Curious Currants
February 4, 2012
Many people are curious about the cultivars known as currants. On this week's You Bet Your Garden, I'll reveal what these fruits need to produce their distinctive berries. Plus: Non-toxic answers to all your growing questions.
Photo Credit: Flickr user vshioshvili / CC BY-NC 2.0
Question of the Week
We have what we now realize is a blackcurrant bush. (I thought it was a gooseberry at first, as the leaves are similar and gooseberry grows wild in our woods.) Is there a way to propagate the currant via cuttings? What is the care and feeding of currants? Get the answer »
Compost Castle
Thanks to Janice from Hannibal, Missouri for sending us this fantastic shot of her "compost castle" — an ingenious construction built by her creative boyfriend!
Does your garden sport some inventive handiwork? Send us your photos!
January 28, 2012
Producing Tasty Brussels Sprouts
Although the butt of jokes, Brussels Sprouts are a highly nutritious member of the cabbage family. On this week's You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will reveal the special tricks it takes to produce sprouts with a surprisingly sweet taste. Plus answers to all your growing questions!
Photo Credit: Flickr user 36179943@N00 / CC BY-NC 2.0
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January 21, 2012
The Deadly and Exotic Castor Bean Plant
Is it a deadly menace? A natural mole repellant? An attractive tropical? On this week's You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will take a close look at the notorious castor bean plant. Plus: Answers to an especially large selection of your growing questions.
Photo Credit: Flickr user beakers_glass / CC BY-NC 2.0
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January 14, 2012
Are Your Spring Bulbs Sprouting?
What can you do if your Spring bulbs are jumping the gun? On this week's You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will discuss premature sprouting of Spring bulbs and how to avoid a common Springtime mistake. Plus your fabulous phone calls.
Photo by Flickr user bored-now / CC Attribution 2.5
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January 7, 2012
How to Lower Your Pesticide Exposure
Worried about the safety of store bought food? On this week's You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath, will name the crops that are the most peppered with pesticides and explain which ones are easiest for a home gardener to produce. Plus: organic answers to all your growing questions.
Photo Credit: Flickr user i5design / CC BY-NC 2.0
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December 31, 2011
Best of You Bet Your Garden!
Looking forward to a new season of growing? On this week's You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will ring in the New Year by listening back to some of your most fabulous phone calls from the season past. Plus: Your gardening New Years resolutions.
Photo by Flickr user astrogrl / CC Attribution 2.5
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December 24, 2011
Going Greenhouse
Just what can you accomplish with a greenhouse? On this week's You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will explain the big difference between free standing and attached; and the types of tricks any greenhouse will do best. Plus: organic answers to all your growing questions.
Photo Credit: Flickr user azmichelle / CC BY-NC 2.0
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If you have any questions for Mike McGrath please call us at 1-888-346-9499 or email us.
NOTE: Please include your NAME and your LOCATION in the email, and the actual SUBJECT (not "help" or "question") in the subject line. Thanks!
Thanks to our sponsors
Saturday and Sunday, February 25th and 26th 2012
Mike returns to Akron (where he received a very warm welcome in January 2010)! He'll do multiple shows each day on popular topics like composting, tomato growing and chemical free lawn care. See more details »
No Room to Grow? Join a CSA!
Don't have land of your own, but still want to eat fresh, local and organic? Now is the time to seek out and join a local CSA. Short for "Community Supported Agriculture", CSAs are local farms in which you buy a share for the season and get a share of the enviable edibles that the farm produces once a week throughout the season. Subscriptions tend to sell out fast, so look through these lists and locate your closest options before Spring arrives:
No Room to Grow? Join a Community Garden!
Folks who don't have land of their own but who love to garden can still grow some of their own food by seeking out a spot in a nearby community garden. Community gardens give the landless a place to grow and to gather, sharing seeds and advice. The American Community Gardening Association maintains a good list of gardens around the country (just enter your zip code on the map), but many are unlisted anywhere--so ask friends, co-workers and your local state extension office about local gardens. And if you see what looks to be one near your home or work, drop by on a Saturday and chat up the folks inside.
