July heat, dry soil, and a new landscape can make planting feel risky, but there are smart ways to give trees, shrubs, and turf a better chance right now.

In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin York and Jay York cover practical summer landscaping tips for July, including how to water during hot, dry weather, why early-morning watering matters, and how to protect new plantings from heat stress, mildew, and root damage. They also talk through mulch, planting mix, mowing height, and the right way to handle burlap-and-ball trees, container shrubs, and fresh installations during a drought.

The conversation also touches on July newsletter highlights, including garden tips and seasonal recipes like bell pepper nachos, chopped Mexican street corn salad, green bean salad, homemade hot sauce, okra fritters, honey roasted sweet potatoes, yellow squash casserole, and savory tomato pie. If you're growing vegetables and want ideas for using them, this one has plenty to work with.

You'll also hear simple, useful guidance for:

* Watering existing plants during extreme heat * Planting new shrubs and trees in dry conditions * Using mulch to hold moisture and suppress weeds * Setting mower height to protect grass and roots * Pruning lightly, only when it's needed for plant health

Subscribe for the monthly newsletter, gardening tips, product recommendations, and seasonal recipes at https://daddypetes.com

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Have a question for the show? Send it through the website and the Daddy Pete's Plant Pleaser® team may answer it on a future episode.

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Planning a fall garden in July? In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin and Jay York explain what North Carolina gardeners can plant now for a strong fall harvest, even during the hottest weeks of summer.

Learn how to count backward from the first frost date, use seed packet maturity dates, and choose crops that have enough time to produce before cold weather arrives. The discussion focuses on gardening in the Piedmont of North Carolina, with practical guidance for raised beds, containers, and row gardens.

You'll hear tips for planting:

* Cucumbers and Contender bush beans * Broccoli, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, mustard, and turnip greens * Beets and carrots, including the Danvers variety * Cabbage varieties such as Stonehead and Round Dutch * Radishes and other fall garden crops

Melvin and Jay also explain how to protect young fall transplants from intense summer heat, manage increased insect pressure, and use North Carolina Cooperative Extension resources for local planting dates. They share advice on leaving cold-hardy crops such as spinach, beets, and certain greens in the garden through winter, plus a look at Egyptian walking onions and how they can replant themselves.

The episode also covers compost and soil amendments for North Carolina's red clay, container mixes, seed discounts, heirloom seeds, and how to identify genuine Daddy Pete's Plant Pleaser® products at local independent garden centers.

Visit https://daddypetes.com for gardening resources, podcast episodes, recipes, newsletters, and answers to your gardening questions. Subscribe for weekly episodes and send in your own question to have it answered on the show.

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Garden pests can damage a healthy crop before you realize there's a problem. In Episode 139 of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin and Jay York explain how integrated pest management (IPM) helps you identify, prevent, and manage pests without reaching for pesticides first.

You'll learn why scouting your garden regularly matters, where aphids, squash bugs, eggs, and other insects often hide, and how early detection can protect your plants. The discussion also covers squash vine borers, bagworms, deer, rabbits, plant diseases, crop rotation, companion planting, trap plants, native landscaping, and the role of healthy soil.

Melvin and Jay explain how soil testing, proper amendments, compost, and mulch can reduce plant stress and help plants withstand disease and pest pressure. They also cover practical garden maintenance, including pruning, mowing, removing debris, and choosing planting dates that can help you avoid peak pest activity.

The episode draws on information from the North Carolina State Extension Gardener Handbook and encourages gardeners in every region to consult their local extension office for research-based guidance.

You'll also hear important advice about using composted cow manure, mushroom compost, and other soil amendments correctly. These products should be mixed into the soil rather than used as a stand-alone planting medium.

Find past episodes, gardening resources, products, and the monthly newsletter at:

https://www.daddypetes.com

Listen to the podcast on your favorite platform through the website, and share your gardening questions or experiences in the comments.

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August is the right time to start planning a fall garden in much of the Southeast. In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin York and Jay York share practical planting advice for North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and nearby growing regions.

Learn which vegetables are best for direct sowing and which are better started as transplants. The episode covers beets, carrots, spinach, mustard greens, turnips, Swiss chard, kale, collards, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, and sweet peas. You'll also hear recommended varieties, including Bloomsdale spinach, Purple Top turnips, Black Seeded Simpson lettuce, Buttercrunch, Red Sails, Purple Savoy cabbage, Early Jersey Wakefield, and more.

The discussion also explains how to:

* Refresh raised beds after summer crops finish * Use raised bed mix or Lawn and Garden Soil * Choose varieties with short days to maturity * Check your local frost date before planting * Mix small seeds with play sand for even sowing * Grow fall vegetables in containers and pots * Protect lettuce from early frost * Add trellises or tomato cages for climbing peas * Reuse egg cartons, cups, coffee containers, and other household items for starting seeds

August planting can lead to a productive fall harvest, especially when you select the right varieties and give cool-season crops enough time to mature. Visit daddypetes.com to find past podcast episodes, submit gardening questions, sign up for the monthly newsletter, and locate a Daddy Pete's Plant Pleaser® dealer near you.

