Good Growing

On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we discuss the dry, hot weather we’ve been having recently. We discuss Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford’s recent blog post on the Increased Risk of Drought Conditions in Illinois, providing water to our plants, how you can help monitor drought conditions in your area, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RI4_daRf1O0 Skip to what you want to know: 00:25 – Welcome, Ken, how much have we been watering lately? 02:00 – What has the weather been like and what does the future hold? 03:12 – Trent Ford’s blog post (Increased Risk of Drought Conditions in Illinois) 03:55 – Rainfall in Illinois the past 30 days 04:30 – Multi-sensor Precipitation map (precent of normal rainfall) 07:24 – Soil moisture levels 08:10 – Why should we be concerned about dry, hot weather? 11:30 – Watering the lawn, trees, and other plants and the benefits of mulching 20:20 – Reporting weather conditions 21:00 - National Drought Mitigation Center’s Condition Monitoring Observer Reporting (CMOR) 26:00 – Wrap-up, thank you’s, what’s up next week, and goodbye! Check out Trent Ford’s blog post: https://stateclimatologist.web.illinois.edu/2023/05/23/increased-risk-of-drought-conditions-in-illinois/ The National Drought Mitigation Center’s Condition Monitoring Observer Reporting (CMOR): https://droughtimpacts.unl.edu/Tools/ConditionMonitoringObservations.aspx Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

This week on the Good Growing podcast we sit down with Illinois Extension communications specialist and first-time homeowner Emily Steele and walk through some of the basic To-Dos for a new yard/first-time yard owner. We dive into various topics from what to look for at house showings in the landscape to how to avoid termites and much more! Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/9Q-WiIYGjeM Skip to what you want to know: 0:35 Hey Ken! Summer beards and podcast camera angles 2:48 Welcome Emily, our first-time homeowner! 5:24 Before buying a house, what are some things to look for in the landscape? 9:30 What apps or tips can you use to identify a tree? 12:05 Setting the stage – What type of yard does Emily now have? 12:51 Why should we care about landscaping? What is the value of investing in landscaping? 17:54 How long should we wait before getting plants in the ground and changing the landscaping for new homeowners? 23:24 What about planting fruit trees? Does that need to be done ASAP? 24:26 What are things we can do landscaping-wise to prevent termites? 28:35 Is it essential to call for a utility locate? What do we do with that information? 34:21 For first-time homeowners starting from scratch, what tools should they prioritize getting now? What are some “would be nice to have” tools? Check out our recent garden tools podcast https://go.illinois.edu/GardenTool 41:14 How important is it to check ordinances or HOA guidelines? 44:46 How far away should you plant landscaping from a house? 48:27 Is it good to call in an arborist to evaluate the trees? How do you find a certified arborist? https://www.treesaregood.org/ https://illinoisarborist.org/ 50:39 How do people decide what lawn care is best for them? Plus some lawn care tips! 56:57 No mow lawns – what are they? Will they work in Illinois? University of Minnesota Extension Bee lawns https://extension.umn.edu/landscape-design/planting-and-maintaining-bee-lawn More links mentioned during the show https://go.illinois.edu/GardenHose https://go.illinois.edu/ToolMaintenance https://go.illinois.edu/GardenTool Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we talk with horticulture educator Ryan Pankau about the new University of Illinois Extension pollinator website, Illinois Pollinators. Learn about how this website came together, the information it covers, including different pollinators we find in Illinois, the importance of pollinators, plants pollinators use, pollinator habitat design, community science and education, pollinator research, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/894qscZJthk Skip to what you want to know: 00:35 – Welcome, Ken, and what have we been up to? 02:00 – Welcome, Ryan! 03:00 – Why was this website created? What was the catalyst? Website sections: 06:00 – What are pollinators? 11:00 – Importance of pollinators and what can you do to help them. 14:55 – Plants pollinators use 23:45 – Pollinator habitat design, design suggestions, and starting pollinator habitat 29:40 – No Mow May tangent 32:55 – Community science and education 34:55 – Pollinator research at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 38:15 – Future plans for the website 47:30 – Wrap-up, thank you’s, what’s up next week, and goodbye! Visit the Illinois Pollinators website! https://illinoispollinators.org Contact us! Ryan Pankau: rcpankau@illinois.edu Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

