Good Growing

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 - Cool-season plants and the heat 14:00 - How will hot weather affect tomatoes? 15:25 - How will hot weather affect sweet corn? 18:35 - Our plans to get our gardens through the hot weather 21:20 - Thank yous, what's coming up next week, and goodbye Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

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 favorite tomato and pepper varieties at the end of the show. Time to take some notes for next year! Skip to what you want to know: 00:48 - Weekend plans and woodchips 04:09 - Hello Nick! 05:02 - Do you have the right spot for tomatoes and peppers? Site considerations. 09:50 - Preventing and dealing with leggy tomatoes 14:12 - Do we need to fertilize tomatoes and peppers? 21:12 - What is the best weed control? 28:16 - Indeterminate tomatoes strike back! Dealing with unruly tomato vines 35:02 - The best explanation of blossom end rot and how to stop it! 38:50 - My tomato skin split! Why? 42:58 - Nick asks Good Growing - What is our favorite way to control weeds? 49:15 - Talking pepper varieties. What is our favorite? 57:25 - What are our favorite tomato varieties? Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. --

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 - Wrap-up, thank you's, and goodbye! Illinois Department of Agriculture Pesticide Uses and Misuses page: https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/agr/Pesticides/Pages/Pesticides-Uses-Misuses.aspx Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

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 out our full interview with Dr. Vanek at https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573/ep-67-talking-snakes-with-dr-vanek Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

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 these products or companies.

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 changed from when it was first conceived to today? 18:00 How did the pandemic change the way extension worked, and were we successful? 30:15 Is there a vision for how we go into the future of Extension? 33:43 What motivates you to work so hard? 39:40 What is the one thing you want the people of Illinois to know about Illinois Extension? 41:14 Judy’s 30 second elevator speech about Illinois Extension. 43:24 Judy talks about know your why? 47:37 Judy asks Good Growing crew what they hope the world to be. To learn more about University of Illinois Extension job openings, visit https://jobs.illinois.edu/off-campus-positions?start=1&per=500 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 products or companies.

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_WKlZTEo Jump to what you want to know: 03:50 Hello Richard! 04:38 How much of the US is covered in lawns? 06:35 What site conditions does it take to grow a lush lawn without inputs? 09:27 Reading the grass seed label and understanding annual rye use in Illinois 13:27 What are those key springtime lawn tasks for those in Illinois? 18:21 Is no-mow May a good idea? 22:40 Lots of people want to spray dandelions in the spring. Is this the best time for dandelion control? 24:48 Are there alternatives to conventional synthetic herbicides for lawns? 27:33 Changing gears to Richard's retirement: What's the best part of working at Illinois Extension? 29:43 For someone known for his knowledge of turfgrass, what does Richard really enjoy doing in his yard and garden? 32:06 Richard's favorite memory on the job at Illinois Extension 34:22 What is Richard's number one gardening resource on the job? Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

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: 03:53 – What is phenology? 04:35 – Welcome Kacie 05:15 – Climate change research on insects and specialty crops 07:30 - With a warming environment, will we see population expansions of southern insects north to Illinois? 09:40 – Is there a possibility we will see insect ranges shrink? 11:19 – Will climate change affect disease vectors like mosquitoes? 13:58 – With warming and shorter winters and a longer growing season, will we see more insects in the summer? Will we see more generations of insects? 16:10 – We often focus on pest insects and climate change, what about beneficial insects? 18:12 – Climate models show Illinois getting wetter, how will more rainfall affect insects? 20:25 – Will we see more diseases affecting insects in a wetter environment? 21:35 – We can likely expect to see more damage to plants from pest insects, is there anything else we may see? 23:35 – After the 2012 drought, there was a drastic drop in monarch populations, could this be linked? 25:17 – Is there a chance we’ll see more insect-vectored plant diseases? 26:51 – Pest outbreaks armyworms and melonworms 29:09 – With a changing climate will phenology between insects and plants be thrown off? 31:10 – Insects are often overlooked as decomposers, will climate change affect them? 35:00 – Some insects need to be cold 35:52 – What impact do you think climate change will have on insects? 38:00 – Future specialty crop research in Illinois 40:18 – Thank yous and what’s coming up Climate change questions? Contact Trent Ford: [email protected] 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 products or companies.

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 studying biocontrols? 8:02 What are biocontrols? 15: 29 What type of results did you gather about biocontrols? 27:15 What are some things that someone trying this in their high tunnel would need to know if they were also using pesticides? 30:06 How does biological controls work outside the high tunnel? 36:00 Is there a strategy for addressing cucurbit pests with biological controls? Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsu... Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. – Want to listen to the podcast? You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-gr... Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening... Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3si... Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growin... Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/... Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-1... Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growi... Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

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 the house. All this and much more! See our smiling faces on YouTube https://youtu.be/9fLLNtNHkpI Skip to what you want to know: 4:11 Welcome Joy! 6:24 What's so special about bats? 9:52 How can we attract bats to our landscapes? 13:16 How can we deal with a bat in the house? 19:56 Should we be alarmed when we encounter a bat? 23:21 Handling bats and is rabies a concern? 25:19 Let's say you got bit by a bat. How soon should you get a rabies shot? 27:21 How have humans impacted bat populations? - 27:35 Habitat Loss - 29:31 Invasive Species - 30:04 White Nose Syndrome - 32:19 Wind Energy 34:20 How many bat species do we have in Illinois? 36:59 How has COVID-19 impacted bat research 39:16 Do bats prefer certain tree species for roosting? 42:07 Why do bats come out at night? 44:26 Do bats eat anything other than insects? 45:27 What is the link between Count Dracula and bats? 48:25 Why do bats swoop at our heads? Contact Dr. O'Keefe https://nres.illinois.edu/directory/jmokeefe Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://groups.webservices.illinois.edu/subscribe/113369 Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

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 products or companies.

