Ep. 218 Midsummer Lessons: What’s Growing (and Dying) in Our Yards | #GoodGrowing

In this candid and photo-filled episode of the Good Growing Podcast, horticulture educators Chris Enroth and Ken Johnson take you on a tour of their own backyards. You will see the good, bad, and pretty. Learn about battling verticillium wilt and jumping worms to celebrating volunteer wildflowers and thriving pollinator beds. During the show, Chris tries a cucumber melon for the first time, and Ken shares his ever-expanding front yard prairie project. They share what’s working, what’s not, and what they’ve learned during a hot, humid, and rain-soaked Illinois summer.Watch us on YouTube - https://youtu.be/RYNgQSKxXxcSkip to what you want to know:00:39 Hey Ken!01:12 The growing conditions up to this point in our 2025 gardens04:11 A dead tree and confirmed diagnosis: Verticillium wilt. Dealing with Verticillium wilt of trees and shrubs.08:37 Checking out how things are growing in Ken's backyard13:15 Chris found the invasive jumping worm in his landscape bed20:27 Checking in on Ken's vegetable garden29:16 Is this a melon or a cucumber? It's a cucumber melon!31:55 Passive tick control - tick tubes34:04 Ken's passive mosquito control - mosquito bucket of doom!36:07 What's growing along Ken's driveway?37:09 Check out our hydrangeas40:57 Ginger midsummer update45:00 Ken’s summer wildflower display - Kill your lawn!51:37 Thank yous and coming up next weekContact us! Chris Enroth: [email protected] Johnson: [email protected] Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingSubscribe 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.Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk --You can find us on most podcast platforms.  iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377     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