We’re all dressed up for this week’s Good Growing podcast because it’s our Halloween Spooktacular! This year, we are joined by Dr. Chelsea Harbach to talk about some spooky plant diseases that have had some significant historical impacts. Learn about ergot, late blight, and coffee rust and how they’ve changed the course of history. Watch us, and see our costumes on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oEzbf1LuLLg Skip to what you want to know: 00:15 – Welcome, Ken and Chelsea, and what are we dressed up as...
Oct 27, 2023•45 min•Ep. 186
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 w...
Oct 20, 2023•35 min•Ep. 185
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? 07:5...
Oct 13, 2023•44 min•Ep. 184
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 Nat...
Oct 06, 2023•46 min•Ep. 183
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...
Sep 29, 2023•40 min•Ep. 182
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 o...
Sep 22, 2023•42 min•Ep. 181
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.i...
Sep 15, 2023•9 min
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-gro...
Sep 08, 2023•9 min
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: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu 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 p...
Sep 01, 2023•7 min•Ep. 178
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 ...
Aug 24, 2023•35 min•Ep. 177
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...
Aug 11, 2023•34 min•Ep. 176
It may be hot out there, but fall gardening has already started in Illinois. This week on the Good Growing Podcast Ken and Chris share how the summer veggies faired and then describe their plans for fall crops. Learn about what you can get started in August for harvest in October and even into the winter. Plus tips on gardening as the weather turns cold. Watch us on YouTube! https://youtu.be/4l3AcXRNP8c 0:39 Hey Ken! 1:10 – How has the summer garden faired this year? What we grew, what worked, a...
Aug 04, 2023•37 min•Ep. 175
On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we discuss newly planted trees. How to pick them, take care of them, and get them ready for something we haven’t seen since 1803! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kFzOs7a3TCo Skip to what you want to know : 00:40 – Welcome, Ken, what are we seeing for the first time since 1803? 01:35 – It’s still dry out there, and it’s getting hot…It’s been a rough year for trees. 05:32 – When should we be planting trees? 07:00 – Things to consider when planting trees 0...
Jul 28, 2023•41 min•Ep. 174
This week on the Good Growing podcast we relive the recent derecho with horticulture educator Emily Swihart. Emily and Chris swap stories about their experiences with past and present derechos. But what does all this wind do to our trees? We talk about cleaning up our trees after severe windstorms and how to prepare our trees for future wind events. Watch us on YouTube 0:36 Hey Ken! 2:05 Welcome Emily! 3:20 Recounting the Iowa derecho 8:01 What happened during the most recent July 2023 Illinois ...
Jul 21, 2023•50 min•Ep. 173
On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we’re answering some of your questions that have come into our offices this summer. We discuss poison hemlock, aphids, Japanese beetles, green June beetles, galls on oaks, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AGe43Ff0eL0 Skip to what you want to know: 00:25 – Welcome, Ken, vacation and pet spider 05:45 – Should I avoid eating vegetables growing near poison hemlock? 10:35 – There are red insects all over my tomatoes and sunflowers. What are they, an...
Jul 14, 2023•44 min•Ep. 172
After a few rounds of severe weather in Illinois, Chris chats about what to do with a storm-damaged tree and how to make your trees more resilient to future storms. Find a Certified Arborist https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist Find your local Illinois Extension office https://extension.illinois.edu/global/where-we-serve Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good...
Jun 30, 2023•13 min•Ep. 171
This week on the Good Growing podcast Chris tackles a question about how to hire a lawn care service when facing a list of services to choose from. How does a homeowner decide what is best for their lawn? Does the lawn care service match with university recommendations? Find out on this week’s podcast! LawnTalk website https://web.extension.illinois.edu/lawntalk/index.cfm Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: go.illinois...
Jun 22, 2023•19 min•Ep. 170
On this week's Good Growing Podcast, Ken Johnson discusses fireflies. Learn about fireflies in Illinois, the threats to their populations, and how you can help conserve them in your own landscape. Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu 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...
Jun 16, 2023•9 min
This week for the Good Growing podcast we have a gardenbite episode that dives into the basics of how to water your landscape and garden plants. While some may have built-in irrigation systems, many gardeners must reach for the hose to hand-water when times get dry, and right now times are VERY dry in central Illinois. Chris shows how to water and gives some great tips to know if you are irrigating enough or should be applying more water! Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/kUwhrFc0kkM Stay up to ...