This week Ken and Chris have compiled several homeowner questions all about soil testing. We share lots of resources to help the gardener and landscaper determine the status of their soils and eliminate the guessing game of soil management. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EztIDdWY6Qw Illinois Extension's one-stop website for soils including a list of soil testing labs: https://extension.illinois.edu/soil Check out these videos: How to Take a Soil Sample https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv7iocI90os How to Understand Test Results https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK_L6xVAw_A Skip to what you want to know: Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week's Good Growing Podcast, Ken Johnson talks about what we can do for our spring blooming bulbs to ensure a colorful display again next year. Check out the Good Growing Blog: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud @user-555304573 iTunes podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good…ng/id1446630377 Stitcher www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/…d-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-g…th-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growin…d4302614?country=us Google podcasts bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week’s Good Growing podcast we talk with Illinois Extension local foods educator Nick Frillman about growing gourmet shiitake mushrooms in your own backyard. Nick shows us the tools and methods used to turn fresh cut logs of white oak and sugar maple into inoculated “bolts” that will yield delicious shiitake mushrooms. Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/MuP9exnHmaQ Skip to what you want to know 0:43 Hey Ken! New haircuts; frosty nights; Who likes mushrooms? 3:06 Welcome Nick! 4:30 What are shiitake mushrooms? 6:19 Can anyone grow shiitake mushrooms at home? 7:33 What equipment is necessary to grow mushrooms? -8:04 Low tech -13:25 High tech 18:06 What species of logs do we use for growing shiitake? 21:07 Is there a benefit to using plug spawn vs. sawdust spawn? And what’s the techniques for drilling and inoculating? 24:17 Do they sell adapters for angle grinders if you already have one? 24:52 Where do you keep your inoculated log (bolt) to grow mushrooms? 29:49 Do you need to seal the ends of the logs? 34:06 How do you stack multiple logs? 36:12 How do we harvest the mushrooms? 42:00 How long do the mushroom logs last? 44:42 What does a shiitake mushroom look like? 46:20 What does a mushroom bolt look like? 51:30 Where do we find mushroom growing supplies? More resources Cornell Extension Mushroom Resources https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/projects/mushrooms/ Shiitake Mushroom Log-Growing Guide – Vermont Extension https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/ShiitakeGuide.pdf Grow your favorite fungus at home: How to cultivate shiitake mushrooms https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/flowers-fruits-and-frass/2023-03-31-grow-your-favorite-fungus-home-how-cultivate-shiitake Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Nick Frillman: frillma2@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week’s Good Growing podcast, we have a discussion about garden tools and gadgets. Learn about what we should be doing to get our tools ready for use this spring, some of our favorite garden tools, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GXD12sUiI8w Skip to what you want to know: 00:25 – Welcome, Ken, and what have we been up to in the garden? 02:15 – Don’t put your tomatoes out yet! 03:10 – Gardening needs patience 04:10 – What should we do to get our tools ready for the gardening season? 07:58 – Anything we should be doing for tools with small engines like lawnmowers? 11:10 – Sharpening lawnmower blades 12:45 – Make sure you put your tools away 14:40 – Some of our favorite tools 15:00 – hori-hori 17:50 – hand pruners 21:50 – knives 22:50 – folding saw and reciprocating saw 24:25 – weeding and cultivating in the garden 25:00 – stirrup/scuffle hoe 26:10 – collinear hoe 27:04 – keeping up with weeding 30:15 – Rotary cultivator and hoes 32:05 – wire weeder 33:35 – What are the bare minimum tools you need for a garden? 36:25 – Wrap-up, thank you’s, what’s up next week, and goodbye! Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