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 Robigalia, when Romans made sacrifices to the god Robigus to prevent rust in wheat. 23:40 As we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, why are potatoes and Ireland often linked? What happened with the Irish Potato Famine? 40:49 Tulip mania is thought as the first financial bubble collapse. Lots of money was made and a lot was lost. Was this driven by disease too? Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsu... Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- Want to listen to the podcast? You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-gr... Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening... Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3si... Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growin... Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/... Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-1... Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growi... Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

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.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 products or companies.

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 want to know: 03:35 – What’s the difference between weather and climate? 7:40 – Are we seeing the phenology of plants shifting in the spring due to climate change? 9:13 – Are we at risk of not having enough chill hours for fruit trees like peaches? What about spring freezes? 13:27 – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) releases reports on climate change; Where will we be with climate change at the end of the century? 18:48 – Is a runaway greenhouse effect (like Venus) a risk for Earth? 21:25 – What types of impacts from climate change are we seeing on Illinois agriculture? 25:58 – The biggest impact from climate change on agriculture in Illinois 30:40 – How is climate change going to affect urban tree canopies? 36:47 – How does air conditioning play into heat buildup in cities? 38:13 – How do you engage with climate change skeptics? 44:34 – What can we do to help mitigate climate change? 52:17 – Goodbye and what’s coming up National Phenology Network - https://www.usanpn.org/ Nature’s Notebook - https://www.usanpn.org/natures_notebook The Redbud Phenology Project - https://www.usanpn.org/nn/redbud Budburst - https://budburst.org/ 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 products or companies.

The Good Growing Podcast crew celebrates their 100th episode by talking tree fruit maintenance with University of Illinois horticulture educator Andrew Holsinger. Listen in as they discuss pruning, disease management, mulching, and more. Be sure to stay until the end as Chris has a surprise segment. 4:05 Updates on Tree fruit school. 9:18 Best time to start pruning fruit trees 10:30 Best time to manage Peach leaf curl, cedar apple rust, and applescab 16:00 Best practices to keep your fruit trees healthy 18:04 Mulching fruit trees 19:53 Why would a five-year-old peach tree not produce fruit every year? 23:28 Surprise segment Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsu... Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- Want to listen to the podcast? You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-gr... Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening... Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3si... Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growin... Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/... Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-1... Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growi... Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

This week we are posting the first Good Growing (then called Green Speak) episode that we thought was lost to time. In 2017 with an idea for a podcast, Chris Enroth sat down and talked with Family Life educator Cara Allen about the effects of nature on human physical and mental health and how being outdoors as kids influenced our career choices. Plus answers to common home gardening questions. Skip to what you want to know: 5:19 Hello Cara! 7:25 Brain health and how it relates to gardening 9:10 Does being outdoors as a child influence our decisions as adults? 16:40 How being outside can improve mental health 18:52 Garden Q&A 19:45 Bagworm control 22:40 Zucchini is not setting fruit 25:25 How to stop oak wilt from spreading 27:15 What's wrong with my ash tree that is dying and losing limbs? 29:05 What are these spots on my plant leaves? Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/yABfqI0ZVI8 Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

On this week's Good Growing podcast, Katie talks about the benefits of winter to our gardens! You may be getting tired of the cold and snow from winter, but it does provide major benefits such as disease and insect control. Check out the Good Growing Blog extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing Want Good Growing updates? Subscribe at go.illinois.edu/GoodGrowingSubscribe --- Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

On this week's Good Growing podcast, the hosts discuss our upcoming snow storm and some fun February garden activities that we can do. Join Ken and Katie to learn more! Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/CYXUL7n3_04 Check out Ken's article on Salt in the Landscape https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2018-11-28-salt-landscape Another article to check out is Forcing Branches which can be found here https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-02-06-bringing-spring-indoors-forcing-branches#:~:text=Plants%20such%20as%20forsythia%2C%20redbud,be%20forced%20into%20blooming%20indoors. 2:36 Salt Damage to Plants 7:38 Ordering Seed for 2022 8:36 Germination Testing 10:40 Forcing Branches Check out the Good Growing Blog extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

