Good Growing

On this week's Good Growing podcast, we talk with Phillip Alberti, commercial ag educator and one of Illinois' leading hemp experts. Now that hemp is legal to grow in Illinois we have some questions about what we're seeing in the farm fields and hearing about in the news. Growing hemp comes with lots of oversight, investment, and risk! Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/RRiCa9ySTRE 3:19 What is hem...

On this week's Good Growing podcast, we are talking sweet corn. As we enter the later part of the season what are some things we need to know about growing sweet corn? Perhaps you've seen some unwanted pests or some fertility issues. What about harvesting and storing for a wintertime sweet corn treat? Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/6FIKy7H86Ms 2:11 Isn't it all corn just corn? What is sweet...

On this week's Good Growing podcast Ken and Chris chat about growing in containers. They discuss some unique plants they grow and cover why a soil-free mix is important, how they fertilize, some watering tips, and more! Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/-shjyu_ChKQ 1:01 What do we grow in containers? Ornamentals, veggies, and some unique plants. 8:44 Soil-free mix - why do we use it? Plus speci...

We take a road trip to Jacksonville, Illinois! On this week's Good Growing podcast we chat in-person with Energy and Environmental Educator Duane Friend about algae blooms on ponds, other pond weeds, and more pond problems. Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/Gt4E6uke72E 2:40 What's the difference between a pond and a lake? 3:48 How to identify an algal bloom and how do you know if it is dangerou...

Have you had a lot of rain recently? On this week's podcast, we discuss some of the issues we can encounter in our gardens when the weather gets wet and steps we can take to manage them. We also discuss some of the beneficial insects we can find in our gardens. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/30sF7kqj7fU 03:20 - Wet weather and plant diseases 04:35 - Humidity and plant diseases 06:00 - Ways...

On this week's Good Growing podcast we dive into one of America's favorite garden vegetables, the tomato! Katie, Ken, and Chris enjoy growing tomatoes and describe how they grow tomatoes in their backyards. We tackle common tomato problems, some of our favorites, and how to save the harvest. All this and more! Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/MmkBN8tqLOs 3:30 How does Katie grow tomatoes? 4:00...

Do you have a spot in the garden for some solar panels? What about the roof? For this episode of the Good Growing podcast we chat with Illinois Extension educator Erin Garrett about solar power for the home. If you are considering solar power for your home, we dive into some important considerations and a few extra questions on other renewable energy sources. 5:11 What is renewable energy and what...

On this episode of the Good Growing Podcast, we chat with Sara Johnson, a field botanist and research assistant with the Illinois Natural History Survey. Sara studies rare plants, and we discuss her recent thesis on a rare mint found in Florida. We talk about field botany and some good natural areas to go and visit in Illinois. Plus Sara shares some of the unique plants she grows in her own garden...

On this week’s Good Growing podcast the crew chats with Extension horticulture educator Martha Smith about must-see botanic gardens and her favorite tree, the beech tree! From Longwood to Missouri Botanical Garden and much more, Martha points out some fantastic botanical gardens throughout the United States, and ones right here in the Midwest. We also discuss beech trees an under-rated and under-p...

On this week's Good Growing podcast the crew sits down with University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Sarah Vogel to talk about trees and some common problems we encounter in the home landscape. Sarah is a certified arborist and is based in Decatur, Illinois. On this show we get into: What are the main problems Sarah sees with home landscape trees There is conflicting advice on tree p...

On this week's Good Growing podcast the crew chats about the upcoming Brood X emergence and why Ken is sad we don't live within their range. But we do talk about the best ways to eat cicadas plus who shouldn't eat cicadas. What should people expect who live within the Brood X range and how to protect young trees from cicada damage. All this and much more! Check out the Cicada Mania webpage https:/...

On this week's Good Growing podcast Katie, Ken, and Chris answer your timely questions about gardening in May. Dealing with late spring frosts and tomatoes. What to do about rhubarb that gets hit by frost? There are some landscape plants with black and brown foliage. Is this from the frost a few weeks ago? What should you do about cedar apple rust? If I spray 2,4-D on my lawn will it kill my hosta...

