Showing results by author "Mike McGrath" in All Categories

Do you want to replace your dying summer container plants with something beautiful that will survive the winter? Jeff Jabco, Director of Grounds and Coordinator of Horticulture for the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College in Philadelphia has been teaching workshops on winter container gardening. He will suggest plants that can survive the winter from the frozen North to the milder South, and give advice on what kind of soil mixture and containers to use.

All the leaves necessary to make great compost come down just as temperatures begin to fall as well - which stops or slows the composting process. Is it possible to keep your compost cooking during the winter? Mike McGrath will discuss winter composting, and explain how to get through the cold season without losing any composting opportunities.

Do you want to replace your dying summer container plants with something beautiful that will survive the winter? Jeff Jabco, director of grounds and coordinator of horticulture for the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College in Philadelphia, has been teaching workshops on winter container gardening. He will suggest plants that can survive the winter from the frozen North to the milder South and give advice on what kind of soil mixture and containers to use.

Do you fear the bite of the "deadly" and mysterious brown recluse spider? Relax. They're not the monsters people make them out to be. Mike McGrath will discuss reassuring research about the habits of these spiders, and explore the positive role all spiders play in our lives.

Do you know if your summer blooming bulbs need to be protected, and when it's safe to plant spring bloomers where you live? Bulb-man-for-all-seasons Brent Heath of Brent and Becky's Bulbs joins us to reveal the answers, and name the bulbs that critters won't touch. Later on the show: Did dread disease take down your tomatoes? Mike McGrath will discuss the possible causes of yellowed leaves, and how to prevent tomato problems in the future.

Virtually invisible thrips are as small as the period at the end of a sentence, but can cause big problems for your poor plants. Mike McGrath will tell you how to trick them into showing themselves and how to call beneficial insects, like pirate bugs, to the rescue.

The experts will tell gardeners that earwigs are mostly harmless creatures that often take the blame for damage caused by slugs and other pests. But our listeners disagree loudly, saying that earwigs are eating their plants to the ground. Mike McGrath will present a dozen ways to keep earwig numbers low in your landscape and inside your home.

Tired of seeing your prized plants perish when frost comes calling? Mike McGrath will reveal his favorite gardening trick: bringing peppers, begonias, and impatiens inside for the winter. You can enjoy good eating and beautiful color through the cold season, and start out with nice, big plants next spring. He'll also explain which herbs can over-winter outside in which garden zones, and which ones have to come inside.

The grubs that are in lawns and gardens now are poised to become armored adults that will terrorize plants. Mike McGrath will explain how to stop those grubs before they get their wings; and how to deter any flying defoliators that escape your tender attentions. Plus: Common Sense Pest Control expert Bill Quarles joins us to discuss some great weapons in the war on fire ants, carpenter ants, and just plain ants! Bill Quarles is the director of the Bio-Integral Resource Center in Berkeley, California.

Don't let anything get between you and your love apple harvest this season. Mike McGrath will tackle tomato troubles during this week's Question of the Week: are flowers falling off instead of forming fruits? Are your plants wilting during the day, but recovering at night?

Are you looking to brighten up your house with some ravishing tropical plants? House plant expert Ellen Zachos joins us to talk about colorful tropical beauties that are not difficult to care for. Her new book is Tempting Tropicals: 175 Irresistible Indoor Plants. During the Question of the Week, Mike will discuss pruning summer-blooming plants. He'll go over the easy but terrifying advice for butterflybush, and more.

Wisteria can often be the vine of disappointment when it comes to blooming. Some of our listeners tell us about wisteria plants they have had for decades that have grown big and tall, but have never bloomed. Mike McGrath will explain how to get these stubborn beauties to bloom, and how to keep their vigorous growth under control.

All gardeners love the idea of companion planting. Do roses really love garlic? Do marigolds really protect nearby plants from pests? No. But there are garden combinations that do work, and some have been proven in scientific studies. Mike McGrath will reveal them all when we take a close look at plants that make great neighbors.

Paul Tukey, author of the brand new Organic Lawn Care Manual joins us to discuss how and why he became an organic lawn care expert after years of spreading chemicals on people's landscapes. During the question of the week, Mike McGrath will issue his annual warning that those popular wood mulches can kill your plants and stain your home - and now comes news that they can catch fire as well! He'll explain which mulches prevent weeds just as well as wood without any of the risks.

Having trouble getting rhododendrons, lilacs, and dogwoods to flower the way they should? Mike McGrath will discuss the causes of feeble flowers, and explain how you can boost your blooming bounty. Plus: A side-effect of using garden chemicals that will have all the men out there canceling their Chem-Lawn contracts on the spot.

How many times have you seen an interesting looking bug and wondered if it was friend or foe? We'll discuss a great new way to find out, when we interview Arthur Evans, the author of the brand-new National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America.

Having trouble getting rhododendrons, lilacs, and dogwoods to flower the way they should? Mike McGrath will discuss the causes of feeble flowers and explain how you can boost your blooming bounty. Plus: a side-effect of using garden chemicals that will have all the men out there canceling their chemical lawn care contracts on the spot.

Put down those pruners and don't touch them again until after Mike McGrath's interview with pruning guru Lee Reich! Reich has written several books - among them The Pruning Book. He'll explain when to prune what, and how much! Later, during the question of the week: watering your garden at the wrong time of day can insure that dread diseases take their toll on your poor plants, and watering too often virtually guarantees a weed-filled lawn.

The single most important thing you can do to insure a healthy, productive garden is to make compost for your soil. But should you include things like weeds, wood ash, and droppings from small herbivores in that pile? Mike McGrath will reveal exactly what seemingly worthless waste you can safely turn into glorious garden gold!

Are you worried that the recent decline in honeybee numbers means your posies won't be properly pollinated this season? Don't "bee"! Most garden pollination is performed by native bees, like the ones nesting in lawns right now! They are harmless creatures but often scare gardeners because of their size or seemingly aggressive behavior. Mike McGrath will tell you how to attract and protect these priceless pollinators and keep them happy.