On this episode of Hort Culture, Ray, Alexis, Jessica, and Brett chat with Bryan Brady, Senior Extension Associate for Cultivate Kentucky, about everything from summertime Kentucky heat to the less-than-glamorous world of food safety and produce outbreaks. They dive deep into the biology of resilient microscopic parasites like Cyclospora, why standard wash water sanitizers can accidentally spread trouble across large batches of shredded lettuce, and how the lengthy incubation period makes these outbreaks so tough to trace. The crew also explores the intricacies of agricultural water risks, third-party GAP audits, and why buying local helps keep supply chains short and manageable compared to massive commercial operations.

Kentucky Hort Council Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) [https://kyhortcouncil.org/good-agricultural-practices-gaps/]

Kentucky Hort Council GAP Cost-Share Program [https://kyhortcouncil.org/khc-cost-share-programs/]

Bryan Brady, Cultivate Kentucky Senior Extension Associate [https://foodconnection.mgcafe.uky.edu/directory/brady-bryan]

The Kentucky Produce Safety Program [https://www.kyagr.com/marketing/documents/PS_UK_Extension_Publication_Kentucky_Produce_Food_Safety_Program.pdf]



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Cyclospora, Summer Surprises, and Safe Produce with Bryan Brady

In this episode of the Hort Culture podcast, hosts Alexis, Brett, Jessica, and Ray chat with Dr. Qinglu Ying from the University of Kentucky all about controlled environment agriculture (CEA). They dive into how greenhouse growing is booming across Kentucky, share a few laughs about dealing with classic Kentucky humidity, and break down practical grower challenges. The crew also explores the shift toward sustainable soilless media like wood bark and fiber, plus how cutting-edge LED lighting can actually boost plant health and antioxidants. They wrap things up with details on the upcoming Appropriate Tools and Technologies Field Day on August 25th and some great new extension resources for local growers.

Center for Crop Diversification-Greenhouse Resources [https://ccd.uky.edu/resources/systems/greenhouse]

2026 Appropriate Technologies Field Day [https://ccd.uky.edu/atfd]

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension [https://extension.mgcafe.uky.edu/]





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The Future of Controlled Environment Ag with Dr. Qinglu Ying

We are joined by Dr. Greg Davis to talk about how plants affect our daily lives and health. Greg is a long time listener and radio show host of Dr. Greg on Medicine! 

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Dr. Greg on Plants

Summer gardens are in full production, but extreme heat and changing weather patterns can create challenges for even the most experienced gardeners. In this episode of Hort Culture, Ray and Jessica discuss what they're seeing across Kentucky gardens as temperatures climb and crops begin producing.

The conversation covers how prolonged heat affects common garden vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, green beans, berries, melons, and pumpkins. They explain common heat-related issues such as blossom drop, delayed ripening, leaf roll, blossom-end rot, sunscald, bitter cucumbers, uneven pollination, and reduced fruit set. The hosts also share practical strategies for helping gardens withstand summer stress through proper watering, mulching, thoughtful pruning, shade management, and variety selection.

Along the way, they swap stories from their own gardens, including Jessica's children's "play garden," preserving the summer harvest, county fair gardening, and the excitement—and occasional frustrations—that come with growing your own food.

They wrap up by looking ahead to fall gardening, discussing why July is the time to begin planning and planting cool-season crops like carrots, spinach, broccoli, kale, and other fall favorites.

Whether you're managing a backyard vegetable patch or simply trying to keep your tomatoes happy through the hottest days of summer, this episode is packed with timely tips to help your garden continue producing despite the heat.



Help your garden weather a heatwave [https://exclusives.mgcafe.uky.edu/2024/hort/help-your-garden-weather-heatwave]

Keep gardens thriving through the heat [https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/keep-gardens-thriving-through-heat]

Heat Causes Problems With Garden Produce [https://extension.sdstate.edu/heat-causes-problems-garden-produce]

How to protect yourself and your plants during extreme heat [https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/how-protect-yourself-your-plants-during-extreme-heat]



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The Heat Is On: Tips for Thriving Summer Gardens

Join Brett and Alexis to hear about how the CCD thinks about grant opportunities and their recent SERME project and its potential impacts for farmers of KY.



