You Bet Your Garden

Removing plugs of sod and soil can work wonders for a struggling turf–if you do it at the right time of year. On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath discusses what to do when compacted soil needs to be aerated at the wrong time in the season.

Last summer my neighbor’s 85-foot-tall oak tree fell into our yard, crushing some treasured ornamentals and a retaining wall...

Lowbush blueberries may be the tastiest little fruits—but are you cold enough to grow them? On the next You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath lays out your options in growing these low-to-the-ground native fruits. Plus, the meaning of “chilling hours.”

Back in college I was spoiled by the taste of the delicious wild blueberries of New England...

Pitchers and catchers report is here! That means it must be time to think about tomatoes! On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath reviews the rules of raised beds and takes bets on perlite versus vermiculite. Plus, your fabulous phone calls!

I’m in the process of resizing a majority of our raised beds from four feet wide down to three feet...

A listener wants to know how to stay safe from ticks–in her native Australia! On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath discusses tick control strategies that are common to both Australia and North America. Plus, your fabulous phone calls!

I have a phobia of ticks...

Thinking of starting your own plants from seed this season? Success begins with a soil-free mix! On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath reveals what to include in a seed-starting mix and what to leave out. Plus, your fabulous phone calls!

I’m really interested in starting my own vegetables from seed this year using soil blocks. But I’m finding quite a disparity in the basic “recipes” for soil block seed starting...

What is ‘muriate of potash’—and is it safe? On the latest episode of You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath discusses the many ways you can add the ‘K’ in ‘N-P-K’ to your landscape! Plus, your fabulous phone calls!

“Is ‘muriate of potash’ safe to use as an additive in the raised bed gardens I’ll be planting next spring? And if so, do you recommend it? I used it very sparingly along with bone meal and blood meal in an...

What’s grey and black and red and black and yellow with black stripes? On the latest You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath reveals the disturbing answer when he takes a close look at the newest pest in town–the Spotted Lantern Fly. Plus, your fabulous phone calls!

Who’s eating homegrown greens right now–in places where winter really means winter? On the latest You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath discusses how to extend your season with a French hot bed! Plus, your fabulous phone calls!

Last year I had some success constructing cold frame boxes to keep my greens going into winter...

There’s a new pest in town—and it wants to ruin your raspberries! On the latest episode of You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will teach you how to protect your precious plants from the dreaded Spotted Wing Drosophila. Plus, your fabulous phone calls!

“I know that you’re a fellow raspberry fan and hope you can help me. I was picking loads of berries this past fall, but unfortunately, they all had little white worms in them...

Are you imperiled by poison ivy? Sucked dry by mosquitoes? On this very special edition of You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will help negate these nasty nuisances—and reveal the best small fruits to grow, build a rain garden and more!

Last year, we started having problems with poison ivy around our vegetable garden. I can’t go near the stuff, so my father-in-law kindly mowed it down and covered the area with weed block and wood chips...