks about ways to make our yards more snake friendly and what are some good ones to have in the garden. See our smiling faces at https://youtu.be/v6hl9FZSXdw Want to learn more about snakes and maybe how to discourage them from being in your yard or deal with a snake in the house? Check out our full interview with Dr. Vanek at https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573/ep-67-talking-snakes-wi...
May 12, 2022•6 min•Ep. 114
This week Illinois Extension horticulture educator Ken Johnson talks about some things we can do to avoid being bitten by buffalo gnats, mosquitoes, and ticks. Check out the Good Growing Blog: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: 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.
May 06, 2022•9 min•Ep. 113
On this week’s podcast, we chat with University of Illinois Extension Marketing and Communications manager Judy Bingman. Judy shares with us all things Illinois Extension including the history, goals, and future. She also shares some personal information about what motives her. Listen in to hear more. 3:09 Welcome Judy! 13:05 How did Extension get started? 14:46 Has the goal of Illinois Extension changed from when it was first conceived to today? 18:00 How did the pandemic change the way extensi...
Apr 29, 2022•54 min•Ep. 112
On this week's Good Growing podcast we chat one last time with retiring horticulture educator Richard Hentschel. Richard dives into tips for spring lawn care and we get into environmentally friendly practices for our lawns and ask if they really work. Plus, Richard gives his parting tips to Katie, Ken, and Chris for their career with Illinois Extension. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6s6_WKlZTEo Jump to what you want to know: 03:50 Hello Richard! 04:38 How much of the US is covered in lawns?...
Apr 22, 2022•40 min•Ep. 111
On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we chat with Assistant Professor and Faculty Extension Specialist Kacie Athey about climate change and insects. We discuss what impacts our changing climate may have on insects, like will we see range expansions, more generations, more plant damage, phenology, and more! See our smiling faces on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DzEnKQG_F6w Skip to what you want to know: 03:53 – What is phenology? 04:35 – Welcome Kacie 05:15 – Climate change research on insects and sp...
Apr 14, 2022•42 min•Ep. 110
On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we talk to Dr. Kacie Athey about biocontrols. Dr. Kacie Athey is an assistant professor and faculty extension specialist at University of Illinois and contributes much of her research into non-chemical insect control in specialty crop systems. Join us as we discuss biocontrols, where to use them, and how they work. 5:20 Welcome back Kacie! 6:28 Where are you studying biocontrols? 8:02 What are biocontrols? 15: 29 What type of results did you gather about bioc...
Apr 07, 2022•45 min•Ep. 109
On this week's Good Growing podcast we sit down to talk with Dr. Joy O'Keefe all about bats! Dr. O'Keefe is an assistant professor at University of Illinois and a wildlife specialist with Extension who studies bats and how humans can work to co-exist with our flying fellow mammals. In this show we learn about the importance of bats, how to attract them to our yards, and how to deal with a bat in the house. All this and much more! See our smiling faces on YouTube https://youtu.be/9fLLNtNHkpI Skip...
Apr 01, 2022•54 min•Ep. 108
This week Illinois Extension horticulture educator Ken Johnson talks about how we should approach spring garden cleanup with beneficial insects in mind. Check out the Good Growing Blog: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: 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.
Mar 25, 2022•6 min•Ep. 107
In this week’s podcast, University of Illinois commercial ag educator Chelsea Harbach joins the Good Growing team to discuss the historical significance of plant diseases such as the Irish Potato Famine (the Great Hunger). Listen in to hear what happened and what caused it to happen! 3: 36 Plants get sick? What do they get sick with? 8:42 Are viruses living or not living? 10:44 The History of Robigalia, when Romans made sacrifices to the god Robigus to prevent rust in wheat. 23:40 As we celebrat...