This week on the Good Growing podcast we dive into the world of soil and compost. Ken and Chris answer your questions asked by actual home gardeners. Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/KR9CLt2izW4 Skip to what you want to know: Hey Ken! Spring, weather, and our new intro music Amending Soil Questions -3:09 Can you recommend a user-friendly home soil test for me to buy that will guide me through the amendment process? -6:33 How to amend heavy clay soil? -8:29 What kind of sand is best to add to a small garden? -9:41 When is the best time to add manure or other fertilizers? -12:15 How deeply should we mix in organic matter like manure? -13:26 Is it harmful to have too much organic matter? Like over 5%? -15:00 Are coffee grounds good to put in the garden, if so, how much? -17:20 Is Calcium from eggshells is that a good source and how to make it readily available? Composting -18:29 Can I put kitchen scraps directly into the garden, or does it need to sit in a composter for a little while before it goes into the garden? -20:35 How long do you compost table scraps in leaves before introducing them to garden soil? Old potting soil -21:48 What do you do with the used soil from pots? -24:39 Perlite is often used as a soil medium in transplant containers. But since it is not biodegradable, is this bad for our garden soil? -26:24 Can you plant directing in the bags that soil comes in?? -29:29 Should we bother with cover crops in raised beds/container gardens? Soil Testing video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv7iocI90os Illinois Extension Soil Testing website https://extension.illinois.edu/soil/soil-testing Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

Do certain plants grow better together? While the research may be out for many claims of companion planting, some tried and true methods of vegetable garden plant combinations have worked for generations. Listen as local foods educator Nick Frillman gives some background on companion planting. Contact us! Nick Frillman: frillma2@illinois.edu Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud @user-555304573 iTunes podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good…ng/id1446630377 Stitcher www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/…d-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-g…th-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growin…d4302614?country=us Google podcasts bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week’s Good Growing podcast, Chris and Ken sit down to go through some more spring gardening questions about seed starting, planting outdoors, planting in pots, and more! Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iWCVq7QALCE Skip to what you want to know: 00:30 – Welcome Ken, and be on the lookout for Callery pear and honeysuckle 02:05 – Why is Chris sad? 04:09 – How many seeds per cell do you recommend for vegetable plants to get seed starts? 08:25 – Thinning seedlings 09:50 - Do we need any special lights for seed starting? 13:50 - Are there any fruits or vegetables that you should not plant close to each other? Or in the place of something else was grown somewhere last season? 17:50 - How should plants be planted in Illinois? Should the rows run North to South or East to West? 20:15 - How do we prepare soil in pots for the next year? 23:50 - What should we put in pots? Can I dig up soil from my garden and put it in the pot? 27:50 - Should we be testing our container/potting soil? 29:57 - Wrap-up, thank you’s, what’s up next week, and goodbye! Greenhouse Media Testing: https://extension.illinois.edu/soil/greenhouse-media-testing University of Illinois Extension Soils page: https://extension.illinois.edu/soil Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

