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Green Side Up

Green Side Up is a gardening program produced by University of Illinois Extension. It is hosted by Richard Hentschel, Extension Educator, Horticulture.
Green Side Up artwork

Latest Episode

About the author/host: Horticulture Educator Richard Hentschel's expertise extends across several subject areas with specialties in lawn care, fruit tree production, woody ornamentals, and home and community gardening.

Finishing Up Feeder Season

Horticulture Educator Richard Hentschel talks about doing some needed maintenance on the bird feeder for the rest of the 2019 feeding season, and ways to deal with the spent hulls underneath the feeder in the lawn and on the patio.

Winter Impact on Your Trees, Plants

Host of Green Side Up Richard Hentschel discusses how very cold winter temperatures affect flower bud survival and what it takes to bring our plants out of dormancy.

Fruit Tree Decisions

Illinois Extension Educator Richard Hentschel discusses several areas when it comes to the home orchard. Tree size, space needed, and pollination requirements are all key to enjoying the home orchard. Home orchards should consider using dwarf or semi-dwarf varieties to save space and allow for...

Breaking the Garden Catalog Code

Green Side Up Host Richard Hentschel talks about gardening catalogs, and explains some of those elusive initials and numbers that follow variety names. All those characters mean good things when it comes to growing those vegetables and flowers, but it is important to know their meanings.

Food Recalls and How to React

Nutrition & Wellness Educator Dru Banks continues to talk food safety with GSU host Richard Hentschel. This time they focus on food recalls and how to handle them.

Food Safety for the Holidays

Nutrition & Wellness Educator Dru Banks joins GSU's Richard Hentschel to discuss food safety tips. They cover preparing, serving and storing meals for large groups and more.

The Power of Winterizing

Richard Hentschel discusses winterizing garden equipment with gasoline engine, corded and battery run garden equipment, plus hand tools and even the lowly garden hose. Doing some preventative maintenance will allow these tools to last a long time and be easier to start next spring.

Family Fun (& Responsibility) - Feeding the Birds

Richard Hentschel discusses a great winter activity for the whole family – feeding the birds. He stresses the need that once you start, don't stop feeding the birds until late spring when nature can once again provide our feathered friends. Specific kinds of seed, as well as feeders, can attract...

Leaves can Benefit the Landscape

Green Side Up Host Richard Hentschel talks more about ways to use fallen leaves from your shade trees, besides composting. He explores the benefits to the soil and plants in the home landscape too.

October To-Do List

Host Richard Hentschel discusses what we can be doing in the yard while the weather lets us in mid-October. Winterizing garden beds, groundcovers, doing some dormant pruning and keeping up with the lawn and fall leaves is a great start in putting the home landscape "to bed."

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