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College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences Illinois Extension

Good Growing

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

Welcome to another episode of the Good Growing podcast! Join horticulture educators Chris Enroth and Ken Johnson as they dive into the fascinating world of spring ephemerals. These early bloomers emerge before trees leaf out, adding blooms to the landscape after winter's dormancy.

Gardenbite: What's the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?

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/...

Ep. 90 Good Growing Winter Webinar Series Promotion #goodgrowing

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...

Ep. 89 Fall Garden Cleanup Tips #GoodGrowing

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...

Ep. 88 Halloween Spooktacular #GoodGrowing

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:...

Ep. 87 Growing Paw Paws with Doug Gucker #goodgrowing

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...

Ep. 86 Growing Garlic with Nick Frillman #goodgrowing

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...

Ep. 85 Favorite flowering plants with Elizabeth Wahle #GoodGrowing

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...

Gardenbites: Emerald ash borer and a final use for ash trees

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...

Ep. 84 Illinois weather and climate with Trent Ford #GoodGrowing

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...

Ep. 83 Fall garden updates with Grant McCarty #goodgrowing

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...
College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences Illinois Extension

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