Never be without a vase full of flowers after listening to this episode of the Good Growing podcast. This week Ken and Chris chat with Chris Lueking, Illinois Extension horticulture educator, and owner of her own successful cut flower farm. Chris describes how she got started, things to consider when growing cut flowers, her top five go-to cut flowers, and more! Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/lYpBehI4Tqg 0:26 - Hey Ken 3:20 - Introducing Chris Lueking! 4:20 - How did Chris get started in farming cut flowers? 6:45 - Talking the EQIP loan to get farm resources and conservation planning through NRCS 9:32 - What equipment or special considerations do we need when starting a cut flower farm? 15:17 - What cut flowers does Chris grow outside and what does she grow in the high tunnel? 16:14 - How late can you produce cut flowers? All the way into the winter? 17:25 - What are Chris' 5 favorite cut flowers? 17:55 - Zinnia 19:03 - Sunflowers 20:05 - Cosmos 20:50 - Gomphrena 21:30 - Celosia 22:35 - How does Chris start her seeds for cut flowers? 24:07 - Tips on how to handle pests and spraying pesticides in cut flowers production 28:19 - What's happening right now in the cut flower garden? (March 22, 2023) 31:19 - What foliage plants does Chris grow? 33:32 - Growing eucalyptus in Illinois 37:31 - Experimenting with weird stuff like tea, cotton, and tobacco 38:58 - Is Chris trying anything new for 2023? Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week’s Good Growing podcast Chris and Ken sit down to go through our piles of early spring gardening questions about frost dates, seed starting, and more. Plus, we warn our listeners and viewers to be careful when getting out into the garden too soon! Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/kDjPF-UYDKQ Skip to what you want to know: 00:36 – Hey Ken, what’s going on in our gardens? 1:56 - We may not be done with winter just yet. Remembering spring snow in April 2022 3:39 - What the difference between frost free and average last frost dates? 7:08 – Are Farmer's Almanac dates good to go by or not? 8:55 - Does the planting date differ depending on whether you plant seeds or a small plant? 10:49 - When starting seeds indoors, should grow lights be turned on as soon as the seeds are planted or not until they sprout? Would window light be enough for germination? 14:22 - Confused by planting depth, twice the width? If the seed was shaped like a coin, what is the width? 15:37 – Thank you and what’s coming up next week Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week's Good Growing Podcast, Ken Johnson talks about growing asparagus, including what type you should grow, how to plant, weed control, and fertilizing and harvesting. Check out the Good Growing Blog: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud @user-555304573 iTunes podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good…ng/id1446630377 Stitcher www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/…d-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-g…th-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growin…d4302614?country=us Google podcasts bit.ly/3AiYjTD

This week Nick Frillman takes us on a journey of our local foods system through his very own kitchen and a single loaf of bread. Listen in to learn how you can support a local food system with your food dollars.

On this week's Good Growing podcast, we welcome back horticulture educator Emily Swihart to finally talk about sunflowers! We discuss the history of sunflowers, some of their benefits to the environment and bees, what sunflowers we’ll be growing this year, and more. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YLlwBnHp4qA Skip to what you want to know: 00:40 – Welcome Ken, and why isn’t Chris in Macomb? 01:45 – Welcome Emily 02:45 – An overview of sunflowers 04:00 – Sunflowers as food and a quick history of sunflowers 11:19 – Sunflower pollen benefits for bumble bees 12:50 – Effectiveness of honey bees and bumble bees on sunflowers 14:00 – Sunflowers as hyper accumulators (heavy metals) 17:45 – What do we need to think about when growing sunflowers? 22:20 – Do you grow sunflowers for cut flowers? 24:23 – What sunflowers were we growing at the Lukeman Garden and Education Center in Jacksonville? 25:40 – What sunflowers will Emily be growing in 2023? 26:45 – Sunrich Summer Provence 27:55 – ProCut White Nite and ProCut White Lite 29:25 – What sunflowers will Ken be growing in 2023? 30:55 – Short - Sunray yellow 31:11 – Medium – Soluna lemon, Gold & Silver, Italian white, Lemon queen, Evening sun, Seneca 32:23 – Giant - Arikara and Kong 34:00 – What site conditions do sunflowers need? Fertilizer? How to plant and dealing with critters 39:50 – More sunflowers Emily is growing in 2023 40:30 – Starburst Greenburst 41:30 – Goldy Double 42:40 – Strawberry blonde 43:20 – ProCut Plum 43:40 - Shock-O-Lat 44:15 – SunFil Purple 45:30 – Hopi black dye 47:13 – Are there fragrant sunflowers? 