© 2026
In touch with the world ... at home on the High Plains
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
KANZ 91.1FM in southwest Kansas will be off air for a few hours in the late afternoon or evening of Sept 24. while we work on the tower. You can always listen to HPPR in the player above or on the HPPR APP.
Planting the Plains
Airs Thursdays at 10:30 am CT and Saturdays at 8:35 am CT

Every week, Anthony Reardon presents Planting the Plains, a weekly feature designed to provide the High Plains with timely, yet timeless, research-based, reliable, horticultural information that can assist in bettering everyday lives by easing the burden of troublesome landscape issues.

Each episode will bring a new horticultural, entomological, or wildlife topic to the forefront, furthering practical knowledge on how that topic pertains to the average person, and how that person may need to address such a topic in their own backyard.

To reach Anthony with questions or comments, please send him an email!

Latest Episodes
  • As the weather cools down, and we await the appearance of frost formed overnight, it's time to consider what you can do to ready your plants for the coming changes. This week, we'll talk about how to prepare for a freeze!
  • It's great to keep your lawn healthy in the cooler months, but to do so, you'll really benefit from knowing about various types of grasses. But, wait...there's more! Do you know what type of soil you have in your yard? Understanding BOTH of these is the key before putting in your new grass, and we'll talk more about this in this week's episode!
  • This part of September is ideal for taking (making!) the time to sample your soil, and have it tested to know exactly what you're trying to use to grow your garden plants...if you don't know, how can you know what's best for them? This week, we'll talk about the soil on the High Plains, and how to address whatever results you find in your own soil!
  • Can you feel it? Fall is almost here, and your plants certainly know it. In fact, it may be time to clean up some of the mess they've created over the summer. In this week's episode, we'll talk about how to make the most of your cleanup, and how best to prepare for next year.
  • As the growing season starts to come to a close, and you get closer to harvest, it’s a good time to take stock of all best ways to handle your early fall harvest; your efforts now can help your plants focus their energy on fruiting, and any extras can be frozen or canned…we’ll discuss how in this week’s episode!
  • While you’re putting the effort into gardening, why not do a little extra for the pollinators and others who bring a lot to your garden and your yard? A nice side benefit to your work is the way that you can also help Mother Nature do her thing, and we’ll talk this week about how!
  • Sometimes it’s hard to know whether you should trim back your plants, or otherwise prepare for the colder weather as fall approaches. This week, we’ll talk about which plants can withstand this maintenance, and when to maybe just…hold off.
  • Gardeners on the High Plains know that even after watering their plants, there’s a good chance that the heat will dry up the moisture before too long. But dirt that undergoes the wet/dry cycle repeatedly begins to harden into something we call soil crust. In this week’s episode, we’ll talk about how this process occurs, and what you can do about it in your own garden!
  • The summer is at the point where you might be considering harvesting some items, in order to make room for one last round of quick-growing vegetables before the cold weather sets in. This week, we’ll talk about a few maintenance issues, and how to assess what’s worth keeping…and what’s worth letting go.
  • Composting is a great way to get nutrients into your garden, especially during the summer. This week, we’ll review the process of composting during the summertime, and how to let the heat help in the process!