Good Growing

This week on the Good Growing podcast we chat with Brodie Dunn about the recent listing of the monarch butterfly as an endangered species by the IUCN. What does that mean for us in Illinois where monarchs spend their summers? We dive into the most recent scientific publications to determine how the monarch population is doing according to Community Science data. Plus, practices to help monarch but...

We’re heading towards fall, which means it’s time for our third wave of blooming plants. On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we talk about some of our favorite late summer and fall looming plants. We also discuss some of our favorite grasses, which can also provide some color to our landscapes in the fall and more! See our smiling faces and plant pictures over on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PufaMV7...

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...

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, vegeta...

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...

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...

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.illino...

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.

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 - Ti...

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 - Coo...

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.

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 fav...

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 - Wra...

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.

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 ou...

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...

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...

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_WKlZT...

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...

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 st...

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 t...

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...

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 Robi...

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...

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...