Are you a farmer with employees? Do you manage crews for a landscaping company? What type of leadership skills does someone who grows plants for a living need? On this week's Good Growing podcast we chat with University of Illinois Extension's assistant dean Dr. Travis Burke about growing up on the farm in North Carolina and his five tips for being a good leader. Skip to what you want to know: 2:00 - Hello Travis! 3:30 - Growing up in North Carolina 7:07 - What led Travis to a career in Extension 9:55 - What stood out in Travis' career in North Carolina Extension? 12:34 - What is missed most about North Carolina? 15:30 - What are the biggest challenges facing agriculture in 2022? 18:04 - What project is Travis excited to be working on for the citizens of Illinois? Travis' Five Tips for Leadership 22:22 - Make eye contact 27:10 - Don't expect the corner office...at least not right away 30:56 - Follow the chain of command 35:39 - Never raise your voice in anger 40:09 - Not everything is a life or death situation Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms! iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we discuss questions we’ve gotten from webinars, blogs and articles we’ve written, and emails to the office the past year. We discuss feeding birds, pantry pests, managing mice, pruning trees, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yVbFgEHuYOo Skip to what you want to know: 4:30 - I’ve been using sunflower seed to feed my birds, but the blue jays, cardinals, and finches aren’t showing up. Why could this be? 8:35 - You mentioned burning bush is a lousy shrub, but birds use it for cover. What should I do? 10:25 - I had some pantry pests; now I’m finding them in other parts of my house. What should I do? 14:50 - Can instant potato flakes be used to manage mice? What other options are out there? 18:20 - I just purchased some land and don’t know where to start! What Extension resources are available to new landowners? 21:20 - Why can I only find bushy-looking Norfolk Island Pines? I want one that has a single trunk! 24:15 - When is the best time to trim trees? 27:13 - This fall, we saw some issues with early leaf drop and nutrient deficiency. Is there anything we can be doing now to help? 30:06 - Thank you and what’s up next week Common Pantry Pests: https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/common_pantry_pests.pdf University of Illinois Extension Forestry website: https://extension.illinois.edu/forestry Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

In this week's podcast we talk with Local Foods and Small Farms Educator Nick Frillman about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Nick shares a lot of great information about what CSA is, how it works, and how to get involved in one. 2:51 Welcome Nick Frillman 3:11 What does CSA stand for? 4:19 What does community supported agriculture mean? 7:12 How are you so familiar with CSA already? 9:05 What are “shares” in a CSA system? 12:21 What products can you get in a CSA? 14:03 What vegetables do you get when? Can you choose what you get? Are there bigger or small size shares that you can get? 22:14 About how much is a vegetable CSA membership cost per week? How is the CSA cost billed? Why is it billed that way? 28: 05 How come there aren’t more winter CSAs? 34:12 What if you don’t use it all? How do you use it all? Or do you? 40:11 Can I choose what I get for produce or should I just stick to going to the farmers market? 44: 32 Why should someone consider a CSA for 2022? 45: 55 How do I find a CSA near me? Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsu... Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- Want to listen to the podcast? You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-gr... Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening... Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3si... Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growin... Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/... Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-1... Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growi... Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week's Good Growing podcast, the hosts discuss some last minute Christmas gifts for a gardener, the winter solstice, and our recent winter weather. Listen in as they reminisce about the past year of podcasts. Where has Ken been? 1:34 Last minute Christmas gift ideas 2:43 Happy Winter Solstice! 7:37 Warm Winter Weather and Bats 8:23 Warm Weather and Wind Damage 13:06 Reminiscing about 2021 Podcasts 17:15 How to Take Care of Amaryllis and Get Them to Rebloom https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2021-12-03-how-take-care-amaryllis-and-get-them-rebloom Keeping Your Poinsettia Alive Through the Holidays https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2021-12-16-keeping-your-poinsettia-alive-through-holidays Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsu... Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- Want to listen to the podcast? You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-gr... Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening... Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3si... Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growin... Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/... Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-1... Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growi... Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week's Good Growing podcast we welcome Dr. Chelsea Harbach, commercial ag educator with University of Illinois Extension and nematode expert! We dive into what are nematodes and do Illinois gardeners need to worry about these microscopic worms swimming through the soil, plus the impacts that can occur on agricultural crops. Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/rBKyuXzRfrQ 3:42 Introducing Chelsea! 9:49 What kind of work does Chelsea do at the Monmouth Research Farm? 12:22 What is a nematode? 16:20 Are there good and bad nematodes? What kind of problems do they cause for agriculture? 21:09 Do home gardeners in Illinois need to worry about nematodes? 25:44 What remedy do we have against nematodes? 31:10 Does the population of nematodes like soybean cyst nematode go up and down over the years? 33:50 The problem with resistance and nematode infection of crops. 37:10 What does a root infected with nematodes look like? 40:40 Upcoming Crop Management Conference. Register Here go.illinois.edu/cmc2022 Plant Clinic website http://web.extension.illinois.edu/plantclinic/ Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

On this week's Good Growing podcast we chat with plant pathologist Diane Plewa about disease observations in 2021 and what gardeners can do when plant disease rears its ugly head in your garden. Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/FQcZJ9fhhS4 2:51 Welcome Diane and learning about the University of Illinois Plant Clinic! 9:49 Were there any disease trends you noticed or did anything surprise you in 2021? 14:23 Are there any concerning plant diseases on the horizon? 26:37 How do plant diseases get into the garden and how can we prevent plant infection? 33:33 How can home gardeners try to reduce the risk of introducing a plant disease into their landscape? 38:55 What options do homeowners have if they are dealing with a plant infected with a disease? Plant Clinic website http://web.extension.illinois.edu/plantclinic/ Diane’s email [email protected] Laurel Wilt http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1182 Bur Oak Blight http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1033 Boxwood Blight http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=869 Boxwood blight look-a-likes http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1059 Sudden Oak Death https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2021-05-21-pathogen-causes-sudden-oak-death-found-illinois Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- Want to listen to the podcast? You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

