Showing results by author "Mike McGrath" in All Categories

It's time for Fall planting, and Mike McGrath will explain which plants do best in the cooler months. Plant garlic cloves now and harvest big fat bulbs next Spring; plant pansies now and get months of cool-season color, and edible flowers that fight varicose veins. It's also the perfect time to plant trees and shrubs. You might find great deals at your local nursery!

The horrific hornworm is the number one pest of tomato plants; this gigantic caterpillar can consume a Big Boy almost overnight! Mike McGrath will reveal how to stop the pest in its pupa, he'll suggest companion plants that can protect your tomatoes, and reveal the organic control that dispatches the beast without any risk to you or the environment. We'll also hear about some good news for gardeners happening in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Are bees buzzing around in your landscape, scaring you and your family? Or are they boring holes into your house and other structures? Mike McGrath will explain how to deal with wood-boring carpenter bees and scary Springtime ground nesting bees. He'll also explain why these native creatures are not only harmless, they are extremely beneficial to your garden!

This is not the time of year to sow a new lawn in the North; but what can you do for bare earth besmirched with little bits of green? And what should Southerners be doing to insure an attractive turf? Mike McGrath will reveal the secrets of springtime lawn care for all of you!

Legendary seed-seller Renee Shepherd joins us to reveal her favorite varieties of gourmet veggies and fragrant flowers. Renee's seed picks and growing advice are available at www.reneesgarden.com. During the Question of the Week, Mike McGrath will tackle the topic of azaleas and rhododendrons. These beautiful shrubs are popular additions to our landscapes, but many people don't see the flowers they should, because they ignore their special needs and shear them at the wrong time of year.

Groundhogs can eat a garden to the ground overnight, and their treacherous tunnels are a leg-breaking danger to people and livestock. Mike McGrath will reveal options for keeping them from coming into your garden, and explains how you can drive them away if they have already set up camp. Plus: A Kansas researcher has discovered that indoor pesticide use increases the number of dangerous spiders in your home.

Can bats control the population of pesky summertime mosquitoes? Mike McGrath will deliver an authoritative answer that will change everything you thought you knew about bats. He'll also explain how to attract these beneficial creatures to your landscape. Plus, the real story behind plants and global warming, and chemical-free answers to all your gardening questions.

We'll celebrate the beginning of seed catalog season with Burpee Seed Company president George Ball. He'll tell us what�s new on the market, and share his favorite picks for unique tomato varieties and bush beans! Plus, the Question of the Week: Cotton plants are very ornamental, with beautiful flowers and seedpods preceding that dramatic burst of white. But if you garden in a climate warm enough to see cotton appear, you probably aren't supposed to be growing it.

Looking for something new to do in your landscape? How about building a labyrinth! Unlike a maze, labyrinths have no dead ends or tricks; all paths lead to the center. Unique and beautiful, they are thought to help people achieve a meditative state. We'll discuss labyrinth building and meaning with PA community garden coordinator Doreen Pasekoff, who recently created a classic outdoor turf labyrinth.

Birds can be excellent garden pest controllers. And sometimes they can BE the pests! This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will help you keep those flying friends where you want them!

Are little road maps appearing in the leaves of your poor plants? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will reveal the surprising cure for leaf miners! And of course, we'll have chemical-free answers to all your gardening questions.

Are you using - or tempted to use - chemical pesticides and herbicides on your lawn or garden? On this week's You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will present the most important "Question of the Week" he's ever answered! And of course, we've got chemical-free answers to all your gardening questions.

Is it possible to get truly chemical-free organic lawn care from a commercial provider? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will reveal the questions that you need to ask- and the answers you should receive - to be sure that your lawn care is organic. And, of course, we'll have more chemical-free answers to all your gardening questions.

Want to grow your own fertilizer? Or how about some home-grown weed block? On this week's You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath tells you all about how you can grow soil-saving cover crops. Plus, legendary garden writer Barbara Damrosch talks about growing your own food year-round. And as always, plenty of chemical-free answers to all your garden questions.

Have you heard about the bountiful benefits of using compost in your garden, but have none of your own? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath tells you how to find this gardeners' gold pre-bagged. Also, an interview with tomato expert Amy Goldman. Plus: chemical free answers to all your garden questions.

Do you always think of cranberries at turkey-eating time? On this week's episode of You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath will reveal how you can grow a close cranberry cousin-without a bog!

Want more butterflies in your life? On this week's episode of You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will reveal how to attract the fabulous flyers with butterfly-friendly plants and tricks with sand and salt!

When it comes to producing flowers, wisteria is often the vine of disappointment. On the next episode of You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will reveal what you can do NOW to coax this rampant runner into spectacular bloom next spring.

There are so many gardening products out there- so how do we get down to the essentials? Next week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath shares his choice of "desert island" gardening supplies.

Everybody loves the taste of ice-cold watermelon in the summer, but growing them can be a challenge. Mike McGrath will help you spit some homegrown seeds this season when he discusses growing tips and the best varieties.