Mike McGrath loves radio, but he’s always down to show off in front of a crowd. This week’s You Bet Your Garden is a very special treat: excerpts from Mike’s talk at Meadowbrook Farm in Abington, PA earlier this summer. Subjects include tomato

What’s Eating my Garden? And are the ‘Leftovers’ Safe?

Sep 21st, 2018 47m 13s

Your tomatoes and peppers are under attack; big chunks are missing! On the latest You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath identifies the most likely suspects and reveals if the leftovers are safe to eat. Plus, your fabulous phone calls!Question

Tomato Sauce 101: From Vine to Jar

Sep 14th, 2018 45m 37s

Got lots of ripe tomatoes coming in? More than you can eat? On the latest You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath walks you through the cooking and processing of superior tomato sauce, with an emphasis on using the fewest garden fresh ingredient

September is THE Time for Lawn Care and Repair

Sep 7th, 2018 43m 31s

In fall, a young man’s fancy turns to…killing greasy grubs! On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath lays out your organic grub control options and explains why this is the time of year to strike. Plus, your fabulous phone calls!Questio

Hey Joe, What’s in That Mosquito Spray in Your Hand?

Aug 31st, 2018 48m 7s

If you’ve been to a home show, you’ve seen the rival franchises selling mosquito spray packages to homeowners. On the latest You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath responds to a listener concerned about her neighbor’s use of such a service, and

In the Garden and on the Lawn, Cheaters Always Win

Aug 24th, 2018 44m 24s

Nobody wants to work hard outside. On the latest You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath reveals that cheaters always win—especially when they perfect the lawn care and pruning practices that minimize hard work in the summertime. Also, Jenny Ros

Getting the Most Out of Your Garlic

Aug 17th, 2018 44m 19s

Your garlic harvest is in…now what? Use it fresh before it sprouts? On the latest You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath will expose the secret to getting a season of good seasoning from your harvest—or from the great garlic you’ll find at loca

Got Skeeters Bad? Call in the Dragonflies!

Aug 10th, 2018 48m 37s

Mosquito prevention time is over; now is the time to switch tactics to protection. On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath reveals how to attract dragonflies and explains why white is the color to wear this mosquito season. Plus, your f

Beneficial Bugs? Or Filthy Flies?

Aug 3rd, 2018 48m 50s

A listener wants to attract beneficial insects, but instead is beset by flies! On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath discusses how this might not be the worst thing to happen to an urban gardener. Plus, your fabulous phone calls!

Using Grass Clippings for Mulch

Jul 27th, 2018 48m 9s

Is it ever right to use your grass clippings as a garden mulch?? On the latest You Bet Your Garden, we’ll bend–but not break–the rules as Mike McGrath looks at the pros and cons of collecting those clips. Plus, your fabulous phone calls!Questi

You Bet Your Garden Summer Special #2

Jul 20th, 2018 46m 43s

Plants under glass, mushroom hunting, permaculture, and copper plugs. On this week’s You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath talks terrariums, ‘shrooming, piling stuff up on top of old wood and much more in a series of our favorite interviews.Q

Crossing The Pond with the Intent to Commit Horticulture

Jul 13th, 2018 44m 53s

It’s often a bad idea to take plants across state lines with the intent to commit horticulture. On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath discusses what’s at stake if you’re thinking of crossing The Pond with your plants! Plus, gardening

You Bet Your Garden Summer Special

Jul 6th, 2018 48m 42s

Radioactive roses; peerless pollinators; the famed “Banana of the North;” and puckering persimmons. On the next You Bet Your Garden, we gather some of our favorite interviews to cool down your summer with a wilder blend of topics than the ingre

Keep Your Credit Cards Out of the Compost!

Jun 29th, 2018 46m 36s

A British gardening magazine recommends pouring grass clippings on top of shredded paper to make “quick compost.” On You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath reveals what’s wrong with this picture and re-iterates the rules of non-bogus black gold brew

The Many Foes of Roses

Jun 22nd, 2018 46m 27s

What’s eating your roses? On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath dons his detective’s cap to pinpoint the perpetrator chewing on them now…and details how to stop Japanese beetles from finishing the job later. Plus, your fabulous phone

Gardening Without Sight

Jun 15th, 2018 46m 39s

Gardening for the disabled includes plantings for those with little to no sight. On the next You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath discusses gardens that appeal to the other four senses. Plus, your fabulous phone calls!Question of the week:I

Gardening Against the Odds: High Altitude, Short Season, and No Water

Jun 8th, 2018 47m 25s

How can you grow tomatoes in a short season…at high altitude…and with no water? On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath reveals just how they do it in Southwest Colorado! Plus, the wild and wonderful world of succulents and cacti…and yo

Do Trees NEED Mulch? & Can a Tree Survive Severed Roots?

Jun 1st, 2018 48m 17s

Do trees really NEED mulch? And can their roots be safely severed during construction? On the latest You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath reveals some surprising truths about trees. Plus: Square Foot Gardening legend Mel Bartholomew, and you

Special Report: Moderating Menacing Mosquitoes

May 25th, 2018 53m 27s

On this week’s You Bet Your Garden, host Mike McGrath speaks with Dr. Dina Fonseca, professor of entomology in the school of public health at Rutgers University, about ways to prevent mosquito’s from thriving in your landscape and ways to prote

You Say Potato, I Say Tomato

May 18th, 2018 53m 45s

You say tomato, I say tomahto…but the soil sprouts potatoes! On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath discusses what you can do when Yukon Golds emerge right next to your Cherokee Purples. Plus: helping HOAs become more sustainable, and

What’s Not to Love About the Linden Tree?

May 11th, 2018 53m 45s

The linden tree is slow-growing, has great fall color and produces beautiful, scented flowers in the Summer. On the latest You Bet Your Garden¸ Mike McGrath discusses the linden and why it isn’t used more often in the American landscape. Plus,

None Like it Hot: Even Sun-Lovers May Need Some Shade

May 4th, 2018 53m 46s

Summer sun is good for our plants–up to a point. On the next You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath gives the lowdown on where and when your tomatoes might like you to throw them some shade. Plus: your fabulous phone calls!Question of the Week:“Gr

Soil Solarization: What It Can and Can’t Do

Apr 20th, 2018 53m 45s

Soil solarization is a powerful tool in the organic arsenal—but can you solarize a bed that has a tree in the middle?! On the latest You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath discusses how you can—and can’t—use the rays of the sun to wipe out wicked we

Can you transform a tree stump into a perennial show place?

Apr 6th, 2018 53m 45s

What can you do with the stump that’s left behind after a dead tree is cut down? On this week’s You Bet Your Garden we’ll discuss whether the best answer involves Hügelkultur—or oysters! Plus your fabulous phone calls.Question of the Week:We

Live from the 2018 Philadelphia Flower Show

Mar 30th, 2018 54m 15s

What can you grow in a sopping wet spot? Are non-native plants ever OK? In a very special edition of You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath answers those questions and many more—recorded live on the floor of the famed Philadelphia Flower Show!Quest