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Living the Grant Life

In this episode of Hort Culture, Brett and Ray are joined by Dr. Cindy Finneseth from the University of Kentucky to discuss community horticulture, urban agriculture, and supporting new growers across Kentucky. Dr. Finneseth shares how her role focuses on helping beginning and small-scale producers navigate production, marketing, and business planning while connecting them with Extension resources. The conversation highlights the diversity of Kentucky horticulture, the growth of urban and small-scale farming, and innovative production methods that allow growers to produce crops year-round. The group also discusses challenges such as labor, financing, and scaling operations, while emphasizing the importance of collaboration among growers, Extension specialists, and industry partners. Overall, the episode showcases the opportunities and innovation driving Kentucky’s horticulture industry and the strong consumer interest in locally grown products.



Cynthia Finneseth, Extension Specialist for Community Horticulture [https://horticulture.mgcafe.uky.edu/directory/finneseth-cynthia]

UK Center for Crop Diversification [https://ccd.uky.edu/]

UK Cooperative Extension Service [https://extension.mgcafe.uky.edu/]



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Helping Growers Grow

In this episode of Hort Culture, the hosts dive into practical botany vocabulary that gardeners, plant enthusiasts, and curious learners can use to better understand the plants around them. Through a lively and humorous discussion, they explain key botanical terms such as petiole, midrib, leaf margin, simple versus compound leaves, deciduous plants, allelopathy, monoecious and dioecious reproduction, grafting terminology, vivipary, and plant nodes. Along the way, they connect these concepts to real-world gardening situations, from identifying trees and selecting cover crops to growing asparagus, saving seeds, grafting fruit trees, and managing tomato plants. The episode blends plant science, gardening advice, and entertaining anecdotes to help listeners build their botanical vocabulary while gaining a deeper appreciation for how plants grow, reproduce, and interact with their environment.



University of  Kentucky Master Gardener Basic Botany [https://publications.mgcafe.uky.edu/sites/publications.ca.uky.edu/files/HO-96-Basic-Botany--Remediated.pdf]

OSU Botany Terminology [https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/extd8/files/documents/10536/botany-terminology.pdf]

Utah State University Tree and Botanical Glossary [https://extension.usu.edu/forestry/tree-identification/tree-botanical-glossary]



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Practical Botany Vocabulary Everyone Should Know

Join the Hort Culture crew as they dive into the importance of mid-season scouting and monitoring for gardeners and growers as summer production ramps up. Blending their usual humor with practical advice, they discuss how regularly observing plants can help identify issues with insects, diseases, water management, nutrient deficiencies, and environmental stress before they become major problems. The conversation covers scouting techniques such as checking both the tops and undersides of leaves, monitoring field edges and interiors, recognizing abnormal plant growth, and using tools like moisture sensors, sticky traps, and extension resources to make informed management decisions. Throughout the episode, the hosts emphasize that successful plant care starts with knowing what “normal” looks like in your garden and consistently paying attention to changes, helping growers make timely, effective decisions while avoiding unnecessary treatments.



IPM Scouting Guides for Common Problems of Vegetable Crops [https://kentuckypestnews.wordpress.com/2024/05/07/ipm-scouting-guides-for-common-problems-of-vegetable-crops/]

Kentucky Pest News [https://ose.uky.edu/ky-pest-news]

UK Ag Weather Center [https://weather.uky.edu/]

UK Integrated Pest Management Program [https://ipm.mgcafe.uky.edu/]

MyIPM App for Vegetables [https://myipm.app/vegetables/]

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Scout's Honor: Mid-Season Monitoring for Better Harvests

In this episode of Hort Culture, the hosts sit down with Dr. Eli Sagor, Extension Forestry Specialist and Program Leader for Natural Resources at the University of Minnesota, to discuss forestry, forest management, and the evolving role of Extension education. Dr. Sagor shares how he works with forestry professionals across Minnesota to address real-world challenges through collaborative learning and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. The conversation explores the impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems, including shifting tree species ranges, invasive pests, and efforts to create climate-resilient woodlands. The group also discusses Minnesota’s unique forest landscapes, favorite tree species, and the importance of stewardship in maintaining healthy forests for future generations. Throughout the episode, the hosts and Dr. Sagor reflect on how Extension has evolved from simply providing information to helping people interpret and apply knowledge in an age of information overload, emphasizing the value of trust, conversation, and authentic human connections in education and outreach.