Mar 17, 2022•55 min•Ep. 106
This week Illinois Extension horticulture educator Chris Enroth dives into the world of shredded rubber mulch. He'll talk pros and cons of this automotive byproduct. Want to learn more about mulch? Who doesn't! Chris dives into the multitude of mulches in this blog. https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-01-20-common-mulches-used-vegetable-garden Check out the Good Growing Blog: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsub...
Mar 10, 2022•9 min•Ep. 105
In this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we talk with Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford about some of the impacts we are seeing now and how climate change will affect our landscapes and agriculture in the future. We also discuss how to engage with climate change skeptics and what people can do to try and mitigate climate change. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/G65eStr_RLA Skip to what you want to know: 03:35 – What’s the difference between weather and climate? 7:40 – Are we seeing the ph...
Mar 04, 2022•54 min•Ep. 104
The Good Growing Podcast crew celebrates their 100th episode by talking tree fruit maintenance with University of Illinois horticulture educator Andrew Holsinger. Listen in as they discuss pruning, disease management, mulching, and more. Be sure to stay until the end as Chris has a surprise segment. 4:05 Updates on Tree fruit school. 9:18 Best time to start pruning fruit trees 10:30 Best time to manage Peach leaf curl, cedar apple rust, and applescab 16:00 Best practices to keep your fruit trees...
Feb 24, 2022•38 min•Ep. 103
This week we are posting the first Good Growing (then called Green Speak) episode that we thought was lost to time. In 2017 with an idea for a podcast, Chris Enroth sat down and talked with Family Life educator Cara Allen about the effects of nature on human physical and mental health and how being outdoors as kids influenced our career choices. Plus answers to common home gardening questions. Skip to what you want to know: 5:19 Hello Cara! 7:25 Brain health and how it relates to gardening 9:10 ...
Feb 18, 2022•35 min•Ep. 102
On this week's Good Growing podcast, Katie talks about the benefits of winter to our gardens! You may be getting tired of the cold and snow from winter, but it does provide major benefits such as disease and insect control. Check out the Good Growing Blog extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing Want Good Growing updates? Subscribe at go.illinois.edu/GoodGrowingSubscribe --- Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or comp...
Feb 10, 2022•4 min•Ep. 101
On this week's Good Growing podcast, the hosts discuss our upcoming snow storm and some fun February garden activities that we can do. Join Ken and Katie to learn more! Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/CYXUL7n3_04 Check out Ken's article on Salt in the Landscape https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2018-11-28-salt-landscape Another article to check out is Forcing Branches which can be found here https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-02-06-bringing-spring-indoors...
Feb 04, 2022•15 min•Ep. 100
Are you a farmer with employees? Do you manage crews for a landscaping company? What type of leadership skills does someone who grows plants for a living need? On this week's Good Growing podcast we chat with University of Illinois Extension's assistant dean Dr. Travis Burke about growing up on the farm in North Carolina and his five tips for being a good leader. Skip to what you want to know: 2:00 - Hello Travis! 3:30 - Growing up in North Carolina 7:07 - What led Travis to a career in Extensio...
Jan 28, 2022•50 min•Ep. 99
On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we discuss questions we’ve gotten from webinars, blogs and articles we’ve written, and emails to the office the past year. We discuss feeding birds, pantry pests, managing mice, pruning trees, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yVbFgEHuYOo Skip to what you want to know: 4:30 - I’ve been using sunflower seed to feed my birds, but the blue jays, cardinals, and finches aren’t showing up. Why could this be? 8:35 - You mentioned burning bush is a lous...
Jan 20, 2022•31 min•Ep. 98
In this week's podcast we talk with Local Foods and Small Farms Educator Nick Frillman about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Nick shares a lot of great information about what CSA is, how it works, and how to get involved in one. 2:51 Welcome Nick Frillman 3:11 What does CSA stand for? 4:19 What does community supported agriculture mean? 7:12 How are you so familiar with CSA already? 9:05 What are “shares” in a CSA system? 12:21 What products can you get in a CSA? 14:03 What vegetables do ...
Jan 13, 2022•52 min•Ep. 97