Subscribe to Gardening with Daddy Pete for more practical gardening tips, seasonal planting advice, recipes, and ideas to help you grow healthy gardens and healthy plants.

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Planting a privacy border? The wrong tree can damage power lines, septic systems, driveways, and even your home. Melvin and Jay explain which border trees fit your property and which ones can create years of problems.

In Episode 141 of Gardening with Daddy Pete, you'll learn how to choose evergreen trees and shrubs based on mature height, width, root growth, sunlight, spacing, and nearby utilities. The discussion covers popular choices such as:

* Green Giant arborvitae * Emerald arborvitae * Cryptomeria varieties * Eastern red cedar * American holly * Yaupon holly * Needlepoint holly * Steeds holly * Nellie R. Stevens holly

Melvin also explains why Leyland cypress can struggle when planted too close together, how bagworms affect these trees, and why proper spacing helps improve airflow and reduce disease problems.

The conversation also covers border trees that may cause trouble, including Bradford pear and willow trees. Bradford pears can split during storms, spread aggressively, and have a relatively short lifespan. Willow roots can travel long distances in search of water, which makes them a poor choice near septic systems, drain lines, wells, foundations, and other areas where roots may cause damage.

Before planting, learn how to look up for power lines, look out toward neighboring properties, and check the mature size of every tree. You'll also hear practical planting advice for clay soil, including how to prepare a hole and use Daddy Pete's Planting Mix and Professional Landscape Mix to help new trees establish and retain moisture.

For product information, gardening questions, podcast episodes, instructional videos, and a store finder, visit:

https://daddypetes.com

Find Daddy Pete's Plant Pleaser products at independent garden centers across the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, and select areas along the East Coast.

Have a question about border trees or privacy planting? Send it in for a future episode.

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Victory gardens helped families grow food, preserve scarce resources, and support the war effort. In this episode of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin and Jay York explain what those gardens can teach us about growing food today.

The conversation looks back at World War I war gardens and the World War II victory garden movement, when households across the United States planted vegetables and fruit to support troops overseas, feed workers at home, and reduce pressure on rationed supplies. They discuss how small urban spaces, backyard plots, patios, and narrow strips of land could produce useful harvests.

You'll also hear how families preserved food through canning and drying, why freezing wasn't widely available for many households at the time, and how victory gardens supported nutrition during the war. The episode also covers overseas gardens, children who helped send seeds to prisoners of war, and two historic victory garden sites that still produce food today.

Melvin and Jay then connect these lessons to modern gardening. Growing your own food can give you better control over what you eat, help you share fresh produce with neighbors, and make productive use of limited space. They also introduce Plant a Row for the Hungry and the USDA People's Garden, two programs that help communities grow and share food.

Whether you have a large backyard, a raised bed, a patio, or only a few containers, this episode offers practical reasons to start growing. Learn how the victory garden movement shaped American gardening and why its message still matters in 2026.

Visit Daddy Pete's Plant Pleaser for composted cow manure and soil amendments:

https://www.daddypetes.com

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Food recalls can affect what's in your refrigerator, pantry, medicine cabinet, and even your garden plans. In Episode 144 of Gardening with Daddy Pete, Melvin York and Jay York explain how the USDA and FDA handle recalls, what each agency regulates, and how you can receive updates directly from official sources.

You'll learn the difference between the USDA's role in meat, poultry, processed egg products, and livestock production, and the FDA's role in foods, medications, medical devices, bottled water, cosmetics, tobacco products, and more. The discussion also covers common reasons for recalls, including Salmonella and E. coli outbreaks, undeclared allergens, foreign objects such as metal or glass, incorrect labeling, uninspected products, and food imported from an unapproved source.

Use these official websites to search current recalls and sign up for email alerts:

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recalls:

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls

FDA recalls:

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls

Melvin and Jay also discuss how the FDA, USDA, CDC, and EPA work together on food safety issues, including livestock feed, disease outbreaks, biotechnology, genetically engineered foods, and lab-grown meat. They share why checking recall notices regularly can help protect your household and why buying from trusted local farmers remains an important option.

The episode also introduces Amber Waves, a USDA publication with information about farming, food production, imports, exports, and rural development.

For gardening products, farm resources, newsletters, podcasts, and more, visit Daddy Pete's Plant Pleaser® at:

https://www.daddypetes.com

Subscribe for more conversations about gardening, food safety, sustainable growing, and practical ways to help your family grow and eat with confidence.

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