Join the Good Growing crew as they chat with University of Illinois Extension Local Food and Small Farm Educator Bronwyn Aly as she shares with them some of the work being done at the Dixon Springs Research center. 2:49 Upcoming Good Growing Winter Webinar Series https://extension.illinois.edu/global/good-growing 4:50 Bronwyn tells us about her research at the Dixon Springs Research Center. See more of what she has been working on here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60mykiWvnhE&list=PLffsjFIQsK0Z433WmK0OiRjcjXWF8XQH9 18:40 What type of tomatoes grow best in a high tunnel. 22:15 Trellising tomatoes in a high tunnel system. 27:15 Inputs and management practices of high tunnels vs traditional growing. 35:08 Cooling strategies to lower temperatures for plants in the high tunnel. 39:27 Bronwyn's work at a local correctional facility. 47:37 Illinois Specialty Crop Conference. Register for the conference https://www.specialtygrowers.org/iscc2022 50:47 Where to find updates at the Dixon Springs Research Center and throughout the state. Find the Illinois Fruit and Vegetable Newsletter here https://ipm.illinois.edu/ifvn/. Email Bronwyn Aly [email protected] or Nathan Johanning [email protected] to sign up for the newsletter.

On this week's Good Growing podcast, Chris talks about his list of things he is thankful for during this Thanksgiving week! If you've ever wondered what a gardener and Extension educator would have on their list of thanks, listen as Chris describes healthy soil, volunteers, and more! Check out the Good Growing Blog extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing Want Good Growing updates? Subscribe at go.illinois.edu/GoodGrowingSubscribe --- Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

In this week's Good Growing podcast Ken discusses the differences between sweet potatoes and yams, which may prove helpful come Thanksgiving. Check out the Good Growing Blog extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing Want Good Growing updates? Subscribe at https://go.illinois.edu/GoodGrowingSubscribe --- Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

December 1st is the start of the Good Growing Webinar Series, and you won't want to miss it! Topics to be covered by the webinar series include Unique Plants for the Holidays, Going Nuts over Tree Nuts, Wonderful Winter Interest, and Dealing with Winter Wildlife Damage. Listen in to learn a bit more about each webinar topic and learn how to get registered! 1:52 Welcome Andrew! 2:41 Ken tells us about some of the unique plants he has received as Christmas gifts over the years. 6:30 Andrew shares his experience with walnuts and shares other common nuts we can enjoy during the holiday season. 8:58 Katie tells us about the different options for adding color, texture, and plant structure to our landscape. 11:50 Chris wraps things up by sharing different damage in our landscapes from wildlife such as rodents, deer, and racoons. To learn more and register for the Good Growing Winter Webinar Series, visit https://extension.illinois.edu/global/good-growing. Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsu... Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- Want to listen to the podcast? You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-gr... Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening... Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3si... Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growin... Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/... Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-1... Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growi... Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

After an unseasonably long wait for our first frost, we finally got hit the first week of November. Frost in the Midwest sets about a chain of natural events in the landscape as the world prepares for winter. What are some things to consider when putting the yard and garden to bed in the fall? The Good Growing crew discusses what is on their to-do list to get their gardens prepared for winter. Watch us on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fcmbHDXzdY 1:27 - Talking the first frost - were we ready? 3:36 - Controversial advice to cut back perennials. What about the insects? Should we leave the stems? 7:07 - The exception to not cleaning up the garden 8:04 - Is there a right answer to cleaning up the garden? What's our podcast philosophy 8:42 - Same question but now dealing with fall leaves. What is our approach to handling our fall leaves? 11:57 - What is the leaf cleanup controversy? 15:00 - Cleaning up the vegetable garden. What we do. 18:18 - Getting strawberries ready for next year. 19:38 - Making strawberry wine with this year's harvest 21:30 - Preparing machinery for winter 23:04 - Getting hand tools clean and avoiding rust 24:12 - Shipping delays for our fall bulb planting. Where are they!? 25:57 - Saving tender perennials like dahlias, elephant ear, etc and storing for the winter 27:32 - Getting hoses unhooked and drained Odds'n'ends 28:10 - Preparing drip irrigation system for winter 28:48 - Emptying the rain barrel 29:08 - Storing pesticides and winterizing sprayers Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

This week's Good Growing podcast is a Halloween Spooktacular episode. We're all dressed up for Halloween as we discuss soil testing, jumping worms, creepy crawlies moving indoors, how to dispose of pumpkins at the end of Halloween, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/joDWxklnbz4 00:20 - Costume reveals 06:28 - Soil testing 06:55 - Do we lack any nutrients in central Illinois soils? 10:45 - Do we test for nitrogen? 12:11 - Interpreting soil tests 13:32 - Jumping worms 15:15 - How do they spread? 16:24 - What problems do they cause? 18:05 - How do they act and what do they look like? 19:55 - Insects and their friends moving indoors 20:15 - Millipedes 21:40 - Brown marmorated stink bugs 26:10 - Getting rid of brown marmorated stink bugs and multicolored Asian lady beetles 28:26 - How do we keep insects out of the house? 30:22 - What can I do with my pumpkins after Halloween? 35:25 - Wrap-up, thank yous, what's up next week, and goodbye Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Duane Friend's article on acid rain: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/all-about-weather/2021-10-15-rain-and-acid-thats-not-rock-band Duane's how to take a soil test video: https://youtu.be/bv7iocI90os Duane's interpreting a soil test video: https://youtu.be/UK_L6xVAw_A Michigan State University Extension's Understand Your Soil Test Results website: https://homesoiltest.msu.edu/your-results Jumping worm fact sheet: https://go.illinois.edu/jumpingworms2021 SCARCE pumpkin smash: https://www.scarce.org/pumpkins/ -- Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