48:58 – Sunflowers are heliotropic 50:12 – Where is Chris planting sunflowers this year? 50:40 – A few problems in sunflowers 52:38 – Wrap-up, thank you’s, what’s up next week, and goodbye! What new vegetables are we growing in 2023 - https://youtu.be/hww7vEXP3_0 What new flowers are we growing in 2023 - https://youtu.be/q_HGNwhTvqE Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Emily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week's Good Growing podcast, we welcome horticulture educator Emily Swihart to share the new and strange seed we have ordered for our flower gardens for the 2023 growing season. We tease talking about sunflowers for the yard, but we don't get to them this week. So, look for that episode next week (we promise!). Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/q_HGNwhTvqE Skip to what you want to know: 00:35 – Welcome Ken, and has Chris bought his seeds? 01:08 – What seeds has Ken started? 01:55 – Welcome Emily, has she started seeds? 02:25 – Has Chris been keeping up with his New Year’s Resolution? What are we growing this year? 04:05 – Ken – Cupid’s dart 05:50 – Emily – Calendula 09:40 – Chris – Sedges 14:40 – Poppies and flowering tobacco 17:25 – Emily – Snapdragons and supporting cut flowers 22:45 – Chris – Mayapple 25:40 – Ken – African daisy, Hibiscus, Cardinal climber, Stock 27:52 – Emily – Strawflower, Gomphrena 31:10 – Weird-shaped flowers, Amaranth and Celosia 33:16 – Chris – Rudbeckia 'American Gold Rush' (Black-eyed Susan) 36:12 – Ken – Cotton, snapdragon, cosmos, zinnia, sunflower, and more 38:06 – saving zinnia seeds 39:15 – Emily’s zinnias 39:55 – Cosmos 41:55 – Emily – Mrs. Burns' Lemon basil and ageratum 43:35 – Chris – Lungwort 45:38 – Chris - Lipstick Blonde Hosta 47:55 – Asking questions about our gardens 48:33 – Wrap-up, thank yous, and good bye! Stay tuned for our show where we talk about sunflowers for 2023. What new vegetables are we growing in 2023 - https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573/new-veggies-for-2023-goodgrowing Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Emily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week's Good Growing podcast, we welcome horticulture educator Emily Swihart to share the new and strange seed we have ordered for our vegetable gardens for the 2023 growing season. Plus, Chris has a monumental task of narrowing down his list of shade trees to only one for his front yard. We tease talking about sunflowers and ornamentals for the yard, but we don't get to them this week. So look for that episode next week. Watch us on YouTube! https://youtu.be/hww7vEXP3_0 Skip to what you want to know: 0:20 Hey Ken 1:20 Welcome Emily - lamenting on the warm winter weather (mud) 2:11 Ken taps his silver maple for maple syrup 3:27 What are we growing this year? 4:30 Ken - Shiso 6:40 Emily - Porcelain Doll Pumpkin 8:51 Chris - German Butterball Potato 11:21 Ken - Cardoon 12:39 Emily - Heirloom Tomato Collection (Brandywine, Striped German, Cherokee purple, Amish paste) plus a hybrid slicer tomato (Mountain Merit) 16:16 Chris - Sikkim Cucumber 18:40 Ken - Parsnip, and lots of different lettuce types - red iceberg, Blackhawk, Red Sails, Continuity, Devil's Tongue, Deer Tongue, Drunken Woman Frizzy 20:48 Emily - Chamomile and celery (Kelvin) 23:39 Chris - Poblano peppers (Trident and Capitan) and Chris' rant about green peppers 26:03 Ken - Corn (Hooker's Sweet, Painted Mountain, Painted Hill, Silverqueen - for the corn smut) 29:39 Emily - Artisan tomatoes (Blush, Gold Nugget, Indigo Cherry Drops) 31:27 Chris' shade tree decision to replace an ash tree (Black gum, Kentucky Coffeetree, hackberry, or tulip poplar?) 40:12 Thank yous and so long! Stay tuned for our show where we select flowering and ornamental plants for 2023. Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Emily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

This week on the Good Growing podcast, we finish our conversation on growing ginger, turmeric, and galangal. Last week we got through pre-sprouting indoors, this episode we dive into getting your sprouted rhizomes planted, growing, and then harvested. We take you through a growing season with these tropical spices in Illinois. Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/mGrZgSxOXJk Skip to what you want to know: 0:44 Hey Ken! 1:26 Hey Nick! 1:48 Recapping last week 2:40 Planting sprouted rhizomes – What does fertility look like when presprouting for so long? 5:50 Preparing beds for planting in the ground in a caterpillar tunnel; digging a trench, fertility, compost, spacing, mulch 8:27 Watering with drip irrigation (or Kitty litter buckets in Ken’s case) 10:10 What role does fertility play in developing rhizomes? Any fertilizer recommendations? 