Home gardening has become increasingly popular in the United States in recent years. Since the COVID pandemic, statistics show 18.3 million new gardeners were created, with most of them millennials–and 42% of gardeners spent more time in their yards during the pandemic than in the years before. It’s estimated that 55% of Americans now engage in gardening activities, and American adults spend $48 billion a year on lawn and gardening equipment.

So if that’s your passion, the KSL Greenhouse Show each Saturday morning from 8 to 11 a.m. is a must. Since 1982, the show on 102.7 FM, 1160 AM, or online at kslnewsradio.com/listen has offered tips and advice for maintaining a beautiful yard and planting the trees, flowers and vegetables of your desire.

Long-time KSL Newsradio personality Maria Shilaos and USU Extension Associate Professor of Horticulture Taun Beddes take questions, answer text messages and offer helpful information each week. And they offer caution to planters who sometimes mistake unusually warm late winter weather patterns as starting lines for playing in the dirt.

“Even though temperatures are where we might be able to plant cool weather veggies, other things work into this that you need to know, such as long-term forecasts,” Beddes said during a recent show. “We need to make as sure as we can that temperatures aren’t going to drop to the mid 20s. And be aware of soil temperatures. Even when soil thaws, it can still be around 35 degrees, so it could be wise to give it another week or two to see if things warm up even more.”

Shilaos, a Millcreek resisdent, has been hosting the show since 2019, and filled in for former host Tim Hughes many years before that. She marvels at Taun’s wealth of knowledge.

“He has a master’s degree in plant science. It seems like no matter what questions listeners give us, he knows the answers and explains things in very layman terms,” she said, with Beddes adding that as a young student, “Instead of dating, I read gardening encyclopedias.” It shows.

In early March during our interview, many questions concerned when and what to plant. Beddes said there’s a guide which Utah State University has put together specifically about vegetables.

“The planting guide is divided into four groups–A, B, C and D, with A being the most cold hard crops and D being the most tender,” he said. “The dates vary, and there isn’t one ‘set’ date for anything because weather has to come into consideration, but it’s a great guide. With some crops, like radishes, you can plant almost every day from March 1 to April 15 for a continuous harvest. That gives you a four to six week window when these cold season crops can be planted. Planting is not just knowing when to plant, but how to prepare for cold and heat.”

“I’ve learned so much from working with Taun,” Shilaos said. “He has taught me about pruning. Trees were never my thing—I’m into fruits and vegetables which is a love I got from my grandmother. I still notice that if things get too technical, my brain goes ‘la, la, la, la…’ It’s fun doing this show, and it takes me out of the news which I work on five days a week. Any day that has sunshine is a day to be out in your yard!”

“I try to always give the correct answer in the gentlest way possible,” Beddes said with a smile. “I have a tendency to be a bit too direct sometimes with listeners.” Shilaos said that’s when she likes making fun of him.

“I love being outdoors,” she said. “I kind of make my yard an extended room from my home. I also love growing food–there’s nothing like a homegrown tomato. I think the biggest thing is mental health—I’ve saved a ton of money on therapists by being able to go out and get my hands dirty. Fresh air and vitamin D from the sun—you can’t beat it. And doing the Greenhouse Show gives me a break and allows me to talk about something I really enjoy.”

Got a question? Call Maria and Taun during the show at 801-575-8255 or text them at 57500. You can also see them when they do a remote broadcast in Bountiful on Saturday, June 21 from Bountiful City Park. They will be helping the Bountiful Food Pantry with a school pantry pack project, as well as assisting home gardeners. λ