Eli Sagor [https://cfc.cfans.umn.edu/people/eli-sagor]

Great Lakes Silviculture Library [https://silvlib.cfans.umn.edu/]

Cloquet Forestry Center [https://cfc.cfans.umn.edu/]

University of Minnesota Extension Natural Resources [https://extension.umn.edu/natural-resources]

Sustainable Forests Education Cooperative [https://sfec.cfans.umn.edu/]

Minnesota Master Naturalist Program [https://www.minnesotamasternaturalist.org/]

University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources [https://forestry.mgcafe.uky.edu/]

Kentucky Division of Forestry [https://eec.ky.gov/Natural-Resources/Forestry/Pages/default.aspx]



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Check us out on Instagram! [https://www.instagram.com/hortculturepodcast/]

Connecting People, Forests, and Knowledge

In this entertaining and informative episode of Hort Culture Podcast, Alexis and Jessica explore “Nature Danger,” discussing the poisonous plants, venomous insects, spiders, ticks, and other outdoor hazards commonly encountered during Kentucky’s warmer months. Blending humor, personal stories, and practical advice, the hosts explain the difference between poisonous and venomous organisms while covering topics like poison ivy, dangerous mushrooms, stinging caterpillars, wasps, black widows, brown recluse spiders, mosquitoes, and ticks. Along the way, they debunk internet myths, share safety tips for outdoor adventures and gardening, and remind listeners that understanding nature is the best way to stay safe while still appreciating the beneficial role many of these creatures play in the environment.



Best Practices for Mushroom Foraging in Kentucky [https://publications.mgcafe.uky.edu/171?utm_source=chatgpt.com]

Don't Eat Those Wild Mushrooms [https://publications.mgcafe.uky.edu/ppfs-gen-14?utm_source=chatgpt.com]

Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac: Identification, Poisoning, and Control [https://conservancy.umn.edu/items/1a5e3165-7d33-48ae-91ee-924acc9c5135?utm_source=chatgpt.com&afd_azwaf_tok=eyJraWQiOiI1MUExNzM1MkJFMzVFNkZCMTE3QUI4MEVDMjhFQjk1NkQ2ODYzNkY5MjA5MENGNENBMTJERTJFREE0MTkxMjY1IiwiYWxnIjoiUlMyNTYifQ.eyJhdWQiOiJjb25zZXJ2YW5jeS51bW4uZWR1IiwiZXhwIjoxNzc5ODkyMzc3LCJpYXQiOjE3Nzk4OTIzNjcsImlzcyI6InRpZXIxLTg0Y2RjOTRiNDctcmxsY3EiLCJzdWIiOiI5Ni4yOC45Ni4xOTUiLCJkYXRhIjp7InR5cGUiOiJpc3N1ZWQiLCJyZWYiOiIyMDI2MDUyN1QxNDMyNDdaLTE4NGNkYzk0YjQ3cmxsY3FoQzFDSEk2M3U4MDAwMDAwMDViMDAwMDAwMDAwOWQ4YSIsImIiOiJsTUQxTEltNmxaYVBrSzZGU3lLSkNWN1UycUFUb0lJY2NYU21RejRVRnBvIiwiaCI6IlljS0J1bVVzSzdEb2ZqUHJpQUhoNl9lLTU0bFhVN080czBCTkpnSE53UDQifX0.UXHkIGeBDLv4i128KRlAzIK04Bu1GR-1-iUB4TwBGFr8aHpQI5cRf6OdzAEu-Ynm74mQPd-59fBn7RM9006OfaB1ew93jqP80sJkJX8nN3GGFytZjxPF2E1gQZjR1TFvM--7aMiCiIKo2g00V2ozywd2W26hhmTzAq2yydgz-9T1aQi8KmOGl6NvAbgoocY5nkXlBDj1ksr3gRq9hNvtwH2OBMBMzD9p3VkDu7NLZ3_crgMymoeX39VZSBIg8FSj9zxNmarxMgCu2hahQKCfxkeVmCu0Wc4ilQyXulXvf-xbHiMCdYxGww5tbsJBnNFrBCmlIi1M_1gX_qw4z7egZw.WF3obl2IDtqgvMFRqVdYkD5s]

Ticks and Disease in Kentucky [https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef618]

Kentucky Snakes [https://fw.ky.gov/Wildlife/Documents/kysnakebook.pdf]

Kentucky Urban Spider Chart [https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/spider-chart]

Mosquitoes: Practical Advice for Homeowners [https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef005]

Common Mosquitoes in Kentucky [https://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entdept/faculty/Brown/index_files/Page570.htm]



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Hort Culture Goes Wild: Nature Danger Edition

Welcome to Hort Culture, where a group of Extension professionals and plant people talk about the business, production and joy of farming. So, join us for a chat on the culture of horticulture.

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