Showing results by author "Mike McGrath" in All Categories

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.

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?

Coffee drinkers like to recycle their grounds in their gardens. And coffee stores prefer to give their grounds to gardeners rather than pay to haul them away.

Mike McGrath takes a look back at the year 2006 with our favorite listener phone calls and gardening questions.

When did Americans become obsessed with their lawns, and how were they duped into believing that lawns needed massive overfeeding and unnecessary chemicals? Environmental Historian Ted Steinberg joins us to discuss these issues and his new book American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn. Later on the show: Having trouble replacing plant-starving, house-staining wood mulch with plant feeding, weed-killing compost?

Michigan State University turf grass expert Dr. Trey Rogers, the "Yard Doctor", joins us to discuss the proper techniques for growing great grass; with a special emphasis on turfs that have to take a lot of traffic. Plus: In the Question of the Week, Mike will discuss how to handle bees, wasps, and yellow jackets living in lawns, congregating in compost piles, and buzzing inside bedrooms!

What's more annoying than a big, fat fly buzzing around your house, looking for nice clean things to land on? Flies in your garden! Mike McGrath will discuss indoor and outdoor fly control. He'll explain how to easily dispatch a roomful of the pests overnight with an organic remedy that's over a century old. And he'll discuss your outdoor fly control options, including the famous "shoo fly plant" that sterilizes house and white flies.

Are multi-legged creepy crawly things creeping you out? On the next episode of You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will help you figure out if your new friends are millipedes or centipedes; and what to do about them.

Squirrels and rabbits made a lot of tulip lovers miserable this spring - and now they're looking forward to the next course! Mike McGrath will reveal how you can easily deter rabbits from eating your garden. He'll also suggest tactics to keep squirrels from creating havoc in your landscape, and explain why neighbors who feed squirrels may be the worst garden pests of all!

Say perennial and most gardeners think blooming beauties - but you can also enjoy the returning bounty of perennial vegetables! Mike McGrath will name seven interesting edibles that you plant once and enjoy virtually forever. He'll also discuss the Biennial vegetable, explain how some potatoes and tomatoes seem to be perennial, and name the edible favorite that's perennial if protected from frost.

Frustrated trying to get grass to grow under a big ol' tree? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will explain what kind of sunlight and timing you need to achieve a carpet of turf under these towering titans. And of course, we'll have chemical-free answers to all your gardening questions.

Is your garden inundated with ladybug look-alikes? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath discusses how to control the Mexican Bean Beetle - an unwanted cousin of one of our favorite insects. Chemical free answers to all your garden questions, plus your fabulous phone calls!

Many people experienced summer time droughts this year. Can you use household waste water to keep outdoor plants alive? Mike McGrath will discuss the do's and don'ts of using "greywater" from your shower, washing machine and sink.