On this week's Good Growing podcast we talk with wildlife biologist Dr. John Vanek all about snakes! Dr. Vanek has a specialty in herpetology and loves to study snakes. In this episode we discuss: Why are so many humans afraid of snakes? Is it learned behavior or something deeper in our brains? What snake will people commonly encounter outside in Illinois? Is it safe to handle any wild snake we fi...

In this episode of the Good Growing podcast, we sit down with University of Illinois Extension educator Carrie McKillip to talk about disaster preparedness and things we as residents in storm-prone Illinois need to consider. Carrie is a Community and Economic Development educator who specializes in helping communities prepare and respond to disasters. We chat about how she does that, keeping an em...

On this week's Good Growing podcast we share some recent photos of spring-blooming plants in our yards. Horticulture program coordinator and photographer Wendy Ferguson gives us some tips for improving our photography skills. Plus your home gardening questions answered. I have an image of our saucer magnolia taken at night. The flowers seemed to glow in the dark so I grabbed my camera, but the pho...

In this week's Good Growing podcast we chat with Mary Fischer about her work in building a coalition of conservationists with Illinois teenagers. Mary is working to expand the Master Naturalist program to teens to build a land ethic in the next generation and create ideas for future careers. Plus we answer your home gardening questions! Talking about Mary's work to build a Master Naturalist Youth...

On this week's Good Growing podcast the groups sit down with Dennis Bowman to talk about using drones in agriculture. How much do you know about drones? 8:52 We have a true or false pop quiz with Ken and Katie to test their knowledge about drones. 4:30 What is the difference between GPS and GIS. Plus, Dennis answers your ag questions! Using Drones in Ag 9:38 Can anyone buy and start flying a drone...

On this week's Good Growing podcast hosts Ken, Katie, and Chris share what's going on in their vegetable gardens and what yard chores are on their to-do list. Is it time for spring cleanup? Ken notices some bees are out and looking for nesting locations and gives tips on providing that habitat while cleaning out some dead plants. Katie talks about lawn care and what we should be doing this early i...

On this week's Good Growin podcast we chat about the team's upcoming Good Growing Garden Day all about pollinators. Andrew Holsinger joins us to dive into the topics we will discuss during the Garden Day webinar covering hummingbirds, pollinating insects, wildflowers, and native trees. Plus, we answer questions on these topics. More information on the event page https://extension.illinois.edu/even...

This week the Good Growing team chats with Illinois Extension educator Duane Friend about cover crops and soil organic matter. They discuss a recent article about how the Midwest is quickly losing carbon-rich topsoil and if that rings true for Illinois. Duane gives possible remedies to help conserve soil and how cover crops can play a role and how cover crops can be used in the home garden. Plus y...

Do you want to get started with beekeeping? Spring is the time to get your hive up and running. Our guest this week, Illinois Extension horticulture educator Jennifer Fishburn, gets into the details of how to start a beehive. Plus, listener questions: Can beehives be kept in town? When should you start a hive? What do you need to set up a hive and keep from getting stung? What type of budget are w...

In this week's Good Growing episode we chat with Illinois Extension forestry specialist Chris Evans about maple syrup and how you can make maple syrup in your own backyard. Chris also answers listener-submitted questions on forestry. Want to watch the podcast? You can on YouTube https://youtu.be/j8MmgCrfVeM Maple syrup questions: Did the prolonged cold-snap affect maple syrup production? Does bein...

We are talking all about birds on this week's Good Growing podcast. We chat with Dr. Michael Ward on the plight of birds. Are the declining populations dire? Why are Midwestern migrating birds being found in shark stomachs in the Gulf of Mexico? Dr. Ward tells what is being done across the borders, in Illinois agricultural lands, and how we can help in our backyards. Plus, Citizen Science opportun...

In this part two episode of our series on native plants, our special guests Martha Smith, Austin Little, and Layne Knoche answer listener-submitted questions about native plants. Want to watch the podcast? You can on YouTube https://youtu.be/9YJfLhH07vA Should we be planting nativars? What about the genetics spreading in the wild? Is it okay to dig up native plants you find in the wild? What nativ...

Check out Part One of our talk on native plants with Austin Little, Layne Knoche, and Martha Smith. All talented landscape designers, each guest shares their top three favorite native plants. You won't want want to miss this one as you plan ahead for this growing season. Want to watch the podcast? You can on YouTube https://youtu.be/UqvnZc_Y7rY What is a native plant and why should people incorpor...