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Good Growing

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

May 3, 2024
Do you want to grow your own fruit but have limited space? Growing fruit in a container may be the solution for you!

Ep. 150 What's up with 2023 weather & what to expect for the winter | #GoodGrowing

September 29, 2023
This week on the Good Growing Podcast, Chris and Ken chat with state climatologist, Dr. Trent Ford. During the episode, we chat about what’s up with the weather for 2023. Soils are dry across Illinois. Is there any relief in sight? Will El Nino play a role in our weather this winter? Will it...

Ep. 149 All About Mulch: Lay it on thick and keep it chunky | #GoodGrowing

September 22, 2023
On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we welcome Emily Swihart back to talk about mulch! Learn about what mulch is, what it’s good for, what mulches we should avoid using, and why our mulch should be thick and chunky. We also dispel some common misconceptions about mulch.
 
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Gardenbite: Moving houseplants indoors and overwinter care | #GoodGrowing

September 15, 2023
Now that night temperatures are starting to cool,  it’s time to start thinking about bringing houseplants back indoors for the winter. On this week's Good Growing Podcast, Ken Johnson discusses some steps we can take to successfully transition our houseplants indoors, as well as some tips on...

Gardenbite: Three tips for a healthier lawn | #GoodGrowing

September 8, 2023
This week on the Good Growing podcast Chris shares a Gardenbite of when retired horticulture educator Richard Hentschel visited the show in 2021 to talk about fall lawn care. During the show, Richard spoke about three things we could all do to reduce our lawn inputs. 

Want to see or...

Gardenbite- Soil testing: Give your soil a check-up this fall | #GoodGrowing

September 1, 2023
Fall is almost here! On this week's Good Growing Podcast, Ken talks about something we should add to our to-do list for this fall: conducting a soil test. 

Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu
Ken Johnson:...

Ep. 148 Answering more of your summer garden questions | #GoodGrowing

August 24, 2023
On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we are answering more of your questions. We discuss the new invasive hornet that has been found in Georgia, coca mulch and worms in ponds, tree roots affecting building foundations, apple fruit rots, and more!
 
Watch us on YouTube:...

Ep. 147 More than just mums: Fall blooming plants for the garden | #GoodGrowing

August 11, 2023
On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we discuss fall-blooming plants. While we typically reach for mums, there are a lot of other plants we can use in our landscapes for an end-of-season flower show! 
 
Watch us on YouTube: https://...

Ep. 146 Time to start fall garden crops | #GoodGrowing

August 4, 2023
It may be hot out there, but fall gardening has already started in Illinois. This week on the Good Growing Podcast Ken and Chris share how the summer veggies faired and then describe their plans for fall crops. Learn about what you can get started in August for harvest in October and even into...

Ep. 145 Preparing newly planted trees for success and periodical cicadas | #GoodGrowing

July 27, 2023
On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we discuss newly planted trees. How to pick them, take care of them, and get them ready for something we haven’t seen since 1803! 
 
Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kFzOs7a3TCo 
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Ep. 144 Derechos & Tree Damage | #GoodGrowing

July 20, 2023
This week on the Good Growing podcast we relive the recent derecho with horticulture educator Emily Swihart. Emily and Chris swap stories about their experiences with past and present derechos. But what does all this wind do to our trees? We talk about cleaning up our trees after severe...