14:04 Fertilizing during the growing season and hilling ginger (turmeric and galangal are not hilled) 17:34 Does planting depth impact hilling? 20:20 What type of timeline are we talking about for growing a harvestable rhizome? 23:40 Reminder when to start presprouting. 24:56 Managing temperature: If we can’t build a high tunnel in the backyard, what are the season extension options for home gardeners? 30:05 What does the harvest and processing look like for these three crops? 35:48 What are some marketplaces that ginger, turmeric, and galangal growers are selling? 39:52 How do we use these crops in our kitchens? 42:10 Growers and consumers take our ginger, turmeric, and galangal survey at go.illinois.edu/ginger 43:00 Growing tropical spices in Illinois can help in many different ways. 44:36 Thanks and Goodbyes! How to build a low tunnel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nln3DVuwQXY Take the ginger survey! https://go.illinois.edu/ginger Presprouting ginger video: https://youtu.be/aGNlrOF9J3Y Growing and Harvesting Ginger in Illinois https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzp0xMacTf8 Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Nick Frillman: frillma2@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we have the long-awaited, often teased episode on growing ginger, turmeric, and galangal in Illinois! We discuss what they are, why you may want to grow them, where to grow them, presprouting, and more. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1V121FzkJus Skip to what you want to know: 00:40 – Welcome Ken and Nick 02:05 – Why would I want to grow ginger, turmeric, and/or galangal? 05:50 – What are the monetary and other incentives for growing these spices? 11:00 – What plant family do these spices belong to? What are the disease implications of this? 18:50 – How do turmeric and galangal compare to growing tomatoes and cucumbers in high tunnels? 21:30 – What are turmeric and galangal? How are they used? 26:40 – Is there a market for turmeric and galangal? 30:00 – Where do I get ginger, turmeric, and galangal seeds? How do I know if a company is reputable? 34:45 – Live plants and growing seed stock 36:55 – What is the germination process for ginger, turmeric, and galangal? 45:46 – wrap-up, take the survey, what’s up next week, and goodbye! Take the ginger survey! https://go.illinois.edu/ginger Presprouting ginger video: https://youtu.be/aGNlrOF9J3Y Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Nick Frillman: frillma2@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

On this week's Good Growing podcast, we look back at 2022 to review what went well in our vegetable gardens, and also some lessons learned from the struggles of growing food in Illinois. From annoying critters to the beauty provided by some of our edible crops we cover it all. Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/cmDVlZ00ecU Skip to what you want to know: 0:37 Hey Ken! 1:21 Our year in review of the 2022 garden 2:02 Types of poblanos Chris tried in 2022 2:43 Raccoons had different ideas about the poblanos and how we handled them 4:09 Ken's artichoke adventures - delicious and pretty 6:53 Chris' Caracas Carrots - still in the ground for winter harvest and works well in heavier soils 9:02 Ken grows lovely dryland rice...and then the birds showed up 10:39 Tomato talk (and Chris continues to vent about the raccoons) 14:10 Sweet corn struggles and a fertilizer experiment (not an official experiment or recommendation) 19:20 Homegrown celery, not your normal grocery store celery 21:37 Drunken Woman Frizzy head lettuce - goes to show good names sell seed 23:12 Growing a monster Jarrahdale pumpkin vine, with only one pumpkin. Plus dealing with squash bugs and squash vine borer. (and pretty pictures of squash vine borer) 27:23 Ken's cotton - attractive, unusual, and susceptible to lawn herbicides 31:56 Maypop (Passion flower) - a native fruit with wonderful flowers and attractive to carpenter bees. Beware it does spread! 33:49 Carpenter bees pollinating Maypop flower 34:22 Thank yous! 35:35 Coming up next week and goodbye! Jeff Gillman's article on using urine as fertilizer https://gardenprofessors.com/want-an-organic-source-of-nitrogen-that-isnt-shipped-from-halfway-across-the-world-urine-luck/ A fun (and informative) video from Jeff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR2Qu_RZmT8 Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD