KSL Greenhouse

09/26/2026

Looking for a fun craft for your pumpkins? Check out this video from the KSL Greenhouse Show

Learn more on how to create these beautiful fall pumpkin succulents...

09/26/2026

🍅🥕 Harvest & Storage of Vegetables and Fruits

You've put in the work all season long, now it's time to make sure that harvest doesn't go to waste! Knowing when to pick and how to store your produce can mean the difference between enjoying homegrown goodness for weeks or watching it spoil on the counter.

Here are the key tips the KSL Greenhouse:

🌿 When to Harvest
Leafy greens (lettuce, chard, spinach): harvest when leaves are large enough to eat. They're best young and tender.

Root crops (carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips): harvest when roots reach usable size. They can stay in the ground into fall and actually get sweeter after a light frost!

Tomatoes: pick when fully colored, or harvest green tomatoes before frost and let them ripen indoors.

Squash & pumpkins: winter squash is ready when the rind is hard and can't be dented with your fingernail. Leave a few inches of stem attached.

Apples & pears: harvest when fruit separates easily from the branch with a slight twist.

📦 Storage Basics:

🚫 Never store fruits and vegetables together! Fruits release ethylene gas, which speeds ripening and spoilage of vegetables.

Cool & Humid (32–40°F, 90–95% humidity):
Carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, cabbage, apples, pears

Cool & Dry (32–40°F, 60–70% humidity):
Onions, garlic

Warm & Dry (50–60°F):
Winter squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes

Refrigerator (in plastic bags):
Leafy greens, herbs, broccoli, beans: use within 1 week

🏡 Simple Storage Options:

Refrigerator: great for short-term storage

Cool basement or root cellar: ideal for long-term storage of root crops, apples, and squash

Pit or trench storage: an old-school method where you bury a container outdoors, insulated with straw and soil

Canning, freezing, or drying: for preserving the harvest even longer

🌟 Pro tip: Always store only your BEST produce. Use blemished items right away in the kitchen!

🎙️ Tune in to the KSL Greenhouse on KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM, 1160 AM, and KSL.com for more fall harvest tips!

09/26/2026

❄️ Frost Protection & Extending the Growing Season

That first frost is right around the corner, but that doesn't mean your garden season has to end! With a few simple strategies, you can add 2 to 6+ weeks on both ends of your growing season and keep harvesting well into fall.

Here's what you need to know:

🌡️ Two Types of Frost
Advective frost: caused by a cold front moving in. Temps can drop significantly, making protection difficult.
Radiation frost: occurs on calm, clear nights when heat radiates away from the ground. These are typically just a few degrees below freezing, making protection very worthwhile.

🛡️ Best Ways to Protect Your Plants:

🧊 Row Covers & Frost Cloth
Lightweight, breathable fabric draped over garden beds provides a few degrees of frost protection while still letting light and water through. Great for cool-season crops like broccoli, cabbage, kale, and lettuce.

🏗️ Cold Frames
A simple frame covered with 4–6 mil plastic gives 3°F to 6°F+ of frost protection — enough to keep cool-season crops going strong through early winter.

🎄 Christmas Lights (Yes, Really!)
Adding a single 25-bulb string of C-7 Christmas lights inside a cold frame provides 6°F to 18°F of frost protection. They distribute heat more evenly than a single large bulb by eliminating cold corners and edges.

🪩 Space Blankets for Extreme Cold
Drape an aluminum space blanket over your plastic-covered frame on the coldest nights. Combined with Christmas lights, this setup provided 18°F to 30°F of frost protection in Colorado State University trials! Just remove it each morning so the soil can recharge with heat from the sun.

💧 Wall O' Water™
These water-filled cylinders placed around individual plants (especially tomatoes) work on the principle that water releases significant heat as it freezes — keeping plants warmer through frosty nights.

⏰ Quick Tips
✅ Cover plants in late afternoon to trap stored soil heat
✅ Remove covers during sunny days for ventilation
✅ Make sure covers don't touch the plants, contact points can freeze
✅ Bury or weigh down edges so cold air can't sneak in
✅ Cool-season crops (lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots) actually taste SWEETER after a light frost!

Don't let the first frost catch you off guard, a little preparation goes a long way! 🌿

🎙️ Tune in to the KSL Greenhouse on KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM, 1160 AM, and KSL.com for more fall gardening tips!

09/26/2026

🍁 Plant of the Week: Bigtooth Maple (Acer grandidentatum)

Right now, Utah's canyons are glowing, and the Bigtooth Maple is one of the stars of the show. This native Western tree delivers some of the most spectacular fall color you'll find anywhere, ranging from brilliant yellows and oranges to fiery reds depending on your microclimate.

But here's what makes it a perfect pick for Utah yards:

💧 Water-wise. Bigtooth Maple has a low irrigation requirement, just ½ inch every 10–14 days once established. In a state where every drop counts, this tree earns its keep.

🦌 Deer tolerant & salt tolerant. Two big wins for Utah gardeners dealing with wildlife pressure and alkaline soils.

🌳 Right-sized for neighborhoods. It stays relatively compact in the Salt Lake Valley, making it a great fit for residential landscapes, park strips, and smaller yards.

☀️ Flexible light needs. Full sun to part shade: t's adaptable to a range of conditions in your yard.

🇺🇸 100% native. A relative of the eastern Sugar Maple, the Bigtooth Maple is right at home in the Intermountain West. Planting native means you're supporting local ecosystems.

If you've been looking for a tree that delivers jaw-dropping fall color, uses less water, and is perfectly adapted to our climate, this is the one. Now is a great time to start planning for a spring planting!