In this week’s episode of the Good Growing podcast, we chat with Extension Local Foods and Small Farms Educator Doug Gucker about Paw Paw trees. Doug explains to us how to get started with growing paw paws; he even shares the many ways this fruit can be enjoyed! Watch us on YouTube 3:20 Welcome Doug! 5: 27 What is the history of the Paw Paw tree? 8:43 How did you get interested in growing pawpaws? 11:40 What does a home gardener need to know to grow pawpaw and select the right tree? Are there any recommended varieties? Do you need just one tree? Does pollination start in the spring? 16: 58 What type of pests need to be monitored for with pawpaws? 19: 12 When are pawpaws ready to harvest? 23: 40 What about eating the pawpaw? What can and can’t you eat? What’s your favorite way to use pawpaw? 30:09 Is there any special pruning done to reach the fruit? Check out the Good Growing Blog extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

In this week’s episode of the Good Growing podcast, we chat with Extension Local Foods and Small Farms Educator Nick Frillman about garlic. We dive into growing this tasty spice starting right now, in the fall and then we go through the garlic growing season to harvest. We even talk about our favorite types, uses, and how can we select our harvest for replanting for next year’s crop. Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/_T7QYXEcUWg Check out one of Nick’s partner organizations the Illinois Young Farmers Coalition https://www.facebook.com/groups/396398914163736/ 3:33 Hello Nick! 10:38 What planting window do you recommend for people in Illinois? 14:08 What if we don’t get our garlic in the ground this fall? Can it still be planted in the spring? Is it too late to order garlic? 15:47 What are the differences between hardneck and softneck garlic? 18:38 What varieties do we grow? 22:38 What’s best for a vampire deterrent? But seriously does garlic deter mosquitoes? 23:52 What about elephant garlic? 25:57 What do we need to consider for a planting location? Can we interplant? 28:48 Since garlic is planted in the fall do we need to do anything after it’s in the ground? 33:07 Do we need to fertilize the garlic? 36:02 What happens if you don’t remove the garlic scape in June? 39:28 How do you know when garlic is ready for harvest? 41:25 What happens after harvest? Can you just use the garlic right away? 43:18 What’s our favorite way to use garlic? 48:38 What is black garlic? 51:06 Can you save garlic for replanting? How do you select for planting? Check out the Good Growing Blog extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we talk with Commercial Agriculture Educator Elizabeth Wahle about some of her favorite plants. In addition to some of her favorite plants, we discuss her process of selecting plants, how she handles wildlife in her garden, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GMK4U0tKnvk Plants we discuss: Crocus, Cornelian Cherry Dogwood (Cornus mas), Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Hellebore (Helleborus), Dogtooth Violet (Erythronium), Herbaceous Peonies (Paeonia), Kentucky Lady Slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense), Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica), Bee Balm 'Jacob Cline' (Monarda), Purple Coneflower 'Fragrant Angel' (Echinacea purpurea), Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii), Tatarian Aster 'Jin Dai' (Aster tataricus) 02:15 - Welcome Elizabeth 03:53 - Where do you find your plant material and how do you choose what to grow? 08:10 Favorite blooming plants in early spring 09:05 - Crocus 09:20 - Cornelian cherry dogwood 10:05 - Bloodroot 11:00 - Hellebore 12:03 - Do you have problems with wildlife? What do you do about them? 14:58 - When is the best time to plant spring blooming plants? 16:53 - How do you keep your peonies from flopping? 20:15 - Are lady slippers difficult to grow? Any tips? 24:45 - Thoughts on Indian Pink? Does it attract humming birds? 27:23 - Jacob Cline bee balm, whats so special? 29:15 - Fragrant angel coneflower, why did you pick it and does it stay true to form? 32:57 - Bottle gentian has unique flowers, how does it get pollinated? 34:24 - Saffron crocus, do you harvest saffron from yours? 36:10 - Tartarian aster 'Jin Dai' 38:22 - Wrap-up, thank yous, what's up next week, and goodbye Mt. Cuba Center Garden Trials - https://mtcubacenter.org/research/trial-garden/ Chicago Botanic Garden Plant Evaluations - https://www.chicagobotanic.org/collections/ornamental_plant_research/plant_evaluation Check out the Good Growing Blog extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing --- Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

In this week's Good Growing podcast Chris remarks on the observation of dying ash trees and one final landscape use for a dead ash tree. Check out the Good Growing Blog extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing --- Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

