Showing results by author "Mike McGrath" in All Categories

The warmer weather has a lot of people thinking about finally getting their tattered turf in shape. But what you should and shouldn't do for your lawn in spring depends on which kind of grass you're growing. Mike McGrath will explain the differences between cool- and warm-season lawns and how to care for both types over the coming months.

Moles create ugly tunnels and dirt piles in lawns. There are many home remedies that supposedly chase away or kill moles, but do they really work? Tom Schmidt, aka "The Moleman", joins us to share what he's learned about those burrowing pests in decades of evicting them from turfs. During the Question of the Week, Mike McGrath will reveal how you can attract toads and frogs into your landscape - they eat pest insects.

Valentine's Day is coming up! Not sure what to get that special someone in your life? Bored with roses, or tired of them wilting so quickly? Mike McGrath will suggest several sexy alternatives to the same old dozen roses. And a neat trick that "conditions" cut roses to look good twice as long will be revealed. Plus, you'll learn how to turn cut roses from a bouquet into live rose bushes in your garden.

Have you only eaten potatoes bought at the store? Well, they've been stored for many months! Instead, consider home-grown potatoes - they're a sweet and juicy treat, one that you can only enjoy if you grow your own! Mike McGrath will discuss the basics of potato growing, and reveal a "no work" trick that allows you to grow spuds without any digging at all!

Do you dutifully water your plants every day, keep their soil covered with wood chips, feed them frequently, spray every insect, and still aren't having much luck? That's because you're already committing four of the most common mistakes gardeners make! Mike McGrath will reveal the other six in the Question of the Week.

When the weather cools down, the gardening heats up! Mike McGrath will discuss the "do's and don'ts" of Fall gardening. He'll explain why this is the perfect time to fix feeble lawns in the North, to plant pansies and garlic, and why you should forget about your spring bulbs for a while and hide all pruning tools until after the New Year.

You may call them pill bugs, sow bugs, or roly-polies, but the most correct name for either of these two land-locked cousins to crabs and crayfish is the "woodlouse". Mike McGrath will discuss these interesting isopods and tell you what, if anything, you need to do when they show up in your compost pile or plants.

Do your plants need a boyfriend or girlfriend nearby to produce fabulous flowers? This week, host Mike McGrath will delve into the wonderful world of plant pollination. Plus fabulous phone calls, tips and tricks - all chemical free, of course.

Forget Halloween; you know what's really scary? People burning their leaves! On this thrilling episode of You Bet Your Garden host Mike McGrath shows how to harvest this rich bounty of miracle mulch and black gold-to-be. Plus fabulous phone calls, tips and tricks - all chemical free, of course.

Has your lawn carried a lot of extra weight over the years? Host Mike McGrath reveals how to ease the compaction this can cause with soil aeration and other weighty issues on this week's You Bet Your Garden. As always, fabulous phone calls and chemical free answers to garden questions.

Are mysterious creatures munching your plants? This week, host Mike McGrath will discuss how to identify the guilty party before all the green is gone. And of course, chemical free answers to all your garden questions.

Nasty biting ticks are one of the most annoying - and dangerous - pests of summer. This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will explain how to prevent the problem with 10 tick-control strategies. And of course, we'll have chemical-free answers to all your gardening questions.

Many people turn to composting to recycle their kitchen waste - but that path is fraught with potentially putrid peril! This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath talks about the ins and outs of composting kitchen waste. And of course, we have chemical-free answers to all your gardening questions.

Looking for a clever way to grow some fruit? On this week's You Bet Your Garden, small fruit expert Lee Reich joins host Mike McGrath to discuss his new book on landscaping with those tasty edibles! And of course, we have chemical-free answers to all your gardening questions.

Are indoor moth pests eating the clothes in your closet as well as the snacks in your scullery? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will share a "sexy" way to end the problem-without poisons of course! Plus, Mike talks about the secret of American gardening with author Andrea Wulf. And of course, chemical free answers to all your garden questions.

Want to restore all the minerals that time has sucked out of your soil? On this week's thrilling episode of You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath discusses how rock dust can perk up your plants. As always, fabulous phone calls and chemical free answers to garden questions.

Have you been told to prune the "sucker" offshoots off of your tomato plants? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will discuss why he thinks the right thing to do is to keep them on. Plus, an interview with a researcher who discusses the link between pesticides and myeloma. And of course, chemical free answers to all your garden questions.

There's very serious, late breaking bad news for tomato and potato growers sweeping the country. This week will be a special edition of You Bet Your Garden, where host Mike McGrath will discuss the recent outbreak of "late blight"; perhaps the most devastating of all plant diseases. Plus: Your protection options; and of course, chemical free answers to all your garden questions.

Looking for a lush, fragrant, fast-growing screening plant that supplies a highly valued cash crop and grows virtually anywhere? This week on You Bet Your Garden, we'll hop onto the idea of growing your own hops!

Think tomatoes are the most different tasting things you can grow as opposed to buy? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will reveal why the real answer is potatoes! Plus: chemical-free answers to all your garden questions.