📍 See Bigtooth Maples growing at the Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan — they have them in multiple garden settings so you can see exactly how they look in a landscape.

🎙️ Tune in to the KSL Greenhouse on KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM, 1160 AM, and KSL.com for more plant picks and gardening tips!

09/23/2026

💧 Tip of the Week: Fall Watering for a Stronger Spring

Don't put the hose away just yet! As we head into fall, one of the most important things you can do for your trees and lawn is to keep watering on a regular schedule right up until the ground freezes. Trees and turf that enter winter well-hydrated are far more resilient against cold, dry winds and root damage. Deep soak your trees slowly so moisture reaches 10–20 inches down, and give your lawn a good drink especially during dry spells. Young and newly planted trees are the most vulnerable, water them every couple of weeks even into late fall. Heading into winter with dry roots can mean major trouble come spring, so give your landscape the drink it needs now and it'll thank you with a beautiful show next year!

🎙️ Tune in to KSL Greenhouse on KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM every Saturday 8-11 AM for more seasonal tips!

09/21/2026

If you missed last week's episode, you can listen to it wherever you get your podcasts:

Spotify 🌳: https://open.spotify.com/show/1buh15eNDAmlfAn0L5I28I?si=cd0652751b014090

Apple 🍎: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ksl-greenhouse/id215510110

or on the KSL Greenhouse Podcast website:
https://kslpodcasts.com/podcast/ksl-greenhouse/ -greenhouse-full-show-september-19th-2026-why-do-leaves-change-color-in-autumn-

09/19/2026

😈 Bindweed: Utah's Most Stubborn W**d

It may look innocent with those pretty little white trumpet flowers, but don't be fooled, field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) is one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-control weeds in Utah. Once it moves in, it's in for the long haul.

Here's why it's such a nightmare:

🌱 Deep roots. Bindweed roots can grow 20+ feet deep and spread laterally, sending up new shoots everywhere. Pull it out, and it grows right back from any root fragment left behind.

🔄 It never gives up. A single plant can produce up to 500 seeds that remain viable in the soil for 50+ years. Yes, fifty.

🌀 It strangles everything. Those twining vines wrap around your plants, fences, and anything they can reach, smothering them by blocking sunlight.

How to fight back:

🧴 Herbicide in fall: Applying glyphosate or a broadleaf herbicide now (while bindweed is still actively growing) is one of the most effective approaches. The plant is pulling nutrients down to its roots for winter, carrying the herbicide with it.

✂️ Persistent cultivation: Let new vines grow to about 6 inches, then cultivate. Repeat every 2–3 weeks throughout the growing season to exhaust the root system.

🚫 Never let it go to seed: Every seed it drops adds years to your battle.

🧱 Barriers: Sinking plastic edging 18+ inches deep can help stop lateral root spread into garden beds.

⏳ Be patient: Complete eradication can take 3–5 years of consistent effort. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

The bottom line: if you see bindweed in your yard, act NOW before it digs in even deeper. Fall is actually the best time to treat it!

🎙️ Tune in to the KSL Greenhouse on KSL NewsRadio for more tips on tackling Utah's toughest garden challenges!

102.7 FM
1160 AM
KSL.com
KSLNewsRadio app

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09/19/2026

🍂 Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?

Fall is here, and Utah's mountains are putting on their annual show! But have you ever wondered why those green leaves transform into brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows? It's actually fascinating science at work. 🧪🍁

Here's what's happening inside every leaf:

🟢 Chlorophyll is the star of summer. All spring and summer, leaves are green because they're packed with chlorophyll, the pigment that captures sunlight and turns it into energy through photosynthesis.

🟡 Shorter days trigger the change. As days get shorter and temperatures drop, trees sense the shift and stop producing chlorophyll. As the green fades, hidden pigments that were there all along, carotenoids (yellows and oranges), are finally revealed.

🔴 Reds and purples are made fresh. Unlike yellows, the vibrant red and purple hues come from anthocyanin pigments that are actively produced in fall. Sugars trapped in the leaves react with sunlight to create these showstopping colors.

🍃 Then the leaves let go. Trees form a special layer of cells at the base of each leaf stem, gradually sealing it off. Once cut off from nutrients, the leaf drops, and the tree hunkers down for winter using stored energy.

☀️ What makes for the BEST fall color? Warm, sunny days + cool (but not freezing) nights = the most vivid display. A sudden early frost or drought can cut the show short.

Get outside and enjoy the color while it lasts! 🏔️

🎙️ Tune in to the KSL Greenhouse Show for more garden and nature insights
Saturdays on KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM, 1160 AM, and KSL.com

09/19/2026

🌳 Plant of the Week: Winter King Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis 'Winter King')

Looking for a tree that puts on a show in every season? The Winter King Hawthorn is one of the best four-season ornamental trees you can plant in Utah. In late spring, it's covered in clusters of fragrant white flowers. Summer brings lush, dark green foliage on silvery-green branches. Fall delivers stunning leaf color in shades of orange, red, and purple — plus large, bright red berries that hang on well into winter, feeding birds long after other food sources disappear. As the bark matures, it even exfoliates to reveal beautiful orange undertones.

Why we love it:
🌿 Mostly thornless: unlike many hawthorns
☀️ Thrives in full sun
📏 Compact size (20–30 ft.): perfect for smaller yards and street-side planting
🏙️ Tolerates urban pollution, poor drainage, and a wide range of soils
🦋 Native to North America and a host plant for several hairstreak butterfly species

Tune in to the KSL Greenhouse Show, Saturdays 8–11 AM, for more great plant picks!

09/16/2026

Tip of the Week: Fall Tree Shopping

There are many great sales at garden centers as we get into fall, but you need to do your research on what trees would do well in YOUR yard.