Growing Together: A Gardening Podcast

(The Growing Together crew is taking some time off to enjoy the summer, so in the meantime, please enjoy this republished episode from August 2024.) If you're excited by the idea of canning but feel unsure about where to start, this episode is made for you. In this episode, Don and John sit down with Rita Ussatis, Family and Community Wellness Extension Agent at NDSU. With years of experience both...

If you're the kind of gardener who runs out of room in your gardening, climbing and vining plants are an intriguing prospect. In this episode, Don and John talk about growing up, not out, with vining and climbing plants.

Severe weather shook our region last weekend, with tornadoes, high winds and hail wreaking havoc on lives and property alike. In this episode, Don and John talk about steps you can take to protect your yard and garden from severe storm damage. Plus, they go over your "Independence Day for gardeners" checklist.

In this episode, Don and John learn something new from seasoned gardener Mary Holm as well as her favorite annuals and perennials and a beneficial reason to plant parsley. 

You aren't the only one looking to get the most out of your plants and shrubs. Fungi, bacteria and pests are after them, too. In this episode, Don and John go over some common fungal diseases, like powdery mildew, and other blights that can strike your garden early in the season, along with strategies to keep them at bay.

If you want to level up your landscaping game, you might want to give a good thought to how you use shrubs in your yard. In this episode, Don and John discuss shrubs, the backbone of your landscaping. You'll learn how to choose varieties that work with your available space and give your yard some class.

It's the backdrop for your heated cornhole games and memory-making family barbeques, so it's nice to have a healthy, green lawn. In this episode, Don and John talk about seeding, fertilizing and other important steps to improving your lawn and making it the envy of your neighbors.

We all have big dreams when it comes to what we want to grow, but the hard truth is that we have to work with the space we have, and every space comes with different amounts of available sunshine. In this episode, Don and John go over some strategies for planning your garden to make the best use of your sun, with some considerations for container gardening. Plus, they take a listener question abou...

Fertilizing is an important part of a successful garden, and the spring is the most important time to fertilize, so it's important to get it right. In this episode, Don and John go over fertilizing the yard and garden, with special considerations for vegetables and containers, all to help your plants reach their full potential this season.

The time has finally come for our part of the world: planting season in your yard and garden. In this episode, Don and John go over some basics on soil preparation and tips for putting annuals, vegetables, shrubs and more in the ground. Plus, they answer a question about mulch from the listener mailbag and Don has a "dirty" joke.

If you're enthusiastic to hit the garden centers for the first time this season, great! But it helps to have a plan first. In this episode, Don and John go over some considerations to keep in mind before you get swept up in the thrill of a new growing season. They also answer a few questions from the mailbag.

Unique conditions can lead to winter burn on some area evergreens. In this episode, Don and John discuss what winter burn is, how it can happen and steps to prevent it.

The snow is gone and the days are getting longer and warmer, and while we're not quite ready to plant, the time has come to get everything set for the growing season. In this episode, Don and John talk about the tasks you should be doing right now to get your yard and garden ready for spring planting. They also discuss Easter lillies and a ... man/plant cave?

Maybe your trusty garden tools are getting a little rusty, or maybe you're just itching for some new gear this season. Either way, this show's for you. In this episode, Don and John highlight some new garden tools currently on the market as we count down the days before outdoor work can begin in earnest.

Before you know it, it'll be time to get outside and start getting your hands dirty in the garden. Before you plant, though, you probably want to get that dirt into shape. In this episode, Don and John talk about amending your soil so your garden can start the season with gusto.

How can gardeners be sure that the plants, shrubs and trees they buy in local gardening centers will survive our region's winters? In this episode, Don and John talk with Charles Elhard, plant protection officer with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture about nursery laws and inspections.

It's still a bit too early to get out into the lawn or garden, but with our increasing sunlight it's a perfect time to start cuttings of your houseplants. But how do you go about it? In this episode, Don and John talk about the process of taking cuttings (or "slips") from your houseplants, including the best candidates for cuttings and good practices for growing them successfully.

It's a sad truth nowadays, but it seems like anything you see online is too good to be true, and that's true for gardeners, too. In this episode, Don and John talk about the disturbing new phenomenon of using images generated by artificial intelligence to sell plant varieties that don't exist. But if you've been duped by one of these, don't fear: they also go over some varieties that might seem to...

If you're a regular listener to this podcast, then we know you're chomping at the bit to get out into the yard and start work on your garden. In this episode, Don and John go over some of the gardening tasks you could be doing right now as we get our first sings of spring.

Our cold Northern Plains winters don't seem like they're friendly toward year-round growing of fresh greens, but they're actually a positive for the team at Great Plains Greens. In this episode, Don and (guest host) Kris talk with Dylan Kallman, founder of Great Plains Greens. Kallman and his team use a converted shipping container to grow fresh produce for a variety of local markets. Learn more a...

This is our 100th episode of Growing Together! That's 100 episodes of gardening tips from Don, John, and plenty of guests who share our love of gardening. In this episode, Don and John present 50 quick-fire gardening tips to commemorate this milestone and get you all caught up for the next 100 episodes.

Like all good pursuits, gardening is filled with a rich variety of terms and word usage, but it might not always make sense, especially to newer gardeners. For instance, what is "deadheading," and what does it do? In this episode, Don and (guest host) Kris go over some of the head-scratching terms that gardeners might come across. What does it mean to "set out" your plants? And what does it mean t...

The growing season is still a ways off, so now is the time to plan and learn new gardening techniques—maybe saving a buck or two in the process. In this episode, Don and John go over the 2025 issue of "The Prairie Garden," a periodical put together with help from Don himself. This year's edition is all about gardening on a budget. Plus, they open up the mailbag to take a question about fungus gnat...

Cut flowers in a lovely bouquet make a great Valentine's Day gift, but what if you'd like to give someone a houseplant instead? In this episode, Don and John are joined again by Audrey Gilbraith of Fargo's Baker Garden and Gift. Audrey has some helpful tips for giving the gift of a houseplant, like thinking about the space and skill level of your giftee. And, in case you'd like to make it a gift y...

Each winter, every gardener has a decision to make when planning for the growing season: stick with the varieties that worked last year or take a chance on something new. In this episode, Don and John go over some new plants and vareties that you should consider if you're looking to shake things up a bit.