In this week's episode of the Good Growing podcast, we talk with Illinois state climatologist Trent Ford. We ask Trent about our weather observations from 2021 starting with the weeks of rain this spring, a humid smokey summer, to the abnormally dry autumns we've seen for the past several years including this one. Trent looks at the data to see how our observations trend with recorded weather patterns and what that means for the overall Illinois climate. Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/4IwiQJPveeA 02:20 Welcome Trent! 06:29 What does being the Illinois State Climatologist entail? 09:19 Knowing the difference between weather and climate 10:40 In Western Illinois, there were several weeks of non-stop rain spring of 2021. Was that significant? 13:00 2021 Drought in Northern Illinois 15:18 How humidity, wind, corn, and smoke from fires out west affected our summer weather. 20:05 How hot was the summer? 21:00 Are autumns getting drier in Illinois? 25:27 Are we losing spring? It seems to go from winter to summer. 29:06 If the days are longest in June why is it hottest in July and August? 29:45 When it comes to informing the public about climate and weather, are there resources or data online that you recommend Illinoisans check? Some helpful resources on this week's topics: National Weather Service https://www.weather.gov/ NOAA Climate at a Glance https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/ Illinois State Climatologist Office https://stateclimatologist.web.illinois.edu/ 2021 Illinois Climate Assessment https://stateclimatologist.web.illinois.edu/illinois-climate-change-assessments/ Check out the Good Growing Blog extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing --- Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we talk with Local Foods and Small Farms Educator Grant McCarty about how things are going in northern Illinois and some of the different crops he's been trying in his garden, like day-neutral strawberries, grapes, and fall-planted blackberries. We also discuss an orchard crawl Grant did, and Ken gives updates on his rice and glass gem corn. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GPLfk0Mavp4 01:35 - Rice and glass gem corn update 03:45 - Welcome Grant 04:35 - Growing conditions this year in northern Illinois 07:18 - What is an orchard crawl? What did you see and do? 10:25 - How are commercial and backyard orchards looking? 13:20 - Growing day-neutral strawberries 20:02 - Growing table and wine grapes 26:40 - Planting blackberries in the fall 30:39 - Thank you, what's up next week, and goodbye Some helpful resources on this week's topics: Iowa State Grape Cultivars - https://www.extension.iastate.edu/viticulture/cold-climate-cultivars Day-Neutral Strawberries in Minnesota - https://extension.umn.edu/strawberry-farming/day-neutral-strawberries Impact of Heat on Vegetables - https://blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu/2021/07/vegetables-not-yielding-well-blame-heat.html Check out the Good Growing Blog extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing --- Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.

On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we talk with Eliana Brown, Water Resources Outreach Specialist, and Layne Knoche, Extension Outreach Associate, about the Red Oak Rain Garden. We go into detail on their process for redesigning the rain garden while remaining sensitive to the site two massive existing trees a red oak and a sycamore. Learn about how they graded the soils so carefully using an air knife to gently expose the tree roots. Learn about Layne’s design inspiration and how he applied his style of design to the site. Eliana and Layne also work on a statewide initiative to teach homeowners how to build their own rain gardens with the Rainscaping program plus they have been publishing guides for different native garden types. Listen and get inspired and then check out the Rainscaping program to learn how to build your very own rain garden. Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/m62-KWJFL0o Red Oak Rain Garden (RORG) Website https://redoakraingarden.org/ RORG Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RainGardenUIUC/photos/?ref=page_internal RORG Twitter https://twitter.com/RainGardenUIUC RORG Instagram https://www.instagram.com/raingardenUIUC/ Rainscaping Education Program https://extension.purdue.edu/rainscaping/ Native Plant Garden Guides – includes woodland, full sun, rain garden, spring ephemerals, and more! https://iiseagrant.org/resources/publications-products/results/?_sft_creator=c-eliana-brown Why a rain garden on campus? At what stage did Eliana bring in Layne to work on the RORG? Layne’s feelings about designing a rain garden on University of Illinois campus Layne’s approach and inspiration to designing the RORG? Does it look different now than you had originally envisioned? What was it like working U of I campus? This likely is a sensitive location near two large trees. When it came to the construction of the rain garden was earthwork involved? Was any special consideration taken for the root system? What type of plant material was sourced? What were your methods for installing? Did all the plants establish easily? Every spring the RORG group does Mulch Madness. Who came up with this amazing idea? What resources do you have for people to design and build their own rain gardens? Check out the Good Growing Blog extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing ___ Any products mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion of these products.

On this week's Good Growing Podcast Illinois Extension horticulture educators Ken Johnson and Chris Enroth talk about designing the pollinator display gardens for the upcoming Farm Progress show (August 31 - Sept 2). Including the struggle with finding late-season blooming plants in the nursery and some of our favorite late-season bloomers. Plus we talk about dividing iris, poorly developed apple fruit, squash bugs, and lilac problems. Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/vNy592LYdO0 Check out Ken's video on dividing iris https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBzSHT9Sc44 I-Pollinate Pollinator Garden Information https://ipollinate.illinois.edu/i-pollinate-research-garden/ Indiana/Illinois Sea Grant Pollinator Garden Brochure https://iiseagrant.org/publications/full_sun_pollinator_garden/ Pollinator Pocket Brochure https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/plantapollinatorpocket_brochure_2021_logo.pdf Katie's Good Growing blog post celebrating national peach month https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2021-08-13-celebrate-national-peach-month Chris' Good Growing blog on lilac problems https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2021-08-05-whats-wrong-my-lilac-summer-foliar-diseases-lilac Join Illinois Extension's Horticulture Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/ILextensionHorticulture

