Showing results by narrator "Mike McGrath" in All Categories

Black spot is the scourge of rose growers everywhere. Mike McGrath will tell you how to prevent rose disease in general, and he'll name eighteen rose varieties that are naturally resistant to black spot and mildew, including a number of grandiflora and floribunda types, and even some hybrid teas!

Want more butterflies in your life? On this week's episode of You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will reveal how to attract the fabulous flyers with butterfly-friendly plants and tricks with sand and salt!

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.

Winter means icy sidewalks and worries about what the salt or other chemicals used to make those surfaces safe is going to do to the poor plants in the proximity.

Are you being eaten alive by summer insects? Chiggers and no-see-ums can burrow their way into your summer fun, but this week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath helps you get these pests under control. And of course, we'll have chemical-free answers to all your gardening questions.

Would you like to make your landscape a better place for wildlife like beautiful birds, toads, and amphibians? David Mizejewski, author of Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife offers tips and simple steps to provide shelter, food and nesting spaces in your yard. He'll also explain how gardeners can get their yard certified as a habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. Then. there's a chill in the air, and that means miserable mice are gearing up for lots of mischief.

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.

Does your compost just sit there instead of turning into rich "black gold"? Do you want to start making compost but don't know where to begin? Mike McGrath will explain the easy, no mess way to make the world's finest disease-fighting plant food. Mike will also reveal how to correctly incorporate kitchen scraps and other green waste into your pile.

Do you love fireflies? Or maybe you call them lightning bugs? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will explain how these incredible insects are becoming endangered, and how you can help keep the lights on!

Out with the old and in with the new! On this episode of You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath tells you how to replace the plants of summer with the crops that crave the cold; as well as suggests serious succession strategies for maximum good eating next season!

Blueberries are one of nature's most perfect foods - they're packed with naturally occurring antioxidants that fight cancer and other ailments, plus phytochemicals that can delay the onset of dementia. Mike McGrath will discuss everything you need to know to grow your own, in your own backyard.

This is the time of year when many people hear the tap-tap-tapping of woodpeckers on their chamber wall. What are they doing there? "Probably not eating bugs" says woodpecker expert Dr. Jerry Jackson, biology professor at the Florida Gulf University in Fort Myers, Florida.

Homegrown tomatoes are the treasure of summer! But, if you plant them in the same spot year after year, soil-borne wilts will attack your precious plants. This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will tell you your options for keeping your tomatoes healthy, even when the growing space is too tight to rotate. Plus: are you envious of plants that you see in the yards of friends, families and neighbors?

Many tomato patches were claimed by late blight this season. You Bet Your Garden host Mike McGrath not only tells you how to prevent its return, but also how to deal with diseased plants in general. As always, fabulous phone calls and chemical free answers to garden questions.

The time to plant garlic is fast approaching! On this week's You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath explains how to preserve this year's garlic harvest and grow the best plants next year and for many seasons to come. And of course, chemical free answers to all your garden questions.

Have you got lots of grass clippings that you'd like to turn into compost? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will explain why you should back away from that pile and use those clips for something much better!

The ultimate kernel of delight every summer has got to be sweet corn! Host Mike McGrath will reveal how you can grow a patch of your very own stairway to buttered heaven. Plus, chemical-free answers to all your gardening questions.

Are pesky mosquitoes making you miserable? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will review the steps you should take to avoid giving blood 'on the fly'. And of course, chemical free answers to all your garden questions.

Would you like dramatic, instant height in your garden? How about screening from nosy neighbors and busy streets? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will take you on a tour of the wonderful world of ornamental grasses. And of course, chemical free answers to all your garden questions.

Are you looking to add a little homegrown fruit into your life? This week on You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will share with you the three big things you have to do to put some strawberries on your plate. Plus: chemical free answers to all your garden questions.