Jun 09, 2023•8 min
On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we discuss the dry, hot weather we’ve been having recently. We discuss Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford’s recent blog post on the Increased Risk of Drought Conditions in Illinois, providing water to our plants, how you can help monitor drought conditions in your area, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RI4_daRf1O0 Skip to what you want to know: 00:25 – Welcome, Ken, how much have we been watering lately? 02:00 – What has the weather been l...
Jun 02, 2023•28 min•Ep. 167
This week on the Good Growing podcast we sit down with Illinois Extension communications specialist and first-time homeowner Emily Steele and walk through some of the basic To-Dos for a new yard/first-time yard owner. We dive into various topics from what to look for at house showings in the landscape to how to avoid termites and much more! Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/9Q-WiIYGjeM Skip to what you want to know: 0:35 Hey Ken! Summer beards and podcast camera angles 2:48 Welcome Emily, our...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 166
On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we talk with horticulture educator Ryan Pankau about the new University of Illinois Extension pollinator website, Illinois Pollinators. Learn about how this website came together, the information it covers, including different pollinators we find in Illinois, the importance of pollinators, plants pollinators use, pollinator habitat design, community science and education, pollinator research, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/894qscZJthk Skip to...
May 19, 2023•49 min•Ep. 165
This week Ken and Chris have compiled several homeowner questions all about soil testing. We share lots of resources to help the gardener and landscaper determine the status of their soils and eliminate the guessing game of soil management. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EztIDdWY6Qw Illinois Extension's one-stop website for soils including a list of soil testing labs: https://extension.illinois.edu/soil Check out these videos: How to Take a Soil Sample https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv7i...
May 15, 2023•34 min•Ep. 164
On this week's Good Growing Podcast, Ken Johnson talks about what we can do for our spring blooming bulbs to ensure a colorful display again next year. 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. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud @user-555304573 iTune...
May 05, 2023•6 min
On this week’s Good Growing podcast we talk with Illinois Extension local foods educator Nick Frillman about growing gourmet shiitake mushrooms in your own backyard. Nick shows us the tools and methods used to turn fresh cut logs of white oak and sugar maple into inoculated “bolts” that will yield delicious shiitake mushrooms. Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/MuP9exnHmaQ Skip to what you want to know 0:43 Hey Ken! New haircuts; frosty nights; Who likes mushrooms? 3:06 Welcome Nick! 4:30 What...
Apr 28, 2023•54 min•Ep. 162
On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we have a discussion about garden tools and gadgets. Learn about what we should be doing to get our tools ready for use this spring, some of our favorite garden tools, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GXD12sUiI8w Skip to what you want to know: 00:25 – Welcome, Ken, and what have we been up to in the garden? 02:15 – Don’t put your tomatoes out yet! 03:10 – Gardening needs patience 04:10 – What should we do to get our tools ready for the gardenin...
Apr 21, 2023•38 min•Ep. 161
This week on the Good Growing podcast we dive into the world of soil and compost. Ken and Chris answer your questions asked by actual home gardeners. Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/KR9CLt2izW4 Skip to what you want to know: Hey Ken! Spring, weather, and our new intro music Amending Soil Questions -3:09 Can you recommend a user-friendly home soil test for me to buy that will guide me through the amendment process? -6:33 How to amend heavy clay soil? -8:29 What kind of sand is best to add to...
Apr 14, 2023•35 min•Ep. 160
Do certain plants grow better together? While the research may be out for many claims of companion planting, some tried and true methods of vegetable garden plant combinations have worked for generations. Listen as local foods educator Nick Frillman gives some background on companion planting. Contact us! Nick Frillman: frillma2@illinois.edu Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the we...
Apr 07, 2023•5 min
On this week’s Good Growing podcast, Chris and Ken sit down to go through some more spring gardening questions about seed starting, planting outdoors, planting in pots, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iWCVq7QALCE Skip to what you want to know: 00:30 – Welcome Ken, and be on the lookout for Callery pear and honeysuckle 02:05 – Why is Chris sad? 04:09 – How many seeds per cell do you recommend for vegetable plants to get seed starts? 08:25 – Thinning seedlings 09:50 - Do we need an...
Mar 31, 2023•31 min•Ep. 158
Never be without a vase full of flowers after listening to this episode of the Good Growing podcast. This week Ken and Chris chat with Chris Lueking, Illinois Extension horticulture educator, and owner of her own successful cut flower farm. Chris describes how she got started, things to consider when growing cut flowers, her top five go-to cut flowers, and more! Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/lYpBehI4Tqg 0:26 - Hey Ken 3:20 - Introducing Chris Lueking! 4:20 - How did Chris get started in f...
Mar 24, 2023•44 min•Ep. 157
