Gardening with Daddy Pete

November is a great time to keep gardening. Melvin and Jay share practical seasonal tips for pruning, planting trees and shrubs, refreshing, raised beds, and choosing seeds for next spring. In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete, learn when to prune deciduous trees and shrubs, why you should avoid pruning spring-blooming azaleas and camellias now, and how much of a plant's canopy to remove a...

Can online popularity make someone a trustworthy authority on Scripture? In Part 2 of this discussion, Alan Smith and Jeff Rowland examine the growing debate over Jesus and Paul, and why Christians need to test online teaching against the Bible. A large following, confident delivery, or compelling exposé doesn't establish theological authority. Alan and Jeff discuss the role of local church accoun...

Get your garden ready for fall with practical October tips for lawns, cool-weather vegetables, fruit trees, and landscape plantings. In Episode 149 of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin and Jay York share what to plant and prepare as temperatures cool. They explain why a soil test should come before lawn seeding or repairs, and how topsoil with composted cow manure can help improve the soil beneath...

Can skipping fertilizer at planting improve seed germination and reduce insect pressure? In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin York and Jay York share what they observed in their North Carolina turnip and greens patch, then explain how fertilizer timing can affect plant growth and pest activity. After years of adding fertilizer before sowing, Melvin tried planting without it. The gr...

What's really in that bag of compost? The label may say "cow manure," but the ingredients, consistency, and testing process can vary widely. In Episode 147 of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin York and Jay York explain how to compare bagged compost products and why the source of the manure matters. They discuss the differences between dairy cow manure, beef cattle manure, and horse manure, includi...

Are seedless fruits and vegetables genetically modified? Gardening with Daddy Pete examines the difference in Part 1 of this two-part discussion. Melvin York and Jay York explain why seedless produce is often confused with GMO crops, even though the two terms describe different processes. The conversation covers familiar grocery store varieties, including seedless grapes, cucumbers, citrus, banana...

Planning a fall garden starts now. Learn which vegetables, berries, grapevines, and flowering bulbs to plant in September, plus the soil and drainage tips that help them thrive. In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete's, Melvin and Jay York cover practical fall gardening advice for the Piedmont and Southeast, including:  * Cold-weather crops such as beets, carrots, onions, radishes, lettuce,...

Food recalls can affect what's in your refrigerator, pantry, medicine cabinet, and even your garden plans. In Episode 144 of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin York and Jay York explain how the USDA and FDA handle recalls, what each agency regulates, and how you can receive updates directly from official sources. You'll learn the difference between the USDA's role in meat, poultry, processed egg pr...

Victory gardens helped families grow food, preserve scarce resources, and support the war effort. In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin and Jay York explain what those gardens can teach us about growing food today. The conversation looks back at World War I war gardens and the World War II victory garden movement, when households across the United States planted vegetables and fruit...

Planting a privacy border? The wrong tree can damage power lines, septic systems, driveways, and even your home. Melvin and Jay explain which border trees fit your property and which ones can create years of problems. In Episode 141 of Gardening with Daddy Pete, you'll learn how to choose evergreen trees and shrubs based on mature height, width, root growth, sunlight, spacing, and nearby utilities...

August is the right time to start planning a fall garden in much of the Southeast. In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin York and Jay York share practical planting advice for North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and nearby growing regions. Learn which vegetables are best for direct sowing and which are better started as transplants. The episode covers beets,...

Garden pests can damage a healthy crop before you realize there's a problem. In Episode 139 of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin and Jay York explain how integrated pest management (IPM) helps you identify, prevent, and manage pests without reaching for pesticides first. You'll learn why scouting your garden regularly matters, where aphids, squash bugs, eggs, and other insects often hide, and how...

Planning a fall garden in July? In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin and Jay York explain what North Carolina gardeners can plant now for a strong fall harvest, even during the hottest weeks of summer. Learn how to count backward from the first frost date, use seed packet maturity dates, and choose crops that have enough time to produce before cold weather arrives. The discussion f...

July heat, dry soil, and a new landscape can make planting feel risky, but there are smart ways to give trees, shrubs, and turf a better chance right now. In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin York and Jay York cover practical summer landscaping tips for July, including how to water during hot, dry weather, why early-morning watering matters, and how to protect new plantings from he...

Late June is the right time to get serious about summer garden planning, and this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete is packed with practical July gardening tips for the Piedmont and beyond. Melvin York and Jay York walk through what you can still plant now, what needs to wait, and how to time your crops before the first fall frost. They cover days to maturity, average frost dates, and why your...

This week on Gardening with Melvin York and Jay York answer real gardening questions from viewers and walk through how to improve red clay soil, where to find Daddy Pete's Plant Pleaser products, and how to choose the right mix for your yard. If you've got hard clay, sandy soil, raised beds, shrubs, trees, or a spot that just won't hold water, this episode gives clear guidance you can use right aw...

Summer trips are easier when your garden is set up before you leave. In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin York and Jay York share practical ways to protect your garden before a vacation, so you can come home to healthy plants instead of a mess. They cover watering plans, soaker hoses, drip irrigation, shade cloth, mulching with straw, weed control, and insect scouting before you hi...

Paul's letter to the Thessalonian church is more than an end-times study. It answers fear, confusion, and bad teaching with clear Bible truth. In this message, the focus is on 2 Thessalonians, Acts 17, and why the church in Thessalonica was so shaken. The teaching walks through Paul's first visit to Thessalonica, the rapid growth of that young church, and the persecution that followed. It also exp...

June is a busy month in the garden, and this episode gives you clear, practical Gardening Tips for what to plant now and what to start preparing for fall. Melvin York and Jay York break down the June planting list for warm-weather crops, including green beans, lima beans, southern peas, peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, okra, zucchini, squash, black-eyed peas, and pumpkins. They also share a simp...

Got garden questions? This episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete answers real listener questions with clear, practical advice for home gardeners in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Melvin York and Jay York cover what many gardeners need to know right now, including when to plant sweet potatoes, which warm-season crops fit late May and June, and what cool-season crops should stay out of the ground un...

A Healthy lawn starts with the right foundation, and this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete breaks it down with clear, practical advice you can use right away. In Part 2 of this lawn series, Melvin York and Jay York continue their walk-through lawn establishment and maintenance, using North Carolina State Extension resources to explain what matters most before you plant. They cover regional gra...

A healthy Lawn starts with the right grass, the right soil test, and the right plan. In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin and Jay York walk through the first steps for establishing a new Lawn in North Carolina, using NC State Extension guidance to sort out what works best in each region. They cover the three main growing areas in the state, mountain and foothill, Piedmont, and coas...

Learn how to choose the right Gardening Product for your soil, your plants, and your setup in this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete. Melvin York and Jay York walk through the Daddy Pete website and answer real questions from gardeners who want clear, practical advice. If you grow aloe, build bucket gardens, plant in raised beds, or need help with clay soil, sandy soil, or container soil, this...