On this week's Good Growing podcast, we talk with horticulture educator Richard Hentschel about fall lawn care. We discuss why fall is a great time to do various activities in our lawns like seeding, fertilizing, and aerating. Plus, we answer some of your lawn questions! Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/QCWX2HzFpY8 03:10 - Lawns are often vilified, what are they good for? 08:05 - Seeding your lawn in the fall 13:00 - Fertilizing your lawn 19:15 - Aeration, what is it and how to do it 23:25 - Dethatching, what is it, and is it necessary? 29:40 - Maintaining lawns without chemicals 36:40 - Growing grass under trees 41:20 - Dealing with moss in lawns 45:40 - Dealing with fall leaves on lawns 50:00 - Lawn Talk website Lawn Talk website - https://web.extension.illinois.edu/lawntalk/index.cfm Check out the Good Growing Blog https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing ___ Any products mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion of these products.

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 hemp? Cannabis? Marijuana? Is this all the same? What is being grown here in Illinois? 7:02 Is it common for a hemp plant to start producing more THC? 8:04 Is growing hemp similar to growing marijuana? 9:04 Is hemp only grown for CBD? What else can you do with hemp? 12:30 How is hemp grown? What are the inputs? 16:04 Does a hemp field need to be inspected? 18:02 What happens if the field develops too high of THC? 19:57 Does Illinois use the USDA threshold for THC delta-9 when growing hemp? 21:11 The word is farmers are spraying their hemp with delta-8. What is that? Is it legal? 25:17 What causes THC to increase in hemp? 27:49 How do you harvest hemp? Who is the buyer? 32:54 Can someone process their own hemp for CBD? 35:29 There are so many wild claims about CBD. Is CBD regulated? How do you know you’re getting what’s listed when buying CBD. 41:33 It seems like the novelty of growing hemp may have worn off in Illinois. Is there still much interest among farmers to grow hemp in Illinois? 44:30 Can you grow hemp in a backyard? What are the base requirements? 46:27 Can hemp be covered under crop insurance? 47:27 Does hemp have any pests? 49:55 What should I do if I find a hemp/marijuana-looking plant in nature? Check out the Good Growing Blog https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing ___ Any products mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion of these products.

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 corn versus field corn? 3:31 What is the "milk stage?" And the different stages of pollination. 5:45 Does sweet corn benefit from pollinators? 6:49 Katie shares how she deals with weeds in sweet corn 9:43 Planting groundcover (cover crops) such as clover under corn 11:24 Should we fertilize once the corn's ears start to form? 13:22 What is corn "lodging?" 15:20 What can be done to ensure good pollination? 16:35 When do you know when sweet corn is ready to pick? 17:25 Can you eat sweet corn raw? 18:15 How do you store sweet corn? 19:33 How can you preserve corn for use in the winter? 20:23 Issues with sweet corn - squirrels 21:17 Issues with sweet corn - Japanese beetles 21:50 Issues with sweet corn - raccoons 24:43 Controlling Japanese beetles 26:00 What is corn earworm and does it ruin the corn ear? 27:30 Corn smut fungus - a delicacy or pest? Read about growing sweet corn on our Good Growing blog https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-05-15-how-grow-sweet-corn ___ Any products mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion of these products.

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 specialty mixes. 12:50 Benefits of soil-free potting mix 14:38 Selecting containers - material (plastic, clay, ceramic) 17:51 Selecting containers - Color 18:39 Some things to know when using fabric containers 20:41 Figuring out pot sizes 23:13 Improving drainage with gravel in the bottom. Does it work? 26:36 Fertilizing containers 30:49 Watering containers ___ Any products mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion of these products.

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 dangerous? 8:34 Can you eat fish from a pond that has an algae bloom? 9:33 What about eating fish from a pond treated with chemicals? 10:35 What is the purpose of aerators on ponds? 11:59 Can you run aerators during the winter? 13:30 What about controlling cattails? Are some plants good for ponds? Is there a difference in managing submerged, floated, and emerged plants? 15:40 Cattle have damaged a dam, which had to be rebuilt. What seed could be planted on pond dams? 17:28 Why does duckweed keep showing up and how can we control it? 19:44 When should someone treat a pond to avoid fish kills? 20:37 Is there a way to prevent pond weeds besides using chemicals? Quick Pond Videos Shoreline Vegetation Mangement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDsHrT4ew7U Dealing with Canada Geese https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyaA3YHntYE Webinars on Ponds Farm Pond Management https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4kQMyFlwgU Planning a Multipurpose Pond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBYXk0N1bqk ___ Any products mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion of these products.

