Showing results by author "Mike McGrath" in All Categories

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.

It doesn't often happen, but we have a listener struggling to keep her ivy alive, along with the usual numerous emails from listeners who can't get rid of their ivy. Mike McGrath will reveal the best ways to keep ivy happy, and he'll explain how to best get rid of it. Mike will also discuss why the plant that you're calling ivy may not be ivy at all!

Few insects are as annoying to gardeners as the pestiferous blackfly. This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will reveal how you can evade the unwanted attentions - and bites - of these annoying gnats.

Has the economy got you thinking about growing for money instead of just for fun? On this week's You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will explain the important steps you need to take to insure a profit before you put a single plant in the ground!

Thinking of starting a vegetable garden for the first time, but have no idea where to begin? In this week's You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will explain step by step how to plant your very own veggie garden for beginners!

Do you want to save yourself a lot of frustration in the garden? In this episode of You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will reveal the ten biggest mistakes that gardeners make!

Many people want to turn their lawns into food factories this season. This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath reveals a number of different ways you can transform your turf into tomatoes - and warns you about some common lawn-to-garden mistakes you'll want to avoid. And, of course, he's got chemical-free answers to all your gardening questions.

Are you ready to start putting sweat equity into your yard? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will talk about important fitness tips that will help you keep you and your garden in great shape all season long.

In this thrilling episode of You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will tell you about the two main types of tomatoes and helps you decide which one is best for you. Then Mike gives you a guide to community gardens. Plus: chemical-free answers to all your gardening questions.

How can you tell when your melons are ready to pick? Should ripe tomatoes sit out on the vine? Should you wait if plants are wet? Host Mike McGrath will reveal the secrets of harvesting like the pros.

Think poisons were the only early answer to insects? On this week's You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath talks with the author of the new book American Pests- who explains how early controls were highly advanced! Plus: fighting Phragmites: the Monster Weed of the Wetlands.

Summer veggie gardens are often plagued by squash bugs, notorious pests of pumpkins, squash, zucchini and cucumbers. Next week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will reveal how to block their path to your produce and how to beat them with boards.

Are your edible gardening efforts hampered by a lack of sun? On this edition of You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will reveal the tasty treats that can survive - and maybe even thrive - with some shade!

Need to grow your own greens in the middle of the summer? Host Mike McGrath will tell you everything you need to know about New Zealand spinach and other greens that like it hot.

What should you say if someone offers you a load of sawdust for your landscape? Host Mike McGrath reveals just what you can and can't do for your lawn and garden with dust of wood.

Many gardeners spend a lot of time fighting weeds, like chickweed and purslane, in their landscaping. Mike McGrath offers a surprising solution for dealing with these foes: serve them for dinner! Many plants we view as weeds are tastier and healthier than some of the vegetables we grow in our gardens. He'll discuss which varieties to look for, what their nutritional value is, and how to prepare them.

Goats as gardeners? Sacramento Refuge Manager Kelly Moroney tells us about nature's furry weed whackers. Then, a lot of gardeners misunderstand peat moss. Host Mike McGrath will help you get a better idea of what this remarkable natural substance can do to help your plants.

Blossom end rot is the cruelest problem that can strike tomatoes, turning the fruits black just as they ripen up. Mike McGrath will reveal how eggshells can save your love apples AND crisp up your cucumbers! We'll also discuss some other tomato problems that won't be cured by eggshells, and offer solutions for those, too.

Spring is getting closer, and that means it time for seed starting! Mike McGrath will answer three common questions about this subject: how can you tell if old seeds are still viable? Exactly when should you start your seeds? And how can you time pumpkin plantings so they reach their peak by Halloween?

Morning glories are beautiful, and while they tend to spread quickly, they are easy to control. But they have an invasive, weedy perennial cousin, which can really get out of hand. Mike McGrath will explain the difference between morning glory and bindweed, and give detailed information on how to handle both.