Good Growing

The National Garden Bureau has named 2026 the Year of the Azalea! Ken, Emily, and Chris are digging into what makes these colorful (and sometimes finicky) plants so popular.
In this episode of the Good Growing podcast, we break down everything you need to know about azaleas—from their connection to rhododendrons to how to grow them successfully in the Midwest. If you’ve ever wondered why azaleas struggle in Illinois landscapes (or if they’re even worth trying), this episode is for you.
Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/Tvg7VoiBmgc
00:30 Hey Ken
01:07 Hey Emily!
01:42 Topic of the week: Year of the azalea according to the National Garden Bureau
03:13 Rhododendron vs, Azalea, which is which?
05:44 Groups of azalea: Tsutsusi and pentanthera
07:19 Native deciduous azalea vs non-native evergreen azalea
07:42 History of breeding azalea
10:16 Growing requirement for azalea
14:52 Site selection and species/cultivar selection
18:59 Insects and disease challenges with azaleas
22:24 Pollinators and azalea
23:51 Phytopthora root rot and soil pH issues
25:10 Back to pollinators on azalea
26:06 Describing 10 azaleas native to Eastern North America
   27:08 Alabama Azalea
   29:12 Coastal Azalea
   30:11 Florida Azalea
   32:13 Flame Azalea
   33:04 Piedmont or Mountain Azalea
   33:35 Oconee Azalea (also goes by Peidmont azalea in some areas but is a different species)
   34:14 Pinxterbloom Azalea
   35:13 Rochelle/Early/Plumleaf Azalea
   36:44 Pink Shell Azalea
   37:28 Swamp Azalea
39:19 Would we grow azaleas in our yard?
42:34 What type of azalea might you find in an Illinois nursery?
44:32 Azaleas at Augusta Golf Course
Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: [email protected]
Ken Johnson: [email protected] 
Emily Swihart [email protected]
Like what you hear? Subscribe for more gardening tips, plant talk, and seasonal inspiration from University of Illinois Extension.
Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing
Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe
Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.
Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk 
--
You can find us on most podcast platforms.  
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377     
Tunein - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/  
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR    
Vurbl - https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/    
Listen notes - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/    
Ivy - https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902    
Castbox - https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us

Long-time listeners know that Ken, Chris, and Emily are passionate about proper plant care practices. On this week’s podcast, the team discusses six hot-button issues related to improper tree care, including tree topping, the misuse of plastic sheeting under mulch, and codominant leaders. Listen to discover the other three pet peeves and what can be done to better support tree health. 
 
Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-Rhg5WXPlaw
 
Skip to what you want to know:  
  03:12 – Co-dominant leaders
  06:33 – Nursery pruning for bushier trees 
  10:57 – Tree topping
  12:36 – Two times when topping may be considered
  15:34 – What to do with vegetation at the base of a tree
  20:32 – Not removing burlap from a root ball
  26:38 – Removing healthy trees
  29:08 – Overview of tree benefits
  34:44 – Making good pruning cuts
  41:19 – Tree diversity – species and age
  46:02 – Available resources
  49:34 – Wrap-up, what’s up next week, and goodbye!
 
Resources
 Morton Arboretum - https://mortonarb.org/
 Community Tree Care Series - https://extension.illinois.edu/plants/community-tree-care-series
 
 
Contact us! 
 Chris Enroth: [email protected]
 Ken Johnson: [email protected]
 Emily Swihart: [email protected]
 
 
Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing
Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe
 
Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.
 
