Good Growing

Many of us skipped planting trees this spring to avoid damage from periodical cicadas. But now that we’re approaching fall, we have an opportunity to plant some trees. Our Gardenbite this week goes b…

Have you been having problems in your garden this year? We certainly have! On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we discuss some of the most common problems we’ve been seeing in gardens so far this ye…

This week on the Good Growing podcast, Ken and Chris sift through a survey that asks homeowners about water-saving products that can be used during water restrictions. The duo go down the list of pro…

While we tend to focus on the positives of plants, not all plants work well in all gardens or for all gardens. Whether they are too aggressive, require too much time and maintenance, or we just don’t…

Our Gardenbite for this week goes back to 2021 where Ken and Katie answered all of Chris' sweet corn growing questions. Right now we are starting to see sweet corn getting ready to pick in Illinois. …

Each year we at Good Growing decide to try growing some new (to us) vegetables. This year we want to invite you to grow along with us. This video is for those who signed up to receive seed for our Gr…

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 cater…

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 l…

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 ou…

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 mig…

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 wi…

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 m…

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 h…

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…

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…

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 pla…

Do you enjoy spending your evenings outdoors? On this week’s Good Growing Podcast, we talk about how you can create a garden to be enjoyed at night. Learn about night-blooming plants that can be inco…

This week on the Good Growing Podcast we rewind back to when we sat down in person with Duane Friend to discuss pond management. For this Gardenbite episode, we look specifically at aerators in ponds…

Have you had problems with bagworms in your landscape? Bagworms are troublesome insects that can make evergreens and other plants rather unsightly. Learn about the lifecycle of bagworms and how we ca…

This week on the Good Growing Podcast Ken and Chris talk about perennial vegetables that we can grow here in Illinois. Many of the preparation and care instructions match with each crop and we descri…