Good Growing

Tomatoes may be the most popular garden crop, but they can also be the most frustrating. If your tomatoes are cracking, developing black spots on the bottom, refusing to ripen, or showing strange yellow shoulders, you're not alone. In this episode, Chris and Ken dig into the most common tomato fruit disorders caused by weather, watering, heat, and nutrient imbalances. We also discuss late-season tomato care, including topping plants, ripening green tomatoes indoors, and cleaning up the garden to reduce problems next year. 
Skip to what you want to know:
00:42 Hey Ken! Where are we making our tomato problem observations this year?  
04:09 Ken has tomato fruitworm (corn earworm), and he's proud of it.  
05:33 What's a psychological disorder?  
08:06 Tomato fruit cracking  
11:45 Tomato yellow shoulder  
13:27 White core of tomatoes  
16:00 Blossom-end rot  
21:00 Tomatoes are not ripening, or there are no tomatoes even though there are flowers  
29:50 Late-season tomato maintenance  
30:14 Topping tomatoes  
33:22 Tomato plant full of green tomatoes with a frost imminent  
35:17 Cleaning up the tomatoes from the garden at the end of the season
Troubles with Tomatoes https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-05-01-troubles-tomatoes
Stalled Green Tomatoes: Why won’t they turn red? https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2025-08-29-stalled-green-tomatoes-why-wont-they-turn-red
Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu
Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu 
Emily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu 
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

Orchids have a reputation for being difficult to grow, but they may be easier than you think! Check out this week’s Good Growing Podcast, where we are joined by horticulture educator and longtime orchid enthusiast Jack Schooley. Learn about common orchid myths, good orchids for beginners, watering and light requirements, getting orchids to rebloom, and troubleshooting common problems. Plus, discover whether watering orchids with ice cubes is a good idea and how there really is an orchid for everyone!
 
Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SSO87aYwcJo 

 
Skip to what you want to know:  
  01:56 – Welcome Jack! Tell us a little about your background. How did you get into growing orchids?
  05:34 – Orchids have a reputation for being difficult to grow. Is that true? What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about orchids? 
  10:19 – For someone buying their first orchid, what type(s) would you recommend?
  12:42 – What should people look for when purchasing an orchid? 
  15:53 – Do we grow orchids like regular houseplants? What makes orchids different from other houseplants?
  21:34 – Watering orchids, should we use ice cubes?
  24:07 – Humidity
  27:57 – Where should we locate orchids indoors? 
  30:39 – Repotting orchids. What kind of pot should be used (do they need to be clear)? When do you know when to repot?
  34:57 – How do we get orchids to rebloom?
  43:15 – Common orchid problems
  50:59 – What is the most common reason orchids fail to thrive long-term?
  52:32 – Top three orchid growing tips 
  56:29 – Wrap-up, what’s up next week, and goodbye!
 
 
Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu
Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu
Emily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu
Jack Schooley: jackrs@illinois.edu
 
 
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

This week’s Good Growing Podcast explores some common horticultural “rules of thumb” that might make garden and landscape care easier and more successful. Learn about the origins, benefits, and limitations of common guidelines. Many of the guides we discuss are frequently used on the Good Growing Podcast or in Extension programs, so if you have ever scratched your head after hearing an odd phrase from one of Illinois Extension’s Horticulture Educators, listen, and we will help you decipher some of our favorite “rules of thumb”.
 
Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1Wap-lCNC-4
 
 
Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu
Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu
Emily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu
 
 
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

Rain gardens are one of the most effective tools homeowners can use to manage stormwater, reduce runoff, and add beauty to the landscape. In this episode of the Good Growing Podcast, Chris, Emily, and Ken explore how rain gardens work, why they matter, and how they can help keep excess water out of storm sewers and local waterways.
Plus, hear about upcoming rain garden educational programs and community installation projects happening across Illinois Extension.
Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/k3_SuHDWQ18
Skip to what you want to know:
02:17 Topic of the day: Rain gardens. Why are they important?
06:02 Describing the urban stormwater system
10:05 Other stormwater management tools besides rain gardens
13:53 What is a rain garden? The difference between detention and retention
15:29 Where should and shouldn't rain gardens be in a home landscape?
16:13 Defining a rain garden: it's a depression in the ground! Yay, we said what it was finally!
25:17 Sizing your rain garden
36:42 Rain Garden installation tips
51:34 Planting design for a rain garden
58:34 Illinois Groundwork link
1:01:48 Rain garden maintenance
1:02:35 Mosquitoes and rain gardens
1:04:54 Thank yous and coming up next week!
Register for our Rainscaping Classes https://extension.illinois.edu/events/2026-09-21-rainscaping
Illinois Ground Work Plant Finder Tool https://illinoisgroundwork.org/resources/plant-finder/
Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu
Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu 
Emily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu 
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

Summer is in full swing, and with the heat comes plenty of garden and lawn questions! Join us as we tackle some of the most common summertime issues, including crabgrass taking over lawns, brown patches of turf, cracked tomatoes, swarms of beetles, and more!
 
Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/x-5ENejfrTE
 
Skip to what you want to know:  
  01:10 – What to do about crabgrass in lawns? 
  06:33 – Lawn is dying, what do I do?  
  10:00 – What is tearing apart my sassafras tree? 
  13:40 – Why are my tomatoes cracking?
  17:04 – Why are hot peppers hot? Why did they evolve to be hot?
  16:18 – Green June Beetle ruined the park concert...
  24:28 – Wrap-up, what’s up next week, and goodbye!
 
 
Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu
Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu
Emily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu
 
 
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