Garden Bite with Teri Knight

While our season is clearly at least 3 weeks behind, the perennials are now peeking up, you can start dividing those overgrown hostas, daylilies and more. DO remember that spring blooming perennials are best divided in fall. Check out my website for further details GardenBite !  

I was wandering around my gardens a couple of weeks ago, wishing I could DO something in them, when I came across a rather large cocoon on my Candy Corn spirea. Since the season is so late there were no leaves on the shrubs so the cocoon was very visible. I reached out to my listeners and found that it is, hopefully, the Hyalophlora Cecropia moth. Learn more on today's show and check out my websit...

Happy May Day! Okay so it was yesterday but why not get a little history about May Day anyway!  There are multiple iterations of celebrations that include industrial workers, witches, flowers and more. And what is Morris Dancing? Find out on today's Garden Bite , check out my website to see the video! 

Arbor Day is 150 years old today! A day to celebrate TREES! With climate change, trees are a BIG topic. Planting a diversity of trees is something we should have learned a while ago. After the debacle of the American Elm and now the Ash Tree, we need to realize that we can't plant the same boulevard tree or our streets become naked! Today I talk about one tree that could be a great addition to the...

When is the best time to fertilize your lawn? Do you think it's now? Oh, then LISTEN up! I discuss the best time to fertilize your lawn (if you want to) and WHY that is. Find more information on my website, Garden Bite . 

Do the blooms of forsythia foretell the coming of crabgrass? Or could it have more to do with the soil temperature? When to put down pre-emergents for crabgrass and other broadleaf weeds. That's today's Garden Bite . Be sure to go to my website and check out the video too. I also share information about how to track the soil temperature in YOUR area. 

Mycelium are the thin threads of fungi (or mushrooms) that link roots of different plants. They are the plant world's information system and it's amazing! Learn much more about this incredible "world wood web"... so to speak. It's on today's Garden Bite . 

Oh my, I think we might actually have spring. About 3 to 4 weeks behind but I’m still hopeful. With a spring in my step, I’m talking 2022 plant introductions! A new hydrangea, morning glory and a couple of other outstanding annuals including an airy cosmos that is simply lovely. Check them out here and on my website, Garden Bite ! Find Garden Bite with Teri Knight on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram a...

I talked about soil and rain barrels and composting last week. But what about organic matters? What is it? Does it matter? How much organic matter matters? Can it be too much? All this on today's Garden Bite ! What you should know about your soil. And a reminder to find Garden Bite on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and youtube. 

Until we can get out in our vegetables gardens, we need to keep those indoors seedlings in good shape. On today's Garden Bite I talk about just that, how to position the lighting, watering practices and more, as well as the dreaded disease known as Damping Off. 

April is fickle in the Upper Midwest. From sandals to sorels, ya never know what we’re gonna get. So what’s a gardener to do? I'll tell you on today's Garden Bite ! And also what not to do yet in our cold climates. 

You may have received an Easter lily this past weekend. On today's Garden Bite I give you tips on the best care and also about planting it outdoors! Yes, lilium longiflorum is hardy to zone 5. You can plant it in zone 4 too, just mulch it heavily. Learn more on Garden Bite . 

Oh there are so many reasons to set up a rain barrel and use compost bins! Learn more on today's Garden Bite . There is a warning of where NOT to use captured rain water from your barrel as well as suggestions of where to get one that doesn't involve a big box store. Although you can buy one there too. My favorite compost bin design too and which one I don't like are also on my website. 

Moles or voles, neither is welcome in the landscape but, there they are messin' with your lawns and plants. Learn the different ways each of these critters cause damage on today's Garden Bite and how you can deal with it. 

Eighteen million new gardeners all want pollinators too! I discovered some fun and pretty plants I want to share with you today. These are all annuals that can be placed anywhere in your full sun garden areas. Plant in pots or in the soil... see them on Garden Bite . 

A listener recently asked me about using Epsom salts in her landscape. What a great question! I had heard about it before but, frankly, the jury is out. On today's Garden Bite I talk about why you would or why you wouldn't use them. Do they really end blossom end rot? Hmm, let's find out! 

How to handle those spotty potty patches from Fifi or Fido and what to do about snow mold. That's on today's Garden Bite ! Simple ways to patch the patch and clear out snow mold. IF you even need to. Lightly raking out any snow left in your yard is a start. But be careful!

If mowing a lawn isn't your thing or you want to be more eco-friendly, Eco Grass is a fantastic option. Hardy from zones 2 to 7, this grass can be mowed or not. Learn much more about Eco-grass on today's Garden Bite . What types of grass seed, how tall it grows, what kind of foot traffic it can take! 

We discussed planting bare-root trees and shrubs last week, today I'm talking about planting container grown plants. I explain what to look for, how deep to plant and how you tell where that depth should be and also why it's important. You'll also learn about those top roots, why they're important and the necessity of mulch on today's Garden Bite . 

Since the pandemic, over 18 million of you have joined in the spirit renewing "hobby", "obsession" or whatever you care to call it! There's beauty in so many beginning their love of gardening. Of course, there are varied levels of gardeners but these pre-sown seed tapes and discs are for any gardener. Personally I love the idea of not trying to plant those tiny seeds! Learn all about them and wher...

Not all hydrangeas are the same, they don't all bloom at the same time. On today's Garden Bite , I'm talking about what types of hydrangeas there are and when to prune them as well as how to prune them. Be sure to check out my website and follow Garden Bite on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter too. 

We're gingerly stepping out into our lawns and gardens and MIGHT be finding some wildlife damage. Who's gnawing on your nannyberry or whatever it may be. A tree, perhaps a sapling or a shrub. What impact does that have on your plants and what can you do about it? That's on today's Garden Bite . 

There are many garden myths out there. Should you really add wound dressing to a pruning cut? How about using Borax to kill Creeping Charlie? Oh and then there's that info about nothing growing around a Black Walnut tree. I debunk some common myths on today's Garden Bite ! 

For cold climate gardeners, or as I call us, Extreme Gardeners, it's time to gather our supplies to start tomato and pepper seeds. Notice I didn't say plant them yet. Best techniques for growing seeds indoors until the soil is warm enough to get those plants outside. 

Okay, it's not so sexy but it's certainly something to know about the soil in your landscape. Why it matters and how to do a percolation test on today's Garden Bite. And what is the ideal mix for soil?