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 to prevent plant diseases 07:30 - Hail damage to plants 09:30 - Why are there so many crop dusters out now 11:20 - Should we remove badly diseased vegetable plants? 12:15 - Can we use produce from a flooded garden? 14:40 - What can we do about standing water in the landscape? 16:30 - Discussing beneficial insects Links for hail damage yield loss http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/Management/L039.aspx https://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/ec128.pdf Check out Ken's post on beneficial insects - Not all bugs are bad: Good bugs in the Garden - https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2021-07-09-not-all-bugs-are-bad-good-bugs-garden --- Want to listen to the podcast? You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377?mt=2 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/good-growing?refid=stpr Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Education-Podcasts/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR

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 Deer eating tomatoes? 5:40 What tomatoes does Ken grow? 7:33 What tomatoes does Chris grow? 8:20 Do we start tomatoes from seed or buy transplants? And why? 9:42 Is it too late to plant tomatoes? 10:40 The unofficial WIU tomato trial using bi-colored tomatoes. Finding a purple and gold tomato. 12:28 How do we trellis and train our tomatoes? 17:40 Tomato care - fertilizer? 18:18 Tomato care - mulch? 21:24 Killing the existing grass - does cardboard work? 23:04 What problems is Ken encountering with his tomatoes? Caterpillars and foliar disease 29:35 Why are tomato leaves curling up? 31:00 What is blossom end rot? Is it a calcium problem or a watering problem? 33:00 Can you harvest unripe tomatoes? 34:47 Why are my tomatoes splitting and cracking? 35:50 How do we preserve or save tomatoes for use after summer? 37:20 What are our favorite types of tomatoes to grow? 39:05 Does determinate stop producing tomatoes? 42:17 Chris' rant of bad restaurant tomatoes during tomato season. Read more about growing tomatoes: How to Grow Tomatoes https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-04-29-how-grow-tomatoes Hornworms on Tomatoes https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-08-07-hornworm-caterpillars-tomatoes Troubles with Tomatoes https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-05-01-troubles-tomatoes Different Types of Tomatoes https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-04-30-different-types-tomatoes ___ Any products mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion of these products.

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 options do those in Illinois have? 6:35 Is solar power the best option for Illinois homes? 9:14 What is a Smart Grid and how do you know if you have a Smart Meter? 15:06 What are some questions you should ask yourself as a homeowner if you are considering getting solar panels? How do you size a solar system? 26:10 Should I cut down large trees that shade my house in order to install solar? 29:20 Can you make money by supplying power to the grid? 34:40 What financial help is available to people considering solar? 39:38 What are some maintenance considerations when dealing with solar panels? 43:00 Why do solar panels need to be switched out every 25 years? 43:52 What options do you have if your home/property is not suitable for solar panels but you still want to support solar energy? 48:32 Do wind turbines kill birds? 50:28 Is there any opportunity for habitat creation in combination with renewable energy? National Renewable Energy Laboratory website - https://www.nrel.gov/ PVWatts Calculator – https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/ Illinois Shines (information about SRECs and community solar) – https://illinoisshines.com/ Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency - https://www.dsireusa.org/ Erin Garrett, Energy & Environment Stewardship Educator [email protected] Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/TrTSPiqgxeo ___ Any products mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion of these products.

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 including some of the wild (and deadly) tomatoes (Solanum sp.). 2:49 What is Sara's favorite kind of fieldwork? 4:25 What brought you to the world of field botany? What is a field botanist? 8:19 Would many of the plant species you study be considered endangered? Or would they be rare occurrences? 10:20 What’s an example of a rare habitat in Illinois? What would be considered the greatest threat to losing these places? 12:46 What's the difference between a sand prairie and a hill prairie in Illinois? 17:14 Mint species in the garden and natural areas What goes into rare plant conservation? What can be done to help protect and possibly expand some of these rare habitats? 26:00 The similarities between Florida and Illinois and how that can inform plant identification. 29:37 Let’s talk field guides. Which ones do you always have in your backpack? 35:24 How do you introduce someone who has no experience in your field to what you do? 38:30 Do you know any good places in Central Illinois? Are there any rare habitats we should be on the lookout for in our area? 42:40 Sara has started a fantastic online magazine (zine). What was the inspiration to begin producing this publication? 47:07 What are some unique vegetables that you grow? Check out Sara's website https://saraannjohnson.wordpress.com/ Download and read her free online magazine Midwest Explorer https://saraannjohnson.wordpress.com/midwest-explorer-blog/ Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/QCfrko7KvpU ___ Any products mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion of these products.

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-planted tree which happens to be Martha’s favorite tree. Martha shares her favorite beech tree cultivars and how they perform in her yard. If you’ve never seen a fern-leaf beech tree, check out that section of the video. Martha is soon to be retired and so to wrap this episode we ask about some of her favorite moments with Extension and tips for us Extension educators who still have awhile to go before we hit retirement. What’s a botanical garden? Is there a difference between that and an arboretum? Does Martha have a favorite botanical garden? Where is a botanical garden in Western Central Illinois? What is Martha’s favorite tree? Why do we hardly see this tree in our part of Illinois? Martha goes into the different types of beech trees in her yard. What is beech leaf disease? Is this a concern in Illinois? Would it be okay to cut down a healthy tree you don’t like to plant one you want? What tree would Martha recommend? Both Katie and Martha love ginkgo trees. Martha shares some of the unique ginkgo trees she has in her yard. With Martha about to retire, we ask her about some memories working with Extension What was your favorite part of the job? Best/ funniest memory? Greatest resource(s) as an Extension educator? Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/BwLRXnVB7J0 ___ Any products mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion of these products.