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Good Growing

Talking all things horticulture, ecology, and design.
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Latest Episode

This week, we have a Gardenbite excerpt from our webinar, in which we discussed wildlife damage in the home landscape. In this clip, Chris details two common rodents in Illinois that tend to pop up in the winter months around the outside and inside of our homes: the vole and the mouse.

Gardenbite: Good snakes for the garden & how to attract them

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...

Gardenbite - Avoiding insect bites

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/...

Ep. 107 Talking All About Illinois Extension with Judy Bingman | #GoodGrowing

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...

Ep. 106 Talking Spring Lawn Care and Organic Practices with Richard Hentschel | #GoodGrowing

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,...

Ep. 105 Climate change and insects with Kacie Athey | Good Growing

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,...

Ep. 104 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Insects with Dr. Kacie Athey

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...

Ep. 103 Talking Bats in Illinois with Dr. Joy O'Keefe | #GoodGrowing

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...

Gardenbite - Spring garden cleanup and beneficial insects

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...

Ep. 102 The Historical Significance of Plant Diseases with Chelsea Harbach #GoodGrowing

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...

Gardenbite - Rubber Mulch in the Landscape

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...