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.
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Gardenbite: More than monarchs: Insects on milkweed | #GoodGrowing

Milkweeds have become a popular garden plant in the last several years. They are most commonly planted to help support monarch butterflies because milkweeds are the sole food source for monarch caterpillars. If you’ve ever gone out to check your milkweed plants for monarch caterpillars, you...
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Ep. 178 Tomatoes to Ticks and Beyond: Early Summer Garden Q & A | #GoodGrowing

This week on the Good Growing podcast Ken and Chris answer early summer gardening questions. From landscapes and lawns to tomatoes and ticks, we share recent questions we have been getting into our local Extension offices. 

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CFPmxJvc_kk

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Ep. 177 Getting your garden ready for vacation | #GoodGrowing

Have you ever gone on vacation only to come back to an out-of-control landscape or, even worse, dead plants? Check out this week’s Good Growing Podcast to learn about some steps we can take to get our landscapes ready for when we’re on vacation. 
 
Watch us on...
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Gardenbite: Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes, Cause and PREVENTION | #GoodGrowing

This week on the Good Growing podcast we bring you a short gardenbite explaining what causes blossom end rot and why throwing eggshells in the planting hole at the beginning of the growing season might not be doing anything to help. Nick Frillman talks about calcium, tomatoes, and the best...

Ep. 176 Native Grasses in the Prairie and Your Yard | #GoodGrowing

This week on the Good Growing podcast Ken and Chris chat with Erin Garrett about native grasses and how to use them in our landscapes. Erin is a Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment educator with University of Illinois Extension who is a wealth of knowledge on native grasses and all...

Ep. 175 Eating periodical cicadas | #GoodGrowing

Are you an adventurous eater or interested in eating insects? You’re in luck! Many places in Illinois are awash in periodical cicadas, and while we usually think of them as food for birds and small mammals, humans can eat them too. Check out this week’s Good Growing Podcast to learn how you...
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Ep. 174 Monarch Butterfly Science w/ Dr. Andy Davis | #GoodGrowing

This week on the Good Growing podcast we learn about monarch butterfly science from a leading scientist in the field of monarch butterflies, Dr. Andy Davis from University of Georgia. We learn some hard truths and ask do the monarch butterflies really need to be saved? What roles should humans...

Ep. 173 Answering Common Lawn Questions | #GoodGrowing

This week on the Good Growing podcast Ken and Chris look at some common lawncare questions. What can you do about growing grass in the shade? Does crabgrass preventer go down when the forsythia bloom? And more!

Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/ZM0sWiPKlTs

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Ep. 172 Growing fruit in containers | #GoodGrowing

Do you want to grow your own fruit but have limited space? Growing fruit in a container may be the solution for you! On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we welcome back Bruce Black to talk about how we can grow fruit in containers, what fruit works best in containers, and more. 
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Ep. 171 Periodical Cicada Preparation, Protecting our baby trees! | #GoodGrowing

This week on the Good Growing Podcast Ken has to work hard to contain his excitement for the upcoming periodical cicada emergence. Meanwhile, Chris has been building defenses to protect his newly planted baby trees. What do you need to know about the upcoming emergence of periodical cicadas?...
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College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences Illinois Extension

101 Mumford Hall (MC-710)

1301 W. Gregory Dr.

Urbana, IL 61801

Email: extension@illinois.edu

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