 
Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk
 
--
You can find us on most podcast platforms.  
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377     
Tunein - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/  
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR    
Vurbl - https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/    
Listen notes - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/    
Ivy - https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902    
Castbox - https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us

As we reach Arbor Day this month of April, the Good Growing team dives into the biotic world of tree pests and diseases, breaking down what’s really going on when insects and pathogens show up in your landscape.
Horticulture educators Chris Enroth, Ken Johnson, and Emily Swihart explore common (and not‑so‑common) tree troubles, including eastern tent caterpillars, bagworms, wood‑boring insects, cedar apple rust, needle cast diseases, and oak wilt. Along the way, they explain the difference between biotic and abiotic problems, how environmental stress sets trees up for decline, and why some “pests” are actually just doing their ecological job.
Skip to what you want to know:
00:31 Hey Ken! Are you there? 
01:15 Welcome, Emily! 
01:54 What are biotic problems? 
06:05 How did we choose what biotic tree problems to share today? 
07:49 Eastern tent caterpillar 
16:01 Wood boring insects 
31:25 Cedar apple rust 
43:59 Bagworms 
52:01 Spruce needle cast diseases 
01:00 Oak wilt 
14:25 Thank yous and see you next week! 
Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: [email protected]
Ken Johnson: [email protected] 
Emily Swihart [email protected]
Like what you see? Subscribe for more gardening tips, plant talk, and seasonal inspiration from University of Illinois Extension.
Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing
Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe
Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.
Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk 
--
Prefer audio? You can find us on most podcast platforms.  
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377     
Tunein - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/  
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR    
Vurbl - https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/    
Listen notes - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/    
Ivy - https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902    
Castbox - https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us

Spring has sprung! This week on the Good Growing Podcast, we continue our Arbor Month conversation by sharing our favorite trees for spring, including redbud, dogwood, tulip tree, catalpa, and more. From eye-catching blooms to unique structure and seasonal interest, we celebrate the trees that make spring such a special time of year.
 
Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kVE7rOXl-n4 

Skip to what you want to know:  
  02:59 – Flowering and kousa dogwood
  07:38 – Redbud 
  11:36 – Black locust
  15:24 – Silverbell
  18:58 – Catalpa
  25:36 – White fringetree
  30:18 – Tuliptree 
  37:06 – Saucer magnolia
  37:55 – Black gum
  40:16 – Vernal witch-hazel
  42:48 – Wrap-up, what’s up next week, and goodbye!
 
 
Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: [email protected]
Ken Johnson: [email protected]
Emily Swihart: [email protected]
 
 
Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing
Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe
 
Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.
 
 
Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk
 
--
You can find us on most podcast platforms.  
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377     
Tunein - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/  
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR    
Vurbl - https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/    
Listen notes - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/    
Ivy - https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902    
Castbox - https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us

In this Arbor Month episode of Good Growing, horticulture educators Chris Enroth, Ken Johnson, and Emily Swihart dig into the concept of tree equity—the idea that all neighborhoods deserve access to tree canopy and the benefits trees provide. From shade and stormwater management to mental health and property values, the hosts explore why trees matter and why their distribution across communities is far from equal.
The conversation traces how historical practices like redlining shaped today’s urban forests, explains why some neighborhoods still have far fewer trees, and introduces practical tools—like the Tree Equity Score and i‑Tree—that can help communities make more informed, equitable tree‑planting decisions.
Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0SFKXYs8yX4
Skip to what you want to know:
00:30 Hey Ken! 
01:18 Welcome, Emily! 
02:38 First topic of tree month: Tree equity 
04:11 What are the benefits of trees? Ecosystem services 
09:28  Social and Emotional benefits of trees 
14:38 Not everyone has the benefits of trees. Diving into the topic of tree equity.
17:10 The history of tree inequity 
17:57  Redlining and its effect on tree equity 
23:41 What tools can be used to look at the need for tree planting in communities? 
26:45 Tree Equity Score and i-Tree 
44:44 So long and coming up next week! 
Tree Equity Score https://www.treeequityscore.org/
i-Tree https://www.itreetools.org/
Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: [email protected]
Ken Johnson: [email protected] 
Emily Swihart [email protected]
Like what you see? Subscribe for more gardening tips, plant talk, and seasonal inspiration from University of Illinois Extension.
Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing
Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe
Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.
Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk 
--
Prefer audio? You can find us on most podcast platforms.  
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377     
Tunein - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/  
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR    
Vurbl - https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/    
Listen notes - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/    
Ivy - https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902    
Castbox - https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us